THE TWO OF WANDS
“The Lord of Dominion”
Mars in Aries
DESCRIPTION AND SYMBOLISM
A handsome well dressed merchant in a red hat and brown robes looks out towards the sea from the roof of his manor house. The last of his merchant fleet has set sail on a trading mission to distant lands. In his right hand he holds a small globe of the world symbolizing his inner ambition to literally “hold the whole world in his hands.” To his right a flowering Wand, the symbol of what he has accomplished so far, is affixed by a ring to the parapet wall while in his left hand he holds an identical Wand, the symbol of his ambitions for the future, which rests atop a cubic stone pedestal. Below the pedestal appears an image of two white lilies and two red roses lying at the tips of an equal armed cross through which is revealed the secret of his present success. Uniting the rose (passion and desire) with the lily (reason and abstract thought) in equal measure (the equal armed cross) brings the wisdom and balance necessary to succeed without being motivated by greed or the desire for unlimited personal power.
ASTROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
In the “Lord of Dominion” the planet Mars resides in the Sign of Aries. In the ancient tradition, Mars was considered to be the ruler of Aries and this Sign was considered its natural home as the Aries energy most closely corresponds to the nature of this planet. Mars is often wrongly associated with war and violence due to its namesake, who was the Roman god of war. From a modern point of view Mars may be more correctly characterized as the “vital natural energy”, the impelling life force, that aggressive animal will which manifests itself in the human consciousness as ambition and the drive to succeed. The sign of Aries represents the principal of activity and imparts an especially powerful, energetic and dynamic character to Mars when it resides in this sign.
ORACLES
When Appearing Upright in a Reading
You will earn success and prosperity through your courage, boldness and strength of will. The position that you will attain through hard your work will allow you to achieve something new and vital. Your balanced union of intellect and passion will allow you to rise to a position of influence over others.
When Appearing Reversed in a Reading
You are succumbing to pride and excessive ambition and are using your power and money for improper or dishonest ends. What started as good in the beginning has now gone bad. Circumstances will turn against you. Beware of treacherous associations in your life.
THE TREE OF LIFE
“The Sphere of Wisdom”
The first revelation of Divine Wisdom is in the manifestation and blossoming of the Primal Will as the motion of life itself – the ever expanding energy that drives not only our personal ambitions but also the very movement of the stars and galaxies themselves.