#of wands

  Like the Nine, this a cards of conflict, but here we see the battle itself, and the effect is exhilarating. With their natural strength and positiveness Wands expect to win and usually do. Through active conflict the figure in this card rises above any depression into the clear intoxicating air. In a way this card shows a background to the Nine. We become defensive and committed to fighting through an earlier experience of winning, staying on top. While the fight goes enjoy it. People under Wands’ influence need to know they are alive, they need that charge of adrenalin to show them that the runs through them. Only later does the habit of constant battle close them in. Rachel Pollock. 78 Degrees of Wisdom Again and again the suit of Wands asks me how I engage my will—whether alone or in community. It asks me, further, about that community. Is this a world of sisters and brothers? A world of rivals? A world of enemies? Where am I in relationship to this world? From the vantage of the Seven of Wands, the answer to that question seems pretty bleak. The central figure stands against the world. Like so many of the Waite-Smith Wands images, this warrior fights alone. He is also grossly outnumbered, and stands with his back to the edge of a cliff. But this warrior does have the advantage, standing on higher ground. We may feel grossly under attack—but at the same time, the Seven of Wands offers a steadying and encouraging message. We can stand our ground. We have the upper hand. This is the Michelle Obama card: “When they go low, we go high.” 77 Most profoundly, the Seven of Wands invites us to “go high.” The Waite-Smith imagery places us on the mountain. The warrior figure of this card is aware of a higher path—aware of a path that might be more arduous than wandering along in the lowlands but is also potentially more nourishing. The card’s imagery isn’t as bleak or oppositional as it first appears. Steadfast and resolute, the Seven of Wands’ warrior doesn’t just stand her ground. She goes high and leads the way for all of us. Lisa Freinkel Tishman. Mindful Tarot.