The Four of Wands – At Large

"Houses rise and fall, crumble, are extended / Are removed, destroyed, restored or in their place / Is an open field"

(T.S.Eliott, East Coker)

Unlike the Two of Wands, the Four of Wands depicts “our traveler” at large, outside the castle walls. There is always a sense of freedom in this card, spontaneity, openness, enjoyment of life and nature. So he must have finally departed, embarked on some ship and found his strip of land. He no longer needs the Ace of Wands. Nothing is burning in his hands. There is no hurry in this card. It is a stop, the promised land he was looking for before departure is like the open field. The time of the fiesta is coming  – enjoy and have good time. He has arrived! Who counts the days/weeks/months or years in between. There he is finally, free from previous attachments, at large. At Large?

Is he? The four wands are stuck in the ground forming something like a wedding tent, foundations for the future home. Moreover, he is not alone. He is accompanied by a lady. But this is his choice. After all he arrived here in order to build a brand new life. The longing from the Two of Wands finds its fulfillment here. Is that what he was craving for? Probably. This is his new place on Earth. The chosen one.

This card seems so pleasant and idyllic. It means happiness, freedom and enjoyment. Past obstacles have been removed and no declarations have been made so far. It brings time of rest and consolation. Again, does anyone think about the consequences, the next steps if the sky is so blue and the nature so encouraging?

At the first glance this card also seems to have no limitations unless we look closer at the four wands - forming a square. No roof, no walls, no floor but… they start to resemble something similar, something we remember from previous cards.

It is the human nature that always builds walls and creates boundaries. Men are born to build – even a small garden must have a fence to prevent unexpected guests from coming in. Keep away unless you are invited. No matter what the intensions are, people themselves create boundaries - within and outside. Out of fear and anxiety. The conquered world (be it the smallest apartment) must be walled, guarded, safe. Plants grow in pots, windows are shut while the air-condition is working. People move from one place to another using subways, trains, cars – sometimes even without being outside for more than a few minutes needed to move from one transportation mean to another.

Think about the Four of Wands in terms of relations – the man has just left walls of solitude to find a partner and what does he do? He immediately starts to build new walls to protect his latest gains. The nature that has welcomed him is pushed aside. Why? The instinct tells him to protect his possessions although his memories should have taught him a lesson. He might realize it later on. Now he is enjoying his freedom.

Fear and anxiety have always been undermining human actions. There is outside Nature and human nature clearly shown in this card as two opposing forces. At first you may not discern it while gasping for the air of freedom. It is only later when you realize that the newly discovered piece of nature should be guarded against the enemy. But there are no enemies on the card – one might say. Indeed there can be only two possible opposing forces. Either the partner or the nature itself. Still at this point neither of them seems to be oppressive but the instinct tells the man to protect his possessions. No wonder, all Fours are about stability. Me, myself and I, my world, my space, my life. Trespassing forbidden. This is the dilemma of the Four of Wands.

In its negative the card may symbolize loose relations and ties, at least at the very moment. Yet I always find the meaning of this card as positive and encouraging. It is like a ray of sunshine coming into your life. Take your time to enjoy its warmth. You may need it later on.

So our lonely traveler has found his promised land, started to conquer it, marked his presence and he can not be blamed for that. For him it is the beginning of his social life. He is already entering the Leo sign.

Will he manage to retain his gains and freedom? He is happy for now and does not care about tomorrow. The foundations of the Four of Wands seem to have nothing in common with the castle walls. So much air around. The traveler needs a rest at this point. He needs time to enjoy the present and expand smoothly.