The Thoth 3 of Wands: Virtue as “Efficacy”
AUTHOR’S NOTE: While reading about the “hierarchies of angels” postulated by the 6th-Century (CE) “pseudo-Dyonisius” as discussed in The Discarded Image by C.S. Lewis, I came across the following quote regarding the second hierarchy of Powers and Virtues that started me thinking about the Thoth 3 of Wands and its title of “Virtue” (“Established Strength” in the Golden Dawn system):
“The second Hierarchy contains the Dominations (or Powers) and the Virtues. This does not mean moral excellences but rather ‘efficacies,’ as when we speak about the ‘virtue’ of a magic ring or a medicinal herb.”
Lewis goes on to declare that these potentates “stand with their backs to us” and their faces toward the Divine object of their devotion. This reminds me of the figure in the Waite-Smith 3 of Wands, who has his back toward the viewer while his attention is fixed on the “virtue of commerce.” But my purpose here is to explore the semi-scenic Thoth version.
I’ve never warmed up to Crowley’s idea of the 3 of Wands as virtue of the morally exacting kind that fosters “right thinking” of an exalted caliber. In esoteric number theory, all of the Threes relate to growth and progress, as well as to the opportunities those advances bestow, and the Wands are mainly about ambition. I don’t see much ethical probity in it, unless it is of the self-serving sort.
Crowley doesn’t offer much that is useful in pragmatic terms, talking only about “establishment of the primeval Energy” and its “manifestation . . . at the beginning of Spring,” when the Sun is “enkindled.” It looks like most of his commentary was based on the fact that this card was assigned to the Sun in Aries in the Golden Dawn’s “Chaldean” sequence of correspondences.
He fairs a little better in claiming that “The idea of will and dominion” (the 2 of Wands) “has become interpreted in Character;” however, it strikes me that character is more “efficacious” than virtuous in that it is usually defined by the constitutional qualities of mettle, fortitude, backbone, heart, resolve, firmness, spunk, spirit, reputation, honesty and the like. Moral fiber seems to be a thing apart that deals more with incorruptible, high-minded values than with personal integrity of the prosaically honorable “true grit” kind.
So where does that leave us with the 3 of Wands in a tarot reading? Since the element of Fire has to do with Ego, we might see this card as exhibiting a robust sense of self-confidence; there is nothing it won’t attempt as long as it isn’t tainted with the dishonesty that is anathema to the Sun in Aries. It is interested in the expansion of existing boundaries, and it isn’t easily deflected from its purpose. Divergent goals have been temporarily brought into “steady-state” harmony, with all forces in alignment and advancing in the same direction. There is an inherent nobility in its actions but no fuss is made about this display of dignity on ethical grounds; the “no-frills” attitude of the 3 of Wands would be embarrassed to be singled out as a paragon of virtue.
The “efficacy” of the essay’s title is a measure of efficiency, economy and productivity that derives from competence. There is a veiled “might makes right” certainty to the 3 of Wands that underlies its sense of authority, not exactly a “power-grab” mentality but a feeling of “manifest destiny” in its straight-shooting nature: it brings just the right amount of force to bear at just the right time to be perfectly effective. This would be a good card to have in the post-rollout stage of any project where the hard work begins since it possesses abundant energy wedded to an unshakable commitment to the cause.
Full Disclosure: Although my study of Medieval history has brought me into contact with the the ideas of a number of religious thinkers, both pagan and Christian, I share Crowley’s disdain for patriarchal authoritarianism. Still, it seems to have been more philosophically curious than the “mind-control” initiatives of the papal regimes that followed during the Renaissance, which were intent on stifling independent exploration of such things. For the same reason, I have no interest in aligning myself with Thelema, Wicca, fraternal lodges, the various “charismatic” approaches to orthodoxy, or any other human attempt to “proceduralize” metaphysical practices in a ritualistic, faith-based way. I’m not entirely cynical about it, just too much of an iconoclast to buy their brand of “snake oil.”
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on December 4, 2024.
