Six of Wands
Despite the pretty colour palette in this card, it is nonetheless a disturbing image. This is fitting, however, given the card’s connotations of surfacing psychological demons and responsible use of resources.
The oil refinery first elicits a vehement denial from the viewer. We all know what it is, that it is ugly not only as a visual image but also as a symbol that confronts us with responsibility and consequence. It is because of humanity’s reliance on fossil fuels that the refinery is there; the environmental impact of such installations is well known (as is that of their products), but by virtue of their huge scale and a sheer effort of wilful ignorance, we manage to absolve ourselves of our personal contribution to the refinery’s ongoing presence.
Let us consider fossil fuels, and their products, as an implied symbol in the image. As Genetti discusses, crude oil, as the fossilised product of prehistory, is a potent symbol for the human subconsciousness, and perhaps even our collective consciousness. These two parts of our mind are products of history – one’s personal history in the first instance, and cultural legacy in the second. The crude oil metaphor tells us many things about these parts of ourselves; they bear little or no resemblance to their original form; they are both rich in potential and highly toxic; to be useful, they must be “refined:, or alchemically split into component parts; exploring them will be like scuba diving in crude oil (dark, viscous, frightening, cold, difficult and distasteful); what we obtain will be highly volatile; and most of all, by dredging these things up, one must accept that there will be “by-products” which must be disposed of responsibly.
Fossil fuel derivatives have given humanity extraordinary power. The energy caught within is basically distilled solar power, and having such vast amounts of pure energy at our disposal has enabled mind-boggling feats of technology, engineering and creation. But after a couple of hundred years of this rampant outgrowth, subsequent generations are left with a poisoned world and a crippling economic substance dependence.
As a metaphor for the psyche, this legacy can teach the seeker to approach their subconscious reserves with great mindfulness. While the dark Self might provide one with boundless creative fuel, the residue that remains must also be dealt with rather than simply dumping anger, regret, unrest and anxiety upon those around us.
Similarly, the product of creative energy must be carefully considered for its effect upon the wider world. Undoubtedly, rampant creative spirit fused with religious fervour to produce the Malleus Maleficarum, and the result was thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of people were persecuted, burnt, drowned and tortured because it was unleashed.
\m/ Kat