Wands and Swords: Subtle Distinctions
In my recent thinking about the minor-card suits of the tarot, I recognized that there is some functional convergence (if not quite overlap) between the characteristic energies of the Wands and the Swords: as Fire and Air, both are elementally masculine, active and positive, and both strive for self-expression in a direct and unsentimental way. In the Tarot de Marseille, both are symbolized by what Arlo Guthrie would call “implements of destruction.” Taken as a pair, they are equally favored in their cooperative interaction, one supplying the drive and the other the intelligence for any joint venture. We might picture Wands as the energetic and engaging “front-man” and Swords as the crafty “brains behind the operation.” Also, in different schools of metaphysical thought, either one can be regarded as the vehicle for Spirit (personally, I vote for Fire). Some even swap their elemental correspondences for reasons that escape me.
But in attempting to identify divergent nuances between their typical behaviors, I settled upon the conclusion that the Wands are almost entirely instinctual in their devotion to appetites and desires; while they may have one foot in the realm of emotion and another in that of physical sensation, they don’t think too hard about anything that lies beyond immediate gratification and the enthusiastic pursuit of their ambitions and aspirations. Astrologically speaking, the Aries personality is a perfect symbol of the type: they have one forward speed (Fast) and no reverse. The Aries businessman is a force to be reckoned with as long as he isn’t tempted to ponder his actions beforehand.
The Swords operate primarily in the domain of the Will, and as such are driven by mental prerogatives that can become conflicted when presented with egoic, emotional or physical complications: do they stay on track or do they condescend to engage in less cerebral pursuits? The Aquarius typology represents the epitome of the “ivory tower” thinker who wants nothing more than to reside permanently in the idealistic zone of rational argument and conjecture. The scientific academician who is a subtle theorist but doesn’t bother combing his hair or matching his socks would be a prime example. The kind of mental gymnastics that are anathema to the Aries mentality are just a warm-up exercise for the Aquarius. For its part, the Will has little patience for the unflagging self-promotion of the Ego, which sees thing strictly in monochromatic “Self-Not Self” terms, with the fewer shades of gray, the better.
In considering the suit cards from Ace to Ten, it became apparent that the Wands are mostly about the evolving realization of personal goals while the Swords are focused on the concretization of individual ideas. The Wands lose very little momentum until they arrive at the Nine; with the Ten they are prone to encounter backlash as a consequence of unbridled ambition. In sharp contrast, the Swords reach the apex of perfection with the “scientific” Six and decline in precision and clarity of purpose thereafter, which is why the Seven through Ten of the suit are traditionally considered less fortunate expressions of its original energy. It could be said that they they succumb to Crowley’s “lust of result” and lose their way, becoming entranced with seeing their increasingly complex cogitation take on solid form. In either case, no good can come of such self-aggrandizement.
The Wands court cards are a study in transitory passion, fully immersed one minute and distracted the next; they will light a fire but have little interest in feeding it for very long. The mental prowess of the Swords court can range from the loftiest metaphysical abstractions to the meanest scheming, from the “philosopher-king” to the lowly con-man. If the tarot court formed a classic rock band, it’s a toss-up whether the Fire sign would be the lead singer or the lead guitarist; most likely whichever is more flamboyant. The Air sign would probably be the jazz-guitarist-turned-rocker, the Water sign the rhythmically astute bass player and the Earth sign the rock-steady drummer.
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on April 8, 2022.
