TEN OF WANDS

The Traveling Lizard determinedly walks across a hot beach lined with unique treasures, but the lizard cannot stop. He must push on without adding to his load, as he has his hands full carrying 10 wands across the beach. Unlike the rest of the Wand cards, the Wands’ magic has been temporarily extinguished in the Ten of Wands. The 10 signifies that you’re finally nearing the completion of this particular adventure, but the journey at this moment is too hot for flames. This is a card about the burdens and responsibilities — and the lost loves, the regrets, the traumas, the things we will not let go of — we carry with us as we go about our journeys each and every day. The Ten of Wands indicates that you’ve recently taken on an extra workload of sorts — maybe caretaking for an elderly parent, helping with a big move or transition, or you’ve become an active volunteer for a demanding nonprofit, church, or political organization. You’re always trying to help, but you forget to offload. You always think you can do more, more, more, but we all have our limitations and it’s important not to forget about your own dreams, goals, wishes and priorities. The Ten of Wands is a sign that you’ve over-extended yourself and need to ask for help with your load or stop and let something off your shoulders. You’re a person, not a machine.

NINE OF WANDS

The Tangled Ray shows a beautiful ray caught in a fishing net, the inspiration and magic from nine wands lighting up the waters below. The ray is embattled and tired, but not trapped. She’s been tested. The net symbolizes that you’re facing some kind of adversity, pressure or stress, but the wands show that not all is dark. Maybe you’re suffering from an injury or illness, you’re having financial difficulties, you lost a loved one or you’ve gone past a deadline. Now is the time to dig deep. You’ve built up a lot of resilience during your journey, and now is the time to put it the test. You don't need to make excuses; you just need to take accountability, acknowledge your situation and let go of what you can’t control. Write down everything you’re feeling and any silver linings you think of. Feel free to laugh at yourself or to make some jokes; dark humor is sometimes the only way to stay sane in a difficult situation. Being able to laugh when you want to cry or scream, or being able to laugh when you are crying and screaming, is a sign that everything will be okay. The amount of adversity you are currently facing is temporary.

EIGHT OF WANDS

The Eight of Wands is a sign that you’re approaching peak flow state: a dynamic period of high energy and momentum. Eight Playful Penguins swim together with the ocean’s current, jumping in the waves, their wands of inspiration moving with them. Perhaps you’ve just recovered from a state of burnout or exhaustion and are feeling like your old or best self again, you’ve finally made it past a significant hurdle that was causing you to procrastinate and stagnate, or you’ve pivoted in a new promising direction. Either way, the Eight of Wands is a sign that you’re going places now, and that things are moving fast — but you’re up for it. Stay enthusiastic. Don’t question your worthiness for any opportunities you’re surrounded by. There are wild rides to come. Allow yourself to get excited and grab hold of new ideas, and make sure you’re appreciating all these high-energy moments and this particular period of time. Soak it in. Focus on the present.

SEVEN OF WANDS

Trouble is afoot. A killer whale is under attack by a shiver of great white sharks, and seven powerful wands are loose in the waters. Who will get to them first? The competition and stakes here are real. Now that you’ve achieved some level of success, others want what you have and are gunning for you. There is a lot of pressure that comes after successly finishing a creative project or goal. It feels like you’re being circled by something ominous, like you could lose everything if you slow down and catch your breath or take a break. People might be coming out of the woodwork to criticize your work or take advantage of it in some way — maybe something has been stolen, or you’re finding that the response to it is dwindling, or you’ve gotten the attention of internet trolls or an old frenemy, And maybe you’re just exhausted from the long hours and energy you’ve been pouring in just to get here. You got through the stress and pressure it took to become successful, but now you’ve got to figure out how to maintain it in the long-term, and that might be a whole new monster to contend with. It’s okay to get knocked down a little, but don’t forget about all the powers you’ve developed to get to where you are. Creativity builds resourcefulness and a unique ability to solve problems. You don’t have to out gun someone you can outsmart. There isn’t a problem that can’t be fixed, and everything that is overwhelming you can be broken down into smaller and more manageable pieces. When seen in the right light, all problems are opportunities, and you’ve got some magic on your side.

SIX OF WANDS

You’ve come across quite the show: five Sea Lions are cheering on a sixth as the powerful creature leaps out of the water and clears an iceberg on a beautiful night lit by the northern lights. Six wands light their rocky beach. The Six of Wands represents the support you’ve received from others and the confidence you have built recently to finally feel like a success after accomplishing a significant milestone in your journey. You’ve cleared through all the hurdles you’ve faced so far and others are enjoying the results; you’re putting your skills on display and finally getting noticed for your work and progress. Keep believing in yourself and have faith that you’re still on the right path. Revel in the love received from others and use that appreciation to keep shining bright.

FIVE OF WANDS:

Your energy has drawn you to quite the scene: five narwhals fighting over one fish, though many other fish are swimming right nearby. The five narwhals are all unique from each other, but why are they all going after the same fish? They could all have their own meal if they hadn’t all set their sights on the same one. The Five of Wands indicates an imagined or unnecessary war or argument amongst friends, family members, coworkers or creative collaborators that is causing tension and impeding progress. Everyone is shouting in their own way, but no one is willing to listen to what others have to say. Take a step back and remember that everyone has had different experiences, faced unique challenges and has something valuable and niche to bring to the table. Work on creating a constructive brainstorming environment where diverse ideas are encouraged and heard. Lift up those around you with your actions and words so that the conversation becomes less combative and more focused on solutions and collective empowerment. The more people feel heard, the more they listen, and the more likely it is that you’ll come up with the ingenious solution you’ve been waiting for.

FOUR OF WANDS:

You’ve been blessed with a jubilant sighting of Leaping Dolphins, joyously jumping through a window of four floating wands, fully emerged in playtime and celebrating the whimsy of their lives. The Four of Wands is a milestone card; you’ve got something to celebrate. You’ve completed or established an important step in your creative and spiritual journey, are experiencing a period of peace and harmony, have reconnected with good friends, and are wealthy in all the ways that matter to your soul. Enjoy the harmony and stability you should be feeling and find a way to reward yourself and those who have been supporting you. Throw a party, host a game night or potluck with friends, buy some concert tickets. Laugh and let loose, and don’t keep your successes or happiness to yourself. Spread it around as much as you can.

THREE OF WANDS

The Sea Turtle makes their way to the ocean, lead there by the wisdom and direction of ancestors, passed along through generations by spiritual forces so strong they don’t require a physical presence to be followed; it’s instinct. This is a card about progress, momentum and opportunities. You’ve recently taken a big leap or accepted a grand new opportunity that has moved you away from your comfort zone and into a great unknown that has expanded your world. Believe that you’re going in the right direction and stay committed to the journey. Don’t be afraid to let your dreams get bigger. Even if you don’t know exactly where you’re going, you’ve got signs guiding you along the way. You just have look out for them, and figure out which ones to follow as you broaden your horizons and get comfortable out at sea.

TWO OF WANDS

Breathe and focus, for you’ve discovered the Lotus Pond, a place for deep thinking, planning and manifestation; a comfort zone of peace and safety, protected from the stresses of the larger world. The pond is home to the Dragonfly, dancing and coasting its way between two large Wands. Though the pond is quiet and contemplative, the dragonfly is always moving from place to place, unable to sit still for more than a few seconds at a time. This card indicates that you have recently embarked on a path of self-discovery and are feeling aware of your life’s true purpose or meaning. Still, there are probably big decisions to be made, decisions that might be painful or that you might be reluctant to take. The Dragonflies life will soon be yours — you’re ready to be on the move. You’re excited about a project or idea and can’t wait to spread your wings and fly with it, or maybe you’ve got a bad case of wanderlust and are feeling called to travel in some way. But first, you need a plan, and the Lotus Pond indicates that now is the time to create it, to hash out the details, iron out any expected kinks, and prepare for launch. Find a comfortable place to sit and think, to write things down and out and find the time to have a coffee or catch up with anyone around you who might offer some good advice for the adventure you’re about to embark on. When you go to bed at night, imagine the future.

ACE OF WANDS

You’ve crossed paths with the Magical Octopus, one of the great wizards of the sea. The Octopus has discovered a powerful wand that allows them to manifest the beginnings of a beautiful coral reef. This is a card that symbolizes the excitement of getting swept up by an exciting new idea or project. Now is the time when you’re at your highest potential — you hopefully feeling energized, inspired and motivated about a great epiphany you’ve had or path you’ve started, but it’s only the very beginning. Whether this spark catches fire is up to you. Follow your vision board, trust in yourself, and get rolling. Wands are the suit of ideas and flow, so they should be coming easily to you. Stay flexible, go down those rabbit holes, have fun and play. Don’t forget to stop and dance every so often, and jazz or somehow change that space up if you need to. Your creative space should be a sacred space for your soul.

GOD OF SWORDS:

You’ve discovered the wonder and power of The Flowering Mind, the purveyor of enlightenment and truth. The God of Swords shows a jellyfish-like creature resembling a brain and the beginnings of a nervous system, floating across an ethereal space, a rainbow of light shining down on it. The creature has grown a flower with seven eyes from which it can see different dimensions of the surrounding world and is cutting a large magical mushroom with a powerful Sword. Like the Goddess, this card radiates deep knowledge, truth, understanding and intuition during a search for truth, answers, meaning or purpose. But while the Goddess is still reaching the peak of her powers, the God of Swords has fully embraced their creative potential and purpose. The God lives and learns beyond its human body and form; their legacy and impact on the world has no bounds. The God isn’t just respected, but worshipped. This card is a sign that you have reached peak mental and creative clarity, and that people are watching and listening to what you have to say, or that someone around you — most likely an expert in finance, business, psychology, engineering, spirituality or a creative medium — can offer you the exact wisdom, direction and insight that you are missing and seeking.

GODDESS OF SWORDS

The Peacock shows a beautiful woman walking through a lavender field. She is carrying a basket of flowering herbs and walking with a blue peacock companion, and she wears a crown of feathers that suggests she and the peacock are one. A Sword is shone stuck in a granite rock, with three tiny butterflies seeking to pull the Sword out to unlock its potential and power. The Butterflies represent transformation; change is a predominant force when the Goddess of Swords shows herself. The herbs carried by the Goddess represent the knowledge, skills, and instincts necessary to get through any situation and to get the truth in all matters. The Goddess represents the mastery of inner strength that comes from overcoming loss and personal suffering, which makes her powerful, bold, resourceful and independent. Her knowledge is capable of changing the world. She knows herself inside and out and is comfortable in her own skin, though she is also a master of transformation and change and is able to read which way the wind will blow. She isn’t afraid of the truth; she is the truth. You can lie to yourself, but not to the Goddess of Swords. Her energy works to give everyone the insight and power they need to become fully themselves. Is she attempting to tell you something? Now is the time to listen to the wind, to hear the clouds, to see everything as a sign.

KNIGHT OF SWORDS

You’ve caught sight of The Striking Owl, a powerful bird of prey on a mission. The Knight of Swords is determined to achieve its goals, knowing that the work required to obtain the knowledge necessary (the storm) will pay off dividends later (the blooming desert). The owl’s wings are spread and the sword is perfectly straight, showing determination and expertise, while the owl represents a focused intellectual drive of someone who is ambitious without apologies. This is an action card; you’re quickly moving toward something, not pausing to plan ahead. You can’t tell a Knight of Swords to slow down or to be careful, but a lot can go wrong when you move so fast. Things can change quickly, especially if you come across some unintended consequences of your prior actions or cut corners in the name of speed. Still, the Knight of Swords is a great communicator and can normally take its way out of a jam with ease.

SPIRIT OF SWORDS

The Phoenix shows a great, beautiful bird rising above a lake caught on fire. The Phoenix controls a powerful sword, a sign that you have gained a state of knowledge akin to the enlightenment that comes from being inside a spiritual realm. This card represents renewal, new ideas and a new burst of energy after a period of trauma, depression, rest or low flow. The Spirit of Swords is an enthusiastic force of knowledge, an expert at breaking through barriers, gathering information and winning from behind. The Phoenix is a resourceful problem solver, adept at brainstorming and researching and finding creative solutions to challenges that would drag others down. Drawing the Phoenix is a sign that it’s time to let yourself be heard in situations where you otherwise may have kept quiet, though you might want try new and different ways of getting your message across if old techniques aren’t getting the attention your ideas deserve.

TEN OF SWORDS

The Dead Flamingo represents a painful ending, a deep loss and the end of a cycle. A flamingo lies dying in a shallow pond, struck in her head by a sword, surrounded by nine other swords and pools of blood. Someone or something has hurt you, giving a fatal blow with regards to that relationship or connection. This most likely cannot be undone. This is the card of grief. Remember that every ending leaves room for a beginning. With deep losses come new gains, and at the end of any cycle lies the unlimited possibilities that come from learning, changing and growing. The sun sparkles on the water and the Flamingo awaits her new, enlightened and transformed self - the Self that has learned from her mistakes and experiences, has been reborn from the wisdom of her past, and has an understanding of how to move forward from despair. You are strong, and all it takes to keep going is a single step, followed by another one, and another. Soon this abysmal present will be nothing but the past.

NINE OF SWORDS

Don’t panic, but you’ve revealed the Nine-Eyed Raven, which represents an escalation of the Caged Hummingbird (the Eight of Swords). A tiny canary sits paralyzed, surrounded by swords. A monstrous nine-eyed raven rises from a cloud of smoke above the canary’s nest. The swords represent the fears, worries, demons, and nightmares trying to keep the canary from feeling at peace. Your dark thoughts are now keeping you up at night; you’re not sleeping or taking care of yourself; your fears are in full control. You’re living in a nightmare, paralyzed with indecision, being torn apart in different directions; the stresses you’re facing are eating you alive. Your concerns might be very real; the world is a stressful place full of suffering, hatred, inequality and uncertainty. But the world is also a wondrous place full of joy, love, growth and opportunity, But you’ve got to come up for air. You’ve got to breathe. Grab on to any tiny bit of happiness you can and hold on. The world is stressful, but friends are loving, the Earth is beautiful, blankets are soft, and we are all connected.

EIGHT OF SWORDS

The Caged Bird beckons at you, crying out to be released from her tiny prison. Seeing the door is open, you try to encourage her to fly free, but she doesn’t understand. The prison isn’t the cage she’s in, but her fears of leaving. The cage, after all, is all that is protecting the bird from the Eight Swords thrown at her. What do the Swords represent? Possibility. The What-ifs you’ve passed on. Fear is a prison, and it exists even when conditions are perfect: even when the world is in full bloom around you, you may fear getting stung by a bee. Fear is a powerful weapon to use against yourself when you don’t want to leave, to change, to grow: when it seems simpler to just live in a cage of your own making if if that cage makes you unhappy, leaves you unfilled, endangers you in a violent or dependent relationship or keeps you from pursuing your purpose. How do you break through the prison of fear? You’ve got to accept your power, consider your choices, create a plan and a path. For every negative thought you have, force yourself to have a positive one. For every negative possible outcome you perceive, think of a good beneficial one. Focus on the answers and solutions, not the problems and questions.

SEVEN OF SWORDS

Aye, Matey, you’ve come across The Parrot Pirate, who is cursed to curse everyone he meets. You thought the Parrot was there to help, as he repeated everything you said like a true yes-man should. But he was just lonely out at sea and couldn’t help but deceive you. The Parrot is holding on to Seven Swords, representing the Seven ways we deceive and corrupt ourselves: through gluttony, sex , greed, depression, anger, rejection, and pride. This is a card about betrayal, strategy and deception. You’ve been cursed to believe the lies you tell yourself or are told by other people who are attempting to hold you back. Perhaps there is an inner struggle or grievance that your psyche is focused on but that you're afraid to express, or a small white lie you once told has grown into an elephant. Perhaps you're angry at yourself for some failure, feel guilt about a conversation or argument with a loved one, or have been lying about your inner well-being. This is a card about telling your truth and dealing with deceit, theft, fraud and hidden secrets. Everyone loves a secret, a mystery, an untold truth. Choose one to unravel.

SIX OF SWORDS:

You’ve encountered a great storm, but are being rescued by The Six Seagulls, forces of transition and change. This card shows a ghostly figure carrying six swords across a stormy ocean in a tiny boat that was clearly not built for such feats; fortunately it is being pulled toward land by forces stronger than the winds, guided by the wisdom and reaching arms of the Lighthouse. The shore is nearing; you’re moving past the storm and moving toward an unknown future. What are you carrying with you? The Six Swords will be difficult to carry without the help of a boat once you’re on stable ground. They represent the kinds of Knowledge we must let go of in order to move forward - bad habits, negative thought patterns, harmful beliefs, stereotypes, outdated lessons, the expectations and hopes placed on us by others. You’re about to transition into a new world, a new relationship, a new dream, a new job. Embrace the coming changes by letting go of the baggage you’re carrying that no longer serves you. For instance, perhaps you’ve been in search of your one true soulmate but are coming out of a long relationship with a person you had hoped would be “the one” that has scarred you. Why do we believe in one true soulmate? The Quest for our perfect mate is sold to us as a fairytale, but it causes so many nightmares. Most of us fall in love multiple times, yet we are told it is only right to love one person. Does that “truth” serve your truest self? Maybe it does. Maybe it doesn’t. Don’t hold on to what other people have told you; hold on to what you know to be true within you.

FIVE OF SWORDS:

You’ve come across The Cursed Hourglass, for which the Five Eagles of Time are both fighting for and entrapped in. The Five of Swords is a sign that you are finding yourself surrounded by war and competition, that your foes are drawing nearer, or that you’re fighting a battle against Time itself, wasting it away on consumption instead of spending it in growth and creation. The Hourglass has the power to remind you that everything in this world is temporary, that time is running out, that time is always falling. But look a little deeper, and Time is a complicated subject. Time is always moving, that moments of time are both endless and infinite, as if every grain of sand in the universe was a moment of time in the multiverse of possibilities created by each and every passing decision. Is Time your enemy? Or is a gift? Regardless, war exists, and you’re preparing for battle. Think about who or what you’re up against right now, and see yourself holding those things hostage in this magical Hourglass bestowed upon you. Their power is running out, and you hold the key to victory in your hands. You’ve just got to pick up your sword and make the journey.