King of Wands
Minor Arcana · Wands · number 14 · Re di Bastoni
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The King of Wands is an honest, friendly, conscientious man, often married, with his feet on the ground. He may be a father, a boss, a partner you can count on, or the role you are asked to take on now: the one who leads with loyalty. Waite says this card always means honesty, and may announce an inheritance or an unexpected gain arriving soon. If these days you are being asked to take a situation in hand, it is no accident. The practical advice: act in the open, keep your word, and if a financial advantage arrives, manage it with the same integrity.
Source: Arthur Edward Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910) · read the original passage
Reversed
Reversed, the King of Wands remains good, says Waite, but becomes severe: austere, demanding, and yet tolerant. He is the father who makes no allowances, the boss who expects much and then understands, or your own harshest side towards yourself. If these days you feel judged by someone in authority, or if you are the one being hard on those close to you, it is no accident. It is not a sentence: this severity means well. Just be careful not to turn it into coldness. The practical advice: ask openly what is expected of you, and then allow yourself, or allow others, a margin for error.