Today’s Card: The King of Rods

The King of Rodsalso known as the King of Wands, Batons, Staves, Clubs or Acorns… has come to the table today to share a few words about himself.

Being a Court card, the King of Rods can seem enigmatic or even elusive … What does he really mean when he shows up in a reading? Is he there to guide you, represent you, or symbolise a specific person in your life? I believe that switching on those listening ears and keeping your eyes and mind open, will take you far on the road to understanding his story, and how it relates to you.

King of Rods

King of Rods illustrated by Annette Abolins

Keywords associated with The King of Rods:

  • Compassion
  • Leader
  • Focus
  • Goals
  • Trustworthy
  • Honesty
  • Visionary

Here you have a compassionate man; happy to listen, and indeed offer good advice when straying from the path seems all too easy… He is a visionary, and a natural-born leader, so no matter whether he is here to guide you, or represent you (as in ‘he’ is you)  – he can show you ways to stay on track, to realise your dreams and hold on to your goals.

Life is full of distractions and detours, where day-to-day events can lead us away from long-term goals. I like the idea of having the King of Rods pop in from time to time, to remind me of the bigger picture, to re-ignite the flame and say: Keep on going!

When the King of Rods shows up in a reading, he may be pointing to a person in your life – someone you rely on for sound advice and encouragement; or someone who influences you in creative and spiritual ways, a person who inspires you to grow… If you know who that person is, make sure to take on board what they have to offer you :)

He may represent an aspect of your Self  – where he shows up in a reading to talk about YOU… This could be your subconscious mind encouraging you to take charge of your goals and plans… Or, it may be a manifestation of where you are at now; shining a light on your focus, your clear and active mind, your visions and the leadership you shoulder to move forward and make things happen.

In Nine Lives Tarot – this is what the King of Rods has to say:

“I am the King of Rods – I am a good listener and a natural leader. I represent your visions and your will to achieve long-term goals. I remind you to avoid distractions and stay focussed on your future direction; seize the opportunities and use your creative and spiritual talents to change the world.”

Why so many different names in Tarot?

Tarot decks come in all shapes and sizes well almost, with different themes and well, yes, personalities… While many decks share the same format and card-meanings, they each have their own voice and imagery, which they use to tell the story of Tarot. Some decks follow traditional teachings closely, others will invite you to explore an entirely different journey. Some use classic names for each card, others provide alternate names for the cards, or the suits…

For Nine Lives Tarot, I relied on three main areas of influence:

  • Artistic inspiration – the pictures conjured up in my mind for each card
  • Personal Tarot experience – based on 20 something years of fascination :)
  • Research – reading books and online resources to broaden my approach

As a whole, my deck follows the classic format and interpretation introduced in the Raider Waite Smith Tarot. Aside from the artwork, the main deviation from the classic format is that I depict the suit of Spiritual growth, Creativity and Fire as Rods instead of Wands, which are more common in classic RWS decks … The Morgan-Greer Tarot was my first deck, I still have it and love it :) – having used this deck for so many years, I believe it helps explain my affinity with the suit of Rods :)

While creating Nine Lives Tarot, I researched and reflected on similarities, differences and connections between the suits and their symbols… Where the difference was mainly in the use of a descriptive word i.eWand vs Rod, the close connection I already had to Rods, made it easy to choose this depiction in my own deck:

The Cycle of Wood and Fire:

An oak tree grows and sprouts leaves, symbolising spiritual growth, and branchessymbolising creative energy and growth. Introduce Fire and the branches will burn…

The flames represent the fiery energy associated with the suit, they also symbolise the transformation from wood to charcoal, which in turn provides nourishment for the next tree to grow, and the cycle to continue…

Rod and Fire

 Share your story :)

Do you have a connection with the King of Rods you would like to share? Do the different names of suits and cards confuse you or excite you? Do you feel closer to one particular suit? I’d love to hear :) …

Until next time – thank you for visiting! … and don’t forget to subscribe before the 31 October as you could win a handmade Tarot bag :)

Annette :)

2 thoughts on “Today’s Card: The King of Rods”

  1. I DO like the King of Rods, and I would have nothing against him giving me advice or looking after me. He comes across as being very strong and reliable (which, of course, are characteristics for this particular Tarot card). I particularly enjoyed your explanation of the symbolism behind the card. I’m not sure if I have a special story related to the King of Rods (now THAT could be interesting…), and I find myself vacillating between the different suits, depending on my mood. Once again, a great post.

Comments are closed.