Important Tips to Newbies

[Bernice]

The four suites: They might just as well be aligned with the seasons (which they often are...), but MINUS the elements, then every suit would incorporate emotions/intellect/inspiration/physical activity. Any framework that 'speaks' to the reader is valid.

Bee

 

[The crowned one]

To all Readers:

I noticed when I read your readings is that you are missing some very important points.

My tip are as follows:

(when you open up a spread - DO NOT PROCEED IN READING THE MEANING OF YOUR CARDS YET)

- First, check the Elemental Dignities of your cards. What elements are dominant, what elements are less, and what elements are missing.

- The most dominant element could be the theme surrounding the situation. (example: when water/cups are dominant, it means that there are lots of emotions going on in that particular situation)

- The lesser number of elements are the ones supporting the situation (example: when air/swords are the lesser/supporting elements, it means that the situation needs some more thinking on the querent's side)

- Then, check the missing elements. These are the most important elements because these missing elements are the ones causing all the problem in that particular situation (example: when earth/pentacles are missing, it means that the situation needs solid foundation, it also means that the situation is floating with nothing solid to hold on)

Example Reading: (3 Cards)

FOOL = LOVERS = ACE OF SWORDS

Now, here at first glance it looks like its a "love affair going to be materialized cards". But, wait, look and see, these are all AIR cards!!! No WATER/Cups (Emotion), No FIRE/Wands (Desire), and most especially, No EARTH/Pentacles (solid foundation to hold on to)

So, can you guess the meaning of the cards now? I hope you do. The situation is saying that eventhough the card is telling us something about love but actually because of the missing elements of water (emotion), fire (desire), earth (solid foundation) the querent has a lot of things to work on from her side if she really wants to make this thing happen. Love is still floating in the air, no desire, no emotion, and nothing to hold on to.

(NOW YOU CAN START READING THE MEANING OF THE CARDS INDIVIDUALLY)

If you use this technique, then, you don't even have to use reversed cards because as you weave the story of the cards you already knew what is needed to be worked on to. You already knew the story behind the situation even before you have started reading the individual meaning of the cards! You don't even have to read the whole spread. - EASY!!!

Your friendly neighborhood - RANZEL

Some good points here. The elements are a part of the meaning of the card in my opinion but I get what you are saying. I do look at the elements and the numerology as a overview of where the reading is going, I do consider it a part of reading the cards. When I have this overview I start looking at the actual individual cards and their interaction to the cards around then. I read linear so I lay my cards out in a line 3,5,7 what ever I decide, it makes things easy and it matches the march of time in a Newtonian way plus it follows how most people think or take data in in the simplest to understand of ways. (this leads to that) There are endless variations to reading the cards and if you do not follow one of the established systems its wide open for anything that grabs your fancy and what you suggest is worth trying for those who have not.

I do think strongly opinioned posts by new members that are not introductions are a bit of a trial by fire and the flame is a bit warmer then what a "established member" might recieve. I wonder why 10 people had to tell him there is more then one way to read the cards? I got that from the first poster's opinion ..at that point it was time to move onto these other excellent methods for beginners and readers in general without reiterating the obvious.

 

[re-pete-a]

Can't help you find the thread but GLORP, was a made up word that described the free flow of intuitive insights, the connection to the source of intuition. IN the ZONE.It was bantered about just like this thread and has been used as a word to describe KNOWING.

 

[Ligator]

Some pages ago I suggested that we should move on to a more serious discussion about the use of elements and the benefits thereof for newbies. (Even if I also voiced my disagreement with the method of the first writer here!)

I still think so!

And I do think that there are great benefits from using the elements! Especially for newbies. Even if I think that one has to watch out for the trap of intellectualizing the use of Tarot. I still think the intutítive and psychic work with the tarot is most important (in my view)!

/T

 

[Bernice]

Hello Crowned One,

I take your point that speaking against a tip without offering some other approach, is of no value to newbies.

Unfortunately many people have developed their own methods, possibly derived from structures/methods offered by others - and various books. Such methods arn't so easy to set out.

For me (and me alone) only a few cards are 'elemental' (very basic/raw) in nature. I use part numerology, part 'what the image implies', and most important, the card combination in relation to the query.

I've even tried the chinese 5 elements. I've found (for myself) they're better than the usual RWS 4.

Bee

 

[Thirteen]

I suppose what I'm trying to say here is that you experienced readers take what you do for granted....not having to think about what comes next.

No. We do not take it for granted. Never ever. Because we're all students, all learning and re-learning all the time, all realizing new things, new tips, new ideas all the time. In Tarot you never stop learning "important tips." And being on this forum we also REMEMBER over and over again our own learning experience, each and every step of it.

We aren't "flaming" Renzel. In fact, most of first posts in reply were very courteous, thanking Renzel for the tip, admitting that it was a good one and, only discussing whether or not they used or had not used the dignities. It was only after the second post that many of us felt we should put up that warning--because we KNOW newbies. And we KNOW how they look for a magic bullet to make those cards come clear.

We did when we were newbies. We slogged through the little white book, tried to memorize the meanings, sat with the cards trying to do spreads book in one hand and wondered if we'd ever be able to read without having to keep looking at the damn book....sound familiar? We remember, I assure you. And we remember when we found that first magical method and suddenly said, "AH!" and it all came together. Fast and intuitive.

We remember. And it's because we remember that we keep offering that one cautious bit of advice, not to say that elemental method doesn't work, or the tip was bad, but to ask Renzel, politely, courteously, and as experienced readers who have taught others and sometimes taught them wrong--and were regretful and very sorry for doing that--that Renzel not take his/her own experience for granted.

I promise you, you do not want to get that student who comes to you in tears saying, "I tried and tried your magic method. I don't get it. I must be stupid." You never want to make anyone feel unworthy or worthless because they didn't have your magical experience with your magical method.

 

[firefrost]

Bernice - I think that's a brilliant idea of yours with forgetting the elements and aligning the seasons. I use the seasons too, but then again - we all have different ideas as to which card goes with which season - again, a case of 'do what's right for you', huh?!

My seasonal associates are:

Cups - Spring
Wands - Summer
Pentacles -Autumn
Swords - Winter

I know a lot don't agree with that.

and if you look at elements - what about decks that use different elements for the suits ???

I like hundreds of others was taught with the RWS

(For anyone who doesn't know)
Cups - Water
Wands - Fire
Swords - Air
Pentacles - Earth


I've used this system for years and on the odd occasions that I've taken a liking to a deck and found the creator has changed the elements around, I've just been put off it.

Not that I have anything against anyone's different ideas that are based on their beliefs but again, if you're comfortable with your own original beliefs...

Anyway, that's my humble answer to your question


re-pete-a

Glorp is indeed a real word but I forget which language it comes from.
No doubt greggers will tell you properly when she gets back.

Oh, and by the way, anyone looking for the link - it was posted in an email, so it's not here

It was simply a link to the Intuitive Reading Group.

Hils

 

[Bernice]

Hils: Thankyou for the link!

It was simply a link to the Intuitive Reading Group

Re: Seasons for the four suits.

I used the 5 chinese 'elements' for the pip cards -various arrangements that have now boiled down to two - which I'm experimenting with now. They have a better interaction than the RWS basic four. Each element has two (basic) functions, Birthing/creating and checking/over-riding. A fascinating interplay when assigned to the pip cards!

Bee

P.S: great for the marseille decks.

 

[Ligator]

Thirteen! Thanks! I agree on the things you write. I too did the same... And the very moment I beieved that I knew all about Tarot and had "found" the magic theory that described it all, I realized that I indeed knew almost nothing...

)

/T

 

[Thirteen]

I'm still waiting for a well written tip that is half as good as the first one.

That would be another thread. But why bother? Newbies come here asking for help and tips once a month at least, and the threads responding to those requests are always long and filled with a rich variety of "tips" and hints and ideas for how to magically read fast and intuitive.

So you don't have to wait around in this thread for a "well written tip." Do a search. You'll find them in spades; some ten times as good as the one that started this thread.

There is no "ONLY WAY". So this this a non-problem. Honestly it is not that difficult.

Yes, it IS that difficult, and YES Renzi did offer the tip in a way suggesting that dignities were the "only way." The title here isn't "a cool tip for newbies that might work" it's "an Important tip for newbies"--which comes across as "IMPORTANT! don't ignore this or else!"

And as pointed out, the original posts insisted that this was a basic that ought not be ignored. That's very different from saying, "Here's how I learned. It really worked for me, I hope it works for you."

We know newbies here. We really do. I get four or five pm's from newbies every year asking me if they should give it all up because what they've read to do in one thread or another isn't working. Trust me, if a post here tells them this is an "Important tip" and implies that they'll never really understand tarot if they ignore the dignities...they'll take it seriously. And fret about it, and lose sleep over it, and read everything they can on it, and berate themselves if it confuses them and they don't get it.

No one starts learning the cards with the intuitive knowledge that there is "no one way." To the contrary, just about everyone starts with the assumption that everyone learns the cards in the same way. It is a problem. And it's because we KNOW it's a problem that we're posting such responses.