The Three of Wands is the tarot card of looking ahead. It shows a figure standing on a cliff with his back to us, watching ships sail out over the sea, and it's read as the stage where your plans are already in motion and you're waiting to see what comes back. Upright, the Three of Wands is read as progress, expansion, foresight, and opportunity. Reversed, it's read as delays, plans that need rethinking, or playing it too safe to look past the horizon.
The Three of Wands belongs to the suit of Wands, the suit of fire, drive, and ambition. Where the Two of Wands is often read as choosing a direction, the three is read as watching that choice start to move.
Three of Wands Keywords
The Three of Wands' keywords center on progress and foresight. Here's how they shift when the card is reversed:
| Upright | Reversed |
|---|---|
| Looking ahead | Delays |
| Expansion | Plans that need rethinking |
| Progress | Playing it too safe |
| Opportunity | Lack of foresight |
| Travel and trade | Obstacles clearing |
What the Three of Wands Card Shows
The Three of Wands card shows a figure in a red robe with a green cloak and a checkered sash, standing with his back to us on a rocky cliff and holding one of three tall staves that sprout small leaves. Below him, a golden sea stretches to the horizon, and small ships sail across it. The best-known version is the one Pamela Colman Smith painted for the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, first published in London in December 1909.
Arthur Edward Waite described the card in his 1910 book, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot: "A calm, stately personage, with his back turned, looking from a cliff's edge at ships passing over the sea." Here's what each part of the picture is read as:
- The cliff edge is read as a high place to see from, where you can take in the bigger picture.
- The ships are read as plans, efforts, and ventures already sent out into the world.
- The three planted staves are read as a solid foundation, the work you've already put in.
- The leaves on the staves are read as growth and life still moving through your plans.
- The figure's turned back is read as focus on what's ahead rather than what's behind.
- The golden sea and sky are read as opportunity and a bright, open future.
Three of Wands Upright Meaning
The Three of Wands upright is read as progress and the patience to watch it unfold. It often turns up after you've taken the first steps on a plan, such as sending out applications, launching a project, or making a big move, and it's read as encouragement to keep your eyes on the horizon and prepare for what's coming back to you.
Waite wrote that the figure "symbolizes established strength, enterprise, effort, trade, commerce, discovery; those are his ships, bearing his merchandise, which are sailing over the sea." That's why the card is still read as both expansion and the reward of earlier effort.
Three of Wands Upright in Love
In love, the Three of Wands upright is read as a relationship that's growing and looking toward the future together. For someone single, it's read as opening yourself to new people, sometimes from far away. For a couple, it's read as making plans, such as a trip, a move, or a shared goal.
Three of Wands Upright in Work and Money
In work, the Three of Wands upright is read as expansion, such as new clients, a wider reach, work with people in other places, or a project gaining momentum. With money, it's read as effort that's starting to bring returns, along with a reminder to plan for the next stage.
Three of Wands Upright in Spirituality
Spiritually, the Three of Wands upright is read as broadening your path, such as learning from other traditions, traveling to sacred places, or deepening a practice you've already started.
Three of Wands Reversed Meaning
The Three of Wands reversed is read as plans that stall or need a second look. It often points to delays, setbacks in travel or business, or staying in your comfort zone instead of looking past the horizon. It can also be read as a sign that obstacles are clearing after a difficult stretch.
Waite's meaning for the reversed card was "the end of troubles, suspension or cessation of adversity, toil and disappointment," so the reversed Three of Wands has long been read as relief after a hard time, not only as delay.
Three of Wands Reversed in Love
In love, the Three of Wands reversed is read as a relationship stuck in place, or as plans with a partner that keep getting delayed. It can also be read as distance, such as a long-distance relationship that feels hard to bridge.
Three of Wands Reversed in Work and Money
In work, the Three of Wands reversed is read as a project that stalls, a deal that falls through, or a plan that needs rethinking. With money, it's read as a reason to slow down, review your plans, and wait before expanding.
Three of Wands Reversed in Spirituality
Spiritually, the Three of Wands reversed is read as feeling stuck or unsure where your path is going next. It's read as a nudge to step back and look at the bigger picture again.
Three of Wands as Feelings
As feelings, the Three of Wands upright is read as someone who feels hopeful about the future with you and is thinking long term. Reversed, it's read as someone who feels unsure, held back, or frustrated that things aren't moving.
Is the Three of Wands a Yes or No Card?
The Three of Wands upright is usually read as a yes, especially for questions about plans, travel, or growth. Reversed, it's usually read as "not yet," a sign that delays are likely or that a plan needs adjusting.
Three of Wands Correspondences
The Three of Wands takes its correspondences from its suit and its number:
| Three of Wands | |
|---|---|
| Suit | Wands (also called Rods, Staves, or Batons) |
| Element | Fire |
| Number | Three |
| Golden Dawn planet | Saturn |
| Arcana | Minor Arcana |
| Zodiac signs | Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius, the fire signs linked with the suit of Wands |
In Aleister Crowley's 1944 Book of Thoth, the suit of wands is associated with the element of fire, and Wikipedia notes that "Wands cards often represent the astrological signs of Fire: Leo, Sagittarius and Aries." In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the number cards of the Minor Arcana are each linked to a planet, and the threes are linked with Saturn, the planet many readers tie to structure and patient work.
How to Work With the Three of Wands
The Three of Wands is a good card to work with when your plans are underway and you want to stay focused on where they're headed. Many practitioners use it when they're waiting on results or planning the next stage. Here's a simple practice for planning ahead.
You'll need:
- The Three of Wands card from your deck, such as the Gold Rider-Waite tarot deck
- A tiger's eye stone, such as one from these yellow tiger eye tumbled stones, which many practitioners keep for focus and courage
- A sheet of paper and a pen
- A window or outdoor spot with a long view
- Stand or sit where you can see far into the distance, such as at a window, on a porch, or outdoors, with the Three of Wands card in your hand.
- Hold the tiger's eye and look out at the farthest point you can see for a few slow breaths.
- On the paper, draw three small ships and write one plan you've already set in motion beside each one.
- Under each ship, write one next step you'll take to support that plan this month.
- Place the tiger's eye on the paper, hold your hands over it, and recite:
Ships set out on golden sea,
What I've planned comes home to me. - Fold the paper around the stone and keep it on your desk or altar, and open it again in a month to check how far each ship has come.
If you keep a tarot journal, the Three of Wands is a good card to write about when you pull it. A few prompts to try:
- What have I already set in motion that I'm waiting to see return?
- What does the horizon look like for me a year from now?
- Where am I playing it safe when I could look further?
Our guide to keeping a tarot journal has a free printable page for it. For the meanings of all 78 cards in one place, see our guide to tarot card meanings. You can also read about the Two of Wands, the card just before it, where the plan is first chosen, and the Six of Wands, where the effort comes home in victory.
Three of Wands FAQ
What does the Three of Wands mean?
The Three of Wands is the tarot card of looking ahead. Upright, it's read as progress, expansion, and opportunity. Reversed, it's read as delays, plans that need rethinking, or playing it too safe.
What does the Three of Wands reversed mean?
The Three of Wands reversed is read as plans that stall or need a second look, or as staying in your comfort zone. Waite also read it as "the end of troubles," so it can point to relief after a hard stretch.
Is the Three of Wands a yes or no card?
The Three of Wands upright is usually read as a yes, especially for questions about plans, travel, or growth. Reversed, it's usually read as "not yet."
What does the Three of Wands mean in love?
In love, the Three of Wands upright is read as a relationship that's growing and making plans for the future. Reversed, it's read as plans that keep getting delayed, or as distance between partners.
What does the Three of Wands mean as feelings?
As feelings, the Three of Wands upright is read as someone who feels hopeful and is thinking long term about you. Reversed, it's read as someone who feels unsure or frustrated that things aren't moving.
What do the ships on the Three of Wands mean?
The ships are read as plans and efforts already sent out into the world. Waite wrote, "those are his ships, bearing his merchandise, which are sailing over the sea."
Is the Three of Wands about travel?
It can be. The Three of Wands is often read as travel, trade, or connections in faraway places, along with the wider idea of expanding your horizons.
What planet is the Three of Wands?
In the Golden Dawn system, the threes of the Minor Arcana are linked with Saturn. The suit of Wands is linked with fire and the fire signs Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius.
