FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: FOUR OF CUPS

Notes on: The Four of Cups

(Is That It?)

Artist’s Notes:
 
Having three of any of the material things we enjoy is a good thing for sure. Then we could have our best, our next best and our every day of that thing. Three cars can fit nicely between the car and the driveway after all and how many houses or sets of dishes do we need? After that, we may as well be a collector. Likewise, three drinks over the course of an evening may be pleasant but the fourth would make it difficult to drive home under one’s own power.
 
About the Archetype
 
Cups deal with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions. Fours express stability and the manifestation of the energy involved. In this case, our emotions are stabilized and at peace. Something new appears on the horizon. Do we accept it as one more thing or do we fully explore its potential? When we become too jaded to see each new thing that appears in our life, good and bad as a gift to be explored, appreciated, and integrated rather than something else to use and discard then we set ourselves up for frustration later on.
 
 
Astrological Correspondence:
Moon in Cancer – Cancer is the moon’s home and in this sign, each thing encountered makes its emotional impression and adds to the awareness. It is also an energy that is always looking for something more as the possible answer to its needs and can never be totally satisfied.
 
 
In a Reading:
When the four of cups occurs in a reading, it can indicate something new that has entered the life of the querent, usually of an emotional nature. It can be something as simple as advice. Will we listen to it or at least seek to understand how it may apply to us or will we throw it away as just one more in a series of things we have heard? Do we believe we have heard it all before or are we truly willing to listen?
 
When the four of cups shows reversed or badly aspected, it says that we have learned to use what is offered to us and to accept it in the spirit offered. It may also show that this has occurred out of necessity because everything that we have taken for granted has been seeping away.
–GAR
 
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
New boundaries formed while each faction began to set its roots. Powers that wanted influence sought to challenge each pillar. This would inevitably fail as they would see those who did far less gain their favour. Time was especially cruel in this. Great factions would be forced to watch as underdogs were turned into unfathomable monsters. Their numbers mattered little as they would be food for the ones they once oppressed.
 
Many of us see others overjoyed as they group up and travel together. It is only when we look away do they really have to face one of Time’s greatest lessons, Individuality vs Hive Mind. While we struggle to find ourselves we forget to realize that we have a will of our own. To have easy joy means it isn’t genuine. Who are you behind closed doors?
–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: THREE OF CUPS

Notes on: The Three of Cups

(Trine)

Artist’s Notes:
 
Each of them had come here separately and each had their own purpose in mind. Yet they decided to share what they had and found themselves forming a bond of friendship. There was now a shared joy and shared missions between these beings that were not felt in solitude.
 
Threes deal with accomplishment, fulfilment, and transmission of energy. In this case, the love that has been expressed overflows into a feeling of abundance. Two together can accomplish a lot. They can balance each other out and yet too often can find themselves stalemated. Bringing a third companion in can avoid that problem and accomplish so much more. When we are in the company of those we enjoy who share our purpose, there is little that we cannot do.
 
As in most friendships, there are shared commonalities and issues, yet also the basis for many a conversation. The astrological correspondence for this card (Mercury in Cancer) highlights empathy and compassion and while it remembers past wounds, can see past them enabling understanding.
 
 
About the Archetype:
 
Cups deal with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions. Threes deal with accomplishment, fulfilment, and transmission of energy.
 
In this case, the love that has been expressed overflows into a feeling of abundance. So often we think of our lives in terms of scarcity, what is missing and what we may never have. In reality, in this world there is abundance, having that which is needed. Being in the company of those we love, and having a good time, we realize this abundance
 
 
Astrological Correspondence:
 
Mercury in Cancer – Mercury and Cancer both elicit very personal sides of our emotions. We seem in tune with not only what is on the emotional surface of those around us but the undercurrents as well. Mercury in Cancer carries the emotional memory of everything that happens in a relationship but since it is in tune with it, there is not so much the bitterness of the past, but empathy as well. It is one thing to be in the first blooms of a friendship and be blind to the faults of those around us. How much deeper is the feeling of love and abundance with those we have known at their best and their worst and still share that love and good feeling? That is true abundance.
 
 
In a Reading:
 
In a reading, the Three of Cups may mean a time of enjoying companionship with friends and a time when we feel ourselves in tune with others. This card means quite often that we are allowing ourselves to feel loved and at peace and able to appreciate what comes our way.
 
 
Reversed or badly aspected the Three of Cups can mean that this feeling of camaraderie has disappeared or been blocked. There may be some disappointment or feeling of betrayal by a friend or that trust has been broken
–GAR
 
 
Chance’s Tail:
With the Dragon’s wisdom (the fish of time in Dragon form), the owl’s ability to journey between worlds and the pilgrim’s ability to pass among the masses, they could now help each other accomplish each other’s quest and thus lighten the load that each bore.
 

FOUR PILLASRS SOCIETY TAROT: TWO OF CUPS

Notes On: Two of Cups

(Elemental Unity)

Artist’s Notes:
 
As we move through our lives, we meet other travellers, each with their own qualities. The qualities we are most likely to see in them however are the ones that most closely either reflect our own or those of our shadow self that most of us suppress. This may seem like pop psychology yet I have found there to be more than a kernel of truth therein.
 
Quite often those we are most attracted to either as friends or romantic partners are not those with whom we are compatible but rather those who can teach us the most. It’s too bad so many of us need to experience some pretty hard lessons. If the lessons needed are mutually learned, then the couple may continue to grow together as each exhibits new qualities. Way too often, one partner develops ahead of the other only to find themselves unhappy with a relationship that once shone brightly. It takes commitment to be willing to wait for someone to catch up so that once again you can challenge each other.
 
Venus in Cancer is the astrological correspondent. While the surface level of this placement means bringing that love and relationship into the home, it is also very cautious. It is a precarious harmony that does not like to rock the boat and new relationships are practically guaranteed to do that.
 
About the Archetype:
 
Cups deal with our emotional nature including love, both that as in a relationship between two (and rarely more) people and that of friends and companions.
 
Twos deal with duality, subject and object. With the two of cups, another has appeared, the one has become two and together the two are greater than the sum of their parts.
 
This archetype is all about the harmonious energies that draw two beings together. s This card is about bringing together two opposites complete in themselves, who when combined can become something greater than the sum of its parts. Of course ultimately how they combine may depend on how well each is attached to his own being.
 
 
Astrological Correpondent:
 
Venus in Cancer –Venus in Cancer refers to the way many go into a love relationship. Even when it feels so right in so many ways, we get so traumatized by past misconnections that we feel cautious. Still, we wish to have this loving nurturing relationship and it is a strong one. Venus in Cancer wants to build a home together.
 
 
In a Reading:
 
In a reading, the Two of Cups often denotes a strong relationship that is usually at its beginning. If the relationship has been ongoing, it can mean a new beginning and strengthening of the relationship that wasn’t there before. It can also indicate meeting someone who has qualities that you are lacking in your own life that you need to learn to integrate. If it is in the past, it could mean that your relationship has moved beyond that fresh excitement of being new and shiny and now it is time for the work to begin
 
 
When the card shows up reversed or badly aspected in a reading, it can mean that something has gone wrong in the relationship that one is currently in. Distrust and Jealousy may have entered the picture and the partnership may be facing some challenges. Perhaps what each needed to learn from the other has played out or perhaps a new appreciation or beginning is needed.
–GAR
 
Chance’s Tail:
Narcissus became so caught up in his reflection that everything else became unreal. He rooted himself and became a flower that all would admire but none would identify with. It’s often much more rewarding to look at our reflection in the eyes of another and see the Nor-I and learn what we can for in the long run, it is not really a matter of I and Not-I but a matter of I manifest and I in shadow. Let’s become each other’s shadow puppets together and so learn what we’re missing.
 

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: ACE OF CUPS

Notes on: Ace of Cups

(Seed of Time and Water)

Artist’s Notes:
 
 
How do we measure the beginning of time? This was before the separation of the waters and all was time’s river with past, present and future existing together as one complete undifferentiated energy. When this seed came into existence time began and the waters flowed in duration. The present moment forever springs from the past and leads into the future.
 
With time, the beings that existed began to feel. They felt either pride, regret or acceptance of the past and hope or despair for the future. They loved or hated, rejoiced or feared. Only with time can our emotional natures develop.
 
Cups carry the idea of communion and community. How we deal with others (those mirrors of ourselves) can be an indication of how we deal with our own desires and needs. An old friend once gave me the key to understanding the difference between wants and needs. When we want something we are uncompromising. “I want it and I want it now. I want it this way, not that way!” When we need something, on the other hand, we are willing to get it any way we can. “I need it, I’ll do anything. It’s ok if it’s tainted just give me some now” Knowing this distinction has helped me a lot in my journeys and it is pertinent in relation to this suit.
 
The Element associated with cups is water. The element of water represents our emotional natures. Our moods tend to be tidal in nature with a constant ebb and flow. They can be calm and reflective or as stormy as a Tsunami.
 
About the Archetype:
 
The suit of cups in the tarot represents love and our emotional natures. How open are we to receiving that which is offered? What conditions do we place on love and how are we in a relationship? The ace of cups (like the other aces) is a seed that contains within it all of the healing and renewal that love can bring. How ready for it are we? Can we drink deep from the cup offered or do we reject it either because we mistrust what is offered or we fear where this new road can lead? The Holy Grail in Arthurian legend healed the land until it was misused and taken for granted. How willing are we to be healed?
 
 
Astrological Correspondent:
 
The Cups are linked with the element of water which represents the medium and currents through which our beings flow. It is the part of us most malleable and able to adjust and shape itself to its environment and thus the aspect that is most easily influenced by those around us. It contains the ebb and flow of our beings and moods, our tides, our hunger, and our satiety, our scarcity and abundance, our love and our hate. The three water signs are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces.
 
 
In a Reading:
 
When the Ace of cups, shows up in a reading, it may represent new love being offered. This can come from another or it can come from within. It often represents a new period of potential joy. It may also indicate new abundance or happiness coming into our lives.
 
 
When reversed or badly aspected, the Ace of Cups can indicate a blockage to this renewal. What is stopping us from accepting what is offered? What connection are we not allowing to happen?
–GAR
 
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
“The Fish of Time was formed right after the Dragon of Reality. She gave motion to a once-frozen frame. Though motion became her obsession none were as stubborn as her. She could heal any wound regardless of the form it took. Inevitably it is her motive to ensure reality evolved into something greater. Though that is where we stop for now after all you will heal in time regardless of which current you ride.”
 –NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: PRINCESS OF WANDS

Notes on : The Princess of Wands

(Chance’s Emanation)

Artist’s Notes
 
Early in our lives, we are open to wonder. The world is full of wonder and magic and we are exuberant. Somewhere around puberty most of us lose this ineffable quality though if we are lucky at various points, we regain it for brief moments and these moments spur us on through the adventurous times when we are willing to take a chance and experience something new.
 
Look at the Tiger Cubs and the silvery figure beside them and you will see this quality. Open yourself up to their words and their being and you may recapture that feeling as it prepares you for the next change in your life.
 
About the Archetype:
 
The suite of Wands deals with force-creative, spiritual, and vital and is associated with the element of Fire. Pages (or Princesses as they are called in many decks) represent the grounding or emergence of the energy involved. When we ground fire, we bring all the energy of the spirit into the physical.
 
The Page of Wands burns brightly with an amazing enthusiasm that quickly becomes infectious. He or She is full of ideas of where they want to be and what they want to be doing and they are constantly on the move. They have very little in the way of filters and will say anything especially if it will get a rise out of their audience but this is done with total guilelessness. The Page of Wands due to their charm is able to pull off saying and doing almost anything and their behaviour is unique to themselves.
 
Astrological Correspondent:
 
While the Aces are said to contain the seed of the element, the pages may be considered the medium in which the seed grows. Fire is spirit, inspiration and motivating force and is expressed through Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. Aries gives the instinct to push ahead, forging onward, Leo is the steady flame that expresses outward much like the plants on the ground and Sagittarius would show the flame’s expansiveness ever searching new areas to spread and grow.
 
 
In a Reading:
 
When the Princess of Wands shows up in a reading, it may mean that a younger person with lots of energy and a winning personality has entered our life It may also represent a time in our lives when we feel adventurous and are ready to try anything and everything especially if it is new. It is a protected time and one of the new beginnings and newfound freedom so we should go for it with confidence. The Page of Wands may also refer to some good news that has come our way.
 
When the Page of Wands turns up reversed, it may mean that our steps towards exploring new possibilities have faltered a bit as we encounter some obstacles. It may represent a time of indecision and lack of confidence in ourselves. Perhaps the situation has proven to be a bit more complex than we led ourselves to believe and we need to cut back a bit and take simpler baby steps on our new route. It is important tho that we continue to keep moving forward however to avoid giving up on ourselves and our direction totally.
 
The Page of Wands reversed or badly aspected may also represent someone in our environment who is raging because they haven’t gotten his or her own way. This person may have much less depth than we thought and may be seeking to blame others for their difficulties as they find it impossible to believe that they could be at fault.
 
–GAR
 
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
When you are a child,  the Tiger you are taught early on how to harness madness. When drowning in the seas of insanity it is since or swim. Those who can’t hold paradox are the ones who are consumed while those who can are reborn with their aura of causality.
In our youth, there are times we are expected to uphold the values of the figure who raised us. Some drown and end up being labelled as failures, while others are held in the limelight for swimming. This does not define the pool as healthy or unhealthy though. You don’t always have to swim to be something. Failure teaches more than any amount of victory. So decide what values you want to swim in.
–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: PRINCE OF WANDS

Nots on: The Prince of Wands

(Chance’s Archer)

Artist’s Notes
 
Of all the court cards, the Prince of Wands is the most charismatic. He effortlessly entices people into breaking their own codes just to prove he can do it then he will turn around and help you to reinvigorate your ethical code in a more robust fashion. He is creative and fierce and he will constantly get you to improve your game even if it is only to keep up. He is portrayed as a centaur and he will ruthlessly end up with whatever or whoever he is hunting
 
 
About the Archetype:
 
The suite of Wands deals with force-creative, spiritual, and vital and is associated with the element of Fire. Princes deal with the transmission and the endurance of the energy, the result of the union of the King’s Force and the Queen’s generative and nurturing of the energy. He combines the spirituality intrinsic to Wands with the quality of intellect inherent to the Princes. He is generous and honourable yet mischievous and tormenting. He is swift in movement and in his interests and his energy can cover a lot of diverse ground very quickly. He has an amazing and constant sense of humour and sees the funny side to just about anything and while he may seem cruel in his jests he is seldom ill-intentioned. Due to his innate ability to read others, he can often sense just how far he can take the joke without going overboard. He is romantic and loves to be exposed to anything that is novel and new including cultures and beliefs. At his worst, he will descend into cruelty and sadism and leave behind scorched wreckage in his wake.
 
Astrological Correspondent:
 
21° Cancer – 20° Leo Elemental: Air of Fire – This combination of Cancer and Leo qualities could be seen as a mystical extrovert. Ever able to create spiritual connections and then communicate them outward. He would have a love and appreciation of beauty but due to his ability to see beyond the surface, he would be able to perceive beauty where others would not. He may be seen to have many ideas that are extreme and unusual in nature tho due to his charismatic nature he will always have people who will listen to him. He is not without empathy yet it is one that is used to call more attention to himself.
 
 
In a Reading:
 
The Prince of Wands in a reading can often refer to a person or energy who is going to change your world ofttimes in a very literal sense. This card can often signify a change in residence or environment. It often refers to an energy that springs into your life with little or no warning. This energy is often difficult to resist so it is best to let ourselves get swept up into things so that they can be taken care of in the best way possible. The Prince of Wands can also refer to a new project that we should approach with lots of enthusiasm but not so much that we lose sight of the objectives. With this energy, honest and realistic communication oft becomes a necessity
 
When the Prince of Wands turns up reversed or badly aspected in a reading, it can mean that things have gone awry and are in a state of confusion. It may mean that we have been expecting things around us to fall into place and have become thrown when we have not met with the cooperation that we have been expecting. Usually, this happens when we have failed to pay attention to details. The Reversed Prince of Wands may also mean that we find ourselves facing unexpected delays
–GAR
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
Among the armies that swear loyalty to the Pillars, the Tigers are some of the greatest warriors for generational wars. Each volley of the arrows inspires a myriad of emotions of ideas in all they strike warping myths and rewriting wronger survivors. They offer a second chance to those who are out of place for their era and offer refuge to the artisans who were not recognized for their genius.
 
Safeguarding another’s dreams can be a daunting task. Much failure awaits as those who hold the dreams fall over and over. Many will blame you for not helping but they have yet to take the hand you have offered. Be patient as they walk they will come around when they finally understand. When the last bow is fired be there to offer that refuge they need as well as a hug to comfort the wounds they are still licking.
–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: QUEEN OF WANDS

Notes on: The Queen of Wands

(Her Fiery Inspiration)

Artist’s Notes:
 
Here is a woman who could very well inspire by her sheer presence but then you get swept into the torrent of her passion and creativity and you are lost. You will write sonnets to her intensity and burn to know her deeper. You will seek to express what she awakens in you in any way that you can and yet it will never fully capture her essence or her temper.
 
Yet her energy and her appearance will be different for all because no two of us are inspired in the same way or by the same mixture of traits. Yet more than anything she belongs to herself. Does she know what she inspires and does it matter?
 
 
About the Archetype:
 
The suite of Wands deals with force-creative, spiritual, and vital and is associated with the element of Fire.
 
The Queens are the receptive and nurturing form of energy. The Queen of Wands is a creative and enticing muse. She can adapt to almost anything and appreciates a life lived to its fullest. She is generous and kind though she is very used to having her own way through sheer presence. When she is opposed she can become quite vicious especially once she has a chance to brood on it. She is great in crisis situations due to her unflappability and take-charge attitude.
 
Astrological Correspondence:
 
21° Pisces – 20° Aries
Elemental: Water of Fire
 
The influence of the third decan of Pisces gives the Queen of Wands a visionary quality and the drive to be recognized tho a bit of cognitive dissonance between the world imagined and the world lived in.
 
The influence of the first two decans of Aries gives the drive to constantly push forward and be at the forefront. The Queen of Wands also gets the quality of attraction from this influence and relentlessness for the world around her to acquiesce to her vision of it and a combination of dismissal and depression when it does not.
 
As the combination of Water and Fire, that she is, the Queen of Wands may be a study in contrasts, generous and impatient, lively but with a tendency towards brooding and depression, and good-humoured except when crossed.
 
In a Reading:
 
When the Queen of Wands shows up in a reading, it may refer to someone who is willing to nurture us in our artistic and generative capacities. This may be someone who will either inspire us or give us good advice. It may refer to a time in our life when we are more inspiring than we are steadfast or loyal and our patience may possibly be tested by those around us. It may refer to a time of crisis in which we are keeping our heads and helping others or we have someone around willing to take charge for us.
 
The Queen of Wands reversed or badly aspected in a reading may be speaking about someone who has been unfaithful to us. It can also refer to a time in our lives when we have had way too much put upon us and while normally good in a crisis, we are losing it out of frustration. This may refer not to ourselves but to someone in our environment. This card may also refer to someone who is possessive and controlling, vindictive, and/or unable to trust.
–GAR
 
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
What does it take to be betrothed to the Tiger? Many have asked and to answer is as simple as it is annoying to grok. Mama Wang was a very treacherous but practical Kitsune. Said to have the ability to fool even the most insightful of beings. A mistress who mastered the arts of contracting that she gain great renown. After she sought to fool the Tiger it became a trap they both fell for. She became bound to him when she could predict his aura and he got a wife almost overnight.
 
It would take aeons before she would resurface but when she did she understood the flow and ebbs of creation. What she did to learn it is still questioned but regardless she became the ideal wife of the Tiger.
 
This may make little sense but what does when you have the Tiger in question? For one who understood the true passion and the emotions of those she fooled, she achieved a balance of what it meant to harness those opposing forces. When you see this card it is a time to understand your passions and the emotions impacting those around you. What means more to you? Your goals or the well-being of those around you?
–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: KING OF WANDS

Notes on: The King of Wands

(Rule of Chance)

Artist’s Notes:
 
It’s not so much that this King inspires as it is that he is the very force of inspiration itself. When we hear a line in a speech that changes our whole way of viewing things we feel his touch. His is the chaotic life-changing influence that hits and transforms us and then leaves us to either run with it or grind to a halt. He himself is onto other things.
 
It is a chaotic spark yet exactly what we need when we find ourselves stuck without purpose.
 
 
About the Archetype:
 
The suite of Wands deals with force-creative, spiritual, and vital and is associated with the element of Fire.
 
Kings are the leaders, the shakers, the initiatory force or person that gets things moving and are associated with the element of Fire.
The King of Wands is someone who will gladly sweep you along in his path. He will pull you along on adventure after adventure and after you encounter him you will see life in a totally different way. He is a leader and wants everyone to come along on his journey. You may easily find yourself consumed by his intensity. He may not follow the adventure through to the end or want to stick around very long before beginning a new endeavour. His inspiration is likely to be in the area of spirituality, teaching, challenging and infuriating those he encounters with both his brilliant insights and his brutal putdowns of those with whom he disagrees. At his worst, the King of Wands can be quite intolerant of the views of others with a cruel and bigoted streak. Despite these tendencies tho, the King of Wands is difficult to dislike as we all tend to be drawn towards his bright flame.
 
He has amazing ideas even if he hasn’t laid the groundwork for them and lacks the steadfastness to follow them through to the end. Given the intellectual bent that this artist gives him, his inspirations may ‘work on paper’ but not quite as well when it comes to outside reality. He will be on to something else fast enough.
 
Astrological Correspondence:
 
21° Scorpio – 20° Sagittarius Elemental: Fire of Fire
The Court cards according to the Golden Dawn among other sources have a corresponding influence that goes from the third decan of one sign through the second decan of the next.
 
Thus the King of Wands has a Scorpio influence that gives him his strong will and generous and caring nature that tempers his Sagittarius love of adventure and impetuosity.
 
The King of Wands therefore will care deeply about whatever adventure he is currently engaged in and then in a lightning flash will switch to another endeavour of which he is equally passionate
 
In a Reading:
 
Quite often when the King of Wands shows up in a reading, it refers to someone who is very creative and intense and who carries us along in his (or her) wake. It may also mean that these are qualities that we need to find within ourselves during this period of our lives. This energy is visionary and conceptual rather than detail-oriented. If this refers to a person in our lives, it may be someone who is expecting us to take care of the details while they do the creative work.
 
When the King of Wands shows up reversed or badly spect, we may be encountering someone who cannot see beyond their own vision. They may be selfish, greedy, bad-tempered and bigoted not wishing to either share credit or see value in the ideas of others. It may also mean that we have temporarily lost sight of our objectives and are not listening to others.
–GAR
 
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
Some would say the chaos bows to no being. While this is only half true the other half is just as scary. All that is chaos is born to hoot, holler, bow, and sneer at the being that gave birth to it. Completely unhinged and mad by nature his only concern is if it is functional. Societies have fallen by the absurd success of the ideas he has inspired. The purest for chaos can take he rules under many names but most notable by his siblings he is simply the Tiger.
 
The spark of life for us is a flame of life for him to ignite the world around him. Nothing functions as it should around him as he pops around. the laws of casualty fall to ruin in his presence as he shows that passion unbridled is a great thing harness to control your reality.
 
When you see this card it means to burn with all your might. Take your passion and grasp what you want to happen. Create the change that you desire regardless of how others feel. and those who survive the fires and ruins… well they are worth keeping. So burn while it lasts it won’t be long.
–NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: TEN OF WANDS

Notes on: The Ten of Wands

(Bearing the Weight)

Artist’s Notes:
 
The ant carries home, the biggest piece of food that he can find. So eager is he to be able to satisfy his queen and his colony, he fails to notice how heavy his burden is. Still, it is not only his job but his reason for being and it is said that ants can carry ten times their weight. Too bad, this chip is at least twice that. He could give it up and find a smaller piece or put it down and make it smaller but for him, duty has outlasted reason and functionality. Still, if he is successful, he will be a hero.
 
 
About the Archetype:
 
The suite of Wands deals with force-creative, spiritual, and vital. Tens show the ultimate completion of the energy involved leading ultimately to a new beginning. Here the creative spirit and force have no new battles to be won. The creative work has been accomplished. All the burdens we’ve taken on are there but none of the challenges that have brought us here. Our routine has become a burden to us and in many cases, it has made us bitter towards those around us adding still more to the burden. If only we could lay everything down (throw it away or even let it collapse) and just take off to when every day was new and unexpected and we had to work for everything. But no, we tell ourselves, we have responsibilities. We know this can’t go on forever and that one way or another it will collapse but even though we may be happier if we did, we dutifully stave it off as long as we can.
 
 
Astrological Correspondence
 
Saturn in Sagittarius – This energy takes itself very seriously. It works hard and wishes to provide for others especially when it comes to imparting knowledge. It is resistant and slow to change. Saturn in Sagittarius has a strong sense of duty and can appear rather humourless at times. It can paint itself into a corner with its own logic but it will stay in that corner believing that to adopt a different viewpoint would be to abandon that in which it had always believed.
 
 
In a Reading:
 
When the Ten of Wands turns up in a reading it often means that we have taken too much on ourselves and find ourselves unwilling or unable to drop anything. Eventually, if our burden is not lightened, we will collapse under the weight of what we have to get done. Sometimes when this card occurs it is more of a feeling of being overwhelmed than a fact that we cannot do what is expected of us. Quite often this card tells us to drop what we are doing if only for a moment, step back and see whether there is really something that we can delegate to someone else.
 
The Ten of Wands reversed or badly aspected in a reading may mean that the oppression has been lifted and the responsibilities are seen through. Will we dive right back into the fray and overburden ourselves again or will we have learned from the situation? The reversed Ten of Wands may also mean that the burden has been increased to the breaking point where if something isn’t lifted off of our shoulders, it will soon become disastrous.
–GAR
 
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
In the words of Taoism:
“The excess of anything can become a poison of your own undoing.”
The more burden we take as we walk the stronger we become. There comes a point when enough is enough though. When we need to sit down and look at all we carry and deem what needs to be left behind. This can be difficult at times, especially when you have emotional ties to these burdens. Though it is important to remember that you are only one person and can only carry so much. It is better to make room for better things as you go along, however, you must drop that which no longer serves you. This could be a relationship, habit, or even an impending addiction. Just know the more you carry, the more you are held back.
 –NF

FOUR PILLARS SOCIETY TAROT: NINE OF WANDS

Notes on: The Nine of Wands

(Watchful)

Artist’s Notes:
 
The warrior has fought and won many battles. He has grown older and more bloodied over the years and all those he fought for have prospered. Now he stands ever on guard to ensure that they continue to do so. He tends his garden like the fighter he is.
If there are times when he is a bit too quick to react, he is blameless. Too often his reactions were all that forestalled disaster for his tribe. Now even though it is a time of peace, he remains ever on guard.
 
 
About the Archetype:
 
The suit of Wands deals with force-creative, spiritual, and vital. The Nines represent a coming to completion of the energy involved if not the completion itself. This energy has been through almost its whole cycle of manifestation. It has seen conflicts and resolutions and though weary it is ready for anything that comes its way. Tho after encountering conflict and emerging victorious do we forever after have the expectation of conflict somewhere in our minds. Are we perhaps too ready to see everything as a conflict? Perhaps or perhaps we have come to a healthy point where we see everything that comes our way positive or negative as being a challenge. The difference between a conflict and a challenge is that while conflict always needs to be met with either greater conflict or surrender, a challenge takes much more flexibility and fluidity.
 
 
Astrological Correspondence:
 
Moon in Sagittarius – This energy is both competitive and adaptable. It is not a laboured one that thoroughly plans its every move but one that changes to fit every contest. It grows impatient when held to any plan. The Moon in Sagittarius is optimistic and its optimism carries it through no matter what it may encounter. It is a very at-the-moment energy and will always forge its own unique path even if it’s not willing to stick around and take responsibility for debris in its wake afterwards.
 
 
In a reading:
 
When the Nine of Wands shows up in a reading, there may be an indication that it is time to marshal our strength and be in readiness for conflict. It may also mean that we are ready to take on any challenge that may come our way and be able to meet it fully. The Nine of Wands may also mean that we are involved in a contest for the ‘thrill of the game’ rather than to gain anything specific. This card often speaks of a great struggle, depending on where it comes in the reading, it is either ongoing, in the past or about to start. In any case, it is a challenge that will be well met.
 
The Nine of Wands reversed or badly aspected in a reading may show that we are being over-cautious and hyper-vigilant. We may have been preparing ourselves for a great battle for so long that we have grown rigid and unyielding and jumped at shadows. It can mean that we need to become vulnerable for a while so that we can once again be ready to engage with proper and flexible readiness.
–GAR
 
 
Fate’s Whisper:
 
It is rare when the Tiger slows his step. Some have seen him deem petty artists great threats and in doing so blessed them with his creativity so he may further his growth. Many immortals speculate on how effective this method of growth has been for them as the result are never consistent. This urge has led to the great works such as Alice in Wonderland, the Mona Lisa, and many more. The more others threatened his creative standing the wilder he became.
While we may not be the Tiger it is important to establish where you stand in your life. Define what you are good at and why as this will reduce unneeded paranoia. Our time and skill cap is only as the time and effort we spend honing it. All in for a year can make someone just as good as decades of experience that was used haphazardly. The most important part though is to stay in your lane as this will bring the best success.
  –NF