Card Of The Month (january): 3 of wands

Art by Pamela Colman Smith

THREE OF WANDS

Element: Fire

Keywords: Resolve, taking a stand, resolute, farewells & new beginnings

As we bid a fond farewell— or good riddance!— to 2025, we begin the new year with a great deal of contemplation at what was, and the possibility of what now could be. Three of Wands reminds us that the future is often uncertain and there are no guarantees that the grass is greener on the other side. But for better or worse, we hope on and we dream on. 

The month of January will not be without its fair share of tough decisions. We are in a liminal space of allowing the dust to settle, assessing unfinished business, and looking ahead at what we might want to do differently in the future.

The suit of Wands represents fire, and indeed 2026 will welcome the Year of the Fire Horse mid-February. This means that we must get very clear-headed NOW, in order to know where we stand as things in our lives get a bit more heated. The world is going through tremendous change that is far from over at the turn of the calendar year. There is much work ahead, and each of us must figure out our individual role in it.

Furthermore, we must not lose sight of our OWN dreams and pursuits. There is an opportunity to re-acquaint ourselves and rekindle our joys after a rather brutal year for many. However, it will require creativity and imagination. We’re not going back to a world as it once was. So we have to think outside the box on a lot of things. This is new and unchartered territory that will continue to evolve in ways that we cannot predict.

Everything we learned about ourselves last year will help inform how we move forward this year. The quote “Know thyself” couldn’t be more true going forward. Authenticity and alignment will be non-negotiable factors this month and throughout 2026.