MINOR ARCANA

Three of Wands Tarot Meanings

Sometimes it can be tricky to distinguish between the Two and Three of Wands, both have a sense of beginning about them, however, the Three of Wands can see the situation more clearly than in the Two. With the Two of Wands, we are asked to make a decision as to whether to begin or stay where we are, in the Three of Wands we’ve made the decision to leap into the unknown, and now we’re gathering ourselves and getting a lay of the land.

This is the preparation period, a time when we are doing the final checks, battling the butterflies and getting ready to take a leap. We are very conscious that we are about to step into the unknown but it’s an exciting prospect. We just need to make sure we are fully prepared before we throw ourselves in the deep end.

Three of Wands Upright Meanings

In the upright position, the Three of Wands shows us standing on the precipice of something amazing, we just need to figure out which path to head down. Some of the key meanings of the Three of Wands are:

Threshold
Creative options
Problem-solving
Fear of the unknown

The Three of Wands is the threshold we stand on before we throw ourselves into the unknown, it is our opportunity to really assess what the best way forward is so that we can push on with confidence and self-assuredness. Often this position also comes with hesitation and a fear of doing something completely new, but we have to feel the fear and do it anyway.

Three of Wands Reversed Meanings

In the reversed position, the Three of Wands in reverse can help us identify obstacles that may be standing in our way. It can also make us more aware of our self-created limitations. Some of the main reversed meanings of the Three of Wands are:

Limited
Hesitation
Lack of planning
Delays
Obstacles

The Three of Wands can show even more delays and hesitations just as we see in the Two of Wands, however where they differ is that the delays in the Three of Wands may be more rational than those in the Two, you may have more evidence to back up your reasoning this time around. However, with the Three of Wands, it’s more about finding practical solutions to those things, rather than working internally on breaking down barriers.

Reading Three of Wands in a Tarot Spread

The Three of Wands can often show that you’re about to kick things off and need to spend a second gathering yourself and making sure you’ve assessed the ground you’re about to go out on. It’s often a quick and final pause before taking action, just so you can realign yourself and find that extra boost of confidence you need to really push yourself forwards.

It’s worth noting though that sometimes the Three of Wands may come in to ask you to take a look over your plan of action before you get started. It may be that there are some flaws in your plan that need addressing before you give it your all.

Three of Wands as An Invitation

If the Three of Wands appears as an invitation, then it’s an invitation to pause and do a quick double-check of everything before you head off on your journey. It’s a bit like a pre-flight check a pilot has to conduct before taking off.

For Three of Wands, this invitation could be the following:

An invitation to check over your game plan and make sure everything is in order
An invitation to solve any last-minute problems
An invitation to explore any fear you may have that is stopping you from moving forwards
An invitation to take a look at more creative options that could help you to get to where you want to be

Three of Wands as Sage Advice

The Three of Wands offers advice around preparation, handling fear and hesitation and seeing our limitations.

Some advice Three of Wands may offer is:

Just because you are limited in one way doesn’t mean you are limited in others. There is always more than one way to get what you want
Feel the fear and do it anyway
Get creative with your solutions to common problems

Three of Wands as a Lesson

The Three of Wands offers lessons around tackling our limitations, planning skills and our problem-solving skills. It helps us to learn how to prepare ourselves for moving out of our comfort zone and tackling any new obstacles that may come our way.

Some lessons that Three of Wands may offer you are:

A lesson in knowing the right amount of planning is needed in order to achieve what we want
A lesson in creative problem solving
A lesson in how to make that final step outside of our comfort zone
A lesson in hesitation and identifying the root cause of it

Three of Wands as a Redirection

When the Three of Wands appears as a redirection then it can be telling us that we are seeing blocks or limitations as permanent instead of temporary. We need to find a way to overcome them, rather than be defeated by them.

As a redirection, Three of Wands could symbolise a need to:

Understand the power that you have and how much influence you have to change the situation
Take some time to come up with new ways to solve old problems
Combine multiple skills in order to find the confidence to push on
Not let fear stop you or turn you around, take it and use it as fuel

Wands

The Tarot wands represent our passions, creativity and power. It is a huge motivator and often pushes us to do things out of character which can be both expansive but also detrimental. Which one depends on the intention behind the actions taken.

With the Three of Wands, this motivation is pushing us out of our comfort zone. We feel adventurous, immortal and unbreakable. It’s often in these Three of Wands moments we push all thoughts aside and simply act on impulse.

Fire

The element of the wands is fire. We can use this element to better understand the, often terrifying, power of the wands. It is not something to be played with and needs to be monitored and controlled at all times.

If left to get out of control, we often end up dealing with an immense level of destruction. For example, if you act on impulse with bad intentions, it can often be returned to you threefold. Always ensure that the intention behind your wands energy is for good.

Threes

In numerology the number three is a number of expansion and growth. It is a point where we have the foundations to start building and growing what we have already cultivated.

In the wands, this sways heavily towards the meanings of expansion and growth. In the Two of Wands we still have one foot in our comfort zone, but once we move into the Three of Wands, we leave that comfort zone behind and sit in a place of discomfort. In this space we find ourselves expanding into a new version of the self.