Four of Wands Meaning in Tarot by Avia of Tarot Teachings

About Four of Wands
Meaning in Tarot

When I see those four stoic, inviting poles at the forefront of the four of wands, my mind can’t resist the idea of celebrations held at the Maypole. You know, that ritual, celebratory dance held around the time of Beltane. For sure, the four of wands is a time of dancing and welcoming home.

Indeed, Beltane is one of the four major fire festivals of Gaelic origin in which raucous fun and frolic are encouraged and much of it is done around maypoles fashioned around bonfires.

We get the sense of this kind of climbing up, or climaxing to a big event, especially in the Waite rendition (far right card in the trio above). And, as Beltane is a fire festival, it would play nicely to our fire-themed suit of rods.

Some keywords erected from the four of wands Tarot card meaning:

Growth
Vitality
Fertility
Gateway
Unifying
Claiming
Initiation
Invitation
Enhancing
Invocation
Preparation
Homecoming
Establishing
Youthfulness

Further, this particular festival traditionally marked the first day of summer. With that delineation, there is focus on new growth, rites of fertility, and renewed blessings within the homestead. Keep aware of this reference to the season in your readings, as this cue may define a timeframe in your readings (i.e., auspicious dates for new projects, weddings, partnerships, home purchases, etc.).

I also like the idea of those poles “staking our claim” on the richness that is inherent within, and available to all. The energy of number four suggests claiming our foundational heritage and solidifying our personal proclamations in the matter of house and home.

The idea of homecoming holds true when we remember the messages in the preceding card (three of rods). This spoke of being the ambassadors of our dreams. In that phase of our lives we watched patiently after the launch of the ideas we let set sail. Now, in the setting of the four of wands, it seems our send-off is returning with promising results!

The four of wands Tarot card meaning also deals with openings and gateways. We can step right through the makeshift bower, and in so doing we step into the party, move into the mix, and embrace the virile power the ‘summer season’ of our life.

For those of you who are consistently lured by numbers, I invite you to contemplate the visual presence and ramifications of the number 1, 2 (think of the wands in this card as Roman numerals) and of course the number 4 in the card.

One: Beginnings
Two: An act of joining together; procreation
Four: Stabilizing and solidifying the creative process

Semi-tangentially, I see 11’s in this card which always prompt me to shift and move into a new gateway of the mind. I’ve written some ideas about this my blog post on 11 here.

To re-focus on the four of wands Tarot card meaning, when this card shows up in our readings, it’s time to:

Invoke blessings within the home
Stake our claims
Light our creative fires
Let the party begin!

Some symbols poking out of the four of wands Tarot card:

Arch: Arches are symbolic of openings, passage-ways, and initiations. In a reading, the arch is a symbol of a new direction for the querent. This new opening or path is indicated by the card. Get more about arch meaning in the Tarot here.

Castle: Castle symbol meanings deal with goals. Castles are physical representations of our need to build (block by block) upon a strong foundation in order to obtain our goals. Castles may also deal with sheltering ourselves or limiting ourselves from reaching our goals. They are also a symbol of obtaining our desires. More about castle symbolism in Tarot here.

Flowers: As we would guess, flowers possess symbol meanings of joy, beauty, growth, sensitivity, and unfolding. They are predominant features on the six of cups and four of rods, but they are seen sprinkled throughout many deck renditions (see also the Sunflower symbol meanings entry). Flowers are all about opening up and receiving the light of love, joy, and compassion into our lives. They remind us of the better things in life, the good times, the sweet smell of success, and the beauty that surrounds us if only we open up to its presence. More about flowers in the Tarot here.

Grapes/Grapevines: Symbol meanings of grapes and grapevines deal with fertility, abundance, transformation, and blessing. Considered the fruit of the earth in both pagan and Christian circles, the grape is rich in symbolism. Bunches of grapes have long been depicted in funerary art and are symbols of redemption. Grapes and grapevines are also found in Greco-Roman art as symbols of hospitality, bounty, and symbolic of youthfulness. All of these attributes come into play when we see these power-packed fruits in the cards.

Yellow: The color yellow is symbolic of intelligence as well as cheer, satisfaction, and all-around contentment. Corresponding with the Manipura chakra, also known as the solar plexus chakra, yellow is an anchoring hue dealing with core issues in our lives. That which is at our emotional center is worth paying attention to. In the four of wands, yellow represents our emotional well-being in the high-bright summer days of our lives. See also color symbolism and the Tarot page here.

Questions offering a gateway to a deeper understanding of the four of wands Tarot card meaning:

Is the timing right to implement those ideas relating to family, partnership and home?
What, if any, structure should I impose in my home life?
Am I taking advantage of the opportunities and openings available right in front of me?
What am I trying to conceive?
How can I step through the door of consciousness to enter the home of wisdom?