This card is attributed to Geburah in Atziluth, Saturn in Leo, and I can understand it from that angle, however Robert Wang identifies the wands as the wand of the Chief Adept (ipsissimus?) crossed by the Phoenix wand of the Adeptus Major (Geburah) and the Lotus wand of the Adeptus Minor (Tiphareth).
Why would these mean "strife?"
ETA: The BoT actually does give an explanation, although it seems somewhat sketchy.
Here is an old ressurected post on the wands:
As Crowley says, “The three Wands of the Three Adepts.” i.e. Adeptus Minor, Adeptus Major and Adeptus Exemptus – corresponding to Tiphareth, Geburah and Chesed. These Wands appear earlier in the 5 where Crowley describes them as Chief Adept, 2nd or Major Adept (The Phoenix Wand), The Wand of the 3rd or Minor Adept (the Mother he talks about here is Isis)
In the 5 of Wands the arrangement looks balanced but there is only 1 Chief Wand and the Phoenix Wands look outwards. In the Six of Wands it all looks balanced and the Phoenix Wands look towards the centre (In relation to their application in the 5 or the 6 see Crowley’s comments about fire being on or off the Middle Pillar of the Tree of Life) but, to me, the artistic arrangement of the card seems to be lacking something, it’s a bit staid.
Note the 7 of Wands, the arrangement is the same but overlaid is a wilder and primal Wand, for me, this corrects the above artistic vacuum.
Crowley further comments in ‘One Star in Sight’ (An outline of the G.D. / A.A. system):
Adeptus Minor – Performance of the Great Work, Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel, Formula of the R+C.
Adeptus Major – General Mastery of Magick.
Adeptus Exemptus – Perfects the above and moves to another plane.
And further:
Exemptus – Produces a great literary work, a magical thesis. Bodhisattva, transcends ego.
Major – Self reliance, Comprehension of the Wheel of Force and its three forces of Radiation, Conduction, Connection (Sulphur, Salt and Mercury – The Three Gunas – see The Wheel - Thoth Atu).
Minor – Equilibriation of the self and passions (the Cross of the Elements). Teaches Magick and Mysticism.
The Powers of the Wands.
(From the G. D. Ceremony of Adeptus Minor.)
OPENING.
…
3rd Adept: “I bear a simple Wand, having the colors of the 12 signs of the Zodiac between Light and Darkness and surmounted by the Lotus Flower of Isis. It symbolizes the development of Creation.”
2nd Adept: “Mine is a Wand terminating in the Symbol of the Binary and surmounted by the Tau cross of Life, or the head of a Phoenix, sacred to Osiris. The seven colors of the Rainbow between Light and Darkness are attributed to the Planets. It symbolizes Rebirth and Resurrection from Death.”
Chief: “My Wand is surmounted by the Winged Globe, around which the twin Serpents of Egypt twine. It symbolizes the equilibriated force of the Spirit and the Four Elements beneath the everlasting wings of the Holy One.”
…
Chief: “…the Zodiac, whose Key is the working of the Spirit and the Four Elements, typified in the Wand which I bear.”
…
THE THIRD POINT
…
(All officers raise their Wands and place them on Candidate)
Chief touches the base of the brain, the Second the right temple, the Third the left temple.
Chief: “Be thy mind opened unto the higher.”
(They then touch Anks in a triangle around his heart “Be thy heart a centre of Light.”
Spine and left and right hips; “Be thy body the Temple of the Rosy Cross.”
Then they use their Wands for the LVX parts and signs of the Hexagram ritual.)
In notes on the Lotus Wand it says; “The Lotus is not to be touched in working, but in Sephirotic and Spiritual Things, the Flower is to be inclined towards the forehead; and to rise in the Planes, the orange colored centre is to be fully directed to the forehead.”
What is missing from the arrangement in the 6 of Wands is the Candidate, who appears in the 7 as the primal Wand being enflamed. Or one can say that after achieving the initiation of Exempt Adept there is still more, you eventually are forced into the Abyss ether to become a Magus or loose the plot (not fully transcend the ego) and become a ‘Black Brother’ (a type of nasty, wanker, ‘magical’ leader /guru that is really trying to line his own nest – you know the type … one doesn’t need to be an Adept first although to achieve this ‘level’). Basically, regardless of the initiation, there are forces inside you and specific to you. The 6 is showing the process to Victory but your own Valor is needed to make it all work.
