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

[conversus]

I really like this Bernice! I have also wondered about the neutral bit in the center. I hope the Mel will share an opinion!

Your other charts were also very helpful!

Thanks for sharing your work.

CED

[Melanchollic]

Sweet! Another chance to power up the ol' printer. Thank you Bee.

As for the "neutral zone", if we view the whole sequence as a gradation of dignity, then it makes sense that some cards are neutral. No one approach is right or wrong, of course.

I view the courts as being somehow separate from the pips, literally a noble manifestation of their suit's energies. I haven't found a good way to express how that would look on a gradation of dignity diagram however. Hmmm???

When doing a reading, I start out very general -

"Should I go to Elizabeth's party tonight?"

I'm a Sword . The party is a Baton. I won't go. The party will be 'laborious', and I'll be in a bad mood. No need for dignities, elements, temperaments, planets, Iamblichus, Plato, Aristotle, or Mel's 'nicknames'.

There is no point to pull out the precision tools to whack a nail. (LOL. There it is folks! Mel's reading method in a nutshell.)

Other times we need to beam down, and dig a little.

Edward asks,

"I really want this position as a Cracker Salter. What can I do to get it?"

Edward = 10 Coins, Cracker Salting = 3 Batons

Ah? Delightfully vague cards. In a yes/no scenario, a definite 'maybe', but this is a should question. Damn. We take a deep breath, whip out our toolbox and start digging around for some precision tools.

Again, I'd like to throw this question out to our distinguished panel of judges, and all the viewers at home,

When 'bad cards' show up, where do we find their solution?

[Bernice]

Mel: I view the courts as being somehow separate from the pips, literally a noble manifestation of their suit's energies. I haven't found a good way to express how that would look on a gradation of dignity diagram however. Hmmm???

Hmmm.... I thought the same thing when I was doing the diagram. Very tempted to just lop the Courts off and leave the pips where they are. This would mean the 'grid' would be four columns less - but I can't see that that would matter...
Give it a go ?

Mel: There is no point to pull out the precision tools to whack a nail. (LOL. There it is folks! Mel's reading method in a nutshell.)

You're right - keep it simple and direct. Smack on the button if it's a yes/no sort of query.

Edward asks,

"I really want this position as a Cracker Salter. What can I do to get it?"

Edward = 10 Coins, Cracker Salting = 3 Batons

Ah? Delightfully vague cards. In a yes/no scenario, a definite 'maybe', but this is a should question. Damn. We take a deep breath, whip out our toolbox and start digging around for some precision tools.

A Cracker Salter - LOL !

Poor Edward. He appears to have a deep personal appreciation for salting Crackers (or maybe it's just the work itself - 'cos times are hard). But that's not the question!

When 'bad cards' show up, where do we find their solution?

Short of drawing another card (No, No, the answer is HERE - somewhere....?), advise the querent to avoid the factors/influences represented by the 'bad' card?

OR,

Maybe the cards could be saying: Edward = 10 Coins.........What can I do to get the Cracker Salting job? = 3 Batons

In which case, he should go all out at the interview/application to give the impression that he is deeply & minutely interested in attempting to salt each and every cracker. (An utterly laborious & thankless task....)

O.K. Mel, what the answer?

Bee

[Bernice]

Here's the Dignities diagram, minus the Courts.

http://tazmaria.multiply.com/photos/album/5#6

Mel, if it needs adjusting, say so!

Bee

[Melanchollic]

Originally Posted by Bernice

Here's the Dignities diagram, minus the Courts.

http://tazmaria.multiply.com/photos/album/5#6

Mel, if it needs adjusting, say so!

Bee

Looks perfect!

Originally Posted by Bernice

When 'bad cards' show up, where do we find their solution?

...advise the querent to avoid the factors/influences represented by the 'bad' card?

O.K. Mel, what the answer?

In a manner of speaking, the answer is just what you said above - Do the opposite of the problem.

Let's say the querent is the 9 of Swords, Imprudent. We know why he is that way, don't we! By Jove we do! We're Tarot Card Readers!!
He's that way because he has undignified heat. (I saw a poodle with this once. ) So, we need to cool him down. Luckily we happen to have a few 'cool' cards to choose from - 4 Coins, 10 Coins, Valet Coins, Queen of Batons, even the 10 of Batons. These are all well dignified opposites of the Sanguine/Choleric type. We have a handy reference of several possible solutions to pick from. Perhaps the 10 of Coins, Gratitude would be a nice quality to develop to help temper imprudence.

Usually we'd want to use a dignified card to 'solve' an undignified card, but if we really needed to mess up a Valet of Coins comfort, we could send over a Knight of Swords!

So...

Water solves Fire
Earth solves Air
Air/Fire solves Earth/Water
Air/Water solves Earth/Fire
Dignified Air/Earth solves Undignified Air/Earth
Dignified Fire/Water solves Undignified Fire/Water

...and vice-versa.

Keep in mind this is a generalization, and sometimes doesn't fit. It is one tool among many. I've found some great insights with this method though. It gives you options and ideas to work with quickly.

[Bernice]

Mel: Let's say the querent is the 9 of Swords, Imprudent. We know why he is that way, don't we! By Jove we do! We're Tarot Card Readers!!
He's that way because he has undignified heat. (I saw a poodle with this once. ) So, we need to cool him down. Luckily we happen to have a few 'cool' cards to choose from - 4 Coins, 10 Coins, Valet Coins, Queen of Batons, even the 10 of Batons. These are all well dignified opposites of the Sanguine/Choleric type. We have a handy reference of several possible solutions to pick from. Perhaps the 10 of Coins, Gratitude would be a nice quality to develop to help temper imprudence.

Usually we'd want to use a dignified card to 'solve' an undignified card, but if we really needed to mess up a Valet of Coins comfort, we could send over a Knight of Swords!

So...

Water solves Fire
Earth solves Air
Air/Fire solves Earth/Water
Air/Water solves Earth/Fire
Dignified Air/Earth solves Undignified Air/Earth
Dignified Fire/Water solves Undignified Fire/Water

...and vice-versa.

I see the Light now !

And although the 2 batons also offers a solution, it's ill-dignified!!!

OMG - what a comprehensive system this is proving to be. We're even using cards that arn't in a spread - because they're all a part of the whole. Imagine that! All that is actually needed is two cards, and a judicious application of the rest of the deck (undisplayed/invisible) !

A full three course meal followed by a cheese-board and booze, for you Melly boy!

Bee

LATER: Another diagram: I've included the Elements with the pip+dignities in this one. The colours look a bit scrambled - but it prints out fine. (A4. Landscape).

http://tazmaria.multiply.com/photos/album/5#7

[Melanchollic]

Another great diagram. We are going to have to start calling you 'Busy Bee'.

Mmmm. The cheese board!! One of civilization's greatest achievements.

[prudence]

Hi Mel and Friends!!

Wow, this system is incredible!! I am trying to catch up and am currently just finishing with the pips, I have not yet started the courts. (not that I have read all of them, I am just trying to collect them all in a document so I can read it on paper....computer screen bothers my eyes after too long)
What I have read is just so awesome and informative and highly educational...I can barely contain myself. I agree it needs to be a book, and it would be so worth every penny.

Thank you Mel for so patiently and thoroughly mapping out this system. And thank you Bernice, I am also loving the diagrams you keep creating.

[Melanchollic]

Originally Posted by prudence

Hi Mel and Friends!!


What I have read is just so awesome and informative and highly educational...I can barely contain myself. I agree it needs to be a book, and it would be so worth every penny.

Thanks Prudence!

There is no need to "contain yourself" here. This is a place where we let our instinctive lusts run free, and indulge our dark desires for any and all manner of sensuous and sinful baked goods.

So now, let's all enjoy one of the Southern USA's finest contributions to big bums and bad teeth... THE PECAN PIE!

[cardlady22]

I'll contribute my mother-in-law's made from scratch whipped cream for the topping.

Let the scramble for the extra beater commence!