Bohemian Gothic Tarot - King of Wands

sharpchick

This card has been a repeater for me - in three of my last eight draws.

At first glance, the overall view of the card seems to be one of a person who feels a sense of entitlement - we have the stage hand bringing the King a wand or scepter, obviously a prop in his role.

But each time I've turned it over, I do a kind of free fall into his eyes. He's not just gazing out into space - he's focused on something in front and slightly above him.

I keep thinking a vision. Is he actually looking at something or has the vision come from within? When I look at the intense focus in those eyes, I don't think he's even aware the stage hand is there.

I think perhaps he has gotten on stage to play one role, and become captivated by a vision of another. And given the lack of an audience, I think the vision is meant to be pondered and considered before divulging it to anyone else.

At least, that's what I'm getting today.

I also have to say that the detail in these cards is just spectacular. Kudos to Karen and Alex.
 

Thirteen

Given that the stagehand is giving him the missing prop (scepter) you're probably right that there's no audience, but I think he's imagining one. An audience rapt in his performance, ready to applaud him, totally in his power for the hours that he's strutting around on stage.

Like so many cards in this deck, this one is really fascinating. It is so apt for the King/Wands, who is a dramatic persona. You imagine him as having a great, booming voice (perhaps this isn't just a play but an opera?), the charisma of a star of the stage. You imagine he's a prima donna, demanding attention, demanding things be his way. You imagine he's got lots of fans, women who hang out back stage waiting for glimpse of him. You imagine he's a bit restless, and travels with the theater company from place to place. The stage is his kingdom, and it's made up as such, then taken down and moved elsewhere. A traveling kingdom, a traveling king.

And we know he has the ability to pretend to whatever emotion he likes--feel it even (or believe he does), and make others feel it too. He manipulates his own feelings and those of his audience, and so he is a king of sorts. All those who see him are under his command--what passions he wants them to feel they will feel, what philosophy he wants them to believe they will believe.

And yet, this card also tells us that this King isn't real. He's an actor. His time of power is brief. He burns very hot on that stage, full of acting passion, keeping people rapt attentive. Eventually, however, his energy burns up. The curtain comes down, the scepter is returned to the prop room, his robes to costuming.

I think this is a marvelous card. It reminds us that kingship has a lot in common with acting. The pomp and circumstance of it all, the look and rituals, all to make people believe, for a short while, that a man is more than just a man. He's a king. And when this actor is dressed up and on stage, people believe that. They want to believe, and so does he. In short, I agree with you. He's in that acting zone, imagining his moment before the audience when he'll be playing the part of a King. And for a moment, he forgets he's only acting and playing with props on a stage. For a moment, he really thinks of himself as a king. I think that says it all. King/Wands is the king of ego. This is the card that reminds us to beware that we don't let out success, popularity and/or power go to our heads and forget that we're not really a king.
 

Alisa13

Hmmm. We see a man, dressed as a King, on a stage. A stagehand (perhaps) hands him a wand as a prop. I totally loved what Thirteen wrote about this fellow "playing" a King, we all adopt roles in our lives and for this man King is one of them. He is not a pompous preening King fussing over his crown - as he has no crown. He does have a regal bearing of one used to leadership "roles" and the vision he has looks like one of confidence and certainty. I love the robe, red and gold for action, thought, passion, white and black trim for balance. As if to say "the world is a stage" notice the buildings behind him are a roll up "drop scene". He stands - ready for action; perhaps the action of acting the role or actual movement around the stage; the cards indicates action of a King. The King of Wands. Perfect!
Alisa13 :)