Comparative Tarot

A well dressed explorer surveys the land beyond his castle. In the background of the card we see a beautiful sunrise - or is it a sunset? - The sky is aglow in gold and orange splendor. A low tide gently laps the shore. In his outstretched right hand he’s balancing a globe. His left hand clasps a blooming rod. The red ribbons tied below the blossom are coming undone, suggesting that if we want to start something new, we might need to loosen our expectation of perfection. We see a second rod behind the explorer, fastened to the wall with a sturdy metal brace. The blossom on top is still tightly furled, the ribbons neatly tied, suggesting a certain rigidity and need for order.

To me, the difference between these two rods suggest an inner conflict: Should the explorer stay at home and be satisfied with business as usual? Or is he going to go with the impulse/action suggested by the Ace? The long red feather that adorns his hat suggests that ultimately this fellow is going to go with the impulse of the Ace. However, he is a successful achiever of his goals, and success generally requires discipline and a certain level of organization.

There is a strong sense of aloneness emanating from the Two of Rods. Our explorer isn’t so much tired of the comfortable life he’s been living in his castle. It’s more that something within and beyond him is calling him, and now he is contemplating whether he wants to heed the call. As the explorer gazes out over his land, he seems to be looking inward, too. His intent expression suggests that he is focusing his attention on the path ahead. Perhaps he is praying that the path will become clear to him, so he will know whether he is choosing wisely. He is facing the right, setting his intentions, planning a course of action, calling on the gods so they will be with him on his new quest.

The Two of Rods represents the second step in the creative process. In the Ace we say ‘yes’ to the impulse, we welcome the inspiration. Unfortunately, for many people, this is were the creativity also ends. After the first inspiration comes the question: “How?” How are we going to translate the idea into action? How can we make something tangible from the spark of inspiration, perhaps an article, a poem, a painting, or maybe a new business? The Two of Rods highlights the focusing and planning that is required before we can take our idea or impulse to the next level and begin to make something out of it. Our explorer’s patient, peaceful stance suggests that it important not to rush this process. The intertwined red roses and white lilies suggests that at this point, it is important to temper passion with wisdom, and wisdom with passion.

LWB: Divinatory Meanings: “Mature individual. Ruler. Attainment of goals and needs. Boldness. Courage in undertakings. A dominant personality.”

Since the explorer has already attained a measure of success (he holds the world in his hands!), I suppose we can infer that he has gained a certain measure of maturity and that he is both bold and courageous in his undertakings. However, I don’t think that the card indicates at all that success in his venture is assured. He may have a good idea, and now he is figuring out how to make it work. If he is careful and relies on his experience, his venture may indeed succeed. But I think it’s still much too early to make such strong statements about his future success. In the 2 of Rods, the explorer is thinking about what he wants to do with his idea or impulse. Ultimately, he may decide the time isn’t right, the idea isn’t good enough, or he may need to do more research. During the course of his research he may decide to pursue something entirely different. Or, he may decide that he is happy enough with what he has achieved, and now that he’s getting a older and his knees are getting creaky, why not leave the further conquering of the world to others? At the 2 of Rods stage, everything is still wide open and undecided.

Konstanza Greer