They are the bane of many a reader: Court Cards are seen as difficult to read, in part because they clearly represent people, and so refuse to be banished into the realm of woolly platitudes inhabited by way too many readers, in part because locating them within the querent’s life can be objectively difficult.
In cartomancy with playing cards, however, the inherent signification of the cards can help us: The Queen and King of Clubs are almost always the main protagonists (the querent and his/her significant other), though there may be exceptions. I know of cartomancy systems where the querents are represented by the Heart suit, but this is just semantics.
Then we have the Heart court cards, of which the Jack is a child, a pet or something fresh and immature and small and the Queen and King represent people close to the querent’s heart. This is actually a modern interpretation: traditionally, they would be people sharing the querent’s bloodline, but modern times require modern solutions. I have found that the Heart courts can simply indicate very dear friends. For gay people, usually the significant other is a Heart card of the same sex, although occasionally the cards simply use the Club cards. We need to stay open. The Jack of Clubs can indicate friendship, help, cooperation.
The Diamond suit represents people usually unrelated to the querent, though they can indicate relatives by marriage. More usually, they show colleagues, acquaintances, bosses, rich people or people who have a more neutral or even cold perspective of the querent compared to the Hearts. The Jack of Diamonds usually represents a message.
Finally, Spades show people who are downright inimical to the querent, or who wield power over the querent’s well-being and enforce an objective set of rules, such as the police, doctors, judges, etc. This is especially the case for the King. The Jack can represent enmity, scheming, etc.
All Jacks can indicate children or very young people, though in practice this is more likely with the Jack of Hearts.
Usually, one court card within a reading is already more than we can tolerate, but sometimes we find that there are ONLY court cards. This is an example of a reading a did yesterday for a man who asked about his relationship:
A marriage-related three-card spread
When more than one court card shows up, it is important to look at the cards between them, as they show the nature of their relationship, or what’s between them.
It is easy to jump to conclusions here: there’s a woman between you two! You have a lover! This could very well be the case, actually, but it is always important to keep in mind that, with so few cards on the table, more than one interpretation is possible. Here are some possibilities:
There could actually be a woman between them. He may have a lover (or, more rarely, she may have a female lover)
It might be a threesome
There could be a woman who interferes but who is not a lover: it could be her mother, her friend, any other person.
There might be a person mediating between them in a positive way
He might know her from work or from a business context, since sometimes, two queens or two kings together can represent a single person, merging the qualities of two suits.
So, how do we know which interpretation applies? Well, first off, we ought never to play Nostradamus: in doubt, we ask. This may sound unimpressive, but our aim is not to impress, but to give accurate information. Still, with experience, we may rule out a couple of possibilities as being less likely:
This is a simple three-card spread. If the querent were in some kind of odd polyamorous arrangement, the cards would not lead off with three court cards, but by telling us the querent is weird. This may sound politically incorrect, but the cards are keyed to a rather traditional view of the world. This doesn’t mean they are a compass of morality: it’s just their language. They highlight the strange and untypical in rather clear ways. Three court cards together aren’t strange enough.
This is a simple three-card reading. If the querent had a hidden lover they would tell us the relationship is in danger, or at least they would highlight the lover by assigning her to the Queen of Spades rather than Diamonds (The Queen of Diamonds can be a lover, but it requires more hints from the surrounding cards). Even the Queen of Spades wouldn’t necessarily be a lover, but at least we’d know she’s trouble.
This is a simple three-card spread. If there were a positive influence mediating between them, the cards would have given her to the suit of Hearts, or they would have omitted the information altogether and told us the querent and his significant other are in a positive phase (the mediator isn’t that important, and a three-card spread only has space for what’s important).
With that in mind, I asked the querent if he knew his girlfriend from work or from a business context, and he denied this. I asked him then if there was a woman causing some issues between them. He smirked and said: “A friend of hers doesn’t like me, she’s trying to break us up.”
Obviously, this spread doesn’t tell us how it’s going to end. It just describes the situation rather than how it will evolve, and more cards should be drawn.
(Note: this is a collection of the meanings attributed to the cards by some occultists in the past centuries. It does not reflect my own study or opinion of the cards. It is only meant as a quick comparative reference as I develop my own take.)
The Five of Cups from the Builders of the Adytum (BOTA) tarot deck
Paul Foster Case (and Ann Davies)
The Five of Cups is the first decanate of Scorpio, ruled by Mars, time period October 22 to October 31. Well-Dignified: strength, power to do; ability to introduce needed changes and let go of relationships, prejudices and false ideas that are hindering spiritual progress. lll-Dignified: loss in pleasure, vain regret, disappointment, sorrow and loss of those things which have been much desired; treachery, deceit; unexpected troubles and anxieties; disappointments in love, broken engagements, broken friendships. (Note: These sorrows and disappointments, as indicated by the Five of Cups, lll Dignified, are often the necessary destruction before the beginning of a new and greater expansion and growth in the life of the Querent, depending on his basic understanding and evolutionary level.) Keyword: Defeated desire. (From the Oracle of Tarot course)
A. E. Waite
A dark, cloaked figure, looking sideways at three prone cups two others stand upright behind him; a bridge is in the background, leading to a small keep or holding. Divanatory Meanings: It is a card of loss, but something remains over; three have been taken, but two are left; it is a card of inheritance, patrimony, transmission, but not corresponding to expectations; with some interpreters it is a card of marriage, but not without bitterness or frustration. Reversed: News, alliances, affinity, consanguinity, ancestry, return, false projects. (From The Pictorial Key to the Tarot)
Aleister Crowley
[…] the Five of Cups is called Disappointment, as is only natural, because Fire delights in superabundant energy, whereas the water of Pleasure is naturally placid, and any disturbance of ease can only be regarded as misfortune.
This card is ruled by Geburah in the suit of Water. Geburah being fiery, there is a natural antipathy. Hence arises the idea of disturbance, just when least expected, in a time of ease.
The attribution is also to Mars in Scorpio, which is his own house; and Mars is the manifestation on the lowest plane of Geburah, while Scorpio, in its worst aspect, suggests the putrefying power of Water. Yet the powerful male influences do not show actual decay, only the beginning of destruction; hence, the anticipated pleasure is frustrated. The Lotuses have their petals torn by fiery winds; the sea is arid and stagnant, a dead sea, like a “chott” in North Africa. No water flows into the cups.
Moreover, these cups are arranged in the form of an inverted pentagram, symbolizing the triumph of matter over spirit.
Mars in Scorpio, moreover, is the attribution of the Geomantic figure Rubeus. This is of such evil omen that certain schools of Geomancy destroy the Map, and postpone the question for two hours or more, when Rubeus appears in the Ascendant. Its meaning is to be studied in the “Handbook of Geomancy” (Equinox Vol. I, No.2). (From The Book of Thoth)
AI-generated illustration for the Five of Cups
Golden Dawn’s Book T
A WHITE Radiating Angelic Hand, holding lotuses or water-lilies, of which the flowers are falling right and left. Leaves only, and no buds, surmount them. These lotus stems ascend between the cups in the manner of a fountain, but no water flows therefrom; neither is there water in any of the cups, which are somewhat of the shape of the magical instrument of the Zelator Adeptus Minor. Above and below are the symbols of Mars and Scorpio for the Decan.
Death, or end of pleasure: disappointment, sorrow and loss in those things from which pleasure is expected. Sadness, treachery, deceit; ill-will, detraction; charity and kindness ill requited; all kinds of anxieties and troubles from unsuspected and unexpected sources. Geburah of HB:H (Disappointment in love, marriage broken off, unkindness of a friend; loss of friendship). Herein rule HB:LVVYH and HB:PHLYH.
Etteilla
Legacy Upright. This card, in its natural position, means, as far as the medicine of the spirit is concerned: Inheritance, Succession, Bequest, Gift, Donation, Endowment, Estate, Transmission, Will. – Tradition, Resolution [=Decision]. – Kabbalah. Reversed. Consanguinity, Blood, Family, Avi, Ancestors, Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Uncle, Aunt, Cousin, Cousin. – Filiation, Extraction, Race, Lineage, Alliance. – Affinity, Attachment, Relationship, Ties.
I’m taking inspiration from a question I got asked recently to talk about an important topic in cartomancy. Sometimes (in fact, many times) the cards appear contradictory, with positive and negative cards mixed together. The question I was asked is, which cards prevail in the reading.
Before starting the interpretation, it is usually a good thing to get a general look at the cards to see the ‘tone’. Are they mostly positive? Are there places in the spread that seem difficult? Are there cards that answer the question directly? You don’t need to come up with the interpretation right away, but it’s good to be aware.
However, this general bird-eye view is not enough. Usually, in cartomancy, we read the cards from left to right as if they were a sentence, stringing the meanings together. Therefore, as a general rule, 5♥️ – 4♠️ is worse than 4♠️ – 5♥️. In the former case, the abundance is broken or blocked, while in the latter case the brokenness and blockage are overcome.
In this sense, it is important to pay attention to whether the negative points in the spread come at the beginning, in the middle or at the end, because. Even if there’s two negative cards out of five, if they come up at the end they can obstruct success. If they come at the beginning, it may be a passing problem.
Again, though, let us avoid purely mechanical rules. Suppose a five-card spread is all positive and shows the querent getting what he wants, and then at the end there is one negative card. This card may show not failure, but that the fulfillment of the wish comes with problems. In these cases it is always good to either add cards or do another spread.
Similarly, the cards are entirely negative and show failure, a single positive card at the end doesn’t necessarily show that the querent will get his way. It could be showing that there will be new opportunities. Again, additional cards or a new spread may be warranted.
When we ask a question and a card directly connected to it comes up in the spread, it is always important to look at the cards surrounding it, especially if they are of the same suit, and even more important are the cards following it, because they will show us what will happen to the significator of the question.
For instance, if the question is about a pregnancy, the 5♥️ followed by positive cards is encouraging. If the question is about work, the 8♣️ surrounded by Spades could show serious problems or even unemployment. In a marriage question, the 3♣️ surrounded by Hearts shows a loving union.
These are rules of thumb. Every spread is unique and must be judged on its own merits and in its own structure.
As I mentioned here, I got a new parrot from a local breeder and I had an interesting reading concerning it. The reading was done using the Bologna Tarot in its 45-card variant. We had already gotten some pictures of some of the available birds, and we had settled on a gray cockatiel, because it looked like the one I had as a kid. As the day approached, I asked the cards if everything would go alright. This is the spread I got:
Is the bird handover going to go smoothly?
Although I’ve already talked about the 13 card spread, when used with the Bolognese tarot there are some peculiar aspects to it (it is, after all, one of the “official” traditional spreads to be used with this deck). Traditionally, when a yes-or-no question is asked, the following rules apply:
If the Death card shows up in the spread, it’s a yes (as sure as we all die)
If the Angel (Judgement) card shows up, it’s a good chance
If both show up, it’s a sure thing
If the Angel and the Devil show up, it represents great satisfaction within the context (the Devil is in itself a negative card, but it is redeemed by the presence of the Angel)
Well, in my (still limited) experience with this tarot deck, I have found that it’s best not to rely too much on mechanical rules: the cards must always be interpreted, and exceptions allowed for. Still, it is encouraging to see both the Angel and the Death card as answer. Let’s interpret the cards row by row, as they came up very clear and orderly (it is not always like this, unfortunately):
King of Coins – Page of Coins – Seven of Cups: there have been talks (Page) with a man concerning business (King). The Seven of Cups is generically positive here. Angel – King of Cups – Ace of Coins: There is help (Angel) from a man of the house (King) concerning money (Ace). My husband paid in part for the parrot and the cage and food. Fool – Knight of Cups – Hanged Man: This is the most interesting row in the spread. It shows something that brings chaos or confusion (Fool) and that betrays or upends (Hanged Man) the agreement (Knight of Cups) Love – Queen of Coins – Death: True (Queen of Coins) Love (Love) is confirmed (Death) Ace of Wands: Success, positive ending
So in general what we can say from the spread is that the breeder is trustworthy, my husband helps me and I will be very satisfied, but still the deal will somehow be changed in an unexpected/confused way.
What ended up happening: we got there and the breeder introduced us to the various chicks that were ready for adoption, including the one we had settled on. But as we were playing with them, a white cockatiel chick quickly flew onto my shirt looking for cuddles. Obviously, it was love at first sight (see the true love in the spread), and we got that one instead.
I believe this change of plans is shown in the spread by combination of Knight of Cups (agreement, conciliation) followed by the Hanged Man (betrayal, upending). Our initial agreement was upended (or “betrayed” in a metaphorical sense), but still everything ended on a positive note.
NOTE: look how “dry” this reading is. Traditionally, tarot was not interpreted by musing on how the pictures looked, but by applying clear and specific meanings.
I’ve already written a couple of articles on unanswerable questions. Some of them are unanswerable for logical reasons, others because they ask about something on which no objective standard of measurement exists. Some are also unanswerable for ethical reasons (“Tell me when is the best time to rob the bank.”)
But occasionally someone comes along who asks a question that we instinctively feel is unanswerable, yet we can’t put our finger on why. It’s happened a couple of times to me that someone would ask me something to the effect of “Will I ever be happy?“
Obviously no one whose life is coming up roses would seek out a diviner of all people to ask such a question. These queries are put to the cards or the skies in a moment of weakness. My experience in these situations is that the cards behave in one of three ways. They:
Show the cause of the person’s unhappiness rather objectively, and whether the problem is likely to be overcome over the next few months (usually not)
Are generically very negative, without a specific sense to them
Are generically very positive, without a specific sense to them
In the first instance, the cards usually show the problem not getting resolved, not necessarily because it never will be, but because the person is still knee-deep in it. The fact that they chose to frame their question in such tragic terms tells us that, whatever the nature of their problem, it goes beyond its specific objective nature and it has wounded the person in their soul.
Extreme care is advised in dealing with people in such a state of difficulty. They come to us broken and they should, at the very least, not leave even more broken. Furthermore, it is not unlikely that they have started consulting many diviners, obsessively asking the same question in hopes of getting a magical solution to their issue dropped in their lap. It would be good to advise them to stay away from divination for a while, unless we are capable of pointing out a solution they haven’t thought about, which unfortunately is rare.
When the cards are generically positive or generically negative, they are merely reflecting the person’s state of confusion: the bleakness of their outlook or the irrational hope for unexpected redemption. I don’t think there is much that we can do in such situations, except telling them that their upset shows in the cards and that, life being a succession of phases, even this one will pass. Sometimes, in such situations, talking to them in our quality of human beings is better than talking to them in our quality of diviners. In extreme cases, having a hotline number handy may be helpful.
Really there isn’t much sense in asking this question except to torture ourselves. We as diviners should know this when asking our own questions, but many people don’t, so it’s best to be prepared.
Here’s a quick one I thought was interesting. A querent wanted to know if her boyfriend would propose to him. This is the reading:
K♣️ – 3♦️ – J♥️ – Q♣️ – 2♣️
Notice that the two querent cards both come up in the reading. They are separated by the Three of Diamonds and the Jack of Hearts. I didn’t think the Jack could represent a literal child, but to be on the safe side I asked the querent and she said they have no children. If they did, it could have shown a relatively loose relationship but with children.
The Three of Diamonds represents small projects within the couple. It is not negative, but falling next to the querent’s boyfriend it made me think that he was still a bit immature (especially with the Jack) or at least that he didn’t have big projects in mind. However, we find the Queen followed by the Two of Clubs which represents some steps taken. To me it looked as though she would be the one to take action, either proposing herself or pressuring him to commit further.
What ended up happening is that the querent fell pregnant and told the boyfriend she wanted to at least move together. They are apparently making arrangements to find a place, and an engagement may be on the horizion in the next few years.
Could I have foreseen the pregnancy? Maybe, with the Jack of Hearts so central to the spread. Still, it didn’t feel like a pregnancy spread (and after all it wasn’t even the question).
What I find interesting about the spread is how it describes the nature of the querent’s relationship and who wants to take it to the next level
Fludd discusses how the diviner should prepare to a geomancy reading.
The Preparation of the Soul of the Diviner Prior to Making a Figure
Since this knowledge is founded on [an operation of] the soul,1 it is certain and manifest that no truth can be guaranteed in it, except in so far as the soul permits it.
Therefore it is required that he who wishes to be versed in this art, before he begins his operation, should have a good and clear conscience, and that his body and spirit should be governed without disturbance, and that he should not think worse of another than of himself,2 nor should his mind be spare in judgment, and not tend to negation more than to affirmation. He should be a just judge of the question proposed.
Finally, he must trust in God almighty, who is the author of all knowledge and truth,3 and pray to him that through this knowledge he will be allowed to find the truth that his heart longs to know.
All of this having been properly considered, and with a soul well established in the proposed matter, he will immediately make the projections of the points.
Hence it is that so much fallacy and uncertainty arise in this art. This is also the reason why the same art is immediately regarded as nothing, namely, because some, falsely ascribing the name of artists to themselves, neglecting God, and not being moved in the least by the pacification of their souls and of the pleasures of the body, falsely judge of the things proposed, and by this reason render this secret and very profound art so despised, that it is also commonly regarded as the most falsified of all.
The fault, then, is not in the science, but in those who profess it: the science is doubtless most truthful, but its proponents are often hindered by ambiguities and difficulties because of their vicious dispositions.
For who can doubt that the soul can direct any part of the body to the true knowledge of the future more easily than the whole body itself?4
When we perceive that she governs her whole body in such a way that she foresees the future every day and every hour, that is to say, that she will arrange such a business the next day, and ride to this or that city, and do other things the following week, or even that she will marry at this or some other time, or that he would carry out his purpose and plan at such or such an hour, etc.5
To the modern reader, these tips may seem to have a moralistic taste, but we should keep in mind that, aside from being in part a product of the times, they may be boiled down to the very sensible idea that a diviner, as intermediary between the querent and the divine, should purify himself of that which keeps him away from the divine. One cannot be a bridge between A and B without being capable of reaching both sides. Aside from being against Christian morality, “thinking worse of another than oneself” also implies being engrossed in outside world nonsense. ↩︎
A fundamental truth of all divination is that its knowledge does not originate within the diviner. ↩︎
That is, the soul is more capable of the body of considering the future. ↩︎
This remark may appear odd, but from an occult standpoint it does make sense: our soul is capable of conceiving the future because it is integral part of an inner world (which opposes and complements the outside world, of which our body is an integral part) wherein the normal rules of time don’t unfold as they do outside. ↩︎
In another post, I detailed the main meanings of the 50-card method, which is the one my teacher uses. Here I am going to talk about the other main method for using the Bolognese tarot using 45 cards. I have this from a contact of mine, who gave me permission to explore it and talk about it. The two methods are equally powerful: the absence of 5 cards does not reduce the ability to predict, because the meanings, though similar to the 50-card method, are distributed slightly differently across the cards. Supposedly, the 45-card method is slightly older.
Note that 1) there are some books (in Italian) that discuss the 45-card method, but each gives its own version, and the method I know is also partially different. This is normal: every village and city has its own folk tradition, especially in a country as culturally decentralized as Italy 2) again, the meanings are eminently practical 3) as with the 50-card method, I arranged the majors in the usual order, even though it is different from the Bolognese order of the trumps
Major Trumps
Bolognese Tarot, Major Trumps
The Fool. Strangeness, Instability, Creativity The Juggler. A Child, A pet, Immaturity, Something New Love. Love, Feelings, Affection, Passion, Harmony Chariot. The bed card, Sickness, Static Situations (because the horses seem to rest) Justice. Justice, The Law, Fairness, Equilibrium The Hermit. Obstacle, Blockage, Small ailments
Bolognese Tarot, Major Trumps
The Wheel. Fortune, Chance Strength. Energy, Power, Fortitude, Good Health, Active stance The Hanged Man. Betrayal,1 Upending Death. Loss, Mortification, Change, Yes to a yes-or-no question Temperance. Time, Patience, Waiting Devil. Being bedeviled, Anger, Jealousy
Bolognese Tarot, Major Trumps
The Tower. Prison, Hospital, Sacrifice, Being impeded or limited The Star. “Stuff”, Objects, Material things, Your work life, Business The Moon. By Night, Darkness, Sadness, Falsehood, Negativity The Sun. By Day, Light, Happiness, Positivity The Angel. Help, Friendship, Peace, Protection, Solution The World. Travel, Journey (literal or metaphorical), Around the world
The Suit of Cups
Bolognese Tarot, Suit of Cups
Ace. The Home, The House, The Family Seven. The City, The Surroundings, Also the family, Protection Ten. Blooming, Flourishing, Celebrating, Fun, Happiness Page. A young woman, sometimes a female rival, Comfort, Help Knight. Adjustment, Agreement, Positive development Queen. A mother, A woman in your family, A motherly figure King. A father, A man in your family, A fatherly figure
Suit of Wands
Bolognese Tarot, Suit of Wands
Ace. Victory, Union, Sex, Ability to succeed Eight. A road, A path, Taking Steps Page. The thoughts of the female querent Knight. The thoughts of the male querent Queen. The female querent, An important woman King. The male querent, An important man
Bolognese Tarot, Suit of Coins
Ace. Big Money, Abundance, Satisfaction, The table Seven. Tears, Sadness, Melancholy Ten. Small money card, Small satisfactions, Tranquillity Page. Discussions, Talks, Communications Knight. News (especially good news, but news in general), Sometimes a young man Queen. The Truth, Truthfulness, Wisdom, Knowledge, A blonde woman King. An important man, A doctor, A graduate, A professional, “Important” in general
Bolognese Tarot, Suit of Swords
Ace. Something knocking at the door, About to happen, Contract, Relationship, Being bound, Hands tied Eight. Suffering, A thorn in the heart The Moor.2 A priest, A person in uniform, A surprise, Unexpectedness Page. Letter, Message, Post, Contacts Knight. Fighting, Ill-disposition, Cutting, Problems Queen. A dark-haired woman, A problematic woman, Affliction in general King. A dark-haired man, A young man, A problematic man, Immaturity in general
(Note: this is a collection of the meanings attributed to the cards by some occultists in the past centuries. It does not reflect my own study or opinion of the cards. It is only meant as a quick comparative reference as I develop my own take.)
The Five of Wands from the Builders of the Adytum (BOTA) tarot deck
Paul Foster Case (and Ann Davies)
The first decanate of Leo encompasses the time period from July 23 to August 1. It is ruled doubly by the Sun, so that the Sun and its attributions have a marked influence on the meanings of this Key. Thus the Five of Wands is a combination of the powers of Mars, active in Geburah and the powers of the Sun in Leo, together with the meanings of the number five and the pentagram. Key ideas associated with the Five of Wands are power and pleasure in exercising it. This is the combined influence of the strength resident in Geburah together with the pleasure associated with Leo and its natural fifth house in astrology. The Martian influence gives a spirit of adventure and speculation, together with some uncertainty in carrying out plans. The Leo influence, a fixed fire sign, intimates strong attachments, either to family or in love affairs. Well-Dignified: boldness, command and generosity. lll-Dignified: cruelty, violence, lust, prodigality. – Keyword: Competition. (From the Oracle of Tarot course)
A. E. Waite
A posse of youths, who are brandishing staves, as if in sport or strife. It is mimic warfare, and hereto correspond the Divinatory Meanings: Imitation, as, for example, sham fight, but also the strenuous competition and struggle of the search after riches and fortune. In this sense it connects with the battle of life. Hence some attributions say that it is a card of gold, gain, opulence. Reversed: Litigation, disputes, trickery, contradiction. (From The Pictorial Key to the Tarot)
Aleister Crowley
This card is referred to Geburah of the suit of Fire. Geburah itself being fiery, it is a purely active ,force. It is ruled also by Saturn and Leo. Leo shows the element of Fire at its strongest and most balanced. Saturn tends to weigh it down and to embitter it. There is no limit to the scope of this volcanic energy.
The symbol represents the wand of the Chief Adept, showing that the authority is derived from the superiors; were it not so, this card would be thoroughly disastrous. Moreover, there are also two wands of the Second, or Major Adept. They have the head of the Phoenix, which gives the idea of destruction (or rather purgation) through fire, and the resurrection of the energy from its ashes.
There is also a pair of wands of the Third, or Minor, Adept, which are daughters, so to speak, of the wands in the Three of Wands. In this card there is the mitigating influence of the Mother. One of the most difficult doctrines with regard to Geburah is that, while it represents all this tameless irrational energy and disturbance, yet it derives from the benign and gentle influence of the feminine.
The Egyptians understood this doctrine perfectly. Their Lion goddess, Pasht, was hailed as “saeva” and “ferox”, was even called “red in tooth and claw” by those fanatical devotees who wished to identify her with Nature. The idea of sexual cruelty is often inherent in the highest divine nature; compare Bhavani and Kali in the Hindu system, and observe the Shiva-Sakti coition portrayed on many Tibetan banners. See also Liber 418,4th, 3rd, and 2nd Aethyrs; and the description supra of Atu XI. (From The Book of Thoth)
AI-generated illustration for the Five of Wands
Golden Dawn’s Book T
TWO White Radiant Angelic Hands issuant per nubes dexter and sinister. They are clasped together in the grip of the First Order, “i.e.” the four fingers of each right hand crooked into each other, the thumbs meeting above; and they hold, at the same time, by their centres, five wands or torches which are similar unto the wands of a Zelator Adeptus Minor. One wand is upright in the middle; the others cross each other. Flames leap from the point of junction. Above the middle wand is the sign Saturn, and below is that of Leo: thus representing the Decante.
Violent strife and boldness, rashness, cruelty, violence, lust, desire, prodigality and generosity; depending on whether the card is well or ill dignified. Geburah of HB:Y (Quarrelling and fighting). This Decan hath its beginning from the Royal Star of Leo: and unto it are allotted the two great Angels of the Schemhamphorash HB:VHVYH and HB:YLYAL.
Etteilla
Gold Upright. This card, as far as the medicine of the spirit is concerned, means, in its natural position: Gold, Wealth, Opulence, Magnificence, Sumptuousness, Splendor, Luxury, Abundance, Good. – Physical, philosophical and moral sunshine. Reversed. Trial, Arguing, Differences, Altercations, Disputes, Disputes, Instance, Investigation, Judicial proceedings. – Contradictions, Arguments, Brig, Harassment. – Contradiction, Inconsistency.
Fludd offers interesting anecdotes from his life to elucidate the nature of Geomancy.
The Internal Principle of Terrestrial Astrology, or Geomancy
In the penultimate year of the life and reign of Elisateth, the glorious queen of England whose fame will never die, I was forced to stay in the city of Avignon during the whole of that winter, because of the severity of the weather, which covered the mountains with a lot of snow, and completely barred the journey to Italy.
In the house of a certain captain, together with many other noble and well-educated young men, and having received board from the Jesuits, I discussed philosophy with them one evening during supper, and perceived a variety of opinions concerning geomantic astrology. Some of them denied its virtue altogether, while others, on whose side I stood, vigorously defend the power of that art, and I adduced many reasons by which I proved that I was engaged in that knowledge of fate.
When the supper was over, as soon as I had betaken myself to my apartments, one of these men followed me and asked me to try my art, which he believed to be great, regarding some important matter whose resolution, he said, greatly concerned him.
After making many excuses, at last his prayers convinced me and I made him a geomantic figure in response to the question proposed by him, which was as follows: Whether the girl, by whose love he was vehemently captivated, would redeem him more than the others from the sufferings of mind and body.1
And after making him the figure, I affirmed that I could well describe the nature and disposition of the body of his beloved and, having done so, I noticed a particular mark or a certain spot, namely a fateful wart noticeable on her body, and so also I noted its place, indicating it to be on the left eyelid.2
This, of course, he also confessed. I also said that she was very fond of vineyards. He confirmed, as if exultant, adding that it was because her mother had built her house among vineyards. In short, I answered the question in this way: his beloved was inconstant and by no means firm, so much so that she loved someone else.
To which he said that he also suspected the same, and that he now saw it as if with open eyes. He then left my room with excited haste, and he reported [to the others] with some wonder the truth and power of my art.
But some of them, who happened to know this girl well, totally denied the existence of the mark described on her eyelids, until the next day, talking with her, they themselves also became witnesses to the truth of this matter, which I had explained to them by way of geomancy, and which they had not even observed before.
From here, therefore, more than I desired it, I became renowned, so that the report of this matter was carried to the ears of the Jesuits themselves. Two of them, hurrying to the steps of the palace, told the viceconsul all these things, and, moved by envy, said that there was a certain stranger present, an Englishman, who had foretold the future by a science rejected by the Catholic Church, that is, geomancy.3
These things were reported to me in the morning by the captain of the palace, named Johannes, who also referred to me the answer given to the viceconsul to these very things, which he affirmed to have been such:
“What?” said he, “This is not such an abomination as you make of it. Is there anyone among all the Cardinals of Italy who does not have his birth astrologically or geomantically described?”4 A few days afterward, the consul himself desired to speak with me, and kindly invited me to dinner. With a certain dear friend of mine, Monsieur Malceau, the apothecary of the Papal Palace, I went to the palace, where, having paid due respect in the usual manner, the viceconsul engaged with me in dialogue:
“I understand,” said he, “that you are well versed in the geomantic art; what is your opinion of that science?” To which I replied that I had proved by experience that this knowledge was essential and established by fundamental secret principles.
“How is this possible,” said he, “that there should be any certainty in something that consists of accidental points?”5
I told him: “The principle of these points made by the human hand is internal and very essential, since it is derived from the soul itself, which is the origin by this kind of movement. Moreover, the errors of this science are not caused by the soul itself, but by a perverse and incongruous movement of the body itself, moving against the intention of the soul.
Hence the general rule in this art is that the soul should be peaceful and that the body should obey it, and similarly, neither the body nor the soul should be confused or partial in the question, but let them be like a just and fair judge, and turn to God, praying from the heart that the truth may be revealed. At the same time, turn your soul energetically to the question proposed, and don’t be seduced by extraneous thoughts.”
“What then,” he answered, “is that soul of which you speak? Perhaps you understand by that your own soul, or the genius of Plato,6 or at least some angel?”
To which I answered: “An angel could not be the origin of that knowledge, since angels are divided into good and bad: good angels were seldom granted to the Arabs, Chaldeans, and Egyptians, who were the inventors of this art, and evil angels are all authors of lies rather than the truth, as the Holy Scripture testifies.”7
“From this, then,” said he, “it is evident that you yourself are not able to give a distinct and certain account of the principle in this science.”8
To which I answered that the human body is related to its soul as a servant is related to his master. A master may send his servant hither and thither with letters, without the servants in any way perceiving the intention of his master. Even a distinguished painter can send an excellent picture to a king through his servant; yet the servant is completely ignorant of the mixtures of colors and their symmetrical proportions.
In the same way, a king can impose taxes on his people through others, although the reason for these impositions is known only to the king himself. Similarly, of course, the body itself can perform what the soul commands, while remaining ignorant of the principles of this action except through its effects alone.
After hearing these things, he called me to a table standing in the midst of some of the bishops and deacons. There, taking pen and ink, he composed a geomantic figure, and very skilfully went over it, so that I could see that he himself was far more learned and expedient in that knowledge than me. Having thus finished my meal, I departed with his blessings, and visited him often afterwards; for I perceived that he was a very inquisitive prince, skilled in the sciences, kind to strangers, and in no way tyrannical.
Among the Jesuits, one was very desirous of conversing with me as a lecturer in philosophy. Therefore, at the entreaty of my dear Rheinaud, a young man of marked genius and modesty, I went to him, and was graciously received by him. There, after some philosophical discussions, he suddenly brought up geomancy, thinking perhaps that I would answer him easily.
“How is it possible” said he, “that by means of geomancy someone might be able to foretell the danger or death imminent to this or that person on his journey towards Rome? What is the participation and communication between his soul and yours, since both are contained within the human body?”
To which I answered briefly in this way: “Because the soul of each body is that chief light, having dominion over the rest of the body, no differently than the Sun in heaven has dominion over the other stars. Since the soul is the Sun of the microcosm, directing the whole body with her life-giving rays, there is no doubt that she also casts her invisible rays invisibly through the pores of the body in no other way than that Sun transmits his heavenly ones through the sieve of the elements toward the world below.9
In the same way that one star has a relation to another by ways of aspect, so that by application to one another they create the effects to be transmitted to the lower plane, so also without a doubt between the soul of one and the soul of another, which are invisible lights, rays are emitted, and by the emission they are joined together.
Thus, since either the petitioner himself or his friend is the one to who is in danger, and since the soul is very divine, and is the keeper of the body, she can foresee the future danger (for inasmuch as she is immortal, she can know the future and the present). So the soul will reveal to the querent the future secrets of the body, which the soul could not tell the body because of the body’s thickness. In this way the soul, quiet and peaceful, and prepared for judgment, very responsive to the bodily motion,10 can prognosticate without difficulty.
Moreover, Olaus Magnus,11 in his history of Finland, tells a great story about the amazing actions of the sorcerers of that region, among which he recounts the story of a certain enchantress.
It seems that when some from a remote country came to her in order to know about the state of his friends, the mode of operation was this: the witch, with some other woman and an assistant, entered the room, where, after many words muttered in silence, she took a serpent made of air, and, holding it by the tail, struck it twice with a small hammer, and having done so, she suddenly collapsed as if dead. And the other helped by driving away flies and other small animals, so that they might not touch her. Half an hour later the witch arose from her sleep, and told the truth about the petitioner’s friends.
But what does this mean, if not that the soul of that witch had communion with the souls of the querent’s friends? And since the semi-diameter of its rays was too short to reach the extremity of the soul of the friends, in order to fulfill the desire of the querent it was necessary for the her to depart from her heart to find a place where it could have communication and its application with the rays of the souls of the friends.
Doubtless the animal rays extend themselves insensibly outside the body, far beyond the field of vision, so readily can they penetrate the thinness and purity of their essential substance, as through elementary means without hindrance.
After making some other similar similar remarks, he embraced me in a friendly manner, swearing that he would regard me as his brother, and praying that I would often visit him and his brothers. This, however, I could not do because of my sudden departure from that city to the Duke of Guyse, who at that time was living in Marseilles, who sent for me to teach him and his brother, a Knight Militant, the mathematical sciences.
In conclusion, therefore, this art is a science directly dependent on the soul, in such a way that its root is the soul itself, and therefore it is more subtle than all the other sciences which man can learn in this corruptible world.
MQS
Footnotes
I am not sure I translated the question exactly. However, the gist is correct, as may be seen from Fludd’s answer. ↩︎
It is common for old geomancy and astrology manuals to teach how to find peculiar marks on the querent’s or other people’s body. It was a way of convincing them of the veracity of the art. ↩︎
The status of astrology has always been ambiguous in the West. However, geomancy was more unanimously rejected as dangerous. ↩︎
It was important for Fludd to establish the semi-official status of geomancy as a legitimate science by mentioning the common practice of horoscopy ↩︎
The objection of the viceconsul is similar to the one already discussed by Fludd in the introduction. ↩︎
In order to conform to the Christian orthodoxy, Fludd must deny the influence of angels, since Geomancy was not invented in the Christian West. ↩︎
The reason for the need to establish the principles of Geomancy as a science is twofold: on one hand, to justify it, and on the other in order to conform to the Aristotelean view of science typical of the time ↩︎
This answer is typical of the Renaissance point-of-view, which always sought to establish correspondences between the inner and the outer, the higher and the lower. ↩︎
probably the bodily motion of the creation of the geomantic figure ↩︎
