Tarot Thrones | The Court Card Blog

Tag: King of Wands

  • The Grand Vision | The King of Wands

    The King of Wands is a very special card, forming the bridge between the Majors and the Minors.  People with a lot of this energy burn very brightly and are very much ‘The Big Picture’ kind of people: A Master of the Grand Vision.  She can see clearly how it will all look, but maybe be a little fuzzy on the details of how to get there.

    What’s your Grand Vision? Do you know how to get there?

    What do you want for yourself in life?  
    To raise happy children into confident adults?
    To have your novel published? 
    To sell your paintings? 
    To pass on your knowledge to others?
    Animal rescue?
    To learn how to tango? No? Just me with that one?! 
    I dare you to tell me.  Go on, write it in the comments.  Even if it’s the maddest idea you’ve ever committed to key strokes – just hit the keys and press ‘send’. 
    Exercise: Move towards your Grand Vision!
    Write down your Grand Vision in all its glory!
    Pick a card deliberately, based on how you want to feel when you are aligned with your Grand Vision.
    Draw 3 cards that will represent 3 steps that you can take to get there.
    Now, start doing them 😀  Simples!
    -o0o-
    Me? I’m a hugely frustrated person.  I don’t have a Grand Vision as such, but there is an overwhelming feeling that there really is SOMETHING that I should be doing.  
    The number of times I’ve prayed and sought enlightenment about The Thing that I should be doing! I’ve beseeched for divine intervention or a bolt of understanding to come from the blue….and the number of times I’ve been terrified that the answer might come back: ‘Clean toilets for a living’. ….
    Because you don’t just want to find a way to pay the bills do you, you want it to be personally fulfilling, right? 
    You might have elebenty billion skills – writer, photographer, singer, artist and, yes, toilet cleaner nonpareil – and still have no idea what your Grand Vision might be.

    Exercise:  How to Find The Grand Vision!
    What do you do that makes you happy?  List every blessed thing, no matter how paltry.  Remember, someone made a fortune from the idea of a pool noodle.
    Here are some of mine: 
    I like helping other people shine.
    I love walking my dog.
    I love writing.
    I love making pottery stuff.
    I love food.
    I love drawing.
    Now take your deck and shuffle it well.  For every item in your list, you are going to draw a card asking the question ‘how can this be of service to others?’. 
    I like helping other people shine – 10 Wands – How can this be of service to others? I can use my skills to help remove some of the burdens that people might have in that department.
    I love walking my dog – 10 Pentacles – How can this be of service? I can help busy families or maybe elderly people, with their dogs.  
    I love writing – 8 Swords – How can this be of service? I can use my writing skills to help people overcome their self-imposed limitations.
    I love making pottery stuff – 7 How can this be of service? VII The Chariot – To drive this forward, there are a couple of things that I will need to harness – skill and resources, I think.

    The more things that you have on your list the more combinations you can make.  Some will be incredibly mad, but you know what? Some composite idea may just pop up and smack you in the kisser as something marvellous to aim for and become your Grand Vision.
    Now look at the things on your list and try some mad combinations – I love writing and I love food – could I write about food?

    I love walking my dog and making pottery stuff – could I make pottery dogs? Could I draw dogs? Heck – could I draw food? Photograph food? hmmm – stock photos? Why not look into it?!

    I love helping other people shine and I love writing – could I combine them? Well, I guess I’m testing that today with this blog post!

    If it seems like a super-mad combination that you have no idea how they could work together, try pulling another card from your deck ‘how could these ideas combine to be of service?’ and see what happens?
    Which suggestion can I start with today? Which suggestions leave me cold? Which suggestions need more work before they can progress? 
    Now, as Twyla Tharp said: Stamp your foot and shout ‘Begin!’

  • The Tarot Court | The Bridge card

    If I were to ask you to lay out the your favourite tarot deck in order, how would you do it?

    Would you lay out the Major Arcana from The Fool to The World and then dive into the Minor Arcana via an Ace from one of the suits? And work up to the 10 and then head over to the Page and end at the King before beginning at the next suit’s Ace?

    I reckon I’d begin with The Fool and work through them until I culminated with the King of Pentacles as the 78th card.

    But that’s not how A E Waite saw it.


    I’ve been revisiting Waite’s The Pictorial Key To The Tarot, one of the Tarot books that you can freely enjoy on www.sacred-texts.com or buy on Amazon for a couple of shekels.

    Admittedly, Waite’s style of writing is convoluted and a bit disdainful of anyone who isn’t himself (like many of his ilk). Frankly, if he was any more up himself, would be able to see the back of his own teeth.  BUT, on the other hand, he did give us The Rider Waite Smith Tarot deck that we all know and love, so I figure that he is worth another look.

    Waite says:

    “In respect of their usual presentation, the bridge between the Greater and Lesser Arcana is supplied by the court cards ..”

    He then goes on to say that there is no special idea connected on the surface with the ordinary court cards, that they are merely ‘a bridge of conventions’ that lead to the ‘simple pretexts’ of the Minor Arcana.

    He concludes, no doubt from a melancholic slump on his red velvet divan:  ‘We seem to have passed away utterly from the region of higher meanings illustrated by living pictures.’

    Waite’s occult snobbery about the value of the Minor Arcana aside, what he’s saying is that the COURT CARDS are the link between the Majors and the Minors.

    But which one, Mr Waite? Who’s the lucky guy/gal?

    *clears throat and stands up to relay the important news*

    The reclining court card that reaches upwards, Adam-like, from the earthly Minor Arcana to brush fingertips with the celestial glories of the Majors is……. *pauses to build tension*….  THE KING OF WANDS.

    For me, the King of Wands is magnetically attractive, potentially dangerous and, just like the Fire he represents, can be all-devouring. However, in addition to the traits that we would normally bestow upon him, it is time to add one other.  For it would seem that The King of Wands is a spiritual lighthouse.

    Yes, yes, this is all well and good, I hear you thinking, but SO WHAT?

    Well, what it could mean is that when The King of Wands arises in your work, we readers can be aware that THIS court card – more than any other – has a link with the archetypal energies of the Majors.

    Not only can we interpret the King of Wands as perhaps a person (the querent or someone known to the querant) or reflecting the energies around the situation being discussed, he may also act as a signal that some BIG Archetypal Type Changes are a-coming because HE is the Bifrost.

    Yes, the King of Wands can be the flaming rainbow bridge that links the world of the archetypes with our own humble abode.

    That makes me think of Thor.  And by default, Loki.  I know that you’re not really surprised to see this:

    … and sorry, this post has nothing whatsoever to do with the Danish TV series and Saga Noren either.  NOTHING.

    Or Simon and Garfunkle.

    Or dental work.

    So, do you think that the King of Wands is a very special sort of a guy, being The Bridge?

  • The King of Wands | The Power of Tarot’s Bridge Card

    Last week I wrote about the King of Wands and how A E Waite saw this card as the stepping stone from the glory of the Major Arcana to the mundanity of the Minor Arcana.  
    Today I thought I’d expand on this and show you how I am using The King of Wands card as a result of reading Waite’s insight.
    Let’s see how powerful he really is!
    First, procure your
    deck’s King of Wands card.

    Split your deck into
    two bundles – one for the Major Arcana and the other for the Minor
    Arcana and shuffle each bundle well.
    Ask your King of Wands
    card to guide you to the most significant Major that you need in
    order to make progress (in your issue, towards your goal, whatever it
    is that you are looking for help with).
    Place your King in the
    Major Arcana bundle and shuffle, all the while keeping your question
    for him at the forefront of your mind. 
    When you are content to stop
    shuffling, take your Major Arcana bundle, face down, and lay down
    each card in turn, as if you were playing snap or something. When
    you turn the King of Wands, you are paying attention to the NEXT card
    that you turn over – this is the Major that will help you.
    Do the same with the
    Minor bundle and your King of Wands card. Again, you are looking for
    the card that follows the King of Wands as you turn over each card in
    the bundle.
    You now have two cards
    – a Major and a Minor. These have been linked by the King of
    Wands.
    How can reading these
    two cards together help you with your issue?
    Here’s a worked
    example:
    The question concerns a
    stale relationship and a need for break-through:
    The Lady (Empress equivalent) and the 9 of Pentacles.
    I am struck by how sad
    The Lady looks, despite being surrounded by such luxury and
    fecundity. The harvest necessitates the cutting of the wheat, the picking of the fruit; the
    arrival of the baby heralds the end of her pregnancy. She is brooding
    the losses that come with creation.
    The 9 of Pentacles
    woman wears the same pensive expression and she too looks materially
    comfortable. Her hawk is held on the glove. In order for it to fly
    free, she has to let it go.
    The two cards that the
    King of Wands has chosen to act as a bridge tell me that in order to
    effect a break through, the sitter has to work on two things to make
    the necessary break through.
    • If comfort is
      paramount, then the sitter must be prepared to accept the necessary losses and
      restrictions in order to keep comfortable.
    • If, however, the sitter
      wishes the bird to fly freely, then some discomfort and uncertainty
      must be endured in order to create something new and better.  

  • King of Swords | King of Wands

    The King of Swords is a decent sort of a person, but very keen on taking action when his decisions are based on logic, knowledge and common sense.   The King of Wands is a very different animal, preferring to rely on passion and intuition to direct his steps.

    When they are positioned next to each other like this, it looks as though the two Kings are very much engaged with each other.  The King of Swords, by holding his sword in his right hand, appears open to the King of Wands.  The King of Wands is entirely focussed on the King of Swords.

    Elementally they are Air and Fire – a combustible combination.  It could work well to create the most enormous and fabulous fire the world has ever seen (ie brilliant teamwork and co-ordination on a project)

    Swap the cards around and you have a completely different take on the situation.  The King of Wands is looking elsewhere, with his back to the King of Swords.  The King of Swords seems to be listening now to someone else, just out of sight – and of course that sword is now angled towards the King of Wands back!

    Not so much of the brilliant teamwork now, is there? It’s looking as though they are not listening to each other, but to other people outside of their dynamic.

    Perhaps the King of Wands might be looking to the past, or his previous experiences, using them as a reference point, whereas the King of Swords is inclined to the future and new experiences?

    But what would those clouds mean, that his vision of the future is not as crystal clear as he might like to think?

    What do you think of their relationship?

  • Full Moon | Leo | February | King of Wands

    As the moon trundles around its orbit, we find her passing through Leo for February’s full moon tonight (3 February).

    This means that we shall find ourselves acquainted with the energies of that most magnetic of the Tarot court personalities, the King of Wands.

    Someone who is working their King of Wands energy is someone whose inner life and outer life are as one – there is no conflict between what’s going on in his head and heart and what he is called to do. And, by Jingo – they are called to be active in the world!

    His appearance in your life encourages you to take action in those matters that you feel passionately about.  And you don’t take action in a small, quiet way – my goodness no! The King of Wands is someone that you can see for miles off!  Let people see you walking your talk with confidence and enthusiasm!

    This character likes people to look at him! He’s fond of nice things and doesn’t mind showing them off.  That could make him a royal pain in the arse, but fortunately his show-off gene is accompanied by a generous gene too – so if you hang around with King of Wands people, there’s a good chance that you will benefit from their largesse!

    King of Wands people are very good at seeing the Big Picture in a situation.  They seem to be able to rise above the fray and see all the horizons with clarity.

    All the Wands Courts are forwards-looking energies and this King from the Kickstarter-funded Marseille Sophistique is pictured looking off to the right.  For me, the right is the direction of the future.

    It’s a good time, says the King of Wands, to take action and get moving towards your bright and beautiful future!

    Here in the King of Wands from the Tarot of Metamorphosis, we see clearly how he is associated with the strength and growth.  There are smokey grey and pink clouds behind this King – makes me think that there is a forest fire somewhere!

    That reinfoces the idea that when this King catches fire, you can see the results from quite a distance!

    Today the King of Wands asks:

    What do you feel passionately about? What BOLD steps can you take today that move you towards that passion?

    Are there any confusing situations that can be grasped with more clarity right now?

    The King of Wands says:  It’s time to look forward with confidence!

  • The Courts on Valentine’s Day

    Yeah, so it’s a commercially-driven marketing man’s dream and has no direct relation to the poor Saint who was kebabed with arrows.

    And no, I didn’t get one.

    Our Tarot courts are made up of lots of characters with distinct personalities and today is a good day for looking at how the various court members relate to each other.

    Take out your court cards and lay them down in random pairings and just look at how they physically relate to each other….. forget what you KNOW and just look at The Body Language 😉

    If the King and Queen of the same suit are facing each other – does it mean they are devoted to each other, or so wrapped up in their relationship they are neglecting other important matters.  What if she’s looking out at YOU and he’s looking at HER?  Has she got a wandering eye?!

    What happens if you swap them around? She’s still looking at you, but is he turning a blind eye?!

    If they are facing away from each other – does this mean that they don’t see eye to eye or are they confident enough in each other that they can pursue their own interests without worrying about each other?  Or are they each wrapped up in their own interests at the expense of their relationships?

    In mixed suit pairings – are there Kings and Queens who look happier together than with their allocated suit partner?!

    What about a Queen and a Knight? If she is looking at the Knight of another suit, does it mean that she’s got designs on a younger, more exciting man? If it’s her own Knight – could she be a helicopter mother?!

    Kings and Knights – if they are looking in the same direction – is the King wishing he could recapture his own Knightly qualities?  Looking towards each other – an alliance between a senior and a junior?

    What about the Pages – do Pages that stand back to back dislike each other? Not understand each other?

    What might the various cards’ gestures mean to the card you have paired it with?

    Done them all?  Shuffle and do it again!!!

    This little exercise can take ages – does it yield any additional insights for you with your court personalities?

    Deck:  Rider Waite Smith.  Copyright US Games.  Artwork Pamela Colman-Smith.