This year I’m going to do the astrology in
tarot thing a bit differently... I’ve been working with the Druidcraft, so
thought I’d see how – or if – the astrological associations work with this
deck. The Druidcraft follows – obviously
– Druid traditions, and was not created with astrology in mind. Instead it focuses on the elements and the
seasons. Some of that may link to
astrology – some of it may not. We’ll
see!
I’m starting off with a dip into the Minor
Arcana. In the astrological
correspondence system that I follow, Aries is linked to the Two, Three and Four
of Wands. Today I’m going to look at the Two of Wands, which corresponds to
Mars in Aries, and to the first ten days of Aries – so from the 20th–29th
March.
Aries is the first of the three Fire signs
encountered in the zodiac, bringing drive and passion to the creative
process. It’s also thought of as
‘masculine’, or ‘active’ – ‘yang’ energy.
Aries is also the first cardinal sign we meet - so we’re looking at fiery
active creativity, some new project that’s about to be initiated.
Mars rules Aries, so is very much at home
here. Mars brings determination and
drive to Aries – the love of battle, the need for challenge, the longing for
adventure. The passion, the emotion – which could mean a certain hot-headedness
or impatience! The combination of Mars
and Aries gives us the pioneer, the explorer, the initiator. It can also
indicate a flair for starting a new business – the Wands are often associated
with entrepreneurship.
So how might this play out in the Two of
Wands in the Druidcraft? The imagery
here is not unlike the more ‘traditional’ Rider-Waite-Smith-based decks – a man
standing between two staffs (or is that staves?). When I look at this image, it seems to me as
if the figure is using the staffs to balance himself, much as walkers use walking
poles. Yet he’s upright, suggesting that
he’s only at the start of his journey.
He’s in command of himself, in control – very Mars-like!
The two staffs/staves, or wands, are said
to represent hope and fear – with the figure standing between them; we need to
balance hope and fear so that one doesn’t override the other. We don’t want to be swamped by fear, but at
the same time, we need some element of caution as we set off! It’s about maintaining
a sense of equilibrium.
So, yes, it seems to me that there is an
element (oh, sorry, no pun intended) of Fire-y Mars in Aries here!
Druidcraft Tarot created by Philip Carr-Gomm and Stephanie Carr-Gomm, illustrated by
Will Worthington, published by Connections
