Six of Wands
The Six of Wands is the sixth numeral card of the Wands suit, associated with the element Fire. It marks a moment of victory and public recognition, following the dispute represented by the previous card.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-18
Historical fact
In decks predating the Rider-Waite-Smith, the Six of Wands was represented by only six wands arranged with no scene. The now-standard illustration — a mounted rider holding a wand crowned with a laurel wreath, surrounded by other figures on foot accompanying him — was created by Pamela Colman Smith and published in 1909, becoming the reference design adopted by most modern decks.
Interpretation — Rider-Waite-Smith / Golden Dawn
In the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition, this card is titled 'Victory.' It represents publicly acknowledged success, good news, and the reward for effort already undertaken — the laurel wreath directly references the tradition of crowning victors. Reversed, it can indicate delayed recognition, postponed victory, or success that goes uncelebrated.
Interpretation — Thoth (Aleister Crowley)
In the Thoth deck, the card is also titled 'Victory' and associated with Jupiter in Leo — Jupiter's generous expansion combined with Leo's confidence and brilliance, resulting in an energy of natural, expressive triumph. It represents success manifesting with confidence, almost without apparent effort, reflecting Jupiter's benefic force.
This section presents one tradition's interpretation, not a verifiable fact.
Frequently asked questions
- What does the Six of Wands mean in Tarot?
- In the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition, titled 'Victory,' it represents publicly acknowledged success and the reward for effort already undertaken. In the Thoth deck, associated with Jupiter in Leo, it is read as an expansive, confident triumph.
- Does the meaning of the number 6 repeat across the other suits?
- Broadly, yes. In the Rider-Waite-Smith / Golden Dawn tradition, each number from 2 to 10 carries a wide theme across all four suits — the 6, specifically, tends to bring a point of rebalancing or recognition after the rupture represented by the 5, expressed differently according to each suit's element.
- Was this card illustrated differently before 1909?
- Yes. Before the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, this card showed only six wands, without the scene of the rider crowned with laurel — that illustration is Pamela Colman Smith's creation.
Sources
- Michael Dummett. The Game of Tarot: From Ferrara to Salt Lake City (1980).
- Arthur Edward Waite. The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910).
- Aleister Crowley. The Book of Thoth (1944).
- Stuart R. Kaplan. The Encyclopedia of Tarot (1978).