Now it’s time to turn our attention to the Minor Arcana. The three minor cards linked to Leo come from,
not surprisingly, the fiery suit of Wands.
Because Leo is a fixed sign, we look to the middle three cards of the
minors – the 5, 6 and 7 - to find the planetary correspondences. (For more information on this system of
Planetary and Zodiacal dignities, I recommend Elizabeth Hazel’s Tarot Decoded, published by Weiser,
2004).
Today I'm looking at the Five of Wands, which in this system is
associated with Saturn in Leo – and with the first ten days of Leo
(approximately 22nd-31st July).
Saturn
was a Roman deity, similar to Kronos (or Cronos) in Greek mythology. That’s
where the word ‘chronology’ comes from, and we are probably familiar with the
idea of Saturn or Kronos representing ‘old Father Time’. Saturn has
come to be associated with time management, in effect - putting boundaries in
place, recognizing limitations and restrictions, but also the idea of
self-discipline and control. Sometimes
this works to our advantage – where would we be without some boundaries in
place? But sometimes it feels as though it’s working against us.
 |
| Thoth Tarot |
But in Leo? Well, we could think of Saturn
applying the brakes on that fiery Leonine energy. It can make it more difficult for us to
express ourselves, and can affect our self-confidence. On the other hand, it can push us into
finding ways to establish ourselves through creative projects, or through
loyalty and disciplined
affection. Leo is about individuality,
so Saturn could help to focus that into some sort of achievement that would
help to attain some sense of security. Alternatively, looking at the ‘shadow’
of this combination, Saturn in Leo could reflect a fear or inability to trust
in our own self-worth, which could in turn act as an obstacle or restriction
when it comes to being able to express ourselves confidently.
 |
| Sharman-Caselli Tarot |
Can we see this in the Five of Wands? In the Thoth deck, the keyword associated
with this card is ‘Strife’, which fits in with the traditional meanings –
battle, aggression, frustration, irritation.
‘Creative frustration’ is a phrase which comes to mind, rather than a
full-on battle where people get hurt.
In other decks, we see images of men clashing sticks together
but no harm is being done. The crossed
wands represent difficulties – things that stand in the way; writer’s or
artist’s ‘block’ is a good example of this kind of creative frustration. Saturn in Leo suggests a period of time when
things might seem to be conspiring against us, and we feel we’re striving in
vain. By taking things one step at a
time (Saturn at work again), we are less likely to feel overwhelmed. Instead,
we’ll be able to recognize what’s blocking us and be able to use our creativity
to do something about it.
 | |
| Shadowscapes Tarot |
The Shadowscapes Tarot gives us another image to work with.
The figure is caught up in the chase, but has to stay the course – has to
exercise self-discipline and control (as well as his individuality) in order to
overcome the obstacles created by the melée of foxes!
Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by
Llewellyn
Sharman-Caselli Tarot created by Juliet
Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections
Thoth Tarot created by Aleister
Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by US Games Systems, Inc.
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