dawntarot
Greetings all I've been away for a while working on my own TdM method. I think I have finally found "my" way of reading and I've been getting some very positive feedback, so I thought I would share it, in case it is useful to others.
It isn't very complicated: I take the usual approach of designating the suits to the different spheres of life. For me this is:
Swords - Air - Intellect, thoughts, plans, the rational
Coins - Earth - Body, home, family, the physical environment
Batons - Fire - Energy, effort, exertion, the spiritual
Cups - Water - Emotions, intuition, the subconscious, the irrational
The lower the number, the more concentrated and powerful the energy of the suit. An Ace would be the most intense, while a 10 would be chaotic and unsettled. Generally I view lower numbers as being positive and productive, while higher numbers are negative and destructive - a greater burden to carry, so to speak.
(I have seen it said on this forum, "Consider the relative value of 10 pennies versus a solid gold dubloon", or something similar. This lodged in my brain and sparked this whole thing off! It was a long time ago when I read it, so I can't remember who here said it. If anyone does please let me know and I'll give credit!)
So how do I use this in a reading? I lay out four cards, one for each element, like so:
..1
4..2
..3
Where 1 is Air, 2 is Earth, 3 is Fire, and 4 is Water. These designate the areas of the querent's life, as detailed above. I turn over each card one at a time and interpret it, then I interpret the reading as a whole.
For example, if the Ace of Cups appeared in the Air position, I might suggest the querent's mind was strongly focused on solving a problem in their emotional life. Perhaps they are trying to find a new partner or the "ultimate" love. It's a powerful focus and it diminishes the importance of the other areas of life in their conscious thoughts. But if it was the Ace of Coins, perhaps they are actively and aggressively seeking new employment or a job promotion.
What I'm essentially doing is evaluating how the two energies are interacting with one another. When I have a general idea I might then look at the embellishments on the card for further clues (how tightly woven are the vines, might this indicate stress or narrow-mindedness, etc). I also consider the colours - what stands out? The red sword? The green grass? - if I need further clarification.
For the Courts and Trumps, I make use of eye rhymes, as well as considering the suit/the meaning of the Trump. What way are the people looking? A character peering away from the centre of the cross would suggest they were ignoring the issue at hand, this area of their life, or whatever. (Note, I don't leave a gap in the middle of the cards, so it is possible for each card to "look" at the other. A figure looking straight out indicates they are looking at the card above or below them.)
For example the Hermit facing left, in the Water position, might tell me they were refusing to engage with some aspect of their emotional life, or dwelling on past events. The Moon in the Water position would, of course, tell me there was something subconsciously that they weren't dealing with - perhaps a repressed memory.
I generally use this method for giving general readings, with good results. But it is possible to answer direct questions too. The key is to pose them in the present tense. Instead of asking, "What will happen in X's love life?" I would ask, "How are these energies affecting X's love life?" Instead of "Will I enjoy this career?" - "How does this career affect each area of X's life?" Picture the querent in the centre of the cross, directly linked to each card.
Finally, I always consider the Summary card. This is obtained by adding up the digits present. If it is 21 or under, that is the relevant Trump. If it is more, I add the digits (i.e. 42 = 4+2 = 6 = Lovers). This card tells me the "life lesson" at work in the querent's life and often sheds light on the heart of the matter. I will consider how this one card interacts with each of the other four. If it is already present in the spread I will give special consideration to that area.
I am happy to give sample readings as demonstrations. This method, to me, isn't anywhere near so complicated as pips-as-trumps, or remembering numerology, and so on. It's just a matter of how intense is the energy, and how it is interacting in this area of the querent's life.
This is just how I read, but I hope there might be something useful in it for others too. So far it is working very well for me and I feel much more confident giving readings now. For reference, I "discovered" this using the 1JJ Swiss, but I am using it with great success with the Noblet as well.
Best,
Dawn.
It isn't very complicated: I take the usual approach of designating the suits to the different spheres of life. For me this is:
Swords - Air - Intellect, thoughts, plans, the rational
Coins - Earth - Body, home, family, the physical environment
Batons - Fire - Energy, effort, exertion, the spiritual
Cups - Water - Emotions, intuition, the subconscious, the irrational
The lower the number, the more concentrated and powerful the energy of the suit. An Ace would be the most intense, while a 10 would be chaotic and unsettled. Generally I view lower numbers as being positive and productive, while higher numbers are negative and destructive - a greater burden to carry, so to speak.
(I have seen it said on this forum, "Consider the relative value of 10 pennies versus a solid gold dubloon", or something similar. This lodged in my brain and sparked this whole thing off! It was a long time ago when I read it, so I can't remember who here said it. If anyone does please let me know and I'll give credit!)
So how do I use this in a reading? I lay out four cards, one for each element, like so:
..1
4..2
..3
Where 1 is Air, 2 is Earth, 3 is Fire, and 4 is Water. These designate the areas of the querent's life, as detailed above. I turn over each card one at a time and interpret it, then I interpret the reading as a whole.
For example, if the Ace of Cups appeared in the Air position, I might suggest the querent's mind was strongly focused on solving a problem in their emotional life. Perhaps they are trying to find a new partner or the "ultimate" love. It's a powerful focus and it diminishes the importance of the other areas of life in their conscious thoughts. But if it was the Ace of Coins, perhaps they are actively and aggressively seeking new employment or a job promotion.
What I'm essentially doing is evaluating how the two energies are interacting with one another. When I have a general idea I might then look at the embellishments on the card for further clues (how tightly woven are the vines, might this indicate stress or narrow-mindedness, etc). I also consider the colours - what stands out? The red sword? The green grass? - if I need further clarification.
For the Courts and Trumps, I make use of eye rhymes, as well as considering the suit/the meaning of the Trump. What way are the people looking? A character peering away from the centre of the cross would suggest they were ignoring the issue at hand, this area of their life, or whatever. (Note, I don't leave a gap in the middle of the cards, so it is possible for each card to "look" at the other. A figure looking straight out indicates they are looking at the card above or below them.)
For example the Hermit facing left, in the Water position, might tell me they were refusing to engage with some aspect of their emotional life, or dwelling on past events. The Moon in the Water position would, of course, tell me there was something subconsciously that they weren't dealing with - perhaps a repressed memory.
I generally use this method for giving general readings, with good results. But it is possible to answer direct questions too. The key is to pose them in the present tense. Instead of asking, "What will happen in X's love life?" I would ask, "How are these energies affecting X's love life?" Instead of "Will I enjoy this career?" - "How does this career affect each area of X's life?" Picture the querent in the centre of the cross, directly linked to each card.
Finally, I always consider the Summary card. This is obtained by adding up the digits present. If it is 21 or under, that is the relevant Trump. If it is more, I add the digits (i.e. 42 = 4+2 = 6 = Lovers). This card tells me the "life lesson" at work in the querent's life and often sheds light on the heart of the matter. I will consider how this one card interacts with each of the other four. If it is already present in the spread I will give special consideration to that area.
I am happy to give sample readings as demonstrations. This method, to me, isn't anywhere near so complicated as pips-as-trumps, or remembering numerology, and so on. It's just a matter of how intense is the energy, and how it is interacting in this area of the querent's life.
This is just how I read, but I hope there might be something useful in it for others too. So far it is working very well for me and I feel much more confident giving readings now. For reference, I "discovered" this using the 1JJ Swiss, but I am using it with great success with the Noblet as well.
Best,
Dawn.