Threes and the Empress

Pythia

Just yesterday I drew 3 cards for a reading on Present situation-Advice-Future and all three were Threes! (pentacles, wands and cups-rev)

I've read that the Threes correspond to the Empress. I might be stating the obvious here, but my question is: How is this the case? Is it because they both symbolize birth and creation?? And how does this knowledge translate in the reading of the cards...meaning, I know that there are other major Arcana cards that relate to the minors, but how much of the Major do you read in such cases? (hope this is clear!)

Thanks for your insight.
Pythia
 

Celcius

I've had this happen to me too, with the hermit.. all nines except one. what position is missing?.. And why is it missing?
Should I draw 4 cards?
 

Arnnaria

Trinities

Threes represent trinities in my viewpoint.

Also could be seen as man-woman-child, which would be guarded and ruled over by the Empress with all her glory and bounty.
 

Lain_82

How does the 3 of swords relate to the Empress?????? :confused: I can't relate birth and creation to pain and heart break.
 

Tara2007

I don't usually relate the Major Arcana to the Minor. In fact, I have never felt inclined to do so. The absense of a Major card in a reading usually means that there is not a strong influence for any particular type of outcome, but rather that your own energy and your own attitude is what is causing your situation to be positive or negative.

In a book I have (Time Tarot) it states that when you have 3 or more 3's in a reading it relates to communication. Free expression and also group activities.

I hope this helps you.
 

Sulis

Lain_82 said:
How does the 3 of swords relate to the Empress?????? :confused: I can't relate birth and creation to pain and heart break.
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That depends on what deck you're using.

If you're using a Rider-Waite-Smith deck or a deck based on that one, you're presented with an image of a heart pierced by three swords, so I can see how you'd have trouble relating that image to The Empresses creativity, growth, birth and synthesis.

But there were tarot decks around way before Pamela Coleman-Smith painted that heart and those swords.

If you take a look at the three of swords in a Marseille tarot, you could easily relate the image to an aspect of the Empress archetype- see attachment.
 

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Lain_82

Thank Sullis!!!

I own the Marseilles deck (it's actually the only one I have) but I've sorta dismissed any illustration interpretation and gone with the RWS one instead.... Your post reminded me that the RWS interpretation is one way to look at things, but there are other points of view. I should be paying more attention to my deck.

:p
 

Sulis

Hijacking the thread a bit (but not really since we're talking about linking Majors to minors).

Lain, the Marseille tarot really doesn't need you to use RWS meanings to read it well, in fact I think you're doing it a disservice to do that.

You have a wealth of information there - you have the illustrations which even though they aren't pictures of scenes have loads of information in them, you have the number of the card and you have the element.
Think of every minor card as an aspect of it's numerically corresponding Major too and you have far more to go on than one artists impression of what a card means.

Take a look at the index thread in the Marseilles and other early decks forum, especially the 'How may it be read?' threads - you'll never have to resort to the Rider Waite meanings again.
Here's a link: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=31857

Then again, if you like the Rider-Waite meanings, get yourself a RWS deck, or one based on it, there are loads about.
 

Grizabella

Lain_82 said:
How does the 3 of swords relate to the Empress?????? :confused: I can't relate birth and creation to pain and heart break.
Click to expand...

I can. Think of stillbirths or birth defects or losing a child to accident or crime. Motherhood certainly contains a lot of pain and heartbreak at times for many, many reasons. Or something else you've created being destroyed, such as a work of art destroyed by fire. I think just about anything we create can cause pain and heartbreak if it's destroyed or damaged.
 

Lain_82

Sulis said:
Hijacking the thread a bit (but not really since we're talking about linking Majors to minors).

Lain, the Marseille tarot really doesn't need you to use RWS meanings to read it well, in fact I think you're doing it a disservice to do that.

You have a wealth of information there - you have the illustrations which even though they aren't pictures of scenes have loads of information in them, you have the number of the card and you have the element.
Think of every minor card as an aspect of it's numerically corresponding Major too and you have far more to go on than one artists impression of what a card means.

Take a look at the index thread in the Marseilles and other early decks forum, especially the 'How may it be read?' threads - you'll never have to resort to the Rider Waite meanings again.
Here's a link: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=31857

Then again, if you like the Rider-Waite meanings, get yourself a RWS deck, or one based on it, there are loads about.
Click to expand...


:eek::eek: I had no idea there were so many threads about the Marseilles deck!!!!!!!! I used the RWS meanings because I couldn't find any help with specific marseilles interpretations......... thank you soooo much, this is truly helpfull.
 
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