Anchoring the Abstract
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Many years ago in Rachel Pollack’s 78 Degrees of Wisdom, I encountered the 21-card, 7×3 tableau of tarot trumps (the Fool was set aside as a “thing apart”). The arrangement ran from the Magician at the top-left to the World at the bottom-right. More recently, I came across it again in Sallie Nichols’ Tarot and the Archetypal Journey, and this time I decided to put it to more than theoretical use. (All images are from the Fournier TdM, copyright of Naipes Heraclio Fournier, Vitoria, Spain.)
In thinking about the seven vertical sets of three cards, I was reminded that what we do in a tarot reading amounts to anchoring the metaphysical abstractions shown in the images to a plausibly coherent vision of reality, usually through some form of imaginative storytelling. My personal approach is to convert the mystical, philosophical, psychological and spiritual symbolism into metaphorically analogous language (the correct phrase for it is “narrative trope”) in order to give it functional traction and make it relatable in everyday terms. This happens in three phases: first we receive “inspiration” from the cards drawn in the form of insights (I like the phrase “environmental stimulus”); next we use “discrimination” to decide which of those revelations are most relevant to the subject of the reading; and finally we look at practical ways in which our observations might experience “application” within a possible outcome scenario.
When we examine the tableau, we see that each category comes in seven “flavors” that can be combined, top-to-bottom, into descending vignettes of three cards each. For example, the Magician draws down inspiration, Justice massages that raw material, shaping and coordinating it for maximum utility, and the Devil implements the output via his abundant creative prowess. In this model there are no negative cards; each one provides a vital piece of the puzzle that begins simply, becomes more evolved, and ultimately develops into a closing statement of purpose that could deliver an invigorating “shake-up” as readily as it creates a settled conclusion.
Overall, the tableau depicts a continuum of integrating principles, from left-to-right and from the top down. There are a couple of ways to view this progression: some see it as starting at the personal level (1 through 7), becoming socialized (10 through 14) and arriving at a state of universal comprehension (15 through 21), while other (primarily Jungian) interpreters believe that we ideally become more self-aware and individuated as we move up the experiential curve, emerging as more rather than less centered. If the objective is to explain our growing apprehension of a higher order of consciousness, the first paradigm seems fitting, but if — as I’m doing here — we are aiming to “ground the abstract” in concrete terms, the second perspective makes more sense.
The first step in this proposed use of the tableau is to select a “vertical slice” of three cards to serve as the “archetypal baseline” for the rest of the reading. Depending on how much is known about the situation, this subset can be chosen intentionally according to the nature of the top-most card in the column, or arbitrarily using a random selection method. For the latter, I recommend taking all of the Ace-through-Seven “pip” cards from a standard playing-card deck, shuffling them and drawing one to represent the target “slice.” It’s also possible to “mix-and-match” columns by drawing three pips and choosing the trump cards from the columns so designated, a method that may more accurately mirror the unpredictability of personal experience. (If you get a duplicate pip, just redraw; or you could perform this step with only seven unique pips.) These cards furnish the thematic backdrop for the action shown by the balance of the spread.
Once the vertical cards are picked, lay them at the left side of the table, top-to-bottom in the original order. For the next step, to avoid injecting any “battling archetypes” into the reading, take only the court and pip cards from the deck, shuffle them and lay several in a left-to-right line next to each of the three trumps (three-to-five additional cards per row would be reasonable). I do not use reversals with the Tarot de Marseille but you certainly could if that’s your style. This narrowing of focus will bring the narrative squarely into the realm of mundane circumstances.
The cards in the top row are intended to show the development of several different aspects of environmental stimulus over the course of the reading; those in the middle row reflect processing of this input in discerning ways that will ideally optimize its benefit and minimize any detriment; and those at the bottom identify the kind of pragmatic effects that can be anticipated from the choices made. The bottom-right card can be read as the final outcome, and those to its left as interim states of resolution. All of the cards should be examined for their degree of cooperation with the trump card that heads up their row; a strong affinity suggests that the activity will proceed with considerable energy and few obstacles, while a weak one implies a faltering trajectory.
Here is an example reading. The hypothetical question involved the likelihood of receiving a promotion at work, so I selected the Chariot as the significator of “upward mobility” and kept Temperance and the World as its developmental extensions. The narrative is more situational than personal
In the top row, the 7 of Cups suggests being sent mixed signals and muddled expectations at the start of the application process; the 9 of Coins shows the hiring agenda slowing down due to competition for financial resources within the company; and the 5 of Batons implies resorting to a “show of force” (judgment call, snap decision, etc.) to get it done. All of the cards are active (odd-numbered) and reasonably well-aligned with the Chariot, so something will definitely come of it.
In the middle row, the hiring individual (Valet of Swords) will make a show of being astute in his deliberations (6 of Swords) but will ultimately choose based solely on “gut feel” (Ace of Cups). The “due process” nature of the Valet of Swords and the 6 of Swords correlates well with Temperance but the Ace of Cups has no patience for such meticulous hairsplitting and just wants an agreeable solution with no unpleasant wrangling (and then perhaps to go out for a “liquid lunch”).
In the bottom row, the 6 of Coins indicates that any salary offer being contemplated will start out reasonable, but the 2 of Coins following it could mean that there is some fluidity in the compensation package that could diminish the projected remuneration (it looks like “bait-and-switch” to me, perhaps at the behest of some faceless bureaucrat in the corporate hierarchy above the Valet). The 7 of Batons at the end conveys the idea of a “hard sell” in which one candidate among several will finally step up and take the job that none of them really wants (“arm-twisting” comes to mind). The World typically stands for “completion of the matter” but not necessarily “success” for the querent, and none of the cards here contradicts the achievement of that impersonal objective.
Reading vertically, it appears that the hiring authority (Valet of Swords) is conflicted (7 of Cups) about compensation matters (6 of Coins); his best intentions for a rational evolution (6 of Swords) are undermined by resource considerations (9 of Coins) and economizing “bottom line” directives (2 of Coins); and because of these constraints his desire for a “no-drama” denouement (Ace of Cups) is only wishful thinking that will soon evaporate in the face of harsh reality (5 of Batons and 7 of Batons).
The bottom line is that a decision will be made but nothing clearly indicates that the querent will be the one selected; in all honesty, with the uncertain compensation forecast it may well be that the individual should decline the offer if it is made on those terms. Nothing good will come of it.
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on December 4, 2023.
