(i) Five of Wands YouTube Video

My new YouTube channel is:Thoth Tarot Videos. The video presentation for the 5 of Wands can be accessed by clicking on the image below:

(ii) Thoth Five of Wands

In the Five of Wands we have 5 staffs on a strong yellow background.  Leo was Aleister Crowley’s Ascendant and so he has incorporated much symbolism in this card.

(iii) Rider Waite Five of Wands

The 5 men raise their wands (direct their energy) in different directions. They are all dressed differently, expressing their individual cultures and backgrounds. 

Thus their energies to not complement one another unlike the image below:

(iv) Comparisons of Thoth and Rider Waite Fives

It can be seen in the Thoth Deck we have, reading left to right: ‘Strife’, Disappointment’, ‘Defeat’ and ‘Worry’.

For the Rider Waite Deck, reading left to right, we have the wands opposing each other, a sorrowful man, a defeat and people out in the snow for the final card

All cards from both decks are therefore challenging. In order to see why, we can look no further than their numerology

 

(v) Numerology of the Five of Wands

Here we have the Tetractys again, with the 5th point being at the centre of the triangle:

However, the above cards show that there is an inherent stability in the fives for tarot. If we look at the diagram below, we can see that the number 5 is the pivotal point for 9 marbles.

 

Pythagoreans taught that each additional digit (after one, the MONAD) represented an additional DIMENSION.  In the previous card we had the tetrad with 3 dimensions. In the 5 of Wands, we add another dimension to the tetrad called MOTION:

The tetrad in the four of wands is therefore STATIC, hence we have a closed energy system in ‘Completion’.

As the tetrad in the 5 has motion it must also have the properties of time, so putting these concepts together we have the 5 being about change and instability.

In the 80s series ‘V’, clandestine militants to the army were called the 5th column, and this term has also been used in history to refer to traitors within a group or army which are acting to overthrow what they are supposed to support.

From the above we can conclude that 5 represents instability of the norm.

 

(vi) Five of Wands,the Tree of Life & Four Worlds

The Tree of Life

The Five of Wands, as are all the other fives of the minor arcana, is associated with the fifth Sephiroth GEBURAH ruled by Mars.

VIRTUE: Energy. Courage.
VICE: Cruelty. Destruction.

SYMBOLS: The Pentagon. The Five-petalled Tudor Rose. The Sword. The Spur.
The Scourge. The Chain.

It is the second sephiroth of the ETHICAL TRIANGLE, and is opposite to Chesed in its action:

 

Geburahs energy can be counterbalancing to Chesed, for example:

• Surgery is the cutting away (Geburah) of a tumour growth (Chesed unbalanced) which can be lifesaving.
• The trimming of a workforce (Geburah) which is too big for the economic climate (Chesed).
• Catabolic (breaking down) body processes (Geburah) and anabolic (building up) body processes (Chesed).

The destructive forces of the sphere of Geburah are intended to have a purging & cleansing effect on the Universe.

Geburah is seemingly destructive in its nature. Thus the fives all prove very challenging as it challenges and disrupts the stability or stagnancy of the fours.

 

 

The archetypal images for Chesed is a king on a throne such as the Emperor in the Major Arcana. His Kingdom at peace, and therefore rules for the greater good, passing laws and governing the moral conduct of society. Ruled by Jupiter, Chesed is expansive with discernment, an ideal outlook for a king at peace.

 

 

 

 

 

The archetypal image for Geburah is the King as the Charioteer, similar to the Chariot of the Major Arcana, with the colour red in the card symbolising motion under the influence of Mars.

 

 

 

 

 

The Four Worlds

The Five of Wands is associated with Geburah in Atziluth or the first of the four worlds. We have the fire of Leo in the card itself strengthened by the fire and purity of Atziluth. Crowley also states (see below) that the main energy for this card comes from a superior source, and so the fact we have this upheaval in the divinity of the first world means that we can imply that something may be teaching us a lesson for our own good (development).

 

(vii) Astrology of the Five of Wands

Decan : 1st Decan (0 – 10°) of Leo ruled by SATURN

Saturn in Leo

Saturn and Leo are uncomplimentary to each other on as Leo wants to be creative and express itself whilst Saturn is cold, dense and wants to set boundaries and limits.

Leo is a fire sign in the suit of fire (wands) and added to by the fire of Mars ruling the 5th Sephiroth Geburah. Saturn tries to dampen down all this.

Saturn also opposes the swiftness of mercury (associated with the caduceus) and the expansiveness of Jupiter (associated with the Main Wand).

In summary, the astrological energies of this card are in DISCORD.

 

(viii) Symbolism of The Five of Wands

We will look first at the three different types of Wand in this card. The image below shows the actual wands used in Golden Dawn Rituals:

 

Main (Central) Wand: the wand of the Chief Adept. This is the caduceus & is linked to Chesed, hence the 4 wings on the staff. It has the authority of Jupiter (which rules Chesed) Crowley states:

” The symbol represents the wand of the Chief Adept, showing that the authority is derived from the superiors; were it not so, this card would be thoroughly disastrous” (BOT, P191)

Phoenix Wands = the wand of the Major Adept. They represent the purification through destructive energy as if as a phoenix rising out of the ashes represents something new. They are orange/red on the shafts, the energy of Geburah in Atziluth (Fire) & blue in the heads representing water, again giving us an elemental discord. They have purple wings = mix of fire and water.

 

Lotus Wands = wands of the Minor Adept. They are first seen in the 3 of wands and represent the feminine principle. We are also on the feminine pillar of severity on the Tree of Life so we would initially think that this is a very masculine card but that is not so. They have blue shafts representing their relationship to water, however their lotus heads are PURPLE (a mixture of Blue and Red) and hence we have discord of elements.

Finally with respect to the Wands,the Phoenix wands face the Lotus wands as if in conflict (compare with the 6 & 7 of Wands):

 

Seal on Caduceus = 7 pointed Star of Babylon combined with the Mark of the Beast (which is also in the Ace of Disks & Prince of Wands) represents the phallus inside the womb. Bringing forth the idea of positive and negative (opposites) in the card, wings and serpents, fire and water etc.

Caduceus also is the Wand of Mercury in the Magus Card = AIR (the result of fire and water as per the Tetragrammaton)

Serpents = union of opposing forces (as in the Two of Disks), yin & yang & they wear the crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt, the principle here being that these 2 parts of Egypt merged to become one.

From the above examples of discord and unity, the message it is conveying with respect to the divinatory meaning is one of conflict to eventually produce balance and growth in the individual, but this process can be traumatic.

 

10 flames from junction of the wands = a reference to the 10 of Wands (Oppression) when Saturn completely dominates the suit of fire. The 5 of Wands too much fire for that to happen (Leo being the strongest Fire Sign, Phoenix Wands & Mars ruling Geburah). We see the image for the 10 of Wands below where Saturn dominates:

 

 

Crowley says the destructive energy of the five of Wands comes from the feminine and not the masculine. He states:

“While (Geburah) represents all of this tameless irrational energy and disturbance,.. it derives from the benign and gentle influence of the feminine.”  (BOT, p191)

He encourages us to look through history and different cultures to find examples:

 

1. Lion Goddess PASHT (Egyptian) (also spelt Pasht) 

 

Meaning ‘she who scratches’ is a lioness goddess of war.

 

 

 

 

2. “Shakti” (Tibetan)

 

 

Seen as a whole, she represents the sacrificial nature of manifest existence, The Goddess gives birth and she sustains her creatures, but she also brings life to an end. She reminds us that created life is transitory and ultimately must be transcended.

 

 

 

 

3. “Kali” (Hindu)

Kali’s most common four armed image shows each hand carrying  a sword, a trishul (trident), a severed head, and a bowl or skull-cup (kapala) catching the blood of the severed head.

Two of these hands are holding a sword and a severed head. The sword signifies divine knowledge and the human head signifies human ego which must be slain by divine knowledge in order to attain Enlightenment. The hand holding the trident is in a mudra.

A mudrā (muːˈdra; “seal”, “mark”, or “gesture”) is a symbolic or ritual gesture performed by the hands, often used in practicing Hinduism and is a spiritual gesture that acts as an energy seal. Mudras have been used for thousands of years to assist in meditation and/or healing.

 Kali’s Initiates (or anyone worshipping her with a true heart) will be saved as she will guide them in this life and beyond.

 

 

(ix) Quotes from Book of Thoth

“In the Naples Arrangement, the introduction of the number 5 shows the idea of motion coming to the aid of that of matter.. the result is a complete upset of the statically stabilized system. Now appear storm and stress.This must not be regarded as something evil” (p180)

 

 

(x) Transition from Four to Five of Wands

Inherent in the stability of the four,what we have worked hard to accomplish, is the fact that one day we will outgrow the limitations of what we have built. The 5 is the 4 in motion as mentioned above, and so what we thought was our security becomes threatened by the constant changes of life and within ourselves.

 

(xi) Shemhamphorasch Angels of The Five of Wands

Vehuaiah: Divine will, creative fire. Success for all new creation. Sets a model and example for others. Renewed energy that heals depression. Courage, audacity, bravery. When negative, triggers dispute, anger, intervention, violence, loss of direction, imposition of one’s will.

Jeliel: Love, wisdom. Reliability. Settles dispute or conflict. Altruistic. Calm inner turmoil. Powerful use of words that inspire calm. Unifies opposite principles. Negatively aspected, means separation, divorce, tyranny, perverse behaviour, corruption.

 

(xii) Divinatory Meanings of The Five of Wands

Five of Wands Upright

 

This card will often come up when someone is very unhappy with a situation in the workplace.For example there could be a personality clash with somebody else; or perhaps the stresses of the job are a burden, hence we feel overwhelmed at the number of tasks our job entails and we feel we are sinking under the responsibility placed upon us.

Often in this situation there’s a tendency toward rashness decision making which does not resolve the problem.

The card can also represent Inner Strife where we are looking at decisions we have made which may test our conscience. Have we done things for the best of reasons, are we acting ethically to our highest standards? 

Strife within a relationship where one or both parties act in a way which diminishes their self-respect and the outcome can be very damaging.

The Five of Wands can point to workplace competition where you are up against a number of people of similar quality or experience as you. You may not be used to having to compete with others just yet, as you have built your success on your own. It is like the top student who excels at university, only to enter the workforce with a number of other high-performing individuals and is forced to compete for the top spot. Fight the tendency towards frustration, anger and prejudice.

The Five of Wands also encourages diversity and differences of opinion (see Rider Waite Card). You may be in a situation where you are dealing with people from different cultures and backgrounds, and may be struggling with accepting their way of living. Know that each person has something unique to bring to the table and that you will actually benefit by learning more about them and what they have to offer.

 

Five of Wands Reversed

 

A long period of feeling overwhelmed by our responsibilities in the workplace,now affecting our mental health.

Constantly comparing ourselves to others and feeling inferior. A reminder to love yourself more.

You have a tendency to avoid conflict wherever possible. You may find that any sort of tension or conflict makes you feel quite uneasy and you wish it would just go away. Consider whether always avoiding conflict and stressful situations is the best way to go, or if you are finding yourself just compromising on what is important to you.

Unable to work with others and see their point of view.

Having someone force their opinions on you; being bullied.

 

 

(xiii) Five of Wands & The Celtic Cross Spread

Card 1: (Heart of Your Situation) – Feeling weighed down by too many responsibilities at work.

Card 2: (Obstacles/Challenges) – Relationship quarrels which seem to never resolve.

Card 3: (Subconscious Influences) – Comparing yourself to others and feeling inferior. The need to love/accept yourself more.

Card 4: (Recent Past) – a job in which you did not get on with your boss or work colleagues. Unable to show your true worth.

Card 5: (Hopes & Goals) – Feeling empowered and being yourself again. Able to hold your own and not be intimidated by people who try to put you down.

Card 6: (Immediate Future) – If you experience difficult situations, try to see it as a learning process and take the positive growth aspect from it, whilst maintaining your integrity.

Card 7: (Internal Self at this Time) – in turmoil, battling with yourself, feeling overwhelmed by your thoughts.

Card 8: (External Environment) – placing too much on you, quarrels with people at work and disagreements which are detrimental to all.

Card 9: (Guidance and Warning) – We need to learn from periods of conflict and try to watch out for repeating the same mistakes rather than having discord a constant feature of our life. 

Card 10: (Overall Outcome) – Having a higher perspective on ourselves through difficult circumstances. Achieving growth and balance from a difficult past.

 

(xiv) Recommended Video Links for the Five of Wands

Paul Hughes Barlow

Marveena Meek

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