REVERSALS: Petro -- Mambo rx [Queen of Wands rx]

The card shows the Mambo locked into a passionate embrace with the snake (this is a red snake, which more closely represents Damballah, the Supreme Snake God). She's actually using the snake to support herself while they exchange fiery breath. They are suspended above a lake of lava.

While this card does have sexual overtones, in an upright position I take it to mean that one is embracing or riding one's passions (sexual or otherwise) and keeping a firm grip on them. The sky is the darkened blue of twilight (or pre-dawn), and the grass is growing.

In a reversed state, the passion rides the querent. Common sense is lost as passion takes over, to the querent's detriment. The Mambo loses her grip on the snake and falls into the fiery lake.

Note that the snake may or may not be harmed; on one hand, it looks as if he is coming out of the fiery lake himself and thus is of it and cannot be harmed. On the other hand, the snake may be balancing on its tail to avoid being burned, since the tail may be less sensitized than the rest of the body.

Thoughts?

T.

Also, the Mambo in Petro is a confident, warm, charismatic person who speaks with authority and power.

She is used to working in tandem with the snake energy. Well placed, she uses her knowledge for good, and healing.

But Mambo Petro Rx? This is definitely power in the wrong hands.

The NOVT uses the Rada and Petro terms fairly loosely in relation to the tarot.

If I recall, the Rada in vodou is the right hand road that the healers walk, and it uses good snake energy. The Petro is the left hand road, and uses the bad snake energy, basically meaning the path that uses curses and hexes and such against their fellow travellers. The lwa on this path are violent and aggressive, and sometimes they exact a pretty steep fee for their services.

Sooo...when a person uses or exhibits negative Petro energy it can be pretty strong, and often hostile.

If the Mambo represented a person and the card was reversed, this could be someone who was hot-headed, used her mouth before she thought, was petty and vindictive, bitter. She would not be fun to come up against. Much like a badly placed Queen of Wands!