The King of Wands depicts a majestic King, sitting on his throne, adorned by images of lions and salamanders. This card is given to symbolise energy, ambition and drive, as you will be told during a free tarot card reading online.
Appearance and Symbolism
The king holds a staff (or wand) in his hand, with leaves sprouting from it. His throne is decorated with lions and salamanders and extends past the top of the card. He is wearing a large crown, with decorations looking like tongues of flame. His clothing is symbolic of fire too – he wears a bright red or orange outfit, with a cape over it – also featuring salamanders. On the floor at his feet, we see another salamander.
Salamanders are symbols of fire. It was thought many years ago that salamanders could walk through flames without being harmed. Coupled with the king’s attire and the depictions of salamanders on his throne, we see how related to fire this card really is. It must be remembered that the Suit of Wands takes fire as its element; the fires of creativity and personal improvement.
When we see the salamanders on the king’s throne, biting their own tails, we are reminded of infinity and the never-ending need to overcome the obstacles that life throws in our paths. They tell us that it is our responses to these obstacles that define the people we are and the people we will become.
The lions we see in this card are symbols of royalty, courage and strength. For hundred of years, lions have been revered and related to royalty. The lions on this card show not only this king’s divine right, but also his power and his courage. The lion we see in these cards asks us to look at ourselves and assess our own levels of courage.
The wand we see in the king’s hand is a symbol of creativity and energy. The Suit of Wands is primarily related to the creative forces that exist within all of us, waiting to be let free.
Interpretation
The King of Wands is considered a “born leader” card. It relates to excitement, confidence and drive. A King of Wands is someone people are naturally drawn to, someone people want to be around and to follow. The King of Wands knows how to get things done, through energy, persistence and hard work.
When you draw this card one of the big concepts to think about is passion. What are you passionate about? What would you like to use your considerable personal for to make things better? The king, as the head of the Suit of Wands represents all the qualities we associate with fire (and the Suit of Wands). He is about strength, leadership, creatibity, valour, vision and the motivation and drive to turn that creative vision into a tangible reality.
If you draw this card, take strength from the power within you. Be dynamic and confront your strengths and weaknesses – you will be a better, stronger person for it.
Inverted Interpretation
When you draw the King of Wands inverted in online live tarot readings, it can be a sign of someone who makes impulsive, badly thought out decisions. It can indicate someone who is too headstrong and doesn’t take the needs of others into account, not through malice, but through their own energy.
One must always remember, being the king means you have a lot of power, but it also means you have a lot of responsibility.