This is a card of…

Victory

Success

More work to be done

Pride

Reward

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

-Winston Churchill

The Six of Wands is a card of victory, usually depicting a guy riding through a crowd in triumph. Simple. Except…

Is the rider returning from victory or riding out to attain one? Why does one figure in the crowd look less celebratory than the others? The Six of Wands is about victories large and small, from an Olympic gold medal to the first 24 hours sticking to a diet-and-exercise plan. It has a strong ‘closing the deal’ energy to it, but this deal cannot be the end of it.

To ambitious Wands, victory itself presents a challenge. There is the ego inflation we can fall victim to when that laurel goes onto our head. There is the resentment of those who can’t wait to see those raised up fall in disgrace. But the greatest danger in the suit of Wands is lack of drive.

The victory in the Six of Wands is real. It’s okay to pat yourself on the back and to drink in a few congrats. But don’t sit on your laurels. There is still more to achieve and attain. Taking too many victory laps can lead to emotional road blocks. And the guy in the crowd thinking it should have been him on that horse is eventually going to try to knock you off. Keep climbing.

This card can also be a prompt to those of us who don’t feel comfortable receiving accolades: give yourself some credit, let yourself feel proud of your accomplishments.