Sunday, August 03, 2008

THE KNIGHT OF WANDS

TODAY’S CARD is The Knight of Wands. This version below is from The Thoth Tarot:



FOR COMPARISON, here’s The Knight of Wands in the Rider/Waite/Smith deck:



THE KNIGHT OF WANDS: It was difficult to choose a Knight of Wands to head up this post. It’s one of the cards in the Tarot that I like in many different decks. I ultimately settled on The Thoth rendition because I have particular affection for it going back decades when I was working exclusively with that deck. The Knight of Wands kept popping up as I prepared to make my first trip to Block Island, R.I. (my favorite place on earth, until I moved here to Goleta, CA in February). The Knight of Wands (in any subsequent deck) has not shown up a great deal in ensuing years in my readings for myself so whenever it has it’s like an old friend dropping by. It showed up last night when I was trying to determine which of the strings in my current ball of wax I need to pull on first. I immediately knew I needed to attend to “getting on the road,” i.e. getting out every morning for a walk. I’ve been talking about getting back to doing this for some time and the Knight of Wands showing up like this is supporting and urging me to do so now. The lovely thing is that once I work up to walking all the way to the beach overlook again, I’ll be enjoying a view very much like on Block Island. What a gift I’ve been given to be living here.

DIFFERENT OR LESS COMMON, EVEN QUIRKY MEANINGS FOR The Knight of Wands (i.e. the below is not intended to be an exhaustive exploration of this card; a quick google will produce a wider variety of takes should you not be familiar with this card):

Each of the four Knights can address getting into some sort of action, either literally or metaphorically, often in the initiating stages.

You are being manipulated by someone you admire and have given over too much of your own light to. “Get out of Dodge” now and reclaim that light!

Long past time to move past this negativity. You wound yourself by clinging to it. There’s a world of difference between wounding one’s self endlessly with negativity/guilt/anger, etc. and accepting responsibility for one’s feelings and actions.

Can indicate a tendency to rely on charm and enthusiasm, with very little follow-through. Big on charisma, short on actually doing anything.

Your impulsiveness needs to be tempered with awareness of others feelings on the issue. Even if their thoughts/feelings don’t make sense to you or hinder you in some way. These relationships are part of the process, not separate from or inimical to it.

You are a better leader/facilitator/teacher when you can also follow.

A little charm at this time may “help the medicine go down.” I.e., help someone with what you have to say or do that they may have some problem or trouble with.

Not a time to withhold even if the last thing you feel capable of is giving, be generous.

Someone who recognizes s/he does not see it all. But still shares lovingly and appropriately from what s/he does see in case it might be helpful.

Not resting on one’s laurels. There’s always something more to be learned and accomplished.

A big change (or a slew of little ones) are coming and fast. The more you know where you are at, the better able you will be to keep your balance, and respond creatively and appropriately.

Traditionally: card of travel to be undertaken, or of a change of residence.

For further takes on The Knight of Wands, see my design and thoughts for the card here on my Taiga Tarot blog.


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‘til next time, keep "taking your act on the road," and enjoying The Tarot,





[aka: Patricia Kelly]
****If you wish to copy or use any of my writing, please email me for permission (under “View my complete profile”)**** SEE ALSO: Roswila’s Dream & Poetry Realm for Tarot poetry; Roswila’s Taiga Tarot for taiga (illustrated tanka); and Yahoo DREAMJIN: Group for Dreamku – Haiku-Like Dream Poems.****

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6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

The knight of wands has always signified impulsive and passionate charges ahead in a direction to me. Thanks for your take on the card

Steve Mills

11:35 PM  
Blogger Roswila said...

Hi Steve,

I agree with what you say about the Knight of Wands, I have seen this as well. All that fast moving fire on the road! :-)

I love how after working with The Tarot for inner growth, the cards become imbued with life memories, too. And sometimes when one shows up in one of my readings for myself it's suggesting that something about now is echoing back then. In this instance, having the Knight of Wands show up has also given me pause enough to examine things in a different light, given a particular old memory associated with it. (Much the way dream images can work.)

Thanks for stopping by!

1:52 PM  
Blogger Eccentric Scholar said...

Lovely point about the cards becoming imbued with life memories, Roswila!

12:53 PM  
Blogger Roswila said...

Hi eccentric scholar,

Sometimes they become so imbued with specific memories I have to willfully sort of "lift" the memories to be sure that something different/new might not be offered beneath. :-D

Thanks for visiting. Hope you've been having a good summer.

3:13 PM  
Blogger Eccentric Scholar said...

I love what thoughtful replies you make to even the briefest blog comments. You always find something intelligent and substantive to say, and as a fellow writer, I admire your wordsmith's spirit!

Yes, this summer has been wonderful in terms of creativity, especially in terms of collaborative ideas.

I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying your new home in California!

9:39 PM  
Blogger Roswila said...

Yes, eccentric scholar, life here for me is better than it's ever really been. Even before I realized that, I'd said to a friend here that I am grateful for everything in my life up til now -- the good, the bad, the ugly -- because it brought me to this moment. Oh my, am I catching a zen spirit at this stage of my life? :-D

9:52 PM  

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