Maat Tarot Study Group Queen of Wands

greycats

Traditionally, the Queen of Wands is organized and energetic. She runs things: a queen bee. She’s the picture of sunny openness until one notices the lions supporting her throne (a characteristic of Cybele and other powerful earth goddesses) and, of course, the black cat. The presence of that black cat would have made her eligible for witchhood once upon a time. The Queen of Wands is a lady of parts, even in RWS.

In the Maat, she continues to be interesting. She’s taken up spinning, a task quite fitted to her on all levels. Wands is the handicraft suit, except for gardening, and as Queen, she epitomizes the ideal spinner who was in ancient times Athena, Minerva, Freya, et al. The art of taking bits of fluff and creating a garment from them must have seemed magical in the days before much history was written down. Think what one can do with a big stick and a weighted top. Magic, indeed. ;) The black cat has reason to be interested.

So the Queen very much “in her element” wears an elegant blue dress edged with braid and trimmed with fine lace. Her surroundings are somewhat humbler, however. She appears to be queen of a cabin, though a very well made one. The fireplace mantle to her left supports some of her earlier work, as well as a pierced work lantern, some plates, a box and another object (statuette?). A fireplace bellows hangs on the wall.

Most interestingly, between the spinner and the fireplace, sits a spinning wheel, unused. A spinning wheel is a lot more efficient if one wants to turn out sufficient yarn to cloth the family. It’s even more flexible in some ways than using the distaff and spindle. So why not use it? I can think of a couple of reasons (other than for purposes of illustration) that someone might revert to the older method of spinning thread/yarn. But, I’d like to hear other opinions. Why do you think she’s using the spindle and distaff rather than the spinning wheel? :neutral:

A couple of other bits to weave in: we have one more arcana in this lunar cycle which features the family with emphasis on the mother/mother-child elements. For millennia, weaving has been the quintessential womanly household task. In fact, even now one hears phrases like "the distaff side" mentioned when someone means a mother's kin, or her work, or her areas of interest. Weaving also mimics birth in this way: one begins with "nothing," specks of tissue or fiber, and over time creates from this nothingness something, a child, a shirt. Finally, weaving has to do with the daily round. In mythology, the sisters weave our lives out of our days and our actions. With parents and children, the same thing happens: we turn and touch each other across the days, weaving patterns of dinners, vacations, jokes and bedtimes that become "family." :)
 

annik

I think she’s using the spindle and distaff because she can move while doing the spinning. The spinning wheel can't be moved as easily as the spindle and distaff. But I must admit I go more with what I see than spinning experience (I don't have any). She may also be more confortable using the spindle and distaff. My mother have a spinning wheel as decoration in her house. As a child, I remember getting around it. The bench that is part of the spinning wheel wasn't too much confortable for long period of time.

The colored earlier work seems to denote a certain exertise in giving colors to the yarn. From what I know, coloring yarn is pretty demanding physically. And it take knowledge and experience to obtain the desired color. It is not as today where we can easily find the color we want.
 

6 Haunted Days

To me the Queen of Wands is always extremely creative, vibrant and a bit of a magician. And here we have more than meets the eye. First viewing this image I right off sensed it was more than a woman spinning. I had a primal response to it I want to explore further, it's a powerful ancient emotion I get when I study this card.

She is the creator spinning her magic in the dark light, creating life, love and passion from her hands and imagination. I get a feeling of the quiet and concetration when creating something, an intense prayer as she spins her world.

Miss 6
 

juliecucciawatts

Queen of Wands

I thought I would upload the image for this card.
Julie
 

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Kimber

greycats said:
Most interestingly, between the spinner and the fireplace, sits a spinning wheel, unused. A spinning wheel is a lot more efficient if one wants to turn out sufficient yarn to cloth the family. It’s even more flexible in some ways than using the distaff and spindle. So why not use it? I can think of a couple of reasons (other than for purposes of illustration) that someone might revert to the older method of spinning thread/yarn. But, I’d like to hear other opinions. Why do you think she’s using the spindle and distaff rather than the spinning wheel?

I think it shows the importance of the initial act of making something from nothing; the wheel made the process more efficient, but the actual essence of the spark of creation is in her hands and the spindle. Without this knowledge, this power to make something out of nothing, the spinning wheel would not have come to be. It's like the difference between reading a book and writing one - becoming immersed in, and connected to, the creative source.

Kimber
 

juliecucciawatts

Kimber said:
I think it shows the importance of the initial act of making something from nothing; the wheel made the process more efficient, but the actual essence of the spark of creation is in her hands and the spindle. Without this knowledge, this power to make something out of nothing, the spinning wheel would not have come to be. It's like the difference between reading a book and writing one - becoming immersed in, and connected to, the creative source.

Kimber

thank you Kimber I think you just gave me the definative words for the Queen of Wands..."immersion with and connection to the creative source." The Queen of Wands is the Muse. At least it is true for me. The first card that pulled me into the tarot and made me seek more about it was the Queen of Wands. She has always remained a bit of a special mystery to me. I wanted to know who she was because of her black cat. When I was 21 people unrelated and not prone to seeing phantoms saw a black cat in my apartment. I didn't have a black cat. Which was why I wanted to find out about her even more. 7 years later I started Ancestral Path to learn tarot the rest is history...
 

Penthasilia

Maat tarot IDS

Card/Number: Queen of Wands/24 and 8 of Wands/25

Card Images: see attached

First Impression: again, a strong sense that these two cards belong together, the meanings expounded when seen as one. I do not know if this is just from personal circumstance, or if the time-period/dress as well as the calm faces of the women depicted just pull them together, almost as if they are mother and daughter. Regardless, they seem to want to be together for me today, so that it what I will do.

Card Description:
Queen of Wands: a light haired woman in a blue gown with white trim and a matching white bonnet sits serenely in her home, spinning white yarn on a distaff. You can see a mantle in the background, with yarn of various colors hung along the edge.

8 of Wands: here we see a light haired younger woman in a pink gown with white trim, again a matching white bonnet. She has a serene expression as she sits at her desk, writing a letter with a white quill.

Masculine/Feminine/Neutral: feminine

Colors: blue, pink, white and brown

Senses: you feel the steady slow beat of your heart as your work takes you softly away, the soft sounds of spinning and scratching of the quill on the paper seem distant, the smell of the paper and yarn clean and crisp.

Symbols: distaff, feather, spinning, writing

Story (intuitive): I sit down lightly between the two women and automatically pick up a bolster of the yarn and start to crochet. We work silently, the three of us, for a while. Although it seems scandalous to use crude language in front of these demur women, my anger overtakes me and I speak plainly, "I was so damn angry today at my family. It is so hard, when you spend a full week, all week, giving all of your time to help fulfill their needs, having none for yourself, then the day comes where you have to stop, you have to take time to complete your work, and then they don't seem to understand why you are not joyous to continue giving every last bit of your time to them! I just needed ONE day. It wasn't like they looked at me as if I was asking too much, rather it seemed as if I had not done a damned thing over the week and should have had plenty of time to get my work done. That is what hurt, that is why I am so angry!.". I sit back, realizing that I still hold some anger, even though I thought it was gone.

The mother gazes thoughtfully ahead, her fingers nimble in their work. She speaks softly, "Your anger is two-fold. I can tell you of the first. You are upset, not because you had no time to complete your work, but that you had to stop the things you actually prefer to do in order to finish it. You do not like what you are currently doing, it does not feed you, it does not provide the sense of accomplishment and self-satisfaction that you crave. That is one of the reasons that you are so upset, even now.". She goes back to spinning, and I hear that the quill has stopped. I look over to the daughter, who gazes at me steadily, a remarkable wisdom in the eyes of one still young. "You are angry that they did not give you the space you needed, yet you did nothing to communicate this to them. Once you did, you noticed that they did start helping to ensure you had your space. Your guilt continues to fuel your anger. If you had originally told them of your issue, they would have been happy to allow you the time you needed much earlier. You didn't tell them, because you did not want to have to take the time to do it.".

I sit, and quietly digest all that they have told me. They are correct on both accounts. I knit, and nod. "You are both correct, but the issue is that I need to work in order to provide for my family. How do I keep my sanity, how do I continue the work at home, the work that feeds me- without compromising the work that pays me? And how do I communicate this to my family, when I need to stop and have time for my employment?". They smile softly, each continuing with their work, "Remember that your family loves you through all of this. Maximize that which feeds you, continue to finish that which pays you. Do not sacrifice one for the other, do not sacrifice responsibility for happiness. And in all this, talk to your family, and let them know when time is needed elsewhere. They will understand, and will help. They love you as wife and mother- you create a family, a household, a home. What you need, they will give, you only have to ask.". And at these kind and wise words, I sit back gently and continue to knit. For their wisdom has given me a freedom that is hard to explain, but that allows me to choose the work that I do daily and maximize that which feeds me. It is a generous gift, and one I will hold dearly to my heart. I sit, I nod, we work, and I heal.

Astrologic:
Queen of Wands: week of the full moon in Cancer
8 of Wands: last 1/4 moon in Libra
Planetary ruler: Saturn

Element: air and earth

Keywords: Queen: passion in work, 8: swiftness and communication

Meanings: Queen: a blond haired/blue eyed Leo woman who is able to create beauty. 8: fast action and communication

Quote: "Your work is appreciated. When you need rest, let them know, and remember to feed your soul."
 

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juliecucciawatts

I enjoy watching as you make MAAT your own.