Quintessential Card

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 07 Sep 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Fulgour	07 Sep 2004
:) Bringing to mind the "Quintessential Card" reading method: Say you drew three cards, being the 2 of Coins, 3 of Swords and 2 of Wands... Added together their "number" would manifest as VII The Chariot. Readers using the quintessential card method then reference their interpretation to that Major Arcana card, and more or less leave the pips behind, but to what end..? I find this approach both appealing and kind of off the wall. :(

blackroseivy	07 Sep 2004
I've never heard of this, but it sounds like it could be described as "the numerology method". In which case, why bother with the cards, why not just use the usual numbers instead? :)

Rusty Neon	07 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by danubhe I've never heard of this, but it sounds like it could be described as "the numerology method". In which case, why bother with the cards, why not just use the usual numbers instead? :) In contrast to such a Quintessence card method, I'd like to point out that, in Francophone countries, a frequently-used spread is the Cross spread that consists of 5 cards (all major arcana), the fifth card being numerologically derived from the first four cards; even after numerological derivation of the fifth card, those first four cards continue to have independent value and are interpreted as the first four positions in the spread.

Fulgour	07 Sep 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Rusty Neon ...the fifth card being numerically derived from the first four cards; If this is the intention from the beginning, it is of course purposeful. The quintessential card, far from being merely numerological, arrives at a Major Tarot card ~ based on one or more Minors. It just seems unless this was the original intention, it may be taking a side track... :)

blackroseivy	07 Sep 2004
Of course, using the cards to interpret the meanings of the numbers is a practice in & of itself.

MeeWah	08 Sep 2004
Unless I am misunderstanding, I would tend to see the resulting 7-The Chariot as a *possible* outcome posed by the other cards. Those other cards indicative of a developing situation &/or independent of The Chariot, which in turn could refer to a new situation altogether arising from the former elements.

eastarot	08 Sep 2004
A german reader taught me this technqiue a few years ago and I look at it as the "essence of the reading" - the main message/advice eg The Chariot in this case. I find it works well in spreads with 8 cards or more.

punchinella	08 Sep 2004
Yes, I nearly always total up numbers now at the close of a reading & consider the major 'constellation' implicit in the total. For me the distinction between pips & majors, at this point, is meaningless since I see minor cards as reflecting, or focusing, energy from the majors anyway.

blackroseivy	08 Sep 2004
[quote] Yes, I nearly always total up numbers now at the close of a reading & consider the major 'constellation' implicit in the total. For me the distinction between pips & majors, at this point, is meaningless since I see minor cards as reflecting, or focusing, energy from the majors anyway. So that's how you do it, ay? I may just want to look into this for the Alchemical deck I have coming - I think that it ought to have something above & beyond the average kind of reading to really take advantage of its esoteric presentation. (If anyone has any suggestions re this deck, I'd welcome them!)

Anna	08 Sep 2004
I use this method sometimes, but then I am a numbers freak! If there are numbers about, I like to play with them :D The times that I have used it, it has added something though. When a reading just dosn't make sense at first, thats when I might use it, or if I have finnished my reading yet the reading dosn't feel finnished.

Fulgour	08 Sep 2004
You know what's funny, I've been thinking about the 3 cards: 2 of Coins - 3 of Swords - 2 of Wands and they all contain an element of difficult decision making. And I hear a voice calling out into the night, "Rider... wait!" Beseeching perhaps the aid of... VII The Chariot ~ ?

ros	08 Sep 2004
When I do large spreads (mabee 15 cards) I add all the minor cards together. No courts, majors or aces. That number I use for the 21 Major or take it down to 1-9 in the major at the end of the reading for extra info. 10 for change. 1-9 because they are single digits. What's interesting sometimes this number ends up at a Major card that is sitting on the table so it is extra advise on that message to the client. I don't know if it is right or wrong, I just do it to see what happens. I don't use the Aces because I use them as wild cards.

punchinella	08 Sep 2004
Ros, what's a "wild card" (in this context)???

ros	09 Sep 2004
wild card ~ The Aces are just stronger or full of energy, more than the other minor cards so I call them wild. This way I only add all the 2-9 cards up of all the suits together, to get the Major card for the message. The Courts are out also because they are people or different energy also. Mabee I thought the 2-9 are the weakest and you add them together to give a focus point for strength. I don't really know how this train of thought happened but I just do it now. Sorry if I have confused anyone.

The Quintessential Card thread was originally posted on 07 Sep 2004 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.