21 Ways To Read A Tarot Card -- Step SIX

Probie

Greer (2006) 21 Ways - Step 6.1

Rider-Waite-Smith
7/The Chariot


6.1.1 - Keywords for Suits

  • Suit of Wands/Fire: Action/Activity, Energy/Vitality, Force/Forcefulness (both of a physical and of a personality/character nature).
  • Suit of Cups/Water: Emotion, Intuition, Relational Energies (both intrapersonal and interpersonal - the former is relationship within the self and the other is relationship with others), Beliefs in their affective nature.
  • Suit of Swords/Air: Intellect/Intelligence, Beliefs in their ideological nature, Mental Activity/Energy, Mental Forcefulness (i.e., debate/debating).
  • Suit of Pentacles/Earth: The Spiritual Nature as expressed in the Material Realm, Material/Tangible Spirituality, Material/Tangible Aspect, Careers & Commerce, Economy-Marketplace/Economy-Household Rules & Day-to-Day relationships from a practical viewpoint ("Economy" comes from the two Greek words for "house" [oikos] and "law(s)" [nomos] and originally dealt with the "rules of the house/household").


6.1.2 - Suit/Element of Chosen Card

My card, 7/The Chariot, is actually a water element card! Even though it has very strong and commanding (read: "active") aspects, it is technically a water card says Greer (2006) on page 256. In this case, I believe that "beliefs in an affective nature" is a good fit as well as the concerns with "emotions." In the Sacred Rose Tarot, the suit of Cups is represented by the white rose of purity (Gargiulo-Sherman, 1999). 7/The Chariot is mainly a card about controlling ones passions/emotions so that the two diameterically opposite sphinxes will pull together in a productive manner versus pulling the charioteer apart. So 7/The Chariot could be seen as being water in the "purity of the emotional life through carefully managed control."


References:

Gargiulo-Sherman, J. (1999). Guide to the Sacred Rose Tarot. Stanford, CT: US Games Systems.

Greer, M. K. (2006). 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn.
 

Probie

Greer (2006) 21 Ways - Step 6.2

Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot
7/The Chariot


6.2.1

  • Court Cards: "Who/Whom" or "Enforcement of a Decree by a 'Who/Whom' or an Important Message" (Gargiulo-Sherman, 1999).
  • Pip Cards: The "Whats/Events" of Life.
  • Major Arcana: "Why" or "The Spiritual Family (Trumps 0-4)/Life Experiences (Trumps 5-9)/The Great Cosmic Plan (Trumps 10-14)/The Forces of Destiny (Trumps 15-21)" from Gargiulo-Sherman (1999).
  • Aces: The "Where" or "Beginnings."


6.2.2

7/The Chariot comes from the Major Arcana, which says something about issues of "why", "karma", or "Life Experiences" as controlling ones emotional life is a powerful challenge all persons must contend with or else crash the chariot of their life with disasterous results.


References:

Gargiulo-Sherman, J. (1999). Guide to the Sacred Rose Tarot. Stanford, CT: US Games Systems.

Greer, M. K. (2006). 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn.
 

dadsnook2000

Wands and the Fire of Life for Probie

Wands symbolize the energy, action, passion and force of life, the doing, the striving, the accomplishing, the moving about, the winning. The whole suite of WANDS, without distinguishing which one, is the fire of your personality, your vision in motion, the striving towards a goal, getting your but in gear, using your energy and enthusiasm move forward.

As a "resource" indicator, this would signify you, in most cases, getting going on your own path without waiting for encouragement or direction from others. In this sense it could be a faith in yourself, not passive, but an activist type of faith that knows if you are striving then you are succeeding.

Now, depending upon the spread, if the particular wand in the "resource" position matches up with another wand or a card of the same number in another position in the spread that relates to someone else, then the wand can point to someone else having to step up and fulfill their role or commitment.

I just returned home from one of the kids birthday party, so didn't see your message earlier. Hope this helps. Dave
 

Probie

Reply to dadsnook2000 - Thank you! :)

Okay, I think I get it. You're sort of saying a combination of things like this:

  • Consider the basic thrust/metaphor range/archetypal range of the suit (include each Major Arcana card in whatever suit matches their element based on the deck you're using as some make Wands into fire and others air; cf. Amberstone & Amberstone, 2003, pp. 31-32 in Tip #20).
  • Consider the position of it in the spread - is it a "strength" or a "warning" or a "resource" or something else?

So in a certain sense, it's a two-axes system ("axes" = plural of "axis") like an x-y. For example, in Gargiulo-Sherman (1999) has "the elemental power spread" for finding a person's energies on pages 208-210. A position #2 card in this spread is the querent's "emotional reality (or "energy") that is considered to be their underlying, sub- or unconscious motivator in their life for better or worse.

So even though it's supposedly a water/Cups position, it could be from any suit. Let's say I pulled a 6 of Wands - Victory card for them from the Sacred Rose Tarot (uses standard RWS attributions for suits & elements), then it may suggest the querent is motivated by an active concern to receive recognition and prestege in life through accomplishments they do. Though the X Axis is a passive position in the spread, it is colored by the active nature of the suit of the card that occupies the position as the Wands is the Y Axis that intersects it.

Am I in the ballpark?
 

dadsnook2000

For Probie

Yes, you have the core idea. But, lets clarify what I said a bit more.

If the 6 of Wands is one card in the spread's "resource" position and you find a 6 of Pentacles in another position, then the significance of those two positions can be linked together. As a simple example, if the 6 of Pentacles were found in a "blocking" or "hindrance" position, then someone may be holding up a much needed load or delaying a repayment of a loan to you.

If another Wands card was in one of the other spread positions, then that position might be linked to the "resource" position.

When you have time you might want to check out Robert Place's book, The Tarot History, Symbolism, and Divination. He offers a method of using the people in the cards in terms of the direction they are facing relative to the cards on each side of them (or in the layout sequence) to show relative strengths, support, distraction, etc. This approach will add another whole layer of interpretation to your reading. Dave
 

Probie

Reply to dadsnook2000 - Thank you! :) [again]

Dave,

Okay, I'm starting to see this! Comment in one sec after this...

I'm sorry for not getting back sooner, but for some reason I'm having a hard time with the subscription piece. I subscribed to the "21 Ways" forum, but it's hard for me to see when a thread gets a response. How do I do that from inside the AT account? Usually I goto "quick links" and then "watched threads" but this isn't a thread but a whole slew of them. Any ideas?

Ah...so this is almost an expansion of the EDs and/or another way to get at reversals/negatives without putting cards upside down.

So sticking with your example and using the Sacred Rose Tarot, the Six of Wands - Victory is in "resource" position in a spread, like a five card from left to right that is this: issue, challenge/obstacle, resource, action, and outcome. Well the Six of Pentacles - Material Success is in position #2, challenge/obstacle, and now this normally kind card takes a negative hue from "opportunity through charity [for $$$ to fund a program to the needy]" (a common occurence in my work) to "the charity is held up or denied."

Further pulling on the [Robert] Place idea (BTW, on order from Amazon along with four others through the AT links), the figure in the Six of Wands - Victory has his right hand, which Gargiulo-Sherman (1999) says is the one for the disbursement of energy in his robe due to damage inflicted on it during the struggle for the accolades while the left hand for the reception of energy is on the wand to soak it [i.e., the energy] in. So in that case I would want to focus on these hands as well as the fact that in the Six of Pentacles - Material Success both them, says Gargiulo-Sherman, are right hands (i.e., energy disbursers). So it would be neat to note (also the synchronicity of your choice of these cards!) how with the obstacle the one hand I need is being denied me! My right hand [in the resource card] is unavailable and then the two righties from the obstacle are being withheld! Egads, no wonder I would be frustrated as reflected in this reading!
 

Erinyes

Shadowscapes-King of Wands

6.1.1 Keywords that express the elements of my deck:
Wands: Inspiration, energy, creativity
Cups: Emotions, moods, imagination
Swords: struggle, pain, conflicts
Pentacles: satisfied, fruition, skill

6.1.2. Keywords for chosen card:
King of Wands: energy, courageous, inspiration

6.2.1 Keywords for the Modes:
Court: Who. A way of relating to others. A person.
Number cards: What. The situation. Actions.
Majors: Why. Archetypal energies. Lessons to be learned.
Aces: Where. New opportunities. Elemental energies.

6.2.2 My chosen card comes from the mode of the court. This means that he represents a particular person or the way that he (as the King) relates to others.
 

hottierockstar

6.1.1
Scepters (wands) - thought - taking action, creativity, spiritual growth
Grails (cups) - emotions - affection, joy, reflection
Knives (swords) - will - understanding, plans, decisions
Skulls (pentacles) - material - value, body, instincts
6.1.2
Seven of Skulls
final result, security, apathetic
6.2.1
court cards - who - role, attitude, way of relating to others
numbers - what - situation, actions, life events
majors - why - lessons, cause, psychospiritual needs.
aces - where - realm, new opportunities
6.2.2
the seven of skulls comes from the situational/what mode. this card is about events and happenings.
 

Spooky

21 Ways-Fool-Gateway to the Divine

6:1 keywords that best describe the qulities of each suit
Wands- spark,action,creativity
Cups- joy,pleasure,emotion
Swords- struggles,intellegence,obstacles
Coins- craftmanship, home, wealth,health
6:2 keywords that express the qualities of the Fool
I believe air would be my choice for this fool,alert,movement,
6:1:1 court cards-who?people,attitudes,events
number cards-what?everyday events,life, situations
Major Arcana-why?the reason,cause
Minor Arcana-where?beginnings,new oppertunities
6:1:2 The Fool being M.A. means beginnings,inquistive,foolhardy ways
 

jdev

Hi! I'm new and confused!

I just got MG's book from Amazon today. Awesome. Loving it. Keeping it all written in my MacJournal. I went from step one to step 8:1 just now just doing the apprentice steps. I am using the Sun and Moon Tarot and my chosen card was the Two of Pentacles.

I do not understand exercise 6:2.1. At all.

"Examine each of the four modes (I got that) and select one to three keywords (makes sense) that speak to you in a reading (I just fell off a cliff).

Can someone please explain? I am truly at a loss. In a reading of what? A reading I've done in the past? I'm coming at this book as if I know absolutely nothing of the tarot cards and their meanings (which is almost true) so I don't understand what this means. Appendix C didn't help me at all with this.

I know there are four modes. I know there are keywords. I know how to choose keywords. But that's all I know.

Thanks ya'll,
Jagadeesh