From the Via Tarot, the Prince (Knight) of Wands; from the Nature's Pharmacy Deck, "Arnica:"
Here in South Georgia, we have people who harvest "fat lighter" from the stumps of pine trees that have been cut down. This resin-filled heartwood lights quickly, is wind resistant, and burns hot enough to light larger pieces of wood. It's not a great wood for campfires or bonfires though, because it burns up too quickly. I see the Prince of Wands as a sort of fire starter, an idealist who is passionate about the causes he defines as worthy. Yet elementally he is "Air of Fire," meaning he enjoys pontificating and stirring the pot. Like the quick-burning fat lighter, his enthusiasm doesn't extend to the hard work of creating a solution.
Arnica is an herb in the sunflower family. Its botanical name may be derived from the Greek
arni, meaning "lamb," in reference to the plant's soft, hairy leaves. Though toxic when taken internally, arnica has been known as the "tumbler's cure-all" - an external treatment for bruises, sprains and muscle aches. This pair of cards make me think of my fall from idealism. Like most young people, I had great expectations about changing the world when I was in my twenties. But now I relate more to the words of Fyodor Dostoyevsky: "For, after all, you do grow up, you do outgrow your ideals, which turn to dust and ashes, which are shattered into fragments." At this stage of life, maybe I should just concentrate on changing me.
