Element: Fire
Suit of Wands
Three of Wands Meaning
A merchant stands on a cliff overlooking the sea, watching ships sail on the horizon while three wands stand planted around him. He has already set his plans in motion and now waits with patience and confidence. The Three of Wands speaks of enterprise, foresight, and the fruits of bold initial action.
↑ Upright
↓ Reversed
Quick Meaning
What does Three of Wands mean?
Three of Wands represents a merchant stands on a cliff overlooking the sea, watching ships sail on the horizon while three wands stand planted around him. He has already set his plans in motion and now waits with patience and confidence. The Three of Wands speaks of enterprise, foresight, and the fruits of bold initial action.
Upright meaning
Travel, Moving abroad, Foreign land, Foresight
Reversed meaning
Returning travels, Moving home, Lack of foresight/ planning, Holding on to the past
Love
In a love Tarot spread, if you are in a relationship the Three of Wands is a good omen as it signifies moving forward, success and being happy with your choices so your relationship should...
Career and money
In a career Tarot spread, the Three of Wands can represent travelling overseas in relation to work or taking a job abroad.
Spiritual lesson
In a spiritual context, the Three of Wands indicates that you are feeling happy with your spiritual progress at the moment.
Three of Wands as Advice, Feelings, and a Yes or No
Yes or No
In a yes or no tarot reading, Three of Wands is best read through its condition. Upright, it points toward Travel, Moving abroad, Foreign land, Foresight. Reversed, it suggests Returning travels, Moving home, Lack of foresight/ planning, Holding on to the past. The answer depends on whether the situation is moving with the upright lesson or stuck in the reversed pattern.
As Advice
As advice, Three of Wands asks you to work with the card's main lesson rather than react from fear. Start with the upright meaning: In a general context, the Three of Wands represents freedom, adventure, travel, moving abroad and foreign lands.
As Feelings
As feelings, Three of Wands can describe someone experiencing the card's emotional tone. In love readings, its upright energy is: In a love Tarot spread, if you are in a relationship the Three of Wands is a good omen as it signifies moving forward, success and being happy with your choices so your...
Reversed Advice
Reversed, Three of Wands points to what may be blocked, avoided, or expressed in a harder way. Use the reversed meaning as a prompt to slow down and address Returning travels, Moving home, Lack of foresight/ planning, Holding on to the past.
Upright Three of Wands Meaning
In a general context, the Three of Wands represents freedom, adventure, travel, moving abroad and foreign lands. It can indicate hard work paying off, success and being happy with your choices or the outcome of your situation. This card also signifies foresight, forward planning, moving forward, growth and expansion. It is a Minor Arcana card of self-confidence, self-belief, spreading your wings and experiencing life. It tells you that fortune favours the brave. It can also represent holiday romances and long distance relationships.
Love & Relationships
Upright
In a love Tarot spread, if you are in a relationship the Three of Wands is a good omen as it signifies moving forward, success and being happy with your choices so your relationship should be going well when it appears. It can also represent moving abroad or travelling to foreign lands so you and your partner may be travelling or moving abroad together when it appears. It can also signify a long distance relationship. If you are single, the Three of Wands indicates that you will be enjoying the freedom of being single, experiencing life and spreading your wings! It can also signify a holiday romance, meeting a new love while travelling or starting a long distance relationship.
Money & Career
Upright
In a career Tarot spread, the Three of Wands can represent travelling overseas in relation to work or taking a job abroad. You may simply be looking at options for working abroad or considering other countries you could work in or you may be sent on a business trip abroad. If you are business, you may be considering taking your company global. It can represent overseas trading or expansion. It can also indicate that there is a need to shake things up and expand your horizons in your career. In a financial Tarot reading, the Three of Wands is a good omen as it indicates that you will be reaping the rewards of your success and your finances will be expanding. You may be considering using some of this wealth to expand your horizons, go travelling and see the world or maybe just take a holiday.
Health
Upright
In a health Tarot reading, the Three of Wands can signify recovery from an illness or injury and moving on after a period of ill health. As it is a travel Tarot card, it can indicate travelling overseas for treatment or getting vaccinated for travelling abroad.
Spirituality
Upright
In a spiritual context, the Three of Wands indicates that you are feeling happy with your spiritual progress at the moment. You should be feeling fortunate and adventurous when it appears in your spiritual Tarot spread. It is a good omen for psychic development as it represents foresight.
Reversed Three of Wands Meaning
In a general context, the Three of Wands reversed represents moving back home, returning from travels and homeland. It can indicate restriction, lack of progress, adventure or growth, failure and being unhappy with your choices or disappointed with the outcome of your situation. This card also signifies lack of foresight or forward planning or holding on the past and being haunted by it. It is a Minor Arcana card of lack of confidence, self-doubt, frustration, clipped wings and shying away from life. It can also represent failed holiday romances or failed long distance relationships.
Love & Relationships
Reversed
In a love Tarot spread, if you are in a relationship the Three of Wands reversed is not a good omen as it signifies lack of progress, lack growth or being disappointed with your choices so your relationship may not be going well when it appears. It can also signify feeling like your wings have been clipped so if you or your partner would like to travel, you may feel that the other is restricting or holding you back. It can also signify a failed long distance relationship. If you are single, the Three of Wands indicates that you are holding on to the past or being haunted by it and this is affecting your ability to embrace being single and enjoy the freedom and adventure of it. It can also signify a failed holiday romance, breaking up with a new love you met while travelling or a failed long distance relationship.
Money & Career
Reversed
In a career Tarot spread, the Three of Wands reversed can represent cancelled plans to travel overseas in relation to work or not taking a job that you are offered abroad. You may be frustrated with a lack of opportunity to progress in your current job when it appears. If you are business, you may have turned down the opportunity to take your company global or be frustrated with the lack of opportunity to do so. It can represent failed overseas trading or expansion. You may feel stuck in one place, unable to shake thing up when it appears. In a financial Tarot reading, the Three of Wands reversed indicates that you have too much going on at the moment and your finances are in chaos. You need to keep better control of what you have coming in and out when this Minor Arcana card appears in your Tarot reading.
Health
Reversed
In a health Tarot reading, the Three of Wands reversed can represent contracting an illness while abroad so make sure you have travel insurance if you are going abroad and take proper precautions if you are travelling such as getting vaccinated and wearing mosquito repellent in high risk countries. It can also represent being unhappy with the speed at which your recovery from an illness is progressing, be patient with your body, it will come back to full strength in its own time.
Spirituality
Reversed
In a spiritual context, the Three of Wands reversed indicates that you are feeling frustrated with your lack of spiritual progress at the moment. You may be struggling with your past or being haunted by it when this Minor Arcana card appears reversed in your spiritual Tarot spread. It is not a good omen for psychic development as it represents lack of foresight.
Three of Wands Tarot Card Combinations
Three of Wands and Ace of Wands
Together, Three of Wands and Ace of Wands blend the lesson of three of wands with the energy of ace of wands. This pairing asks you to read the cards as a relationship between the central theme and a hand emerges from a cloud gripping a wooden wand that bursts with fresh leaves.
Three of Wands and Two of Wands
Together, Three of Wands and Two of Wands blend the lesson of three of wands with the energy of two of wands. This pairing asks you to read the cards as a relationship between the central theme and a cloaked figure stands on a castle parapet holding a small globe, one wand fixed to the wall beside him and another in his hand.
Three of Wands and Four of Wands
Together, Three of Wands and Four of Wands blend the lesson of three of wands with the energy of four of wands. This pairing asks you to read the cards as a relationship between the central theme and four wands form a floral canopy beneath which joyful figures celebrate with raised bouquets.
Common Questions
What does the Three of Wands tarot card mean?
In a general context, the Three of Wands represents freedom, adventure, travel, moving abroad and foreign lands. It can indicate hard work paying off, success and being happy with your choices or the outcome of your situation. This card also signifies foresight, forward planning, moving forward, growth and expansion. It is a Minor Arcana card of self-confidence, self-belief, spreading your wings and experiencing life. It tells you that fortune favours the brave. It can also represent holiday romances and long distance relationships.
What does the Three of Wands reversed mean?
In a general context, the Three of Wands reversed represents moving back home, returning from travels and homeland. It can indicate restriction, lack of progress, adventure or growth, failure and being unhappy with your choices or disappointed with the outcome of your situation. This card also signifies lack of foresight or forward planning or holding on the past and being haunted by it. It is a Minor Arcana card of lack of confidence, self-doubt, frustration, clipped wings and shying away from life. It can also represent failed holiday romances or failed long distance relationships.
What does the Three of Wands mean in love?
In a love Tarot spread, if you are in a relationship the Three of Wands is a good omen as it signifies moving forward, success and being happy with your choices so your relationship should be going well when it appears. It can also represent moving abroad or travelling to foreign lands so you and your partner may be travelling or moving abroad together when it appears. It can also signify a long distance relationship. If you are single, the Three of Wands indicates that you will be enjoying the freedom of being single, experiencing life and spreading your wings! It can also signify a holiday romance, meeting a new love while travelling or starting a long distance relationship.
What does the Three of Wands mean for career and money?
In a career Tarot spread, the Three of Wands can represent travelling overseas in relation to work or taking a job abroad. You may simply be looking at options for working abroad or considering other countries you could work in or you may be sent on a business trip abroad. If you are business, you may be considering taking your company global. It can represent overseas trading or expansion. It can also indicate that there is a need to shake things up and expand your horizons in your career. In a financial Tarot reading, the Three of Wands is a good omen as it indicates that you will be reaping the rewards of your success and your finances will be expanding. You may be considering using some of this wealth to expand your horizons, go travelling and see the world or maybe just take a holiday.
Is the Three of Wands a yes or no card?
The Three of Wands is best read by context in yes or no questions. Upright, it points toward Travel, Moving abroad, Foreign land, Foresight. Reversed, it suggests Returning travels, Moving home, Lack of foresight/ planning, Holding on to the past.
Arcana Readings App
Get Early Access to Personal Readings
Join the waitlist to explore how the Three of Wands appears in spreads tailored to your specific questions. Get early access + free premium month for first 100.
Join Waitlist
