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Radiant: Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot- Page of Wands
The Connolly Tarot-Page of Wands
In traditional medieval art, there are no princes or princesses as in the nontraditional Thoth Tarot and Robert Wang's Jungian Tarot. This is because the Medieval world of Europe was under the Inquisition of the Roman Catholic Church, which is notably misogynistic in its dogma that stated women were the reason for mankind's "fall from grace". The prevailing Church backed propaganda of the time stated that she/Eve tempted Adam to disobey Yahweh and hence the expulsion from the garden of Eden. Therefore, woman should be kept as second-class citizens. Hopefully, this is a well-known example of propaganda now days and not taken seriously. Woman is the reason Humankind exists! Each of us is made of and were formed in "mother's blood". Besides, the Garden of Eden resides in all of us, but we forgot the truth of our own freedom to create ourselves as we wish for dogma and indoctrination took over as self-identity. Each of us has the identity of the One and that is called "I AM", which exclaims existence, but not what exists. The "What I AM", is our own declaration and therefore, an assumption that provides our fate. None of us have "fallen from grace". We are the Grace of the Divine made manifest.
This is not to say that the ancient Adepts didn't know the truth of YHVH (Tetragrammaton) Yod being -Father/King and Heh-being Mother/Queen, and Vau-the prince and the last Heh-the princess (page), all creating the formula of Tetragrammaton. Therefore, the pages (the last Heh) are notoriously effeminate images that hint at femininity. This kept the artist of the Tarot cards from the proclamation of heresy and the inquisitor's hot brands.
On the Rider-Waite-Smith-Page of Wands, we see a young almost feminine looking man in the act of proclamation. As if stroking a phallus, he holds his leafy and phallic staff as he is proclaiming his fertility, fecundity and therefore, his creative power. He is unknown to himself, but faithful and his tidings are strange forms of "self-stroking" for he is beginning his journey into Self-knowledge.
RWS-Page of Wands
Tarot Personality birth wheel (Princess is a Page).
His outfit is in the gold and red of the element of fire. On his tunic are medieval images of salamanders, who were believed to be fire elementals. He is notorious for his dark qualities, yet also a faithful friend, lover, envoy, and postman (messenger). S/He is also noted for his quick anger and therefore, a dangerous rival. S/He is the image of fiery passion, and youthful amorousness. Again, the Rider-Waite-Smith card chooses to keep to Waite's oath of silence and ignore the esoteric meaning of the card, although Waite knew it as he practiced in and achieved high status in the Golden Dawn Lodge of Western Hermetic Qabalah. But keeping to his oath, he shows only the exoteric meaning with a medieval Page holding an obviously phallic wand, sprouting leaves of fertility.
As stated, Pages (Knaves in the medieval Marseilles deck from which the Rider-Waite-Smith deck was derived) were used in the old Tarot decks, because of their "effeminate qualities", like combining the Prince with the "will to form"-authority of the Queen. The idea also being that the Princess Personality can be in both males and females as they are not separate sexes.: the brain is both feminine and masculine. When the "outer self" is masculine the "inner self" is feminine, and when the "outer self" is feminine than the "inner self" is masculine. However, this Law of Attraction is too esoteric for Waite to divulge in his card. The inner anima (female-Latin for Spirit) and animus (male-Latin for Soul) in the realm of psyche, was later best defined by psychologist and parapsychologist Carl Jung (look him up on the INTERNET). Therefore, the Page of Wands is comparable to the Thoth Princess of Wands but does not divulge the "inner magic" of such. Hence, the unremarkable Page has a red feather in shape of a flame (Yod) on his cap, and salamanders decorating his garment; all of which implies the element of fire. The pyramid-like mountains in the background suggests the journey into self-knowledge is not always an easy path to walk.
The Connolly Tarot- Page of Wands
The Connolly Tarot-Page of Wands depicts a young person dressed in more earthly colors than the red and gold of fire. Hence, no red color hinting at the card's element, although the clothing colors hint at his or her fertility. Nevertheless, S/he is on the path towards higher achievements but is just beginning a journey of Self-Awareness and can be arbitrary. Right now, s/he seeks constant attention and emotional support and uses his/her clever guile to twist people towards their point of view. Being remarkably clever but not overly intelligent, S/he will find out that Wisdom comes from the "inner self" and not the ego. That lesson is not yet known to her. S/he is passionate, extremely sexual in the way of youth as well as impulsive and often spontaneous in action. Fire is the element of ardor. Hence, s/he does produce "flashes" of bright ideas, but the "false ego" claims them rather than understanding that his/her journey opens his/her up to a higher state of mind. Youthful exuberance may best describe this personality and although s/he can be loving and kind, s/he can easily resort to cruelty. Sometimes profaning people behind their backs and ridiculing those who don't live up to his or her "standards".
Always acting on impulse s/he can be very witty and possesses an extraordinary imagination, often to the delight of those around him/her. However, s/he is subject to great swings of mood; one minute s/he is the soul of decorum and the next s/he is exceptionally vulgar. When alone, s/he often feels depressed. However, s/he is bursting with innovative ideas, and passionately seeking new things to do, to study and learn, although s/he doesn't have the maturity to follow through with fleeting passions.
The primary meaning of this card is to indicate receiving a message from a near relative or close friend. It can also imply one is receiving a message from a young person.
When the Page of Wands is thrown in a divination it implies:
- A person whose beauty is created by their own vigorous energy.
- S/he represents immature sexuality and therefore, can be both seductive and permissive.
- This one's passion is so great that one is dazzled by a chemical reaction that enforces the impression of beauty on the beholder.
- Being a type of "spontaneous combustion", in anger or love s/he is violent. sudden, and implacable.
- S/he can often be irrational, when displaying her enthusiasm, fiery ambition, and aspiring nature.
- Such a Princess, never forgets an injury-----and the only patience she shows, is when lying in ambush to revenge a perceived wrong.
- S/he is often self-absorbed to the extent that she is entirely reckless in achieving gratification and is notably insatiable.
- However, as is all Power-----it is as destructive as it is constructive, so caution and encouragement compete in this one.
- Passion is the "big bang" of all Creation. But like all fires, one must know how to work with it, never against it, to properly achieve the necessary transformations of their Great Work.
If ill-defined and/or Reversed:
- The Page of Wands persona would be the defect of such passion.
- S/he would be superficial and theatrical, shallow, and false while never expecting that s/he is anything of the sort.
- S/he becomes a "spasm of mood" and s/he is cruel, unreliable, faithless, and domineering.
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