Hi Rodney
I’ve just finished reading your post. You really get the picture of what I’m trying to imply with this spread. I will try to make this even clearer and give some examples of it.
Firstly, I must say that I’ve been conceiving the idea of this spread lately, almost the moment I posted in and in these days from that date I’ve come with few more but helpful ideas of how this spread would work. Let me tell you what this idea is:
The Position 1 is a helpful source of information whether the Querent gives info or not, or ask a question or not. If we are trying to figure out what the client is coming for, the Position 5 would be of no use at all, since we don’t been asked any question yet, neither a yes/no nor any other type. (On the other hand, 5 could be represent how the Querent sees the situation at 1,2,3 and 4, since 5 answer yes/no questions and we could assume that something is making feel her/him uneasy, for he/she has come to us for a Tarot reading, then 5 could represent the Querent sees whether if the suggested situation good for her/him or not)
Let’s make the assumption that a client comes to us and she or he doesn’t want to ask a question at the moment, but to hear from us whatever we would say to her/him. 5 of Discs in 1 position makes clear that client have come to know more about his/her financial situation or about worries concerning domestic matters. The 3-2-4 triad would be, main/central: 7 of wands; modifiers can be in this example 10 of Discs and Ace of Wands. It is very apparent for this cards that is probable that the mind of the Querent is filled with concerns and worries from a perhaps recent risky operation in business or one he or she is going to make (Ace of Wands). The general picture is one of he or she is going to make some hard decisions about money or properties. Or at least that is the interpretation I would give. So, that is the way will work in this case: a simple Triplet with an elemental base or background.
In the other side, the Querent would immediately start to make questions about whatsoever he/she concerns about. Then we can see 5 to be more useful here. Let me give an example of how the 5 position would work here.
A young woman has come recently to me to ask about the situation of one message she sends to a young male friend of hers. She appear to be in a stressful mind state about all this because she is in love with that lad, and the message she sends contains some words insinuates that precisely. It is also significant the time they don’t see each other – two years and there were almost no communication at all between them. The Querent wants to know if he has currently received the message.
If I am to allocate the question to an elemental background or elemental base according to its nature, I would say that it is in the Air/Yetzirah area, Water subquadrant: Issues relating friends and significant communications in early relationships or in the beginning of these. Yet, the card at the position 1 it is no Queen of Swords, nor Air card, nor even water card. It is 5 of Discs like in the earlier example. Instead of discard the reading (like often is suggested in OOTK to do), I see what the cads are trying to say with this card. It refers to a material subject instead. Then the rest of the cards in the triplet: Main/Central/2: 7 of Disks. Modifiers are 4 of Swords and Knave/Princess of Wands. 5 card is Knave/Princess of Swords.
The Triplet is mainly active, with two cards of that nature: the Modifiers. The card at 5 is also active, and that alone is giving a favorable answer to the client. Since 2 (7 of Disks) is the main card in the triplet and the whole spread (maybe along 1) the card at 5 must be paired with 2, accordingly as I think. So, the definitive answer is a “No,” because they two are enemies according to EDs. So, he hasn’t received that yet. At the time of the reading, I also say to her that that will not be a permanent problem, and is expected that very soon he would get it for sure (or almost sure).
The card at 1 and the triplet refers to something important to the answer, since later she finds out that their beloved could not ‘materially’ be able to receive the letter because he has been very busy (7of Discs) at that time with all his school and work duties and therefore he hasn’t been in the only place the letter could be delivered to him.
5 and 7 of discs can be about a lot of work, but 7 of Disks, the main card, is substantially weakened because the two other cards. Princess in this reading are foretelling the massage eventually will come at him and make an important effect, but it is somewhat matter of time. Cards 2 and 5 are saying “No,” but since 5 is friendly to the other two, pressing to the main card, the “failure” in the plans at that moment to the point it to be very instable and prone to change. So, it is a definitely “No” answer with something more to say than this alone.
So, depending of what we want to know, the cards at 1 and the triplet says something about the nature of thing being questioned or something else that is important to the Querent to know although can’t be seen at the first glance how is this important and the way or how it’s related to the question itself.
Sometimes, I also consider the Modifiers (besides that they are precisely modifying the main card) as alternatives to the answer if it is unsatisfactory, like in the later example. Is somewhat like the card at 5 were an ambassador asking for audience before a king and his royal court. Then, if the king (main card at 1) does not accede or agree to the petitions as the ambassador request (enemy combination between 1 and 5), he may find that the court surround the king is conspiring secretly against the king itself, resulting casually to make the things more accordingly to the interest the ambassador represent (my apologies if all that sounds very confusing. I find somewhat difficult to properly communicate my ideas in English).
In this way, besides the Yes-No-Maybe-Maybe Not answers, the cards together give different tints of the same color, to so speak. So, this is the way I “relate cards elementally” with position 5 (again, I feel it’s my fault to be so unintelligible at times in my writing for the given reasons aforementioned, yet this idea as appear in this form I’m describing now is very recent, and that may be the cause I can’t satisfactory explain all this).
You’re also right about the given answer can change depending of which card is relate, but that’s really what I want to from the beginning of the idea. (Perhaps this spread shouldn’t be called “Simple Yes/No Oracle,” but “Not So Simple at All Yes/No Oracle”
) Using the last example, the overall answer is that “the letter has definitely not delivered yet.” This is given by 5 and 2. But 5 and 1 announces changes and unrest in the normally dull and secure elemental level of Earth. The 5 position along these of 3 and 4, is where we suppose to find the chances, potentials, alternatives, maybe side effects, etc. (according to the divinatory meanings of the cards), to the main answer. If these Modifiers are friendly to 5, then it can be the circumstances can be favorable for a Yes answer as time passes by. If 3 and 4 are of the same element and the central card of the triplet is of the opposite, it could be interpret as a mostly “Yes” answer with few but important details still to be resolved. Again, final meanings and judgments would be all according to the divinatory meanings of the cards.
O.P.