Melanchollic's "Simple Cross" Spread

Melanchollic

Elemental Dignities Part IIII - Basic Use

In this method, using the idea that the 'divine' can never be ill dignified , the element of what ever particular card occupies the 'heaven' position (Card #3) will decide the total elemental structure of the figure for that particular reading. One simply fills in the other three cards with the correct order of the elements in a CLOCKWISE direction. For example:

Let's say that Card #3 is The Chariot which is Fire in my system.


..................VII...............
..................Fire..............
...................O................
...................O................
Earth.....OOOOOOO....Air
...................O................
...................O................
................Water.............



This makes Position #1 Elemental Earth, Position #2 Elemental Air, and Position #4 Elemental Water.

We then can compare the Element of the card occupying that position to the Element of the position itself. This will give us four levels of dignity: 1) Well Dignified, 2) Moderately Dignified, 3) Slightly Ill Dignified, and 4) Ill Dignified.

A Fire Card in a Fire position: ______+2 (Well Dignified)
A Fire Card in an Air position: ______+1 (Moderately Dignified)
A Fire Card in a Water position: ____-2 (Ill Dignified)
A Fire Card in a Earth position: _____-1 (Slightly Ill Dignified)
A Air Card in a Air position: _______+2 (Well Dignified)
A Air Card in a Water position: _____-1 (Slightly Ill Dignified)
A Air Card in a Earth position: ______-2 (Ill Dignified)
A Water Card in a Water position: __+2 (Well Dignified)
A Water Card in a Earth position: ___+1 (Moderately Dignified)
A Earth Card in a Earth position: ___+2 (Well Dignified)

Again using the above example:

.............................VII.................
.............................Fire.................
..............................O..................
..............................O..................
XVIIII Earth.....OOOOOOO....Air XII
..............................O..................
..............................O..................
...........................Water................
..............................II.................



Card #1 The Sun (XVIIII) is 'Slightly Ill Dignified'. Card #2 The Hanged Man (XII) is 'Ill Dignified'. Card #3 as always, is 'Well Dignified'. Card #4 is Moderately Dignified.

This method gives a more precise picture than the 'two-fold' system of using reversals.
 

Melanchollic

The Horizontal Axis

We begin our study proper of the Tirage en Croix by looking at the horizontal axis of the cross, corresponding to cards #1 and #2. This is the worldly/mundane plane - where the action is.

In the general symbolism of the cross, the vertical line is active, and the horizontal line is passive. Thus the world is generated by, and passive to, the divine. Again quoting A Hundred Aphorisms Containing the Whole Body of Magic:

"That which is corporeal is merely passive (to the soul and the spirit)."
However, as inhabitance of the mundane plane, the opposite seems to be the case. While 'unseen' forces may be influencing our worldly lives, the active manifestation is, for us, here in the world. So practically the horizontal plane will show what's happening, and the vertical axis will show us celestial 'unseen' influences. In most cases, the answer to a querent's question will be found on the horizontal axis.

Most situations have a built in duality. "Will Karen and I get together?" - Karen/me. 'Will my son get into Oxford?" - Son/Oxford. 'Will I get the job?" - The job/me. Card #1 is always the querent (subject) and Card #2 is the quesited (object). So, referring to the above examples, Card #1 is me, card #2 is Karen. Card #1 is my son, card #2 is Oxford. Card #1 is me, card #2 is the job.

Card #1 here has the same role as the 1st House in Astrology. It is 'me'; it can also be 'us'. Like when a spouse asks about something that the couple, as a couple, plans to do. It also shows larger groups of which the querent is a part (Will we get the contract?). Card #1 shows the general situation in the querent's location. So if someone asks 'Will we have a hot summer?' look to card #1: the general situation here.

The way this card clearly differs from the 1st house in astrology is, it represents who or whatever is the subject of the question. Not just the querent himself - but also his sister, his car, the cat - whatever the subject of the question is. Since there are only four positions to work with, one can't very well 'turn the chart' to the fifth house if some asks a question about their daughter.



A few examples using only the horizontal axis:

Example 1

Question - "What will happen with Elizabeth and me?"


......................???.................
....................Water...............
.......................O..................
.......................O..................
XIIII Air....OOOOOOO....Earth VI
.......................O..................
.......................O..................
.....................Fire................
.......................?.................



Card #1 = Temperance XIIII (Air), well dignified in Air. Card #2 = The Lovers VI (Air) ill dignified in Earth.

*A Quick Rule of Thumb - Dignity will generally answer 'yes' or 'no', and the individual card's symbolism will tell you why.

Interpretation - Our lovesick hero is Temperance, well dignified. He is so taken with Elizabeth, that he will 'temper' his other needs. He will happily make sacrifices for her, patiently wait for her, etc.. So how does she feel about all this? She is the Lovers, ill dignified. (Note the 'ill' is only in relation to our heros perspective as applied to his question.) I take this card to not only symbolize 'love', 'marriage', 'sex', etc., but as a general indicator of youthful 'airy' pleasures. Elizabeth is not interested (poor dignity) because she is out enjoying herself (the Lovers VI), most likely with the opposite sex!! She either has a lover, or wants to 'party', but certainly doesn't want to hang out with Mr. Temperance and watch "American Idol' 'round his place.



Example 2

Question - "Will Ron Weasley pass his 'Defence Against the Dark Arts' exam at Hogwart's?


......................???.................
....................Water...............
.......................O..................
.......................O..................
Fool Air......OOOOOOO....Earth XVII
.......................O..................
.......................O..................
.....................Fire................
.......................?.................



Card #1 = The Fool (Water), slightly ill in Air. Card #2 = The Star (Earth), well dignified in Earth.

Interpretation - Ron is the Fool, slightly ill dignified. He has been just a wee bit too foot-loose and fancy free, and has not been a studious 'dark arts' student. He'd rather join Harry on his adventures, and follow Hermione around, hoping to slip a love potion in her Shirley Temple!
The exam (Prof. Snape) is the Star (Air), well dignified in Air. Lucky Ron! Prof. Snape is hopeful of Ron's future and feeling generous toward the lad, and will probably go easy on him. He may pass after all. (Yes, sometime the answer is a 'maybe'.)



Example 3

Question - "Will Obama become President?"


......................???.................
......................Air...............
.......................O..................
.......................O..................
XI Fire.......OOOOOOO....Water III
.......................O..................
.......................O..................
....................Earth................
.......................?.................



Card #1 = Strength (Fire), well dignified in Fire. Card #2 = The Empress (Water), well dignified in Water.

Interpretation - Definitely 'yes'. Why? The 'virtue' cards (of which I include the Fool) often show a challege in which the particular virtue is required, and how well the challenge is met. To become President certainly requires fortitude, and Obama can met the challenge. The 'voters' are the Empress, well dignified. She can represent the feminine perspective of open-mindedness, acceptance, attention to trends and fashions, and a highly developed social conscience. The voting public is clearly ready to have a minority President. (BTW, these are only 'sample' readings, and do not reflect my political views, nor are intended to influence yours!)
 

elvenstar

Thank you for taking the time to post this in such detail. One clarification: In post 10, you gave a layout for the elements, but then said the circle rotates based on the top card. So the layout in post 10 is just a 'default' that plays no role whatsoever in real spreads?
 

Melanchollic

elvenstar said:
Thank you for taking the time to post this in such detail. One clarification: In post 10, you gave a layout for the elements, but then said the circle rotates based on the top card. So the layout in post 10 is just a 'default' that plays no role whatsoever in real spreads?

Hi elvenstar,

That's correct! Here's a prettier version of the 'default' cross. (Unfortunately we can't post images directly in the thread in the 'spreads' forum. Shame.)

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x172/melanchollic_photos/defaultcroix.jpg
 

Melanchollic

The Vertical Axis

The vertical line descends from Heaven down to Earth. Card #3 represents Heaven - the celestial, the divine, the macrocosm. The triad (number three) of course, is the number of 'divinity' in both pagan and Christian tradition. As discussed before, the card determines the elemental positions for the whole figure, and will always be of good dignity. This should be taken as 'good intension' more than 'good outcome'. Heaven may be dropping the destruction of 'The Tower' or the darkness of 'Death' on the situation for the querents own good - and it may be unpleasant!! Your intuition is crucial here!

Beyond the elemental role, Card #3 shows unseen influences on the querent's situation - the 'will of heaven', or karma if you prefer. Card #3, in practical use, is a secondary influence on the situation, perhaps in the past.

From A Hundred Aphorisms Containing the Whole Body of Magic:

"SOUL generates BODY, and SPIRIT is the mean between them."

Card #3 (spirit/alchemical mercury) may also show us "a bridge" between the duality of Card #1 (soul/sulfur) and Card #2 (body/salt), and may be interpreted as such, if the nature of the question, and your intuitions deem it so.

In many versions of the Tirage en Croix, Card #4 is referred to as 'the outcome'. As elemental Earth, and having the numerological energy of the tetrad (number four), this is a logical assumption. This should not be taken to mean that Card #4 is 'the answer' to the querent's question. The answer will generally be found on the horizontal axis, with some influence from Card #3.

Card #4 shows the long-term results of the situation! If the querent asks about a job he hopes to get, the horizontal line may indicate a definite "yes", but Card #4 may show us in the long-term, the job will make the querent unhappy.

The fourth point is elemental Earth. It shows us what the Earth will yield from the seeds planted by the situation in the horizontal plane (Card #1 and Card #2).
 

Rosanne

Melanchollic said:
Here are the elemental correspondences I use. I include them here since I'll be using them for examples of the method later on. The pattern is based on the CRVX CVBIS XXII. In actual practice you can use any system you prefer.


Red = Fire
Yellow = Air
Blue = Water
Green = Earth
White = Quintessence



...........................F.........................
................16................6.................
.......15.............5/20...............7......
14.........4/19.....1/21......3/18..........8
......13..............2/17...............9......
...............12.................10..............
.........................11.........................
I have loved reading this thread Melanchollic! I would like to ask how did you decide which element was with each of the 1-22 cards? Like Water for the Fool? Was it just a 1,2,3,4, process or something else? I have never thought of the Star as Earth- I have been thinking about this and the fact I think of Green as Water and Blue as Air lol (not that that matters in your method)
~Rosanne
 

Melanchollic

Rosanne said:
I have loved reading this thread Melanchollic! I would like to ask how did you decide which element was with each of the 1-22 cards? Like Water for the Fool? Was it just a 1,2,3,4, process or something else? I have never thought of the Star as Earth- I have been thinking about this and the fact I think of Green as Water and Blue as Air lol (not that that matters in your method)
~Rosanne


Hi Rosanne,

My elemental correspondences are mainly derived from pre-17th century stuff (philosophy, medicine, astrology, alchemy, geomancy, etc.) I approach the correspondences, first, by asking what does a given card mean, and what temperament would this 'character' have. Say the Charioteer, he could be Sanguine (air), a young rich prince showing off in a triumphal parade in his showiest garb - sort of a medieval urban cowboy. Or perhaps he is what he seems - a real warrior - fiery and proud (choleric). This first step narrows down the options considerably. The Star maiden (on TdM) seems introspective, and a little melancholic (in the common usage). Definitely feminine, so either Water or Earth. I opted for Earth.

In my personal "system" for Tarot as a spiritual path and/or divination method, the CRVX CVBIS XXII (speculative, but fun) the Star 'fits' as Elemental Earth. Peek-a-book here:

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x172/melanchollic_photos/cc.Rust.jpg

The five trumps that fit on the rear of the Cubis represent the macrocosmic celestial mirror of trumps 1 through 5. (Sun = Fire, Moon =Water, Angel=Air, Star=Earth, World=Ether)

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x172/melanchollic_photos/crossback.jpg

For the color scheme, I borrowed the elemental colors of the Golden Dawn, as I thought they'd be the most familiar. Here's the deluxe version:

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x172/melanchollic_photos/RcolourCross.jpg
 

Rosanne

Thanks Melanchollic- I will think on this Elemental associations- not that it changes anything for this way to read. Truly adaptable to ones own associations and correspondences- without affecting the core. Ha! Thats how religion should be, but isn't. ~Rosanne
 

elvenstar

Thank you Melanchollic! I'm now eager to give this a try, but I haven't still managed to satisfy myself with a system of elemental assignments for the majors. Just curious, what happens if the World or Magician come up? And especially in position 3?
 

Melanchollic

elvenstar said:
Just curious, what happens if the World or Magician come up? And especially in position 3?

Hi elvenstar,

The easiest thing is to just use the 'default' pattern. I'd probably give those two cards to Elemental Air anyway, as they seem to connect with the symbolism of that third airy point on the cross. The #3 spot represents 'heaven', and the World card was a kind of idealized image of heaven, so it fits nicely. The #3 spot also works like alchemical Mercury here, and the Magician, is very much of a mercurial nature, though William Lilly writes of Mercury, "...of his own nature he is cold and dry, and therefore Melancholy... In the Elements the Water; amongst the humours, the mixed...", so both Earth (melancholic), and Water (phlegmatic) seem to have some historic precedence.


I had a BIG breakthrough when I finally got it through my thick head that 'the elements' are not things at all (aka. nouns), but work like adjectives and adverbs. I found this to be the case when using planetary associations too. Take garlic for instance - its sharp taste is martian, but it has lunar colouring. Or thistles - as they grow on waste ground they may be considered saturnine, yet their sharpness is martian. The Hermit for instance is saturnine in his love of solitude, but in his learnedness and pursuit of wisdom he is surly mercurial, and his homeless, wandering aspects are lunar!

So while the Star certainly had Airy qualities, and Watery qualities, when compared to her "peers" she is less watery than Luna, less airy than the Angel, and certainly less fiery than the Sun. Yet compared to a strongly melancholic card like Death or the Hanged man, she would comparatively be Sanguine (air).

Tarot, and the 'mystical' worldview in general, is very much like music I think. The feeling of the notes and chords are fluid, and take on certain 'colors' when they interact with the notes and chords within a given phrase.