Interstitial Tarot Reading: “Piercing the Veil”
AUTHOR’S NOTE: In a non-tarot-related Medium post I came across the word “interstitial” (a term that describes the transitional space connecting two related objects or ideas, much like a short hallway linking adjacent rooms). It brought to mind my previous comments about having to rely too heavily on intuitive guesswork in order to bridge the gap between card positions with energetic ad-libbing when the cards in a spread are too few (and thus the interstices too wide) to provide adequate narrative detail and continuity. I think this was a hint that it’s time to revisit the subject.
Some time ago I concluded that five cards is the minimum number for a linear spread if we want to avoid having to “make stuff up” as a way to flesh out our presentation. (In his book Tarot Master Class, Paul Fenton-Smith observes that the use of intuition is unnecessary in tarot reading because the cards contain all the information we need, to which I will append “as long as enough of them are drawn.”) Obviously, when employing fewer cards, any lack of continuity will have to be filled with stop-gap impressions that address the almost inevitable disparity between the cards in the layout. This usually involves improvisational dexterity masquerading as visionary insight.
Since I prefer analytical to mystical interpretation most of the time, over the years I’ve invented various ways to deal with this deficiency. One was to find the card that sits at the numerical midpoint between any two cards in the spread and treat it as additional information to be taken “under advisement.” But this can be difficult to accomplish “on the fly” when reading for other people.
I’ve been thinking about what remains unsaid by the cards on the table, and how to navigate the interstices between them in meaningful ways. The danger, of course, lies in reading too much into them and thereby confusing the issue. On the other hand, although I usually assume that if something doesn’t stand out plainly in the spread, trying to capture it can be unnecessarily arduous and time-consuming, it may be naive to suppose that there isn’t more to the story. It comes down to a matter of “how much is too much.”
I like to think of these forays into the shadowy spaces as side-trips that, no matter how compelling they might be from a storytelling perspective, must eventually be brought back into the main theme of the reading shown by the physical cards. This digression often occurs when the latter are reversed, inviting what I regard as detours into avenues of inquiry that might not otherwise present themselves.
But the larger issue is how to deal with situations where there is no agreement whatsoever among the sparse population of cards pulled; in such cases “more” doesn’t necessarily mean “better” (or clearer), so I don’t think the solution lies in drawing random “clarifiers.” If we keep talking to our sitter even though we may have no clue what we’re prattling about, we risk fumbling along and giving them the idea that we really are clueless. We can only rehash what we’ve already said so many times before it becomes inane, so we’re tempted to invent content to cover up our mystification.
On these occasions a reader impaled on the horns of such a dilemma may fall back on charisma where trustworthy discernment fails to emerge. I think this is the dodge adopted by many YouTube “collective” readers who have no legitimate way to personalize their offerings, so they talk in breezy generalities and hope nobody is paying close attention. Needless to say, I will never travel that path because I value the interactive nature of one-on-one tarot reading and the meeting-of-the-minds that can (and should) ensue during the dialogue about the cards that were pulled.
I’ve begun to view entering the interstitial byways between cards as “piercing the veil” that hides their unspoken wisdom, in effect “reading between the lines,”and have decided to leverage the practice of midpoint determination for short linear readings, thereby creating a secondary narrative that can shed light on any unseen vistas. I then reform all of the cards into a double oval so the end and the beginning of the main story connect in a way that creates an additional midpoint card, giving each primary card a complementary “mirror.”
Here is an example reading:
The question I asked (one I haven’t addressed in several months) was “What will become of my tarot-reading practice in the medium-to-long term?” I used the Tabula Mundi Colores Arcus “Thoth clone” deck, one of the treasures of my collection.
The primary layout (cards 1A to 1E) was 6 of Disks (“Success”); Princess of Swords (Air of Air); 2 of Disks (“Change”); 9 of Wands (“Strength”); and Queen of Wands (Water of Fire).
The secondary layout (cards 2A to 2E, derived from the midpoints between the primary cards) was the Ace of Disks; the Queen of Swords (Water of Air); the Prince of Cups (Air of Water); the Princess of Wands (Earth of Fire); and the 2 of Swords (“Peace”).
The first thing of note is that there are no Water cards in the primary 5-card reading, suggesting difficulty in making an emotional connection with prospective clients, and one Air card indicating that an appeal to curiosity is one way to target them. The prominence of Earth and Fire cards implies the need to develop a reputation through demonstrated ability, but it needs to find an outlet. The last card in the series, the Queen of Wands, makes me think I should seek a “patroness,” perhaps a metaphysical shop owner, to champion my cause. Prospects look reasonably good if I can make this happen. The most encouraging cards from a developmental outlook are the 6 of Disks and the 9 of Wands; the 2 of Disks could mean that new opportunities will follow openness to change, while the Princess of Swords refreshes my mental readiness to take on the challenge.
The secondary reading is fairly well-balanced elementally, conveying no abundance or deficiency that might present a worthwhile focus area. However, it does include three court cards, two of them identifying younger people and one a mature individual. The implication is that these signify a potential client base, and that there should be no shortage of sitters once I become established. The Ace of Disks at the beginning shows that I won’t have to make a substantial investment to get going, and the 2 of Swords at the end that things will be quiet for some time before they take off. No individual cards stand out from a growth perspective; the predominance of court cards looks to be the most significant aspect. The “hidden” nature of this series intimates that they will find me, I won’t find them.
If you want to try this, here is the table I use to identify the midpoint cards. Note that the midpoint sometimes brackets two numbers; you can decide which of the cards to select depending on the context of the question or topic, or you can interpret the pair as a binary influence.
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on April 27, 2024.
