Tarot Card Comparisons: The Hermetic Thoth Tarot-5 of Wands- & The Connolly Tarot 5 of Wands

Astrologically this card is Saturn in Leo. Since Leo is a fire sign, this represents quarreling and strife that comes from an outpouring of force that is both agitated and disturbing.

Illustrated on this card are the Golden Dawn wand of a Chief Adept  crossed by the Phoenix Wand of the Adeptus Major of Geburah and by the Lotus Wand of the Adeptus Minor of Tiphareth. These wands symbolize the nature of the energetic forces involved which are volcanic and purgative through fire and where energy resurrects from the ashes of purgation.

To the Four Elements, the fives bring serious problems of unbalance. The Five of Wands-Strife, brings quarrel and strife in the Vital energy: The Five of Cups,  brings disappointment to relationships; The Five of Swords, brings defeat to health and mind; The 5 of Disks, brings strangulation to income and business.

All seemingly very gloomy; However, the other cards in the divination will show how long the difficulty as well as,  how serious the fives are to be taken. Really, these nasty old 5's just announce that a difficulty exists and often the solution to the problem at hand is in the rest of the Tarot reading.

 As stated, this Lord of Strife astrologically is Saturn in Leo, which is the influence of Geburah in the World of  Pure Spirit; Atziluth of the Four Worlds.

Here the powerful heavy effects of Saturn, united with a Fire sign like Leo, brings quarreling and Strife in energy.

The Angels of the Decan are Vahaviah and Yelayel, necessary knowledge for those who wish to call on them.

Wands are a continual outpouring of force, with Saturn influence, this flow of force is agitated and disturbed, not unlike water flow is disturbed by the stony resistance of rocks, causing rapids. Or more likely, as volcanic magma is disturbed by the tons of rock its pushing through.  Thus in the Five of Wands, there is contest unresolved.

Crowley's Thoth Deck Card, shows the nature of the energy rather than its disturbed nature as displayed by the Golden Dawn, Ryder-Waite or Connolly Tarot Decks. Therefore In the Thoth Five of Wands, are shown the:

 (all these wands can be purchased from: goldendawnshop.com)

Many people find Geburah a difficult Intelligence to understand because She is a volcanic as Pelé ( Hawaiian Volcano Goddess), all irrational disturbance, yet  these disasters are derived from the benign and gentle influence of the Feminine  that is Great Mother Binah. To me, this just shows the Divine Feminines "tough love" for its incarnations. The Divine Creative Self knows you are the most creative-emotive- Self-Image yet, and have the internal strength necessary to handle anything this Universe can throw at you.

Yet, because we often believe the definitions of those who rule definition (our indoctrinates), we see ourselves as a weakness, trying to become strong.  All because we are taught to believe that mortality/vulnerability is a weakness, rather than the only way to experience the courageousness of our Souls, as they seek discernment in thought, through manifestation. As before stated, the vulnerability of mortality, provides all the empathetic character traits that show how to treat others as ourselves.  Immortals don't have need of courage nor empathy; they don't die nor feel sensation. Immortals also can not see an end or beginning of themselves ; they don't have one. Hence no fear of death.

Therefore to learn discriminating or discerning thought, while being able to observe how it works as a pattern in life, they need to operate through a mortal-living being that supplies immortals with mortal sensuality. It should be obvious that Sensuality requires a "beginning and an end", to exist, and that our bodies are sacred to the Soul.  The very fact that Soul of you is seeking sensuality ( a senses of Self) by building an incarnate persona, requires severity just to make it so and a fearlessness to make it happen! All is "friction","action/reaction" in the mortal realms. For example, a certain amount of friction or oppression (strife) is required to form energy into creations. Without the severity of friction, form could not become form nor could it move! Just so, with out the friction of severity in ones life, accomplishment, progress and evolution would not happen! We Souls knowingly build an incarnation, knowing it can be a "crap shoot" and certain severity/strife will be applied! Heck, sometimes the Soul-body hook-up doesn't work, so we have a Crib death!

This is a world of Form and animation requires a serve function of resistance and force of will to overcome resistance. Therefore, the 5 of Wands is often called the "Masters journey card". For each wand represented on the card, is a journey of initiation up the Tree of Life, depicting a courageous cleansing of the dross of civilized indoctrination from the personality, as it travels towards the Solar Logos of its "beginning".

It is enough to say that when this card is thrown it represents a confusion of ideas and retribution which is the active power of re-balance. The querent (person receiving the reading) can be having a moment of strife in the petty obstacles of life and love where nothing seems to work out right in work or play.

Since 5 of Wands is purgative in nature, we know that it is a precursor to change, where change is needed in ones spiritual, emotional, and mental processes and the "inner fire" of Spirit is bringing change in life by changing our direction of life motion with a swift surge of agitating energy to adjust the identity. For a moment this may frustrate the individual who naturally wants things to go their way, but soon the conflict will become an agreement to adapt to change.  The only real oppression here is from ones lack of self-knowledge and ignorantly fearing life's changeable nature.

Therefore the 5 of Wands card may sound devastating but it really is more of a pinch on the ear to get us to turn our head and if we observe the new perspective willingly, we'll be rewarded with a greater self-awareness and a less agitated life. Of course, if it falls next to a 5 of Swords- Defeat, or 5 of Disks- Worry than the 5 of Wands-Strife  becomes more ominous and demands that immediate action be taken before greater health problems ensue.

The man, whose hand is upon the tiller, is courageously braving the rough sea, to deliver his cargo.

 The red of his clothing and the clouds, is the only real reference to this being a card of elemental fire.

With wind and wave, opposing forces are shown to be creating agitation. There is a positive note here, implying that one is almost at their destination, for we see land and buildings in the distance.