Decan: 0°- 9° Sagittarius

Dates: 22 November – 1 December 2024

Ruling planet/luminary: Mercury

Zodiac sign: Sagittarius ~ Mutable Fire 🜂

Tarot card: 8 of Wands

Golden Dawn Title: Lord of Swiftness

Associated Major Arcana:

The Magician (Mercury) & Temperance (Sagittarius)

Everything moving in the same direction all at once

The 8 of Wands is knowing when the moment is right to strike, to make your move, to let your arrows fly. When all the elements have come together in that magic moment. We see ‘magic’ in both the Major Arcana cards associated with the 8 of Wands.

There is the precise and mindful alchemy aligned with divine timing in Temperance which leads to the moment of synthesis and transformation. And in The Magician we witness mastery of the elements, focused intention and swift action directed towards a single goal.

The 8 of Wands can be a helpful card when we have become too focused on the minutiae of a situation. The combination of speedy, detail-oriented Mercury in expansive, adventurous Sagittarius helps us to see the bigger picture and move forward with faith in a swift and positive outcome.

Truth bombs

I sometimes like to think of the arrows in the 8 of Wands as truth bombs. When a situation is fast-moving and the time has come for honest expression and transparency there is no place for half-truths and equivocation. The question may be: is it you launching the truth bombs or are they in fact headed for you?

As with previous Decans, I have found it useful to look at some keywords to see what ideas they may spark about the current Decan of Sagittarius I.

A 3-Card Spread for the 8 of Wands

The 8 of Wands is a favourite of mine. It always appears as a Green Light for me when it comes up in a reading. So I’m glad to be writing about it now.

I have found the last month a little ‘sticky’ for reasons known and unknown. Personal projects and plans ground to a halt and I’ve had to graft to keep up with work and keep my head above the metaphorical high waters of Scorpio season.

Treading water.

In the last few days, I have experienced a new more dynamic energy with the incoming Sagittarius season.

And now I need to keep the momentum going – a thought which became the inspiration for a Tarot spread!

Card 1

Card 2

Card 3

How to use the Spread

Shuffle your cards while focusing on a situation or area of life where you feel the energy of the 8 of Wands – fast-paced events, communications, or opportunities that require swift, bold action or response from you. Lay out the cards in a row and consider how they connect with the prompts. Then you might take a look at how they sit with the 8 of Wands, The Magician and Temperance.

This spread could offer insight into channelling the 8 of Wands’ dynamic energy in a positive, productive way.

If you don’t own a Tarot deck, you could simply use the prompts for journalling or pick your cards here.

Prompts for 8 of Wands ~ Mercury in Sagittarius

When there is movement, when all things start to speed along a certain trajectory…

Ask yourself:

• How do you harness that forward moving energy positively in your life?
• How can you rise above the details and think big picture?
• How can you stop yourself from being swept up and away with the momentum of it – keep your feet on the ground?
• Are things moving in the direction you want them too?
• Do things feel like they are slipping out of your control?
• How can you regain a feeling of control?

Observations and synchronicities ~ Sagittarius I

I’m making space here to return to over the coming days of Sagittarius I to add any thoughts, ideas and synchronicities as they arise…

I have a nice story about this card.

A few years ago I ordered The Spacious Tarot deck from Little Red Tarot here in the UK. Unlike purchasing a deck from Amazon, I had to wait a little while for the deck to arrive which was super exciting. When it landed on the doormat I was delighted to find it beautifully packaged with love and care. Inside the shop packaging, they included a ‘random’ card from another deck, along with some other marketing items. The card that came with my pack was, of course, the 8 of Wands from the charming and quirky This Might Hurt Deck, by Isabella Rotman.

A good while later, I bought the deck from The Astrology Shop near Covent Garden and went straight for the 8 of Wands entry in her guidebook where Rotman ends the text for the 8 of Wands with the following line, which I love:

“Don’t hesitate. This is not just a green light – this is your foot on the accelerator.”

Notes on the Decan Walk 2024/25

For more information on Decans, Astrology and Tarot and how they all synchronise please read this Substack article by Rebeka Kulcsar-Kurdi and T. Susan Chang’s 36 Secrets: A Decanic Journey through the Minor Arcana of the Tarot.

And, if you care to join me for this continuing solar return, you’ll find me on Facebook and Instagram hanging out on the corner of #decanwalk2024 and #decanastrology And I will be following @astroco_op and @tsusanchang

Here’s to another trip around the Sun!