Six of Wands as Obstacle? (Crystal Tarot)

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 11 Nov 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Pipistrelle	11 Nov 2004
I drew the Six of Wands as my daily card today. Whenever this has appeared in readings I've thought of the traditional RWS image of victory - man on horse, cheering crowd, laurel wreath etc etc. - and from doing a search here it seems that a lot of other decks use this imagery. I use the Crystal Tarot which has pip minors and previously when I've drawn this card I have wondered why the wands are arranged as though they're barring progress (four of them make a diamond shape and then the other two are arranged horizontally across the centre of the diamond - also behind the wands is what looks like a reference to the rising sun and some kind of golden archway, as though the wands are blocking access to these good things). Anyway, today I read the LWB for this card and it says: "Obstacles - the presence of a force contrary to ours" which kind of flummoxed me because I haven't heard of obstacles being related to the 6 of Wands before, although the image on the card obviously supports this. It seems as though the makers of the deck are taking one step back from the traditional victory meaning to what had to be overcome before the victory could be achieved. However, this sounds to me more reminiscent of the 5 of Wands. So I'm looking for opinions of this use of "obstacles" as a meaning for the 6 of Wands. Can anyone shed any light on this or have you had experience of this card as obstacles or blockage? I know there is bound to be someone who tells me to throw away the LWB :) but as the image on the card also very clearly looks like "obstacles" and because my usual understanding of "6" cards is harmony, flow, etc. etc. , I am curious to explore how this alternative meaning might fit in. Kind regards Pip

Kahlie	11 Nov 2004
It can fit in like this: 1) You are the one cheering on somebody else, who won, but it's not you. 2) You had to beat some opposing force BEFORE you could ride in on your horse 3) You might have win now, but moments of fame are few and far between, and might dissappear just like that. The shape you describe can be either : 1) 2 Wands barring the good things or 2) 2 Wands being used as a high way to get to the good things 3) 2 Wands being used to bar others or something else Just my 2 cents. Usually I see cards as before/now/after and try to see how much meanings tie in with them. Hope it helps, Kahlie

Pipistrelle	11 Nov 2004
Kahlie wrote: It can fit in like this: 1) You are the one cheering on somebody else, who won, but it's not you. Well, I can't believe I didn't consider that before...that the so-called "victory" might be someone else's! That's a very interesting perspective. However, I have read that 6 of Wands reversed could mean that (i.e. someone else getting the promotion you were hoping to get). Perhaps the makers of the Crystal Tarot were trying to give the 6 of Wands a more balanced meaning by integrating positive/negative aspects of the card. Kahlie wrote: 2) You had to beat some opposing force BEFORE you could ride in on your horse 3) You might have win now, but moments of fame are few and far between, and might dissappear just like that. Also very useful comments - thank you Kahlie! Kahlie wrote: Usually I see cards as before/now/after and try to see how much meanings tie in with them. I always forget that, if this card came up in a "normal" reading (ie. with more than one card!) I would be able to use the surrounding cards to choose the interpretation that should be used. That's what I find difficult about daily card reading - there are so many different possible messages a card could be sending and not many clues to help work out which one it is :) I often look at the bottom card of the deck to help as it usually contrasts with or supports the daily card. Today the bottom card is the 3 of Wands. Many thanks for your comments Kahlie...they were very helpful and I'll be adding them to my journal... Now let's see if anyone has any other insights? Or is Kahlie spot on?

Fudugazi	11 Nov 2004
Rachel Pollack talks about the man on the horse not yet having reached his destination - so the 6 wands could be interpreted as facing an obstacle that is there, but that you see and have the self-confidence, courage and knowledge to overcome. Less bullish than the 7 wands, less tied in knots than the 5 wands. It's a quieter cards than both - a form of focussed action that integrates the passion of the wands, and the poise of the 6. Sometimes 6 wands simply means self-confidence in a given situation (or the need to develop it) - essential in facing obstacles. Also: I agree that other cards in the reading can illuminate you as to the meaning of the 6 wands in any particular reading.

Pipistrelle	11 Nov 2004
Helvetica wrote: Rachel Pollack talks about the man on the horse not yet having reached his destination - so the 6 wands could be interpreted as facing an obstacle that is there, but that you see and have the self-confidence, courage and knowledge to overcome. Funnily enough Helvetica, I was just going to write a post about all the obstacles I ran into today. Literally, EVERYTHING I tried to do today was full of obstacles - things didn't work how they should, I didn't have the right resources, my network connection kept dropping, I kept bumping into people in the local shop (much more than I usually do :) ). And I was starting to come around to thinking that the 6 of wands did indeed mean "obstacles", even though at the beginning of the day I would never have dreamed it meaning that. Then I saw your post, and the part you quoted above and I realised that the 6 of wands appearing for me today perhaps wasn't so much referring to the obstacles but to the fact that, despite all these many many irritating setbacks, I still managed to get all the orders despatched (we run an online store). Looking back on it now, I suppose that is the element of victory, especially as my husband was out today and I had to do all this on my own (yay me!) So instead of trying to work out whether the 6 of wands means obstacles or victory, I should instead try to remember that there's a bit of both. Helvetica...thank you for posting this. I am starting to have a much stronger for the six of wands now. I still have to try to synthesise all the aspects in my mind but I feel I'm getting there. Pip

Vincent	11 Nov 2004
Pipistrelle wrote: Anyway, today I read the LWB for this card and it says: "Obstacles - the presence of a force contrary to ours" which kind of flummoxed me because I haven't heard of obstacles being related to the 6 of Wands before, although the image on the card obviously supports this. It seems as though the makers of the deck are taking one step back from the traditional victory meaning to what had to be overcome before the victory could be achieved. However, this sounds to me more reminiscent of the 5 of Wands. What does the LWB say about the Five of Wands? Vincent

Dark Inquisitor	12 Nov 2004
If I think about the 6 of Wands as an obstacle, it could mean that one is too concerned with public image, overly focused on success to the exclusion of minor but important details. Perhaps too wrapped up in how one looks to others , trying too hard. Or, it may mean a situation arises where you are really put on the spot to make a good impression. The old phrase, "Pride goeth before a fall.. " comes to mind.

Fudugazi	12 Nov 2004
Pipistrelle wrote: I realised that the 6 of wands appearing for me today perhaps wasn't so much referring to the obstacles but to the fact that, despite all these many many irritating setbacks, I still managed to get all the orders despatched (we run an online store) [...] So instead of trying to work out whether the 6 of wands means obstacles or victory, I should instead try to remember that there's a bit of both. Helvetica...thank you for posting this. I am starting to have a much stronger for the six of wands now. Your welcome, Pip! I do think the 6 wands is a difficult card to understand fully - too often just passed off as victory, as you said. But where's the victory when there are no obstacles? As we say in French - "A vaincre sans peril, on triomphe sans gloire" (he who vanquishes without peril triumphs without glory). Part of the joy of living and growing is the journey you make to each destination, and overcoming the obstacles the journey thrusts at you - you end up trusting yourself and the universe much more (in your case, all the more as you did it without your husband). I have been getting the 6 wands off and on of late, so I have also been thinking about it.

Pipistrelle	12 Nov 2004
Vincent wrote: What does the LWB say about the Five of Wands? It says..."Tiredness - The continuous commitment necessary to not lose our way" Having not had much to do with the five of wands so far (it doesn't come up for me much and I haven't really studied it in depth), I can't say whether this description is accurate or not. Dark Inquisitor wrote: If I think about the 6 of Wands as an obstacle, it could mean that one is too concerned with public image, overly focused on success to the exclusion of minor but important details. Perhaps too wrapped up in how one looks to others , trying too hard. Or, it may mean a situation arises where you are really put on the spot to make a good impression. The old phrase, "Pride goeth before a fall.. " comes to mind. Hmmm...this is another interesting way to look at the 6 of wands. I can see how that could relate - that the person on the horse in the R-W image is so wrapped up in all the adulation they're getting, that they don't notice the low branch ahead of them....:D I love it when you can really delve into a card and see so many different aspects of it. Helvetica wrote: As we say in French - "A vaincre sans peril, on triomphe sans gloire" (he who vanquishes without peril triumphs without glory). Helvetica, that's a wonderful phrase and it ties in very well with your points about the card - I'm going to add it to my notes. I used to speak French very well but I seem to have forgotten most of it now - shame, it's such a beautiful language. Pip

sunflowr	12 Nov 2004
I think I remember hearing that the Crystal Tarot uses wands for air and swords as fire. Just out of curiousity, what does the LWB say about their 6 of swords? Maybe the meanings have been switched.

Pipistrelle	13 Nov 2004
sunflowr wrote: I think I remember hearing that the Crystal Tarot uses wands for air and swords as fire. Just out of curiousity, what does the LWB say about their 6 of swords? Maybe the meanings have been switched. Hi Sunflowr! You got me worried there...:) I rushed to my LWB...because when I first got this deck there was all this water on the swords cards and I thought maybe the elements had been switched around somehow - but they do still refer to cups=spirit, pentacles=matter, wands=desires, swords=mind in their descriptions. 6 of Swords says "Contradictions - The search for coherence is not an immediate search". Pipistrelle says "LWB - The search for understanding is a futile one". :)

The Six of Wands as Obstacle? (Crystal Tarot) thread was originally posted on 11 Nov 2004 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.