Shadowscapes - Ace of Wands

triple_entendre

The fire element. Creativity, excitement, adventure, courage, personal power.

-- from the Shadowscapes website

A set of foxes surround a staff. I would describe it as gnarled and twisted old walking stick, but yellow leaves still grow from it and brighten up the entire card.
 

Pet Jeffery

Both the yellow leaves and the mushrooms suggest that the season is autumn.
 

Masa

The staff is kind of shaped like an ankh, I noticed. Or anyway it has a hoop in it, a symbol of eternity.

I'm always sort of drawn to the fox holding the staff in its paws. That is to say, it kind of bothers me. There's something awkward about it, which I guess is pretty true of the beginning stages of any project or passion.
 

crazy raven

When I looked at this card, I was curious at first, as to why the artist chose 'fox' to illustrate it. Fox are yin in nature (feminine) and known to be tricksters, cunning, shapesifters, adaptable, shy and have the ability to be unseen, 'invisible'. I looked up Fox, in Brad Steigers book, TOTEMS and he says...

"If the fox has presented itself to you as your totem animal in a dream or a vision, you have gained an ally that is truly a survivor. This spirit helper will bring a quickening of your physical and mental responses to any problem that you may have to face in your chosen quest on the lifepath, and you will also discover that your intuitive abilities have increased."

In Ted Andrews, ANIMAL SPEAK he says....

"There are 21 species of fox and they can be found in most parts of the world and in varied climates. It is found along seashores and in the mountains, in the deserts and in the Arctic. It lives in North and South America, Asia, and even Australia. The fact that there are 21 different kinds of foxes found throughout the world has great metaphysical significance.

Card 21 in the tarot deck is The World. It is a card that reflects a new world opening up, that the process of creation is beginning. It reflects that the world is growing and shapeshifting itself into new patterns that will be beneficial. For those with fox as a totem, meditating upon this card can be of benefit to understanding how fox energy will be helping with creation. It can reveal what is growing and shapeshifting (or needing it) within your own world.

The fox has a long history of magic and cunning associated with it. Because it is a creature of the night, it is often imbued with supernatural power. It is often most visible at the times of dawn and dusk, the "Between Times" when the magical world and the world in which we live intersect. It lives at the edges of forests and open land--the border areas. Because it is an animal of the "Between Times and Places," it can be a guide to enter the Faerie Realm. Its appearance at such times can often signal that the Faerie Realm is about to open for the individual."

So we have three foxes (magic) I think holding the Eye of Ra/Rod of Kings or Rod of Aaron. The Rod of Aaron was said to hold great magical powers and was displayed in all its glory in the movie RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARC. The rods power was the most powerful between dusk and dawn as the sun (shining like a halo) burst through the keyhole (crown chakra) creating a beam or lifeforce of powerful energy.

For this rod to be used, it must be grounded so as to activate and support the fire energy of the sun. And this expansion of energy can be felt flowing through the rod or one's bodily system for only a short time....so when this card shows up one must seize the moment or it will dissipitate.
 

CoffeeBlood

we seem to forget that fire is beneficial: we seek its warmth in winter, we use it to cook with it - yet it can be very destructive as well, if left unattended.

i can't stop associating the fox with wisdom or wits, in general - remember that fable when the fox wanted grapes, but because she couldn't reach them, she decided they were sour? i think it was wise of her to give u instead of risking breaking a leg for something that may have not been worth anyways.
here, the fox closest to us seems to be the leader of the others because of the spiral tattoo on its back.
at the same time, i also think about sexyness [a foxy woman=a sexy woman, who knows what she wants].

perhaps the message of this card is "be wise before doing something - think more about the disadvantages of the situation/action" ? however this interpretation doesn't fall well with the one given by Stephanie.