Page of Wands (Tarot Triptych)
Name: Page of Wands or Princess of Wands
Number: 4
Astrology: Earth of Fire
Qabalah: He of Yod
Chris Gabriel February 8, 2025
The Page of Wands is measuring up, stacking up, and determining value according to the Measure of his wand. The Princess, on the other hand, disregards all this and flies into action.
In Rider, the Page is a young man with a feathered cap, a yellow tunic adorned with salamanders, a scarf, and fiery yellow boots. His clothes are similar to the Knight, and he is set in the same pyramid spotted desert. He is looking up toward the tip of his wand, holding it in place. The Wand is taller than him.
In Thoth, the Princess is naked, save for a huge double uraeus crown. She has caught a tiger by its tail and is rushing ahead with the flames, dragging the tiger along. There is a burning altar beside her, as she holds a solar wand.
In Marseille, the Page is dressed very simply. He stands in a field with sprouting plants and looks ahead unsure. His wand is kept on the ground, directing his fiery energy into the Earth, causing the growth. The question is, what will make him raise his wand?
In each of these cards we see the interrelation of Fire and Earth. In Marseille, fire is something feeding the earth, in Rider it competes with the earth, and in Thoth, earth is the fuel to fire.
It is here that I find the Page of Rider most fascinating. While the suit of wands is generally proud, aggressive and arrogant, the youngest of them is shown struggling to measure up against his wand, his destiny. If the face cards in the suit of wands are having a “dick measuring competition”, the Page is losing, even against the Queen.
The Page of Marseille appears to be content with his Wand being more of a tool to fertilize the Earth, rather than as a tool of aggression. He is untroubled.
The Princess disrupts both of these modes entirely. She is taking up the creature of the Earth, the tiger, as she ascends with the burning flames. This is a frenetic, excited young woman, who is quick to drag you along on an adventure. She represents extreme and blind enthusiasm, the freedom of the feminine, as opposed to the distinctly masculine insecurity in Rider.
When pulling this card, we may be met with an assisting Page for our greater pursuits or we may assist someone in theirs. We may also be like the Tiger and get dragged along on a greater adventure.
