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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 the Archon Yahweh and hence the expulsion from the garden of Eden. Therefore, woman should be kept as 2nd 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. The Will of the One is called Eheieh-meaning, "I Will Be" and we are "I AM Being", hence the fulfillment of the original Will. Therefore, we are the Will of the Divine Creative made manifest in Malkuth.

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, all creating the formula of Tetragrammaton. Therefore, the pages or knaves (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 headed staff as he is proclaiming his fertility, fecund creative force, 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.

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 practices 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", kind of 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 rather 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.

In some tarot decks wands are called clubs but no matter what you call them, wands are the fiery nature of Spiritual expansion and expression. The Princess of Wands is also a male person in some cards and is often called a Page or Knave. Traditional playing cards are from the Tarot and were an early way to beat the inquisition that went around shouting "heresy" and then burned people at the stake to "cleanse their soul". The Knave was a jack in the playing cards.

The Erotic Tarot of Milo Manara's- Knave of Fire, has a unique interpretation of this traditional page or princess card. He calls this card a "Knave".

knave

[nāv]

NOUN

archaic

1. a dishonest or unscrupulous man.

   synonyms:

   scoundrel · rogue · villain · rascal · good-for-nothing · wretch · ne'er-do-well · unprincipled person · reprobate · scapegrace · wrongdoer · evil-doer · charlatan · cheat ·

   [more]

   • another term for jack in cards. {Wikipedia the free encyclopedia}

The card depicts a doctor walking down the red lit hallways of a hospital. Red/orange are the colors of the fire element. Yet there seems to be a hint of dishonesty about this card, and it is a card of Aries-Spring and rebirth. Maybe he is showing an abortion clinic here the doctor that performs them. To Milo Manara, an Italian, to abort a child would be a sacrilege. That is the only way I can make sense of this card. To me, a woman has every right to her own body, and the decision whether to give birth or not is hers alone.

Yet he assigns the meanings of:

• Lover.
• Companion.
• Help.

Also, his astrological meaning of this card is the beginning of spring.

The knave is 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 new 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.

When the Page of Wands or Knave of Fire 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 defects 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 predominately a "spasm of mood" and s/he is cruel, unreliable, faithless and domineering.

Thank you for your interest, comments and supportive donations. May you live long and prosper.

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