The Ace of Wands has appeared in my daily readings frequently over the past week (and a day).  It has turned up four times in the past eight days.

With the Queen of Cups, from Sunday, April 15.

With the Seven of Coins, from Monday, April 16.

With the Two of Cups, from Friday, April 20.

With the World, from today, April 22.

Some card readers refer to this type of situation as a card "stalking" you.  I'm not a fan of that phrasing/language, so I just think of it as a recurring card.  No matter what you call them, cards that show up time and time again are trying to convey a message.  

So what is the message of the Ace of Wands?  For me, I have been reflecting on the possible meanings of this card and how it applies to my day each time it has appeared.  Drawing it two days in a row got my attention, and I recognized it as a recurring card the third time I drew it. When it appeared again this morning, I was able to see the pattern and tie it all together: I think this recurring card is telling me that I may be spreading myself too thin (with projects, work and other responsibilities).  It is letting me know that I need to slow down.  It is letting me know that I need to be careful so I don't get burned out. 

In general, though, I don't believe there is only one answer to what the Ace of Wands means; interpretations can vary depending on many factors, including the client's situation, the question asked, surrounding cards in the spread, the position the card falls within a spread, whether the card is upright or reversed, and the deck used for the reading.  

For purposes of illustrating that last point, the deck used for the reading, I thought I would show a few variations of the Ace of Wands as depicted in a few different Tarot decks.  This type of comparison can help show similarities and differences to help determine this (or any other) card's meaning.

From the first three cards this photo you can see that the Ace of Wands is often shown as a single wand.  In the middle card the suit is called Staves (and in other decks it is the known as the suit of Rods, Clubs, Staves or Batons).  And in the last two images we see human figures or illustrations in the cards.  Although these cards have many differences, one thing they have in common is that in each of these cards the suit of Wands (or Staves) corresponds to the element of Fire.  Or, to put it more correctly, the Fire element in each of these decks is represented by Wands (or Staves).  (Note: in some decks, Wands represent the element of Air.)

Fire is a very yang, or active, energy.  It gives off light and heat (positive qualities) but can also be destructive by consuming everything in its path (negative qualities).  Similarly, Wands represent the positive qualities of primal energy, will, confidence, courage and optimism.  The negative, or shadow side, of Wands can show up as aggression, lack of direction, inability or unwillingness to commit, impatience, recklessness or burnout from taking on too much.

These are all generalizations, of course, so I will show each of the Aces above with some of their key words.

Unfortunately, the descriptions from the LWB (little white book) that came with this deck are not particularly helpful.  In some ways they are confusing because they don't seem to "stay in their lane" as far as the elemental correspondences are concerned.  For purposes of this post, I won't list the meanings that might lead to confusion. 

The description of this card as set forth in the LWB is: "a hand issuing from a cloud grasps a stout Wand or Club."  Key words for the upright meaning include: creation, invention, the powers which result in these.  Also: beginning, source, the beginning of enterprises.  Key words for the reversed meanings include: fall, decadence and ruin. 

Amusingly, the LWB from the Ancient Tarot of Lombardy claims that "Divining with tarots is very easy."  That's awesome!  Nevertheless, I will continue my discussion.

The Ancient Tarot of Lombardy LWB interprets Wands as "the Fire suit: physical, corporeal, creative activity".  It lists key words for the Ace of Wands as: invention, discovery, masculine strength, initiative and fertility.  "Fertility" as a key word for Wands can be a bit confusing because that can be a key word associated with the suit of Pentacles (or the Empress).  In this case, fertility can be thought of as the energy, passion or enthusiasm (Wands qualities) that you have before starting a project, as opposed to having the resources (like money, Pentacles) that you may need to see it through to fruition.

The LWB for the Ancient Tarot of Lombardy does not provide separate meaning for reversed cards.

The description for the Ace of Staves in the LWB for the Modern-Medieval Tarot says, "An Ethereal arm holds a mace against a background of fire."  Obviously this is very similar to the description for the Ace of Wands in the Waite-Smith Tarot.

The meaning set forth in the LWB for the Ace of Staves is: "Creativity. You begin a new project."  This doesn't seem to add much to the discussion, but it does reinforce the theme/idea of beginning a new project.

There are no meanings for reversed cards in the LWB for this deck.

The LWB for the Transformational Tarot says: "Wands/Rods (clubs) = fire, creative, active yang energy."  By now, I'm sure you're getting the picture.  But what's up with those people in the card?

According the the LWB, the Ace of Wands represents, "Pure creativity.  The Ace of Wands depicts two fiery redheads, each carrying a torch - an element of the wand suit.  They seem almost fused as one, and can represent willpower and the creative spirit moving together towards a desired goal.  An altar, signifying ritual and inspiration, illuminates the darkness."

Key words and phrases for the upright meaning include: "A creative beginning.  Inventiveness.  Empowerment.  It may suggest a career change or an important new direction."

Reversed meanings in the LWB include: "...could indicate a false start, setbacks, destructive energy, feeling uninspired."

Finally, we have the Ace of Wands from the Paulina Tarot (by Paulina Cassidy).  This deck also has a very different feel from the Waite-Smith deck.

The LWB description reads, "The perceptive owl guides the child in developing intuition.  His green feathers symbolize the "go-ahead" to pursue new ideas.  The child gazes up at the stream of stars, determined to begin life's adventures."

So, here again, we have the idea of spirit, energy and beginnings.  

Upright meanings from the Paulina Tarot's LWB include: "Creative beginnings, a new way of life, ambition, enthusiasm."

Reversed meanings include: "Setbacks, lack of determination and failed communications."  

I hope this post has helped you understand potential meanings for the Ace of Wands, how cards and their meanings can be similar and dissimilar in different decks, and how to begin to elicit a message from a card when you encounter a "recurring card" situation.