The Three of Wands is also called the Lord of Established Strength and is aligned with Sun in Aries. It represents the pioneering spirit, and the realisation of the first stages of your most important goals and enterprise. The Sun is the Center, the Ego and the Life Force and when placed in Aries gives confidence, strength and initiative. Although a lack of patience is often a challenge with this placement, trust in a positive result is necessary and requires the ability to wait and act only when the time is right. And so when the Three of Wands turns up for you it brings confidence, persistent strength and success built on faith in oneself. The imagery of the Three of Wands often shows a man or woman gazing out onto a harbour scanning the horizon. It is often referred to as the card where one's ships come in. Having cast your hopes and resources out into the world, with no idea of whether those ships will float or indeed return with their hulls filled with gold, still you sent them out and must now wait with patience and also a sense of trust and faith in the outcome. A lovely metaphor indeed, and this card tells you that we often have to take a risk, strike out into the unknown, and not be afraid. Nothing was ever won or gained by playing it safe, and yet this card also brings with it a sense of right timing, knowing when to cast your lot out there in order to reap the most benefits. It is certainly a card of speculation, but also it requires nerves of steel and a willingness to sink into your centre of self-certainty and trust in order to guide your ships safely home. Now is not the time to hasten matters. There is a period of gestation which must be served, however you can enjoy the waiting as your success in assured. Image from "Tarot de St Croix" © Lisa de St. Croix
