Archetypal Gates and Elemental Focus: A Ritual Matrix and Tarot Spread

AUTHOR’S NOTE: In Tarot Magic, Donald Tyson described a hierarchy of tarot trumps based on a Kabbalistic cosmology that places the Earth at the bottom as fixed and unmoving; the three “Primal Elements” (Water, Air and Fire in ascending order) as the first three increasingly-subtle “spheres” one encounters when rising from the Earth’s surface; the seven traditional planets arrayed in concentric circles from fastest (Moon) to slowest (Saturn) representing the spheres in the middle zone; and a single outermost sphere segmented into the twelve signs of the zodiac. He explained these as “archetypal gates” by which ritual tarot magic can aspire to perfect realization.

I had already learned quite a bit about this schema from The Discarded Image by C.S. Lewis, but Tyson elaborates on it in a more esoteric way that I find useful for devising a new approach to tarot divination. For starters, I’m presenting the model proposed by Tyson in an annotated digital photograph using the Thoth deck (copyright of US Games Systems Inc, Stamford, CT).

In previous posts I’ve explained my dawning realization that the Major Arcana, rather than relentlessly driving significant events in our daily lives from a cause-and-effect standpoint, tend to offer background themes or environmental conditions that are broad and relatively non-invasive rather than profoundly intrusive into our affairs; they may incline or inspire us to certain attitudes that we can leverage to our benefit but they seldom lead us by the nose and they certainly don’t kick us in the pants. They strike me as “opportunity writ large” rather than major motivators of the “offer you can’t refuse” variety.

That opinion underlies my purpose here. I know there are seasoned readers out there who will refute this observation based on their own experience, and to them I will relay the story of an appointment I had with a dermatologist to whom I was trying to explain that drinking Bragg’s apple-cider vinegar had put my mild eczema into total remission. Rather than chiding me for being unscientific, he just smiled sagely and said “The mind is a wonderful thing,” implying that I had stumbled upon self-hypnosis as a way to encourage recovery (which was nonetheless real). My point is that as readers we can sometimes convince ourselves of ostensible truths that are more ephemeral than concrete; as the Everly Brothers once sang “Wishing won’t make it so/I proved it long ago.”

To use this matrix in a reading, first choose or randomly draw a Significator card to represent the querent standing on the “Plane of Earth” and place it at the bottom of the layout.

To begin the reading, assume that the three “Primal Element” trumps provide the opening chapter in terms of inspiring the querent to take an overarching stance in the matter that is emotional (Water); intellectual (Air); or egoically assertive (Fire). Take the Hanged Man, the Fool and the Aeon (Judgement) and mix them face-down (I don’t recommend trying to shuffle three cards overhand), then randomly select one of them for this purpose. Place it face-up above the Querent card. I don’t use reversals in this step.

Next, consider the seven planetary trumps as showing the kind of action that should be contemplated within the “theater of operation” identified by the primal element. Shuffle the seven trumps and pull one randomly, placing it above the Primal Element trump. (I also skip reversals here.)

Then approach the twelve zodiacal trumps as reflecting the variegated “lens” through which the planetary energy will be filtered as it makes its way into outward expression. Shuffle the twelve cards and randomly draw one, setting it above the planetary trump. (Once again, no reversals.)

Finally, treat the four elemental suits of the Minor Arcana as a “pool” from which to extract three cards showing the progression of events or circumstances that will emerge from the background theme furnished by the chosen series of trumps. (I do apply reversals here to indicate whether any proposed actions should be covert instead of overt.)

Do this in three steps: for the Primal Element trump, shuffle the 14 minor cards of that suit (Wands is Fire; Cups is Water; Swords is Air, while Earth as “the Querent” doesn’t enter into it). Pull one and place it face-up at the left end of a new row above the trump-card column.

Second, identify the element associated with the planetary trump card (Moon is Water; Mercury is Air; Venus is Earth; Sun is Fire; Mars is Fire; Jupiter is Fire and Saturn is Earth). Shuffle the 14 suit cards of that element, then pull one and set it face-up to the right of the first minor card.

Third, pinpoint the element of the zodiacal trump card (Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are Fire; Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn are Earth; Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are Air; Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces are Water). Shuffle the 14 suit cards of that element and draw one, laying it to the right of the second minor card.

Read the trump-card column as showing “Environmental Conditions” leading up to the “Action Phase” in the situation. Then read the minor cards from left-to-right as describing the “Opening Move” (Card #1); the “Turning Point, Central Conflict or Climax” (Card #2); and the “Last Step” (Card #3 as the outcome).

Here is an example reading to illustrate the process.

Following up on my previous “Tarot Magic” reading that had the 4 of Cups (Luxury) as its Object Card, I decided to dig a little further into what that was all about. I chose my usual Significator, the Thoth Knight of Cups, as the “Querent Card” representing the Plane of Earth.

The first shuffle turned up the “Primal Water” card, the Hanged Man; it’s keynotes are patience and the need to adopt an alternate perspective.

The second shuffle gave me the Venus card, the Empress, which suggests the opportunity for an agreeable assignation of some kind.

The third shuffle produced the Aries card, the Emperor, conveying an urge to “press the advantage.”

Because the first trump was a Water card, I shuffled the Cups pack for the first horizontal position and pulled the Ace of Cups, which is an ideal card for the opening move in an emotional initiative. (It’s “heart-on-sleeve” time.)

With the second trump as an Earth card, I shuffled the Disks pack and came up with the 4 of Disks (Power) reversed. This seems to be advising that it’s best to refrain from the bullish enthusiasm of the Emperor and embrace a more reserved outlook in order to advance past the “choke point.” It suggests “lowering one’s sights” to a less emotionally-exuberant level than the Ace of Cups.

Addressing the third (Fire) trump, I shuffled the Wands pack and got the 8 of Wands (Swiftness). I see this as counseling “stepping up the pace” after the brief moratorium on action symbolized by the reversed 4 of Disks.

There were no Air cards in the spread, indicating that none of this invites over-thinking. It’s more of a comfortable “feel-good” forecast with only minor caveats. On a more fanciful note arising from 1970s musical culture, it’s as if Earth, Wind and Fire let the “wind” escape them and had to settle for “Serpentine Fire.” I can live with that.

Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.org on February 1, 2025.