Röhrig Tarot - Knight of Wands

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 22 Jun 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Trogon	22 Jun 2003
I wasn't sure about whether to put this under "Using Tarot Cards" or "Tarot Decks". I figured the latter as it is more about the art work and symbolism of this card in this particular deck rather than a generic discussion of the card's meanings. But, if it should be moved - that's fine with me. ;) Anyway... on with the show; For those not entirely familiar with the Röhrig Tarot, the Knight of Wands is, more or less, equivelent to the King of Wands in most of the Rider-Waite based decks (the Röhrig Tarot is Thoth based). The other day I was studying this card... contemplating it and comparing it with the King of Wands in a couple of other decks. And something jumped out at me (so to speak). The background, which we can glimpse behind the Knight, appears to consist of a white "sky" above a black and white checkerboard field. I looked through the rest of the deck and the only other card which features something like this is The Chariot. On this card a black and white checkered pattern is reflected in the driver's helmet. I had felt that, on The Chariot, the checkered pattern was indicative of the flag of victory (in auto racing) and hence related to the victory to be achieved by exerting the control which is indicated in this card. So... getting back to the Knight of Wands. What does the checkered field in the background symbolize? For that matter, what does the white "sky" represent as well? Anybody own the Röhrig Tarot book? Thanks in advance for any suggestions...

raeanne	22 Jun 2003
Hi Trogon, The book that goes with the Rohrig Tarot isn't much help at all with the minors. For the Knight of Wands it says: "Mature, masculine, fiery energy. Self-confidence. Chivarlry. Committing oneself to an idea or mission. Dynamic activity. Power to assert oneself. A fiery protector." That's it! Just 23 words. It shows a picture of the card but there isn't anything else in the book that will help at all. I have always thought of the checkerboard as representing the light and dark aspects of life, sort of like the yin/yang symbol. It is the gameboard of our life. How we move across the board is up to us. Why this is on the Knight of Wands, I don't really know unless it indicates that he is a master player. I also can't figure out the white sky. My grandmother use to say that all artists need "white space" to think in. The blank canvas before a painting is started is "white space". It is in this area that the picture is born. She used to say that the winter snow was nature's "white space" getting ready for the beautiful colors of spring. The Knight of Wands is surrounded by fire but the center of the card is "white space". Perhaps he is getting ready to plan his next big project. In Kabballa (however it is spelled) there is a concept of Ain Sof. I am very rusty on this so someone please correct me if I'm off target here. But, basically, it has something to do with the fact that G-d had to make room for the new creation by either contracting or expanding or something. There had to be "white space" to create in. Anyone else have any ideas?

divinerguy	22 Jun 2003
I see the checkered area as an extension of the dynamic energy of the card. Kind of a chariot-like quality. I think the white area is simply a design element, and nothing more. It opens up into the Knight's facial features.

Trogon	24 Jun 2003
Thank you both for your interesting replies. Raeanne... interesting. I've heard the comment a couple of other times that the book on the Röhrig Tarot isn't all that helpful when it comes to studying the cards. You do seem to confirm this. ;) You're right... that entry wasn't terribly helpful... in fact it wasn't much more than the LWB provides. Quote: mature male power of fire; self-assertion; chivalry; crusading for an idea or task; dynamic activity; fiery protector. (Röhrig Tarot - LWB) Though I do like your thoughts on the checkerboard Quote: I have always thought of the checkerboard as representing the light and dark aspects of life, sort of like the yin/yang symbol. It is the gameboard of our life. How we move across the board is up to us. I can see how this fits in quite well with the card. The white area as a place to work seems to fit in as well. Divinerguy... the checkerboard as a symbol of the cards energy does seem to fit the card in much the same way as Raeanne's thougts on it. I can also see how it would fit in with The Chariot... I think of The Chariot as one controlling one's energies... whereas in the Knight of Wands (Röhrig) / King of Wands (RWS) its more about using and directing that energy. I'm not sure that I necessarily agree with the white area being simply a design element... I haven't gotten the feeling with any of the other cards in this deck that there are things which are only there to fill space... I've gotten the idea that all the elements of each image are symbolic in some way. As such, I think (feel?) that this has meaning too, but I'm just missing it. Perhaps Raeanne has the right of it though... the blank slate - the place in which to create something - the blank sheet on which to put one's ideas. I'm definitely going to have to think on this some more... Thanks again...

Trogon	28 Jun 2003
Maybe even something of an epiphany about this question of the checkerboard on the Knight of Wands... The other day I was studying the King of Cups and noticed that this card also features a checkerboard... however, this checkerboard is not black and white... rather it is done in 2 shades of a blue color. My thoughts? The black and white checkerboard on the King of Wands is indicative of his tendency to "see" things in terms of "black and white"... its either right or its wrong, there is no in-between. And generally he is the one who is right. In the King of Cups, on the other hand, the checkerboard is in shades of blue. When I compare this to the King of Wands, the King of Cups is more willing to see things in shades of gray... give people the benefit of the doubt, listen to the opinions of others... see other's points of view. In other words, more flexible. Thoughts?

Little Baron	02 Jul 2003
There is also a checkerboard flooring to the falling down tower and minor checkerboard fragments in collage form for both the 9 of Cups and the Queen of Discs. I need to think a bit more about all of this before I offer any thoughts as to why it is there. All the same, I like and understand a lot of the feelings about this that have already been contributed. Best wishes Yaboot

The Röhrig Tarot - Knight of Wands thread was originally posted on 22 Jun 2003 in the Tarot Decks board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Tarot Decks, or read more archived threads.