Do Ace of Wands and Eight of Wands Have Sexual Meaning?

I sincerely hope this post does not offend anyone or break any of the forum rules. The forum rules do state no posting of anything sexual, so I'm concerned. The fact is, I was both offended and confused by the terms used by a tarot card reader/ astrologist/ psychic I visited and I'm hoping those on this forum with more experience than I can answer my question.

I did not do these readings myself, they were done for me.

The very first reading she did for me, using an unusual large spread which I've described in another thread, the last four cards she pulled were his significator, my significator, The Lovers, and finally The Ace of Wands, which she placed across the bottom of the single file row of the other three cards.

The reader began giggling like a junior high school student in biology class, seeing her first photo of the naked human male anatomy, then exclaimed, "Oooh! You got lucky!" Then began chanting, "You got the stiffy card! You got the stiffy card!" meaning Ace of Wands. She said drawing these cards in that order meant not only are the object of my affection and I finally going to get together, but we "will be having a lot of sex", still giggling.

Then during my sixth (and probably final) visit, after doing the same strange large spread, she said the cards were saying I should take a break from pursuing this relationship (after telling me not to give up, it will happen this year), and the final card she drew was Eight of Wands. Once again, she giggled, smiled slyly as she held the card up and implied the card meant I would be having a lot of sexual activity with several men. Now she called Eight of Wands "the stiffy card".

I was offended. First, my interest in the other person is not purely sexual. After wasting a lot of my younger years pursuing relationships out of lust, my interest in this relationship is firstly about friendship and companionship, love and support. I care very much about their spiritual and emotional well-being than any physical pleasures. They have had a very rough and abusive life. Sex will happen when it happens. I don't know if she was saying this, thinking she was being "cute" or what her motivations were. I also found it very immature behavior for a woman in her late sixties/ early seventies. Even her readings of our astrology charts were sexually charged and embarrassing.

I did some research online and have come up with my own interpretations, which are still very positive, but have nothing to do with sex.

Ace of Wands- New beginnings. The future looks very promising indeed, but no guarantees.

Eight of Wands- Fast changes coming soon, changes you will be glad of. The Universe is working with you to realize your goals.

So the message was positive for the relationship (I think), just not the crude way she meant it.

Anyone else ever hear of Ace of Wands and Eight of Wands being sexualized this way? The only other reference I could find for both cards was sometimes they can mean impotency when reversed and return of potency when upright.

Again, I hope I haven't offended anyone or broken any rules! Thanks in advance!

Moderator Note

Hi Birdsman72,

Please edit your post to remove mention of the other cards since you want to focus on the two cards in the thread title. If you wish to discuss each of the cards within the context of other cards received in the same reading, you will need to create two threads, one for each partial reading. You may only discuss cards from a single reading in one thread in UTC. You may discuss repeating cards across multiple readings though.

Other posters, please only focus on the two cards in the title.

rwcarter, co-Moderator of Using Tarot Cards

I can easily see how she came to her interpretation of the Ace of Wands. It can be a phallic symbol and a very sexual card, like the Tower as well.

I'm not so sure about her interpretation of the Eight of Wands though. I know that there are people who interpret this card along the lines of "a lot of" and so on, but I usually see it as things happening fast.

Of course, this can have a sexual meaning as well. But I would not necessarily limit it to having sex with a lot of different partners. It can also refer to a single partner when there's some serious sexual tension in the air.

I can even see this meaning quite the opposite of her advice: speed things up with this guy! But this would also depend on the other cards in the reading.

Oh and finally: I don't shy away from sexual interpretations but she should have shown a little more decorum.

Hi Birdsman
Wands in general can be very sexual energies. I often see wands when it comes to sex and i've seen it with the ace and 8 of wands. As Farzon said the ace can be seen as a phallic symbol, I can definitelly see this card as a sexual act, and I've had it for myself. For the 8 I see it more like a burst of desire for someone, not really having sex with multiple partners. In a more romantic way, I've also had it for falling in love at first sight (with the tower). It's very sudden and full of passions. Of course in this case there is often a sexual attraction too.
Not knowing the situation nor the spread i think the sexual interpretation of those cards (except maybe the multiple partners wich seems to not fit who'you are) is valid, but it's the reader's behaviour that bothers me. She should have noticed your embarrassment. All people can't talk about sex openly, it's a delicate topic.

However as you've noticed with your research it's not the only meaning of the cards. What i found similar with these 2 cards is the notion of action. There is a lot of energies and movement and I agree with Farzon that it can be the right time to do something about this relationship. 8 of wands is also a contact card. Not so long ago I asked for an advice about contacting someone and this card came up telling me to contact her now. I did it and it appears that she had planning to move to another city in the following weeks. So it was indeed about taking a fast action and contacting her before it was too late. I'm not saying your reading is the same, i don't know the situation, but these 2 cards could advice you to act on this relationship, to not wait for things to come if that's what's your doing.

It can mean sexual energy depending on the question, spread and surrounding cards. These two on their own I would see more as the start of a relationship when there's still a lot of fantasising and the person is constantly on your mind. The 8 would indicate to me that things will move forward swiftly, the feelings of love and relationship potential are strong. Yes, it can indicate moving forward fast sexually, but I see it more as the initial falling in love part. If you are the one having to make the first move to let the person know of your interest, then his response is likely to be positive (once again depending on the rest of the spread).

I am sorry your reader was immature and insensitive in the way she went about your reading.

Hi Birdsman72! I suppose in the context of a reading about a new or potential romantic relationship, the Ace of Wands could be considered as a phallic symbol indicating a sexual encounter. I haven't personally had it indicate that in a reading (yet!). I tend to think of it as a start-up energy, a good time to move things forward - in the context of a potential relationship, a good time to take that first step of asking the person out on a real "date".

The 8 of Wands ... yeah, I very seriously doubt that I'd ever interpret it as having meaningless sex with multiple partners (unless maybe I was doing a reading for someone in the appropriate film industry). Rather, I would have to cast my vote with the "quick action" interpretation. Especially with it being in the same reading as the Ace.

About the only card that I can think of that usually refers to sex on a fairly routine basis is the Prince of Cups in the Röhrig Tarot. But the image on it pretty much focuses on that.

However, as has been mentioned, I can't imagine a serious psychic acting like this over a sexual matter. Especially the very first time they read for you. I have had such things appear in readings for people ... I don't shy away from it, but I treat the topic, and especially the client, with the respect it deserves. But perhaps she was taking the "for entertainment purposes only" caveat too lightly?

Yes, Ace of Wands and 8 of Wands can be pretty much about sex, depending on the context.

Maybe the reader could display a bit of tact with you, but there are no taboos attached to the cards or to their meanings.

Tarot cards show every aspect of life, and every one of them can also refer to sexuality. (When you decide to do a reading on the subject in particular, actually the whole deck has ascribed meanings.)

Some other cards which may have sexual connotations are:

The Devil, Tower, Death (intense passion), Hanged Man (submission), Emperor (domination) , 3 of cups (love triangles or threesomes), 7 of cups (fantasies), Ace of Swords ... so on and on.

In short there is nothing to be offended about the subject of sex and how it shows in the cards. The reader's manners here is altogether a different issue. It is also wrong to label any card -in a way- as referring solely to sexuality.

Farzon said:

I can easily see how she came to her interpretation of the Ace of Wands. It can be a phallic symbol and a very sexual card, like the Tower as well.

I'm not so sure about her interpretation of the Eight of Wands though. I know that there are people who interpret this card along the lines of "a lot of" and so on, but I usually see it as things happening fast.

Of course, this can have a sexual meaning as well. But I would not necessarily limit it to having sex with a lot of different partners. It can also refer to a single partner when there's some serious sexual tension in the air.

I can even see this meaning quite the opposite of her advice: speed things up with this guy! But this would also depend on the other cards in the reading.

Oh and finally: I don't shy away from sexual interpretations but she should have shown a little more decorum.

Click to expand...

Thank you Farzon!

Everything you said makes so much sense. I only worry the time to speed things up may have already passed!

I much prefer your interpretation of Eight of Wands!

I have no problems talking about sex, but yes, some maturity and decorum would have been very nice!

Moderator Note

Birdsman72,

You must interpret any cards you list, even if they are from a reading done for you by someone else.

Have you heard of the term "scope creep"? That's when things keep going beyond agreed upon parameters. The "scope" of this thread is the AW and 8W. Every time you try to introduce other cards, you're engaging in scope creep. And if you continue, this thread will be closed. So please go back through your posts and remove all mention of cards other than the AW and 8W.

rwcarter, co-Moderator of Using Tarot Cards

Esk said:

Hi Birdsman
Wands in general can be very sexual energies. I often see wands when it comes to sex and i've seen it with the ace and 8 of wands. As Farzon said the ace can be seen as a phallic symbol, I can definitelly see this card as a sexual act, and I've had it for myself. For the 8 I see it more like a burst of desire for someone, not really having sex with multiple partners. In a more romantic way, I've also had it for falling in love at first sight (with the tower). It's very sudden and full of passions. Of course in this case there is often a sexual attraction too.
Not knowing the situation nor the spread i think the sexual interpretation of those cards (except maybe the multiple partners wich seems to not fit who'you are) is valid, but it's the reader's behaviour that bothers me. She should have noticed your embarrassment. All people can't talk about sex openly, it's a delicate topic.

However as you've noticed with your research it's not the only meaning of the cards. What i found similar with these 2 cards is the notion of action. There is a lot of energies and movement and I agree with Farzon that it can be the right time to do something about this relationship. 8 of wands is also a contact card. Not so long ago I asked for an advice about contacting someone and this card came up telling me to contact her now. I did it and it appears that she had planning to move to another city in the following weeks. So it was indeed about taking a fast action and contacting her before it was too late. I'm not saying your reading is the same, i don't know the situation, but these 2 cards could advice you to act on this relationship, to not wait for things to come if that's what's your doing.

Click to expand...

Thank you Esk!

The troubling thing is, that's exactly what I've been doing: waiting for things to come, mainly because of the advice of the reader I mentioned. I'm now concerned the time to act may have passed. In the very same spread which she declared Eight of Wands "the stiffy card", the only other card she focused on led her to say I should wait on this relationship. I now wish she had seen it as a contact card as well instead of being so obsessed with sex. Her behavior made the whole thing sound cheap and my feelings about sex have always been there should be genuine love and romance with it. A good example of why her readings can be confusing and frustrating instead of helpful and enlightening.