Timing and the major arcana
Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 10 Nov 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.
| lifeistyme |
10 Nov 2004 |
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i really need some helpful advice about handling the major arcana cards in regards to timing. i recently did a few spreads with a timing card and both spreads i pulled a major arcana card. i am not completely sure how to handle these cards when relating them to time. i am hoping someone can give me some insight in how to handle them. I am familiar with the concept that major arcana cards usually represent something happening right away but my spreads were far more complicated. I have tried to relate the timing both to astrology relation to the major arcana and numerology and was wondering if anyone had any other helpful advice, specifically for the strength card and judgement. Judgement specifically seems very diffucult in trying to decifer in regards to time. thanks
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| tarotlova |
11 Nov 2004 |
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Hi lifeistyme
In the book Time Tarot by Alarnah Tobin-Gray & Llyle Wentworth they say that the 5th card in any reading is always the timeing card, and that if it is a Major Arcarna card to add 1 year to the timing. In this book they have put a date on all the Minor cards, but not the Major as you just add 1 year to the card thats a Minor, it's quiet interesting I hope this helps you! Blessings
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| lifeistyme |
11 Nov 2004 |
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what if the spread was only four cards?
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| Rhiannon |
12 Nov 2004 |
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What four cards?
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| tarotlova |
14 Nov 2004 |
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If it was four Major, it might take four years, or you might not be ready to know the answer yet and this is the way the Tarot is telling you, or keep pulling until you draw a Minor card or like you said by the months the Majors are in but add a year, I hope I haven't confused you! Blessings
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| Anna |
15 Nov 2004 |
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I just try to be logical..
The Sun - it will happen in summer
The Moon - it will happen in winter
The Tower- it will happen very very soon (in a few days)
The Star - it will take a long time to happen (in a year's time)
Some of the cards are easier to guess at than others.
Another way of doing it is to imagine the cards running a race. The Bateleur (Magician) would run fairly quickly, but I can't see the Pope running very fast atall! Does that make sense?
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| Rhiannon |
15 Nov 2004 |
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I like that CharmingPixie, the images of them running. :)
Tarotlova, I do see what you mean. Not sure if this helps, but I once did a spread without the intention of predicting time, and ended up with a ton of 7s, including the Chariot. I mentioned it to the querent and suggested that it could mean something in July which was a few months away (not 7). 7 weeks had seemed too soon for her question, and 7 years or months were too far away.
I'm thinking that you have to take this on a case by case basis with the Majors. I would suggest keeping a journal of all your time-able readings to see which approach works best. Give it some time for the research and you may come up with a good system.
Good luck!
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| Fulgour |
15 Nov 2004 |
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Judgement specifically seems very diffucult in trying to decifer in regards to time. By the time one arrives at "Judgement" the time is going to be "now" :)
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| Fudugazi |
15 Nov 2004 |
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By the time one arrives at "Judgement" the time is going to be "now" :)
And in your face with a whistle!
But doesn't it depend on where in a reading the cards are?
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| Umbrae |
15 Nov 2004 |
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Time, time, time…
Ever been to Africa? You know, if you ever go to Africa, you’d understand what I mean when I say, “Africa time.” Things move differently. Out here, we build freeways to get there fast. We know what’s gonna be where and when, and by golly if’n it ain’t ya sure gonna hear ‘bout it!
Africa time.
In Africa, things move in their own time. Trains arrive when they arrive; animal herds arrive when they want…drives westerners crazy. But in Africa, the sun comes up – and the sun goes down…that’s time.
The Norse-Teutonic folks of ancient Europe had a different concept of time. A modern day consists of 24 hours, punctuated by day and night. The Teutonic-Norse concept contained therein was two ‘days’. One period occurring between sunup until sundown, and a second day occurring from sundown until sunup. The Norse thought of distance and time in terms of moving people between two points. The principal unit of measure was how far you could ride, which of course varied depending on the land, and time of year. Therefore, space-time was relative.
Had a friend who used to be a first-mate on coastal steamers sailing the passage between Seattle and Alaska. Whenever Kurt came back, he had what he called, “Sixty mile an hour disease.” To him it seemed as though everybody was moving at sixty miles an hour. On board ship, things moved much slower.
Time is a concept. It is a human construct to which we assign a prime importance in our lives.
Someone once said that time was invented so that everything would not happen at once.
Tarot time. You cannot ask the cards, “When.”
Through use, you will learn their idea of when. My times vary just a tad, depending on which deck I use…kind of like you speak differently with different friends. Something I had to get used to. How it works for you is something you will have to learn.
Also, sometimes the cards are telling you exactly the ‘what and when’ of an event…but it’s tough to be objective about your subjective life-view. It’s difficult to see what you are looking at, especially when it may not be what you expected to see.
Once I heard of a teacher who taught, that if you were using a Celtic Cross spread, the Ace of Wands would be equal to June 1st. This person had the whole calendar figured out in the cards. Now I’m not saying that it was wrong. But I am saying, I had never heard of that before.
Here is the real deal with timing…
I have never met two people with the same personal time, and there is only one way to find your ‘personal time’.
Journaling. One of the benefits of keeping that journal of yours is that you are learning your own system and concept of time. Timings set by cards will always be wishy washy, and over-ridden by your personal time. As you learn and grow, you will find things tend to shift.
Here is suggestion for you; start doing readings for friends, but do not tell them of the results. Write your readings down, and seal them in an envelope to be opened at a future date.
This way, the reading cannot influence future actions or events.
Secondly, it provides a benchmark as to how your timing works. I can tell in a layout roughly how many weeks or months in the future I am looking at, but it came from experience, and I know it is not the same for everybody.
And thirdly, you may find that your readings vary from actual events and time. Knowing how you work with this concept we call time, is important. It’s part of learning.
The other key to keeping a journal is that when you have major life changes, your timing system may change. My timing has changed drastically in the last three years, and I’m still coming to terms with that aspect of my own readings…hey…I’m human. I now have to add extra time to my readings. Should you use a static timing system, the old this means this, and that means that, you will discover that it is too rigid.
I have found that timing is more loosey goosey than any other aspect. There are so many variables involved not only for you to be ready for an event, but also, perhaps the event will not occur until you are ready for it.
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| Adjustment |
15 Nov 2004 |
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Thanks Umbrae for such a good explanation about timing. I will start timing on my journal.
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| SunChariot |
20 Nov 2004 |
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i really need some helpful advice about handling the major arcana cards in regards to timing. i recently did a few spreads with a timing card and both spreads i pulled a major arcana card. i am not completely sure how to handle these cards when relating them to time. i am hoping someone can give me some insight in how to handle them. I am familiar with the concept that major arcana cards usually represent something happening right away but my spreads were far more complicated. I have tried to relate the timing both to astrology relation to the major arcana and numerology and was wondering if anyone had any other helpful advice, specifically for the strength card and judgement. Judgement specifically seems very diffucult in trying to decifer in regards to time. thanks
This is the method I used reecently. I found it online on a site I liked, although I do not remember where now.:-):
"Swords=days
Wands=weeks
Cups- months
and
Pentacles (which was called Sacred Circles in the deck I used) was years
Courts= the timeframe depends entirely on teh decisions or actions of the querent or another person, which have not been taken yet.
Trumps-will happen once the issues presented by the Trump are dealt with-no timeframe specified. These cards represent the major life issues and may take anywhere from days to decades to resolve.
If you want to be more specific, the numbers on the cards can give you an indication of how many days, weeks, months or years. As with any method...reversals should be examined, because these can represent obstacles to the resolution of the issue. The timing only presents a potential for when things could happen ,if any obstacles are removed. A spread that is mostly or entirely reversed my represent a situation in which teh event being asked about may never happen of which has too many obstacles to overcome in unpredictable ways."
So basically,according to this method, when asking a time related question, and a Major Arcana comes up, it means that when the issues addressed by the card are resolved the event will happen. That's about as specific as it gets. I got one of those two, it was the Hermit in the Ancestral Path deck, so apparently I need to resolve that before the events predicted by my cards can occur.
Bar
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| nodntap |
20 Nov 2004 |
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Time, time, time…
Ever been to Africa? You know, if you ever go to Africa, you’d understand what I mean when I say, “Africa time.” Things move differently. Out here, we build freeways to get there fast. We know what’s gonna be where and when, and by golly if’n it ain’t ya sure gonna hear ‘bout it!
I have found that timing is more loosey goosey than any other aspect. There are so many variables involved not only for you to be ready for an event, but also, perhaps the event will not occur until you are ready for it.
You could have said you just didn't know, LOL.
Don S.
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The Timing and the major arcana thread was originally posted on 10 Nov 2004 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.
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