The Archetype and The Tarot: The Networker and King of Wands
Through the Networker archetype and the King of Wands, this week we’re being called to strengthen our communities’ connections. Can we help provide this Spirit of connection to ourselves and those around us?
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The Networker Archetype
I love the wordplay of this archetype. Net-worker. If you’re like me, the first image that comes to mind when you hear the term “Networker” is a modern business person attending something like a Toastmasters gathering. But that image shifts when I break it down to Net-Worker. The one who works the net.
One of my favorite examples of this sort of Networker is the God, Indra, from Hindu and Buddhist traditions. In the older vedas, Indra is depicted as the king of the devas and is associated with the sky, including rain and storms. Indra created a net that is said to stretch infinitely in all directions, with a jewel at each intersection that reflects every other jewel in the net. Timothy Brook, author of Vermeer’s Hat, has a wonderful summary of this:
“When Indra fashioned the world, he made it as a web, and at every knot in the web is tied a pearl. Everything that exists, or has ever existed, every idea that can be thought about, every datum that is true—every dharma, in the language of Indian philosophy—is a pearl in Indra's net. Not only is every pearl tied to every other pearl by virtue of the web on which they hang, but on the surface of every pearl is reflected every other jewel on the net. Everything that exists in Indra's web implies all else that exists.”1
To me, this imagery beautifully captures the essence of the Networker, highlighting the intricate and interdependent nature of relationships. Just as each jewel in Indra's net reflects and influences all others, Networkers understand that their connections have far-reaching impacts.
In the light, the Networker is a master of relationships, using their skills to bring people together in service of a common goal. They understand the power of community and are adept at facilitating communication and collaboration. The Networker in the light operates with authenticity and integrity, fostering trust and openness among those they connect. They are motivated by a desire to play a part in creating a symbiotic, interconnected world.
The shadow Networker, on the other hand, might be motivated to manipulate relationships for personal gain or to use their connections to control or dominate others. This shadow aspect can lead to superficial relationships, where connections are maintained for selfish reasons rather than mutual benefit. The shadow Networker may struggle with genuine intimacy, hiding behind a façade of charm and influence. More commonly, however, the shadow Networker simply fails to make connections. Perhaps out of a fear of imposing on others or just not wanting to be involved, this aspect of the shadow Networker becomes a hole or torn spot in the net.
I believe when the Networker comes up for us in a reading, we’re being asked to look around and see if we can help foster connections in our communities.
Some questions to consider this week:
How do you cultivate and maintain your connections within your community?
Do you build relationships based on authenticity or convenience?
How can you use your networking skills to benefit the greater good?
What are the potential pitfalls of your networking approach, and how can you avoid them?
King of Wands
In this card, we see a king seated on a throne, wearing a luxurious red robe and golden-colored cloak (possibly made of animal hide). They hold in their right hand a large, leafy wand. At the bottom of the card, on the ground near the king’s throne, is a tiny salamander, which is a symbol for the element of fire.
If you read my Easy Peasy Guide to the Tarot Court Cards, you might remember that I tend to equate the Kings of the tarot with a Council of Elders. These wise ones have mastered their own relationships with their suit and can now provide it back to their communities.
In the case of the King of Wands, this particular Council of Elders provides their community with the gift of the wand, which is the tool that connects us with magic, or the spiritual realm, and lights up our lives with passion and enthusiasm.
I believe the King of Wands, then, is calling us to look at how we can lead by providing these gifts to those around us. If we’ve recently faced challenges in our leadership roles, can we reignite our inner fire and guide our community with renewed energy?
How does this pair work together?
I see the magical Council of Elders becoming Networkers, weaving a magnificent tapestry where each person in their community is represented by a vibrant thread. As they complete this creation of connections, the Council chants special incantations then touches their wands to the tapestry, making it come alive with magic. Every individual thread becomes infused with enchantment, and the entire tapestry amplifies this magic a thousandfold, creating a breathtaking, living masterpiece.
I believe this is our call this week: what part (big or small) can we play in infusing our community with magic, with spirit? (And, to me, a community isn’t just made up of other living humans, but can include the self as a collective, as well as all of our other-than-living-human allies and kin.)
I’m often blown away by the way these archetype/tarot cards speak directly to whatever is going on in our lives, but this week’s has really outdone itself. It almost seems unbelievable that this is the pair that would come up right after this month’s downloadable magic pack came out, which is all about Magic and Community. I’m not kidding!
To honor and celebrate this synchronicity, instead of creating a new mini-ritual this week, I’m going to attach this month’s downloadable pack again here. Enjoy!
I’m looking forward to hearing about how all of you do with infusing your communities with magic this week. Let me know all about by replying to this email, sending me a DM, or leaving a comment below. ❤️
Brook, Timothy (2009). Vermeer's Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World. London: Profile Books. p. 22.
Okay...This is sooo synchronistic... As I was in the final touches of my post on the Star Card, I got the Star Card in my Month of July reading. What was the other tarot card I got? The King of Wands! My reading had two tarot cards, the other two were oracle cards. This energy is really welcomed in my life right now as you know!
I loved the referral to Indra’s net. I have always been fascinated by it for it is an incredible expression of the weaving of our world. How we all touch one another, how all of life affects everything! This is the perfect example of the networking archetype. Networking in that fullest sense is altruistic, motivated in bringing people and life together. Not for personal gain, but for the benefit of all. The KofW has a similar purpose. They are being of service. An example of what is like to live from one’s alchemic fires, passions and spiritual fervor. Having this ripple out across the net.
I just love these readings, Jenna, and they always resonate for me. Thank you for writing them, they are so well expressed!