Comparative Tarot

3 of Wands has a man's face, bearded and bald, staring out at us. His expression is serious, his gaze almost burning in its intensity. His appearance is old-fashioned, reminiscent of someone from Shakespeare's time. Lines divide his face, almost like that of Frankenstein's monster. And a rectangular black strip has been cut out under his eye. Before him we see three staves joined together to form a teepee frame. Behind him are wild, psychedelic swirls of color - brilliant orange, electric blue, acid green and neon pink. Some of the swirls are jagged and lightning like in shape while others are more gentle, rounded swirls.

Meaning (from A Magical Course in Tarot): The 3 of Wands represents opportunity. There is tremendous potential inherent in this card's synthesis of heart, mind, and spirit. From the heart, comes hunger and ambition; from the mind, direction and will; from the spirit, the fire and passion necessary to manifest whatever is desired.

Bee's Buzz: Something about this card reminds me of the insanity of creativity, the world of the mad genius. All of those brilliant swirling rays of light are jarring and yet draw the viewer in. The man's face (I can't help but think of him as Shakespeare) compels us to stare at him and at these swirls of electrical color. He seems to be daring us to enter his world and experience the creative craziness which drove him to creative such classics of English literature. The three staves seem to the be the tether to reality. They form a solid base upon which we can cling should we feel in danger of getting lost in the swirls, which are as dangerous as they are beautiful. If we try to avoid this crackling, sparking energy then we risk losing pieces of ourselves. If we cannot be true to our inner creative divinity they why do we live? Some psychologists have posited that "crazy" people are actually responding quite naturally and normally to an insane world. That is what this image reminds me of. If we lose ourselves in the psychedelic swirls of color, and thus "to our own selves be true", we also risk being seen as eccentric, weird and just plain crazy by the rest of the world. This card reminds us that sometimes we have to decide what is more important - connecting with that creative energy and manifesting our vision regardless of the cost or turning away from it, clinging to reality and losing touch with our divine creative inspiration?

Bees Blessings,
Debbie