four of wands // the element of fire

hello, friends. a quick note that i've finally added all of the digital products from my etsy shop to my website, so now you can more easily browse all of the spread collections, printables, and grimoire pages that i have to offer!

i'm also very close to hitting my goal of 100 paid subscribers to this newsletter, so if you've been considering upping your subscription, now would be an amazing time to do so! i took a poll in my instagram stories and have made a free tarot spread collection with five brand new tarot spreads that i'll release once i hit 100 — and i've also got a little surprise in store for the 100th subscriber.

i know this week has felt especially heavy, scary, and intense for many of us. take a deep breath, and let it out slowly. give yourself the gift of being present for a few moments. and if you could use a tarot spread to help you stay moving forward, check out this recent one i shared on instagram.

after looking at the four of wands through a general lens as well as with a focus on the number four, today we'll be exploring this card with particular attention to its element: fire. fire can take many forms, which is why it can be so fascinating to play with, talk about, and use as a metaphor for passion, enthusiasm, grit, and transformation, among other things.

if you've been reading my work for a minute, you may have noticed that i love a good metaphor. when i can anchor an idea or a feeling into a real world experience, it always helps me understand it better, and retain its meaning more clearly. when i think about the protections that fire requires to be safe, the delicate balance between containing the flames so that they don't consume everything and not smothering that fire completely, i think about a furnace, or a fireplace.

fire that we can see, feel, benefit from — that we know is protected, both for us and also from us. fire that has a place, a purpose. fire that belongs, is welcomed, is utilized and shared and respected. fire that we cherish.

when you think about control, about restriction, about foundations and boundaries and rules, you might not immediately think about fire as fitting neatly into those systems. after all, fire is wild and free, brilliant and captivating, restless and consuming. but even fire needs fuel to burn — lest it spread itself too thin and devour everything in its path.

to be sustained, fire needs careful tending, loving devotion, protected space to burn freely. the story of the suit of wands so far has been about growth, feeding a new spark into something that can burn brightly, be seen and celebrated, light our way and inspire those around us. but the four of wands introduces order and purpose to fire. now we're not only enjoying the dazzling light and crackling heat of the flames itself, but also considering how we can preserve those flames, ensure that they last.

and when we translate this particular idea to the tarot, it can bring up some new questions: what keeps our inner fire safe, without smothering it? how do we protect our internal flames of passion, interest, motivation, courage? what activates and nourishes our external fire? what does it look like to defend and structure our spiritual fire, creative fire, visionary fire, collective fire? and how can we figure out which structures will smother our fire, and which ones will stoke it?

just like a fireplace has solid walls and open spaces, facilitates the feeding of the flames without allowing them to burst forth and take over, the four of wands shows us what it means to intentionally build spaces for our fire to thrive, to be fed, to last. the four of wands does not avoid organization or structure: rather, this card teaches us what it looks to lean in, to devote ourselves to fire, to make a plan for its long-term existence and success.

as you consider the four of wands, ask yourself: how do you strike a delicate balance between wild heat and protected light? how do you ensure that your own fire is well-resourced, without consuming everything in its path? what does structured fire look like for you? how are pride, power, joy, and connection all necessary resources for your long-term vision? what fuels your creativity, your spirit, your motivation?

what is your four of wands story? how are you sustaining your fire, and how in turn is that fire also sustaining you?

the 3am.tarot conservatory will be closing its doors on april 28th. if you're ready to explore a wide range of tarot resources, if you're eager to level up your personal practice, or if you're looking to find more confidence and courage in your readings for yourself and for clients, the 3am.tarot conservatory is for you.

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sending you a lot of love, friends. thank you for being here, for holding your fire, for moving forward. keep going.