By Sarah Taylor
The Three of Wands, the ubiquitous Seven of Wands, and the Page of Wands. Wands, Wands, Wands. Such fiery energy in the midst of a lot of astrological water. The potential for steam indeed!
On the left, in the Three of Wands, a man stands looking out at a bay, a seeming sea of fire on which he has let his ships sail — all of them going off to foreign shores carrying what they need. There is an element of risk that is necessary in order to broaden horizons and to come back carrying something new and enriching.
The figure is well-dressed, but not extravagant. He wears a gold circlet on his head. A circlet is a form of crown. He is a ruler, standing foursquare on the ground. His back is turned to us, which I feel demonstrates an ability to trust his circumstances, as he is positioned on the edge of what feels to be a cliff or at least a sharp incline that drops towards the water. His right hand holds one of the wands that accompany him. He is bonded with it, but not dependent on it. This image suggests interdependence with the energy that drives him and feeds him, and which he honours in return.
But this is the next step of the journey — he has to let something precious (I wrote “previous” first, and I think this holds true in this context) go in order to give the space for something even richer to return.