Sky Light: Leo II
Decan Walk Interview with Velvet Moth on the Six of Staves
Prior to the official start of the Decan walk, I sent out a request to my astrological & tarot community to see who wanted to offer their voice on a Decan.
I am lucky to be able collaborate with these practitioners in this Decan Walk series. For this portion, I will have a new astrologer or tarot reader speak on the Decan from their perspective. This is to introduce you to new astrology & tarot voices so that you’re not just listening to mine. A Decan Walk can be a community conversation.
Leo II/Six of Wands
with Lou/Velvet Moth
Practical Astros: How would you briefly describe this decan/tarot card? Do you have keywords or a nickname that you assign to it?
Lou: “I choose Leo and the Six of Wands, a combination that immediately felt familiar because I work with the Golden Dawn correspondences. The Six of Wands represents Jupiter in Leo and is linked to the second decan of Leo. The Jupiter attribution comes from the Chaldean system of planetary rulerships, which is the framework I tend to use in my own tarot practice. Although the Six of Wands is not directly connected to the Major Arcana card Strength, both the Six of Wands and Strength connect to the sign of Leo in the Golden Dawn system. This is the system I use when working with decans.
Fire changes substance, and Leo has always felt like that to me. It throws itself into life and leaves its fingerprints behind. When I think of Leo, I think of confidence, loyalty, creativity, visibility, and the courage to step forward and have a go. It’s the performer, the leader, the creator, the storyteller, the one who doesn’t always want to sit quietly at the back of the room. Now this next bit is just my own observation about people I’ve known who were born under Leo, not astrology carved in stone, but I’ve noticed again and again a love of self expression through appearance. It might be a great head of hair, a favourite hat, a colourful scarf, a tattoo, or just some other way of making their mark and being remembered. The Six of Wands is associated with the second decan of Leo and, for me, the fit is obvious. Here we find many of the qualities that spring to mind when I think of Leo: confidence, visibility, pride, leadership, recognition, and a willingness to step forward rather than stay hidden. As a Fire card it carries energy, enthusiasm, and the courage to act. The figure on the card is being seen, acknowledged, and celebrated by others, which is why I’ve always thought it captures something important about Leo’s connection with achievement, self expression, and recognition.”
Practical Astros: What strikes you about this decan/tarot? What do you see its strongest characteristics or powers to be? or What is it that attracts you to it?
Lou: “What attracts me to this decan and card combination is the confidence behind it. Not the loud, look at me sort of confidence, but the kind that keeps going even when things aren’t easy. To me, the Six of Wands is a reminder that most victories don’t happen overnight. There’s usually a lot of effort, setbacks, mistakes, and self doubt before anyone sees the result. Leo and the Six of Wands remind me that things can be changed and that obstacles don’t always have to stop us. Sometimes they’re just challenges to work through. I think there’s something here about having the courage to act, even if it’s only one small step. Life can be difficult at times and goals can feel a long way off, but this card pair reminds me to keep moving forward, keep putting one foot in front of the other, and not lose sight of where I’m trying to get to. Before you know it, you’ve traveled much further than you ever thought possible.”
Practical Astros: Does this decan/tarot speak to your natal chart in a particular way?
Lou: “I’m probably not the best person to answer this one as I’ve never spent much time studying my own natal chart. I’ve always been drawn more to the cards than to analyzing my birth chart. What I do connect with is the determination in the Six of Wands and the confidence of Leo. Both remind me that progress often comes from simply keeping going, even when the goal still feels a long way off.”
Practical Astros: Can you give a specific story where this decan/card played out in your own life? Can you share an example of how this card has come alive for you in an expressive or literal way?
Lou: “One example that immediately comes to mind is my recent nose surgery. I’d lived with breathing problems for years and had become so used to working around them that they almost felt normal. Over time the collapse in my nose had also started to affect the shape of my face on one side and, if I’m honest, it knocked my self esteem more than I liked to admit.
What many people don’t see is how long the journey was before the operation ever happened. Because of the complexity of the surgery, several surgeons turned me down and one private surgeon quoted around £30,000. There were times when it felt like it was never going to happen. Looking back, this is where I see the Leo and Six of Wands energy most clearly. It would have been easy to give up, but I kept looking, kept asking questions, and kept hoping I’d eventually find someone willing to take it on.
Eventually I was referred to the NHS and found a surgeon who was prepared to tackle what others wouldn’t. To me, that was the real Six of Wands moment. It took courage on my part to keep going after so many setbacks, but it also took courage and confidence on the surgeon’s part to take on a difficult case that others had rejected. In many ways he embodied the qualities I associate with Leo and the Six of Wands. Leo is a Fire sign and Fire transforms what it touches. Not only did he restore my ability to breathe, he transformed something that had affected my confidence for years.
The operation itself and the recovery afterwards were challenges in their own right, but the biggest surprise was that not only can I breathe properly now, the surgeon also gave me a nose I genuinely like. I wasn’t expecting that. The practical side of me is grateful that I can breathe again, but there is definitely a shallower side that wants the full Six of Wands experience, the parade, the cheering crowd, and everyone telling me how fabulous I look. I think Leo would completely understand that.
More than anything, though, this experience reminded me that sometimes the victory isn’t the finish line. Sometimes it’s finding the courage to keep going when every door seems to be closing and trusting that eventually the right one will open.”
Practical Astros: If you use the tarot card correspondence to this decan, what tarot deck do you typically use to visualize this decan?
Lou: “Medieval Enchantment Tarot by Nigel Jackson.”
Practical Astros: What is your theory or belief of what the decans are, beyond their measurement of 10° movement through the Zodiac?
Lou: “ I don’t have any deep theory about the decans. I’ve always thought of them as part of an ancient system that used the sky as a map. The stars provided fixed reference points while the planets moved through them, creating different flavours and expressions within each sign. What attracts me to the decans is that they add another layer. Instead of every Leo being the same Leo, or every tarot card meaning exactly the same thing, the decans give a bit more texture and detail to work with.”
Lou’s bio:
I have been reading tarot for over forty years and continue to find the cards as fascinating today as when I first picked up a deck.
My interests include tarot symbolism, history, storytelling, and exploring the different layers that can be found within the cards.
Alongside offering private readings, I spend much of my time writing about tarot and working on a variety of creative projects. These include developing my own tarot decks, creating zines, designing Talking Fortune Mirrors, building papercraft Major Arcana figures, and experimenting with short videos and podcasts.
I probably spend more time thinking about tarot than is entirely healthy, but after all these years I still find there is always something new to discover.
And, when the time is right, my Etsy shop might finally open!
Thank you, Lou, for sharing your voice on Leo II!
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"...sometimes the victory isn’t the finish line. Sometimes it’s finding the courage to keep going when every door seems to be closing and trusting that eventually the right one will open."
--> wow i love this take 🥲