Poll: Alternative names for the Wands/Bâtons suit

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 08 Nov 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Rusty Neon	08 Nov 2004
Poll attached. The suit names Wands and Bâtons (and spelling variations of Bâtons) are conveniently missing from this poll. :)

Diana	09 Nov 2004
I voted "other". As in that option, we are asked very politely to share why, I will just say that I wish there was another suitable name for Batons in English, but I still haven't come across one. So there probably isn't one (for me anyway) which probably means that Batons is the name I was destined to use. Who am I to fight against destiny?

RedMaple	09 Nov 2004
Wands and batons seem alive in ways the other variants do not. The flowering wand is a particularly resonant image for me. Nevertheless, I will accept staves with the least amount of discomfort of the possibilities given.

Kissa	09 Nov 2004
i voted rods. according to my online dictionary (collins) bâtons is staff or stick. as a native french speaker i don't systematically connect bâtons with flourishing/alive piece of wood. in the french dictionary, bâton is: "long and thin piece of wood, often made of a branch" so maybe the english word "stick" would be the best translation...? i like the rods suit in the hanson roberts tarot. kissa

Anna	09 Nov 2004
I voted other. They are batons to me :D

smokey	09 Nov 2004
Lances and spears remind me too much of swords, and a stave brings to mind a knife of some sort. Sceptre only brings up royalty and crowns. When I first read this, the 5 of Wands(RWS) came to my mind for no apparent reason,and I saw clubs.

Sulis	09 Nov 2004
I voted rods but I prefer them to be wands. Love Sulis xx

littlehermit	09 Nov 2004
why put both "staffs" and "staves"? I thought the latter was the proper plural of "staff" just as "leaves" is the proper plural of "leaf". I don't really care what the suit is called - it has a different name in each of my three decks, and that's just fine by me. As long as it's still at least somewhat in the neighborhood of the choices given here, and I can read with it, I let it be the deck creator's prerogative to use whatever name they see fit.

WolfSpirit	09 Nov 2004
I didn't vote because English is not my native language and although I know all the alternative names, I don't know exactly what makes one name different from another. I only know I never call them polo sticks :laugh:

FantasyWorld	09 Nov 2004
Voted Rods although I too prefer wands:)

Flavio	09 Nov 2004
Voted rods because one of my favorite decks, the Hanson Roberts call them like that although I'll always prefer Wands.

April	09 Nov 2004
I like my suits named after elements, so "Fire" does it for me. I know some of you think that's not Tarot but "other" is an option so *raspberry*. :P But if I had to pick something that actually resembles a wand I would pick clubs or rods. Don't know why, just would. Peace, April

ihcoyc	09 Nov 2004
My vote is for Clubs; in a Spanish pattern deck, as opposed to a Marseilles pattern deck, the suit will appear as a number of cudgels or logs. The Ace usually looks like a club in any historical deck.

Pebbles	09 Nov 2004
Flames or fire.

baba-prague	09 Nov 2004
Good question. I like "wands". But one thing we do on our decks (well, all two of them anyway :-) )is to show an icon, not write the word. That way, you can still use the cards and refer to "wands" "rods" "batons" - and for that matter "pentacles" "coins" - or whatever suits you as a reader. I prefer this flexibility. Of course, in the book you have to come down one way or another. I know it isn't as historically correct arguably, but yes, I do use and like "wands".

April	09 Nov 2004
[quote=baba-prague]But one thing we do on our decks (well, all two of them anyway :-) )is to show an icon, not write the word. That way, you can still use the cards and refer to "wands" "rods" "batons" - and for that matter "pentacles" "coins" - or whatever suits you as a reader. I prefer this flexibility. [quote] Very sneaky, I like it. A picture is worth a thousand synonyms. Peace, April

The Poll: Alternative names for the Wands/Bâtons suit thread was originally posted on 08 Nov 2004 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.