Mary El Tarot - Ten of Wands

[Bat Chicken]

http://www.mary-el.com/wands2.html

Where the other three cards definitely signify and end to Life and the cycle reflected by the numbered cards and the qabalah (Malkuth), the Ten of Wands seems to be dual with both a light and dark aspect. This is reflected in the description of the white horse in Revelations.

I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come and see!" I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
Revelation 6 : 1 - 2 ( N I V )

The path of the warrior is a double edged sword. This one wears the crown of Caesar ( the spread of Christianity? Or its enemies? Christ himself?) I get the sense of a fiery phoenix in the flames behind the rider – could this be Judgement, the Holy Spirit? The Bow seems consistent with the idea of God’s Judgement or in God’s doing battle against an enemy – further, the spread of God’s Word.

The traditional meaning of Oppression still carries through in this imagery. The outcome of conquest is not all positive. It indicates oppression to those conquered. Christianity’s conquest has been a mix of enlightenment and oppression. This is a powerful choice of imagery to represent the traditional card.

Thoughts?