SOL and the elements.

I've started to read the book that comes with the Servants of the Light tarot, and I see that weapons = fire, and staves = air. I know that there are different opinions about this, and it doesn't bother me too much. But I am used to the usual swords = air, and wands = fire.

I have not used my deck yet (received it today), but I'm a little concerned about how this will work with me. Does anyone here use the SOL or some other deck that has these switched elements? I'd love to know how you got used to it, and how it affects your way of reading.

All comments appreciated.

I am so sorry.
I'm afraid i have to say that this will be an impossible adjustment for you. You will never get used to the wrong elemental attributes, it will always bother you.
In the end it will drive you mad.

For the sake of your own sanity, get rid of it.
Tell you what, as a favour to you, I will risk madness and despair, I'll take that terrible, dangerous deck off you hands.
Send it me and live a happy life without all that confusion.

How terrible! But of course, just PM me your address and I'll send it off right awa...

Hey, wait. I see where this is going... *Hides deck*

Ah, you guessed!

Lucky you having the deck. More than I could hope for.

To answer you properly now.
I too see Swords as Air.
I know some decks have them as Fire, but I do not have any that do. I have avoided them for that very reason.
I would bother me. (well, I think it would)
I don't know how I would get my head round it, or even if I could.

But I suppose if you really like the deck, and you really connect with it, then the elemental connections will come too, after a while.
I expect it would be like you were attuning yourself to the deck, and to the decks way of thinking.

Neither is right, or neither is wrong.
It's just two different ways of seeing it.
If you can get to the place where you can see it both ways at the same time, then you will have acheived some kind of inner harmony that I have never reached.
Perhaps this is the deck to show you another way of seeing things.

You know, I had the same adjustment to make with the stunning Crystal Tarot and El Gran Tarot Esoterico, both of which attribute Swords to water and Cups to air.

WHAT???!!!!

But you know, it works. If you make an effort to wrap your mind around the images in front of you (and not your preconceived notions of what the images should be), you will find it works. And you'll have learnt a new way of seeing, to boot. It's a fabulous exercise in tarot, in looking, in accepting new ideas and in letting yourself be led by image, rather than imposing your ideas on what is in front of you.

And the Crystal art is so mind-blowing, that it was a pleasure to learn . After that, El Gran Tarot Esoterico (at least as far as elements were concerned!) just flowed into my mind like a sword.

Bonne chance!

Lillie:
Yeah, I won an online auction without even knowing that it's considered very rare.

I'm always striving to see tarot from different angles! I don't want to get stuck in the RWS style (even though it's my favorite), so I love looking at new things in decks.

You know what I noticed when reading a bit? The meanings barely differ from the 'traditional' ones, even though the elements are switched. I find it kind of odd, but also comforting. The big differences are the sword and wands aces, and court cards, to me at least. The court cards have really surprised me. I've got some reading to do!

Helvetica said:

You know, I had the same adjustment to make with the stunning Crystal Tarot and El Gran Tarot Esoterico, both of which attribute Swords to water and Cups to air.

WHAT???!!!!

But you know, it works. If you make an effort to wrap your mind around the images in front of you (and not your preconceived notions of what the images should be), you will find it works. And you'll have learnt a new way of seeing, to boot. It's a fabulous exercise in tarot, in looking, in accepting new ideas and in letting yourself be led by image, rather than imposing your ideas on what is in front of you.

And the Crystal art is so mind-blowing, that it was a pleasure to learn . After that, El Gran Tarot Esoterico (at least as far as elements were concerned!) just flowed into my mind like a sword.

Bonne chance!

Click to expand...

Haha yeah, the first reaction was "WHY DID THEY DO THAT?!".

I'm definitely looking forward to learning something new. Same goes for the court cards in this deck, very original indeed.

Helvetica said:

You know, I had the same adjustment to make with the stunning Crystal Tarot and El Gran Tarot Esoterico, both of which attribute Swords to water and Cups to air.

WHAT???!!!!!

Click to expand...

What, indeed! Is this the Elisabetta Trevisan/Lo Scarabeo one? I have an older, pre-Llewellyn copy of it and can't use it worth anything, and that would go a long way towards fixing that problem.

Illy