Leo in the Druidcraft: The Five of Wands

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).  

Let’s start with the Five of Wands, which in this system is associated with Saturn in Leo – and with the first ten days of Leo (approximately 23^rd July-1^st August). Can we see this astrological association in the Druidcraft?

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.  

Five of Wands: Druidcraft (detail)

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.  

Can we see this in the Druidcraft’s Five of Wands?  Here we see five lads battling each other with sticks, but they appear to be laughing or smiling – it’s not serious.  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. So yes, in this case I can see how the astrological associations work with this deck.

Druidcraft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections