Minor Arcana: Staff's

[Celtaur]

After much frustration of being unable to unlock my mind's terminology, nor being able to find through an hour of searching google and online catholic encyclopedia's I have finally been informed the staff a bishop uses is called a Sceptre. Indeed I did feel like the fool, once someone who speaks french knew of the term in only a seconds time. Well after a little more searching I discovered it is called the Crozier and the rotational hook on the Crozier is symbolic of a shepherd's staff. With great relief from the frustration I am now moving on to the reason I was wondering about the Sceptre/Staff in the first place.

Staff's in the Minor Arcana - Do they have any relationship to the staff classically associated with that of a Wizard, Royalty and that of a Bishop? Is the staff another representation of the Wand as a tool of magic?

Staff's (aka wands) represent Fire - Energy, creative, active, inspiration... They represent clubs in the common hand cards.

But where does the symbology of wands/staffs relate to the above associations?

[angelfrombuv]

I have this fabulous book called Tarot Awareness by Stephen Walter Sterling. It goes into the symbology of all of the cards, and even takes you through a guided visualization into all portals. I will try to list as much as I can about the suite of staffs for you in the next post.

[angelfrombuv]

"Wands or Staffs belong to the Spiritual Plane. In the spiritual system of Numbers, 1 (or Ace) is the beginning, essence, root, first cause, first manifestation, the self-conscious "I" (The Magician). Here is some facts on the Ace of Wands as an example:
Alchemical Element:Fire
Astrological Correspondence: Aries (Cardinal in the Suit of Fire), Leo (Fixed), Sagittarius (Mutable).
Image: A glowing hand holding a sprouting Wand extends forth from a cloud. In the background we see a castle and a river coursing through fertile land.
Key Phrase: Spiritual power
Statement: "Here my consciousness gains knowledge to eventually fashion what I have learned into material form."
Quotation: "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."(Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Major Obstacle: A tendency to misuse the Power of Fire, initiative twisted for selfish purposes.
The Aces capture the Essence of the Suit they represent, and the Ace of Wands, with its origin in the Spiritual Plane, is basically an alignment with one's Ideal, an enthusiasm for expression, and a sense of adventure. In the Ace of Wands the pioneering soul celebrates in its creative urge. here the original idea emanates outward form it's fiery center. Contemplation of the ethereal side of life flourishes, and the consciousness awakens to its spiritual nature as a child of the Most High. The single Wand holding forth from the cloud proclaims this divine heritage, injecting a fiery energy into the reading. The Ace of Wands also heightens the meaning of other cards in its proximity. It brings a focus of the Will to complete the new enterprise.
In its ultimate sense, the Ace of Wands signifies the ability of the seeker to act as an instrument for the expresion of the higher virtues: Courage, insight, initiative, fortitude....
The major tools employed in the Spiritual Plane are meditation, introspection, and an examination of the contents of consciousness. The castle in the distance implies a goal to be reached after efford expended on the Spiritual Quest. Enlightenment and generating ideas. From an astrological perspective, the Ace of Wands incorporates the meanings of the three Fire signs (Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius):
Aries the Ram("I am"). the soul activated in the first thrusting energies of spring; leadership. Action,adventure, energetic, ambitious, impulsive;a need to climb to the heights.
[b]Leo the lion[b]("I will"). Fire of the heart; courageous. Dynamic self-expression, affection, loyalty.
Sagittarius the Archer("I believe"). Enthusiastic, optimistic, humorous, pointed opinions, Truth-seeking, philosophical.

The Ace Of Wands In a Reading
Beginning of a project
Creative energy
Beginning the Spiritual Quest
new experiences and exploits
Spiritual Insight
the ability to tune into the Higher Power
The will to get it done.

Reversed
At its worst a gross misuse of Power gained from the spiritual journey; a Power used for selfish, destructive purposes, setting in motion a tremendous upheaval of bad karma.
A Shadow on the beginning of a new enterprise; delay
Doubting one's abilities and a life lived superficially
A total acceptance of the surface of things; blindness to the Real.
Cruel dominance, cowardice, a life without direction, and a denial of one's true Nature.
Excessive ambition; indiscriminately stepping on people to reach the top
Decadence and corruption; a need for spiritual renewal and a rethinking of one's attitude and overall approach to life.

Strategy for the Ace of Staffs
1. The seeker now brings a colorful, fiery eagerness to the new enterprise, as well as a spiritual, optimistic attitude.
2. Further, an awareness of the invisible in the visible is critical to the success of the project. Blind acceptance of the outer element of a situation is to be avoided.
3. A consciousness that embodies the Ace of Wands operates in the Physical Plane with his or her eyes open, ready to experience what life has to offer-confident, comforted.
4. A need for spiritual renewal and a rethinking of one's attitude and over-all approach to life.
5. This consciousness progresses ahead in creating a new livlihood, a new environment, and a higher set of values, excited by new ideas and ways of interacting with the world at large."

-Sterling,Stephen. Tarot Awareness.St. Paul, Minnesota; Llewellyn Publications; 2000

[Vivitskaya]

A staff is one of the most ancient symbols of authority. The hieroglyph for "nobleman" or "official" shows a man carrying a long staff of office in front of him.

The scepter is another early part of the royal regalia, symbolizing dominion, more in the divine sphere than in the earthly realm. This scepter consisted of a straight shaft with its handle in the shape of a canine head, and the base ending in two prongs.

The symbolism of the crook is similar to that of the stick and its derivatives, namely; power and authority. It represents domination over matter, control of feeling and domination of thought. It is a symbol of the central axis, like the king himself, the intermediary between god and his subjects

In my understanding, the crook is also the symbol of the shepherd, of his ability to gather together his sheep and to lead them out of danger.

"There is an Eastern tale which speaks about a very rich magician who had a great many sheep. But at the same time this magician was very mean. He did not want to hire shepherds, nor did he want to erect a fence about the pasture where his heep were grazing. The sheep consequently often wandered into the forest, fell into ravines, and so on, and above all they ran away, for they knew that the magician wanted their flesh and skins and this they did not like.

At last the magician found a remedy. He hypnotised his sheep and suggested to them first of all that they were immortal and that no harm was being done to them when they were skinned, that, on the contrary, it would be very good for them and even plesant; secondly he suggested that the magician was a good master who loved his flock so much that he was ready to do anything in the world for them; and in the third place he suggested to them that if anything at all were going to happen to them it was not going to happen just then, at any rate not that day, and therefore they had no need to think about it. Further the magician suggested to his sheep that they were not sheep at all; to some of them he suggested that they were lions, to others that they were eagles, to others that they were men, and to others that they were magicians.

And after this all his cares and worries about the sheep came to an end. They never ran away again but quietly awaited the time when the magician would require their flesh and skins.

This tale is a very good illustration of man's position." (P.D. Ouspensky 'In Search of the Miraculous' p. 219)

[EyeCanBlackStars]

Anyone notice the amount of notches? There are about 33 notches total, maybe? 33 is the number of vertebrae in the normal human spine. And there are 4 lower notches which can be thought of the lower 4 vertebrae being a part of the tail bone, then the round thingy may symbolize the chakra or something? It is definitely pointing upward though with the crown.

Notice where the angel draws the cross, it is in the 6th chakra.

This reminds me of microcosmic orbit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcosmic_orbit

Because it is going up the back of the angel around over his head

Also the guy on the right the bottom of his spine is where the a circular projection ends, and it almost looks phallic, maybe it was the person on the right that actually initiated the circulation by drawing energy from his sexual centers or something?

Also the gems different gems could represent different energy centers.

The staff probably has some some utility too, I just know nothing about these devices.

In yoga doing kundalini is said to evolve the person spiritually and physically, in other practice they call it "refining the essence" so maybe this about assisted orbits, and assisted purification?

[Estariol]

A picture of my penis whilst germaine to this thread would perhaps be the cause of censure from magus towards me. Wand, rod, lingam, staff...... i'm sure the symbolism is clear even if you are not a particular fan of Sigmund Freud.