Wands (tarot)

(Revision as of 19:45, 28 Mar 2005)

Part of the Thoth Tarot series.

Wands are one of the suits in the Thoth Tarot deck.

The four suits of the Tarot are: Wands, Cups, Swords, Disks

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes are from Aleister Crowley's The Book of Thoth.

Table of contents

1 The Court Cards

The Court Cards

Title: The Root of the Powers of Fire
Tree of Life: Kether
Description: A phallic, flaming torch made of ten "yods" in the formation of the Tree of Life, with lightning shooting out in all directions.
Interpretation: "This card represents the essence of the element of fire in its inception...It is the primordial Energy of the Divine manifesting in Matter, at so early a stage that it is not yet definitely formulated as Will" (188). "It symbolizes Force—strength, rush, vigour, energy, and it governs, according to its nature, various works and questions... It implies Natural, as opposed to Invoked, Force." (LXXVIII)

Title: Dominion (The Lord of Dominion)
Astrology: Mars in Aries
Tree of Life: Chokmah
Description: "The pictorial representation is two Dorjes crossed. The Dorje is the Tibetan symbol of the thunderbolt, the emblem of celestial Power, but more in its destructive than its creative form... Six flames issue from the centre. This indicates the influence of the Sun, who is exalted in Aries." (189).
Interpretation: "This card, pertaining to Chokmah in the suit of Fire, represents the Will in its most exalted form. It is an ideal Will, independent of any given object...This is the creative Will." (189). It "represents the energy of fire; fire in its best and highest form" (177). "Strength, domination, harmony of rule and of justice. Boldness, courage, fierceness, shamelessness, revenge, resolution, generous, proud, sensitive, ambitious, refined, restless, turbulent, sagacious withal, yet unforgiving and obstinate...Influence over others, authority, power, dominion" (LXXVIII).

Title: Virtue (The Lord of Established Strength)
Astrology: Sol in Aries
Tree of Life: Binah
Description: Three yellow rods crownd with white lotus flowers. Behind them is a field of flames and a ten-rayed white starburst.
Interpretation: "This card refers to Binah in the suit of Fire, and so represents the establishment of primeval Energy. The Will has been transmitted to the Mother, who conceives, prepares, and gives birth to, its manifestation... The meaning is harmonious, for this is the beginning of Spring. For this reason one sees the wand taking the form of the Lotus in blossom. The Sun has enkindled the Great Mother." From LXXVIII: "Established force, strength, realization of hope. Completion of labour. Success after struggle. Pride, nobility, wealth, power, conceit. Rude self-assumption and insolence. Generosity, obstinacy, etc."

Title: Completion (The Lord of Perfected Work)
Astrology: Venus in Aries
Tree of Life: Chesed
Description: Four red wands crossing in the middle, with flames erupting out of their junction, and the ends headed by a Ram (representing Aries) on one end and a Dove (representing Venus) on the other, which fall on the rim of a yellow circle.
Interpretation: "Being below the Abyss, it is the Lord of all manifested active Power. The original Will of the Two has been transmitted through the Three, and is now built up into a solid system: —Order, Law, Government...one cannot establish one's work without tact and gentleness...In the symbol, the ends of the wands touch a circle, showing the completion and limitation of the original work...there is no intention to increase the scope of the original Will. But this limitation bears in itself the seeds of disorder." From LXXVIII: "Perfection or completion of a thing built up with trouble and labour. Rest after labour, subtlety, cleverness, beauty, mirth, success in completion. Reasoning faculty, conclusions drawn from previous knowledge. Unreadiness, unreliable and unsteady through over-anxiety and hurriedness of action. Graceful in manner, at times insincere, etc.."

Title: Strife (The Lord of Material Trouble)
Astrology: Saturn in Leo
Tree of Life: Geburah
Description: Three wands cross: in the fore is the Wand of the Adept, with two wands of the "Second, or Major Adept", headed by a phoenix, and a pare of wands of the "Third, or Minor, Adept," tiped by the lotus. Ten flames shoot forth from their junction.
Interpretation: "...a purely active force. It is ruled also by Saturn and Leo. Leo shows the element of Fire at its strongest and most balanced. Saturn tends to weigh it down and to embitter it. There is no limit to the scope of this volcanic energy...authority is derived from the superiors; were it not so, this card would be thoroughly disastrous...idea of destruction (or rather purgation) through fire, and the resurrection of the energy from its ashes....One of the most difficult doctrines with regard to Geburah is that, while it represents all this tameless irrational energy and disturbance, yet it derives from the benign and gentle influence of the feminine." From LXXVIII "Loss of money or position. Trouble about material things. Labour, toil, land cultivation; building, knowledge and acuteness of earthly things, poverty, carefulness, kindness; sometimes money regained after severe toil and labour. Unimaginative, harsh, stern, determined, obstinate."

	Tarot \| Thoth Tarot \| Tarot & the Tree of Life
Major Arcana: The Fool - The Magus - The Priestess - The Empress - The Emperor - The Hierophant - The Lovers - The Chariot - Adjustment - The Hermit - Fortune - Lust - The Hanged Man - Death - Art - The Devil - The Tower - The Star - The Moon - The Sun - The Aeon - The Universe Minor Arcana: Wands \| Cups \| Swords \| Disks