The Gothic Tarot by Vargo – Ace, Two and Three Of Wands

WolfyJames

Due to their basics design, the aces, twos and threes are treated in the same thread. See The Gothic Tarot by Vargo Study Group for more informations.


Ace Of Wands:
The Ace is very simple, it is a wand, with a red gem, the pointy end down. The wand is surrounded by red, personaly I would say blood, but you might have a different opinion on that.

Blood is the essence of life, the food of the vampires. Power is gained from it. While with the swords it was mental power, here it is pure power, pure energy.


Two Of Wands:
There's an engraved smonster with bat wings. There is a design right below it with four spirals. On top of the spirals are two wands, each with a red gem, crossing each other, making a x.

The wands here cross each other, creating a crossroad. What do I do? Where do I go from here, from now on? A quiet moment where I decide which road to take.


Three Of Wands:
Three wands are tight at the center and separated at the top and below. There is a red snake at the center wrapped around the three wands and going above.

The snake represents an ancient and powerful power, death and fertility. If used well, it can brings good things, success, if not, falls and decay. Controling the snake is not easy, it requires hard work and concentration. With the three wands tight together, I'd say possible association or cooperation.
 

Umbrae

Ace of Wands. This is a Rod of Power. It reminds me of the rod that was used in the Indiana Jones movie, which projected the sunlight on the ‘goal’.

Two of Wands reminds me of two rods barring an exit (from one place and entrance to another). Note the dexter over sinister arraingement.

Three of Wands – uh…A full Caduceus has two snakes and wings. Here we have one snake…there is no reference to Hermes here. Here we have a snake – a representative of the serpent. Does it represent the reptilian mind? Does it speak of deeply entrenched cultural biases? Perhaps it urges caution; it’s a three – representative of a dynamic situation.
 

mercenary30

Three of Wands

Here we have three wands, one is standing straight up, and the other two are crossed behind it. Coiled amongst them is a long red snake. His tail is pointing towards the base and head is pointed up near the head of the middle wand. It was as if it were here to protect the wands from interlopers.

I am not convinced that this particular snake was modeled after an existing species, but if I were to guess I would say it was a Copperhead. Poisonous, but not deadly it is still a member of the pit viper class along with rattlesnakes.

So is it the snake that is doing the waiting? Just hoping for an opportunity to sink its teeth into some soft human flesh? Promising to strike at the first hand that reaches for a wand? There is always the possibility that the owner of the wands is watching for an opportunity to retrieve his wands, and is patiently waiting for the copperhead to get bored and move on to something else.
 

Alissa

If I remember my snakes correctly (I'm no expert) the triangular shaped heads usually indicate it's a venomous snake.

There is certainly danger in this card. But as always, we must consider whether that danger is working for us, or against us.

I don't know if it reminds me of a Copperhead or a Coral Snake ... a mix really.

Red and black colors on a snake *sometimes* indicate a dangerous variety.

Also, the serpent follows a Celtic like under-over pattern, suggesting it's embraided in this situation firmly, for now, but like all snakes, can easily slip free from the "entanglements" if so motivated.

Wands symbolize thoughts, to me. Is there a dangerous thought pattern for the sitter? One that causes him/her to be in danger... or one that causes others to be?

I also keep getting the image that the wands on the sides could easily be pulled and with less danger than the center wand. Is there another way around this issue, perhaps a less confrontational path for the sitter to try?
 

mercenary30

Ace of Wands

There is a close up the wand that is depicted throughout this deck. It is more like a staff but, that is no matter. It is presented before the same backdrop that all the aces are. The head of the wand is a circular disk surrounding a large blood red stone. There is a black (onyx?) diamond shaped stone mounted on the disk at each major compass point and a smaller round one in the mid points of the disk between each of the round ones. This whole head piece is mounted on a plain but sturdy shaft. It almost looks as though it could be unscrewed from the shaft.

The simple but elegant design of the head piece makes me wonder if there isn’t much more to it than just a staff (wand). I mean, obviously as a wand it should be a focus or catalyst for the casting of spells or the working of rituals. It also looks like it could be used as possibly a scrying device. The compass like design of the head piece just seems to have a sense of utility, with the specific placement of stones and markings in between. If you were to turn it around, I would guess that the back side and the front side match and that the red stone is a sphere, not just a mounted piece. The sturdiness of the design lends me to thinking that as a weapon this staff could be quite effective. There is a lot of usefulness built into was seems a simple walking device.
 

mercenary30

Two of Wands

This card is set up similarly to the Two of Swords, but the style is different in both the back design and the style of the head piece mounted above this display. The back design is more simplified and is not the same all the way around; the top spear tip has a crown on it. The head piece has a demonic visage, even though it has a slight resemblance to a male lion. The leather wings are directly attached to the side of the head. Two wands are crossed on this display, again they are removable and can be accessed in case the need arises.

The head sculpted above this display reminds of a demonic sphinx. The mystery of wands; an active tool used in magic. Unlike the sword, not just anyone can grab one of these and use it as the device was designed for. To be used for anything more than a walking staff or a club one would have to have been trained, or have a natural talent that is so rare to find. Even then it takes much learning and practice to control these powerful relics.
 

annik

Ace of wands : If it weren't a card, I would have love to see my reflection in the red gem on this wand. This wand makes me think of a walking staff. It's lead the way like in some procession.

2 of wands : Makes me think of two magician wands cheering or taking up a challenge one against another. As they are crossed, maybe there is a choice to be made. Being crossed that way, they are tested if they are strong enough wands...

3 of vands : I had this card as a daily card. Mainly, I saw this card as a renewal because of the snake. But I haven't connected with poisonous snake. Maybe because there isn't any poisonous snake over here.
 

Alissa

Ace of Wands. A singular idea thrusts itself forward into awareness, a red gem signifies this thought pattern is of great value. Surrounding this thought/concept/project is a red flourish of energy. ["Ornamental background flourish on the Aces by Charles Klimsch (19th c.)" - LWB]

The black diamonds are set at the cardinal points around the stone. They look like polished bits of onyx to me today. The circles mark the quarter points. The square and the cross. Each embody the number 4; stability. I've drawn many many mandalas by starting with a center point that includes these 8 points, the cross and square.

[I am hearing Masonic sub-messages in my head, what it means to hold the compass and square - what it is to create, the power of manifestation.]

Is this the tip of a walking cane and if so, where has it gone? Where will you go with it? How will is assist you? Or is this a magician's wand, dug from the musty boxes of a store ready to close down? Will it assist you in manifesting something from mentality into reality? Pull a rabbit from your hat?

Or is this a weapon? A magician's staff, one to use for fighting... shades of Gandalf and Saruman whacking at each other inside Isengaard's tower.

(Smiling...) one more image. Raiders of the Lost Ark. The pendant that burns when thrown in the fire, the pendant that reveals the ark's location. Will this thought pattern assist you in finding the buried treasure you were meant to find? [Rereading, I see I'm not alone in this image. Oh well, I never claimed originality.]
 

September Pixie

Ace of Wands

The red blood/foil/metal background swirling around much like veins in the human body giving strength, a resting place, and texture to the wand/staff.. the circles within circles symbolic of wholeness, completeness, unity, unchanging, no begining and no ending.. I find the black diamond/onyx/marcasite stones to be as if points on a clock.. a beautifully crafted piece is waiting to be found and used.. all the questor needs to do is pick it up.. I find the enclosure in the center to appear not to be of a redstone but a clear stone inclosing some red liquid.. food for immortals? a capsel of eternal youth? or the questors blood from previous attempts, battles, and troubles imbuning itself into this precious beautiful work of art..

This card has given me a lot of food for thought! :)
 

darkiscross

Two of Wands. A cross made of pure undilluted passion. "She" desires such a dream so intensely, so deep Her feelings are, that there is no third wand to be found anywhere. Not now anymopre. As She tumbles into bed, She dreams dreams of her lover. She shivers with lust as She imagines them kiss Her passionately. A warmth spreads down Her thighs. Then She awakes, Her lover is not there, the back of Her left hand is slightly moist, from Her kissing herself. She realizes the dreams are not real. She cries as Hhe rocks herself back to sleep, to drown back herself in the dreams of fierce passion.