Approaching the Hub: An Elemental Alignment Spread
AUTHOR’S NOTE: While reading about the Medieval concept of “Fortuna” (later identified with the tarot Wheel of Fortune), I was impressed by the thinking of Boethius (as presented by C.S. Lewis), who put the following into the mouth of his philosophical muse, Philosophia. (Note that, although “Divine Providence” is not in my personal vocabulary as a skeptic of religion, I thought it best to leave the quote intact.)
“That which in the citadel of the divine simplicity is Providence, when seen from below, mirrored in the multiplicity of time and space, is Destiny. And as in a wheel the nearer we get to the centre the less motion we find, so every finite being, in proportion as he comes nearer to participating in the Divine (unmoving) Nature, becomes less subject to Destiny, which is merely a moving image of eternal Providence. Thus, if only you are near the hub, if you participate in Providence more and Destiny less, “it lies in your own hands to make your fortune what you please.” (Boethius also considered the planets revolving around the rim of the wheel to be capricious agents of Destiny while the “Unmoving Mover” [his Divine Providence] at the center represented an unchanging cosmic universality.)
The tarot reader’s equivalent of this observation is “Nothing about a card reading is carved in stone, we always have free will to change our future,” But there may be times when there are entrenched forces arrayed against us that make it nearly impossible to alter the course of events and circumstances, so we can only contemplate a graceful exit. Here is a spread that is designed to show the most straightforward path for escaping the clutches of peripheral chaos and regaining the calm certainty of the unchanging hub.
The “hub” position stands for the subject of the reading at its most stable. This card can be chosen intentionally if there is a topic for which it is ideally suited, or it can be pulled randomly if the question is more open-ended. The four positions surrounding it (the “spokes”) are populated with the four classical elements of Empedocles. The ten positions at the “rim” correspond to the seven traditional planets and the three “Primal Elements” (Fire, Water and Air) and I have also assigned to the latter the three modern planets associated with the “Primes” in my esoteric system. The idea is to pull fifteen cards randomly (or fourteen with a purposely-selected “hub” card) without using reversals. The positions can be populated in any order.
Concentrate on the subject while shuffling the deck and then lay the cards in the pattern shown. Examine the layout to determine whether any series of cards from the rim through the spokes to the hub is particularly well-favored elementally (e.g. they share the same element) and/or according to any other dignities that may apply (suit, number, rank, planetary assignment, inherent nature, etc). This series should be touted as revealing the querent’s “best shot” at getting off the treadmill of “outrageous fortune” and achieving a measure of self-determination in the matter. If there is more than one series so dignified, apply judgment to pick one over the other, with the querent’s input if deemed prudent. Once the preferred path is established, read the three cards in the normal manner. Here is an example reading where I’ve attempted to accomplish this feat.
The Tower as the randomly-pulled “hub” card is the proverbial “tough nut to crack” since it is inherently unstable. However, if we think of it as showing an opportunity to effect momentous change where inertia (i.e. “sitting on our hands”) would be of no use, I think it can be accommodated.
The only card among the four “spokes” that aligns elementally with the Tower is the Wheel of Fortune in the Air complex, which follows one dicey proposition with another. The Air of the Star in the Water complex is a close second, followed by the Earth of the Devil in the Fire complex. The Chariot in the Earth complex pits Water against Fire and is thereby disqualified. My feeling is that the Star is too delicate for the task and the Devil is too incorrigible.
The four 3-card series in the Fire complex are Air (Lovers)/Earth (Devil)/ Fire (Tower); Air (Adjustment)/Earth (Devil)/Fire (Tower); Earth (Universe)/Earth (Devil)/Fire (Tower); and Fire (Sun)/Earth (Devil)/Fire (Tower). The two Air/Earth/Fire combinations are weak since Air and Earth conjoined are a “no-go” from an elemental perspective. The other two are better served but I can’t in good conscience recommend that anyone honorable should connive with the Devil to get what they want.
The two 3-card series in the Water complex (which is already challenged by going up against the Fire of Mars) are Water (Moon)/Air (Star)/Fire (Tower); and Water (Hanged Man)/Air (Star)/Fire (Tower). There is nothing to choose between the two, and the only comment I have is that Air is not a robust mediator between Water and Fire and would most likely fade. If my goal were to confound the Tower and not cooperate with it, then it would be a different story since these two Neptune-related trumps fronted by the Water-bearer should be able to “mop the floor with it.”
The two 3-card series in the Air complex are Water (Priestess)/Fire (Wheel of Fortune)/Fire (Tower); and Air (Fool)/Fire (Wheel of Fortune)/Fire (Tower). Of the two, the Fool/Wheel of Fortune/Tower set is better situated elementally, although that tiger on the Fool card suggests that the Fool will “have a tiger by the tail” if he tries to surmount the Tower. Still, I think I would advise taking the chance since, as Aleister Crowley observes, the Wheel “generally means good fortune.”.
The two 3-card series in the Earth complex are Fire (Emperor)/Water (Chariot)/Fire (Tower); and Air (Magician)/Water (Chariot)/Fire (Tower). As with Air and Earth, Water and Fire face-to-face are a “no-go” elementally, so there is nothing here worth promoting.
Conclusion:
Although it feels like shoving the querent into a “meat-grinder,” the Fool/Wheel of Fortune/Tower combination looks doable as long as he is nimble enough to ride the Wheel to the top and savvy enough to jump off at just the right time. Then he will be in the driver’s seat rather than beneath the wheels of the juggernaut. All it takes is steady nerves and a well-honed sense of adventure.
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on December 7, 2024.
