SIX OF WANDS - Astrological Associations

Fire up! It's time for a look at the astrological implications of the SIX OF WANDS.

Thoth Tarot by Aleister Crowley
For Crowley (and the OGD), the Six of Wands represents the energy of the planet Jupiter and the zodiac sign Leo. Crowley titles the card "Victory." The planet Jupiter was called "The Greater Benefic" by ancient astrologers. Crowley writes that the Jupiter/Leo combination seems to imply a benediction, harmony, and beauty. Hajo Banzhaf and Brigitte Theler (in Keywords for the Crowley Tarot) describe the energy of the card as: "Abundance, wealth, success (Jupiter) in connection with self-assurance, self-fulfillment, strength, triumph (Leo)."

One World Tarot by Crystal Love
Crystal Love associates the Six of Batons with the second subdivision of the sign Leo, with the Sun as the natural ruler and Jupiter as the subruler. She writes: "The beneficent influence of the Sun is given great good fortune by the subrulership of the benevolent Jupiter."




A.E. Thierens, PhD. (Astrology & the Tarot)
Thierens describes the Six of Wands as having the energy of "Air on the Sixth house." This makes sense in that the Six of Wands is the Sixth card in the suit of Wands. In astrology, the Sixth house is associated with the zodiac sign Virgo, ruled by Mercury. Based on this association, Thierens writes: "The element of thought (Air) on the earthy house of Virgo must naturally bring forth knowledge of every detail and reveal mistakes or shortcomings; it promotes efficiency, and the latter is one of the principal meanings of the card." (Note: The system devised by Thierens is radically different from that of the OGD. I will not go into detail here, but will simply provide the astrological associations for the card under discussion. If you are interested in learning more about this system, I recommend the book referenced above.)

The Mandala Astrological Tarot by A.T. Mann
Like the OGD, Mann's deck associates the suit of Wands with the element Fire. Mann describes Wands Five, Six, and Seven as "The Suns of Leo." Wand Six is assigned to the Second Decan of Leo -- Jupiter in Leo. On the King Scale of Color, the color linked with Jupiter is blue; the color linked with Leo is yellow. Mann's keywords for Jupiter are "idealism, vision, expansion, mania, success, popularity, religion." For the sign Leo, his keywords are "Ripening; summer heat; full energy; extroversion; harvest; power; self-expression; personal love; games; pleasure; ruling; vanity; proudness."

The Whispering Tarot by Liz Hazel
Liz Hazel's suit of Wands is the suit of the Fire element, embodying "ambition, vigor, creativity, travel, high spirits, and energy." Her use of the colors red, yellow, and orange is a lot more subtle than what we see in the other cards in this set. Like most of the others, Hazel associates the Six of Wands with Jupiter/Leo. In her excellent book Tarot Decoded, Hazel discusses the Jupiter connection: "Jupiter rules change, expansion, growth, and development -- ready or not. Jupiter prefers to be connected with benevolence, mercy, generosity, good humor, and big-heartedness."

I feel that the Jupiter-Leo association for the Six of Wands (in decks based on the RWS, at least) works very well to convey the elation, success, and good fortune suggested by the typical image on the card. The Air-Virgo association presented by Thierens just doesn't resonate with me, based on my experiences with the Six of Wands.

I welcome your comments!

Zanna