Fortune’s Wheelhouse

Episode 30: Nine of Wands

In any suit the Nine is where the power of that suit is strongest, and in fact the Nine of Wands is known as the Lord of Strength. But it is a fluctuating, tensile strength, not a rigid one - the strength of our Moon who rules this second decan of Sagittarius.  She can be said to rule all nines, in fact, making the 9 of Wands doubly lunar.  In this episode we speak of magic mirrors and equilibrium found in motion, the wisdom of adversity, the quiver and the bow, the arrows of Artemis and the justice of Persephone.  We talk about the straight Path up the middle - and just how far you can go with a camel and a tent peg.  And - because this card represents Mel's natal decan - we have a very special giveaway. To learn more about the suit of Wands, the world of Atziluth, the magic and power of the number Nine, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse. You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 29: Eight of Wands

Lord of Swiftness, Lord of Speed, the 8 of Wands comes rushing in!  Fast as the flight of the arrow, fleeting as the rainbow, it is here and gone.  First decan of the mutable fire sign Sagittarius, it is ruled by Mercury, the speediest of planets.  It is associated with the Magus/Magician and Temperance/Art, and there we detect the presence of that other messenger, the rainbow goddess Iris.  Mercury, it can be said, also rules all eights, making the 8 of Wands doubly mercurial.  The messenger is on the move: catch him - or her -  if you can! Here we speak of journeys outer and inner, new endeavors and bright ideas, knowledge gods, the widsom of the crossroads, the eightfold model of consciousness and the transmission of Will. To learn more about the suit of Wands, the world of Atziluth, the intelligences and systems of the number Eight, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse.  You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 28: Seven of Wands

Here is the renegade, the rebel heart, the iconoclast!  Fearless and hotheaded, the 7 of Wands corresponds to the third decan of Leo, ruled by Mars.  He is the lord of Valor, and his courage is that of the uphill battle.  The adversaries are many - six against one! but glory and individual heroism are within grasp of his brute force. This is our first experience, in the minor arcana, of the creative and off-kilter energy of the number seven.  Since the seventh sephira belongs to Venus, we explore her in her warrior aspect, as well as in  the goddesses Babalon and Nike.  And we tip a tattered hat to Shakespeare's rascal Petruchio, bent on conquest of his shrewish Katherine. To learn more about the suit of Wands, the world of Atziluth, the ordeals and quests of the number Seven, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse.  You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 27: Six of Wands

And...after Strife comes Victory.  The battle is over, the competition has concluded, and we have a winner!  As with other sixes, the 6 of Wands finds us at a moment of harmony and recognition, poised between the intemperate trials of the 5 and the restless quests of the 7.  The 6 of Wands is associated with the Wheel of Fortune and Strength/Lust, and here we find the King of the Beasts astride the top of the Wheel, proud in his reign.  It won't last forever, but for now we dwell in the heart of fixed fire, basking in the heat.  We examine the meaning of bay laurel, and the solar and sacrificial gods associated with Tiphereth, the central sephira on the Tree of Life. Join us for a victory parade full of crowned heroes, horses with a secret and ... naked swords! To learn more about the suit of Wands, the world of Atziluth, the intrinsically harmonious character of Sixes, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse.  You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 26: Five of Wands

Nobody ever said it would be easy, right?  After the sweet respite of the 4, we now pass into the heat and fire of the 5 of Wands, where cold dry Saturn contends with the first flaming degrees of Leo.  Here we find discomfort of volcanic proportions, the crust cracking over pyroclastic flow, the pressure cooker, the glass alembic taking form in the furnace. We explore themes of war and war gods, the constructive and creative side of contests, the necessity of chaos, and the Mesopotamian, leontocephaline deity Zurvan, snakebound Lord of Time. If this card makes you squirm and sweat, you're not alone.  But what's the point of life without a bit of effort, after all?  When we cease to strive, we fail to thrive! To learn more about the suit of Wands, the world of Atziluth, the disruptive nature of Fives, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse.  You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 25: Four of Wands

With the 4 of Wands we arrive at the final Aries card of three: from the ruthless drive of Dominion to the forthright rulership of Virtue to this, the sweet respite of Completion.  Here Lady Venus (the Empress) reposes in her guest wing at the House of Aries (the Emperor), which is ruled over by her consort Mars.  It is not her favorite house, but you can't deny there is a certain . . . chemistry at work on the premises. We explore themes of completion, safe havens, the natural world in harmony with the built world, the ecstatic union of male and female, the closing degrees of a sign, and the curious dynamic at work when a benefic (Venus) find herself in the sign of a malefic (Mars). To learn more about the suit of Wands, the world of Atziluth, the stable nature of Fours, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse.  You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 24: Three of Wands

Ah, the 3 of Wands, the 'Lord of Virtue.' But what even is virtue? Here we find the Sun ruling the second decan of Aries, a place of exaltation for that golden sovereign of the sky.  The ruthless initiative of the Two of Wands gives way to something better-regulated and altruistic in the Three.  In this episode we talk about the formative aspects of Threes, the manner in which 'Will' evolves into 'Established Strength,' and what it means when the self comes into a sense of community. We talk about waiting, and the guest-host relationship. And we talk about the way the Sun and the Emperor combine in this card to form a picture of civilized society.  To learn more about the suit of Wands, the world of Atziluth, the nature of Threes, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse.  You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 23: Two of Wands

Enter the Lord of Dominion!  With the 2 of Wands we enter the first of the "decanic minors" - the cards numbered 2 through 9.  Associated with the planet Mars, it is a card of unequaled force, assertiveness, and dare I say, masculinity.  Mars presides over both the last degrees of Pisces and the first degrees of Aries (as well as ruling the whole sign of Aries): the spark that keeps in motion the engine that turns the wheel of the year. We also discuss how the energies of the Emperor and the Tower blend in the 2 of Wands, there at the vernal equinox (or the autumnal equinox, for our Southern hemisphere friends). To learn more about the suit of Wands, the world of Atziluth, the father gods of Chokmah, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse.  You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 22: The Ace of Wands

Happy New Year!  Fortune's Wheelhouse is back with the first of the minor arcana, the effulgent, the scintillating, the ineffable and radiant Ace of Wands! The pulse of the Universe, the will to live, the hunger and the drive.  The fuel is stacked and ready, the spark is deep within and waiting.  Will you strike the match with us? To learn more about the suit of Wands, the world of Atziluth, the creator gods of Kether, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse.  You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more at our RedBubble shop.

Episode 21 - The World or The Universe

And here we are at last, at the Cosmic Dancer, the Anima Mundi, the Spirit of the World.  Here we discuss themes of completion and rebirth, the many names of angels, the architecture of reality and the limits of our perception.  We talk about the mystic return of the Daughter to the Mother, and the four creatures once again depicted on the corners of the cards. With this episode, our conversation about the Major Arcana concludes.  But thanks to our brilliant and beautiful patrons, we have met our Patreon goal! and will be continuing on through the minor arcana in the new year. To learn more about the planet Saturn, the element of Earth, the Hebrew letter Tau or Tav, the color schemes of the cards, and so much else, be sure to visit us at www.patreon.com/fortuneswheelhouse.  You can also shop for Fortune's Wheelhouse T-shirts, mugs, backpacks, stickers, and more at our RedBubble shop.