Two of Wands
Prospect
“Should I stay or should I go?”
Should I Stay or Should I Go, The Clash
Two of Wands at a glance
Finbarre’s interpretation: The Two of Wands marks the point where ambition must become a choice about direction.
| Upright | strategic planning, surveying options, personal authority, controlled ambition, choosing a destination |
|---|---|
| Reversed | fear of leaving safety, poor planning, limited vision, indecision, control without movement |
| Linked card | Three of Wands |
| Soundtrack | Maps by Yeah Yeah Yeahs Open the full Tarot Interviews playlist on Spotify |
Upright meanings
- Strategic planning
- Surveying options
- Personal authority
- Controlled ambition
- Choosing a destination
- Looking beyond the familiar
- Long-range thinking
- Assessing resources
- Measured risk
- Preparing to expand
Reversed meanings
- Fear of leaving safety
- Poor planning
- Limited vision
- Indecision
- Control without movement
- Unrealistic ambition
- A missed opening
- Staying small
- Unexpected disruption
- Choosing without enough information
Two of Wands in a reading
| Area | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Love | Relationship energy: Looking beyond the familiar. Reversed: Unrealistic ambition. |
| Career | Work: Long-range thinking; assessing resources. Warning: A missed opening. |
| Money | Financial theme: Measured risk. Warning: Unexpected disruption. |
| Feelings | Upright: Personal authority. Reversed: Limited vision. |
| Advice | Prioritise: Preparing to expand. Watch for: Choosing without enough information. |
| Outcome | Potential: Choosing a destination. Obstacle: Control without movement. |
| Yes or no | Maybe. A plan and a clear choice are still required. |
Symbols in Two of Wands
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| The globe | The world is treated as something that can be considered, held and planned for. |
| The battlement | Security provides a viewpoint but can also become a boundary. |
| The fixed wand | One option or commitment is already anchored. |
| The sea and distant land | Opportunity exists beyond the present territory. |
A. E. Waite's original description
A tall man looks from a battlemented roof over sea and shore; he holds a globe in his right hand, while a staff in his left rests on the battlement; another is fixed in a ring. The Rose and Cross and Lily should be noticed on the left side. 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.
Waite's original divinatory meanings
Upright:
Between the alternative readings there is no marriage possible; on the one hand, riches, fortune, magnificence; on the other, physical suffering, disease, chagrin, sadness, mortification.
Reversed:
Surprise, wonder, enchantment, emotion, trouble, fear.
Source: A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, first published in 1910, with illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith.
Continue through the deck
- Previous card: Ace of Wands
- Next card: Three of Wands
Written and interpreted by Finbarre Snarey, tarot researcher, founder of the British Tarot Archive and coordinator of the UK living heritage submission for Rider-Waite-Smith tarot reading practice.
These interpretations reflect Finbarre Snarey’s understanding of contemporary Rider-Waite-Smith tarot practice. They are provided for education, reflection and entertainment only and should not be treated as medical, legal, financial, psychological or relationship advice.
