Maeve Brennan and the Three of Wands
Irish writer and journalist, Maeve Brennan, lived a life that can be intriguingly mapped onto the symbolism of the Three of Wands Tarot card. This card often represents foresight, exploration, and the anticipation of new horizons. Through her literary work and her turbulent personal journey, Maeve embodied these themes in ways that were both inspiring and cautionary, offering a profound meditation on the intersections of creativity, exile, and longing.
Born in Dublin in 1917, Maeve’s father, Robert, played a significant role in Ireland’s fight for independence, later serving as the Irish Free State’s ambassador to the United States. This diplomatic appointment brought the Brennan family to Washington, D.C. in 1934. The young Maeve’s uprooting from her homeland became a defining theme in her life and work, mirroring the Three of Wands’ imagery of a figure gazing out over a vast sea, contemplating both what has been left behind and what lies ahead.
Maeve later moved to New York City, where she became a staff writer at The New Yorker in the 1940s. Her essays, short stories, and “Talk of the Town” columns showcased her sharp wit, keen observational skills, and deep understanding of human relationships. Her ability to navigate the bustling literary scene of mid-20th-century Manhattan demonstrated the Three of Wands’ themes of exploration and enterprise. Like the figure in the Three of Wands, who holds a wand firmly while looking outward, Maeve found a sense of purpose in her work even as she wrestled with feelings of displacement and alienation.
The Three of Wands also speaks to the anticipation of success and the realisation of creative potential. Maeve’s short stories, often set in both Dublin and New York, explore themes of exile, memory, and identity. Her collection “The Springs of Affection” is now considered a classic, revered for its piercing emotional insight and elegant prose. These stories often depict characters caught between worlds, much like Maeve herself, who was perpetually navigating the dualities of Irish and American culture, past and present, belonging and estrangement.
The Three of Wands also carries an undercurrent of isolation—a reminder that the pursuit of distant horizons can come at a cost. Maeve’s personal life was marked by profound loneliness and instability. She struggled with mental health issues and alcoholism, and her later years were spent in decline, living in a state of near homelessness and largely forgotten by the literary world she had once illuminated. This darker aspect of her life aligns with the card’s cautionary side: the figure’s expansive vision and ambition can sometimes lead to detachment from the grounding connections of home and community.
One of Maeve’s most evocative pieces of writing, “The Long-Winded Lady,” a collection of her New Yorker columns, offers a lens through which to view her life in relation to the Three of Wands. In these essays, she captures fleeting moments of urban life, often from the perspective of an outsider. Her ability to find beauty in the mundane echoes the card’s invitation to expand one’s perspective and appreciate the interconnectedness of the journey.
The Three of Wands’ emphasis on looking outward while remaining grounded in our own creativity is a fitting metaphor for Maeve’s literary legacy. Her work bridges the gap between two worlds, capturing the essence of both with remarkable clarity. Yet, like the figure on the card who stands on a precipice, there is an air of solitude and longing that permeates her life story. Maeve’s Dublin stories, in particular, reflect a deep nostalgia for the Ireland of her youth, a country she left but never truly abandoned in her heart.
Maeve’s life can be read as a narrative of seeking and striving, much like the Three of Wands’ message of exploration and expansion. Her journey through the literary world and her deeply personal struggles illustrate the complexities of navigating new horizons while carrying the weight of one’s origins. The card’s dual symbolism of promise and peril resonates deeply with Maeve’s experience, reminding us that the pursuit of creative and personal fulfillment often involves embracing both the light and shadow of the path
The Three of Wands
The Three of Wands captures a moment of poised potential, a figure standing on a precipice, gazing out over a vast expanse of sea and land. It is a card of enterprise, urging us to consider new opportunities and expand their vision. The Three of Wands card symbolises a foundation from which to reach outward while remaining rooted. It speaks to times when we stand on the brink of transformation, contemplating both the promise of success and the risks of venturing into the unknown. It suggests the importance of preparation, foresight, and the courage to embrace growth while maintaining a connection to our origins.
Maeve’s legacy, like the Three of Wands, encourages us to look outward with courage and inward with honesty. Her stories remain a testament to the power of perspective, the enduring struggle for belonging, and the bittersweet beauty of a life lived in pursuit of distant shores.
Sources
Bourke, Angela. “Maeve Brennan: homesick at the New Yorker”, Counterpoint, 2016.
Brennan, Maeve. “The Springs of Affection: Stories of Dublin.” Counterpoint, 2009.