Manipulative Tendencies: A “Dark Triad” Spread
AUTHOR’S NOTE: While roaming the internet I encountered a psychological concept I hadn’t seen presented in quite the same way before. I don’t believe tarot should be used independently for the kind of psychoanalytical probing this behavioral complex demands, but I propose that it can at least shed speculative light on the presence of such tendencies in a personal-contact scenario.
Quoting from https://www.health.com/ about antisocial personality disorders:
“The ‘dark triad’ is the name for a mix of malevolent personality traits: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. People with dark triad traits are manipulative, entitled, and lacking in empathy. These people may gain your trust and then exploit it for personal gain.”
Based on what I’ve seen in the online tarot communities, a substantial majority of requests for a tarot reading involve weighing the intentions of another person, typically a potential love interest. Beyond the shallow “Does Joe or Mary like me?” query lie the deeper waters of possibly engaging more intimately with the individual in question. Here is a spread that explores the likelihood of such a connection being agreeable.
I have formulated each of the three conditional positions in both a positive and negative way so the appearance of fortunate and unfortunate cards in the draw can be easily accommodated in the analysis. I chose the opposing qualities of Generosity/Selfishness; Directness/Dishonesty; and Stability/Unreliability to address susceptibility to vanity, duplicity and unsoundness in the other person. The fourth “quintessence” (actually “ternary essence”) card is calculated from the face values of the other three to provide an overall “General Character” snapshot. I don’t find tarot to be particularly effective for psychological profiling, but these conditions should be readily apparent. Reversals may be used to show just how obvious or obscure they might be.
Note that any insights received from this type of reading can be dangerous (or at least unfair to the third party) if interpreted too literally; they should be “taken under advisement” along with inputs from other sources such as cautionary past experience; purely intuitive hunches, and advice from other people in a position to know something about the matter.
The design of the spread is self-explanatory; just follow the sequence in placing the cards. Here is an example reading to illustrate the process.
Overview:
The hypothetical question comes from a male querent who has a romantic interest in a woman with whom he is casually acquainted and wants to know what she would be like “up-close and personal.”
Analysis:
The Fool in the “Generosity/Selfishness” position suggests that she would be uncritical and perhaps naive in bestowing her favor, as well as innocent of any narcissistic tendencies. However, she might have to be delicately nudged into the relationship through his persistent encouragement since otherwise she may not “get the hint.”
The 5 of Disks (“Worry”) reversed in the Directness/Dishonesty position implies that she is carrying some “baggage” that may be related to personal solvency, a burden that she doesn’t want known. The man should be cautious about potentially having to take on the load.
The Empress in the “Stability/Unreliability position is all “sweetness and light.” It has attributes of the “ideal mate” persona (and perhaps even the “trophy partner,” but she would be repelled by the idea). Together with the Fool it suggests a free-spirited naturalism that is only slightly inhibited by the reversed 5 of Disks. But on that last point, the Empress could spend recklessly with little regard for the consequences and then worry about it later.
The Priestess reversed in the “Overall Character” position conveys a retiring demeanor that is altogether feminine but may be too withdrawn for a lively encounter. The reversal shows that there is “more than meets the eye” in her emotional state; there could be a certain elusive reticence in her dealings with other people that comes across as aloof. The Empress can put up a charming social front on demand but the reversed Priestess is the truth of the matter.
Advice:
This reading describes a complex personality that would be best approached with discretion. As I see it, the main risk would be material entanglement.
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on December 6, 2024.
