Comparative Tarot

5 of Wands - Candles Burn on the Altar Honoring the Directions: The image shows five candles burning atop a blue circle with white swirls that brings to mind the Earth as seen from space. Surrounding the circle are ribbons of flame giving it a mane-like affect. The candles are placed on each direction with one in the center. The East candle is blue; the South candle is golden; the West candle is red; the North candle is green; and the Center candle is white. Colored ribbons cross the circle and stream out beneath the candles. White and black ribbons cross from north to south. Red and yellow ribbons cross from east to west. Just visible behind the disk is the outline of a figure created by stars.

The Book says: "The 5 of Wands is a card of ritual. Think about the rituals in your life and respect them. Formalize these rituals and use them to grow… Find a way to use ritual to connect with everything that seems outside and foreign to you now. Find parts of yourself in each of the four directions, possibly by writing about them and how the element or season affects you… Find a ritual space and use it to achieve your goals."

My interpretation: The 5 of Wands reminds me of a sacred mandala. It shows the five elements (air, fire, water, earth & spirit), the Wheel of the Year, or the Circle of Life. It is the sacred energy we create in our own lives, the source of our inspiration and intuition. It shows how we can use common, mundane tools to connect with the Cosmic source of energy. The star figure outline seems to be in a stance similar to the Fool's. It brings to mind the unfettered enthusiasm and energy the Fool can bring to life. The sacred fire wheel offers us an opportunity to regain some of that uninhibited energy that we can so easily lose in our lives. It reminds us that we can use ritual to recharge our batteries when our energy is running low and we feel as though we can't use our creative energies any more. It's kind of like a Cosmic battery recharger. Plug yourself into the energy source and you can feel like the Energizer bunny once again.

Bees Blessings
Debbie