Sitting in Judgement

I’ve been challenged, recently, about my interpretation of the Judgment card.  In a reading, I’d said that Judgment wasn’t about judging and being judged – or at least, not only about that.  But others clearly don’t agree, so I thought I’d have a look and see what other views are around.

© Judgement

Universal Waite Tarot

The Little White Book (LWB) that accompanies the Universal Waite Tarot deck simple says “Change of position, renewal, outcome.”  Short and to the point. 

Rachel Pollack, in her Seeker: The Tarot Unveiled (Llewellyn, 2005), adds “rebirth, new possibilities, and wholeness” to the list.  In fact, she maintains (as do I) that Judgment is not about judging others, showing good judgement, or being judged themselves at all.  The child in the image reminds us that new opportunities and possibilities can appear when we heed the voice that tells us to let go of old, out-of-date, ways and beliefs.  The nakedness of the figures symbolizes openness as well as new beginnings – the state in which we were born into this world, but also the state in which we need to embrace this “re-birth”.  The trumpet, far from being the call to judgement, is in fact the “voice”, the push, the call – however it manifests – to step into the unknown and stop hiding.

© Judgement

Game of Thrones Tarot

Juliet Sharman-Burke, in her Beginners Guide to the Tarot (Connections, 2001), adds “resurrection and resolution” to the list.  She too sees this as an opportunity to greet the new with joy.  She calls it the card of karma, saying “it heralds the time of reaping what has been sown”.  You might see an element of judgement in that but, reading between her lines, I feel it’s more about assessment.  Yes, she does use the word “judge” – “to judge your actions and appraise what you have done” – but she goes on to say it’s more about the preparation for the next stage in life. 

Liz Dean, in the accompanying guidebook to The Game of Thrones Tarot (Home Box Office, Inc., 2017), doesn’t use the word “judgement” in her description of the card.  She writes about being on the edge of a change, and focuses on the need for second chances after a review or appraisal, and about the chance to make sense of the past.

© Judgement

Shadowscapes Tarot

In the accompanying book to the Shadowscapes (Tarot Llewellyn, 2010), Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore do refer to making a judgement.  They talk about holding an accounting, and about it being “time to evaluate the phase of life just past, to recognize and to appraise with an unbiased mind and honesty to oneself”.  They too see Judgement as a card of awakening, of hearing and responding to a voice or call, and the need to respond to it.

The creators of the Wildwood Tarot (Connections, 2011), Mark Ryan and John Matthews, are very clear in their view.  In the accompany book, they write that “The major element in this process [surviving inevitable change] is judgement of yourself and others.”, yet the word “judgement” doesn’t come up in their list of keywords.  “Karma” and “cosmic law” do, as does “inescapable truth”.  They do talk about renewal and rebirth, themes that are echoed in the image that Will Worthington has created for the card.  That idea of rebirth is also seen in the DruidCraft Tarot’s image (also by Will Worthington).

© The Great Bear

Wildwood Tarot

© Rebirth

Druid Craft Tarot

So yes, my challenger was right in saying that the card is about judging the self and others, but I think perhaps it depends on how we define “judgment” – and maybe I need to be clearer about that when I read!  (To be fair, the deck I was reading with, Kim Krans’ Wild Unknown Tarot, does focus on the forgiveness aspect, as I did in the reading.)  Kim Krans’ view is that the word carries such negative connotations – fear, guilt, shame – that it’s more helpful to seek the truth and forgive, not blame.  The image, the dove rising up above all the negativity (the darkness) and spreading its wings reflects that beautifully, I think.

© Judgement

Wild Unknown Tarot

Pollack, Rachel. Seeker: The Tarot Unveiled. Llewellyn Publications, 2005.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

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

Game of Thrones Tarot, created by Liz Dean, published by Home Box Office, Inc., 2017

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Universal Waite Tarot created by Mary Hanson-Roberts & Pamela Colman-Smith, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Wild Unknown Tarot, created by Kim Krans, published by HarperCollins, 2016.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Pisces in the Major Arcana

As usual, let’s start our exploration of Pisces in the tarot with the Major Arcana. The card associated with Pisces is the eighteenth one, The Moon.  That often comes as a surprise – you might think that The Moon in the tarot would be associated with the Moon in the sky, but no, confusingly, the Moon that orbits the Earth is linked to the High Priestess. 

XVIII The Moon  (trimmed):

© Druid CraftTarot

So why The Moon?  Well, let’s think back to what we know about Pisces. It’s the mutable Water sign, the sign that puts no boundaries on emotions and feelings, the sign that merges conscious with unconscious, that’s linked to compassion, sensitivity, all-encompassing love and nurturing... all qualities that have become associated with the Moon.  Often referred to as a psychic sign, Pisces is interested in exploring the soul, the psyche. It opposes Virgo on the axis of ‘service’ – while Virgo wants to be of use on a practical level, Pisces wants to be involved on the spiritual level.  Pisces can feel restricted by the ‘mundanity’ of everyday life; it wants to transcend this, and does so through dreams (the daydream variety or in sleep) as well as through creative expression and the imagination.  The Moon card, too, is linked to intense dreams and the power of the imagination.

Pisces floats through life, flowing with the tides – another link to the Moon. The gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun, combined with the effects of the rotation of the Earth, produce the rise and fall in sea level – the ebb and flow of the tides.  The Moon is also linked to cycles through its phases – new, waxing, full, waning, old.  

XVIII The Moon  (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

Depictions of The Moon card often show this – for example, we see in the Sharman-Burke/Caselli, the Druid Craft, and the Haindl decks the new, full and old, representing potential as unfulfilled (‘Maiden’), fulfilled (‘Mother’), and spent (‘Crone’) respectively. 

The Thoth’s Moon card shows us only the waning crescent moon, representing the journey into the depths of the soul, while the Shadowscapes’ Moon is a crescent suggestive of new birth - although there are two much larger, fuller moon-shapes behind it, which could represent the three phases. 

XVIII The Moon (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

The shadow side of Pisces can be a tendency to escape into a fantasy world, a world of illusion – which can also lead to addiction.  The Moon card is often associated with illusion – that things are not what they seem. 

Rachel Pollack, in her Seeker: The Tarot Unveiled (Llewellyn Publications, 2005) talks about ‘the passage through the unknown’, and how this can refer to actual journeys as well as inner ones. Either can be adventures, journeys of discovery – but both involve uncertainty.  Sometimes the uncertainty can make us feel a little ‘mad’ – bringing us to the link between the Moon and lunacy (‘luna’ being Latin for ‘moon’).  The dog and wolf (jackal and wolf, in the Thoth) often depicted in the Moon card represent the wildness, the animal instinct to howl at the moon, to run wild, the ‘madness’ that needs to be released, the unconscious.  Have you noticed how rarely people are shown in this card, only animals?

The Moon (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

Those animals can also symbolize irrational fears of 'creatures of the night' and of things unseen or hidden, lost or buried in memory.

We often see water in the Moon card, another link back to the water sign of Pisces.  In the Sharman-Caselli deck, the water in the image is the Pool of Forgetfulness, representing not only the unconscious mind but also the experiences we want to forget, or the things we fear (also symbolized by the crayfish/crab, which – half in water, half on land – symbolizes the feelings that are never allowed to be made conscious).  By accepting the fears, the ‘madness’, the uncertainty, we gain access to instinct, to our unconscious – the goal of Pisces!

18 The Moon (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

Water is also prevalent in the Wildwood Tarot's Moon on the Water. Here we have a Full Moon over a marshy landscape - this image makes me think of the Arthurian summerlands (perhaps because I live in that very landscape!).  The 'passage through the unknown', perhaps?  Again, more animal symbolism. The heron, a water bird, represents psychic ability as well as reflection - and there's plenty of reflection in the imagery! The heron also stands at the gateway between life and death, acting as mediator on the soul's journey to the  underworld. Or between conscious and unconscious? That makes me think of the jackals (or dogs, or wolves) in other images.   The horns of the aurochs represent the waxing and waning moon, as well as fertility - and there's the egg, waiting to be fertilized as we head towards Aries, the start of the astrological new 'year'.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

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

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Sagittarius in the Major Arcana (part 2)

There’s another card from the Major Arcana to look at while we’re in Sagittarius, and that’s the card that’s associated with the ruler of this sign. Jupiter rules Sagittarius; in the system of correspondences that I use, Jupiter is linked to the Wheel of Fortune.

Remember that Jupiter, the largest of the planets in our solar system, is composed almost entirely of gas.  When gas is heated, it expands – so Jupiter has come to represent growth and expansion, and from there, with generosity and benevolence (in astrology, the planet is referred to as the 'greater benefic'). There’s the link to the Wheel - changing fortunes.  Circumstances change; the wheel is constantly turning – things expand and contract, our fortunes rise and fall.

Wheel of Fortune (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

Jupiter was also known as Jove, giving rise to our word 'jovial'.  Jupiter has also come to be associated with good humour, despite also being the god of thunder!  All this good-hearted benevolence has become almost synonymous with Jupiter being linked to good fortune. This is accompanied by a sense of optimism, and faith in something ‘greater’.

Of course, when heat is removed from a gas, it contracts – Jupiter the planet can’t expand indefinitely or it would burst! This cycle of expansion and contraction of Jupiter is reflected in The Wheel.   Circumstances change; the wheel is constantly turning – things expand and contract, our fortunes rise and fall.

We often see Fortuna, the goddess of chance, in this card. Blindfolded, she turns the wheel of life, unable to see the consequences of each turn. Life is unpredictable, and it often seems we have no control over what fortune awaits us.  We can choose what action to take as we’re confronted with new situations, though, so it may not be completely out of our hands.  Events may appear to be random – but are they? And can we recognize the silver lining, the blessings in disguise – benefic Jupiter at work – when they do happen?

The Wheel  (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

In the Wildwood, we see the three herons representing the Three Fates, waiting for the robe to be completed – but we can affect what’s being woven into the fabric of life.  The robe carries symbols of life and death – the cycle of life that keeps on going, reminding us that nothing stands still – or if it does, it stagnates.  The warp of potential, the weft of possibility – that’s what we see in that unfinished garment.

Wheel of Life (trimmed):

© Margarete Petersen Tarot

Margarete Petersen’s Wheel of Life is a whirl of colour, spinning so quickly it’s hard to make out what might be caught up in it. A face appears to be behind it, at the top – it’s the only thing that doesn’t seem to be moving. A smaller circle of yellow-gold light sits in the centre; the source of the larger wheel, perhaps? The Sun? The larger circle spirals outwards, expanding – not unlike Jupiter’s expansion. In the accompanying book to the deck, Margarete Peterson’s words reflect the “these things shall pass” quality of other versions of the card. Having faith and trusting in the process, gaining wisdom (all linked to Jupiter, astrologically) as we do. 

Fortune (trimmed):© Thoth Tarot

And then there’s the Thoth. All that purple shrieks ‘Jupiter’ at me, purple being associated with royalty, among other things! The wheel has ten spokes, reflecting the number of the card in the Arcana. Three creatures are placed around the edge of the wheel. Sphinx, ape, and crocodile represent three Egyptian gods, and through them wisdom (Jupiter), ability to think clearly, flexibility, creativity – mutable qualities all linked to Sagittarius. All around are whirlwinds and lightning bolts (Jupiter being the traditional god of thunder and lightning, although Uranus took over rulership of lightning: electrical storms) – sudden, unexpected changes in fortune. (Although not astrological, the Hebrew letter Kaph, “palm”, also symbolizes the need to let the wheel turn freely, not being in control over what happens.)

The Wheel  (trimmed):

©  Druid Craft Tarot

In the Druid Craft we see a woman drawing a circle in the sand on a beach at the entrance to a cave, the sea in the background. Different image, but the same message - the circle represents the never-ending cycles of life and death, birth and re-birth, while the sea, with its natural ebb and flow represents the turning of the wheel in respect to our fortunes. The tide will come in and wash away the circle in the sand but it can be redrawn on the tide’s ebb. Trusting in the process, gaining wisdom throughout.

Wheel of  Fortune (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

The Shadowscapes' Wheel of Fortune depicts a sort of Celtic-knot pattern - something with no discernible beginning or end.  Again, it's about standing back and seeing the bigger picture - about not putting boundaries on everything but allowing things to expand and develop at their own pace. Let the wheel keep turning.

Of course, what comes up must go down – but the Wheel doesn’t indicate which way it’s turning; we rely on other cards in a reading to determine that.  When heat is removed from a gas, it contracts – Jupiter the planet can’t expand indefinitely!  Fortunes change.

Whatever the imagery in the card in front of us, we see a circle, a representation of the never-ending cycles of life and death, death and re-birth – and of our fortunes.  There’s no discernible beginning or end.  We have to stand back and see the bigger picture, taking the Jupiterian view.  We know that what goes up must come down – it’s all part of the cycle – but we have faith that the Wheel doesn’t stop there, but keeps on turning.

Wheel always turning

Happiness, sorrow, life, death

Trust in the process.

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my e-book, Astrology in Tarot, now available from Amazon.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

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

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA/Deep Books, 2004.

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Sagittarius in the Minor Arcana: The Eight of Wands

Moving on now to the Minor Arcana, in the astrological correspondence system that I follow, Sagittarius is linked to the Eight, Nine and Ten of Wands. Today I’m going to look at the Eight of Wands, which is linked to Mercury in Sagittarius, and corresponds to the first ten days of Sagittarius (this year, 22^nd November to 1^st December).

Sagittarius is the mutable Fire sign, so we’re looking at transforming what’s been established into something else.  It combines a fiery passion and creativity with the expansiveness and benevolence of Jupiter, the ruler of Sagittarius, to give us the visionary, the explorer, the philosopher.   

Eight of Wands (trimmed):

© Druid Craft Tarot

Mercury is associated with communication, so when linked with Sagittarius could indicate fast thinking, perhaps, or open and optimistic communication.  Ideas are probably more to do with long-term goals or aspirations towards an ideal. Getting bogged down by details seems unlikely, and there could be a sense of restlessness involved.  There might also be an interest in teaching others about what we’ve learned in our own journey. Tolerance and broad-mindedness are also qualities of this combination of planet and sign.

Mercury rules Gemini, the sign that sits opposite Sagittarius in the zodiac.  Opposing forces at work here, you might think.  Rather than buzz about pollinating local networks, Mercury is being challenged here to work on a much larger scale. Global rather than local. 

Eight of Wands (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot

So how might this play out in the Eight of Wands?  Let start with a relatively ‘traditional’ depiction of the Eight of Wands – as illustrated by the Sharman-Burke/Caselli (Beginners Guide to the Tarot) and Druid Craft decks. Here we see wands flying through the air, representing new directions and many opportunities or possibilities.  There’s plenty of space for ideas – represented by flames on the wands - to expand and grow.  The wands are in their element, literally, in Sagittarius.  Juliet Sharman-Burke uses the phrase ‘full steam ahead’ to describe this card; steam is a product of fire and water, taking me back to the idea of Temperance and alchemy! There’s a goal – maybe more than one – to aim for (the castle in the background representing hopes and wishes). The thing to be wary of here is that if the activity is so widespread, it’s possible that nothing will ever be completed! Focus that creative fire into fewer things.

Eight of Wands (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

The Shadowscapes version of this card shows the seeds of ideas being carried away on the wind – being communicated and transported in a Mercurial fashion. In the accompanying book, the deck’s creators write “the seeds spin away on the wild winds – at the mercy of entropy but sailing with the purpose nature bestowed on them... and then set down to ...become a mighty tree”.   For me, that sense of being taken wherever nature carries them reflects the Sagittarian expansion by Mercurial means!

Eight of Bows (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

In the Wildwood we have the Eight of Bows.  We see people gathered around a fire, celebrating, perhaps.  Here’s Mercury – gathering, communicating, and sharing with friends and neighbours.  This, to me, seems more about the aftermath of going out and achieving the Sagittarian quest, whatever it might be, rather than the wands being sent out through the air - although you could argue that there's plenty of "spreading the word" going on around the fire!

Eight of  Flames (trimmed):

© Margarete Petersen Tarot

Margarete Petersen’s Eight of Flames gives us a big cat – a cheetah perhaps, as it’s the fastest of all the felines – above and to the left of a figure with a bow and arrow. The bow reminds me of the Wildwood’s use of Bows in place of Wands…  The arrow hasn’t been released yet, so this might not be so much the end of the action, as in Waite-Smith-based images.  It could signify the sending of news, or maybe even reflecting on what releasing the arrow might manifest.

Eight of Wands (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

In the Thoth deck, the image is very different – yet the meaning is similar. The card carries the word ‘swiftness’, which we see in the images on the other cards; there’s a sense of those arrows flying at speed through the air.  Here the arrows are red (fire), shooting off in all directions. Communication is clear (the crystal), direct and honest, so that misunderstandings can be avoided or overcome.   Make sure you know where you stand, and that it’s clear to the world!

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my e-book, Astrology in Tarot, now available from Amazon.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

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

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA/Deep Books, 2004.

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Scorpio in the Major Arcana: Death

After dipping into the Minor Arcana – and the excitement of the Samhuinn Tarot Blog Hop! - let’s look at Scorpio in the Major Arcana.  Given what we know of Scorpio, it probably comes as no surprise that the card associated with Scorpio (in the system I follow) is ‘Death’.  Death, as in the end of a cycle – something that’s necessary in order to allow something new to grow and develop.  Not physical death, or at least, not necessarily. 

Traditional depictions of ‘Death’, number 13 in the Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, show us a knight in armour on a white horse, a king dead underfoot, a religious figure in its path, sometimes children.  The image in the Sharman-Burke/Caselli tarot (Beginners' Guide to the Tarot) is a variation on that theme; here the horse is black (the colour associated with death in some cultures), its rider a skeleton.  The skeleton’s headdress is a swaddling cloth, used at birth, reflecting the link between birth and death and the unending cycle of life. 

The skeleton carries an hourglass, reminding us that everything has its time. In the distance, we see a river – another reminder of the ongoing process of transformation, this time in the form of the hydrological cycle (the river water evaporates and forms clouds, the clouds rain, the water falls back to earth).  The boat is said to symbolize both the cradle and the coffin. In the foreground we see a raven, thought to be a harbinger of death in many traditions.  The theme is Scorpionic – transformation and change; endings linked with beginnings.

XIII Death (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

The skeleton with his scythe are also seen in the Crowley Thoth tarot’s version of ‘Death’.  He wears two faces here – one is that of the destroyer, the other that of the liberator – reminding us that in order to change, we may have to let go of things that hold us back, that no longer serve us.  The headdress of this skeleton is a funereal head-covering, used in ancient Egypt – a reminder of the need to bury old, out-dated, invalid ideas and beliefs so that new life can begin.  We see the scorpion at the bottom of the image, ready to sting, and the snake – perhaps THE symbol of transformation – ready to bite.  A fish, representing the past, swims through the serpent’s coils: is it the next victim?  Above it all, the phoenix, which can only rise from the ashes once the fire has consumed everything in its way. Intense? Oh yes!

XIII Death (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

The Shadowscapes Tarot also draws on the promise of renewal with its phoenix rising from the ashes of the devastation, the tearing down of what has been, ready for what’s to come.  It's one of the more 'optimistic' versions of the Death card, I think - the fiery-red phoenix, symbol of death and rebirth and life all in one, looks upwards and outwards towards what appears to be a sunny future... What do you think?

The creator of the Shadowscapes deck, Stepanie Pui-Mun Law, incorporates a lot of botanical symbolism in her images. Here we see irises, my favourite flower. These are also associated with death, through Greek mythology: Iris, goddess of the rainbow, would not only travel down to earth with messages from the gods, but also transported souls to the underworld.  

13 The Journey (trimmed):

© Wildwood Tarot

Deadly nightshade can also been seen here - an extremely poisonous plant, so associated with deception, danger, and death - as well as sumac, which (according to the Victorian language of flowers) says "I will survive the change". 

The Wildwood draws on different images of death, representing transformation.  In ‘The Journey’, Will Worthington has given us an image of the raven (considered to be a guardian of the dead, or guide to the otherworld) tearing flesh from a skull of a reindeer - a symbol of the stripping of life, and of the (re)cycling of life through death and birth; all 8^th house/Scorpio issues.  

Both the Druid Craft’s creators and Margarete Petersen have made reference to the Crone in their depictions of Death. There’s an element of looking backwards and forwards with the Crone-Hermit, and that ‘crone knowledge’ or wisdom associated with the Hermit is necessary in order to make the changes that Death demands. The serpent, representing transformation, is present in both images – in fact, in Margarete Petersen’s version, we see two serpents, one white, one black. There are links back to her High Priestess, Chariot, and even the Lovers in the way she’s used duality and opposites in her work. Her Death image is almost a mirror image: white serpent meets black serpent; Death, in the form of a cloaked skeleton, stands behind the white, earth-bound figure. Out of the dark comes light. A bit like the phoenix, then?

Death (trimmed):

© Margarete Petersen Tarot

XIII Death (trimmed):

© Druid Craft Tarot

If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my e-book, Astrology in Tarot, now available from Amazon.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

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

Margarete Petersen Tarot, AGM-URANIA/Deep Books, 2004.

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Wildwood Tarot created by Mark Ryan and John Matthews, illustrated by Will Worthington, published by Connections

Leo in the court cards

King of Wands (trimmed):

© Universal Waite Tarot

Different traditions have different astrological correspondences when it comes to the Court Cards. For instance, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn chose to assign cardinal attributes (initiating things) to the Queens, fixed (maintaining order) to the Kings, and mutable (being able to adapt and transform) to the Knights.  Each court card is also linked to the elements, with Pages with Earth, Knights being associated with Fire, Queens with Water, and Kings with Air.  Following this system, we end up with Leo being associated with the King of Wands (Fire of Fire).  It’s actually more complicated than that, though, as each court card ruling from 20° in one sign to 20° in the next.  This means that Leo is associated with the Knight of Pentacles (Fire of Earth) as well – but I stick to the card on the cusp of Leo, the King of Wands.

In this image from the Universal Waite Tarot, we can see symbols of the lion on the wall behind the King of Wands’ throne.  

King of Wands (trimmed):

© Shadowscapes Tarot

The Shadowscapes’ King of Wands contains lions too, representing the fierce pride of the king. He’s the alpha male, king of his pride, and not afraid to go after whatever he wants.  Confident, strong, bold – and graceful, too.

Prince of Wands (trimmed):

© Thoth Tarot

The Thoth deck follows the Golden Dawn convention, of course.  Instead of Kings, though, he chose to have Princes, just to confuse us – but we can see the power of the Sun, as Leo’s ruler, coming through in this image, not to mention the lion pulling the chariot. The Sun King rides!  Like the child, or children, in the Sun card, this figure is naked, symbolizing freedom and openness.  He feels no need for protection.  He holds a phoenix-headed staff in one hand, the phoenix being the bird that burns and rises from the ashes – another symbol of renewal, much like the child in the Sun card. Here we have the master of creativity – nothing standing in his way.  There’s strength here too – a combination of Strength and the Sun, if you like.

Queen of Wands (trimmed):

© Sharman-Burke/Caselli
Beginners Guide to the Tarot

Other decks follow a different convention. They keep the Knights as carriers of mutable qualities, but have the Queens taking on the ‘fixed’ attributes and the Kings the ‘cardinal’ ones.  This gives us the Queen of Wands as the Leo card.  That combination of fire and fixed-ness suggests a mix of fiery enthusiasm and optimism, but there are some boundaries this Queen won’t cross. She’s not going to take risks – not in the way that the roving, changeable Knight or the dynamic, ‘go-getter’ King might.  But she’s quite likely to be able to look after a number of things at the same time – she can compartmentalize very successfully, and can make herself available to whoever needs her.  And given all the mythology (see my previous post, ‘Leo in the Major Arcana’) linking women with lions, it feels appropriate that it should be the Queen, rather than one of the other Wands court cards, with the link to the sign of Leo!

Queen of Wands (trimmed):

© Druid Craft Tarot

In this image from Juliet Sharman-Burke's Beginners Guide to the Tarot, we can see lions decorating her throne, as well as a lion-coloured cat at her feet! 

Even in the Druid Craft tarot, which tends to follow a more druidic wheel of the year, the Queen of Wands has a rather lion-like cat under her throne... and although the Universal Waite’s Queen’s cat is black, those lions adorn her throne too.

Beginner’s Guide to the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections

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

Shadowscapes Tarot created by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn

Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Universal Waite Tarot created by Mary Hanson-Roberts & Pamela Colman-Smith, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.