When bad cards are elementally well-dignified - confusion

[Quantum James]

I am still elemental dignities obsessed - I scoured posts trying to clear this issue up but as soon as I think I understand it slips away from me!

Here is my predicament: when "bad" cards (10 of swords, 5 of cups etc) are elementally well-dignified, I just cant seem to grasp whether the basic nature of the card is enhanced or diminished.

Lets say we have the 10 swords flanked by the 3 wands and ace of pentacles. Fire enhances actively and earth does too at lesser intensity. Now, does this scenario a) increase the intensity of the 10 of swords (greater drama), because fire and earth enhance air, or b) does it enhance the positive readings of the card, which in the case of the 10 swords, essentially, means reversing it (close call, recovering from drama)?

Scenario a) seems to make sense, technically, because it is increasing the force of the card elementally, yet (to me) is violently counter intuitive to what is supposed to be a "well-dignified" influence. Similarly that card when ill-dignified would have its best qualities emphasized in that way of looking! This makes my head turn inside out in readings, especially when elementally enhanced by "positive" cards.

Surely that cant be right???

 

[sweet_intuition]

Personally, it would again vary from reading to reading and situation to situation. However, remember in your previous thread on ED, I mentioned the bit about getting a visual images of the elements involved -

http://www.tarotforum.net/showpost.php?p=1575331&postcount=18

So taking that into account, can you create a mental visualization of Air (10 of Swords), Fire (3 of Wands), and Earth (Ace of Pentacles) in this respective sequence and share what you think.

Love and Blessings

 

[elvenstar]

Hello Quantum James, I think you basically need to decide what makes sense/works for you and stick with it. If 'well-dignified' makes things better in your world, so be it.

However, the Book T version of ED's I believe would have the card strengthened for 'good or ill', there is a great thread explaining this around here somewhere, I'll try to find it for you. That is how I would read it too. A Fire card will strengthen the Air card. If that card is not very pleasant to begin with, it will be even less so due to the support it receives from the other card. (Earth would not strengthen Air though. So you also need to decide how you deal with conflicting influences )

 

[elvenstar]

Here it is:

http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=92919

Specifically post 6 by Teheuti should clear up a lot of questions about the 'original' system.

 

[rwcarter]

It wouldn't matter to me if it were AP 10S 3W or 3W 10S AP. From an elemental standpoint, the two triads are the same. The 3W would strengthen the effect of the 10S. To me it would mean something like knowing the ax was going to fall (10S) and waiting for it to happen. Not necessarily dreading it (which would be the 9S), but more resigned to it happening.

You also have to remember that elements that strengthen each other do so for good or ill. My example above would be strengthening for good. The 3W strengthening the 10S for ill would be more like impatiently waiting for an ending you know is not going to go well. Something like you got caught cheating on a test and are sitting outside the principal's office freaking out, not at what's gonna happen as much as just having to wait.

The way I read EDs, earth is neutral to fire. Neutral means that depending on the situation, it could strengthen, weaken or just stay neutral to what's going on. But the "standard" method for reading EDs is that earth is friendly to fire.

HTH,
Rodney

 

[Quantum James]

Thank you RWC, this answers my question perfectly. Hi elvenstar -
I hear what you are saying about choosing an approach which feels true for me personally, I guess I will have to go work with the elemental dignities both ways and see where they take me
Thanks again sweet_intuition I will keep the visual element combos in mind - I have them written up here on my chart, to remind me.

Much appreciation for all the advice,
QJ

 

[Demon Goddess]

Thank you RWC, this answers my question perfectly. Hi elvenstar -
I hear what you are saying about choosing an approach which feels true for me personally, I guess I will have to go work with the elemental dignities both ways and see where they take me
Thanks again sweet_intuition I will keep the visual element combos in mind - I have them written up here on my chart, to remind me.

Much appreciation for all the advice,
QJ

I never bothered to learn about "dignities" elemental or otherwise, and I don't really believe in "bad cards"... But I certainly will ditto that the deeper you go with how the cards feel the better you will understand what the card means for you to feel.

or.. IOW, Go with how it feels, and then by jove I think you've got it.