Marseille 3-card combinations

Chiska

I will give it a try. First, since I am a "touchy" (read "tactile") person, I drew the same cards using my LS -Burdel TdM so I could look at them at different angles, and just generally touch them.

The style? A bastardized form of touch, Pythagorean (of which I have only scratched the very surface), intuition, and sheer luck. I find the pips to be quite expressive.

The Knight is wet/hot (or as I think to myself: hot & bothered). He lacks grounding - even his horse (in my card) has all 4 feet off the ground. He is all forward movement with his ideas. And his sword is drawn and held forward - he will defend those ideas!

6 batons - all very nicely organized. These are balanced and this configuration is very sturdy. The configuration of the 5 is past -that upstart 5th has been woven in and balanced.

8 swords - once again an imbalance is brought back to balance. This time in swords. Having arrived at this place of balance, it is now possible to move forward toward the next level. Like attainment of something.

As focus is work/job related, I would think that this spread speaks of action - bringing creativity and intellect together to work towards a higher achievement. Is it a college degree? Possibly. It takes a certain level of forward momentum to finally bring it all together.

Please don't throw tomatoes at me...
 

strings of life

Okay, here's my go at my first interpretation which includes a mix of numerology and just looking at the cards.

When reading this spread, I am reading it from right to left.

The 8 swords are bulging in both directions and are crossing each other at the tips. I sense opposition and, not working together, total lack of cooperation and inflexibility.

The 6 of Batons shows union and balance, but it will take a lot to get from point A to point B. The flower underneath the bottom right side up triangle is growing and hans't fully blossomed, but the flower at the top of the upside down triangle has bloomed in full. Two sprouts are on each side of the axis of Wands. Growth comes from within. Anything is possible.

But our Knight of Swords wants nothing to do with anything else going on right now. He holds his sword, and his horse is galloping along. There's a sense of movement and intent and he is driven mentally. Perhaps he senses that something looks to good to be true, or that the learning curve may be too great for something that may not be worth the time and effort. Regardless, he thinks it's best to move on and won't have any regrets.
 

Herzog

He seems to be determined to win. Those Eight swords are menacing and rhyme with the man's sword. The swords appear to snap together and sever that tiny flower. What was whole, is now divided.

Our man may be the cause of this division. His s(words) cut deep suggesting he may need a lesson in business etiquette.
 

Moonbow

Wow, this is just amazing!

I wonder how many reading methods are out there for use with the Marseilles which we could explore with these exercises. The Bolognese Tarot was used for divination and seems to be the oldest meanings for the cards if anyone would like to give these a go:

http://www.tarotpedia.com/wiki/Bolognese_Tarot_Divination

I didn't find this method easy with a Maseilles due to the 2-5 pips not being included in the pack but perhaps someone could come up with a workaround for those cards.

Go ahead and ask a question if you want Le Fanu.
 

Bernice

Le Fanu: Are we allowed to post questions or does it have to be kept vague? i.e work, love etc...
No, we cannot do actual readings in the History forums. But yes, we can use life-areas like Work, Relationship, Project, Property, Domestic, Travelling etc.

inanna_tarot: ........The 8 of swords reflects how there will be a time of truce - this instance will blow over and everything will calm down. However, as its an 8, I feel that there might be other obstacles of that this problem will continue again........
So you feel that there is some sort of unrest or problem in the work-place itself. Or the person represented by the Knight is having difficulty in executing his/her job?

Chiska: As focus is work/job related, I would think that this spread speaks of action - bringing creativity and intellect together to work towards a higher achievement. Is it a college degree? Possibly. It takes a certain level of forward momentum to finally bring it all together.
Creativity & intellect......I wonder if this could be someone who works in advertising? Or any job where creativity & intellect are necessary requirments. (No tomatoes here! :))

aurarcana: But our Knight of Swords wants nothing to do with anything else going on right now. He holds his sword, and his horse is galloping along. There's a sense of movement and intent and he is driven mentally. Perhaps he senses that something looks to good to be true, or that the learning curve may be too great for something that may not be worth the time and effort. Regardless, he thinks it's best to move on and won't have any regrets.
So...... is the person represented by the knight about to leave his/her job?

Herzog: ....Our man may be the cause of this division. His s(words) cut deep suggesting he may need a lesson in business etiquette.
You see a ruthless business man - he's just pulled a hatchet job!


Because purely visual interpretations have become so poplular now, I've gone in the opposite direction. A Rebel.

I came across card meanings written out on a large sheet of paper - no idea if there is any numerological sequence or system for the meanings, but I'll give them shot.

Knight Swords:
I'm sticking with this fellow being the agent of the boss(es). In which case he's a trouble-shooter. There's a 'catch 22' problem. (The king/boss is inflexible).

6 Batons:
Growth, forwardness. Expansive movement. (Probable travel)

8 Swords:
Power. Intensity. Strength.


Hmm.......this is along similar lines to Herzogs' interpretation. Whatever or whoever is the object of attention is about to be relocated. Fired? Or is the business itself about to be moved elsewhere, lock, stock & barrrel, with job losses?



Bee :)
 

Moonbow

It would be good if we could use some set methods, though finding one is difficult! Pythagorean would be an interesting study.

Are we ready for another set of cards yet?
 

alec

Hi Moonbow, thank you for letting me know about this thread. Am working on a reading for the current thread using Mel's pips and courts method. Could you wait a little longer?

Alec
 

Moonbow

No problem alec, we're in no hurry, Mel's method is one that I would love to see used for these combination threads. :)
 

alec

Thanks Moonbow.

Hi Bee, this is a great idea.

Here's a reading using Mel's pips and courts system. Interpretation is based on:
* The element and power combination of the suit and number
* The dignity of the card based on traditional tarot game ranking
* The Pythagorean numerology for the number
* The suit emblem
Any deficiencies in the reading are a reflection of the reader, and not necessarily the method. (I'm still learning this thing!)

The question: A work situation
The spread assigns these meanings to the cards:
1. The Subject: the querent (Knight of Swords)
2. The relationship between the querent and their work (6 of Wands)
3. The Object: the quesited (The work situation) (8 of Swords)

The Knight of Swords is Sanguine Choleric (Air/Fire), which is characterised by the power of heat. Heat is expansive, singular and seeks its own. Hence it separates out anything unlike itself. In this system court cards are the most dignified of each suit. So, while Swords are generally ill-dignified, the Knight is better than most swords. He's energetically like the 5 of Swords (also Sanguine Choleric), and so can be expected to use all means necessary to bring about his desired end in the work situation. Bystanders should get out of the way. This is an active card, so the querent is putting energy towards the work situation.

The situation is described by the Phlegmatic Choleric 8 of Swords (Water/Fire). Water and Fire are naturally antagonistic. The 8 (octad) follows the path laid out by the 7 of Swords, which was a flash explosion. So at work we could expect everything in a shambles after some kind of shakeup. It would not be a surprise if everyone in this work situation feels on their own or at odds with others.

The relationship between the querent and the work situation is a Phlegmatic Melancholic (Water/Earth) 6 of Wands. Water and Earth both share the Cold power which is joining, sympathetic and understanding, though undiscriminating. The Hexad (6) seeks union through harmony. But for the negative dignity of the card, the cold and Hexad would work well together. Instead, there is a tendency, especially for the active party, to go overboard in trying to work things out and make everyone happy. This is not a situation where everyone will be happy, and certainly with what has come before. Excessive efforts to smooth over hurt feelings and conflicts could put people on edge and exhaust the querent.

Overall judgement: (-1) + (-1) + (-2) = -4 Bad
 

Teheuti

I noticed that only one person mentioned the direction that the Knight of Swords is facing. According to standard cartomancy techniques (and Golden Dawn) a Court Card faces the future and is moving away from the past.
Wouldn't this suggest that the Knight is moving away from the situation? It is something that is in his recent past?

I would think that he's recently been successful (through his own efforts & skill) in overcoming difficulties, especially blockages or negative thinking of some kind.