Tarot Astro-Limericks for the Two, Three, and Four of Wands
Back during Covid lockdown, I started a project of writing a limerick each day to describe the day’s astro-weather. I illustrated these astro-limericks with the corresponding tarot cards. You can see them on my Instagram page, #lunchtimeastrolimerick. Eventually I added some tarot-focused ones, trying to capture the essence of the card and its astrological correspondence in short verse. Now that John Allen and I are leading a series called “Faces of the Decans” exploring the decanic images and their related tarot cards, I’ve started thinking about the limericks again. As I contemplated the tarot images and the associated astrology for Aries, and as the limericks fell into place, I noticed that the Aries decans encapsulate the Hero’s Journey in the most simple way.
In Joseph Campbell’s book on the topic, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, he summarizes the elaborate process in three straight-forward steps: Separation, Initiation, Return. The three Aries cards–the Two of Wands, Three of Wands, and Four of Wands–follow this formula precisely. Let’s look at these three steps and my limerick for each one.
Two of Wands
In the Two of Wands, Mars the warrior, our hero, is ruling the first decan of Aries, the sign of identity, independence, and taking action. The image shows someone looking out from a castle parapet holding a globe–certainly this could equate to the hero and the Separation stage. He leaves behind what he knows to explore the bigger world.
- Mars Ruling the First Decan of Aries
- Title: “Lord of Dominion”
From the top of his tower he grasps for more land
He has dreams to achieve, it’s time to expand
“Young man, go west
Fly from the nest.”
Work falls into winning like hourglass sand.
Three of Wands
In the Three of Wands, the Sun, the king, rules this decan. The Sun, emblematic of the self, in the sign of identity, is played by the figure overlooking the ships in the bay. I think of him as having started at the bottom, perhaps as a deckhand, and has advanced through the ranks to First Mate, then Captain, then he bought the ship, and now after a prosperous career owns this small fleet. His rags-to-riches story resulted from his own wits, perseverance, and willingness to take a chance. The Sun is exalted in Aries–and the exaltation degree is in this decan–and it seems as if the bright light of confidence, success, and opportunity has initiated this person into a better life.
- Sun Ruling the Second Decan of Aries
- Title: “Lord of Established Strength”
The Sun is the king but what does he rule?
In Aries, himself—he’s keeping his cool.
He bootstrapped his biz
Now surveying what’s his
He admires his climb to fulfillment from fool.
Four of Wands
Meanwhile, the Four of Wands is the Return. In this stage of the story, the hero, having won the elixir through his own special abilities, brings it back to share with his home community, elevating everyone around him with his winning spirit. Venus rules this decan, and certainly his loved ones welcome him home. But more importantly, now that he has found respect and recognition, he is ready to settle down.
- Venus Ruling the Third Decan of Aries
- Title: “Lord of Perfected Work”
Fours are foundations, they guard and protect
Venus as love invites all to connect
Cast open the gates
A party awaits
The hero is home and has earned her respect.
What’s Your Story?
What story do you see in these three cards? Do you see the outline of the Hero’s Journey in any other group of the Minor Arcana decanic cards? I was surprised at how clearly it played out in the Aries cards.
If you’d like to join us for the Aries session of the “Faces of the Decans” series, please RSVP on Meetup or catch the replay on YouTube.
