You know, for a long time, pulling the Three of Wands always felt a bit… anticlimactic. Like, seriously? After the spark of the Ace and the balancing act of the Two, where I was just standing there, gazing out, weighing options, the Three felt like more of the same, but with an extra stick. Just a dude on a hill, still looking out at ships. I used to think, “Great, more waiting. That’s just what I need.”
My First Brush with the Three of Wands
I remember one specific stretch, maybe five or six years back, when I was completely restless. I’d been at my job for a good few years, felt like I’d hit a ceiling, and honestly, was just generally feeling trapped. I was doing my morning card pulls then, just a simple three-card spread to set the day’s vibe, and that Three of Wands just kept popping up. Not every day, but often enough that it bugged me. I’d shuffle, cut, lay them out, and there it was, this guy just chillin’ on a cliff. I’d stare at it, then at my coffee, then out my window at nothing much happening, and think, “What the heck am I supposed to do with this?”
My initial read was always, “Okay, prepare for a journey. Or someone’s coming to visit. Or something is coming to you.” Which, let’s be real, didn’t exactly inspire a whole lot of immediate action. It felt passive. And I was anything but passive at that point. I wanted to do something. I wanted a concrete answer, a giant arrow pointing to my next move, not some vague “things are on their way.”
That Time It Just Kept Staring At Me
It was right around the time I was thinking about starting this blog, actually. I had this idea brewing, a real itch to share my experiences, but it felt like a massive undertaking. Like I needed to build a whole fleet of ships before I could even send the first one out. I had tons of notes, half-baked ideas, a bunch of domain names I’d impulsively bought and then let expire. Total Wands energy – lots of starting, little follow-through beyond the initial spark. The Two of Wands had been about picking a direction, standing there with the world in my hand. But the Three? It felt like I was still standing there, just… taller. Or with more ships in the distance that weren’t mine yet.
The Big Picture, Or So I Thought
My understanding back then was pretty basic. I saw the ships, I saw the ocean, and I thought, “Expansion. Growth. Good things coming.” And yeah, that’s part of it. But I missed the active part of it. I was so focused on the outcome, on the “ships coming in,” that I forgot about the “sending them out” or “watching them sail” part. It’s not just about what comes to you; it’s about what you’ve already initiated, what you’ve set in motion, and now you’re watching its progress.
I remember talking to a friend about it, complaining that tarot was just telling me to wait, and she just chuckled. She said, “Are you waiting, or are you actively observing the horizon for what you’ve already launched?” And that just stuck with me. Like a tiny little burr under my saddle, it started to itch at my brain.
Learning to Lean into the Vision
That shifted everything for me. I started to see the Three of Wands not as a card of passive waiting, but as a card of active foresight and patient observation. It was about standing firm in my vision after I’d already done the groundwork. For the blog, that meant:
- Solidifying the initial concept: What was I really trying to say? Who was I talking to?
- Mapping out content ideas: Not just one post, but a whole series, like planning the cargo for those ships.
- Setting up the foundation: Getting the website actually built, even if it was just a few initial pages.
- Trusting the process: Believing that the effort I was putting in now would eventually yield results, even if those results were far off on the horizon.
I stopped seeing it as “waiting for something to happen to me” and started seeing it as “watching the seeds I planted finally grow, even if they’re still tiny.” It’s about having faith in your initial ventures and maintaining a watchful, strategic eye on their development. I realized I was that guy on the hill, but I wasn’t just waiting for random ships; I was watching my ships, or the ships I’d sent messages to, make their way.
When My Ships Finally Came In (Or Started Their Journey)
It didn’t happen overnight, obviously. Building a blog, getting readers, figuring out my voice – it took time. A lot of time. But every time that Three of Wands would show up, I’d remember that feeling of launching something and then patiently, strategically, watching its progress. It became a reminder to keep going, to keep that vision clear, and to trust that the efforts would eventually circle back. The “ships” for the blog weren’t literal vessels of goods, but readership, engagement, opportunities to connect. And they slowly, steadily, started to appear. Each comment, each share, each new subscriber felt like a little flag appearing on the horizon.
What It Means to Me Now, Seriously
Now, when the Three of Wands shows up, I don’t dread it. I actually welcome it. It’s a powerful reminder to take a moment, step back, and survey the landscape of what I’ve set in motion. It tells me to trust the foundation I’ve built, to have faith in my ongoing projects, and to keep an eye on the bigger picture. It’s about celebrating the initial success, yes, but then immediately looking ahead, planning for the next phase, and understanding that real growth requires both initial courage and sustained, watchful patience. It’s not about being idle; it’s about being strategically aware, making sure your future endeavors are aligned with your current trajectory. It’s about knowing your ships are out there, and they’re bringing back something good.
