How to Read the Tarot. Sylvia Abrahams.

[Free Spirit]

I´ve just brought "How to read the Tarot" by Sylvia Abrahams.
The system that she uses is really easy. Each Major arcana number upto ten relates to the same number in the minor arcana, with just one key word to mesmorize.
For example the key word to the Empress would be " I make".
So all the threes in the minor would be I make as well.
To quote from the book "The empress in the spread would be "I make and create my own experiences. Potential for pregnancy. The focus is on happiness, travel, and enjoyment. A need to communicate is desired now.
Some of the key words I can´t get.
For example. The fool. The key word is ´Everyone`.
The upright meaning in the book says´indicates desire for new experiences, sudden activity and adventure. There is a need for caution at this time, a misstep can send you over the edge. Be confident but do not act hastily.
As as I can see this is the right description for this card.

Maybe the keyword is saying that everyone goes through these experiences.

Another card was the Moon. Key word `Attainment`. Meaning in a spread is deception and illusion, refusing to face the truth. Person must learn to control negative thinking. This is the rite up in the book. I know that this is the right meaning but what does attainment have to do with the moon card.
Has anyone else got this book?
What Keywords have you had trouble with?

 

[rwcarter]

I don't have the book, but I do have decks with keywords on them. When you understand/agree with the keywords, they can be wonderful. But when you don't they can be rather annoying.

For the Fool, "Everyone" could be pointing to the all-inclusive as in a communal experience.

The keyword for the Moon, "Attainment" might be a negative correlation - deception, illusion and refusing to face the truth interferes with one's ability to achieve attainment. Since the Moon is a 9 card, "Attainment" in the Cups and Pentacles are pretty obvious. The Swords and Wands take a little more work though. Assuming RWS style decks, the 9 Wands is about attaining a position of Strength from which one may fend off an attack. The 9 Swords is about attaining a state of fear and worry that has a negative effect on one's life.

Another book that takes a similar approach is Tarot Constellations by Mary K Greer. Instead of only utilizing Majors 1-10, it associates all the Majors with their corresponding Minor. So the Magician, Wheel of Fortune, Sun, Aces and Tens are all related. If you're interested, check out the thread here in the Books and Media forum. And if you'd like to see it in action, follow the link in that thread to the Ancient Egyptian Tarot Study Group where I've posted on all 9 of the Constellations.

HTH,
Rodney

 

[Free Spirit]

Thanks for that.
I´m a bit confused!!
How did you work out that the moon is a nine card?
In my deck number nine of the majors is the hermit!!

 

[rwcarter]

The Moon is card 18. 1+8 =9. That's how the Majors numbered 10 and above are reduced to single digits. The Sun is card 19. 1+9 = 10 and 1+0 = 1. So the Sun is both a 10 and a 1.

HTH,
Rodney

 

[Free Spirit]

Thanks!!!
Thats interesting.
Now thinking about it, I do remember a book explaining a little bit about reducing the numbers.
Do I interpret say the 9 card THE HERMIT with the Moon card?

 

[rwcarter]

No, you wouldn't necessarily interpret one card with an eye to the other. But if both come up in the same reading, you might note that they're related in general and then see what relationship their interpretations might have in your spread.

Say for example that you were doing a Celtic Cross spread and the Moon, the Hermit and two of the Minor 9s appeared. That would be four cards related to the number 9 in the spread. That would be a cue that the focus of the spread (per Abrahams) is attainment or the lack of attainment or blockages to attainment, etc. The specific positions and interpretations of the cards would give more info about what direction to focus on.

See my posts here in the AET Study Group to see how I've determined the interactions between related cards in the AET. (I believe that different decks will have different interactions between the same related cards. I also believe that the interactions I see in the cards will be different than the interactions someone else may see. But it'll give you an idea at least of what I'm talking about.)

Rodney

 

[Tansey Ella]

I have her book and was using it recently It does have a very simple system to interpret the cards. I was trying to use it with the Dark Grimoire . That deck does not have individual meanings for the pips and court cards-rather they give suite meanings and the number meanings of 1-9. I'm finding that system hard to work with for this deck.

 

[Scarlet27]

I bought her book like a year ago, and at first I thought it was useful, but now I read it and it's not useful anymore *lol* I think her system is interesting, but I prefer getting my own keywords from reading a lot of books... the book now seems to be quite incomplete and vague for me -above all VAGUE!-. Abraham's book is now sitting on my bookshelf, soon to be sold or traded