A “Storyboard” Approach to Elemental Progression in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Some time ago I created a set of “storyboards” for the Minor Arcana of the Waite-Smith tarot, from which I scripted a narrative “roller-coaster ride” that began with the Ace and ended with the Ten of each suit. Here I’m blending that idea with the concept of Elemental Dignities as they occur across all 78 cards to facilitate their use in a reading template. It employs a ten-card “base element” row of suit cards that serves as the developmental framework for ten more randomly-drawn “situational” cards forming a dynamic progression within that structure. (See the graphic below.)
The first step is to decide which of the four elements most thoroughly and convincingly embodies the thrust of the question or topic. For example, if a significant undertaking is being pursued that will require highly-charged energy and initiative, the element of Fire would be the ideal choice. Take the ten minor cards of the suit of Wands from a deck and lay them in a row, Ace-to-Ten from left to right, and set the rest of that deck aside. This is the “field of operation” for the random pull.
Shuffle and cut a second deck while concentrating on the subject of interest, and deal ten of them left-to-right either above or below the initial row of cards as follows:
If a card is elementally identical to the “reference” series, place it two positions above the associated “base” card. If it is not identical but is still elementally friendly to the baseline run, lay it one position above the original card. If it is “neutral and supportive,” put it one position beneath that card, and if it is elementally hostile, station it two positions below. For example, in my assumption of Wands as the primary suit, all Fire cards would land in the topmost of the five rows (the “Zenith” of the elemental progression); Air cards would appear in the second row from the top (the “Rising Trend”); Earth cards would occupy the row immediately below the baseline (the “Falling Trend”); and Water cards would fetch up in the very bottom row (the “Nadir” of progress in the situation). See the full range of Elemental Dignities at the end of this essay.*
Read this sequence of ten cards as a narrative focusing on the objectives of the chosen element as shown in the “storyboard.” Once again, think of it as a “roller-coaster ride” with ups-and-downs that play out over time as circumstances evolve. (I’ve broken this into five stages of progress: Inception; Growth Phase; Peak Potential; Results Phase; and Completion, in a “1–3–2–3–1” array that can be read as five linked “vignettes” instead of (or in addition to) ten separate “bullets.”)
The higher in the pattern the random cards fall, the more likely the matter is to transpire in ways that are attuned to the querent’s purpose (although it is rare that all of the cards will be favorable to success in the endeavor, they will at least be amenable to constructive engagement). The lower the cards are situated, the more friction or obstruction can be anticipated, and the querent may be hampered in the achievement of his or her ambitions (once again, not all of the cards will be detrimental to attainment, but they will be at least somewhat resistant to practical application).
Regarding the other elements, Water (Cups) would be related to “affairs of the heart,” including but not limited to romance and family relations; the suit of Swords addresses cognitive matters: conceptual thinking (aka “bright ideas”), plans and schedules, deductive logic and reasoning, applied intellect, education but also litigation, disagreements and arguments; Earth embraces all purely material subjects involving stability and security, such as long-range career status, income, investments, general finances and property, while some readers also place physical health and well-being in this category. (Note that “job seeking” comes under Fire).
In this particular view, any minor cards in the random pull would reflect the “nuts-and-bolts” aspects of situational development; court cards are most likely to represent the cooperation or interference of other people, but they could also reveal attitudes and behaviors the querent should either adopt or avoid; and trump cards would typically show the overarching environmental theme or incidental backdrop of the scenario. (In some cases they may actually describe major events or turning-points in the matter, but my experience has been that they usually don’t, although they might establish the climate for such occurrences; they should be “taken under advisement” in that sense but not over-emphasized). Reversals may be used to identify influences that are indirect or oblique in their contribution, and that may be elusive or contrary when it comes to integration.
Here is an example reading to demonstrate the process. (The face-down cards are only placeholders to maintain order and clarity in the layout.)
This matter gets off to a rocky start, with wild swings between harmonious “Zenith” cards and discordant “Nadir” cards. But Death cuts that ambiguity short, and the situation settles out nicely after that point, exhibiting a generally positive trend right through to the end of the “Results” phase. The Queen of Swords is at odds with the Queen of Pentacles, but the latter has the last word and brings the tension down a notch. The only reversed card is the Lovers, which departs the “Peak Potential” phase on an unsettled note; the important decision it conveys is veiled until brought under intense scrutiny by the two following Swords.
On balance, six cooperative cards, two “neutral and supportive” cards, and only two hostile cards very early in the scenario look like favorable odds to me, although the robust optimism and enthusiasm of the middle period fade a little by the end. All of the “Zenith” cards are auspicious Fire trumps, strongly indicating success for this Fire-based initiative. The Sun aligned with the 4 of Wands and Strength tied to the 6 of Wands (two “Leo” cards) are especially encouraging. The Wheel of Fortune corresponds to benevolent Jupiter, and its number (10) is the numerological counterpart of “1,” here expressed by the Ace of Wands. Good stuff!
*Elemental Dignities: Each card of a particular element is fully cooperative with other cards of that element, “for good or ill.” Otherwise, Fire is friendly to Air, neutral to Earth and hostile to Water; Water is friendly to Earth, neutral to Air and hostile to Fire; Air is friendly to Fire, neutral to Water and hostile to Earth; Earth is friendly to Water, neutral to Fire and hostile to Air.
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on July 7, 2024.
