Today I am editing many essays. I’m in my final push at the end of a four year undergrad degree in philosophy… so it stands to reason that I’d procrastinate with musing on tarot cards. Especially since todays seems so relevent…

Wands always seem to imply words to me… probably stemming from the notion of the ‘talking stick’ and such like, but also, the wind blowing through the branches, reaching up to the sky, that become the wand we wield… air-breath-speech-words.

Plus I’ve words on the brain with a Philosophy degree (my art keeps me sane).

On the other hand, the deck I’ve used today (The Dragon Tarot illustrated by Peter Pracownik, which I have had for a long time…) has wands-as-fire. Which also has a certain degree of sense given that wood burns… I guess… (there is a bit more to it than this… but I digress…)

So yes, the King of Wands asked me this today…

“Are you using your words with sovereignty today? Are you directing your passions where they should be going?”

Lets unpack it a bit…

How would you use words with sovereignty? What is sovereignty anyway? If we’re looking at that royal ruling force of the King, and lets get a little away from actual kings and concentrate on the idea of kinghood, then I have thoughts like protection, right (correct), rights (to), the one who holds the land, the one who protects the kingdom, Justice, Fairness, regality, responsibility. Like the sun who watches over the land the Archetypal King contains both the qualities of Father and Ruler, acting and responsible, and about action, application of power, not just holding it.

Do you apply your words in a way that is right and fair and just and with the elegence of royalty?

Are you graceful and careful, but not cautious, too sure to be cautious?

Are you sure of yourself? Of that which you stand up for? What do you stand up for?

How well do you weild your words? Not as weapons, but as a sceptor of Sovereignty over your own life?

This is my life, and I try to use my words with compassion and strength, in the right way. My downfall is my stubborness when I know I got something wrong… in both daily life and my philosophical writings, if I think I’m right I don’t like to back down, and can often weave my words round and about until you think I’m right too. This ios not the way of the King, this is the way of the Jester-Trickster-Philosopher. And the question there is, which way do I want to go? Do I want to succeed in my goal of honesty with myself and others, or do I want to be right more than I want to be true? Here is where my Pride passes into Arrogance… I like Pride, Pride is good, a good healthy respect for one’s self and one’s place. Arrogance doesn’t help. Arrogance is inflated and weak because it is not true, and so is prone to breaking.

Be Proud of yourself, use your words in a way you can be proud of by taking responsibility for them, and know you do not need to be right all the time…

(Now to put this into practice!)