Western Tarot symbolism
King of Wands
The card description gives the King a flowering wand and a lion on the back of his throne. Its accompanying character sketch stresses ardour and animation; these are the text's symbolic assignments. The main list associates the card with honesty and a friendly married man, while the additional list offers a favourable marriage and, reversed, advice to follow.
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In the sources
The card account
LiteraryThe card description gives the King a flowering wand and a lion on the back of his throne. Its accompanying character sketch stresses ardour and animation; these are the text's symbolic assignments.
Comparing the lists
LiteraryThe main list associates the card with honesty and a friendly married man, while the additional list offers a favourable marriage and, reversed, advice to follow.
Context & interpretation
The active library scan carries L. W. de Laurence’s name and reproduces material associated with A. E. Waite’s Tarot exposition. This entry follows that supplied edition’s card prose and supplementary lists. Historical divinatory assignments and period character labels are distinguished from the pictured symbolism and from independently supported judgements about people or future events.
Original passages
Source 1
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination
The King uplifts a flowering wand, and wears, like his three corre- spondences in the remaining suits, what is called a cap of maintenance beneath hisOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Illustrated Key to the Tarot, supplied de Laurence edition; card description, active reader leaf 92
Exact supplied-edition extracted passage actually read; whitespace-normalised quotation anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Image descriptions attributed to printed prose; no new full-plate visual inspection asserted.
- Edition
- IMJ-0149-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0149-E001-P0092
- Original scan leaf
- 98
- Recorded leaf number
- 98
- Current Reader position
- 92
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 2
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination
Wands. King.—Generally favorable; may signify a good marriage. Reversed: Advice that should be followed. Queen.—A good harvest, which may be taken in several senses. Reversed: Good-willOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: The Illustrated Key to the Tarot, supplied de Laurence edition; additional meanings, active reader leaf 150
Exact supplied-edition extracted passage actually read; whitespace-normalised quotation anchor and original-leaf mapping checked. Image descriptions attributed to printed prose; no new full-plate visual inspection asserted.
- Edition
- IMJ-0149-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0149-E001-P0150
- Original scan leaf
- 156
- Recorded leaf number
- 156
- Current Reader position
- 150
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Illustrations
Continue exploring
Ace of Wands
A hand from a cloud presents the suit's single stout wand.
Shared source pageEight of Wands
Flying wands carry the numbered suit into an image of swift motion.
Shared source pageFive of Wands
Five youths brandish staves in a scene described as mock combat.
Shared source pageFour of Wands
A garland joins four foreground staves beside a bridge and a house.