Last Saturday 15th November 2008, at the tarot outing, a new tarot reader whom i met, Seraphina, posted a question to me. This was done as i was doing the Golden Dawn 15 card spread.She asked firstly since the 15 card golden dawn spread has 5 clusters of 3 cards and there is exact placement and meanings in each of the cluster, how would i interpret if the 3 cards were of contridictory meanings.
The example and answer that i gave is as follows.
Well we need to look at the other cards of the spread and the main meanings and feel of the overall in order to acertain the meaning of the particular cluster. However in certain cases you need to see what the querant is asking in particular and in particular also the similarities the cards of the clusters.
My on the spot example was a cluster of majors, whereby there was the sun, (positive), the devil (negative) and the tower (negative). In the 1st similarity of this particular outcome would be one in which i feel that the negative forces would out weigh the positive. or it would also mean the transgression stages of 15, 16 which is cards the tower and devil. meaning that the person is very stubborn and proud and his ego is in the way of matters. whereas the Sun in this instance would mean a way out, by putting down (destroying of the tower) one's convictions or ego, which is signified by the devil, and having a new beginning. (the sun). If it was in the current situation of the querant, it would mean the querant is in a position of negation or negative energy.
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Lets take another example of the above illustrations whereby one of the cluster of 3 would be 10 of swords, 9 of swords and also the sun.
First off, the similarity here is that most of the cluster consists of the swords suits. so it may indicate arguments. 10 of swords is ruination or end to a matter. which may be an end to the 9 of swords which is the root to the 10 of swords which is worries. then the sun here is the positive outcome from it.
Conversely it could mean that worries 9 of swords, which are not noticed by the child of the sun being to overly positive could result in the failure or ending of a project......
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Lastly we look at 2 positive cards and a negative one.
The world, and star and the 7 of swords. the World is a positive cards of goals achieved and the star is of highest hope. what about the 7 of swords. futility in crowley it means.....
It read on a positive high note it could mean that the hopes though currently futile may be good in the end.
On a negative note, it could mean that hopes of futility may come to pass.
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In conclusion, there is no contridictions in the cards in clusters, it depends on the skill of the reader and the effects of the other cards of a large spread in relation to this particular cluster in order for one to give a judgement on what type of meaning one would be able to draw from it.
1 comment:
Good post Shimure, but just a few thoughts...
Another way to look at it is not by assigning a value of "positive" or "negative" to the cards. The cards after all, mean what they mean.
The cards like "Death", "The Tower", and "The Devil" should not be seen as negative.
Likewise, I do not think that "The Star", "The Fool" et cetera should be seen as positive.
I would instead suggest that as a reader, our job is to link the meanings of the cards in a spread to provide a picture to the Querent.
It is not the individual cards, but the context in which the cards are interpreted that matter.
In the more static spreads like the Tree of Life or the Celtic Cross, the cards are in positions within a structure.
In the Golden Dawn spread, the "set of three" tend to be more dynamic, and would be more difficult to link the cards. That, is the challenge of the spread.
And it is the linking of the meanings that seperate the good readers from an average one.
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