Tarot

Wands or Staves

KING OF STAVES
Dark man, friendly, countryman, generally married, honest and concientious.
Reversed - Good but severe, austere but tolerant.

QUEEN OF STAVES
A dark woman, countrywoman, friendly, chaste, loving, honourable. If the card beside her signifies a man, she is well disposed towards him; if a woman, she is interested in the Querent. Also, love of money.
Reversed - Good, economical, obliging, serviceable. Signifies also opposition, jealousy, even deceit and infidelity.

KNIGHT OF STAVES
Departure, absence, flight, emigration. A dark young man, friendly. Changes of residence.
Reversed - Rupture, division, interruption, discord.

PAGE OF STAVES
Dark young man, faithful, a lover, an envoy, a postman. Beside a man, he will bear favourable testimony concerning him. A dangerous rival if followed by the Page of Cups. Has the chief qualities of his suite.
Reversed - Anecdotes, announcements, evil news. Also indecision and the instability which accompanies it.

TEN OF STAVES
A card of many significances, and some of the readings cannot be harmonised. Set aside that which connects it with honour and good faith. It is oppression simply , but it is also fortune, gain, any kind of success of these things.
It is also a card of false-seeming, disguise, perfidy. The place which the figure is approaching may suffer from the rods that he carries. Success is stulified if the Nine of Swords follows, and if it is a question of a law-suit, there will be certain loss.
Reversed - Contrarieties, difficulties, intrigues and their analogies.

NINE OF STAVES
The card signifies strength in oposition. If attacked, he will meet the onslaught boldly. With this main significance there are all its possible adjuncts - delay, suspension, adjournment.
Reversed - Obstacles, adversity, calamity.

EIGHT OF STAVES
Activity in undertakings, the path of such activity, swiftness, as that of an express messenger; great haste, great hope, speed towards an end which promises assured felicity; generally, that which is on the move; also the arrows of love.
Reversed - Arrows of jealousy, internal dispute, stingings of conscience, quarrels.

SEVEN OF STAVES
It is a card of valour, for, on the surface, six are attacking one, who has, however, the vantage position. On the intellectual plane, it signifies discussion, wordy strife; in business - negotiations, war of trade, barter, competition.
It is further, a card of success,for the combatant is on the top and his enemies may be unable to reach him.
Reversed - Perplexity, embarrassment, anxiety.

SIX OF STAVES
The card has been so designed that it can cover several significations; on the surface, it is a victor triumphing, but it is also great news, such as might be carried in state by the King's courier; it is expectation crowned with its own desire, the crown of hope, and so forth.
Reversed - Apprehension, fear, as of a victorious enemy at the gate, treachery, disloyalty, as of gates being opened to the enemy, etc.

FIVE OF STAVES
Imitation, as, for example, sham fight, the strenuous competition and struggle of the search after riches and fortune. Hence some attributes say that it is a card of gold, gain, opulence.
Reversed - Litigation, disputes, trickery, contradiction.

FOUR OF STAVES
They are for once almost on the surface - country life, repose, concord, harmony, prosperity, peace, and the perfected work of these.
Reversed - The meaning remains unaltered; it is prosperity, increase, felicity, beauty, enbellishment.

THREE OF STAVES
Symbolises established strength, enterprise, effort, trade, commerce, discovery; those are his ships, bearing his merchandise, which are sailing over the sea.
Reversed - The end of troubles, suspension or cessation of adversity, toil and disapointment.

TWO OF STAVES
Between the alternative readings there is no marriage possible; on the one hand, riches, fortune, magnificance; on the other, physical suffering, disease, chagrin, sadness, mortification.
The design gives one suggestion; here is a lord overlooking his dominion and alternately contemplating a globe; it looks like the malady, the mortification, the sadness of Alexander amidst the grandeur of this world's wealth.
Reversed - Surprise, wonder, enchantment, emotion, trouble, fear.

ACE OF STAVES
Creation, invention, enterprise, the powers which result in these; principle, beginning, source; birth, family, origin; the beginning of enterprises; according to another account, money, fortune, inheritance.
Reversed - Fall, decadence, ruin, perdition, to perish; also - not unclouded joy.