The Queen of Wands is one of the most powerfully symbolic, detailed cards in the traditional Rider-Waite tarot deck. Also known as the Queen of Rods or Batons in some other decks, the tarot card's playing-card equivalent is the Queen of Clubs. In divinatory tarot, the Queen of Wands is generally viewed as a symbol of self-sufficiency, whole-heartedness, cheerfulness, and self-esteem.
In the Rider-Waite deck, the most popular tarot deck in the English-speaking world, the Queen of Wands displays a woman in a yellow robe, wearing a golden crown and seated on a throne adorned with sunflowers and lions. The Queen of Wands holds a wand in her right hand and a sunflower in her left, and a black cat sits in front of her. In the background is a desert with pyramids, and two lions support her throne.
The symbolism of the Queen of Wands card is detailed and specific. The card is full of lions, references to Leo and the Sun, while the desert and pyramids--fire symbols-- reinforce this imagery. Sunflowers, so named because they turn toward the sun, emphasize the solar nature of the card, and it is often used to represent the zodiac sign Leo, symbolized by the lion and the Sun. Elementally, the Queen of Wands is strongly associated with emotions and traits that are fiery, passionate, and vivacious.
In a tarot reading, the Queen of Wands represents a person's most primal and passionate instincts. Depending on her context within a tarot spread and the question being posed by the tarot reading's subject, the Queen of Wands may indicate a state of total self-confidence and ressurance, or might signify the need for the tarot subject to become bolder and more self-aware. A person guided by the Queen of Wands can achieve succcess through self-understanding and self-control.
As with the other court cards, the Queen of Wands may represent an individual person, not just a state of mind or state of being. The person revealed by this tarot card is most likely female or feminine, and probably a Leo. She is quick-tempered, self-assured, creative, and passionate. Although cheerful and loving, she may posess the potential for fury and harshness. The card's context will likely clarify whether she signals an individual.
When reversed, the Queen of Wands often signals the negative aspects associated with the element of fire, both when symbolizing a person and when symbolizing an attitude or outcome. The reversed Queen of Wands is a panicked warning to avoid arrogance. The tarot reading's subject will have his or her progress halted if he or she fails to act in a calculated and confident manner. The reversed Queen of Wands is a red flag for someone who assumes that his intelligence, money, or companions will protect him in the event of a bad decision.
