Finalé Post Discussion Thoughts: “Prince of Wands, Cups, Swords and Disks” Dec.14th 2025

PRINCE OF WANDS: “Prince of the Chariot of Fire” → Air of Fire (Vau of Yod). “Bringing wisdom to the Primal Will”, states Meleen. Governs 20° Cancer – 20° Leo. His card of triumph is Leo/Sun inspired, “Lust/Strength” (motto is “I Will”) while his shadow archetype is the,“The Chariot“, ruled by Cancer. The associated decan cards are: 5 of Wands (Strife/Saturn in Leo), 6 of Wands (Victory/Jupiter in Leo), and his shadow card, 4 of Cups (Luxury/Moon in Cancer). The Princes are the alchemical result of the union of opposite energies from the Knight (Fire/Mutable) and Queen (Cardinal/Initiating) forming the intellectual force of Air (Vau).

The Princes use their intellect to create harmony (Tiphareth) between extreme opposite energies. His Chariot is driven by the power of his father’s Will (Knight) which is guided by one of the primal entities of the fixed signs. The formation of the Chariot itself is inherent of his mother’s steadiness and receptivity of their surroundings. In a sense, the Princes can been seen as elemental mediators for the court cards.

The Prince of Wands consciously directs the fiery force of the Lion (will power) through his intellectual reasoning. Victory is achieved through mindful planning leading to a more controlled direction toward success. His crest is of the laurel crowned winged lion showing his power of courage and strength to overcome life challenges. In particular, this Prince of Wands, alongside of the Princess of Wands, are both bare armed and chested showing the unfettered courage of moving from the heart, while a red cape protects the the shoulders and back which are the ruling body regions of Leo. The Leo decan of the 5 of Wands (Strife/ Saturn in Leo) and 6 of Wands (Victory/Jupiter in Leo) are the inherent actions that the Prince of Wands uses to move through the erupting tension caused by the pressurized force of Saturn in Leo. If well executed, the end result leads to the victorious 6 of Wands where Jupiter in Leo’s keen observation carefully guided the Prince to a harmonious victory that fills the heart with joy. HIs shadow card. 4 of Cups (Luxury/Moon in Cancer) is the drive to obtain and revel in the moment of emotional achievements. I feel the Prince of Wands knows the value of heart filled pleasures and is aware of how precious it is when acquired. This is the true will of our Prince of Wands. Living life to its fullest to conquer any challenges and arise victorious with a harmonious heart.

PRINCE OF CUPS: “Prince of the Chariot of the Waters” → Air of Water (Vau of Binah) . Governs 20° Libra – 20° Scorpio. His card of triumph is the Scorpio/Mars + Pluto inspired “Death” (motto is “I Desire”) while his shadow archetype is “Adjustment”, ruled by Libra. The associated decan cards are: 5 of Cups (Disappointment/Mars in Scorpio), 6 of Cups (Pleasure/Sun in Scorpio), and the shadow card 4 of Swords (Truce/Jupiter in Libra).

The Prince of Cups represents the “bridge between reason and intuition”,states Meleen. He is able to delve into the emotions of the heart and intellectually express its meaning with clear intelligence. His motto is “I Desire” (to know), which inherently evolved from the Knight of Cups (his father) and the Queen of Cups (his mother). The Knight of Cups is actively connected to his surrounding vibrations that inspire his divine Will into the “power of solution”, states Meleen. The Queen of Cups, as Primal Mother, internalizes this force and gestates this through becoming a beacon of internal light, love, truth and purity. This innate combination of the Knight’s water force and the Queen’s water form creates the Prince of Cups life energy of steam. One that can be ethereally seen and felt. This symbolically is depicted through the Prince’s ephemeral wings and the transformative power of the scorpion. Meleen states, the Prince of Cups as “a philosopher with a clear vision”. In his right hand, he holds a cup with (possibly) a snake emerging from it indicating the transformative process. In his left hand, he holds the reign of the guiding eagle. The eagle is the “vision” flying above the waters and being guided by the Prince’s intellectual heart by successfully rising above all matter. The crested eagle and the Prince are the “watchers of the west” hence the direction of their gaze.

Ruled by Scorpio, the main decans of the Prince of Cups is the “5 of Cups” (Disappointment/Mars in Scorpio) and “6 of Cups” (Pleasure/Sun in Scorpio). The Prince is the unifying source of these extreme opposites. This is the secretive desired will to know through the intensity of emotions. in the 5 of Cups, the fish is stripped to the bones and cups once filled now lie empty in a barren desert landscape showing the soul’s life force that has been fully depleted. In the 6 of Cups, the sphere of Tiphareth (Sun) brings beauty and harmony to the desired will of pleasure. Thus rising from the remains of disappointment to be reincarnated into an elevated state of the desired Self. His shadow card, 4 of Swords (Truce/Jupiter in Libra) is symbolically shown on his shield with a vajra separating two dueling scorpions. Here are two extremes aggressively opposing each other with the vajra keeping the tension under controlled. Ideally, this would temporarily ease any differences, but this shadow card for the Prince is (secretly) about attaining power and control. If not managed, his desires can turn vindictive and destructive onto his own personal will. To avoid this, the Prince of Cups has to consistently keep a clear perspective of his willed desires through compassion, intuition and mindful resolution. It’s a tall order for the Prince but he knows the forces that it holds for pleasurable results.

PRINCE OF SWORDS: “Prince of the Chariot of the Winds”. Air of Air (Vau of Vau). Governs 20° Capricorn – 20° Aquarius. His card of triumph is the fixed Aquarius inspired “The Star” (motto is “I Know”), while his shadow archetype is of “The Devil”, ruled by Capricorn. The associated decanic cards are: “5 of Swords” (Defeat/Venus in Aquarius), “6 of Swords” (Earned Success/Mercury in Aquarius), and the shadow card “4 of Disks” (Power/Sun in Capricorn).

The Prince of Swords represents “the motion and ephemeral flow of thoughts and ideas“, states Meleen. He is the intellectual visionary whose mind is consistently evolving around ideals and concepts. Both the crested winged cherub and the chariot guiding duo of blue fey have the pentagram embellished on their foreheads. Thus calling upon the powers of the four elements and the fifth power of spirit for guidance and protection. Meleen states, “the pentagram represents the five upper sephiroth on the Tree of Life which represent the pure archetypal forces of : Strength, Mercy, Understanding, Wisdom, and the Crown of transcendental splendor”. These are the powers that are connected through the beauty and harmony of Tiphareth, and where all the Princes’ force is connected to the other spheres within the Tree of Life. This Prince of Swords holds his ruling sword pointed downward in his right hand and precariously holds the sickle of destruction in his left hand. He is gazing off in the distance while the Devil inspired fey seem to be drawing the chariot in a unstable manner. This is the ephemeral action of this Prince of Swords. His mind is constantly flowing with innovative ideas and thoughts of change that he becomes challenged when it comes to utilizing them. All thought with no set direct action. Quite the stark contrast to the inherent nature of his parents, the Knight and Queen of Swords, where the quick creative force of the intellect and the intuitive clarity of perception cuts through illusion, are the appointed influences placed upon the Prince of Swords.

The Aquarian decan for the Prince of Swords gives some insight into his persona and purpose. The “5 of Swords” (Defeat/Venus in Aquarius) shows an attack on a peaceful effort to protect and nurture his ideals. He is passive in action which can lead to a defensive assault upon him led by betrayal. To avoid this there is a need to be more attentive in his ways, intellectually and physically. The “6 of Swords” (Earned Success/Mercury in Aquarius) is the defined purpose of the forward thinking mind. This is the realm of ideas, innovation, and visionary concepts of which the Prince of Swords remains continuously inspired towards. His success is led by the adaptability of his intelligence. His shadow potentially comes from the “4 of Disks” (Power/Sun in Capricorn). This is the misdirected use of authority. A potential downfall for the Prince of Swords who can become tyrannical with his ideas and lose sight of his progressive inspired goals. This can be managed through keen awareness of how he communicates and executes his objectives with others.

The Prince of Swords is the revolutionary spirit driven by innovative goals to inspire and to re-envision the betterment of the collective conscious. He has a wide perspective on life and follows his thoughts and ideas to share this with a large community. His beliefs are fixed and can be headstrong in his stance to manifest healing, change, and unity at a global level.

PRINCE OF DISKS: “Prince of the Chariot of Earth”. Air of Earth (Vau of Earth). Governs 20° Aries – 20° Taurus. His card of triumph is the Taurus inspired “The Hierophant” (motto,”To Keep Silent”), while his shadow archetype is of the “Emperor“, ruled by Aries. The associated decan cards are: 5 of Disks (Worry/Mercury in Taurus), 6 of Disks (Success/Moon in Taurus), and the shadow card 4 of Wands (Completion/Venus in Aries).

Meleen states, the Prince of Disks represents “the channel between meditative thought and material action“. He is the successor of the Knight and Queen of Disks influences of patience, creation, cultivation, and practicality. His crest is of the winged bull with the Vau/Nail symbol emblazoned on his forehead supported by the lyre strings of the Priestess and 6 of Disks. The true essence of this Prince of Disks is staying rooted, being protective and mindful over his ambitious goals. His actions are slow, methodical and quiet (To Keep Silent) as the Prince of Earth is fully devoted to his responsibilities. This is what continually inspires him to do the good work as the end result is the great wealth of the inner soul. He takes a practical approach in all of his endeavors and isn’t grandiose in his manners when they are completed. The Prince of Disks is ruled by Venus which instills a connection to natural beauty. Understanding the value of good work and what it produces gives him the perspective of perfecting and preserving the wealth of beauty that has been created, whether it be physical and/or spiritual. His shield holds the two interlocking alchemical keys of gold and silver seen in his triumph card of the Hierophant. This is the inner soul that is developing spiritual knowledge while remaining dedicated in doing the good work. This is the transformative action of the Soul through the means of learning by doing.

The primary decans of the Prince of Disks are: the 5 of Disks (Worry/Mercury in Taurus) and 6 of Disks (Success/Moon in Taurus). In the 5 of Disks, there is a self imposed fear of not achieving success in your desired pursuits. The center of reasoning has now shifted into anxiety and the motivation toward achieving successful goals has turned into doubt. There is no master (Magus) at the controls of the mixing board and the elephant (Hierophant) holding the gold key of perseverance seems to be aimless in utilizing the key of knowledge to unlock the vital life force of the Bull. The resolution is within the awakening of the spiritual intellect to know that fear is an illusionary state that can be overcome. It’s time to rediscover your own self belief and continue onward in your goals. The 6 of Disks is the fertility action toward Success. This decan is exalted by the Moon in Taurus which allows the Prince of Disks to work in harmony with the lunar and solar forces to create abundance. The six pomegranates are stacked in the shape of the feminine triangle representing earthy fertility and regeneration to the soil allowing for further abundance. The potential shadow aspect for the Prince of Disks is the 4 of Wands (Completion/Venus in Aries). On the Prince’s chariot, there is the eagle headed compass and square that are the building tools of the Emperor. This is the creative union of the masculine force and feminine form in its completed phase. It is the fulfillment of the perfected work which could potentially sway the Prince of Disks into continually improving upon what has been already accomplished. It is important for him to have the peace of mind with his completed achievements. There will always be more goals ahead for him to meditate, to create and to work on.