Tarot Talk
Last but by far not the least of the Six cards of the Tarot Minor Arcana is the Six of Wands. As we’ve come to discover, in the Tarot Minor Arcana, the Six cards are kind of unique. This is in part because of the properties of the number 6, and in part because of the properties of the Sephira corresponding to the Tarot Sixes on the Tree of Life. Before we talk about the Six of Wands, if you haven’t read October’s essay on the Six of Pentacles, and in particular the information regarding the number 6, please do so now.
The Six cards of the Tarot offer the concept of forward momentum achieved through victory over the obstacles presented by Four (in the case of Wands cards, the creation of a strong foundation that allows us to look toward the future) and Five (inconveniences and cross-purpose efforts). These victories are met with the healing achieved through negotiation; of course, this means that acceptance is a part of these Six cards, self-acceptance and the acceptance acquired through effective interactions with both friends and enemies.
In sacred math, the number 6 is considered to be a powerful and pure number because the first three numbers, 1, 2 and 3, add up to 6, and because in the Christian creation myth it took Yahweh six days to create the world. This number offers the concepts of both vertical and horizontal balance, and the corresponding element and suit at their practical best. This is particularly true of the Six of Wands, which tells of the achievements associated with growth, often through the successful navigation through some kind of challenge. Remember, the Six cards often present the corresponding element and suit at its practical best, and since the suit of Wands is about creativity and passion, it makes sense that the Six of Wands offers an acknowledgement of achievements gained through the application of creativity and passion. In most cases even a reversed Six card has many benefits to offer a Seeker, and the meanings of the reversed Six of Wands can be similar to the upright interpretation, just less intense.
Tiphareth or Beauty is the sixth Sephira on the Tree of Life, the second on the Pillar of Balance (which is the “trunk” of the Tree), and it represents harmony, equilibrium, and the epitome of balance. Above Tiphareth are the top three Sephiroth of the Tree, the Supernals, representing God/Source/the Higher Self. Below the Supernals and above Tiphareth is a void known as Da’at or the Abyss; the Abyss separates (and also bridges) Deity/the Higher Self and the rest of our life experiences.
Traveling upward through the Abyss is usually an uncomfortable but in the end beneficial process, for it involves coming to know our Shadow Self, and thus our entire awareness. This knowledge is terrifying to our conscious mind and empowering at the same time, for it is the source of our personal ethical code and our ability to tell right from wrong. The Abyss is also associated with the cerebellum and the powers of memory and concentration, which allow us to recognize and sense the meaningfulness of life events in a personal, experiential way. The knowledge and awareness associated with the Abyss are not about the outside world, for the Abyss is connected directly to the one who is doing the knowing and the learning, the Self. The Six of Wands represents that moment when we realize that our efforts to conquer the Abyss are bringing results that are worth celebrating.
Now that we’ve talked about the number 6 in a general fashion as it connects to the Tarot and the Six of Wands, let’s begin the process of breaking our Six of Wands card down even further. The Six of Wands is a Minor Arcana card, so we know right away that the message offered by this card will most likely be more immediate in nature, or will most likely be connected to more day-to-day issues. Remember, while on the surface a Minor Arcana card can appear insignificant or mundane, it can also possibly be a symptom of a deeper or wider issue. Nothing in the Minor Arcana is in any way minor in nature.
We already know that the easiest way to get a decent understanding of a Minor Arcana card is to examine its number, or in the case of Court Cards, its rank, and to examine its suit. In this case, we are dealing with the number 6, and the suit of Swords. These two ingredients could actually give you enough information about this one card to offer a useful interpretation, especially with all the cool information out there regarding the number 6.
The suit of Wands corresponds with the playing card suit of Clubs, the cardinal direction of South, and the element of Fire. In its natural state, the element of Fire is hot and dry. It tends to bring spontaneous change or impulsive, energetic effects. Fire is passionate in nature, and transforms everything in our world. Fire can sanitize or cleanse, and it can destroy everything in its path; Fire can warm us and keep us safe, or it can kill us. The cards of the suit of Wands teach us about Fiery attributes: creativity, ambition, growth, passion and actions, and how their presence or absence can affect our lives. The suit of Wands represents our ability to experience joy and passion (including sexual passion), and the Wands cards can represent our creativity, our ability to be artistic or to be drawn to beautiful things. Fire often represents Spirit or the Divine Will, and Wands cards also can present the possibility of some interaction with Spirit or the Divine.
Astrologically speaking, the Six of Wands represents Jupiter when it is in the sign of Leo. In Roman mythology, Jupiter is the ruler, guardian and protector of the gods. Similarly, the planet Jupiter is in many ways the ruler of our solar system. Some astronomers believe that Jupiter with its massive gravity actually protects the rest of our solar system by attracting or deflecting comets and asteroids that might otherwise threaten Earth. Like passions and emotions, Jupiter is brightly colored and covered with large and intense storms; the planet is symbolized by a lightning bolt. Jupiter needs 11.9 of our years to orbit our Sun, and it spends 361 days in each sign of the zodiac. Astrologically, Jupiter is associated with growth, expansion, prosperity, freedom, exploration, and good fortune. Jupiter is connected to long distance and foreign travel, higher education, religion, all humanitarian pursuits, and the law (and its role as a protector of society). Jupiter is also associated with gambling and merrymaking.
The Sun sign of Leo is connected with the Lion, the king of the jungle, our Sun, the center of our solar system, and the element of Fire; it is a fixed sign. In Astrology, Fixed Signs are associated with stabilization, determination, depth and persistence. This means that Leos are powerful and willful in all they do, often achieving more than expected. Of course, they can also be inflexible, rigid, stubborn, opinionated and single-minded. Leos are passionate and courageous; they can combine dignity and strength in order to be effective leaders who have a talent for inspiring others to also go above and beyond what is expected. They tend to plunge into a situation without a second glance, but since they thrive on risk and competitive situations, the end result is often good.
When we combine these ingredients together, we end up with a pretty nice description of the Six of Wands! Let’s reassemble our card.
To sum up: the number 6 tells of the vertical and horizontal balance that is achieved through negotiation and acceptance; even the reversed number is still beneficial. The Sixes of the Tarot correspond with balance and beauty, a child’s ability to find innocent joy in simple things, and the ability to remember and understand events of the past, whether pleasant or uncomfortable or challenging, in order to be a better person. The suit of Wands is about passion and ambition, creativity and the courage to take action, and the ability to feel vindicated by succeeding through hard work. The energies of this suit (and the element of Fire) are hot and dry, they tend to bring spontaneous change or impulsive, energetic effects. Jupiter is about expansion, growth, exploration, prosperity and protection. Leo is about leadership abilities, courage, loyalty and honor, ambition, creativity, and an enjoyment of being in the public eye.
This means that the Six of Wands expresses the celebration we feel when we have passed some test or successfully met a challenge. This card is about realizing that we’ve established our reputation with others, perhaps through an uncomfortable process; its most common image is a victorious warrior receiving the accolades and recognition of those around him. The Six of Wands can tell of having our day in the sun, and it can tell of feeling good about what we’ve accomplished.
The Tarot of the Sephiroth sees the Six of Wands as being connected to successes and riches of a spiritual nature, or at least achieved not only through our own efforts but also through Divine guidance and intervention. The Shadowscapes Tarot describes this card as representing someone who has ascended to authority and distinguished himself by being strong and clever. The Shadowscapes Six of Wands warns, however, of the danger of falling prey to pride. The Thoth Six of Wands reminds us of the balance and harmony of Tiphareth, and it reminds us that the strength which brings Victory (Crowley’s keyword for this card) comes through being able to blend together opposites. The Llewellyn Welsh Tarot tells us that the Six of Wands represents establishing authority through gaining the respect of our peers. The Legacy of the Divine Tarot reminds us that the victory of the Six of Wands comes us because we were able to make use of the foresight of the Four of Wands, and because we were able to maintain our focus despite the churning energies, competition and cross-purpose of the Five of Wands.
A reversed Six of Wands could indicate that we don’t yet have the right to celebrate. It could indicate a possible loss or humility or defeat, but the presence of the card, even if it is reversed, gives a bit of hope even on the darkest of days. A reversed Six of Wands could also be a warning that we have passed through justified pride and moved into arrogance and a sense of self-importance.
There you go; we have covered all the Sixes of the Tarot Minor Arcana. That requires a bit of a celebration of our accomplishments because we successfully dealt with the challenges of the Sixes, eh?
Next time, we will go back to the Major Arcana and look at the Justice card.