Happy Imbolc! So it is time to move to the next card pair in my Wheel of the Year spread.
My Energy of the Year card will remain the 9 of Wands through the year. The image on the 9 of Wands shows a naked man and naked woman on a rumpled bed in the shadows. She is on her hands and knees and he is behind her, and they both appear to be in the throes of pleasure, with eyes closed and mouths open as they both cry out. He has one hand on her shoulder, holder her in place, and the other hand on her breast, caressing her. She has her head turned toward him as he penetrates her from behind, with one of her hands on her pubis, pleasuring herself. The key phrases associated with this card are: good stimulation but watch your back, and defense and vigilance are important.
My February card is the King of Wands. The image on the Decameron King of Wands shows a gray-haired and bearded man dressed in kingly clothes, wearing a crown, holding with his right hand a staff topped by an erect penis (that is also wearing a crown), and taking a naked woman from the rear. He is reaching around her with his left hand to grasp her left breast; his eyes are closed and he appears to be roaring with pleasure. The woman that kneels before him is wearing only a gauzy veil or wimple; her eyes are open and rolled back and her mouth is open, as if she too is experiencing intense pleasure. Her left arm reaches behind her, pinning his left hand against her breast in the process; it appears that she is assisting him to penetrate her. The key phrases for this card are: absolute power without questioning, and the weakest partner must surrender.
Putting these cards side by side emphasizes the fact that they are echoes of each other in several ways. First, they are both of the suit of Wands, which represents the element of Fire, strong passions, and extreme experiences. Second, both images show a naked woman on her knees before a man who is taking her from behind. Both men are grasping the woman's breast with their left hands. All four appear to be in the midst of orgasm.
There are differences, too. In the 9 of Wands image, the man is also naked and they are both on the same surface, the rumpled bed. However the image on the King of Wands shows a woman kneeling at a lower level, before a man fully dressed in royal clothes. That man is not grasping her shoulder (which is not only dominant in that he is holding her in place, but is also balancing as he is looking to her for some stability); he is leaning on and getting stability from his staff of office, rather than his partner.
Comparing these two cards is offering me insights into both. The couple in the 9 of Wands card appear to be more of a couple, working together for mutual pleasure. Yes, they both need to be aware of who is in control, but it appears to me that this couple would have an easier time passing that dominance back and forth between them, for the better good of the entire situation. Still, power corrupts, and they are being reminded to not lose themselves in the act of pleasure to the point of losing their personal defenses.
In the King of Wands, there is a visible power structure. The King seems to be a taker here, perhaps leaning on his rank and his authority to get what he needs, to get the pleasure he desires, rather than an equal partnership. Yes, he is enjoying the fact that the naked woman before him is also experiencing pleasure, but the dynamics here are flavored more with dominance and submission, rather than a partnership working toward the same goals. That dominance and submission is voluntary, on the part of both the King and the woman, but the King is in charge and I don't see him switching any time soon.
It sounds like February is going to have some authority issues, eh? I need to be very, very aware of my choices regarding when I force an issue, and when I go with the flow. Yes, a King in theory has a talent for ruling, for caring for his subjects, and his subjects rely on that talent. But Kings can become despots if drunk on power. On the other hand, sharing power equally works sometimes, but there are times when someone needs to take control. Forcing that control when it is not warranted could change the dynamics to the point that trust is wounded.
Choose carefully.
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