Creating a Vision Board with Queen of Wands

In which I picture the future I am creating for myself

This majestic Queen of Wands is by Jessalyn Ragus, and it’s available as an art print.

Before we go any further, I want to make some things clear. I don’t believe that we create our own reality. I believe that our reality is shaped by a variety of intersecting factors, and these include not just our own personal actions and attitudes but also patriarchy, homophobia, classism, racism, and colonialism. Failure to manifest the life that you want when you’re working against systems of power designed to keep you from doing that is not your failure. It’s a collective failure. It’s a societal failure. I feel like I need to say this out loud because a lot of the conversation around vision boards that I’ve seen while writing this has strong Law of Attraction vibes, and I am just very much not into that shit.

Last month, I wrote about setting intentions. I focused on the practice of writing because I’m a writer, but it’s possible to do the same kind of work I described in a visual way. I’m talking about making a vision board, and Queen of Wands will be our guide for this process.

Wands are, as you may know, the suit of fire and inspiration, but also of manifestation. Wands don’t just have big ideas; they make those ideas happen. To me, Queen of Wands is very much of this world, but able to see beyond this world. When I first started reading Tarot professionally, I called my business Queen of Wands, and my logo was the image of a vǫlva—literally a “wand-carrier” in Old Norse—a seeress and a shaman. Now I see myself more as a teacher and… magical life coach? But Queen of Wands has just the right energy for this project. A vision board is, after all, a tool for focusing our energy on what we want to bring into being.

That bitch is vivacious, dynamic, and full of authenticity. She is pure feminine fire. She’s a strong independent woman who is not afraid to speak her mind, and a natural leader with influence.—Jenn Mann, People I Want to Punch in the Throat

I think the most helpful thing I can do right now is share the vision board I just created for myself. It reflects the areas of my life I intend to focus on this Spring.

My goals when I started planning this were to get outside, move more, start cleaning up my incredibly cluttered house, and make more money. As I worked, though, I discovered that I wanted to keep the language I use kind of broad. For instance, I would very much like to be earning more but, if I’m thinking long-term—if I’m trying to build something that’s going to last—I need to be doing work that is meaningful to me and building relationships with people who value what I do. And the phrase “grow community” describes a lot of what I’m trying to do as a political organizer and activist, as well. This is work that pays no money, but it’s also work that matters. I am trying to get hustle culture out of my head and focus on what lasts.

At the same time, when I was choosing images, I tried to get specific. See that sweet green bicycle? That’s my bike on the day I brought her home. It was the last bike my local bike shop had in stock, and I bought it on the Sunday before Michigan locked down because of Covid. Something about lockdown made me incredibly active and eager to get out of my house and get some exercise. Typically, I like to have a purpose—beyond simply moving—when I go for a walk or a bike ride. I’m going to see if I can get into cycling aimlessly again.

This collage is my desktop wallpaper now. It’s the last thing I see when I shut my laptop down for the night and the first thing I see when I open it up again in the morning. And! I cleared out hundreds of files that were just sitting on my desktop, and act which, all by itself, contributed to making the spaces I inhabit more peaceful.

Find your favorite version of Queen of Wands—or just summon the badass within you—and let’s get to work!