Experiments with "Eye Rhythms" in the Dodal

Herzog said:

A small fortune, or something of value and a man on horseback who wants it very badly. His eyes are determined and his sword is raised. He wants the "loot". But he must first get through the woman

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Yes! It is the shield he wants (what is a Knight without his shield?), it is this which he has his gaze set on and duftiful, bored Justice gets unwittingly in the way. Love those languid eyes. And these exotic semi-turban crowns we see in the woodcut decks; we see them in the Vieville and the Tarot de Paris but I never see them in High Art portraits, Rubens, Van Dycks etc, but Marseilles decks positively brim with them... You just don't see many crowns like that elsewhere.

Isn't this a lovely spread? So many dynamic lines in it, and I really love the way our gaze is directed out of the "triptych" scene. It reminds us that what happens "out" of the cards should also be observed.

If the Knights were numbered would they be 12s? Thus; 4 + 8 + 12 ?

I wonder if we are ever meant to relate the curlicue flowers on pips with the floor of Court cards? Vegetation on Marseilles cards is a subject unto itself. Do we believe they are purely decorative? How far do the leaves and flowers on the 4 of Coins echo those on the ground beneath the horse? It would be very useful for us to look at pips 1-10 and see how the "vines" progress, as if they "spell" a progression of sorts...

I agree it would be most useful to see how the vines progress/evolve in a series. I will post a scan...

I have seen connections in other spreads between the vegetation on the floor of court/major cards and that on pips. There are definite connections we may draw on if needed...

I love how the combined total of first two cards equal the third card... good call, Le Fanu. This can suggest something important in an actual reading. For the time being it suggests that Justice may actually represent Justice in the conceptual sense and not -as I initially noted- as a specific person... This idea eliminates the second party and leaves only the Knight and his own conflicts over right and wrong, or what is fair and what is not regarding the "prized shield". But again a proper question would clarify all this

One may take into account the colors of these swords... red as aggressive and active. blue as icy and still. These colors say a lot about these people and their inner intentions. Of course nothing can compete with their clear expressions.

Another idea is that of actual physical movement... Justice sits calm and the Knight moves quickly. Following an idea posed by Enrique Enriquez, we may embody these images and use them as advice to literally stand up and take proper and just action.

There has always been something theatrical about the horseman and Justice. Both would seem well at ease in the world of classical theater. With the horseman, I suppose it is the armor in the shape of a face that mirrors the traditional masks of the theater, whereas with justice, she is a heavy-handed symbol for the legal system. Measuring and cutting, but not a glimmer of interest in her eyes- even with the braid of hair pulling around her own throat like a threat. Perhaps the 4 coins are something like the chorus of Greek drama- there to warn the horseman to seek safety- but being a man of action, he will fight the law anyway "I fought the law, and.....?". Sadly for the horseman, the legal system never much seems to care for Justice- just that the rule of law be carried out blindly (blandly).... or rather that the illusion that the laws are being followed. Is the Chevalier going to be the scapegoat? Will he be blamed for a crime that he didn't commit in order to give the masses (the chorus of coins) the illusion of safety?

Herzog said:

I love how the combined total of first two cards equal the third card... good call, Le Fanu.

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LOL. I didn't notice that! I was thinking 4 + 8 + (why is ten missing?) + 12. But yes, 4 + 8 = 12. Maths was never my strong point...

And, yes, good to observe; the action of the Knight coming in at an angle and Justice motionless. I have to remember these things and put them in my notebook. I think the "role" of Justice in this reading is definitely in the sense of blocking/ obstructing. You can just feel it, the way the three images fall is just perfect!

You know what I find with these readings, both these and our personal readings, is that these cards take so long to digest! It isn't like the RWS or Thoth. I find that these images and how they work together can take more than 24 hours to fall into place. Not sure how that would work in a reading! I cannot imagine sitting down with a querent, who isn't able to give their own version of the cards (like my IDS partner) and coming up with a reading, coming up with an answer within a short space of time.

This technique really forces my eyes and brain to slow down and take notice.

What a stunning notebook. I don't do anything like that. I jot down in my notebook what I think is the essence (plus anything else I want to remember; like future ways of approaching how to look) but the drawings add such charm - and you draw so well! - and yet I still get to the same conclusion as you from this spread... Such a great spread. In a sense what we do here after we have drawn out the rhythms is reconstruct what the question might indeed have been. Difficult to resist!

Why not put a hypothetical question to 'set' the focus?

i.e.
Relationship:
"Will Chas be happy if he marries Flo?"

Work area:
"Should I aim for the promotion?"

etc. It may cause a re-think about how best to use the suits - or - show how the same card(s) behave differently in a different senario.


Bee

Oh the difference that makes...

(ETA; or how about, what are the chances of Chas inheriting the huge fortune if he marries Flo? That would make sense for me in this reading! )

Bernice said:

Why not put a hypothetical question to 'set' the focus?

i.e.
Relationship:
"Will Chas be happy if he marries Flo?"

Work area:
"Should I aim for the promotion?"

etc. It may cause a re-think about how best to use the suits - or - show how the same card(s) behave differently in a different senario.


Bee

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Good idea... would the "question" need to be decided on beforehand?

We can't do actual readings here, but I see no problem with a pre-set focus for relating the cards to specific life-areas so as to have something to relate them to.

It could be as bald as, "Will this relationship be good one?". "Should Homer (Simpson) change his job" etc.


eta: Or, even state that the spread will be for a relationship, or work, or expections, or money/business. Just something to give a parameter.

Bee