Polarity

Polarity refers to the classification of the cards as positive, negative, or neutral. Of the thirty-six cards, thirty-three cards can be divided into these groups. The Child, the Lady, and the Gentleman as the key significators are not included.

The terms positive and negative have connotations of being good and evil. However, innate goodness or otherwise is not what determines if a card is positive or negative. After all, there is nothing inherently bad about a Scythe or Coffin.

What determines if a good card is positive or negative is its ability to facilitate or limit. The Heart card is positive because it pumps the lifeblood around your body. In contrast, the Mice are negative because they are vermin which damages crops and carries disease. Consequently, we are talking more about behaviour or function than goodness.

The Positive Cards:

The Cloverleaf
The Flowers
The Stars
The Heart
The Lilies
The Sun
The Moon
The Key
The Fishes

The Negative Cards:

The Clouds
The Serpent
The Coffin
The Scythe
The Birch Rod
The Fox
The Mountain
The Mice
The Cross

The Neutral Cards:

The Cavalier
The Boat
The House
The Tree
The Birds
The Bear
The Stork
The Hound
The High Tower
The Park
The Road
The Ring
The Book
The Letter
The Anchor

Several of these cards contain facets which can be seen as leaning towards the positive or negative side.

Facilitation:

Noting the cards’ inclination towards facilitation can help the cartomante determine the ease of the desired outcome. If two out of three cards are negative, it is unlikely the desired outcome will occur without significant effort.