Mel's Old Fashioned Pips & Courts and Homemade Baked Goods

Melanchollic

4 of Batons

4 OF BATONS

Nickname - "Stagnation"
Element - Earth
Temper - Melancholic
Power - Cold/Dry
Timing - Slow/Long
Movement - Unifying/Rigid
Direction - West
In the cycle of a year - October
In the cycle of a day - Sunset
In the cycle of a life - Age 28~49
Sex - Female
Similar Cards - 10 Batons, Valet Batons


The Tetrad (4) combined with the suit of Batons give us a classic example of the ill dignified Melancholic temperament - critical, solitary, rigid, depressed, withdrawn, unforgiving. Here is the melancholic's self imposed stagnation. Trapped in his own rigid mental constructs, all hope for change is lost to him. He is aware of his plight, but true to his saturnine disposition, he stoically faces his fate unwilling to compromise or to give in to weakness. Lacking all flexibility, he is "set in his ways". For this "old dog", any new tricks are deemed frivolous rubbish. He stubbornly sticks to his guns, despite the need to change.
 

Melanchollic

Bernice said:
I particularly like the passive/active aspect of these cards. The projective & receptive energies make their actions clearer in a reading.


Bee :)


Hi Bee,

I does, doesn't it! :)

I've found, for divination, one really only needs to know two things about a card to make predications with ease -


  • How dignified a card is (good or bad).

  • Whether the card is passive or active.

The specific meaning of a card is just frosting really.


I taught a ten year old boy how to do fortune telling in 5 minutes last week based on this idea.


  • Spades = Bad/Active

  • Clubs = Bad/Passive

  • Hearts = Good/Active

  • Diamonds = Good/Passive

He was giving great readings in 5 minutes.
 

Melanchollic

5 of Swords

5 OF SWORDS

Nickname - "Assassin"
Element - Fire/Air
Temper - Choleric Sanguine
Power - Hot
Timing - Fast
Movement - Separating
Direction - Southeast
In the cycle of a year - May/June
In the cycle of a day - Late Morning
In the cycle of a life - Age 7~14
Sex - Male
Similar Cards - 1 Cups, King Cups, 7 Cups, Knight Swords, 9 Swords, 3 Swords



Passing the Tetrad (4), we have journeyed through all four classical elements via the Monad (1), the Dyad (2), the Triad (3), and the Tetrad (4) in their most basic manifestations. This is the first of three cycles of the four elements within the Decad (1-10):


1. Fire.....Water.....Air.....Earth
......1.........2..........3........4...

2. Earth.....Air.....Water.....Fire
......4.........5.........6..........7

3. Fire.....Water.....Air.....Earth
.....7..........8.........9........10..​


In my more theoretical posts, I've equated these three cycles with the Three Essentials of alchemy (Sulfur, Mercury, Salt) and to the Neo-platonic Triadic Process (emanation, conversion, return).

The second cycle shares elements with the first cycle and with the third cycle. The Pentad (5) and the Hexad (6), known as the marriage numbers are a bridge between the first cycle (1-4) and the third cycle (7-10).

The 5 of Swords shares a similar energy blueprint to the 3 of Swords. The Triad is a mean between the Monad and Tetrad, and the Pentad is a mean between the Monad and Decad (10). While the energy is the same, the placement is different.

We said that the 3 of Swords is "manifested through the violence of the Sword, and the swift explosive energy of heat and it becomes a terrible justice. This energy is wrathful and sudden retribution. It forces balance through heated and accelerated power. It is revolution, revenge. It is a harsh 're-balancer'."

This can be said of the 5 of Swords as well, but it adds another level. As one of the marriage numbers the 5 adds a vow. It is a promise of commitment to a dogma, doctrine, or ideology. The pentad is 'politicized,' and his 're-balancing' serves a 'higher purpose,' and may be inflicted on a grander scale.

The Pentad is associated with the planet Mercury. Ill dignified, Mercury becomes a cunning, deceitful thing.

The Pentad can be viewed as a 'hidden' number. It falls center in the sequence of simple numbers, away from clear view;


1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9​


If the simple numbers are arranged as a cube, no matter where you start the sequence, the 5 is hidden within them:


1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9


9 8 7
6 5 4
3 2 1


1 4 7
2 5 8
3 6 9


etc..​


The 5 of Swords is an infiltrator, a cunning terrorist, a hidden assassin. It is fueled by its solemn vow. It's cunning, covert, sneaky, devious, and secretive. While it rarely targets innocent individuals in it's ideological 'balance of power,' one may be caught as a casualty.

One possible manifestation of this in 'regular life' would be being caught as a casualty of a state's, or institution's policies. Not to turn this into a political rant, but our modern large bureaucratic systems of government are full of these sorts of 'high ideals' which sometimes leave the average citizen a 'casualty'.
 

Bernice

'lo Mel,

In a previous description of the 5 Swords you gave the nick-name "Conquest", using the words = "...a hostile takeover, a conquest."

This re-thought nick-name "Assassin encompasses the previous one. An 'assassin' has a deliberate intention to carry out a mission, achieve a goal/target regardless (or ignorant) of collateral damages. Yep, I like it.

Bee :)
 

Melanchollic

Bernice said:
'lo Mel,

In a previous description of the 5 Swords you gave the nick-name "Conquest", using the words = "...a hostile takeover, a conquest."

This re-thought nick-name "Assassin encompasses the previous one. An 'assassin' has a deliberate intention to carry out a mission, achieve a goal/target regardless (or ignorant) of collateral damages. Yep, I like it.

Bee :)


LOL. Luckily it wasn't "Certain Romance". :D

These do get 'morphed' when ever I sit down and reflect on them. Hopefully I'm honing my way closer to the cards true essence and not just 'driving around the block.'
 

Bernice

This is an aside!

I don't want to deviate from the system we're using in this thread - 'cos I love it.

But as Mel has introduced this 'cube' model I would like to add this - as an aside - for anyone who might want to pursue it further. So very briefly:-

Several numerologists have used the cube model as a basis for a numerolgy system, including Pythagarus (The Arrows of Pythagarus). The arrangment in the cube below is the one that Austin Coates used, it's one I'm most familiar with. I have tinkered with this model, on & off, for some years now to devise a divinatory method for the Playing cards.

3....... 6..... 9
2....... 5..... 8
1........4..... 7

Notice that the pentad (5) is not only a 'hidden' number, it has access to &/or interaction with all the other numbers. Therefore it can express itself through any one of their energies or 'receive' from them (via projective/receptive qualities). So the 5 in this system is primarily the number of Co-ordination and Expression (amongst other things....).

Using only vertical and horizonal 'lines/arrows' and a diagonal cross, this cube also shows that all the numbers - bar the 5 - have no access to two other numbers. This adds further definition to each number.

eg: Neither the 1 or 3 has access to the 8. The 4 has no access to the 3 or 9. etc.

There is a free (Windows) software program using this cube, the Help file explains the Austin Coates system. This is the download url.

http://freeware.esoterica.free.fr/html/adls/NGsetup22.exe


Bee :)

EDIT: I should have said:
"So the 5 in this system is primarily the number of Co-ordination and strength of Expression (amongst other things....).

Sorry.
 

SolSionnach

Melanchollic said:
The 5 of Swords is an infiltrator, a cunning terrorist, a hidden assassin. It is fueled by its solemn vow. It's cunning, covert, sneaky, devious, and secretive. While it rarely targets innocent individuals in it's ideological 'balance of power,' one may be caught as a casualty.
If I'd drawn a card for this past week, it would've been this Five. :(

Mel, thanks, as always.
 

Melanchollic

Bernice said:
There is a free (Windows) software program using this cube, the Help file explains the Austin Coates system.


Pity. I've a Mac! :(



Sravana,

Sounds like you had a crummy week, girl!
 

SolSionnach

Melanchollic said:
Pity. I've a Mac! :(



Sravana,

Sounds like you had a crummy week, girl!
Yep. Bitchin'.

However, I do have windoze on my Mac, as well... but I've no time to check out the software. Because of my Swords week! BLECH.
 

Bernice

OK. I'm miffed - I've wanted an alternative to Windows for ages. Never could get Linux and it's diss'es to work for the net and can't afford a mac.

Pity these other platforms won't open a Windows Helpfile - all the info is there. Software not really needed.

'Vana: It's the end of the week - here's hoping it's the end of your misery. I give you the Ace of Coins = Peace and peacefull mediation. :)

Mel: Keep 'em coming lad. I donate a home-made Chicken Curry (Indian style with fluffy saffron rice, a dal, and tasty acompaniments).

Bee :)

Later: MEL: On this date = 05-05-2007 you posted about a marseille Tarot you had created - in the Tarot Creation threads.

PLEASE, PLEASE, where is it? You've deleted your posts, and probably the pics.
Can I/we see it?
Can I/we buy it?

Bee :)