Pyramids

I have been wondering for a long time why the 3 pyramids of Giza are shown on the on the Page of Wands and he Knight of Wands cards?

Does anyone have a clue as to what these two cards have to do with pyramids and Egypt?

it is thought that the Artist Pamela Colman Smith, was influenced in part by the Sola Busca Deck of the late 15th Century. The photographs of the deck were at the British Museum, if memory serves me. Now both the Knight and the Page were shown on a barren landscape in much the same poses.
On both the tunics is a design of salamanders, whom symbolises the element of fire. In Christian thought a salamander is thought to be sexless- so shows Chastity; also enduring faith and the righteous man. Waite saw the Page as an envoy or messenger and the Knight as departure and flight. The pyramids are in the desert (a fiery place), they have a message for mankind, and they are seen as the departure place for journeys to the otherworld. The Golden dawn called the Page 'the Rose of the Palace of Fire' and the Knight the 'Prince of the Chariot of Fire' The three of the pyramids probably meant child of the royal household for the Page, and the three for the Knight as the third in the relationship of Queen, King and Knight. This is evoked by the or bought to mind by the Pyramids. Then again they might not be pyramids at all. ~Rosanne

oops willowfox, I did not make myself clear about the connection with Salamanders and the pyramids. The Ancient Egyptians used the Salamander as a hieroglyphic sign for a man who died alone and like the phoenix would rise again from the ashes.~Rosanne

Hi,

thanks for the reply but I am still in the dark about what the pyramids have to do with these two cards only because the pyramid was supposed to be for the pharaoh, not lesser mortals such as pages and knights. Oh yes they are definitely the 3 pyramids at Giza. It just seems that the page and knight have nothing in common with Egypt or the pyramids. So what's the connection?

Could it be masonic?

I don't have an adequate answer to this either.

I suspect that Pamela, after deciding to use the desert for the background of the wand court cards, may have been searching for a way to communicate "desert-ness."

Sand dunes would have been one idea, cactus another (but with their odd shape, cactus may have communicated additional unwanted impressions, and not all deserts have cactus).

People the world over associate pyramids with the desert, however. And since AE Waite had never been shy promoting the supposed Egyptian connection, Pamela might have felt this was a good choice.

I've wondered about this, too- why the Page and the Knight, and not the King and Queen? To me it seemed like they would be the ones (being royal) who would have had the pyramids in their cards.

elnor

As I said I am not so sure they are pyramids, but maybe alluding to pyramids.
I have scanned the Queen of Wands; look to the right side of the throne? Are they not also 'Pyramids'?
I think it is like Sentient said it is about 'desert-ness'.
Here is a quote from a book called The Complete New Tarot that uses RWS. The desert is the landscape of wands in this book.
The Knight of Wands rides on a sandy- coloured horse and passes several pyramids in the background; they symbolize eternal manifestation. I came from sunset to here and I am going to sunrise. I am causing sunrise and sunset This is from Celtic mythology, but is equally Egyptian in concept.
of the Page..
Against a backdrop of the pyramids, the Page proclaims the message of the procreation, the inception of the new plan, a new life

It is also true of the Salamander that it is a symbol of genius. What is more 'genius' than the pyramids in concept? The Salamander appears on all four Courts of Wands. I am still not convinced my self that they are pyramids, Robert Place says they is disagreement as to whether they not be mounds of desolation/desert. ~Rosanne

hmmm, i was hpping to find and image of the "tarot of the new vision" knight of wands, thsi 180 turnaround of the original rider/waite designs shows the horuse mounted knight on nhis stargled horse witnessing an approaching caravan of camel bound riders. Thsi indicates that this knight is a journeyman in a strange land, that he may someday come to rule (from page to knight who meets a maid then becomign queen and king).

just my two cents on the matter.

I've always thought of the pyramids on these cards as an inspiration to explore new lands (representing new ideas and possiblilities). I can't think of anything more inspiring than the pyramids as a symbol of this.
As far as the salamanders go, it is interesting to note that the tails are curved, almost like an ouroboros, but it is not until the king that the tails actually touch the mouths.

Bodhran

http://www.learntarot.com/bigjpgs/wands11.jpg
http://www.learntarot.com/bigjpgs/wands12.jpg
http://www.learntarot.com/bigjpgs/wands14.jpg

Oh for cryin' out loud, that's so perceptive I can hardly stand it.