LexTalk

Okay, I have a confession.

When I first started looking at today’s tarot card, there was one detail that immediately got my attention.

THE CAT.

There’s an entire queen sitting on a throne. She’s holding a sunflower. She has a wand. There are lions carved behind her. She’s surrounded by all of this fiery, confident symbolism…

And naturally, my eyes went directly to the little black cat sitting at her feet.

Priorities.

But once I started studying the Queen of Wands, I realized that little cat fits this card perfectly.

Because if you’ve ever spent any amount of time around a cat, you probably know one thing:

Cats do not spend a lot of time wondering whether you approve of them.

They walk into the room like they own the house.

They sit wherever they want.

They demand attention when they want it and disappear when they don’t.

And they certainly aren’t sitting around wondering:

“Do you think everyone liked what I did today?”

Honestly?

Maybe we could learn something from them.

Welcome back to LexTalk Tarot: One Card at a Time, where I’m slowly learning all 78 tarot cards, studying the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith symbolism, and sharing everything I’m discovering along the way.

Today we’re exploring the Queen of Wands.

And her message has me thinking about something I struggle with probably more than I’d like to admit:

What would you do differently if you stopped worrying so much about what everyone else thought?

Meet the Queen of Wands

The Queen of Wands belongs to the Minor Arcana and the Suit of Wands.

Wands are traditionally associated with the element of Fire and themes involving creativity, inspiration, passion, ambition, energy, and action.

And then we have our Queen.

Tarot court cards can feel a little confusing when you’re first learning because Pages, Knights, Queens, and Kings don’t always represent literal people.

Sometimes they can.

But they can also represent a personality, an approach to a situation, an energy we’re being encouraged to embody, or qualities we recognize in ourselves or someone else.

For the Queen of Wands, those qualities often include:

Confidence • Creativity • Independence • Warmth • Charisma • Determination • Courage • Passion

Basically?

She has presence.

She doesn’t need to walk into the room screaming:

EVERYONE LOOK AT ME!

She simply knows who she is.

And there’s something very different between confidence and constantly needing people to confirm that you’re worthy.

That’s what I want to explore with this card.

Okay, Let’s Talk About the Black Cat

Obviously we’re starting here.

In the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith Queen of Wands, a small black cat sits directly in front of the Queen.

Black cats have long been associated with things like mystery, independence, intuition, and the unseen.

And considering this Queen’s personality?

The cat feels like the perfect companion.

Cats are incredibly independent creatures.

They can be affectionate.

Playful.

Curious.

Loving.

And also completely uninterested in whether you approve of whatever they’re currently doing.

Anyone who has ever told a cat:

“Get down from there.”

only to have the cat stare directly into your soul while remaining exactly where it is knows what I’m talking about.

For me, the cat becomes an easy memory trick for this card:

Trust yourself. Be yourself. Stop asking everyone for permission.

Not in a reckless way.

Not in an I don’t care about anyone else’s feelings way.

But in a:

I don’t need everyone to understand me in order to be comfortable being me

kind of way.

That’s a very different thing.

The Sunflower

The Queen holds a large sunflower in one hand.

And this might be my second favorite symbol on the card.

Sunflowers naturally make us think of warmth, optimism, vitality, happiness, and growth.

They literally grow toward the light.

And there’s something about that imagery I love when paired with the Queen of Wands.

What are you giving your energy to?

Are you giving it to something that helps you grow?

Or are you spending it comparing yourself to other people?

Worrying about what someone thinks?

Second-guessing something you were excited about five minutes ago?

Trying to convince someone else that your idea is worthwhile?

We only have so much energy.

The sunflower makes me think:

Turn toward what helps you grow.

The Wand

Of course, this wouldn’t be the Queen of Wands without a wand.

The wand represents the fiery energy of the suit:

Creativity.

Passion.

Inspiration.

Ambition.

Action.

We’ve already seen Wands energy in The Magician, although that card includes all four suits.

Here, Fire gets the spotlight.

The Queen of Wands isn’t simply someone who has creative ideas.

She’s associated with having enough confidence to do something with them.

And that distinction matters.

Because how many great ideas have we talked ourselves out of?

You think:

That could be fun.

And then five minutes later:

Someone else probably already does it better.

What if nobody cares?

What if people think it’s stupid?

What if it doesn’t work?

What if I embarrass myself?

Congratulations.

You have successfully killed your own idea before anyone else even had the opportunity.

The Queen of Wands encourages us to give our ideas a chance.

The Lions

Look at the Queen’s throne and you’ll notice lions.

And this is especially fun because we JUST studied another card where the lion was incredibly important:

Strength.

Look at us recognizing repeating tarot symbolism already!

Lions are traditionally associated with courage, strength, confidence, passion, and authority.

On the Queen of Wands, they reinforce her fiery personality.

But remember what we learned with Strength?

Power doesn’t necessarily have to be loud.

That lesson works beautifully here too.

The Queen of Wands doesn’t need to convince everyone that she’s confident.

She simply occupies her throne.

Real confidence doesn’t always need an announcement.

The Throne

And speaking of that throne…

She’s sitting comfortably in it.

She’s not shrinking.

She’s not apologizing for taking up space.

She’s not wondering whether someone else deserves the throne more.

She’s simply there.

And I think that’s such an interesting visual for confidence.

How often do we minimize ourselves because we don’t want to appear arrogant?

We say:

“Oh, it’s really not that good.”

“I just got lucky.”

“It’s nothing special.”

Someone compliments something we’ve created and instead of saying:

Thank you! I’m really proud of it.

We immediately explain every single thing that’s wrong with it.

There’s a difference between arrogance and allowing yourself to recognize something you’ve done well.

The Queen of Wands reminds me that we’re allowed to be proud of ourselves.

The Warm Yellow Background

The Rider-Waite-Smith Queen of Wands has a warm, bright background that reinforces the card’s fiery energy.

It feels alive.

Optimistic.

Energetic.

Which makes sense for a card so closely connected with confidence and creativity.

This isn’t quiet, hidden energy.

It’s visible.

And maybe that’s another lesson here.

Sometimes you have to allow yourself to be seen.

Which can be terrifying.

Especially if you’re creating something.

Writing.

Making videos.

Building a business.

Sharing art.

Starting a blog.

Putting anything you’ve created in front of strangers and essentially saying:

Here. I made this.

That’s vulnerable.

Confidence doesn’t mean you’re never nervous about it.

Sometimes confidence means posting it anyway.

Queen of Wands Upright Meaning

When the Queen of Wands appears upright, traditional interpretations include:

Confidence • Creativity • Independence • Charisma • Determination • Courage • Optimism • Leadership • Warmth

This card can invite us to recognize our own abilities and become more comfortable expressing ourselves.

Maybe you’ve been waiting to feel more confident before starting something.

But here’s the annoying thing about confidence:

Sometimes confidence comes AFTER you start.

You try.

You survive.

You learn.

You improve.

You try again.

And eventually you realize:

Oh. Maybe I actually CAN do this.

The Queen of Wands doesn’t require perfection.

She encourages us to show up.

Be curious.

Be enthusiastic.

And stop assuming everyone else’s opinion deserves more weight than our own.

Queen of Wands Reversed Meaning

Here comes our regular LexTalk Tarot reminder:

Reversed doesn’t automatically mean BAD.

The Queen of Wands reversed can connect with:

Self-doubt • Insecurity • Jealousy • Comparison • Burnout • Seeking validation • Frustration • Misplaced confidence

And I think comparison is especially interesting here.

You can be perfectly happy with something you’re doing…

until you look at someone else’s version.

Suddenly:

Their blog looks better.

Their house looks nicer.

Their videos have more views.

Their business seems more successful.

Their photos are prettier.

Their life appears more exciting.

And the thing you were proud of approximately seven seconds ago now feels inadequate.

Social media certainly hasn’t made THAT easier.

The Queen of Wands reversed can encourage us to ask:

Am I actually unhappy with my progress—or did I start comparing it to someone else’s?

That’s an important difference.

Reversed, the card can also warn about confidence becoming controlling, attention-seeking, or overly focused on validation.

There’s a balance.

You don’t need to think you’re better than everyone else.

You simply need to stop assuming everyone else is better than you.

Queen of Wands in Love & Relationships

In love and relationship readings, the Queen of Wands can connect with confidence, attraction, warmth, independence, passion, and authenticity.

And one part of this interpretation really stands out to me:

You shouldn’t have to lose yourself to be in a relationship.

You can love someone deeply and still have:

Your own interests.

Your own hobbies.

Your own friends.

Your own goals.

Your own personality.

Your own weird little things that make you you.

A healthy partnership doesn’t require two people to become one identical human.

Upright, the Queen of Wands can encourage warmth, confidence, affection, and maintaining individuality within a relationship.

Reversed, it may invite us to examine jealousy, insecurity, possessiveness, comparison, or a constant need for reassurance.

And again, tarot isn’t proof that someone is cheating, lying, or secretly doing something behind your back.

Instead, we can use the card to ask:

Do I feel safe and confident enough to be fully myself in this relationship?

That’s much more useful.

Queen of Wands in Career

Okay.

This might be where I personally connect with this card the most.

Because the Queen of Wands is often associated with creativity, entrepreneurship, leadership, initiative, confidence, and independent work.

And if you’ve ever tried building something yourself?

You know how weird that process can be.

One day:

THIS IS AMAZING. I’M SO EXCITED.

The next:

Nobody cares. Why am I doing this?

Then someone leaves a nice comment.

I’M BACK! THIS IS MY CALLING!

Then something gets three views.

Never mind. I’m retiring.

Creative work is a roller coaster.

The Queen of Wands reminds us not to let every little external response determine whether we believe in what we’re creating.

Of course, feedback matters.

Analytics can help.

Learning matters.

Improving matters.

But if your confidence depends entirely on today’s number?

You’re going to drive yourself crazy.

Upright, this Queen can encourage us to keep creating, leading, learning, and putting our ideas into the world.

Reversed, she might point toward creative burnout, insecurity, frustration, comparison, or stretching yourself too thin.

And that connects beautifully with the Four of Swords we just studied.

Sometimes you need to rest your creative energy before expecting yourself to produce more.

Queen of Wands & Money

Financially, I wouldn’t interpret the Queen of Wands as:

CONGRATULATIONS! MONEY IS COMING!

Tarot doesn’t work like a magical ATM.

Unfortunately.

Instead, this card’s themes can encourage initiative, resourcefulness, confidence, and thoughtful independence.

Maybe there’s a skill you could develop.

A creative project you could explore.

An opportunity worth researching.

Or simply a need to become more confident in understanding your own finances.

Reversed, it can remind us not to let excitement override practical planning.

Confidence is useful.

Research is also useful.

The two work beautifully together.

What Would You Do If Nobody Was Watching?

This is the part of the Queen of Wands that really gets me.

Because how much of what we do is influenced by how we think other people will respond?

Would they think this is weird?

Would they laugh?

Would they approve?

Would they follow?

Would they buy it?

Would they like it?

Would they understand?

And obviously, we live in a world with other people.

Their opinions sometimes matter.

But they don’t all get an equal vote in our lives.

Some people won’t understand what you’re doing.

Some won’t care.

Some might think it’s strange.

And some will absolutely LOVE it.

You can’t control that.

The Queen of Wands asks a different question:

Do YOU believe it’s worth exploring?

Because sometimes that’s enough reason to begin.

And Maybe We Need a Little More Black Cat Energy

I’m coming back to the cat.

Obviously.

Because I genuinely think it’s the easiest way I’m going to remember this card.

Picture a black cat sitting at the Queen’s feet.

Calm.

Independent.

Observant.

Completely comfortable being itself.

It isn’t checking how many other cats received more likes today.

It isn’t wondering whether another cat has a prettier coat.

It isn’t questioning whether it deserves to sit there.

It’s simply…

a cat.

Maybe Queen of Wands energy is partly about becoming a little more comfortable with yourself.

Not perfect.

Not better than everyone else.

Just comfortable enough to stop constantly asking:

Am I good enough?

And start asking:

What do I want to create next?

Today’s LexTalk Tarot Reflection

Grab your journal, notebook, or notes app and think about this:

What is something I would love to create, share, or accomplish if I stopped worrying about what other people might think?

Then ask:

Where am I comparing myself to someone else instead of recognizing my own progress?

And finally:

What is something about myself I’m genuinely proud of?

No minimizing it.

No adding:

“But…”

Just write it down.

Let yourself own it.

Queen of Wands style.

The Tarot Deck I’m Learning With

If you’ve been following LexTalk Tarot: One Card at a Time, I’m using a physical Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck throughout this series.

Having the actual artwork in front of me has made learning these cards SO much easier.

Instead of trying to memorize:

Queen of Wands = confidence and creativity

I can look at:

The black cat.

The sunflower.

The lions.

The wand.

The Queen confidently sitting on her throne.

And suddenly, I have a story instead of a vocabulary test.

If you’d like to learn with the same style of tarot deck I’m using, you can [check out the tarot deck I’m using here — paid link].

You absolutely don’t need my exact deck to follow along, but if you’re studying traditional Rider-Waite-Smith symbolism with me, it’s fun being able to look at the same imagery together.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Learning Tarot Through Journaling

I also continue to write down the symbols and interpretations that stand out to me as we move through the deck.

And honestly?

The farther we get into this series, the more convinced I am that journaling is going to save my brain.

Instead of trying to memorize every possible interpretation, I’m writing down the pieces that help me remember the card’s story.

For today’s card, my notes might simply say:

Queen of Wands

Independence + intuition

Growth + optimism

Courage + confidence

Creativity + action

Own your space

That’s MUCH easier for me than memorizing paragraphs of definitions.

If you’re learning alongside me, any notebook works perfectly. If you’d like something specifically designed for your tarot studies, you can [check out the tarot journal I found here — paid link].

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nine Cards Into LexTalk Tarot!

We’re officially NINE cards into this journey.

And naturally, I have to see what our cards have taught us so far.

The High Priestess

Trust yourself.

Ace of Pentacles

Plant the seed.

Page of Cups

Stay curious.

The Fool

Begin.

Eight of Pentacles

Practice.

The Magician

Use what you have.

Strength

Choose how you use your power.

Four of Swords

Rest when you need to.

Queen of Wands

Own who you are.

Put all nine together and we’re apparently building an entire life philosophy over here.

Trust yourself. Plant something. Stay curious. Begin. Practice. Use what you have. Know your strength. Rest when you need to. And stop being afraid to take up a little space.

Okay, tarot.

I’m listening.

Learning the Queen of Wands One Symbol at a Time

If you’re learning tarot alongside me, don’t leave this post trying to memorize everything.

Remember our goal:

One card at a time.

For today’s card?

Honestly?

Remember the black cat and sunflower.

The cat: independence, intuition, individuality.

The sunflower: warmth, confidence, optimism, growth.

Then look at the Queen.

She’s sitting confidently on her throne holding her wand.

Put the story together:

Queen of Wands = confident, creative, independent energy.

If she appears reversed, think about where that confidence might be struggling—or where it might be tipping too far in the other direction.

Self-doubt. Comparison. Jealousy. Burnout. Seeking validation.

That’s enough for today.

One card.

A few symbols.

One more story added to our tarot vocabulary.

And today’s story?

Be creative.

Be warm.

Be confident.

Take up your space.

Stop comparing yourself to everyone around you.

And when all else fails?

Channel the black cat.

Sit somewhere you’re technically not supposed to.

Look everyone directly in the eye.

And remain completely unbothered.

Okay…

Maybe don’t take that part too literally.

One card. One lesson. One little bit of magic at a time.

— Lex

Tarot interpretations are subjective and are shared here for personal reflection, education, and entertainment. Tarot should not replace professional medical, legal, mental health, or financial advice.