Wands

The suit of Wands is associated with the element of Fire. The choice of the wand as a symbol is in its own way, rather arbitrary: in some decks, the wands have been replaced by torches, in others, they take on a club-like form.

The important thing is that the wands are usually depicted as being green and in bloom, with lots of leaves and so on. This is an essential point: we are not dealing with dead sticks but with living things that can take root as soon as they are placed in fertile soil. As such they serve as an excellent symbol for fire: they are as vessels for life itself, ready to "catch" as soon as an opportunity arises. Since all things begin with fire (where would we be without the Sun, right?) the Tarot commences with the suit of Wands.

The general idea is that the suit of Wands has to do with the world of work. This is sort of right... the suit of Wands relates to the concept of inspiration, which in most cases is translated as "work". The only problem is that it's hard finding yourself a situation where your work commands all your inspiration. Most people never really do. In fact, it's obvious (and quite sad) that a lot of people don't like their jobs and only work for the money or because they can't think of an alternative. And of course, there IS the problem of the unemployed or of those who perhaps do volunteer work, or are perhaps athletes in training.

The problem lies in the definition of "work": I might officially be a clerk, or a part-time waiter or whatever, but my main field of interest might be a novel I'm writing or something I am building in my spare time. I might not care at all about my "official" job, and might not even consider it an important part of my life. When reading the cards, it is important to get these sorts of details right. One's best periods at an "official" job usually take time out from "unofficial" things, so try to understand whether a situation that might be visible in the cards such as, say a promotion, refers to an actual promotion at the office or an exhibition of your querent's stamp collection at the local town hall!

If you're interested, let's throw in that the suit of wands also represents the fire signs of the zodiac ie:

Aries

Leo

Sagittarius

I could add that Wands tend to be associated with people with auburn or reddish hair and blue, grey or green eyes, but if you've ever tried reading the Tarot in Asia, where most people have raven black hair, you will understand that that sort of thing is an utter waste of time.