Elemental Dignities: inversions

[rwcarter]

A clarification on what I wrote about spread layouts determining whether or not I look at EDs. Say you had a simple 4 card spread. Depending on how it was laid out, I may or may not read EDs from it:

1...2...3...4

I probably wouldn't read EDs, but if I did, I would only look at 123 and 234.

1....2
.......
4....3

Again I probably wouldn't look at EDs.

1...2...3
....4....

I might look at 124 and 324, but probably not. I would look at 134 though regardless. (It tends to take a non-right triangle shape for me to think about EDs.)

.....1.....
...........
2........4
...........
.....3.....

Here I would have a field day. I'd look at 123, 143, 214 and 234.

Again, YMMV.

Rodney

 

[starrystarrynight]

Hmmm. Actually, the more I look at what you are saying, Rodney, the more I see I do use triads (just never called them that.) But, simply the way I look at Elemental Dignities is that if a card sits next to an elementally opposing card (Fire next to Water...or Air next to Earth, for example), I would consider reading them both as blocked, delayed or reversed (but not just a weakened version of the energy as it would be read upright...there is where we may differ.) However, if a friendly element sits on the other side (for example, Water - Fire - Fire (or Air)), then the Water would be weakened, but the middle Fire would not because of the following friendly element's support. Nor would the third card--the Fire or Air card--be weakened, but instead supported or even, possibly strengthened because it, too, sits next to a friendly element.

I guess I skimmed over your explanation too quickly. There are things we probably don't do exactly the same way, but there is a lot of agreement there, too.

 

[Quantum James]

That was great, thanks Rodney. BTW with that last spread example do you assign the positions meanings, or do you find the dignities are complex enough? I have been working with a linear four card spread 1...2...3...4, and my way of reading that is very similar to starrystarrynight - I think I am going to have to give that diamond spread in your example a try to get a solid feel for triads...

thanks again!

 

[Quantum James]

Oh my, I just looked at triplets properly and my head nearly exploded! Wow, this is amazing - tremendous subtlety and depth. The key was when you you mentioned the modifier acting on the other card Rodney, I went and reread that section on supertarot and now its really clicked for me.

 

[rwcarter]

ssn,

I look at pairs, but only in the context of triads. In the WFF example you used, the way I would read the cards is that the W would slightly weaken the effect of the first Fire which is bolstered by the second Fire. So in the triad of 3 Cups - 7 Wands - Tower, the 3C would slightly weaken the effect of the 7W while the Tower would strengthen its effect. So I would read the cards something like a battle with others (7W) in which you'll celebrate your success prematurely (3C) because something else is coming down the pike that will change everything (Tower).

The great thing is that we could both read EDs completely differently. And while my way might not work for you and vice versa, our own ways will work for us. And because of those differences, if we were both reading on the same situation, we would more than likely get different cards to get us to the same general interpretation.

QJ,

I'm glad that I could be of help. If I'm just pulling three cards to look at a situation elementally, I usually will not assign meanings to the positions. But if a spread already has meanings assigned to the positions, then I will read the individual cards in the context of their positional meanings first. Then I'll ignore the positional meanings and look at the cards elementally.

Rodney

 

[Sinduction]

Rodney, you should teach a class. Or begin a teaching thread about EDs.

I would join it. The supertarot site is way too complicated but you seem able to dumb it down.

 

[rwcarter]

Rodney, you should teach a class. Or begin a teaching thread about EDs.

I would join it. The supertarot site is way too complicated but you seem able to dumb it down.

I do desktop support for my day job, so I have lots of practice....

I don't know that I'd be qualified to teach a class though.

Rodney

 

[sweet_intuition]

Well, this is just my lil ol way of understanding ED's using visual cues. Close your eyes and imagine the elements one at a time. Fire - Water - Air - Earth, and make notes on what all you visualized, felt, etc etc.

Now, try combining the elements to gain a sort of 'picture' of what the union can be,

example:

Earth + Air + Fire = Sandstorm in a hot arid desert

Water + Air + Air = Hurricane

Earth + Fire + Water = Damp charred log (like water thrown to put out a campfire)

Water + Earth + Water = Swamp

Earth + Water + Earth = Forest with pond in the middle


This way you not only get an understanding of the elements, but you also get an understanding of how they relate and combine with the other. Start first with two combinations (Fire n Air, Fire n Earth, etc etc), then move onto three (like in the above example), and then try with all 4 (the order of the elements is very important for this one).

 

[rwcarter]

Start first with two combinations (Fire n Air, Fire n Earth, etc etc), then move onto three (like in the above example), and then try with all 4 (the order of the elements is very important for this one).

Great idea! I was actually thinking about the combination of (two) elements while in the shower this morning.

Rodney

 

[Quantum James]

Thanks sweet_intuition that is a great tip - I have been using dignities in an overly analytical way I suspect. This sounds like a great intuitive (and visual) device for understanding these elemental interactions.

Some more elemental combo images come to mind:

Earth+Water+Earth=Freshly tilled soil after rain
Earth+Fire+Water=Lava flow underwater at sea
Water+Air+Water=Tidal wave