The Oracle Wolf-Part 3-Tarot of Northern Shadows by Marjabella La Fey

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

In the two previous decks, the wolf had a card to her/himself -- in the Tarot, the Wolf is just one element among others. Nevertheless, the following six cards by Sylvia Gainsford illustrate both the positive and negative views in which the wolf is held in Nordic mythology. I'll look at the negative views first, since they are the ones with which most people are familiar. 

........................XVIII: The Moon.............................................5: Swords......................................XVI: Destruction

First, from the Major Arcana cards, there is the Moon, which is masculine among Norse and Germanic peoples.  It is said that Odin assigned a beautiful young boy to guide the moon across the dark sky, but the boy is followed by a wolf (Hati, the offspring of the mighty Fenris Wolf -- see below), who intends to devour the boy at the end of the world (just as the wolf's twin, Sköll, will devour the sun). There is a paradox here because the waters of life spill from the wolf's mouth and yet the wolf is destined to kill the boy. The author of the text, Howard Rodway, comments: "We cannot be sure if the wolf brings the certainty of mortality or the promise of life eternal." It is a card, he continues, "of intuition, psychic sensitivity and the unconscious. It is also a card of delusion, carrying the message that we should not deceive ourselves or be deceived by others."

The next card is the Five of Swords, which the artist has chosen to illustrate with the "Binding of Fenrir," or the Fenris Wolf. This vicious, snarling, world-wolf is the son of the wily trickster god, Loki. When the other gods realize how dangerous Fenrir is, they try to bind him with chains but each time, as the powerful creature strains against them, they snap. Eventually, the gods persuade the dwarves to use magic to create unbreakable bonds -- only then is Fenris securely fettered. The card itself indicates "momentary triumph through the use of strength and severity -- a situation that may become humiliating. Defeat. Loss. Failure. Degradation. Dishonor. The threat of treachery."

The third card is another Major Arcana, Destruction or Ragnarök. The Norse and Germanic peoples had a very dark view of their eventual fate. As already mentioned, the moon and sun will be devoured by Fenrir's wolfish offspring. At the same time, everything else will begin unraveling, brought down by the fire-breathing Fenris Wolf himself (who finally manages to break free of his fetters); his brother (the serpent Jormungand), who sprays venom everywhere; and Surt, a Fire Giant (seen in the lower right corner) who will engulf the world in flames. Only one pair of terrified humans, hiding among the roots of the World Tree (near the top of the card), will survive the destruction to begin anew. Myths, of course, like dreams, tend to exaggerate in order to get our attention. Here is an excerpt from the author's low-key, sensible interpretation of the "Destruction" card: "This card tells us that we must get rid of old habits and outworn ideas which can block our positive progress. If we do not heed the warning, we may be in for a shock."

Tarot cards notwithstanding, it should be noted that, in general, the Fenris Wolf does not represent anyone's personal "shadow." He is the collective shadow of humanity -- which leads me to ask where he is manifesting today. Since crafty, all-consuming, even sociopathic greed is the trademark of the Fenris Wolf, we do not have to look very far to find him: he is gloating over his grip on global banking, unleashed from any regulation over the past too many years and now running amuck, diminishing and destroying lives all over the world. The serpent spewing forth poisons could be seen as the industrial-military complex ("industrial" includes weapons, oil and coal companies, Monsanto and other bio-chemical firms, industrial agriculture, and pharmaceutical firms). Surt, the Fire Giant, could be seen as an ancient, eerie translation of what is known today as Global Warming.

But we do not wish to drown in gloom, for the archetypal wolf, although mythically complicit in our downfall, also remains a liminal, threshold figure, one who can even restore the dead to life. Thus, we turn to the positive views:

  ......................IV: The Emperor.......................................IX: The Hermit................................................3: Rods

First, the Major Arcana's Emperor card is depicted as Odin (Woden or Wotan), the god who hanged himself on Yggdrasil (the World Tree) and sacrifced one of his eyes in order to gain access to his psychic powers. Our "Wednesday" is named for him, which is interesting, given what we have seen of the liminal nature of the wolf, for Wednesday stands on the threshold -- three days behind it, three days ahead.  Wolves are often paired with ravens, both in lore and science, which we see here in the two ravens, Hugin and Munin (Thought and Memory), perched on his shoulders -- these are his "eyes," for they fly out each morning and return at nightfall to report on what they have seen.  At his feet are his two wolves, Geri and Freki (Storm and Wind), who accept food only from him. [Christianity will later demonize Odin's wolves as Greed and Voracity -- see "Wolf" entry in Ad de Vries' Dictionary of Symbols and Imagery].  The other symbols are unrelated to wolves and do not concern us. The author writes: "Odin is the god of battle, shamanism, poetry and inspiration." The wolves too partake of those qualities.

Next comes another Major Arcana card, the Hermit. This depicts a scene following the Destruction card we have already explored above. This hermit is the god Vidar, one of the few survivors of Ragnarök. The author writes:

...Vidar, son of Odin and Grid the beautiful giantress, was known as the silent god.  He lived in silence and solitude in the midst of an impenetrable forest.  Vidar's main feature was a strong thick shoe made of segmented leather and iron which he wore on his right foot. He used this shoe against the jaws of Fenris Wolf during the mighty conflagration of Ragnarok. Vidar survived to rule as a wise and strong leader in the regenerated world.... In the foreground of this card rises the head of a howling wolf.  Both the animal and the Norse god Vidar express solitude.

Since this is the card of solitude, expressed, as the author writes, by Vidar as well as the wolf, this suggests that the two are reflections of one another, which is to say that there is only one energy here, free to take Vidar's form or the wolf's or both together. There is no separation between the two.  As the surviving god destined to guide humanity and a new pantheon of younger gods to a more humane existence than the one that preceded Ragnarök, this is both satisfying and heartening.

The third card is the Three of Rods.  It shows an experienced middle-aged warrior, arms raised, kneeling in prayer, asking for help from the spirits of Bear and Wolf. Both animals appear as powerful allies who, we might say, "have his back." There is no mention of whether this scene is pre- or post-Ragnarök, nor does it matter, since opportunities for those walking the warrior-path will probably always be among us. This is no reckless, macho warrior, however. He knows he needs the help of beings wiser and more powerful than he and they readily come to him. Most warriors, of course, seek divine help before battle and many believe they are granted this. Unfortunately, not all use it wisely. This calm, disciplined man will be an exception.  As the author points out: "An ethereal light catches his head as his hands are raised in prayer." In discussing the card's meanings, the author includes these: "Help is needed to see plans realised. An influential contact may offer assistance..." Both Wolf and Bear, both often maligned and at risk, nevertheless represent that help and assistance.