(i) Prince of Wands Video
My new YouTube channel is : Thoth Tarot Videos. The Court Card videos are yet to be remade.
(ii) Thoth Prince of Wands
The Prince of Wands is a dynamic card with a strong Leo influence. The Prince of Wands sits in a chariot pulled by a Lion. This is Crowley’s Significator card and is one of the two court cards drawn with pupils in the eyes. The other is the Queen of Swords which we have looked at, who represents the first two decans of Libra, Crowley’s Sun sign
(iii) Prince of Wands : Sub Elements
The Prince of Wands represents the Airy part of Fire. Looking at the elemental dignities rules shows us that Fire and Air are friendly and active. From the point of view of his elemental make up we have complementary qualities which go in his favour.
(iv) Prince of Wands & The Tetragrammaton
The Princes represent the Vau part of the tetragrammaton and are the product of the union of Yodh and He Primal or the Knight and Queen respectively. They are therefore shown to be a hybrid of the two, having both the stability of the Queen through the fixed chariot, and the activity and movement of the knight through the forces moving the chariot.
(v) Prince of Wands & The Tree of Life
The Princes are found in the sixth sephiroth, Tiphareth in the middle of the Tree of Life which represents harmony and balance after we have experiences the opposite polarities and forces of the Pillar of Severity and the Pillar of Mercy. Tiphareth is Kether but on a lower vibration and Yesod but on a higher vibration. It is the child emanating from above but from the lower planes it is like the ruler of the skies. This sephiroth is also associated with ‘beauty’.
The Prince of Wands, representing the element of Fire would be found in the first world of Atziluth.
(vi) Astrology of the Prince of Wands
He rules from the 21° of Cancer to 20° Leo as shown in the diagram below :
(vii) Symbology of the Prince of Wands
Eyes have pupils = one of 2 court card figures with this detail added, the other being the Queen of Swords which represents the first 2 decans of Libra (Crowley’s Sun Sign).
Crown = Has a winged Lions head (Leo)and 11 rays. 11 is the number of magic :
“Aleph is the letter of Path 11 on the Tree of Life. 11 is the number of letters in Abrahadabra, which is the Magical Word of the Child; it is the number of letters in Hoor-Pa-Kraat and Ra-Hoor-Khuit, the Child of Nuit and Hadit; it is the number of Daath, the Invisible Sephira, the ‘Child’ of Chokmah (Hadit) and Binah (Nuit); it is the number of words in the Law of Thelema: “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law”; and it is the number of the Great Work itself, being the uniting of the Five and the Six, the Pentagram and Hexagram, the Rose and Cross.” (David Cherubim)
Armour = arms are free of armour to allow for his active & creative nature. Being overly insular is not in his character.
Seal on breastplate = The 7 pointed star of Babylon together with the ( “To Mega Therion”)Mark of the Beast which also appears on the 5 of Wands (rules 1st decan 0 – 10 degrees of Leo) & also the Ace of Disks, the Thoth Decks card with his personal signature on it.
Phoenix Wand in Right Hand = this represents his power and creativity. It is used in rituals of the Golden Dawn.
Reigns draped over his left hand = allowing free reign of his creativity. This is similar to the Lust card of the Major Arcana and there is the implication that the passion and confidence of Leo should not be constrained & that his true nature is a passion and Lust for life !
Lion Pulling Chariot = symbolic of the Leo influence of this card. The qualities of Leo will be a strong driving force in this person’s life.The qualities associated with Leo are being at the heart of things. Confident and outgoing, being the centre of attention. Leo also rules the heart. They revel in drama and can create one when life becomes too dull.
Green under chariot = not clear ! Green is usually associated with creativity. So where the chariot is led by the Prince he will lay the groundwork of creativity in his life
Leg Posture = Crowley’s yoga posture, he uses this in the pranayama or breathing exercises as shown in the pictures below (click photo for link) :
(viii) Minor Arcana Cards Ruled by Prince of Wands
The Prince of wands rules the:
1. Five of Wands (Strife)
2. Six of Wands (Victory)
3. Four of Cups (Luxury)
For the first time we see conflict within him through the Five of Wands. The Four of Cups is also not very flattering.
1. Five of Wands
Saturn plays its part in limiting the ambition of Leo and makes sure that not all of his victories are gained easily. He may even have to make sacrifices and follow the discipline of Saturn to get where he needs to go. This process of struggle is an essential part of the making of his personality. Unchecked, Leo can be very reckless, vain and arrogant. Saturn’s influence is therefore present as a necessary modifying influence on him turning into the Lust card without restraint !
2. Six of Wands (Victory)
With the six comes victory but it has been at a cost. This victory has been hard-fought and he has gained a lot of knowledge and experience along the way. His journey in the chariot has been one of having to mature and constantly strive for greatness without being at the expense of others.
3. Four of Cups (Luxury)
This is the shadow part of him which revels in excess which is found when he uses his vitality and energy for accumulation of too much materialistic possessions, or self-absorption. This can lead to laziness, self-aggrandizement , vanity , being overly egotistical. His own sense of self-importance has grown at the expense of his inner development. He becomes totally self obsessed with his own self-importance and doesnt hesitate to show it off.
(ix) I Ching & The Prince of Wands
In the YI King, the airy part of Fire is represented by the 42nd Hexagram, Yi
The Hexagram is made up of two trigrams (see below) which relate to the two elements of his nature, fire and air. This hexagram has been called BENEFIT or INCREASE.
It implies that this is a great time for self-development as there are lots of beneficial forces around at the moment. We can lose bad habits which may be holding us back and move on to more productive things. This period of fortitude will not last forever so we must make the necessary effort whilst conditions are favourable to achieve our goals, which may be in the world or to do with our own spiritual path. Even difficult tasks are best tackled now so we must use this time wisely.
(x) Divinatory Meanings of the Prince of Wands
Prince of Wands Upright
- With the heart of a Lion the Prince of Wands stands for honesty and integrity and what he believes to be for the common good. There is a strong sense of morality to this character.
- He can represent a turning point in our life when things have been going badly. We have to use his energy, enthusiasm and drive to move forward on to new and better things and now is the right time to do it. At the same time we must wear the same confidence that he does to move forward in life and re-establish our true integrity.
- He reminds us to re-engage in life and be ready to tackle any challenges that come our way ( 5 of wands), as we will eventually overcome whatever is holding us back from achieving our goal (6 of wands).
- Someone generous and loyal and maintains his sense of humour.
- Do we have our lust for life ? This card is asking us to engage this question.
Prince of Wands Reversed
If ill dignified the Prince of Wands represents ourselves or another who can be cruel ,vain, arrogant with too much self-importance, creating unnecessary dramas, hasty and reckless in their actions.
(xi) Celtic Cross Interpretation of the Prince of Wands
1 : Heart of the Situation =
2 : Possible obstacle =
3 : Unconscious Influences =
4 : Recent Past =
5 : Hopes and goals =
6 : Short Term Future =
7 : Our Self Image =
8 : Environment =
9 : Guidance & Warning =
10 : Overall Outcome =
(see video for suggestions)
(xii) Prince of Wands : Recommended Links
20