Three of Wands

From The Everyday Witch Tarot

At the Crossroads

Original Writing by Kathryn Ravenwood

 

The journey never seems to go from Point A to Point B, does it?  We make plans only to discover that situations, people, even ourselves have changed along the way so we no longer are able or feel comfortable going forward from the direction we started. We reach a crossroads.  We know there is no turning back yet we don’t really know which new road to choose. (We could turn back, that is always a choice, but in this card we are reminded that back is really not a positive option.) The Three of Wands is often shown with a person standing on a hilltop, looking out over water, maybe with ships sailing by. The person stands and simply looks out at the world, paused and perspective.

 

This card is always positive to me. Wands are the element of fire, which represent our will power, energy, and vitality. The threes are ruled by the Empress and represent creativity, abundance, and the bringing forth of new things. Many times we face a point where it seems like we have no options at all; there is no clear, defined path with signs pointing the way. But, unlike the Fool card where we take a leap of faith and step out with no agenda, the Three of Wands is a place where we use our own assets to create what we want.  No one is in pursuit behind us forcing us to make an untimely decision based on raw courage (such as the Seven of Wands) nor are we finally facing an emotional loss from which we must painfully move through (as in the Eight of Cups).

 

In the card above, the witch and her familiar have reached a point of decision.  We get a sense that she has taken her time to contemplate throughout the day by the setting sun in the West, the place of sorting through the experiences of life. The witch’s  hat and staff rest on the ground, another clue that she has been taking some time to ponder and consider.   But now, using her wand (energy, will power) she sends her magic out into the unknown to make her intention a reality. She is just in the act of this – the outcome is not yet shown. It is this act of creative intention that opens the new part of her journey to her. That little salamander on her staff represents the fire of transformation.  All the elements are there and the witch knows how to use them.

 

If you are at a crossroads in your journey, be it physical or spiritual, it may be time to stop and look ahead at your options.  Don’t wait for a major fork in the road to use your magic. Every day is an opportunity to create more of what you want, to hone your direction, to choose a path that is more fun, more wise, more directed towards your true desires.  “And as we wind on the down the road,” our perspective changes. We get a different view, learn something new, set new intentions and make new choices. Life is a fluid process. We may sometimes feel like we are sunk in cement but really we are only an intention away from a different choice and a different outcome.  We have multi-directional vision available to us… looking ahead, behind, peripherally, inwardly, energetically, and even hypothetically. But look we must.  If we sit with blinders on, with eyes and minds closed to possibility, a new path is hard to fathom. As we learn to be creative with the smaller crossroads in life, when we find ourselves standing at a big one, or if we are “caught between a rock and a hard spot,” we can handle the challenge with more grace, ease, and wisdom.

 

What viewpoint does your current crossroads offer you? What is your vision?  Where might following your desires lead you? Take a deep breath and move forward. Cast your spell!  Use your magic and go for it!

 

…June 19, 2018  Kathryn Ravenwood