Tarot Cards – Page 14 – Journal of a Cartomante

10 March, 20212 August, 2026

The Water and the Wind: Elemental Dignities 001

The World with its four elements we see;
Within, a naked Goddess dances free.
The water and the wind, the earth and the fire,
All That which doth beyond them all aspire.
Doreen Valiente, The Tarot Trumps

THE first tarot cards I saw was an early Ancien Tarot de Marseille. The first tarot cards I owned was the Caroline Smith and John Astrop The Elemental Tarot.

Smith-Astrop’s cards proved influential to my approach to tarot and cartomancy. These cards provided me with an introduction and understanding of the four elements – and what is called elemental dignities, the topic of this article.

Here will will focus on the the suits (pips) and elemental triads. The second article, released next week, will look at the courts. I do not associate the trumps and Fool cardwith the elements. The reason is as follows:

Cards related to the twelve celestial houses (signs in modern parlance) would have a specific elemental attributes, but their planetary counterparts do not. The planets inhabit the seven spheres between the sphere of the firmament and the sphere of the elements. Thus, planets themselves, and primum mobile (zodiac), exist above the elemental sphere and therefore cannot be conflated with the temporal energies.

The Four Qualities

From the Middle Ages, the Aristotelian conception of the elements have proven dominant with each one being the product of four qualities: heat, coldness, dryness and moisture. Few, however, followed Aristotle in his assertion that air is primarily wet and water primarily cold.

Of these four attributes, heat and coldness are active, or primary; dryness and moisture are passive and secondary, arising from the toing and froing between the heat and coldness. Coldness is heavy, slow, and centripetal whereas heat is light, fast, and centrifugal. Dryness is hard and resistant, and wetness is malleable and slippery.

Each element is formed through the interaction between one of the primary qualities (heat and coldness), and one of the secondary qualities (moisture and dryness). For example, water arises through the interaction of coldness and moisture. It is slow, introverted and receptive (cold) but adaptable, flowing, and irrigating (moisture).

From the union of heat and dryness, we see fire. Air arises from a mixture of heat and moisture. Elemental earth is formed through a mixture of coldness and dryness.

Elemental Relationships

In the diagram below we can see the traditional triangular emblems for the elements.

The two upright triangles represent the two active elements, air (yellow) and fire (red). Both elements derive from the primary quality heat.

The two inverted triangles denote the passive elements, water (blue) and earth (green). Coldness is the primary quality of both these elements which passive.

Elements that share the same primary modality (fire/air and water/earth) have the same mode (active or passive) and are friendly.
However, elements that share the same secondary quality (either moisture and dryness) will have a differing mode but are not incompatible, acting in a nonpartisan manner and are thus neutral. These are fire/earth and air/water.
Those elements that have no shared qualities are inimical to each other. These (fire/water and air/earth) neutralise.

You can see this in the diagram above: friendly elements are placed horizontally next to each other; neutral elements touch vertically; inimical elements face each other diagonally.

Elemental Dignities

The aforementioned relationship that exists between the elements is the basis of elemental dignities.

First outlined by MacGregor Mathers, in his typology for Book T, the theory was devised to determine prominent cards and those which were immaterial within the reading.

Over time, elemental dignities have been interpreted as indicative of beneficence and sometimes also conflated with reversals. Whether this stance has merit is dependent on the cartomante; it is not, however, consistent with the concept of dignity.

Dignity neither refers to goodness nor inversion but instead to how congenial the environment is for the element to function. In an environment contrary to its own nature, elements can become chaotic and unsteady and struggle to manage its affairs. The greater the difference the less operative the element can be. Should the element be dignified one will find a more constructive and stable expression.

Elemental Triads

Mathers’ instructions centres on interpreting cards in lines vis-à-vis counting, and as in classical cartomancy, reading the card in conjunction with those either side. These flanking cards are the conditions the central card’s (element) finds itself, e.g. its dignity. Dependent upon the cards’ elemental attributions we can find cards overcome, neutralised, strengthened and counterbalanced.

For example, three cards fall on the table. The centre card is an air card. On its left, we have a fire card. To the right, an earth card. The air card is moderately robust. Fire and earth share the same secondary quality (dry) and are thus create a neutral environment. However, as earth is contrary to air, that will lessen the central card’s dignity, or strength to act.

Should the cartomante find three fire cards together, then the central card is essentially dignified and therefore operative and strong. Such dignity, however, does not encroach on concepts of beneficence or associations derived from cards being upright. Although the cards are strong and very active, both context and individual cards will determine if this is for good or otherwise.

I have two examples below. I have utilized readings done with the Smith-Waite and the Crowley-Harris tarots. The elemental associations are: wands = fire; cups = water; swords = air; pentacles and disks = earth. I do not agree with these associations; however, they accepted by many Anglo-Saxons. THus for the sake of clarity we will utilise decks that conform to that model. The spread is the line of three.

Smith-Waite Tarot

Tarot Cards © Rider/Waddington Playing Card Co Lt (1971)

Here we have two water cards (cups) flanking a fire card (wands). Neither water nor fire shares any of the same primary qualities and is therefore antagonistic. As water cards are dominant, the central card is without dignity and consequently neutralised (evaporated).

The client in question, a former colleague of mine, had asked whether she would be able to pursue a promotion soon. Despite being very keen on progressing at the time of the reading, that ardour cools in the cards (the active card is neutralised). I said that although an opportunity will arise (wands active), but the contented life and good working partnerships she has will see her less keen to move on as other areas in her life develop themselves (water passive).

Not long after the reading, she was encouraged to pursue a secondment in another division (the Three of Wands) but was not keen to leave the division and group (Two and Ten of Cups). Shortly after that she began a new relationship and found promotion less of an aspiration.

Harris-Crowley Tarot

Aleister Crowley® Thoth Tarot © AGM AGMüller (1986).

Now we have three cards of three differing elements. The central card is a water card flanked by an air and earth card (Five of Swords and Two of Disks). Air and earth are contrary to each other, as air is light and subjective and earth is heavy and objective, and under MacGregor Mathers’ system would be ignored, as the two cards are neutralised. Ignoring certain cards is not something I would advocate.

The client in question had asked whether her boyfriend would return, and the cards’ response is negative. Any reconciliation is thwarted by the shifting ground, precluding any idea of how it would be realized, with the result being an unhappy timidity where it is all just too much.

In Crowley’s writings, both swords and disks are the children of wands and cups and represent their duality as warring siblings. Although both cups and earth are friendly, they are passive, and the central card becomes moderately strong, but the inherent nature of the Eight of Cups is a failure due to the inability of knowing how to act. It was beyond the client’s ability, or her own resources, to move towards a place where reconciliation was, and it never occurred.

As you can see, elemental dignities do not change the cards meanings (as in reversals) or define them as positive and negative. Elemental dignities concern solely how cards are poised to function.

Crowley, A. (1976). The Book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians. New York: Weiser.
Dykes, B. (2011). Traditional Astrology for Today. Minneapolis, Minn.: Cazimi Press.
Peach, E. (1988). Tarot for Tomorrow. 1st ed. Wellingborough: Aquarian Press.
Smith, C. and Astrop, J. (1988). Elemental Tarot. 1st ed. [London]: Viking.

3 March, 202127 June, 2026

The Lives We Lived in Each Day

BELIEF in reincarnation and karma have become extremely popular in the West. Of course, the belief in karma and reincarnation are ancient; they have been part of the teachings of Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism for over a millennia. Interest in the West is relatively new beginning with the rise of theosophy.

Since the late 1990s, readers have often been consulted about issues related to past lives, karma and incarnated purposes. Quite often, these seekers are looking for an explanation for problems that are firmly of this life. However, others have more interesting queries.

The cartomante was consultanted by such a seeker in the summer. In her question, the client had explained that she had been involved in a whirlwind relationship. Within less than four months, they had become engaged and were living together. There were plans to start a family. Her friends and family felt it was all too soon. Our querent, however, said it was as if they had done it all before. Did she and her fiancé share a past connection?

Different opinions exist on reincarnation; various methods of analysis are also endorsed. On the subject itself, my own opinions are irrelevant. My preferred method is one outlined by Teresa Michelsen in Designing Your Own Tarot Spreads. Having worked with the spread over some time, one has observed that it often explains connections or trends – through the lens of reincarnation – in a manner that is intelligible and relatable. It does not, however, prove such links exist.

The Spread

To perform this reading, first remove the Fool card and then shuffle the remaining 77-cards. Once done, you deal nine-cards face down. The cartomante must now shuffle the Fool into these nine-cards and then deal them in a classical 3×3 or carré :

01 – 02 – 03

04 – 05 – 06

07 – 08 – 09

When the Fool card appears, the next card is dealt on it. Should the Fool appear last, one can (in my experience) be sure there is no such “connection.”

Cards 1 – 3 describe the present incarnation, with the first card being the circumstances of the end of this life. The remaining six cards are past incarnations with card nine being the oldest incarnation. The carré thus moves – left to right, top to bottom – backwards in time.

For this spread, one always utilises either the Ancestral Path Tarot or the Tarot of the Ages. The former is used here. Created by the extremely talented artist, Julie Cuccia-Watts, the lesser arcana is divided into the four continents: Africa, America, Asia and Europe. There is an inherent quality and balance that lends itself to such readings.

The Reading

The cards as they fell:

The Fool was the eighth card dealt indicating that the seeker and her fiancé had spent several lifetimes together. Cards to the Fool’s right can be ignored. We start with the card that covers the Fool then proceed upwards, moving right to the left.

The Fool/Ten of Staves: In the Ancestral Path, staves depict the continent of Africa, and we see, on this card, a mother with two children. In this lifetime, the seeker and fiancé share a parent-child bond and learned lessons connected to shared responsibility, support and the importance of family. It was not an easy life, but as it is upright, it is not one that necessarily proved difficult for the souls.

VI – The Lovers: Next, the souls incarnated as a couple. If we consider the card, there was a strong bond built on a foundation of mutual respect, understanding and love. As a trump, this is a life that proved significant in the souls’ development and a happy one.

X – The Wheel of Fortune: The Wheel of Fortune illustrates the zodiac and helical phases of the planets. Here, the souls incarnate together one more time. At this point, they have completed a specific series of lessons and move on to new a cycle.

Prince of Cups, reversed: In a more recent lifetime, the fiancé incarnates in Europe. He sets out on his quest with idealism and vigour. However, the lifetime proves challenging, and answers allude him, with the reversal pointing towards unresolved issues.

Queen of Sacred Circles: In contrast, the querent finds herself in the Americas, where she lived a long, happy life taking on the role of matriarch within her family. There was a relative comfort here with the soul finding the lifetime rewarding. Interestingly, within the Ancestral Path Tarot system, this is the card associated with the seeker’s current birthdate.

Three of Cups, reversed: We now enter the present lifetime. The card portrays Arthur, Gwenhwyfar, and Lancelot. It is clear that this is a moment of reconnection; however, the reversal shows that this was fuelled by a sense of being lost, being misunderstood and isolated or lonely.

Two of Cups: Looking at the cards, it is clear that this is the present moment. The seeker and her fiancé are drawn together due to their bond, with eyes only for each other. There is a mirroring between this card and the Lovers as the souls become lost in each other.

Ace of Cups, reversed: Aces in this system are the culmination points. Traditionally, this is the home. Reversed, it shows that the souls are unlikely to realise their lessons and places when the current incarnations close. It cannot be stressed this in itself does not necessarily occur to their reconnection; however, their current preoccupation with each other may be detracting from different areas of their development.

There we have the past life connection reading. Generally, one can use it as a springboard to probe more deeply into specific events and incarnations and their current effect on the present incarnation. Here, that would be the Wheel of Fortune; it being the cusp of one cycle and the next.

How one does this is dependent on the cartomante.

References:

Cards, Ancestral Path Tarot © Julie Cuccia-Watts, US Games, 1995.
Michelsen, T. (2003). Designing Your Own Tarot Spreads. 1st ed. St. Paul, Minn.: Llewellyn Publications.

Title, taken from BedShaped by Keane.

25 February, 201927 June, 2026

Horseshoe

Programme two of my one-to-one tuition course with the Marseille tarots focuses on helping deliver the same precise and succinct answers, delivered with the linear draws, with spreads and positional draws of various sizes. The plan was developed in response to numerous e-mails and comments from readers, and my earliest students. Often students find themselves becoming hesitant or losing focus when reading cards in patterns, especially those with positional contexts. Here we prevent such habits, building proficiency and incisiveness.

Quite often students tell me how surprised they are that a Celtic Cross or the Widdershins’ Star can be read as a snappy sentence, just as one can a line of five or nine cards. But the reality is they can be. It is all just a matter of orientation.

The linear draws flow from the first card to the last card. Leaving aside reflection, cards relate solely through progressive attendance. Thus, there is no question of a positional relationship found in a draw such as Astrological Wheel or Celtic Cross. The challenge for the cartomante, therefore, is to cultivate the same sense of directional ease through knowing where each place falls in the course of the narrative.

The Horseshoe

« Le fer a cheval » or horseshoe spread is cartomantic standard. In addition to providing clear answers to precise questions – including yes or no – it offers useful advice on how to solve problems or situations.

It is the first draw covered in the second programme.

Although we focus on the Marseille tarot, here, it can be employed with the l’oracle de Belline, the Petit Lenormand, l’oracle de la Triade and le tarot persan de Madame Indira, et cetera. It is thus extremely versatile and, therefore, a useful addition to the cartomante’s repertoire.

The Basics

The draw is composed of seven cards, which are to be arranged as shown below. As with numerous spreads, there are variations to be found. The one described, here, has served me well. I also use a second variation which can be seen in a later article.

- Card one determines the consultant in the face of her question giving insight into her attitude and position.

- Card two defines the present situation in relation to the question which can either aid or hinder or shed let on external influences or individuals.

- Card three represents the future and how matters will play out.

- Cards four and five advise on the direction the consultant should take, what to do and how best to act.

- Card six is the main obstacle to be overcome and can provide guidance on where to forbear.

Card seven is the response.

Relating the Cards

Although the reader can advance through the cards in numerical order one can then struggle to formulate the core answer. The core answer is a succinct pronunciation that summarises the cards’ response taking into consideration how the cards relate to and engage with each other.

A sequential stroll through the cards will thus provide a disjointed and pedestrian answer. One also runs the risk of turning the reading into seven one-card readings, rather than a seven-card reading. Unfortunately, the majority of Anglo-Saxon cartomantes fall into this trap and have made the latter a virtue of necessity.

Narration

The first card advises the cartomante on the temperament and position the client occupies in relation to her question. It is thus the point of departure and also can be seen as a significator.

Both card two (the present state of affairs) and card six are connected with the latter describing the main obstacle arising out of the present situation.

Now that the cartomante is appraised of both the situation and difficulties he turns to the fourth and fifth cards. These two cards advise the seeker on how she can best proceed to resolve the challenges she faces. Thus, both cards are key to offsetting card six.

Naturally, card seven and card three are closely connected. The cartomante will need weigh these two cards against each other and see if there are signs of dissonance.

For example, the cartomante finds himself reading for a client who wants to know if she will reconcile with an ex-partner: the seventh card is le soleil and the third card is le diable. The disparity between these cards indicates that although the two will reconcile (le soleil) she will find herself in hellfire (le diable). Transpose the two cards then the answer is negative, but le soleil would, as occupying the future position, foretell warmer times and love in the near future.

Example Reading

At the end of January one of my mother’s friends asked if someone could read for her daughter. After 52-weeks’ maternity leave, the daughter had returned to the employment to discover her role (secretarial) had changed and was somewhat unhappy to find herself working for a different person. Due to the complex laws surrounding maternity leave, the seeker felt that there were grounds for complaint, although was somewhat wary of initiating a grievance.

Her question was: “Will I be able to resolve this to my advantage?”

The cards as they fell:

Answer:

Yes, but with the aid of a steward or mediator; you can then cut through the mess and find yourself in a satisfying condition.

Delineation:

For clarity, we will breakdown the spread and delineation.

The client appears as l’Ermite which shows the client is searching for a solution and guidance, not being in a position where she can act autonomously.

Presently, her employer is undertaking some form of restructuring, that has come at the same time the seeker returns to work (Jugement), which has resulted in considerable confusion (la Lune).

With La Lune in mind, the client will need to solicit advice from one who can weigh the situation appropriately (la Justice) and, therefore, identify the right moment to act and deal the winning card (le Bateleur). It is important that she keeps her feet firmly on the ground (la Lune contrasted with la Justice and le Bateleur).

Thus, with the appropriate aid (le Pape), she will be in a strong position to resolve the situation to her satisfaction (la Force). We notice that both l’Ermite and le Pape are turned from each other – the seeker has not sort appropriate advice and would benefit from either union representation or some mediation (le Pape).

Despite the draw utilising positional contexts, we are able to retain the incisiveness of a linear draw. We just need to know how positions relate to each other in the same way attendance in lines flows. As with all of cartomancy, it comes down to looking.