Up: [[Wands]] Created: 2026-01-20 Updated: 2026-09-20 > [!leaf] In Brief > Victory is coming after struggle. You are recognized and acclaimed by others. Note: I pulled this as my spark card and worked with it over a ten day period. The relentless focus on acclaim by others, promoted by so many tarot authors, just wasn’t ringing true for me, so I dug a lot deeper into my tarot library and ended up rewriting this note on [[2026-09-20]]. > [!leaf] What Matters You aren’t at the finish line yet, but you have overcome difficulties, and are on the right path. Understand that you may not be feeling any satisfaction in your current ‘victory’ because it might seem too small and unworthy of celebration. Leeza Robertson, author of *Pathworking the Tarot*, says the victory can be as tiny as cleaning out your closet and donating the clothes that don’t fit. Her point is that the card is here to teach us that no accomplishment is unworthy. We simply cannot know which small personal win is going to cause the biggest, most amazing change in our lives. Rachel Pollack adds that if we stay optimistic, believing in ourselves, we can find the energy to accomplish what we want. Don’t forget where you’ve been; don’t pretend that the dark times didn’t happen. Rather, use those failures and lessons learned in battles to help you break through to a success that is something bigger and bolder than you imagined possible. The Six of Wands promises that you have the inner resources needed to achieve what you want. It’s how you’ve matured in your understanding as a result of the dark times, and your willingness to keep plodding forward, that garners the recognition and acclaim from others which is so often emphasized as the defining characteristic of this card. The warning from many tarot authors is to not get too inflated because what goes up must come down, as Icarus found when he soared too close to the sun. At the same time, take the wins, take the acclaim. You need it for relief after past difficulties, and others need to see you shine as inspiration for their own journeys. > [!leaf] Actions 1. Make a list of even the very tiniest wins as confirmation that you are heading in the right direction. Without these tiny wins, the big ones wouldn’t be possible. 2. Find the people around you who understand the importance of small successes in life, like completing one task before moving on to another. Identifying and talking with these people can help you stay on your journey. 3. Freewrite or journal in response to any of the following prompts - How do I know that I am headed in the right direction? - Who are my biggest cheerleaders? How can I express my gratitude to them? - What is my super power? How do I know? How can I use it to improve not only my life, but the lives of others? ![[6 of Wands RWS.webp|300]] *Rider Waite Smith* > [!leaf] Symbols There is public recognition and a sense of community in the group of people gathered to cheer on the man on horseback. It’s a ceremonial procession — there’s no armour. Signs of victory are everywhere — not only the laurel wreaths on the man’s head and on one of the wands, but also in the intersecting centre wands creating the letter V. The side glance from the horse has been interpreted to suggest that he knows the victory isn’t going to last, even if the people don’t! This image is from *Zillich Tarot*. I like it for its recognition of the difficulties that precede this card. The image is of two phoenixes rising from the ashes, the spoils of victory in their mouths. There’s also a background image of a lion representing both strength and the astrological sign that corresponds to this card. ![[6 of Wands Zillich.webp|300]]