Esoteric Time Cards

[firecatpickles]

Does anyone else use these?

Eileen Connolly talks about them in her book Tarot: Handbook for the New Apprentice. I have used these esoteric time cards in the past with a high degree of success.

If an Ace shows up in the Celtic Cross in any of the positions, 5th through 9th, then it could be a season card. This will give you a time stamp of an equinox or solstice. A minor in the 10th position will give you a fixed date card. This is the determined week after the equinox or solstice.

For example, if the Ace of Wands shows up in position 5 to 9, and you have the 9 of Cups in the outcome position, you would count 9 weeks after the summer solstice for your esoteric time prediction.

According to Connolly, if a court card appears in the 10th position, the fixed date card; the card used to determine the week; would be the minor card closest to the Outcome card. If it is a Major, reduce the numerical value of this Major to a one-digit number.

Ace of Cups = Spring
Ace of Wands = Summer
Ace of Swords = Winter
Ace of Pentacles = Fall

There is much more to these cards but you'll have to research it further for yourself as it is far too involved to go into much more detail here.

(Connolly ibid pp. 233-237)

 

[Thirteen]

A Sticky Topic

Ace of Cups = Spring
Ace of Wands = Summer
Ace of Swords = Winter
Ace of Pentacles = Fall

Oh, goodness, you've entered one of those sticky places in Tarot. Every author, every reader, every deck creator has their own take on Time. In fact, if you go up to the sticky-post above (this one), you will find a whole section on discussions on seasons and telling time.

Everyone has their own way of doing it, and there are plenty who would argue with Connolly's take on the topic--they'd say, "No! Wands are Fall!" or "Pents are Spring!" and still others would argue with the arguers: "Swords are Fall!" and "No, Cups are Summer!" And you know what? They'll all have very good reasons why they think that suit should stand for that season. Ditto if you ask them which one is East, South, West, North.

So, the answer to your question is, people may use that method of telling time, or another completely different one (I recall one that used the first ten cards, with moon phases, like the HPS as the dark of the moon and the Empress as the Full moon, etc.). But Connolly's method is not a recognized method that all or even most readers use. Time is one of those topics where people either decide to go with a method they read about and like, or one that makes sense to them and that they create.

It's one of those "whatever works for you" things.

 

[nisaba]

<smile> I have my own method, which is cracking.

 

[firecatpickles]

Yes, we all have our own methods. Maybe I should ask a mod to change the title to "Time Telling Methods"? It would be nice to have an Index of sorts.

Personally, I find "Ace of Cups as Summer" more fitting for me because of all the rain we get in the summer. Wands seems more apt for Spring. Swords has more of a Winter feel more me as well; and Pentacles, very dry like autumn leaves. So I take this method and change it up a bit.

Preferably I use a deck of cards for time-telling techniques, but that is a different Forum altogether, isn't it