
Minor Arcana, Wands
Knight of Wands
departure, relocation, energy, haste
Upright
A rider in armor holds a rearing horse in bare, hot country, the tunic marked with salamanders. Waite's words are all about leaving: departure, absence, flight, emigration and change of home.
A question about moving city, changing employer or going abroad finds its mood here. The energy is strong and the horse is hard to steer, so check costs, visas and who stays behind. Then set a leaving date you can actually meet.
Reversed
Upside down, the departure turns messy. Waite gives rupture, division, interruption and discord, as though someone left in the middle of a sentence.
A rash exit from a job or relationship can cut ties you meant to keep. If a break is needed, make it cleanly and explain it once. If plans were interrupted, find out what can be picked up again.
A card is a prompt for reflection. It cannot promise a result, and it is no substitute for medical, legal or financial advice.
In Waite's words
Upright: Departure, absence, flight, emigration. A dark young man, friendly. Change of residence.
Reversed: Rupture, division, interruption, discord.
From A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910), Part 3, on Wikisource. The meanings above are by Cast & Chart.
Card art by Pamela Colman Smith, 1909, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.