This card exudes celebration and a rather jovial atmosphere. The wands in the front stand in perfect balance, holding a garland of fruit and flowers, a symbol of stable achievement and success. The people in the background are waving bouquets of flowers in the air, and all the imagery clearly suggests that we are literally at a party. Further confirmation can be seen in the background, where there is the same castle we see on the Ace of Wands card. This motif suggests that the visions and inspiration that began in the first card of the suit, after partial maturing in the Two and Three of Wands, have now come to the stage where we can rest and celebrate for a while. The Wands suit is very dynamic and fiery in its disposition, so rest is not in its nature; nevertheless, rest is an integral part of advancement. While the attainment is symbolically displayed in the background and the celebration in the left part of the card, on the right part of the card is something we could interpret as a bridge. This is probably a hint that the celebration is temporary and that soon it will be time to move on. The wands in the front also bear an interesting resemblance to a doorway, perhaps some kind of passage, alluding that after we attain a goal we have set for ourselves, it is time for a temporary rest and the regeneration of energy.
On the card
Four tall wands stand in the foreground, planted in the ground in a square, and across the top of them hangs a rich garland of flowers, fruit and ribbons. Together they form a kind of open gateway or canopy, like the decorated arch set up for a wedding or a festival.
Through this gateway we see two women, crowned with flowers, raising bouquets high above their heads in a gesture of welcome and joy. Behind them a small crowd gathers near a castle with turrets, and on the right side there is a bridge. The background is a bright, warm yellow, the colour of sunlight and good cheer.
There is no struggle anywhere on the card. The figures come out to meet us, as if welcoming a traveller home or celebrating a harvest or a marriage. The garland of fruit and flowers is a classic sign of abundance and of reaping what has been sown.
The four wands, solid and evenly placed, suggest stability and a firm foundation. The card describes a moment of arrival and shared happiness: a home, a community, a milestone reached and enjoyed together before the journey continues.
Upright
Satisfaction, celebration, rest, new home or new beginning, joy.
Reversed
Decadence, delay, impatience, success after waiting.