Six of Wands
Your efforts are recognised and you ride home to applause. Accept the praise with grace.
- Card
- Minor Arcana · Wands (Fire)
- Upright keywords
- Victory, Praise, Confidence, Success
- Reversed keywords
- Complacency, Lack of recognition, Defeat, Delays
- Yes or no
- Leans yes
Traditional correspondences Golden Dawn: Lord of Victory / Thoth: Victory / 2nd decan of Leo · Jupiter / Sephirah: Tiphareth (Beauty)
Upright meaning
Your efforts are recognised, and you win victory and praise.
A rider wearing a laurel wreath rides through a cheering crowd, a wand topped with another wreath in his hand. The Six of Wands is public success: winning, being recognised, good news and confidence. Upright, your efforts pay off and others notice. Enjoy it, and thank the people who helped you get here.
Reversed meaning
You may feel frustrated at not being recognised. Watch out for complacency too.
Reversed, the applause is quiet. You may feel overlooked, suffer a setback or doubt yourself. Alternatively, success may have gone to your head. Keep going for your own reasons, not only for recognition, and stay humble when it does come.
For ways of reading reversed cards, see how to read reversals.
Love
Feeling proud of each other, or a relationship that others admire.
Feeling unappreciated. Say what you need.
Work
Promotion, winning a pitch or public recognition.
Credit going to someone else, or a delay in results.
Money
Rewards for your effort. A good time to celebrate wisely.
Expected gains delayed. Don’t spend before it arrives.
Relationships
Popularity and support from friends.
Jealousy or feeling left out.
Health
Confidence and good energy.
Pushing for results too hard. Pace yourself.
Tarot does not diagnose physical conditions. If you have symptoms that worry you, please see a doctor.
Mind and spirit
Believing in yourself.
Needing others’ approval too much.
As a person
A leader or winner who inspires confidence.
Someone arrogant, or someone who feels unrecognised.
Timing
Good news or recognition arrives within days or weeks. In the calendar, early to mid August is also a guide (roughly August 2–11).
Advice
Accept recognition and share the credit.
Keep going for your own reasons.
Questions to ask yourself
- What victory can I acknowledge in myself?
- Who helped me get here?
- Do I depend too much on applause?
A common misreading
The Six of Wands isn’t only about ego. It is about deserved recognition, and it often includes the support of others.
The story of this card
After the struggles of the Five, the Six brings harmony and victory. The fire returns home crowned with laurels.
The Waite deck’s picture and symbols
In the Waite deck a man wearing a laurel wreath rides a white horse, holding a wand that also bears a wreath. People with wands walk beside him in procession.
History and differences between traditions
Victory processions with laurel wreaths go back to ancient Rome. The Golden Dawn named this card Lord of Victory.
Words for today
I accept recognition with gratitude.
My worth doesn’t depend on applause.