03: Aries 3 from April 9 (4 of Wands)

[Rose Lalonde]

Aries 3: last decan of Aries, which is a decan ruled by Venus.

M.M. Meleen's post for this decan - Part 1

Part 2

From the post:
"I think of this decan as ripe for acts of Love and Will, a combination of creativity (Venus) and action (Aries). More to follow in Part II as the decan progresses."

 

777 has this image for the decan: "A restless man in scarlet robes with golden bracelets on his hands and arms"

Liber Hermetic has: "It is like a woman erect, adorned with linen tied with gold strings tinted a dark rose color. She has a royal gold [crown] on her head. In the middle of her belly there are belly emeralds. She is holding a four headed serpent on the top of a staff. "

You can see the influence of both in the Telos Tarot 4 of Wands.  More descriptions available at the post...

 

Telos Tarot of 777

 

4 of Wands
Emperor for Aries
Empress for Venus

Prince (aka RWS Knight) of Disks or Pents  - (this Prince's decans are Aries 3, Taurus 1, & Taurus 2)

 

Not shown:  Princess/Page of Disks for all of Spring (Aries, Taurus, & Gemini)

Edited Wednesday at 10:21 AM by Rose Lalonde

[Rose Lalonde]

Just a heads up that Meleen's post for this decan is up. 

https://www.tabulamundi.com/decan-walk-aries-3-four-of-wands/

[Rose Lalonde]

Here's my desk for this decan. The 4 of Wands is "Lord of Perfected Work" in the GD & "Completion" in the Thoth. Aries and Venus joined. 

 

Edited April 10 by Rose Lalonde

[dancing_moon]

The two mine.

 

Edited April 10 by dancing_moon

[Rose Lalonde]

14 minutes ago, dancing_moon said:

The two mine.

 

Is that... a lusty chameleon? 👀 
I've enjoyed seeing this deck for the first time! I just had to ask.

[Nemia]

 

And here is my tarot calendar, ready for the third decan of Aries. Venus - I go outside every morning to greet her. It's always a miracle to me. Not so long ago, she stood with Saturn in the West when dusk fell, and now she's up in the East again. I can easily understand that Venus was revered as a goddess - there is something about the planets and stars. If you watch them for longer, they really come alive. I can't recommend stargazing enough. It's so easy nowadays, all you need is Google Star Maps or some other app, and finding a good book for beginners or a website. Start with the Big Dipper (the Plough) and find your way from there. 

 

"Completion" is the title of the card in the Thoth and Tabula Mundi. If Aries is action, then this sequence of Mars, Sun, Venus is a metaphor for how to start, sustain and complete an action. You start with a burst of energy, you keep going with a positive outlook and you finish it with a sense of accomplishment and joy. 

 

 

These are the cards for this decan, at the center of my board. We're in Chessed, and Chessed is such an interesting sephirah. Astrologically, it's associated with Jupiter. The word חסד means a number of things. (The ch is pronounced like the Scottish loch or the German Bach.)

 

First of all, it means mercy. It is also used to express excellence, as in gifted with a great talent. "She's a teacher of the highest chessed" - that means she's an extraordinarily good teacher, she has a true gift. 

 

Chessed is also associated with loyalty. A Chassid is someone loyal to his belief, a pious person. Chassida is the name given to the stork, a faithful bird that will return to her nest every year. I also know women called Chassida, the faithful one. 

 

So, looking at the word chessed, we can see it as a connection between the divine and the human sphere. Chessed is divine mercy, chesses is where our gifts come from. And chessed is also the loyalty we give in return when we acknowledge these gifts and the mercy. 

 

Jupiter shows his jovial side, a benign but powerful presence. Of course, we all know how grumpy Jupiter can become when humans don't respect him... As Iupiter pluvius he sends the blessing of rain, as Iupiter tonans he scares us with thunder. 

 

Today is also, on a very personal level, a special day because it's my late father's birthday. The Iupiter tonans of our childhoods, an Aries who would lose his temper and frighten us with his outbursts, and we would wait for the storm clouds to disappear. Many years of alienation and mutual distrust separated us, and there was no real reconciliation, only a polite agreement not to hurt each other again. My brother and I made our peace with our father when we buried him. He was a dark Aries, and knowing more about his childhood and youth, I am no longer afraid, hurt or angry. I see in my husband a very different Aries. Being very much loved and accepted as a child makes all the difference. 

 

The Four of Wands also tells us that the prejudice against Aries as one who starts strongly but doesn't bring projects to completion is simply that, a prejudice. Using all this Mars energy wisely, Aries can accomplish anything. And the Emperor is more than a symbol of the patriarchy (although of course he is also that). 

 

On the Tabula Mundi card, we see the name Ozymandias written on the hive. 

 

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;

Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

 

Book M tells us that these lines are a warning against hubris. But around the Emperor, there are no lone and level sands but a beehive and symbols of measuring, structure, building and patience. 

Edited April 10 by Nemia

[Nemia]

23 minutes ago, Rose Lalonde said:

Is that... a lusty chameleon? 👀 
I've enjoyed seeing this deck for the first time! I just had to ask.

 

Yes, it's a lusty chameleon! According to the book, someone with Venus in Aries is pretty lusty, but also warm, cheerful and assertive. 

[dancing_moon]

9 hours ago, Rose Lalonde said:

Is that... a lusty chameleon? 👀

 

9 hours ago, Nemia said:

Yes, it's a lusty chameleon! According to the book, someone with Venus in Aries is pretty lusty, but also warm, cheerful and assertive. 

 

Admittedly, some of this deck's symbolism still eludes me, though 😅

[fire cat pickles]

Here are my two:

 

 

Dancing Moon and I are using the same deck 🙂 I too am trying to figure out what a lusty chameleon has to do with Venus in Aries... The Liber T mostly follow along with a clever reworking of the Thoth.

[Rose Lalonde]

What do we think of this decan's card being named Perfected Work (GD) and Completion (Thoth)? I mean it's a 4, so I don't take completion literally. More like a high school graduation, where there's also a strong sense of just setting out into the world. 'Milestone' might be a good name, if I were, you know, arrogant enough to rename the GD and Thoth. 😂 The astrology taken just by itself does lend itself to Completion though, with the signs of the Emperor and Empress joined.

 

5 hours ago, fire cat pickles said:

The Liber T mostly follow along with a clever reworking of the Thoth.

I like this card in Liber T. I should pull mine out. -- I won something back on AT, and my prize was that deck, but it reeked so heavily of cigarette smoke that -- after trying other methods -- I stashed it in a cabinet with some incense for... about 12 years now. It might be ok at this point. 🤔 (I feel bad complaining about a gift that someone mailed to me, but I just couldn't take the scent.)

Edited April 11 by Rose Lalonde

[fire cat pickles]

17 hours ago, Rose Lalonde said:

What do we think of this decan's card being named Perfected Work (GD) and Completion (Thoth)?

 I think I may have an answer for you: In the Book of Thoth Crowley talks about the Four Fours, in that they mean "solidification, materialization.
Things have become manifest" because they are the first (in the Tree of Life) to become manifest after Binah. Being "the first below the Abyss" it is the first to be of human understanding (I'm guessing the threes are more ethereal?) and therefore assigned to Jupiter/Chesed.

 

Backing up a little, for Crowley it was important for the Fours to express the qualities of "solidification" and "materialization" in a way so that could logically move beyond through each elemental series in his system. For him, in Fire it was Completion due to its masculine (intellectual) energy. He was an insufferable sexist, after all. For Water it was Luxury, as he saw Water as impure and feminine and thus weakened somewhat. In the element Air is was Truce, "the strong man armed, keeping his house in peace." Again, we are supposed to see the beginnings of the material world taking shape here. And for Disks it was Power, "which dominates and stabilizes everything."

 

 

Edited April 12 by fire cat pickles

[FindYourSovereignty]

On 4/9/2025 at 10:53 PM, Nemia said:

Today is also, on a very personal level, a special day because it's my late father's birthday. The Iupiter tonans of our childhoods, an Aries who would lose his temper and frighten us with his outbursts, and we would wait for the storm clouds to disappear. Many years of alienation and mutual distrust separated us, and there was no real reconciliation, only a polite agreement not to hurt each other again. My brother and I made our peace with our father when we buried him. He was a dark Aries, and knowing more about his childhood and youth, I am no longer afraid, hurt or angry. I see in my husband a very different Aries. Being very much loved and accepted as a child makes all the difference. 

 

It always amazes me when we are given opportunities to experience the energies differently. I trust this day went well for you.

 

On 4/9/2025 at 10:53 PM, Nemia said:

(The ch is pronounced like the Scottish loch or the German Bach.)

 

Are you talking about chessed here? It is pronouced with a hard 'ka'?

 

22 hours ago, Rose Lalonde said:

What do we think of this decan's card being named Perfected Work (GD) and Completion (Thoth)? I mean it's a 4, so I don't take completion literally. More like a high school graduation, where there's also a strong sense of just setting out into the world. 'Milestone' might be a good name, if I were, you know, arrogant enough to rename the GD and Thoth. 😂 The astrology taken just by itself does lend itself to Completion though, with the signs of the Emperor and Empress joined.

 

I like the high school graduation example and feel similarly - a Perfected Work has come to Completion and needs to be acknowledged and recognized before going on to the next level towards mastery.

 

10 hours ago, fire cat pickles said:

 I think I may have an answer for you: In the Book of Thoth Crowley talks about the Four Fours, in that they mean "solidification, materialization.
Things have become manifest" because they are the first (in the Tree of Life) to become manifest after Binah. Being "the first below the Abyss" it is the first to be of human understanding (I'm guessing the threes are more ethereal?) and therefore assigned to Jupiter/Chesed.

 

I am just starting to study the tarot and tree of life. It is a lot of information to learn.

 

 

Speaking of pronunciation, what is the proper way to pronounce Thoth? I say it dropping the 'h' with a hard 't' like Toth, but I often hear the first 'th' like ij fhe word 'the' or 'those'.

[fire cat pickles]

2 hours ago, FindYourSovereignty said:

Speaking of pronunciation, what is the proper way to pronounce Thoth? I say it dropping the 'h' with a hard 't' like Toth, but I often hear the first 'th' like ij fhe word 'the' or 'those'.

I pronounce it like the ice planet in Star Wars 😝

[FindYourSovereignty]

2 minutes ago, fire cat pickles said:

I pronounce it like the ice planet in Star Wars 😝

 

     

[Nemia]

Some years ago, I recorded the names of the sephiroth in Hebrew for the Cult of Tarot forum, you can find it here. It's not 100% authentic because I'm not a native speaker but I've been speaking Hebrew for nearly 40 years now so it's as close as you can get. Maybe I should get my husband or daughter to record it! 

 

Oh, and I pronounce Thoth as - Tott. 😉 

Edited April 13 by Nemia

[FindYourSovereignty]

13 hours ago, Nemia said:

I've been speaking Hebrew for nearly 40 years now so it's as close as you can get. Maybe I should get my husband or daughter to record it! 

This would be wonderful to hear!

 

13 hours ago, Nemia said:

Oh, and I pronounce Thoth as - Tott. 😉

Thank you! 

[Ferrea]

I'm still in tune with the energy and enjoy taking all of this very personally, watching it unfold in real life. Though, the last week of the second decan was a bit strenuous.

But now, I actually feel a sense of completion—or, as @Rose Lalonde put it so aptly, I've graduated, with "a strong sense of just setting out into the world."

Here is the 4 of Wands from the Thoth deck. Venus, finally. The green still feels more like mineral or deep sea to me—like malachite, or funnily enough, similar to my Transotype cutting mat.

 

[FindYourSovereignty]

I finally had some time to lay these all out after getting back from my trip. It is interesting to see the fiery reds, oranges and yellows move into blues and greens. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 14 by FindYourSovereignty

[Rose Lalonde]

On 4/12/2025 at 10:00 PM, fire cat pickles said:

we are supposed to see the beginnings of the material world taking shape here.

Yes, below the Abyss. And well said for the rest.
 

Using the metaphors Crowley does, the energy of Chokmah in the womb of Binah gives birth to Chessed. Birth being Completion while also just the beginning of the material journey to Malkuth. (If we want to get into this stuff in more depth than the astrology/Jupiter, we should start a thread in chat (or a journal) for the non-Decan info.)

[Rose Lalonde]

On 4/13/2025 at 10:44 AM, fire cat pickles said:

I pronounce it like the ice planet in Star Wars 😝

Ok, but if so, your Tauntaun will freeze before you reach the first marker. 

[Rose Lalonde]

On 4/14/2025 at 8:28 PM, Ferrea said:

I'm still in tune with the energy and enjoy taking all of this very personally, watching it unfold in real life. Though, the last week of the second decan was a bit strenuous.

But now, I actually feel a sense of completion—or, as @Rose Lalonde put it so aptly, I've graduated, with "a strong sense of just setting out into the world."

Here is the 4 of Wands from the Thoth deck. Venus, finally. The green still feels more like mineral or deep sea to me—like malachite, or funnily enough, similar to my Transotype cutting mat.

 

I like that. Can’t do it myself without flipping to the opposite side of the tarot Decan wheel for autumn since I’m in the southern hemisphere. I’m glad the 3rd Decan was an improvement over how the 2nd felt. 😀

[Ferrea]

7 hours ago, Rose Lalonde said:

I like that. Can’t do it myself without flipping to the opposite side of the tarot Decan wheel for autumn since I’m in the southern hemisphere. I’m glad the 3rd Decan was an improvement over how the 2nd felt. 😀

 

Oh, I wasn't actually referring to the season! I started a new project in March, and I feel its progression is in alignment with the decans' energies. I would feel the same way if the leaves turned red and fell from the trees.

[Rose Lalonde]

3 hours ago, Ferrea said:

 

Oh, I wasn't actually referring to the season! I started a new project in March, and I feel its progression is in alignment with the decans' energies. I would feel the same way if the leaves turned red and fell from the trees.

Ohhh, I see. 😊 Thanks. Yeah, I misunderstood, but I see what you mean.  🙂