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The Celtic Cross

Advice spread

Elemental spread

Elemental Dignities and the Tarot

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Elemental Dignities is the name given to the analysis of a Tarot spread by the balance of elements present. It's a simple system which is easy to learn. The same four elements are used as in astrology: fire, earth, air and water. If you have a background in astrology or Tarot, the idea of the elements won't be new to you, and you'll pick it up easily.

Each card is assigned to one of the elements. You probably already know the correspondences for the suits of the Minor Arcana (if you don't, it's shown below). Then all you then need to do is remember the Major Arcana, as shown below (again, it's nothing new: the zodiac cards follow the astrological element assigned to that sign).

Armed with this knowledge we can then look at which elements are dominant or absent in the spread. This is very similar to the basic analysis which most Readers perform before interpreting individual cards: Do the Major or Minor Arcana predominate? Which suit dominates the reading? The elements are a way of expanding this basic analysis to the point where individual cards are secondary to the overall interpretation. In fact, there are some Readers who base their readings almost on Elemental Dignities alone. See Paul Hughes-Barlow's site.

The suit of Wands corresponds to Fire

Swords = Air

Cups = Water

Disks = Earth

The Major Arcana as follows:

Fire: Emperor, Lust/Strength, Fortune,  Art/Temperance, Tower, Sun, Aeon

Air: Fool, Magus/Magician, Lovers, Adjustment/Justice, Star,

Water: High Priestess, Chariot, Hanged Man, Death, Moon

Earth: Empress, Hierophant, Hermit, Devil, Universe

Fire is action, activity - active

Air is ideas, thoughts - active

Water is emotions, feelings - passive

Earth is practicality, manifestation - passive

Remember that the absence of an element is just as important as a preponderance. For example, plenty of fire and air means lots of ideas flying around but no real results.

Plenty of water and earth indicates a passive, inert situation.

Lots of water and air indicates worry over emotional matters, but no action being taken (no fire).

And so on. There's an exploration of all the possible combinations on Paul Hughes-Barlow's site, but you might like to work out your own ideas first. Give it a try and see what you think!

The Emperor

Book of Thoth

Designed by Aleister Crowley

Painted by Lady Frieda Harris

Published by US Games