The Artist Decoded Tarot: Decoding the Ace of Wands

The major and minor arcana in Tarot are 78 cards, which explore The Fool’s journey of understanding the ways of The World. The major arcana, 22 cards, can be considered as representing major life events or spiritual lessons, while the remaining 56, the minor arcana, can be considered as depicting more everyday events and practical experiences.

Tarot is a multifaceted system with a rich, occult history. It was popularized by influential esoteric organizations such as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This order significantly shaped modern interpretations of the Tarot through its detailed correspondences and symbolic frameworks. To this day, Pamela Colman-Smith’s artwork reigns supreme as it relates to the coded language imbued into this incredible medium of self-knowledge.

I will explore some coded language within the cards related to The Golden Dawn’s system and the correspondences between the archetypal, esoteric, and symbolic language within the artwork Yoshino created for our new deck, The Artist Decoded Tarot.

The first card we will explore is the Ace of Wands!

Each of the four Aces in the Tarot relates to Keter (Crown) on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Keter is the first sefirah and symbolizes the intelligence of the Divine and the infinite potential of creation.

In Kabbalah, there is a concept called The Four Worlds, which represent different levels of existence and reality: Atziluth (Archetypal), Briah (Creative), Yetzirah (Formative), and Assiah (Material).

The Ace of Wands exists within Atziluth’s archetypal world. It represents the purest form of the element of fire, encompassing creativity, inspiration, and the initial spark of potential.

The Tetragrammaton is a four-letter representation of the divine name, symbolizing the universe's fundamental forces. Each letter within this sacred sequence holds profound esoteric significance. The Ace of Wands’ corresponding letter in the Tetragrammaton is Yod.

Yod, the first letter of the sequence, is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Despite its size, it represents the initial point of creation, embodying the concept of potential and the seed from which all existence flows. In mystical traditions, Yod is seen as the divine spark, the primordial point from which the entire cosmos emerges. It signifies the beginning of all things and the hidden, ineffable source of spiritual power.

Its Cherubic aspect is the face of the lion.

What does this mean, and how is it useful, you may ask?

Well, within the concept of “Biblically Accurate Angels,” the Cherubim are a high-ranking order of angels that exist closest to “God” (creation, source, whatever word suits you best). Despite what popular culture has interpreted these beings to be, in reality, they take on a more psychedelic and fascinating form, representative of the highest levels of consciousness and spiritual awareness.

The Biblically Accurate Cherubim is a tetramorph with four faces: that of a lion, a man, an eagle, and an ox. These four faces represent the four fixed signs of the zodiac: Leo (July 23 - August 22), Aquarius (January 20 - February 18), Scorpio (October 23 - November 21), and Taurus (April 20 - May 20).

This information is useful as it relates to Leo's archetypal qualities, such as leadership, creativity, and passion. As a Cherubic aspect, the lion speaks to Leo’s highest self, embodying its most powerful and inspiring attributes.

What does it mean to get this card in a reading?

In The Artist Decoded Tarot, we consider the Ace of Wands to be “The Emanation of Innovation,” which, to us, relates to the initial dreams of ideas beginning to form — the “castle in the sky” coming closer to your reality. It is a time of innovation and productivity, and kindling the fires of creativity.

If it falls in the reversed position, you may be feeling creative blockages, malaise or, perhaps, a general lack of desire. As the cliche goes, “this too, shall pass.”

The creative prompt we chose for this card is called a haibun, a form of poetry that fuses prose with haiku, which is a traditional verse form consisting of three lines with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5. If you’re feeling stuck, creatively, or are feeling inspired, this exercise is a way to unlock some flow through the imaginative process.

Example:

Within this space, I see that everything is possible. Yet, possibility often escapes its potential. The world, a game. Each level more challenging than the next. Yet, still, I try. Yet, still, I see. Anything can exist, if I focus enough to see.

Well, imagine that.

The audacity of thought.

No dream off limits.