What is a clarifier and how do you read it?

Barleywine

Grizabella said:
I was reading a book by Anthony Louis last night and he said if you come to the outcome card in the Celtic Cross and don't understand it, then you can use card #10 as the signifier to lay out another Celtic Cross. He said this was from A.E. Waite himself. I thought it was interesting and kind of similar to what we're talking about here.

The thread topic is clarifiers so I hope this isn't too off track to post here.

This is what Waite actually said in the PKT:

"If in any divination the Tenth Card should be a Court Card, it shews that the subject of the divination falls ultimately into the hands of a person represented by that card, and its end depends mainly on him. In this event also it is useful to take the Court Card in question as the Significator in a fresh operation, and discover what is the nature of his influence in the matter and to what issue he will bring it."

The "fresh operation" is a whole new Celtic Cross spread focused on the outcome card of the previous spread, if it happened to be a Court Card. In that sense it becomes a giant "clarifier" for the previous spread.

Barleywine

EmpyreanKnight said:
I've sometimes mused about this too! But if you're going to try that for the Outcome position, would you also draw another clarifier card for the one in the very first position too? Perhaps to elucidate the card in the Present position, focus on it in another elemental dignity trio that might perhaps give you a better handle on the heart of the matter. Just an idle thought lol.

Back when I was formulating my own approach to the CC, I considered the "covering" card to be the "environment of the question," and also the "seed state" of the "outcome" card. In that sense I might just view the layout as one big circle or continuum and use the second modifier ("clarifier") for the outcome card as the first card in a three-card set focused on the "covering" card, kind of linking back to the "seed-state" idea. I will have to try this. It would be like the beginning partaking of the underlying quality of the ending.

mm66

Sometimes I use the cards that fall out as a clarifier.

I always get one or two cards that fall out. But I don't place them where they are going because I have not meditated on them. So I put them as clarifier

Padma

Barleywine said:
This is what Waite actually said in the PKT:

"If in any divination the Tenth Card should be a Court Card, it shews that the subject of the divination falls ultimately into the hands of a person represented by that card, and its end depends mainly on him. In this event also it is useful to take the Court Card in question as the Significator in a fresh operation, and discover what is the nature of his influence in the matter and to what issue he will bring it."

The "fresh operation" is a whole new Celtic Cross spread focused on the outcome card of the previous spread, if it happened to be a Court Card. In that sense it becomes a giant "clarifier" for the previous spread.

I have done this, and have had excellent results with this approach. I have additionally done this, way back in the beginning of my tarot journey, when I did not understand the message of the CC - took the last card, and cast it as the first card, and asked for simpler messages about the situation. That worked, too.

I have also merely drawn one card after the Court card, to see what that person brings with them.

Other than that, I don't use confusifier cards

nisaba

mm66 said:
I always get one or two cards that fall out. But I don't place them where they are going because I have not meditated on them.

"Where they are going? <curious> With me, they are going back into the deck - is this what you mean? Where do you NOT place them?

So I put them as clarifier

To clarify what - any card that comes up that you don't understand? I'm struggling here. Help me learn.

What is a clarifier and how do you read it?

Barleywine

Barleywine

mm66

Padma

nisaba