The Queen of Wands

Since the tarot court cards feature prominently in The Girl With the Collywobbles, I'll be providing in-depth explanations of my characters' court cards. I'm giving a general overview and I'll state which card belongs to which character, but I otherwise won't tie it into the plot on account of potential spoilers. For that reason, these posts will be of interest whether you've read the book yet or not.

The Queen of Wands rules from the 21st degree of Pisces to the 20th degree of Aries. Lon Milo Duquette states that this corresponds to those born between March 11th and April 10th. Pulling charts, I've found that to be off by a couple of days, but it's good for a general ballpark. If you're close to the cutoff, you can find your exact degree here.

The Queen of Wands is a natural leader. She has a magnetic quality about her, the kind of person that's able to draw others to her by the sheer force of her energy. She is kind-hearted, steadfast, and persistent. She exudes a natural confidence, and can be quite loving when the impulse strikes her.

On the down side, she's prone to melancholy and moodiness in general. This leads to brooding and the tendency to take slights where none are intended. Although she does well in attracting both devoted followers and loving suitors, her explosive temper and tendency to misjudge situations can easily alienate her champions. This same tendency to misjudge situations can result in her being easily deceived, a fact that likely plays into the hypersensitivity and occasional panicked outbursts you find in this character.

The Queen of Wands gets a bad rap in a lot of the descriptions. Aleister Crowley's interpretation of this card strikes me as particularly harsh. I'm not sure if that's because as a Libra, he looked unfavorably on his astrological opposite, or if it's a reflection on how women with dominant personalities were (and still are) perceived. Regardless, there's a genuine warmth associated with this card and author Robert Wang reminds us that the placement of her hand on the leopard's head demonstrates the incredible taming power of the Queen. Although capable of great ferocity herself, her natural authority brings the environment under control. This card represents a person with a profound power that can be destructive among the undisciplined, but which is constructive and stabilizing in someone who has mastered self-control.

This card corresponds to our protagonist, Aletheia. Her birthday is April 4th.