Decans of Sagittarius
Parrot Tarot 8, 9, and 10 of Sticks
In our next Parrot Tarot installment, I present the Decan of Sagittarius. The Art card in the Crowley deck is the renamed Temperance card. The idea is that you achieve harmony by bringing opposing forces into balance, which is a pretty good fit for Sagittarius considering that Zociac’s sign is a centaur, the harmonized unity of a man and a horse. You can see my Art card with the three decan rulers below.
The 8 of Sticks is called Swiftness. Mercury is actually in detriment in Sagittarius which means it has a tough time being itself in this sign (or in Pisces, the other Jupiter-ruled sign for that matter). It’s often said a planet in detriment is in exile, so it is as far away from its home as possible. Jupiter is a big picture, take your time thinking sort of guy and Mercury is an all details all day speedy kind of guy and the two are very mismatched. But if Mercury can access Jupiterian themes, like all kinds of spirituality, teaching, adventure, and long-distance travel, then his velocity can be a great boon.
This is again one of those tarot zodiacal correspondences that isn’t quite right but if you squint it kinda maybe makes sense. Swiftness is like the flash of spiritual insight, the inspiration that you receive from out of nowhere and you need to act quickly on it. This card urges you to not rest on your laurels and move, act now!
I chose the beautiful Red-capped Parrot, Purpureicephalus spurius, native to Southwestern Australia. Despite habitat loss, this little guy’s numbers are on the rise. So like the planet in fall of the card, there is a seeming setback that may harm them. But despite all odds, there is vitality, growth, life, and even flourishing.
8 of Sticks, Swiftness, First decan of Sagittarius, ruled by Mercury, the Magus card
The second decan of Sagittarius is ruled by the Moon, which is the High Priestess card. This card, called Strength, signifies that there has been a directed effort over a long period of time. Strength is the ability to stand one’s ground in the face of difficulties and stay steadfast in the path of challenges.
For the 9 of Sticks, I chose the Western Rosella, Platyceros icterotis. These stunning birds were labeled as agricultural pests by the Australian government until 1998 when finally after years of contesting that label, they were granted protection as a native species. They are called “moyadong” by the Aboriginal tribes and are an important bird to the native population. This species was under attack for many decades and they have become extinct in various parts of their habitat, but just as the card indicates, they were resilient in the face of adversity and populations have shifted and are thriving now elsewhere.
9 of Sticks, Strength, Second decan of Sagittarius, ruled by The Moon, the High Priestess card
Saturn is the ruler of the last decan of Sagittarius and is represented by the Universe card. There’s a lot to say about Saturn in Jupiter’s house but I can sum it up quickly to say that Saturn likes rules and Sagittarius likes freedom and Oppression, the name of the 10 of Sticks, is a really good keyword for this.
The card in the Rider Waite Smith tarot is represented by a guy laboring to carry ten large sticks. This is the best way to think about the meaning of this card. It’s like, look bro, I see you carrying all of that weight yourself but you seem to be struggling. Maybe it’s either time to put those sticks down or at least ask for some help. What sticks are you carrying that you could probably set down for a spell? This is a metaphor for when we have a desire to do something and somehow it is blocked, whether we block it ourselves or somehow our life situation is blocking it from becoming a reality.
10 of Sticks, Oppression, Third decan of Sagittarius, ruled by Saturn, the Universe card
I chose the Crimson Rosella, Platycerus elegant, for this card not because, for once, their numbers were dwindling, their habitat was being destroyed, or any other such very common themes in Parrot Tarot. Crimson Rosellas are in fact numerous and have been even aided in their expansive territory by being taken everywhere by people over hundreds of years. I chose the Crimson Rosella for this card because of one simple fact: they are their own worst enemy.
During mating season, brooding lady Crimson Rosellas will fly to other nests and destroy other Crimson Rosella eggs while those mothers are away. It is the single most common reason for egg failure. It’s almost unthinkable that a species would harm its own chance of survival in this way but somehow whatever bizarre archetypal scarcity mindset they have is antithetical to their actual flourishing, which is pretty much a perfect match for the meaning of this card. So next time you are feeling overburdened, make sure you aren’t Crimson Rosella-ing yourself.
I’ve started on the 8, 9, and 10 of Eggs (Cups) and I am currently stalled on Indolence, which not only tracks, ‘cuz, um, Indolence, but is an annoying one to get stuck on. I’m going to try and push through these next three in the coming week. I’m not doing Parrot Tarot because I’ve been feverishly trying to finish these crazy mushroom mini paintings for the holidaze. Here’s a peek at the first two. I will be creating ethereal mycelial fringe for these as finishing touches and I can’t wait to see what they will look like!
Also, it’s my birthday month. I am offering an extra sticker FOR FREE when you purchase my Things with Wings sticker pack. This is 5 stickers for the price of 4 and they are all die cut, one is a glitter sticker, and another is a hologram sticker and they are all just luscious.
Check out the stickers in detail in my ETSY shop with this link.
LOVE this. Actually, I love anytime Crowley's work gets a bit of a lift. Such a potent lineage, I just find it a bit dark to work through sometimes. The art is so moving, though, and your adaptation really brings newness, beauty, light to it. Thanks for sharing 🥰