The Queens of Tarot: The Queen of Wands

We end our series on the Queens with the Queen of Wands, fiery, dynamic, and charming. Also known as Rods or Batons, the suit of Wands represents Elemental Fire and our will, morals, and our authentic self. The Queen of Wands is generous and affectionate, honorable and successful. Although she exercises authority, she does so with benevolence and integrity. The seven decks I’m using for the series appear below:

• The Wild Unknown Tarot – Kim Krans, creator/artist
• The Robin Wood Tarot – Robin Wood, creator/artist
• Rider-Waite Tarot – A.E. Waite, creator; Pamela Coleman Smith, artist
• Haindl Tarot ~ Hermann Haindl, creator/artist
• Morgan-Greer Tarot – Bill Greer, creator/artist; Lloyd Morgan
• The Wildwood Tarot – Mark Ryan/creator, John Mathews/co-creator; Will Worthington, artist
• Thoth Tarot – Aleister Crowley, creator; Lady Frieda Harris, artist

Of the two decks reflecting the natural world, the Wildwood Tarot changes the suit’s name to Bows and depicts our Queen as a large mother hare. She looks directly at the observer, alert and wise. Clouds attempt to cover the Moon, full in her Mother phase, unsuccessful in hiding her light. The Queen of Bows is ambitious, protective, and supportive of her family and tribe. The Wild Unknown author also retitles her version of the Queen as the Mother of Wands. A serpent coils protectively around her clutch of eggs, her body creating the nest in which they grow, a single crude branch signaling her power. The deck’s author uses red, gold, and orange lines to define the background suggesting energy that’s catalytic and motivating. Both decks describe a woman who is protective of her both her surroundings and her family.

Sunflowers appear in the Rider-Waite, Morgan-Greer, and the Robin Wood Tarot decks suggesting a Queen filled with energy and vitality. Lions appear on either side of the Queen’s throne in the Rider-Waite version of the Queen of Wands while two more appear to dance behind her head. Wearing a golden gown, the Queen holds a sunflower as a scepter in her left hand and a staff in her right with three sets of leaves appearing to grow from its tip. The Queen, powerful and regal, looks to her left toward something or someone unseen as a black cat, its eyes glowing, looks intently at the observer.

Contrasted with the Rider-Waite Queen, the Queen of Rods from the Morgan-Greer Tarot deck looks directly at the observer. Like the Queen from the Rider-Waite, her crown is covered in leaves and she wears her hair in a similar fashion. However, she is standing while holding her staff and sunflower instead of sitting with no throne visible as if standing in her own power. We see more of her gold and orange robe in this depiction suggesting free-flowing energy. And her staff is more defined here, clearly crafted from oak with five oak leaves visible suggesting strength and wisdom, five suggesting dynamic change.

The Queen of Wands from the Robin Wood Tarot creates a magickal impression with this author’s rendition of the Queen. She stands on a hill, her ornate, crystal-tipped staff casting radiant light. Her dress is more flattering than the others with its empire waist and flowing sleeves. Dark orange offsets a brilliant yellow with blue chevrons decorating her upper sleeves as large sunflowers appear at the lower hem of her dress. An outcropping of sunflowers appears behind her as the sky glows with golden light. I really have to start using this deck more. The creator’s attention to detail is stunning. Of the three more traditional decks, this Queen expresses creativity and enlightenment.

Kali, the Mother of Wands in the East, is the female deity Haindl depicts as the Queen of Wands. We see her in coitus with a serpent-entwined Shiva as she sits on her throne suggesting primal feminine energy. A crescent moon serves as her crown while she appears to hold a weapon in each hand, her blackness depicting the energy of creation. The serene quality of the previous Queens gives way to someone far more primal in terms of her creative process.

We end our Queen series with the Queen of Wands from Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot. Here, Lady Frieda Harris uses reds, golds, yellows, and orange colors to depict the catalytic and fiery quality of the Queen. In fact, this may be the most dynamic Queen of all the decks. Her eyes closed, the Queen of Wands positively glows with dynamic and creative power, a pinecone-tipped staff balanced on her left arm while her right-hand rests lovingly on a jaguar’s head as it looks defiantly at the observer. Her long straight hair suggests someone who deals directly with others as the tips of her crown reaches toward Spirit. A note regarding the pinecone. A closer look depicts a similar pattern on her breastplate, suggesting a primal creative force.

I began this series on the Queens in Tarot with Swords and ended with Wands. Each suit describes an aspect of the Queen, her intellect, her emotions, her practical side, and her will. We see a woman who is intelligent and dynamic, compassionate and practical. She lovingly guides her family and tribe while taking no prisoners from those who would deceive. She exercises strength and integrity while extending love and kindness to all.

Irrespective of the Tarot deck you choose, this series on the Queens should provide some insight into how the various Tarot deck authors view this woman, whether in her more traditional expression as Queen to a more tribal or pagan rendition. She is the heart of creation and from her all things flow.

Queenly Blessings!