Air of Fire, volatile and expanding. The letter Vau: the son of the Queen and the Knight, the active offspring of their union. He races in a chariot drawn by a lion through a sea of fire — sustained, will-directed action.
The Prince races in a chariot drawn by a lion, flame dancing along its wheel. He is a warrior in chain mail but with bare arms — a sign of strength and activity; his crown of rays is surmounted by a winged lion's head, from which hangs a fiery veil, and on his breast is the sigil "To Mega Therion." In his left hand is the Phoenix Wand of Strength and Energy; with the other he drives the harnessed lion and rides through the surging sea of fire. He carries the united energy of his parents, and his action is more lasting than that of his predecessors.
🦁Chariot drawn by a lion — the son of the Queen and the Knight carries their energy; expanding fire under the mind
🔥The Phoenix Wand of Strength — Strength and Energy in hand; will that directs fire long and meaningfully
👑Crown with a winged lion's head — a fiery veil and rays; intellect and will in motion
💨Air of Fire, the letter Vau — the volatile, expanding part of the element; the outer manifestation of the parents' union
♋♌Decan 21° Cancer — 20° Leo — he rules the Zodiac at the boundary of Cancer and Leo; the passion of the conqueror
Interpretation
The Prince of Wands is the airy part of Fire, volatile and able to expand. In the Tetragrammaton he corresponds to the letter Vau: the Prince is the son of the Queen Queen of Wands and the Knight Knight of Wands who won her, the active offspring of their union, its outer manifestation and intellectual image; hence he is depicted in a chariot, carrying the united energy of his parents, and his action is more lasting than that of his predecessors. He rules the Zodiac from the 21st degree of Cancer to the 20th degree of Leo.
This is swiftness and strength directed by will and intellect. The Prince is noble and generous, fanatically brave, tirelessly enduring, always fighting "against the odds" and winning in a very distant perspective — guaranteed by his immense capacity for work, which he uses "without craving results." He sees both sides of the coin, is inwardly just, though he feels that in the intellectual world justice is unattainable.
By rank the Prince corresponds to Waite's Knight, and that one embodies a mood, a prevailing atmosphere — here the south wind, bearing long-awaited warmth, but awaited with apprehension, for it may scorch the harvest. It is now fitting to approach the matter with enthusiasm, to let yourself be carried away and take a risk, to let off steam, to be active and full of initiative; to cultivate in yourself the desire to conquer something, boldly settling new lands.
As a card he is a doer who realizes a design: a sustained, directed effort, an idea set in motion, expanding fire under the rule of the mind. In Waite this is fervor and a love of life, and sometimes mere show, "fanning the passions"; this deck deepens the essence into a conqueror settling new territories.
The Prince is the Vau of the fiery family, the fruit of the union of the Knight (fire of Fire) and the Queen (water of Fire); the foursome is completed by the Princess Princess of Wands (earth of Fire). By the decan of Leo he adjoins Lust Lust and the Five-Six-Seven of Wands Five of Wands. His airy counterpart by rank is the Prince of Cups Prince of Cups (air of Water), thought that moves feeling.
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Advice & forecast
✦ The card's advice
Set the design in motion and hold it long: your strength is not a fleeting flash but a sustained effort directed by will and mind. Approach the matter with enthusiasm, let yourself be carried away and take a risk, kindle in yourself the desire to conquer new territory and settle it boldly. Work "without craving results" — that is precisely how the Prince wins in the distant perspective, relying on his immense capacity for work. Keep both sides of the coin in view and remain inwardly just. But do not squander yourself on empty bravado and hype: the fire should drive the chariot, not blaze for show.
🔮 What the forecast holds
The design will be set in motion: a sustained, directed effort is coming, expansion, the realization of what was conceived. A "south wind" will blow — long-awaited warmth, a surge of enthusiasm and a thirst to settle the new, though with apprehension, for excessive heat can scorch. It is the very time to throw yourself into the matter, take a risk, be active and full of initiative. The forecast favors the one who drives his fire meaningfully: the passion of the conqueror, leaning on a capacity for work, will carry the matter through to victory in the distant perspective.
↓ Prince of Wands reversed
Sometimes the Prince acts impulsively, easily lets himself be carried away by outer influences, in small things becomes the victim of indecision; he is sharp, speaks emphatically merely for the sake of speaking, inclined to pride and contempt for mediocrity. In unfavorable surroundings each of his qualities turns into its opposite: cruelty, intolerance, prejudice and laziness. Reversed, this is "not the time" to inflate a sensation, to show impatience and lack of restraint, to play the daredevil and create hype around the matter: fervor degenerates into show. Reversals here are conditional: the fire scatters into bravado, sharpness and indolence.
The card in spreads
The same card reads differently depending on the spread and the question — compare real spreads:
Spread "Set the Design in Motion"
To understand how to realize an idea
«How do I see this matter through to the end?»
Situation
Prince of Wands
What is needed
The Chariot
Outcome
The Sun
The Prince of Wands in the situation — the design is set in motion, what is needed is a sustained, will-directed effort, the passion of the conqueror. What is needed The Chariot — the Chariot: gathered will and mastery over direction, to drive the fire rather than blaze for show. The outcome The Sun — the Sun: a bright victory in the distant perspective. Work "without craving results," keep both sides in view — and do not squander yourself on empty bravado.
Spread "An Ardent Man"
To understand a partner's nature
«What kind of person is this fiery man?»
Who he is
Prince of Wands
His passion
Lust
Where it leads
The Star
The Prince of Wands — a noble, brave, enduring doer with a sharp mind and a cutting tongue, a romantic and a mocker, a bearer of the "south wind." His passion Lust — Lust: a craving for conquest, settling new lands. Where it leads The Star — the Star: a good outcome, if behind the ardor there is constancy rather than show. Value his sustained drive and capacity for work, but do not let the fire degenerate into bravado and impatience.
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Spread "Conquer the New"
Whether to settle the territory
«Should I take on this great undertaking?»
The will
Two of Wands
Now
Prince of Wands
What to avoid
Ten of Wands
The will Two of Wands — Dominion: pure intention has set the direction. Now the Prince of Wands — it is time to move the design, boldly settling new land with a long, directed effort. What to avoid Ten of Wands — Oppression: do not turn the drive into blind pressure and an unbearable burden. Throw yourself into the matter and take a risk, working "without craving results"; keep both sides in view and drive the fire meaningfully, rather than scorching everything in your path.
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How it differs from Waite
Rider-Waite-SmithKnight of Wands
vs
Thoth TarotPrince of Wands
A focal case for confusion of ranks: the dynamic courtier "in motion" is called the Prince in Thoth, but the Knight of Wands in Waite. Waite's Knight is the atmosphere of the south wind: fervor, impatience, a thirst for adventure and a love of life, sometimes slipping into showing off and "fanning the passions." This deck keeps this essence but deepens it: in place of fleeting heat, a sustained effort directed by will and mind, the passion of a conqueror. Waite's rider flares up and rushes past, the Prince of Thoth drives the fiery chariot long and meaningfully.
WaiteThoth Tarot
RankThe Knight of Wands — a rider in motion.The Prince of Wands — drives a fiery chariot.
NatureThe south wind: fervor, impatience, a thirst for adventure.The same passion, but a sustained, will-directed effort.
ActionFlares up and rushes past, sometimes mere show.Conquers new lands long, meaningfully, settling them.
Symbolism & correspondences
Air of Fire — the letter Vau of the Tetragrammaton, intellect and will in motion. Decan: from 21° Cancer to 20° Leo. A chariot drawn by a lion, the Phoenix Wand, the sigil "To Mega Therion." In the I Ching — the 42nd hexagram Yi (Increase): "with a sincere heart I strive to help all who are below," but with the danger of attacks if the heart is not set in order.
Element
Fire
◆
Arcana
Minor
Suit
Wands
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