This is the fifth and last installment in this Weekly Tarot Card series for the 2 of Wands. The next series will begin on Monday, during which we tackle the 2 of Cups. However, if you’d like to get caught up on the rest of the week, you can use the following links:
- Monday Description and Observation
- Tuesday Meditation
- Wednesday Suit/Element and Number
- Thursday Symbolism
Defining the Card
The 2 of Wands is rich in energy, that which brings about balance and harmony to fire. As you may recall, Fire has to do with our passions. It is the drive that motivates us forward, that must be present if we are to find fulfillment in our actions. It is through passion that we become creative, and through creativity we create.
The 2 of Wands is not just a single Wand, but two of them, and one might even think of them as two Aces teaming up to create another. In this regard, we have the initial idea of the Ace of Wands, paring with the action element of the Wands, and thus, we have creation, duality, balance and harmony.
There is duality in everything. We see this in opposites, we see this in the structure of our bodies—two eyes, two, nostrils, two hands, two arms, to legs, two lungs, two kidneys, etc. We see duality in directions: left and right, backward, forward, and most importantly, up and down. There is the spiritual world which we consider up, and the physical realm which we relate to down. The passion of the Wands is connecting the mental, or upper world, with the physical, or lower world.
Most importantly of all, there is the duality of Self and Other, represented within the globe in the 2 of Wands. It is the knowledge of the influence and affect we have on the world directly around us, and if we expand ourselves, we will expand past our direct world, and have an influence on that. It is the practical understanding and knowledge of responsibility with the expression of our passions.
The colors present in the cards remind us that as of yet, our expression in the world is neither positive nor negative, not until we push it toward creation, which will be seen in the 3 of Wands. However, growth will happen, as is indicated by the rose and the lily, and the reminder is there to be pure of intention in that growth.
Divinatory Meaning
There is a time for planning, which is stirred with the ace. But the Two of wands is a time of contemplation and reflection, of examining what is being left behind and if the subject is ready to do so. The urge to move ahead is strong, but loose ends must be tied before going on.
Keywords: planning, decision making, leaving the comfort zone to seek something new, new adventure.
How do you feel about the exercises from this week? How do you feel about the 2 of Wands? Where do you think it’s showing up in your own life? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
The Decks Used
The Aquarian Tarot in a Tin by Italian-born, American-raised David Palladini, was published originally in 1970 by U.S. Games Systems Inc, and then republished again in 2016 in a smaller size. Named after the Age of Aquarius, the Aquarian Tarot is a midieval depiction of the Rider-Waite Tarot system. The images are closer, and thus might give the impression of being more character-based rather than relying on symbolism. This intimate deck provides a stark reflection of the human condition in it’s journey through the tarot.
Faerie Tarot by Nathalie Hertz, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc, 2008. Hertz is a French artist, and the creator of several other beautiful tarot decks. The Faerie Tarot was ‘inspired by the flora and fauna of the French countryside,’ and ‘invites you to see the world in a delightful new way…blending fantasy, whimsy, and nature.’
Impressionist Tarot by Arturo Picca (artist) and Corrine Kenner (author), published by Lo Scarabeo in 2015. This deck takes works of classic impressionist paintings and recreates them to fit the meanings of the tarot. It pulls from works of Edonard Manet, Claude Monet, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gough, and Paul Gauguin. A truly beautiful deck, especially for those who have interest in the art world.
Prisma Visions Tarot by James R. Eads, 3rd ed., published in 2016. The deck itself is beautiful, though perhaps not for the beginning tarot reader. The suits all fit together to create a master picture displaying the energy and progression of the suits. The figures and images flow from one card to the next, showing movement within the stationary cards.
Rider-Waite by A. E. Waite. The deck used in these photos is currently out of print. I won’t say much about this deck, as it is fairly standard and probably one of the most produced decks. It serves as a standard for many tarot readers and artists, depicting classic images relating in part to the original playing cards that tarot developed from.
The Spiral Tarot by Kay Steventon. With turn-of-the-20th-century style art, this deck takes from the classic Rider-Waite deck and brings it up to the late 1800-early 1900’s, a time of industry and contemplation for the western world as it moved forward into a more technological era. I am a little biased toward this deck as it’s been my main deck for 15 years. The cards are thick with additional symbolism that can be tricky to pick out of the traditional Rider-Waite, and adds layers of Greek myth throughout the Major Arcana.
Thoth Tarot by Aleister Crowley (designer and author) and Lady Frieda Harris (artist), published by U. S. Games Systems, Inc., in 1978. This deck takes from most esoteric imagery, and requires the reader of the deck to have deep, initiate knowledge of the symbolism used. There is nothing within the cards that is without meaning. However, on a more surface level, the deck draws from Egyptian symbolism and from the style of the Marseille Tarot (mostly seen within the Minor Arcana). For those looking for deeper understandings of the universe, I recommend this deck. I would caution that this deck is highly advanced, and might be avoided for the budding reader.
Vampire Tarot – by Nathalie Hertz, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. in 2000. As mentioned above in reference to the Faerie Tarot, Hertze is a French artist who gained her notability through the publication of her tarot decks. The Vampire Tarot was a bestselling deck upon its release, and plays on more gothic symbolism, providing more jarring interpretations to allow for the accepting of negative forces within the world to compliment the positive forces. The deck brings together myths and legends in the form of vampires, which ‘gives tarot readers a macabre passport’ into the world of divination.
