Thoth
Card name: Eight of Wands:
First impressions
Crowned by a rainbow, eight zigzag lines with arrows at their ends radiate from the centre of a sort of blocky rainbow 8 pointed star. At the top corners are the glyphs for Mercury and Sagittarius.
From the Book of Thoth
SWIFTNESS - EIGHT OF WANDS
The remaining three cards of the suit belong to Sagittarius, which represents the subtilizing of the Fiery energy; and Mercury rules the card, thus bringing down from Chokmah the message of the original Will.
The card also refers to Hod, splendour, in the suit of Fire, whence it refers to the phenomena of speech, light, electricity.
The pictorial representation of the card shows the Light-wands turned into electrical rays, sustaining or even constituting Matter by their vibrating energy. Above this restored universe shines the rainbow; the division of pure light, which deals with maxima, into the seven colours of the spectrum, which exhibit interplay and correlation.
This card, therefore, represents energy of high velocity, such as furnishes the master-key to modern mathematical physics.
It will be noted that there are no flames; they have all been taken up into the wands to turn them into rays. On the other hand, the electric energy has created intelligible geometrical form.
Images and Symbolism
Frieda Harris says in her essays:
Eight of Wands=Swiftness. Hod in the suit of Fire. Mercury in Sagittarius.
This card represents the Light-Wands turned into electrical rays constituting matter by their energy. Above this restored Universe is the Rainbow, representing interplay and correlation. IT also shows the energy of high velocity.
Also:
Eight of Wands=Swiftness. Mercury in Sagittarius. Hod.
The wands have turned into electric energy, above is a rainbow. Here we have the acme of restless force.
Snuffin says that what I saw simply as a blocky star is a star - constructed from two overlapping pyramids. The arrowheads mark off the corners. And yes, the faint lines on the card are clearly pyramids, now that it is pointed out to me
The rays are electric, and symbolise Mercury, ruler of communications and technology, reminding is that electricity enables us to communicate at lightning speeds ! (and that way back when !)
He says that the colours of the rainbow can be seen in liquid mercury. I’d have to have some to see.
The pyramids symbolise Chesed, and reflect the rainbow colours. The square one is painted in the colours of Malkuth and the diamond shaped has no actual pattern. Why not ? And the apexes are offset top indicate the difficulty of bringing the energies into manifestation. I don’t actually know what that means. Maybe I will get it later.
As for Banzhaf – I hope the work kife is a misprint for life, or I am lost… Anyway – he says the cards shows lightning as a symbol of the electrifying idea, and that exchanges happen within the electrical impulses in the brain. These explode previous thought patterns.
Meaning (cribbed from Wasserman)
Swiftness. Speech, light, electricity, energy of high velocity, activity, approach to goal, letter or message, rapidity, too much force applied too suddenly, a flash in the pan, boldness, freedom.
DuQuette
Hasty communications and messages; swiftness.
Too much force applied too suddenly. Very rapid rush, but quickly passed and expended. Violent but not lasting. Swiftness, rapidity, courage, boldness, confidence, freedom, warfare, violence; love of open air, field-sports, gardens and meadows., Generous, subtle, eloquent, yet somewhat untrustworthy; rapacious, insolent, oppressive. Theft and robbery. According to dignity.
Traditional meanings – From Thirteen’s book of meanings:
Eight wands cut across the sky. When we finally put to use our human intellect to manage our energy, we find that we can really speed things up. This isn't about "taming" the energy, but rather avoiding waste and making the best use of it. This is our example of banking the fire so that we have more heat and light.
Another example would be knowing when to speed up on a highway and when to slow down. If we speed all the time, we may spin out of control on curves and crash. This way we not only get where we're going but often get there faster than those moving at top speed.
This card predicts fast developments, fast travel, things happening quickly and competently. Nothing wasted. Whatever is going on, the querent won't need to worry about it being on time, it should arrive early. Things will get done quickly and will develop in a speedy manner with energy to spare. This will be, in part, because they understand how their energy works, and how to limit it so as to get the most out of it.
My impressions (appearance of the card):
The first thing I thought of was one of those electrical diagrams we used to have to draw in physics. I didn’t like them then and I still don’t. Artistically this card felt kind of lazy. I know it isn’t; that was just a gut feeling. There is just so much less ARTISTRY in it than in most others, to my mind. The rainbow also feels out of place. Once the electrical storm is OVER maybe – but not during it ! This is not a card I like the LOOK of at all. Not threatening or anything – it just isn’t attractive, to me… Which figures as I hated physics !
My take (what I make of it/what I might see in a reading where I drew it)
I’d see this as fizzing with energy; but scattered in all directions, and in need of more focus. And that the rainbow represents something which can be achieved after the fizzing settles down and there’s a bit more grounding. Too much too fast otherwise, leading to a mess.
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