Four of Wands: What does this tarot card mean anyway?

This card has a split focus, and it shows us three layers of activity. In the first layer we see that we are looking at a stage. The only thing real are the four sticks and the garland that is tied between the outer two of those. 

While the outer two sticks create a frame, the inner two create a narrow gateway that allow one or two people to pass through at a time. This makes this a checkpoint or a border crossing, but this works on a metaphysical scale just as it would on the physical plane.

This could just as easily represent the gateway between the human world of awareness and the faerie realm. The four sticks are the tangible part of reality in this card, and we can see that by the horizontal lines that mark the intersection of the stage and the painted curtain that serves as a backdrop for the play.

In truth, the entire scene is an illusion. This is both a warning and a goal. The girls welcoming us in and the people dancing in the background — even the bridge — these are all illusory.  These are goals to aspired to, but they also can show how people of wealth and taste lose their way once they have money and they turn their attentions and interests to self-pleasure instead of making their world a better place.

This is the intermediate layer, but in the background we have the looming castle that serves as a representation for the nature of this walled garden. Unlike the Ace of Coins, which is a highly personal view of the walled garden, this image shows us the estate or state of affairs for what it is. This is an empire or a civilization. This could be a family or a company, a government, or a region. 

This card, taken as a whole, shows us a walled garden at peace and also prosperous. While we are being beckoned to enter, we must leave our baggage behind if we are to pass through the gates, as there is only so much room. Also, we must find a way through the veil that separates our tangible existence from the permanent lands of happiness. And the answers to this are hidden in the courses we teach at The Academy of Divination.

Tarot card Keywords for study: parties, welcoming, house warming, celebrations, weddings, square, fixed energy, fortress, family, friends, activity, enthusiasm, generosity magnanimity, brand, branding, market dominance, reliability, inclusion, sunshine.