Bohemian Gothic Tarot

KING OF WANDS

Lighter or more conventional meanings

A performer - theatrical and amusing * An unconventional or eccentric person - usually in an attractive way * Someone with panache and charisma * A natural leader with tremendous energy * A warm, energetic family man.

Darker, shadow or more hidden meanings

A fantasist who imagines themselves to be much more important than they are * An attention-seeker * Someone pompous who expects all around him (or her) to follow his lead.

Like the Knight of this suit, the King of Wands is attractive and charismatic, but inclined to restlessness and boredom. However, all the tarot Kings symbolise characters who have, to some extent, repressed their natural desires and inclinations in favour of duty and responsibility. This King is a natural performer who loves to be at the centre of attention in front of a crowd, acting outrageously and generally getting involved in all sorts of entertainments and excitements. However, he is, in fact, a great deal more reliable than the Knight and will stick to his commitments - most of the time.

Our depiction shows an actor on stage, dressed as a king. He seems to be in rehearsal and he has forgotten his splendid gold sceptre, which the stage manager is bringing to him. But the theatre seems deserted apart from the two of them, and there are no lights, only a little moonlight coming in from the wings. It looks as though a rehearsal has recently ended, and yet the stage manager rushes in holding a wand, which seems to be a prop or part of a costume. This could be a private performance or the actor may be quietly doing some extra work on his role. Whatever the play, it's set in a gloomy village and the set looks rather oppressive, especially in the half-light.

In a reading with this card, we might ask more about the relationship between the actor and the stage manager. The actor might expect people to run around at his beck and call. He may rather like playing the artiste and getting away with being somewhat demanding and capricious. It's possible that he is taking his role a little too seriously and feels he can behave like royalty. This is not one of the darker cards of this deck, and the King of Wands is certainly no villain, but he may be pompous and full of himself and irritating to be around. However, his energy and enthusiasm for all things (including himself) can often make up for this - as long as you don't mind always being the support act while he takes star billing.

Some further ways to consider this card

What is the story of the play that the actor is rehearsing? Which character is he playing?

They were almost alone in the huge, gloomy house; and a great silence surrounded them. It was the time when most of the stage-hands go out for a drink. The staff had left the boards for the moment, leaving a scene half set. A few rays of light, a wan, sinister light, that seemed to have been stolen from an expiring luminary, fell through some opening or other upon an old tower that raised its pasteboard battlements on the stage; everything, in this deceptive light, adopted a fantastic shape.
- Gaston Leroux, The Phantom of the Opera.