Alright, let’s talk about the 6 of Wands. Lots of folks get all excited when this card shows up, and I get it. I used to be the same. You see that fella on the horse, all victorious with his wreath, crowd cheering. Looks like you’ve made it, right?
I’ve been fiddling with these cards for more years than I care to count. Pulled them for myself, for friends, even for a skeptical cat once (don’t ask). And the 6 of Wands, well, it’s had its moments in my own life, that’s for sure. I remember this one period, I was busting my gut on a community project. We were trying to get a little local garden off the ground. Months of work, chasing funding, getting volunteers, all that jazz.
Then, one evening, feeling pretty beat, I did a quick pull. And there it was. The 6 of Wands. My first thought? “Ha! We’re gonna get that grant!” And sure enough, a week later, the letter came. We got the funding. There was a little piece in the local paper, people saying nice things. That was my parade, my little moment of public pat-on-the-back.
But here’s the kicker…
That victory lap? It’s short. Real short. The cheers die down. The newspaper gets recycled. And then what? Well, then the real work started. Suddenly, everyone’s looking at you. You’re the “winner,” the one who made it happen. So, the expectations? They shoot right up.
I found out that the 6 of Wands, for me at least, wasn’t just about the party. It was about what came after the party. It was about:
- Living up to the hype, even when you’re tired.
- Realizing that one victory doesn’t mean you can just coast.
- Dealing with the folks who suddenly wanted a piece of the success, or those who were maybe a bit jealous.
It taught me that this card isn’t just a finish line. It’s more like a checkpoint. You get your applause, you take your bow, fine. But you better be ready to get back on that horse and keep riding, because the journey isn’t over. Not by a long shot. That public recognition is nice, sure, but it comes with its own set of burdens.
So, when I see the 6 of Wands now, I still nod. It’s good. It means you’ve achieved something, you’ve been seen. But I also give a little mental reminder: “Okay, enjoy this. Then get ready for the next thing.” Because that victory, that moment in the sun, it’s just fuel. It’s not the destination. Took me a while, and a few tumbles after those “victories,” to really get that into my thick skull. But that’s the practice, isn’t it? Living it, learning it. Not just reading it out of a book.