Rider Waite Suit of Wands
Dusty’s course had a set of files of images of all 78 cards. I downloaded them. I used them to create the grids you see on other blogs but this way I did the work myself, so I can’t be accused of copyright violations.
On New Year’s Eve 2020, Dusty White taught a free Zoom class to let anyone who wanted to study his Easiest Way to Learn the Tarot. My jaw dropped. To learn the Minor Arcana, (pages 15-16) one can project his/her mind and STEP into the card just like you see in many stories and a TV series. For a list of such examples click on this link:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PortalPicture
The best depiction of what Dusty instructs his students to do is found in this scene from Looney Tunes: Back in Action Painting Scene starring Brendan Fraser who is now famous for no longer looking like a heart throb.
The idea of stepping inside a Rider Waite card and talking to the elements painted by Pamela Colman Smith was so cool I LEAPT right in.
In Dusty’s latest class he delved into Smith’s life, so in case you never heard of her, watch this:
With that introduction, let’s flash back to New Year’s Eve 2020 and what I wrote about page 15.
If you were standing inside the Ace of Wands picture, how would it affect you?
I would be freaked out BECAUSE of the wind which might be a GIANT dust devil or a storm rolling in off the hills. The landscape is not unlike my yard with a castle like ruin? – to the left in the distance – not unlike the estate house on Shadybrook that I can see from my deck. The disembodied huge white hand could be Vayu-dev’s hand. Not so much Aeolus. The sapling with sprigs of leaves, some falling off remind me of my poor crab apple that is only half able to produce leaves. The gray background is like the skies here or back in New Jersey on a raw overcast day where my arthritis hurts and I want to hide in my room.
This card gives me a terrible sense of foreboding.
Reversed is even worse. It’s like the thumb’s down of the hand of a Roman emperor with the wand about to hit you on the head. The storm cloud now looks more like billowing hair or smoke and not a storm cloud. The world turned literally upside down.
Dusty writes that this card is connected to Aries – fire. It is the catalyst that brings the world into being.
“Aries energy is the will itself so forcibly on the universe, that it simply springs into being”.
This makes sense.
If you were to stand next to the man in the Two of Wands, what would you ask him?
The man reminds me of Christopher Columbus contemplating sailing around the world. He thinks the planet is much smaller than it is. He is holding the left wand in his left hand and it only has three sprigs. The one on the right is somehow standing upright on the castle rampart anchored to the outer wall. I’m drawn to his red hat. I can’t find a match in Google images but it’s more of a cap and t reminds me of a cardinal’s hat for some reason.
The white lilies and red berries(?) are also drawing me to look at them. The landscape looks like an Italian shoreline.
Reversed it looks like he’s just letting go of the globe but it has yet to drop. The criss-crossed white lilies and red roses seem to jump out now that they are in the upper right hand corner. His cloak has yet to fall down as well. Losing everything – money dropping out of the pockets. Loss of status – the hat that indicates his status will also fall.
In the Three of Wands I feel reluctant to step into the scene because the man feels like an emperor who has either just been defeated or one in exile. His clothes look battered but not yet tattered and his hair is blowing just a bit. The land is barren and reminds me of the road to Reno or the highways of Texas with nothing for miles with just distant foothills. The yellow background – eww – thought just jumped in that the air is polluted either after a great war or dreadful pestilence.
Never mind – Taking off my glasses I can see he’s standing on a hill overlooking a sea at sunset so the water appears golden and there are at least three ships sailing off out of the bay assuming the bay is surrounded by mountains.
He still seems weary, but Dusty writes that this is an auspicious sign of a job well done and the merchant’s goods are off to be sold.
I guess living in the desert makes me see everything from dry land!
Reversed, I feel like he has a terrible headache and the band around his head is tightening as the ships transform into sigils or Hebrew letters.
I really like the Four of Wands! It reminds me of either a wedding or harvest celebration at a winery in the Burgundy wine country of France that I saw in a documentary. The castle looks fairly new and well maintained. The couple look like Roman gentry who are facing guests in the distance yelling hurry, welcome, come enjoy the party. It exudes happiness and wealth and joy and abundance.
I think once I learn how to make affirmations with cards, I will use this one!
I don’t get much from this card reversed other than the bounty is weighing down the supports and the hosts are overly giddy and about to sway and drop their fruit bundles.
Dusty writes that this is a “Prime Empire Card”. Celebration, happy homelife.
Reversed Dusty writes misfortune, being disowned, counting chickens before they hatch, financial misfortune possible
Yikes the Five of Wands looks like 5 brothers who have taken a training session with French batons or quarter staves and turned it into a brawl over petty grievances. The “youngest” in the blue tunic has just blocked a blow from his older brother in red. The one green may be protecting the youngest or he has a beef with the one in red as well. The one in yellow and the one in the striped dark blue tunic look like their fight is more vicious.
I don’t feel that these are just young men unrelated to one another. The sky is a clear blue and the ground looks a bit rugged.
Animosity. Bitterness. Jealousy or envy. Built up hate over injustice. Hurled insults that can no longer be forgiven.
Reversed it looks like a free for all of chaotic negative energy. A real brawl.
Dusty- madhouse, devolving into a circus, flaring egos, run away from this mess
Reversed it traditionally means a truce but Dusty also writes beware of political maneuvering, bruised egos, opportunities to find vengeance
6:18 pm., Thursday, December 31, 2020 – I want my piano fixed so I can play these pieces in the Haunted Piano Playlist!
Phone call – Resumed Friday, January 1, 2021
Six of Wands reminds me of Alexander the Great or a beloved leader returning home victorious. There is a wreath on his staff one man can be seen looking up at him and anther looks off to the side at what the man on the horse might be viewing. The sky is blue and the white horse looks at the viewer. I feel like I am riding alongside him. I like him but I am pensive as he looks concerned at whatever he is seeing.
Reversed I feel that it was a Pyrrhic victory. Upside down the horse looks like he’s going to vomit.
Dusty – check the surrounding cards – victory or rallying troops
Like me, Dusty writes reversed – UGH – defeat, stolen valor, someone taking credit for your hard work
NOTE this card symbolizes the stolen 2020 election – – I know don’t insert politics but I think it was.
Seven of Wands looks like the epitome of frustration. Is he standing on the edge of a cliff? He holds the staff as if he either wants to throw it down in disgust, or he’s getting ready to swing it at the army about to ascend the cliff. Sky is blue and he doesn’t look like trained warrior by his clothes but he’s fed up and ready to fight.
Reversed – losing footing, attack from beneath, unable to hold on.
Just got a Riesen chocolate covered caramel to celebrate. It is a cliff! Dusty writes that the man knows he has no choice left but to fight! Nailed it!
Quotes Sun Tzu – Holding the higher ground in battle in order to be victorious!
Remain calm while whipping your opponent
Check surrounding cards to see if the man is more powerful and better than the attackers
Reversed – don’t expect an easy victory – possible defeat, retreat to solid ground
Could mean weakness or paranoia
The Eight of Wands looks like a scene from Vighnaharta Ganesh when weapons are hurled at the same time towards an enemy. I cannot tell if they have just been thrown up towards the left or they are about to fall down towards the right. There’s a building of some sort on the hill in the distance and a lake but no town or city so is this a battlefield in the middle of no where?
Reversed it feels like the weapons have just been thrown possibly by accident at no particular target.
Dusty – quick, sudden burst of energy or action. Unified sources of action
Reversed – stagnation, missed opportunities, reckless action, scattered or wasted energies
IF PAIRED WITH THE SEVEN OF SWORDS = ambush or call to retreat
The man in the Nine of Wands looks distrustful, leery, angry, possibly with a head wound (white band on his head). He’s either been sent to a remote outpost to stand guard or he is trying to defend something – maybe a fort or a field or ammunition dump. To me the wands look like stakes in the ground making a fence, but the ones on the left are too far apart.
Eww. Reversed it looks like the man has fallen asleep at his post. His head is pounding. The fence posts are not firmly supported nor serving their purpose.
BINGO: Dusty – bandaged head. Veteran. Standing guard despite his wounds. Tired and worn out but watchful. Conserving his energy for a fight.
Dedication, trustworthiness, sense of duty with the will to carry it out. Loyalty to a cause.
Reversed – weakness of character, shifty, fear of standing up. Escapism.
Ten of Wands looks like me trying to do household chores with a bad back and too heavy a load (bag of kitty litter or dog food or wood). Trudging forward in pain and weariness toward home. Duty must be done. Fight through the pain. The house isn’t that far, but it seems far if you’re in pain.
Reversed – the wands are about to slip through his arms as the weight is too much. Back pain or shoulder pain is too much to bear. Can’t see the destination anymore.
Dusty – fulfillment of a lifetime of efforts and energies. Be careful what you wish for.
“All that we have said and done catches up with us”. Luxuries we crave are a burden in turn. Success has a price.
Reversed – release of burdens or responsibilities Shirking responsibilities
11:19 a.m., Sunday, January 3, 2021
Page of Wands – I like this card. Despite the man looking up towards the top of the wand, I don’t get the sense that he’s arrogant. He has curly blond hair with a feather in the front of his hat, a hat that looks rather normal even if he wore it today. Blue sky. The mountains resemble the pyramids at Giza. Barren landscape. His head might be a bit tilted in puzzlement.
I can’t make out the motif on his tunic. The cape looks new or that of a wealthy person.
Reversed: I don’t get a bad feeling from this reversed. Not sure I get any feeling at all.
Dusty: royal court’s yellow tunic – so I guessed right he is wealthy
Dusty writes that the feather is just a lick of flame!
CARDINAL – instigator, initiations, arrivals
If the Page of Wands shows up with the Ace or Queen – portends the birth of a child or a baby in one of the fire signs!
Reversed – unhappy news, arguments, unruly children, impotence, miscarriages
Knight of Wands – again the feeling of Sir Lancelot but this knight looks like he’s not in control. Horse looks a bit startled as it rears up. The foot in the sabaton or solleret looks like the toes are hanging on for dear life and the heal is pointed as far down as it can in the stirrup.
The same three mountains that resemble the pyramids at Giza are in the distance but this time on the left.
Upside down I get a terrible feeling of the Knight falling while being on fire. I feeling like the back of his cloke and the plume are on fire and the horse’s mane is on fire as well. The horse’s body is singed.
Dusty- complete opposite of what my gut feels. Knight is in complete control rearing the horse to charge into battle.
Paired with the 6 of Swords or the Chariot – travel
Reversed – charging head without forethought. Impulsive
Queen of Wands – I watched a video by Dusty’s students and I agree this is woman is either a BLEEP OUT (I used a politically incorrect label – don’t dare use it in public) or a guy. Truly ugly mannish woman with her legs spread apart. The Black Cat looks right at the viewer and has an evil look to it. The creepy stone lions look outward. There are the same three hills in the background. There are lions (heraldry) from a coat of arms facing each other in battle above her head. She looks pensively or peevishly to her left. She’s holding a huge sunflower. I think the clasp is a fox head pin. I would not want to speak to this woman if she is indeed a woman.
Reversed: YICK An immediate sick feeling. Stomach upset.
Dusty – tomboy, courageous, assertive yet open and friendly
Reversed – impatient, demanding, drama queen, bossy, tyrannical
King of Wands – Do not like this man. He is facing to the left and it looks like there’s a lizard on the raised dais on the right. I do like the green part of the cloke. Not sure what he might have in his left hand if anything. The lions in the herald banner are whirling with lizards. His green clad feet are firmly planted on the dais and he looks like he could stand up in an instant. I have no desire to talk to him at all.
Reversed – I get an immediate headache feeling. Back crawling feeling with a shiver down the spine.
Dusty – the description on page 144 fits the late Harry Leo Duran to a T except Harry wasn’t a red head.
Reversed – tyrant, rude, bully, domineering boss, violent criminal, self-obsessed megalomaniac
Possible misfortune NEGATIVE in any reading
STORY TIME
Long ago and far away, the God of Wind thrust out a tree branch into the wilderness. No one was there to take it, but years later a merchant found two similar wands and he stood on his parapet and searched the horizon on the sea for the flags on his ships that would give him insider trading tips on what the trade expedition was bringing to market. He is confident his investment went well and he’s comfortable with his business acumen. As time passed, the merchant’s steward has set off to sell all the wares. He stands watching the ships sail away and he’s just watching the sun set.
The riches from insider trading filled the merchant’s coffers to the point where he was able to buy a castle for his daughter’s wedding venue with the dowry going to his new son-in-law with a catch. The catch was that the son-in-law would have to fight off any business rivals. The young man was so victorious, he was able to get the admiration of everyone in the city as he rode victorious through town. Alas, all good things come to an end. The son-in-law made some bad investments and he had to start farming the land himself. Accusations were hurled at the family and eventually, wounded, the son-in-law had to stand guard just to keep his creditors from getting his harvest. At long last, his fortunes improved and he trudged to town with his harvest.
While in town, he went to a gambling hall and won! With all new clothes he found the wand the God of Wind had dropped eons before and he contemplated a journey. That journey was cut short as he was conscripted and sent off to war in Egypt for a queen of dubious character and a maniacal tyrant. If I get the time, I have to flip each image upside down and create a grid of reversals.
THIS IS A LOT OF WORK DUSTY! A LOT OF WORK. But it’s way cool.
FOR FURTHER READING AND VIEWING:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-easiest-way-to-learn-the-tarot-ever/id403912558
Promo: I will NEVER read for anyone else. I just want to learn this for myself. BUT if you DO want to read for others, I recommend Dusty’s courses.
https://sites.google.com/view/tarotprofessionalcourse/how-to-get-clients
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