Musings on the Celtic Tarot: Wands

Celtic Tarot, Aquarian 1990

I received my second copy of the Celtic Tarot (Courtney Davis) the other day, and have been admiring it since. I believe this is the most beautiful pips-only deck that I have seen yet. In the photo above, I have arranged them so that the bottom row is Wands, next up Cups, then Swords, and the top row is Coins, with courts in a pile at the end of each row. You can see that the suits are linked by colour, inner border style, and in the case of the Coins, by shape of the design. The Wands all feature the Sun, Cups are contained in circles on a blue background, the Swords are red and feature diamond patterns, and the Coins have a green background with Celtic knot discs in gold. Unlike some pip decks, there are many cues to meaning in the design and coloring of each pip card, so it seems like a good idea to have a closer look at them.





                   

Looking at the first five cards in a row, you see the sun come up, then go down almost sinking behind the horizon, then suddenly shown as split, as if the bottom half of the sun disappearing below the bottom of the card in 4 of Wands has emerged at the top of 5 of Wands. That's interesting and curious.

The sun actually seems to be at its most radiant and abstract in Ace of Wands, which is great for this card, as Ace of Wands is less the beginning of a cycle than it is a representation of the pure potential of a suit. In this case, there is the SUN--source of warmth, source of life, the force that nurtures this entire planet and holds our entire solar system together--and it is suddenly split by the single wand or spear of the suit. The pure energy of the Sun has been tapped into in the most fundamental and powerful way. The card makes me think of the splitting of the atom, the unleashing of such monumentally unexpected power and energy. Boom!  It sets things in motion.

Then in 2 of Wands we see the Sun has begun its cycle, it's high on the card and shining down, it's in its proper place, and the single wand seems to have divided into two wands that frame it. Now that the potential has been unleashed, a doorway is created here. We can step through it and begin our journey; it's like an invitation to join into life itself.

In 3 of Wands, some time has passed, the Sun is hanging lower, and the enterprise has begun and gotten stronger. The two wands from the previous card have joined forces, crossed themselves, and a third wand ties them together across the Sun, it's like an alliance, very strong, drawing energy and strength from that Sun. There is tension in this card, suggesting a very busy time, very productive.

The Sun is sinking in 4 of Wands, it is later in the day, evening approaches, and the time has come to enjoy the stability created by the tension and alliance of 3 of Wands. The wands in this card do not lie across each other but weave in and out, like the lattice on top of a pie, thus creating stability. It is a time to celebrate and enjoy.

But then, strange things happen in 5 of Wands. Suddenly, there's a rogue wand pointing in the opposite direction, and the Sun has split into two, at both top and bottom of the card. Division, dissension. Do you have to take sides? Which end is the real Sun, up or down? Which way to go? There is no way to remain neutral in this card, you have to engage in the struggle. There is frustration, disagreement, squabbling--but it's not so bad, because only one wand is point the wrong way after all, and surely the Sun being split is just some sort of weird illusion and will snap back into focus soon!


            

The progression of the Sun becomes less literal and more abstract in the last five cards of the Wands suit. If you have a look at them, you'll notice there is an absolute blaze of glory as the sun sinks below the horizon in 6 of Wands, then it becomes more like a flower in cards 7-10.

In 6 of Wands, the battle's been won (it may or may not have anything to do with the squabbles of 5 of Wands), and the wands are once again in alignment and harmony, and the Sun sets like a bonfire of victory. The 6 of Wands, of course, is all about victory. This is the crowning glory of this suit--as good as it gets. Enjoy it while it lasts.

The tension is back in the 7 of Wands. The Sun is like a flower here. For some reason, it reminds me of a business logo. This card makes me think of corporate takeovers or something. The 6 wands are intertwined, but the middle one actually lies on top of them. It is not intertwined with the others. Its the leader or the dominate, or somehow outside of the network of the others. I see it as the querent who is holding his own against a force larger than himself. It takes great fortitude to stand your ground against great opposition, or to hold back a combined force, which is what I see happening in this card. Thinking RWS, the central wand is the man standing on the hill,and the 6 entwined wands are the ones coming up the hill that he's defending himself from.

I usually associate 8 of Wands with either great speed or lots of quick communication. The wands here remind me of emails flying back and forth. The curled arms and legs on the Sun remind me of tentacles and make me think of a monster. It's like solar flares or energy stretching itself out in a way that seems menacing to me. The card speaks to me of frenetic activity with a sense of menace behind it. That's what I get from it just viewing it without an eye to a reading.

The 9 of Wands again shows a lone wand separate from and lying across entwined wands, 8 of them this time. But the sun is sinking low and the rays are curled up, as if curling in on itself--the sense of tension is not as strong as in 7 of Wands. This battle is nearly over, and all that is to be done is stand your ground and keep an eye out. You have stood your ground and shown great fortitude and stamina. Now's not the time to quit.

Finally the 10 of Wands. The setting sun has roared straight upward--now that was a surprise! We thought it was going down! And it is, but not without a last upheaval. Now there are ten wands immeshed together, all intertwined, with this sun blazing behind them. There's a sense if they don't extricate themselves they'll burn up. There is a sense that we won't be able to untangle ourselves in time and we will be destroyed by that raging fire. It's a card of fear,the feeling of not being able to survive. An odd note to finish on, but in keeping with the RWS.