Upright Reading
Like the Queen, the King of Wands embodies positivity, honesty, and a love of life and the experiences that it offers. He is an honorable figure and a natural leader; he often displays entrepreneurial traits and has the focus and drive to get his visions off the ground. In a reading, he can suggest that we take a long-term view because our plans are imminently realizable: if we fully commit to what we want, we have the dynamic personality and all the tools at our disposal to manifest it. Maintaining a clear intention is the key: a focus on the desired outcome; whereas the Knight was prone to becoming distracted by other possibilities, the King has developed the capacity for a single-minded pursuit of his goals.
Sometimes the appearance of the King of Wands in a reading suggests that a new opportunity is on the cards for us. Where this is the case he counsels that commitment will be the deciding factor: if we put all our energies behind the chance that has appeared before us, things will materialize in the way we want them to.
Reversed Meaning
Reversed, the King of Wands can represent what may happen to a Wands personality who has encountered a lot of opposition in life: his attitude towards it may shift; he no longer believes that everything will turn out the way he wishes it to through the sheer force of his will. The reversed card can also appear to gently warn us not to get so swept up in our plans that we end up setting unrealistic goals, and to ensure that we use the force of our personality to inspire and motivate others, rather than to dominate them or subsume their objectives with our own.
The King of Wands sits on a throne decorated with salamanders and lions, which represent the Fire traits of strength, endurance, and drive. He reminds us that the use to which we put these attributes is essential to the success of our professional and personal lives.