February 5, 2011 - The King of Wands

When Kings arrive in a reading it is often a call to act as he would.  Coming on the heels of The High Priestess, a card of waiting, patience, and letting things unfold, it's an interesting draw.  Wands are a fire sign, so the King of Wands is all about active expression of the traits of Wands.

The King of Wands is creative.  He possesses natural artistic abilities which he uses for useful purposes.  He is original and inventive.  This King is also inspiring.  A natural leader, he instills confidence and sets an example for others to follow.  He is also forceful, charismatic and bold.  It's easier to imagine myself The High Priestess then this outgoing King.

So what does the King mean for me?  Is there a person in my life that expresses him- or herself like this king?  Are there actions this King takes, that I should?  Maybe.  Hard to know.  Last night I received the following fortune: You are often unaware of the effect you have on others.  Maybe I am the King, sometimes at least, and just don't know it.

In the Jane Austen Tarot, the King of Wands is depicted by Frederick Wentworth, the dark haired hero of Persuasion.  By the time Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth meet after a long absence, Anne is a spinster and Wentworth is a successful Naval officer.  Captain Wentworth has not forgiven Anne for rejecting his offer of marriage years before, when he was a young seaman with unsure prospects.  And although he still loves Anne, he finds it difficult to let go of his anger and forgive her.  This King's journey then is one of impulsiveness tempered by time, an older but wiser man who is not so stubborn to give up a chance at true love simply for the sake of his pride.

This King of Candlesticks (Wands) makes sense to me.  I too am older and wiser and lately have been given the opportunity to forgive if not forget, to love instead of hate, to stay open when instinct tells me to retreat, to close.  This card then is the reminder of what's at stake and how one sometimes must let go of anger and hurt in order to love truly and well, and live truly and well.  At this age, I find that living and loving well are noble pursuits, ones I don't mind pursuing.  I'm not so interested in anger and grudges, in the kind of fairness that is strictly measured as this much and this only.

Frederick Wentworth is also a creative man.  Not an artist per se, he does understand the art of living and he has made himself what he is.  He is a motivated and enthusiastic man, getting things done.  In the midst of writing a novel and exploring and expanding my collage, not to mention being a mom and working full time, I need this King's energy and enthusiasm to get things done.

The King of Wands then is a good card, an important reminder of a different way to look at myself, a different way to be, active in the world, striking forth when it is warranted, waiting patiently when that better serves.