Tag Archives: wands

by

Daily Draw (Dark Angels Tarot) – 10/30/12

Four of Wands

This follows the “when will my ships come in?” card of the Three of Wands – or “will my ships come in at all,” which is how the whole East Coast has been feeling in the grip of Hurricane Sandy. The 4 of Wands is generally celebratory in most decks; here it feels more like a sigh of relief, “things didn’t go great but we got through and can rest and rebuild.” The four wands are topped with skulls, but behind them are living figures and an intact building. The disaster has come but it’s also gone.

My family all got through the storm okay, and my house and my brother’s house weren’t damaged. We actually don’t know about our parents’ house (1 block from the ocean, 8 miles south of hard-hit Atlantic City) although our parents and their cats rode out the storm inland. If the house was damaged or even lost, at least they’re okay! And from photos of the city, it looks like their street is largely still standing – flooded but still standing. We’re concerned but our worst fears don’t seem to be realized.

Time to settle down for a while, wait for the island to reopen, then find out the real story. In the meantime, at least the wind and rain are gone and we can celebrate our family’s safety and unity.

by

Daily Draw (Joie de Vivre Tarot), 10/21/12

Five of Wands

Description: A walking tree crosses wands with an androgynous human figure (my first impression was that it was male, but upon looking closer I really can’t tell). Amid the tree’s branches are three more wands in a pattern that is clearly missing two pieces – the wands the two figures spar with are actually FROM the tree, and it’s an open question how they came off. A bird with a flower in its beak perches on the tree; a small argumentative creature is leashed to the human figure.Interpretation: I am not planning to go out today, so I suspect this battle is between me and myself, not me and another person. (The human figure, in high-heeled boots, certainly has my fashion sense.) The tree represents nature, that which grows organically, with the bird (inspiration?) offering a gift that is being ignored due to the struggle. The human figure may represent how I’m perceived or how I perceive myself – in fancy clothes, with those sharp boots – dressed up and no place to go? The small creature leashed to the human looks like it wants to bite, unlike the close-mouthed, flower-offering bird on the tree. I think my energy/creativity, represented by the wands (which COME from the tree) is going to have to fight my self-consciousness, the part of me that nips at my own heels and uses my creativity against me. I’ve been feeling like I want to start a new creative project and I haven’t been able to make myself do it; so who’s going to win today, the tree or the human? Can I accept the bird’s beautiful gift or will the toothy creature bite me back again?

Follow-up: This turned out to be very apropos! I was revisted by inspiration for my Avian Tarot work-in-progress (the bird is especially symbolic this way), had to beat back my self-doubts about my drawing skills, which card to start with, where the heck my reference images had gone and what to do when I couldn’t find them…the heck with that, though, I picked a new card to work on, found new reference photos, and got to work. Thank goodness, the tree did win today.

by

Daily Draw (Dark Carnival Tarot), 10/17/12

Warrior of Gats (=Knight of Wands)

Description: A figure in black body armor and a black gas mask, with a huge bazooka slung at his hip, stands atop the roof of a burning building. Behind him, three additional buildings are going up in flames. He doesn’t look alarmed, though – whatever side this warrior is on, and whoever started the fire, he’s calm, collected, ready to do what he needs to do. In my head I hear the songs “I don’t want to set the world on fire” and “We didn’t start the fire” – but I’m not sure that’s what is in the warrior’s head! He’s the raw power of pure energy, he burns his candle at both ends, and the middle too. But if he’s not careful he’ll be consumed by the flames he thinks he’s mastered…

Interpretation: WOW. High-energy day for me, I suspect. One where I’ll be called on to wear all my different hats, be the jack of all trades, and try to put out a lot of fires (which may or may not be set by others…). The card promises a very busy and active and challenging day, but it also promises that I HAVE the energy; that I can get everything done, if I just stay focused. To cross a burning roof, you can’t run at top speed – you need to step deliberately, see where the weaknesses are, put your foot someplace solid. I need to be structured and control the energy, not controlled by it or overwhelmed.