Druidcraft study group: Princess of Wands

jota23

Creative Fire, What fantastic points you made! I will never just simply create stories to go with each card without including wind and foot positions. You gave such intuitive insights.
 

CreativeFire

thanks jota, this deck just has such a sense of movement about it that I really love and is part of the reason why I connect with it so much and it has rapidly become my favourite and main reading deck. :)
 

Mimers

This is my first post in this study group. I haven't worked much with this deck, but have nothing but admiration for it. I just did a reading with this deck asking about some concerns I am having about my relationship. My boyfriend and I are talking marriage, and I did a spread asking about how I should deal with the things about him that bother me.

The Princess of Wands came up in possition 5 which I interpret as what I am aware of. I see her representing my boyfriend. He is fearless and bold like the Princess. Proud and stuburn as well. He is also a redhead!

What struck me is how the princess of wands seems so courageous, yet at the same time we see her lack of experience due to her age. I got the feeling that she has no idea what she is in for. She has ideals that she believes strongly in, yet life has not taught her to be flexable yet. This card served as the reminder to me that my boyfriend has very strong, set in stone ideals about us and how things will be. The thing is he has never been married before, and we have not lived together yet. He has no idea what he is in for. This worries me.

Does anyone else see the Princess of Wands here as strong willed, yet naive?
 

WalesWoman

Wow! The things you have all seen in this card so far is amazing! What could I possibly add to this.

My first thought as I read from the beginning of this thread,was that tree on her right was a Yew. I'm not up on this a whole lot, but when I was reading Runes, the Yew was a powerful symbol of protection and endurance.

Youth, inexperience, strong willed and a bit naive, sounds like a typical teenager, full of energy and self confidence, ready to take on the world, as if by sheer will power alone they can accomplish even their wildest dreams and nothing can hurt them in the process...as if youth and the force of their desire makes them immune from what knocks others down.

Oh that just made me think of another thing teenagers do, cut all the strings from their parents... distancing themselves from everything that is 'old' and looking to find their own way through the world. Leaving the nest and spreading their wings.
 

bryony_macgreine

The Path

I just got my DruidCraft deck a few days ago, and I've noticed, in looking through the cards, that the theme of "The Path" seems to be carried through several of the Wands cards. The Princess is just starting out on the path in the Princess of Wands. In the Three of Wands, a man in green stands looking over the path. In the Four of Wands, we reach a resting point in the path, as it leads to the hearth fire. The old man in the Ten of Wands is continuing on the path. And then, in the Major Arcana card of The Moon, we reach the end of the path, arriving at the sea.

I'm still trying to figure out what the path means to me, if it's the path of wisdom, or experience, or life, or some of everything. Does anyone have any ideas?

Bright Blessings,

Bryony
 

Laurelin

This card has been so well covered that I only have one thing to offer. I do believe that the trees are birch and ash in this card. First, ash was the traditional wood used for staff and wand. Second, it is symbolic of healing and transformation. The princess is starting a journey, and how better to reinforce the initiation aspect of Birch than to add Ash to it?

Just my speculation...

--Laurelin
 

KaiMoonshadow

Princess of Wands

Again, so much has already been said and there have been some wonderful insights...

I definitely see the Princess of Wands as being very strong willed - the look on her face is full of self-confidence and a sense that she can take on the world. Her positive stance and the way she is holding the stick forth backs this up as well.

Waleswoman pretty much summed her up for me:

"Youth, inexperience, strong willed and a bit naive, sounds like a typical teenager, full of energy and self confidence, ready to take on the world, as if by sheer will power alone they can accomplish even their wildest dreams and nothing can hurt them in the process...as if youth and the force of their desire makes them immune from what knocks others down."
 

Arania

All already said - save that maybe her position, hands and otherwise, is only for herself and her path. Don't we all sometimes pose, head and arm high, or leaned against a tree, just to get in tune with our surroundings? I know I love to do that.
 

inanna_tarot

I really love the ideas here already on this thread.. and theres not much I could add, but I'll put in my ideas here too :)

I dont see her dress as red but orange - the orange glow of amber coals in a forge or the slowly burning embers of a woodfire. I just find her dress to be that orange glow of a hot fire, and the salamanders to be the fire entities in that deep fire. For me her dress is the earth part of fire :)
But her energy isnt just sporatic, its got a purpose, the green hem and cloak show that the fire is being used practically, purposefully.

She looks like who I like to call upon when walking up hills and mountains and I'm struggling to get up that last 1/4 of the way. When it feels steep and my little legs are screaming WHY at me lol. She is the energy that says think of the sense of achievement when you get there? Think of basking in the glorious sunshine and being higher, being closer to the sky and to the winds. She is the fire that burns, but also keeps your fire burning, feeding it and letting it gently burn at your pace.

I cant think of anything special about how she holds her staff, OH but if we look at the staff as a central line, and her 2 fingers being two long straight lines it could possibly be the few Onn - or Gorse. Endless energy of the sun, optimism and potential. Gorse flowers are a beautiful yellow and flower at all times of the year, keeping the hope and energy of the sun and Light always alight.
Or if we think of her right hand being the staves of the first aicme then it could also be Luis - Rowan or mountian ash- again another fiery tree, but its also of blood and ancestor. 2 very good possible associations with this card for me.

So theres some possible trees for you. But its hard to think am i reading too much into it. But its been interesting to think about it and if the tree 'fits' for me and this card.

I love her red hair :) I love her energy and when I think of the fiery aspect of Brighid I associate it with this Princess and not the Queen of Wands.

And I like the ideas of the trees being birch and yew - almost very alpha and omega, and she walks the path between the two.. like the White and Black pillars in traditional HPS cards. She who dares to go beyond the veil so to speak.
 

Disa

Though I've had this deck for a few years and have posted in a few of the other threads, I'm using the deck now to do the One Deck Wonder study and drew this card in one of the daily draws this week. I thought I'd have a look at the study group for each card I drew and post about it if I haven't already done so.


This card has been discussed at length so I'm not sure I have anything to add other than a few sporadic thoughts as I read through the thread.

Does anyone else think the position of her fingers on the hand holding the staff is strange? The index & pinkie fingers are pulled back. That's not how I'd hold my walking staff. Also, on the hand grasping her cloak the same two fingers are in almost the same position except the pinkie is extended. The 1st paragraph of the link below is interesting & then scroll down to the paragraph just above the photo. Hmm?

http://www.blueroebuck.com/glory_twigs.htm

Does anyone know of Ogham hand signals used today or recorded from the past?


I had not paid much attention to the positions of her hands before. My initial impression when looking at the card is that her right hand, is just beginning to get a better grip on the staff and so the hand position is that of the movement associated with the action of grasping the wand. Same with her left hand holding back her cloak, I had only thought it to be a hand in motion, so to speak-mainly because, like so manhy others have said, this card is full of movement and energy. After reading through all the posts, it's quite fascinating to read about the Druid or Celtic hand signals. I wonder if anyone ever did come across a specific meaning to these particular signals?


What struck me is how the princess of wands seems so courageous, yet at the same time we see her lack of experience due to her age. I got the feeling that she has no idea what she is in for. She has ideals that she believes strongly in, yet life has not taught her to be flexable yet. This card served as the reminder to me that my boyfriend has very strong, set in stone ideals about us and how things will be. The thing is he has never been married before, and we have not lived together yet. He has no idea what he is in for. This worries me.

Does anyone else see the Princess of Wands here as strong willed, yet naive?

I definitely do see the strong willed, yet naive quality. Though she does seem a bit older than what I would usually see the princess as being, she definitely does remind me (as I think someone else mentioned) a college student. Being that I have one living in my own home who is, like I was at that age, extremely opinionated, very sure of herself, quite positive that she's right and the causes she believes in are also right. Yet..there is the balancing act of life experiences that have not yet presented themselves and therein lies the naivete. One can be so sure of everything until one finds oneself smack dab in the middle of something they had no idea was possible. But...that's for later..

This card to me is very much a stage of life that is so important in the finding of oneself. The fire and drive moves through her and it's a good thing, because at what other time in life have we had such ambition, such enthusiasm, such an open minded idea of what we the possibilities of what we can achieve and how we can go about achieving them?

It's a good card to remind some who may have become stagnant in their living to get that fire burning again, strive towards your dreams, or live them, no matter what you physical age is...get moving.