Taking a look at the same tarot card across several decks

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the different kinds of readings you get with different tarot decks. I find that some decks are great for general readings. Others are great for readings about spirituality. Another might be good for inner healing. And I’ve started tailoring my readings based on these different decks and the ideas present in each deck. In doing this, I tend to see the cards differently from the author or the traditional meanings of the cards. And if you disagree with a particular meaning, know it’s ok that neither of us is wrong. I see what I see and choose that more often than the book because it’s what my intuition tells me. This is perfectly normal with tarot. You might see very different things from the same card. And depending on the day, the time, what you had for breakfast, the client, and the question, it will all be different. Bear that in mind as you read this.

In this post, I’ll look at the Ace of wands and see how it differs among the five decks I have available. The Rider-Waite-Smith, The Wildwood tarot, the Light Seer’s Tarot, the Tarot of the Abyss, and the White Numen Tarot. These five decks are ones that I use almost every day. Each has a different voice and a different art style. So let’s take a look first at the Rider-Waite-Smith Ace of Wands.

In the Rider-Waite-Smith Ace of Wands, we see a giant hand coming from a cloud and holding a big wooden wand with leaves sprouting. We see an idyllic landscape in the background and a town or castle on a hill.

When I see this card, I tend to agree with the traditional meaning of this card. I see a beginning. I see the spark of something that creates whatever comes next: creation and the energy it needs to spring forth and be what it becomes. Wands are connected to the element of fire, and all the fire represents. We see action, creation, and energy; we see the light. Aces are the beginning of the suit. In this, we get a sense of beginnings and the first steps. And we’ll see the ideas represented in the other decks. But what I’m fascinated with is the different ways in which these ideas present themselves. I chose this card because it’s come up in readings fairly often. It came up today in a reading about the rest of the week.

So this card, to me, speaks of not just the beginning but since it’s about fire, the spark that ignites the fire. But not the fire. Not the flame that burns. This action leads to the creation—the motion of lighting the match but not the heat or fire results.

I also see this as being a gift from the divine. The clouds are often a reference for the heavens and higher powers. Energies that are greater than ourselves. Wiser, more knowledgeable. They guide us and help us along the way. This card also speaks to that for me. Showing me that the ideas are gifts from our higher powers or our Higher Selves. These gifts are delivered to us through divine methods, and we can choose to accept them.

So let’s see how this message plays out in another deck.

In the Wildwood Tarot, the wand is replaced with a bow. And in this image, we see the bow used as a bow drill. The string is wrapped around an arrow so that pulling on it will make the arrow spin and thereby creating friction that creates the spark that ignites the first flame. This card is also labeled “The Spark of Life.”

Just as we see the action that creates the spark, and just like the Rider-Waite-Smith, we see that it is more about the action of making the first spark rather than the fire or flame itself. We also see that a force holds up the bow and the arrow we cannot see. Here too is a sign that there is a divine action at work. If it were by hand, we would perhaps see a man holding these implements, but they are suspended in mid-air, acting of their own volition. This idea leads me to see it also as a divine action that ignites the spark, allowing us to have a fire to cook with and warm ourselves on cold nights. The fire is also a metaphor for actions and ideas as well. Because of the forest theme, I can also see that a fire might go out of control if we don’t. And so, our actions can get ahead of us if we’re not careful. They take over, and before we know it, we have a raging fire on our hands, and we end up having to take responsibility for the damage our actions can cause. But if we choose to be careful with our actions, they will not get out of hand, and we can use them wisely and safely. This is where the deck speaks differently, offering a new interpretation of what is essentially the same idea.

Let’s now switch gears and look at the Ace of Wands from the Light Seer’s Tarot.

In this card, we see a beautiful woman with her eyes closed. A flame dances in her mind. We also see a few stars around her as well. And beams of light emanating from the fire. Her eyes are closed, indicating that perhaps this is a vision or meditation she is engaged with. She sees the fire in her mind. The idea will lead to an action she will eventually bring into the world. But She hasn’t done it yet. It’s merely an idea she is contemplating.

The stars and the light rays also indicate a connection to the heavens. But in a way that is more about the cosmos than about heaven. You’ll also notice that the flame is in her third eye chakra and not her crown chakra. So this could indicate that perhaps it’s not from a higher power but from within herself. This shows me our ability to create in this world is as powerful as the divine creator concept. Perhaps she is in the process of manifesting her dreams and desires.

Also, this card has more of a feminine energy which also speaks to the idea that women can grow and nurture life. Again this happens within the body, as we see with the flame inside her.

Our next deck to look at is the Tarot of the Abyss. This one is very different than the others.

This card shows a woman holding a thin wooden stick. Her eyes are closed, just as we saw in the previous card. There is a phoenix just starting to take flight.

And here, we also see the connection between fire and the start of an action. The Phoenix is going somewhere to do something. We’re not sure what it is, though. She is meditating or working on a vision for this creature. This deck is darker than my other decks, and because of that, I see something darker at play here. Not that it’s evil or anything like that. On the contrary. What she’s doing might be good. But I don’t feel it serves anyone but herself, or maybe it’s for a single purpose. Here we have the idea of one. The ace is the first card of the suit. This action comes from a deeper place within herself. Perhaps from a place of pain or trauma. A wound that hasn’t quite healed right. I see a wind that pulls at her hair and also pulls the flame of the phoenix’s tail toward the right side of the card. The right is often seen as forward progress or the power side. There is the possibility that this card shows us forward progress or actions that move in the direction of power—flowing in a way that allows this power to move and go where it needs to go.

The last card we’ll look at in this series is the Ace of Wands from the White Numen Tarot.

In this card, we see the wand has more of the shape of a club than any of the other decks. This one also feels the most phallic of all the decks we’ve looked at. A wand with sprouting leaves hovers above the landscape while several hands try to grasp it. The flame is seen below the wand, and the sun is just above.

First, the obvious, the hands trying to grasp the wand. I see this as the people’s actions being greedy. They all want this wand. Perhaps they need it. The wand floats, indicating again that there is divine power at work. But instead of being given as a gift, it is something to be taken. To be fought over. In this image, I see people fighting over this gift. But the thing about trying to reach out and grasp at things is that the more you try to grab it, the more it slips away. If they stopped being greedy, they could see that this gift would come to them. And they would have it. And there would be no need for fighting or grabbing. No need to hunger for it or desire it negatively. This card shows me that coming from a place of lack makes things difficult to reach and hang on to. But if you come from a perspective of abundance, the gist would come to you instead of you having to go after it.

Another idea I see in this card is raw human desire. The ‘burning desire’ that we often speak of. Desire can consume us. It can take over, and we end up doing nothing, thinking about that one thing day and night. We think about it at all hours of the day, and we might even have dreams about it. Because this card is connected to fire, I can also see this card coming up as a result of a question about passion, love, or sexuality. A desire that burns in our loins. Because of this, I find this one of the sexiest cards in this tarot deck. And again, the phallic nature of the wands could also speak to this idea. Seeing all the hands trying to reach for it could indicate, in a love reading, that the person is desired and wanted by many. If the question were about who will my future lover be, the answer this card gives is anyone you want. If the question of when you will I find a girlfriend or a boyfriend, the answer would be anytime you want it. If, however, the question were about how will the relationship go or what will it feel like. Then this card might tell us that It’ll burn hot and bright.

I hope you found this one as interesting as I did. If you enjoyed this one, please leave a comment and let me know. Also, if you want to see more posts like this, this might become an interesting series. Let me know if you have a favorite card you’d like to see in the next one. Also, leave me a comment if you found different meanings than what I saw today. I’d love to hear them.

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Take care, and have a great day!