Barleywine
This should get some debate going. Since we spend so much time agonizing over outcome cards and fooling around with clarifiers, often asking the same question until we get the answer we want, I thought we might as well cut right to the chase and just choose the outcome we want or the one that the rest of the spread hints would be the most likely given the question.
But hold on, its not that simple. You will need a grasp of Elemental Dignities to complete this process. After reading the first four cards in the line as "Foundation, Recent Past, Present and Near Future," go through the rest of the pack, keeping the cards in order, and select the outcome card you think is the most likely or the most desirable. Take that card and the two cards on either side of it out of the deck as a 5-card series with the chosen outcome card at the center, and use three sets of Elemental Dignities to determine whether that outcome is strengthened by good dignity and likely to happen, or weakened by ill dignity and unlikely to happen. If it receives mixed dignity, make your own decision on relative probability or flip a coin. Have fun!
As suggested, I did a sample reading for this spread, using the World Spirit Tarot with reversals in the initial line.
The question was "How will our early-May trip to northern Florida turn out?"
In the 4-card line, I got 6 of Pentacles as "Foundation," Temperance in "Recent Developments," the Queen of Swords rx as the "Here & Now" and the Hermit as "The Next Step." As you might suppose, I selected the Sun as my desired Outcome.
The 6 of Pentacles is a positive "money" card, and we're in good shape there to pay for the vacation.
Temperance seems to be showing that we're having one of the mildest early Springs on record.
The Queen of Swords rx is the wild card here. My wife's mother is a Libra QoS type, is 90 years old, has Alzheimer's and is in monitored care. Her days are numbered, and it could be any time.
The Hermit suggests either one of us will be going on ahead alone, or we may be kept from going. (We have cancellation insurance - that 6 of Pentacles at work.)
When I did the Elemental Dignities, I found the Sun in the following series: Ace of Cups rx, Judgement rx, Sun, World rx and 5 of Wands. Since I'm not reading the card meanings here, just the elements, reversal doesn't make any difference.
First I looked at the EDs for Judgement - Fire with Water before and Fire after; Ace of Cups and the Sun are elementally unfriendly, which should weaken Judgement; but in the system of weighting I use, two consecutive Fire cards - especially two Major Arcana against an Ace - at the end will "trump" the leading Water card, so I don't see Judgement as being seriously weakened. Maybe the week will be excessively humid.
Next I looked at the World - Earth with Fire before and Fire after; the Sun and the 5 of Wands are elementally friendly, and both are neutral and supportive ("complementary opposites") to the World, which is moderately strengthened.
Finally, the Sun - Fire with Fire before and Earth after; the mildly dignified Judgement and the moderately strengthened World are "complementary opposites" which mean they offer a reasonably balanced input, and both are on decent terms with the Sun. Thus, the Sun is also moderately strengthened.
Overall, this outcome suggests that the trip will be successful if we actually get there, although it may be slightly humid for early May. I've attached some pictures.
But hold on, its not that simple. You will need a grasp of Elemental Dignities to complete this process. After reading the first four cards in the line as "Foundation, Recent Past, Present and Near Future," go through the rest of the pack, keeping the cards in order, and select the outcome card you think is the most likely or the most desirable. Take that card and the two cards on either side of it out of the deck as a 5-card series with the chosen outcome card at the center, and use three sets of Elemental Dignities to determine whether that outcome is strengthened by good dignity and likely to happen, or weakened by ill dignity and unlikely to happen. If it receives mixed dignity, make your own decision on relative probability or flip a coin. Have fun!
As suggested, I did a sample reading for this spread, using the World Spirit Tarot with reversals in the initial line.
The question was "How will our early-May trip to northern Florida turn out?"
In the 4-card line, I got 6 of Pentacles as "Foundation," Temperance in "Recent Developments," the Queen of Swords rx as the "Here & Now" and the Hermit as "The Next Step." As you might suppose, I selected the Sun as my desired Outcome.
The 6 of Pentacles is a positive "money" card, and we're in good shape there to pay for the vacation.
Temperance seems to be showing that we're having one of the mildest early Springs on record.
The Queen of Swords rx is the wild card here. My wife's mother is a Libra QoS type, is 90 years old, has Alzheimer's and is in monitored care. Her days are numbered, and it could be any time.
The Hermit suggests either one of us will be going on ahead alone, or we may be kept from going. (We have cancellation insurance - that 6 of Pentacles at work.)
When I did the Elemental Dignities, I found the Sun in the following series: Ace of Cups rx, Judgement rx, Sun, World rx and 5 of Wands. Since I'm not reading the card meanings here, just the elements, reversal doesn't make any difference.
First I looked at the EDs for Judgement - Fire with Water before and Fire after; Ace of Cups and the Sun are elementally unfriendly, which should weaken Judgement; but in the system of weighting I use, two consecutive Fire cards - especially two Major Arcana against an Ace - at the end will "trump" the leading Water card, so I don't see Judgement as being seriously weakened. Maybe the week will be excessively humid.
Next I looked at the World - Earth with Fire before and Fire after; the Sun and the 5 of Wands are elementally friendly, and both are neutral and supportive ("complementary opposites") to the World, which is moderately strengthened.
Finally, the Sun - Fire with Fire before and Earth after; the mildly dignified Judgement and the moderately strengthened World are "complementary opposites" which mean they offer a reasonably balanced input, and both are on decent terms with the Sun. Thus, the Sun is also moderately strengthened.
Overall, this outcome suggests that the trip will be successful if we actually get there, although it may be slightly humid for early May. I've attached some pictures.