Knight of Wands

Weekly Card Knight of Wands

October 9, 2014
141009 Knight of Wands Renaissance
Renaissance Tarot

 

Whoa, Nellie!!

Knight of Wands is the most adventurous and forceful of the Court Cards: the most active card in the most aggressive suit. He may signify someone crossing your path or he may be rushing you to encounter that aspect of yourself.

141009 Knight of Wands RWS
Rider Waite Smith Tarot

Brian Williams’ Renaissance Tarot representation is much more subtle than the Rider Waite Smith image, but we can still find the indicators for the Knight who’ll take us quickly in the direction of our ambitions.

For starters we’ve got a few of the different names for Wands: Staves and the Italian Bastoni, which translates as Batons. Sometimes we’ve got slender staves or wands, other times heavy batons or clubs. All the same suit, under different family names. This one’s got the crown of spirit on it’s slender stalk.

Going basic, we’ve got a man on a horse. That immediately ups the speed and distance available to the Knight. His armour is light, a compromise necessary for speed. Perhaps he’s arrogant about defenses, perhaps he’s ignorant, perhaps he’s just a very good fighter. And perhaps he’s just able to out distance or out maneuver his adversaries.

He keeps a loose hand on the rein, an indication that he’s got a trusting relationship with his steed, letting his spirit take the lead. The wings on his helmet refer to the swiftly moving air element that’s associated with all the Knights. Knight of Wands’ flight is motivated by passion.

The red cloth of his dress is the colour of fire, with a yellow amulet, the colour of air. Emotional blue contains his passionate red. Although blue is most often associated with water, we all recognize it as the colour of clear skies . . . clear sailing.

Up in the corner, we’ve got an angel with a scroll – the Torah, the law. That’s one of two references to Hermes, the winged messenger. The other is the winged helmet. In the other corner we’ve got 2 men, indicating masculine energies (NOT male: you already know we’ve all got a masculine and feminine side); another descriptor of the activity level, the dynamic nature of the Knight of Wands.

The countryside through which he rides is fertile and green, growing. The water behind him – again a symbol of the subconscious and of emotions – is calm. The city is in the distance with mountains even further behind.   Is our Knight passing by, or has he come from those distant places? It’s hard to imagine the city containing him but his fiery spirit could easily conquer the rugged mountaintops.

So, this week, identify the people in your life who are moved by their passions. And find the ways you yourself embody the Knight of Wands.

Fire away!

 

If you’re looking to learn more about Tarot, I’ll be teaching level 1, Tarot . . . It’s Easier Than You Think, on Wednesday, 5th November, and level 2, Tarot 2 . . . We’re Not in Kansas Anymore, on Friday, 12th December, through the Berkeley County Adult Ed program.  Call 304-267-3585 for more information and to register.

And you know where to find me for phone, email, or in-person tarot counseling.

 

Weekly Card Equinox Spread

March 8, 2014
140320 Equinox Spread
Winged Spirit Tarot

It’s one of the two times of the year when light and dark are in balance, so let’s look at a spread for the Equinox.

You’ve already seen that you can get a lot just from a single card.  And you’ve been exploring combining cards, as well, so you’ve already got most of the tools you need for this spread.

We’re adding the idea of “position”.  There are three of them in this spread: one for the dark, one for the light, and one for what brings them into balance in your life.

 So, what’s the dark?  It’s any of the stuff you don’t see going on.  It could be behind the scenes in your life.  It could be the stuff in your subconscious.  It could be things you don’t know about (yet).  We’ll put that card on the left.

And the light?  That’s the opposite stuff . . .  what you know about, what you’re conscious of.  That card’s on the right in the spread.

The centre card is your action or attitude card, the thing you can do or be to bring balance into your life.

We’ve got 3 cards that we haven’t encountered yet, so we’re going to go to the cheat sheet for help.

5 of Wands is adjustment and challenge to your values, lifestyle or goals.  8 of Pentacles is organization and evaluation of your material world, health and finances.  Knight of Wands is adventurous, forceful energy applied to your values, lifestyle or goals.

Now we plug the meanings in to their positions.  Being in the dark about 5 of Wands could mean you’ve got some inner conflicts.   You’d like to be more energy efficient, but you’d rather put your limited means toward some much-needed entertainment than spend the money to upgrade your old refrigerator.  It could also mean that there are some obstacles to your goals that you don’t know about.  You could find that the hall you were counting on for your benefit for the Homeless Shelter has been rented out for the High School Prom.

The stuff you already know about, the 8 of Pentacles, is about working hard at your true calling.  You’ve been clearing your way by making sure that everything is working in the long term.  You’ve been getting enough sleep to take care of your health.  You’re in a job that uses your abilities and rewards you for what you do.  You’ve been keeping an eye on the roof to make sure you don’t need to budget a replacement unexpectedly.

You can already see that your Dark and Light positions can help you to focus your energies and make useful choices.  The central Balance card gives you an even more pointed focus for your time and energy.  Knight of Wands goes after what he believes in with great enthusiasm.  He’s never afraid to adventure into a new pathway if it will align with his values and lead to his goals.  He can lead you to new solutions to the “conservation or recreation” dilemma, and to the best investment to cover the eventual roof replacement.   His enthusiastic energy is the one you want to draw on as you go looking for another venue for your benefit or as you apply yourself to your rewarding job position.

We’ve got lots of energy in this spread around our values, lifestyle and goals applied to the practicalities of our lives, our material world, health, and finances.  Knight of Wands is letting us know that we want the work we do in the world to be in alignment with those values and goals, finding ways to resolve or bypass the conflicts and obstacles.

Enjoy the adventure that will bring your values and your daily life into balance!

 

 

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