Camoin Method, Example for Analysis, Lee #2

Lee

This is a layout that I had a lot of trouble with, and which I mentioned to Paul privately. My question is: should I respond in any way to a certain review of my deck, the Gay Tarot? There's a thread about this issue here, if anyone is so inclined to learn about it in detail. In a nutshell, I don't mind if a reviewer makes negative judgments about my artistic choices, but the problem is that he basically uses the review as an excuse to go off on a homophobic rant.

I made a few humorous responses in the thread, but other than that I've done nothing. My inclination is to do nothing, since I've found that people like the reviewer are simply trying to stir up a ruckus, and so responding directly to him will simply encourage him to more mischief. Also I feel that as the deck's creator, any negative response I make will be seen as simply sour grapes. Also, as someone who has written my share of deck reviews, I'm hardly in a position to complain about someone else's reviews.

I've attached an image of the layout. (At least I hope I've attached it. I'm a complete idiot at this image stuff.) The World Reversed, The Empress and The Emperor are Past, Present and Future (sorry, I'm using English titles in this post -- I have a bad cold and French titles do not compute today).

The first thing that jumps out at me is the Hanged Man above the World Reversed, so that the figures mirror each other. But I can't think of what this could mean.

The next thing is the Empress and Emperor regarding each other. From this, I take it that the theme of this layout is communication. I see a progression from the Sun Reversed on the left side to the Empress and Emperor on the right. I take this to mean that uncivilized communication (such as that tiresome review) will eventually give way to civilized communication (i.e. that between the Empress and Emperor).

Next, I notice the birds, on four adjoining cards. There's the three eagles on World Reversed, Empress, and Emperor, and then the bird on the Star. If I choose to see eagles in this spread as martial creatures, representing aggressive instincts, then I notice a progression between the free-roaming birds on the Star and Word Reversed (and the eagle is upside-down on the World Reversed, indicating aggressive instincts running amok), to the Empress and Emperor, where the eagles are safely ensconced on the shields, and used for their symbolic power rather than let loose to terrorize the countryside. So again, a trend away from primitiveness and towards civilization.

I find many of the attitudes expressed in the offending review to be rather frightening, and this fits in my mind with the Moon Reversed.

That's really about as far as I've gotten. I've stared at this spread for what seems like hours and can't seem to wrestle any more meaning out of it, and this led to some disillusionment with the method. If anyone has any insights, I'm all ears!

Paul

The solution card to Le Monde, reversed, is XII-Le Pendu-- do nothing. So, even without an extensive analysis of the spread (which I would like to do later), the advice is: Do nothing, wait, pause, silence, willing sacrifice.

A natural synchronicity between L'Imperatrice and L'Empereur takes place, automatically.

More later...

Aoife

Hi Lee,
just a few thoughts...
- applying the law of extremeties - the Moon [rx] and Emperor - suggest to me suppression of emotion. Relating that to the question, I wonder whether you are suppressing your emotional, gut reaction [wish to write a scathing rebuttal]. I know this isn't in the Camoin 'method', but at the other extreme of the spread [diagonally], Strength can also be concerned with controlling emotion.
- I note the pairs in the Moon [dogs] > Chariot [horses] > Devil [people] column... and that only the humans are tethered.
- Are the cards, The World and Hanged Man mirror images?
- I note the crossed legs in the Hanged Man, World and Emperor. Related to the question, I wonder whether they signal the importance of lack of movement.
- In the future is the Emperor.... the builder, looking to the past. The Gay Tarot has been built.
- For me, there is a cohesiveness about the spread. In the past choices were made, lessons were learned that are relevant to the question in hand. The Empress is now looking to the Emperor to see whether he intends change... to re-build. The spread speaks of holding the line, of inaction and no change. What has been built is cohesive, it will speak for itself.

Bernice

Hello Lee,

I know of this reviewer. I wouldn't stoop to honour him with a card spread.
He's abusively self-opinionated and immature. Do nothing - nothing at all. Simply ignore him altogether - this really riles him!

It's very tempting to respond, but please do heed the previous posts on your spread.

Bee

Paul

The bad reviewer is pictured by Le Monde-reversed, quite aptly, because this is an outside eye looking globally at the project.

If we go by the Macro meaning of Le Pendu, then the answer is to do nothing. If we go Micro, then it becomes evident that Le Pendu moves in the opposite direction with his feet than the upside down woman on Le Monde.

Sometimes it helps with the Micro stuff to imagine the cards like a cartoon book which is morphing into the next picture by flipping the pages rapidly. Imagine this morphing repeating over and over until you get the metaphor. What’s the metaphor, do the opposite of what the reviewer expects you to do: thus, nothing. The reviewer would likely feel privileged to have the maker of the Gay Tarot himself fencing with him.

Then, Le Monde is solved, and may look at Le Toille. This opens for you a freshness of mind that allows your work to stand on its own. You have the blessing of many friends and associates, as is demonstrated by the support you received on the thread (XVII).

But, there is still a psychological element that needs to be addressed (La Lune, reversed). Or, La Lune presents “same sex” metaphorically, but it uses the dogs, reversed, which is to say we have issues with the primitive and offensive manner in which the reviewer framed homosexuality itself! I actually think this is the intent of La Lune, that we are disturbed by the primitive views of homosexuality that are evident with the reviewer.

What to do?

The negative presentation of homosexuality repeats in Le Soleil, reversed, which moves to Le Chariot, which ends in Le Pendu, of course. Thus, the solution is to stand tall as an individual (VII), proud of your project and enjoying how your work has publicized the very subject of “Gay” in a positive way that is not controlled by such Neanderthals as the reviewer. On the Camoin Tarot, the horses are both blue, thus the metaphor of same sex relationship is repeated again. In fact, it's all over the place in the Past area of the spread, which we would expect given the context.

Then, we have the Victor of Le Chariot moving into the passive role of Le Pendu, who appears to be a loser, not fighting, the humiliated one. Once again, the cards say, “in regards to the Gay insult (Le Soleil), you already have won (Le Chariot), thus appear to lose, when you really gain.”

This sentiment is then reflected above Le Soleil, reversed: You have already publicized and strengthened (La Force) the Gay Subject (Le Diable).

It is common in the Camoin Method for solution rows to repeat ideas with perhaps just more subtlety or data. This confirms the idea.

I think that this was all placed in the Past area of the spread, because the Gay Tarot is an accomplished project, which does not need any further defense by you. The defense was already accomplished.

Now, finally to L’Imperatrice and L’Empereur. They are looking at each other, so that’s notable and positive. They form a natural couple of thought (III) being concretized (IIII). The eagle in III (mental project – on the Camoin deck the wing is not yet fully formed) is then solidified in the eagle in IIII (which is planted in the ground next to an egg, and on the Camoin tarot the wings are fully formed).

Essentially, this says, your work speaks for itself.

Paul

Because we are learning the Camoin Method via analysis of "live" spreads, I thought it would be useful to post the Laws of Camoin, as he has posted on his website. These Laws can guide us in interpreting the spreads:

the Law of Repetition
the Law of Two
the Law of Three
the Law of Four or the 3 + 1
the Law of the Extremities
the Law of Resemblance
the Law of the Regard
the Law of the Exception
the Law of Inversion
the Law of Proximity
the Law of Columns

We might also add in...

the Law of Number (Pro/Re)gression
the Law of Nakedness

Perhaps it would help beginners of this Method for us to use this Rubric when analyzing a sample reading, therein better elucidating the Camoin Method and its mechanics.

Lee

Aoife said:
- applying the law of extremeties - the Moon [rx] and Emperor - suggest to me suppression of emotion. Relating that to the question, I wonder whether you are suppressing your emotional, gut reaction [wish to write a scathing rebuttal].

Hi Aoife! Yes, I agree. That's a good observation.

- I note the pairs in the Moon [dogs] > Chariot [horses] > Devil [people] column... and that only the humans are tethered.

I can see how the pairs would be significant, but I would tend to see the horses as tethered also...

- I note the crossed legs in the Hanged Man, World and Emperor. Related to the question, I wonder whether they signal the importance of lack of movement.

This is a good point, I hadn't noticed that. Now that you mention it, I'd tend to see the Hanged Man and the World as enforced lack of movement (I can see movement in the World, so World Reversed would be nonmovement), as opposed to the Emperor, who isn't moving of his own choice -- he's comfortable where he is.

- In the future is the Emperor.... the builder, looking to the past. The Gay Tarot has been built.

I agree with you and Paul on this, the cards clearly indicate that the project is in the past, over and done with, and justified by its own existence, and not needing any further justification from me.

- For me, there is a cohesiveness about the spread. In the past choices were made, lessons were learned that are relevant to the question in hand. The Empress is now looking to the Emperor to see whether he intends change... to re-build. The spread speaks of holding the line, of inaction and no change. What has been built is cohesive, it will speak for itself.

Excellent summary!

Bernice said:
I wouldn't stoop to honour him with a card spread.

Hi Bee, I agree 200% that the reviewer doesn't deserve the time and energy involved in laying out the cards! But what I actually found more interesting, and deserving of a card spread, was my own reaction to the review.

Paul said:
The bad reviewer is pictured by Le Monde-reversed, quite aptly, because this is an outside eye looking globally at the project.

Hmm, you mean because the wreath the Le Monde resembles the shape of an eye (seen sideways)? That's very interesting, I never made that connection before. I'll have to remember that one.

If we go Micro, then it becomes evident that Le Pendu moves in the opposite direction with his feet than the upside down woman on Le Monde.

I see... so Le Monde Reversed is solved by my moving in an opposite direction.

The negative presentation of homosexuality repeats in Le Soleil, reversed

Or, in Camoin's words, "a problem of fraternity"!

Now, finally to L’Imperatrice and L’Empereur. They are looking at each other, so that’s notable and positive. They form a natural couple of thought (III) being concretized (IIII). The eagle in III (mental project – on the Camoin deck the wing is not yet fully formed) is then solidified in the eagle in IIII (which is planted in the ground next to an egg, and on the Camoin tarot the wings are fully formed).

Essentially, this says, your work speaks for itself.

I agree. It also could mean, "time to turn your mental energies toward a new project."

On the Camoin Tarot, the horses are both blue

When I originally laid out the cards, I did use the Camoin deck. When I posted the spread, I didn't have images for the Camoin deck. I've since remedied that, so I've updated the layout image attached to the first post to show the Camoin cards instead.

Thanks everyone! This has given me renewed enthusiasm. I'm now studying the method more diligently than I was. I've printed out Camoin's keywords, and reread everything related to the method on Camoin's site (and read those pages on that site that I had missed before). I'm also going to reread Paul's "Semiotic & Rhetorical Devices of Tarot" article on the Authentique site.

Just so no one thinks I'm turning into a Camoin groupie, let me state for the record that while I find Camoin's method to be very interesting and engaging, his writing style is not to my taste. Admittedly, I'm only reading a translation, but I find the emphasis on "revealed secrets" to be a bit irritating.

Paul

Lee said:
Just so no one thinks I'm turning into a Camoin groupie,

Dang, I was hoping.

Flavio

Lee, I'm sorry to read about that review because I love your deck and dislike homophobic attitudes, you have shown a truly emperatrice+empereur behaviour turning the experience into a positive learning tool sharing it as reading and feeling confident in yourself and your position.

L'Empereur in the lower sight corner of the spread is the first thing I noticed in the spread, all the past cards look like an avalanche but L'Empereur is still and confident, this point has been mentioned before in the thread.

I feel the present shows problems to see the Gay Tarot as a whole, this lack of vision caused a biased review focused on negative views of the homosexuality, thats was also said already, the card spoke very clearly indeed.

Lee

Flavio said:
Lee, I'm sorry to read about that review because I love your deck and dislike homophobic attitudes, you have shown a truly emperatrice+empereur behaviour turning the experience into a positive learning tool sharing it as reading and feeling confident in yourself and your position.

Thanks, Flavio!

I love that Le Monde-wreath-as-eye thing, indicating vision. That's definitely one I'll keep in mind.

Camoin Method, Example for Analysis, Lee #2

Lee

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