tarotschool
Home Help Search Login Register
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
Did you miss your activation email?
August 27, 2008, 11:23:10 PM

Login with username, password and session length
165 Posts in 39 Topics by 188 Members
Latest Member: Gottem
Welcome to the Tarot School Forum! This is the place to discuss the teachings of Wald and Ruth Ann Amberstone, founders and instructors of The Tarot School, producers of The Readers Studio annual event for professional tarot readers, and authors of Tarot Tips and the just released Secret Language of Tarot.
+  tarotschool
|-+  Tarot Psychology
| |-+  The Elemental Array
| | |-+  Your Elemental Array
Pages: [1] Go Down Print
Author Topic: Your Elemental Array  (Read 3077 times)
Cynthia
Newbie
*
Posts: 2



View Profile
Re: Your Elemental Array
« Reply #12 on: June 17, 2007, 08:59:56 AM »
great conversation:

I feel card knowledge changes one's choices tremendously and that only a 'naive' person to Tarot can actuallly give an accurate array of almost any kind.

Perhaps that's why I feel so passionately about shuffling the cards for those w/card knowledge - take the 4 Aces, shuffle and lay out your array: that's the Array For The Day or perhaps it will always come out that way.

I DO feel one can arrange the ACES to better a situation or desire via Intention immediately followed by ACTION.

All Good Things,
Cynthia
Logged
Janet
Administrator
*****
Posts: 18



View Profile WWW
Re: Your Elemental Array
« Reply #11 on: February 26, 2006, 02:54:30 AM »
I think, for many people, their identities do indeed get "stiffened". I'm thinking this is connected to the First Chakra which is tribally oriented and tends to protect the status quo. To hang out in the lower three chakras--and/or have "closed" upper ones (heart, third eye, etc.)--causes narrowness of vision and experience. To be able to have empathy and compassion (Heart/4th Chakra) and to be able to see the "big picture" and the realm of the symbolic/impersonal--as well as maintaining curiousity about the world (Third Eye/6th Chakra)--this  promotes expansiveness.

Perhaps the less we identify with the ego/little self (the part of us that is fear based and forgets who we are in our "bigness" and interconnectedness), the more fluid our identity. Personality then becomes clothes to change at will (or as our soul lessons progress) as opposed to a "skin" we never get out of. Because society is mostly tribal--moving slowly--change is slow...including personal change. (The lower the chakra the slower the vibration).

And maybe this is why if often takes a Tower experience for a paradigm shift and/or for signficant, conscious change.

Now how all this fits into the Elemental Array, I'm not sure. I should get out my notes! LOL
Logged
Ruth Ann & Wald
Administrator
*****
Posts: 21



View Profile
Re: Your Elemental Array
« Reply #10 on: February 26, 2006, 01:12:03 AM »
Quote from: Janet on February 25, 2006, 03:32:29 AM

In your opinion, Wald, why do you believe that the basic array is cemented and should remain consistent with an individual (if I'm understanding the theory correctly).

Actually, there is no standard for how set or not an array might be. This is purely theoretical since I have no way to actually find out if it's true, but my sense is that for many people, their identities slosh around a bit like jello that hasn't set. It surprises me how often this turns out to be the case.

Why it should be that identity remains fluid is unclear. I would've thought that age alone would settle that issue. Age seems to make us stiff in many ways -- physically, emotionally, in attitudes and in all sorts of other ways. How is it, I wonder, that identity, which is the root of who we are and all of its expressions should not stiffen up as well.

This, too, is something to contemplate.

-- Wald
Logged
Janet
Administrator
*****
Posts: 18



View Profile WWW
Re: Your Elemental Array
« Reply #9 on: February 25, 2006, 03:32:29 AM »
Hi!

Yes, definitely something to contemplate. I'm surprised in terms of the inconsistency in the exercise, but not really surprised at how they turned out with the blank cards. I pretty much know what it means for me.  Smiley

In your opinion, Wald, why do you believe that the basic array is cemented and should remain consistent with an individual (if I'm understanding the theory correctly).
Logged
Ruth Ann & Wald
Administrator
*****
Posts: 21



View Profile
Re: Your Elemental Array
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2006, 02:21:20 AM »
Hi Janet,

Something to contemplate, no? It seems as though strange things happen when we separate our own image-making facility from someone else's pre-conceived images. We all have our own internal sword, our own wand, cup and pentacle. It seems as though this exercise releases those images inside of us. Tarot apparently lives in its own place in each of us, which is precisely what archetypes are supposed to do.

Bright blessings,
Wald
Logged
Janet
Administrator
*****
Posts: 18



View Profile WWW
Re: Your Elemental Array
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2006, 01:41:25 AM »
Hi Wald!

I just did the exercise on blank index cards per your suggestion. I find the results intriguing, especially since they're pretty different from what I get with the Universal Waite (or any other deck, for that matter). With the blank card method, I chose:

Pentacles    Cups    Wands   Swords

Wands in third is about the only think that's consistent.

I like Pentacles and Cups, with about an inch between them. Don't feel so hot about Wands, but it's only a half an inch from Cups. Don't like Swords, and it's a half an inch from Wands.

(Every time I look at the Swords card I hear the metallic swish of a drawn sword and see a gleaming blade. Don't have a positive feeling from this... Keep seeing magic wands in Wands, in addition to the wand in the Universal Waite Ace, and despite loving the idea of magic wands, I don't have a positive reaction to it with this exercise. Odd.)
Logged
Ruth Ann & Wald
Administrator
*****
Posts: 21



View Profile
Re: Your Elemental Array
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2006, 02:16:18 AM »
Hi all!

A consistent issue in working with the Elemental Array seems to be what response you get from the deck you use. Clearly, each of us respond strongly to images, and when the images differ it's to be expected that the response will differ with them.

Probably, in order to truly compare apples with apples, for the purpose of this list, I would suggest using either the Rider Waite or the Universal Waite deck. In an earlier post, Leisa mentioned that she got different results using those two decks although I have always found the results to be consistent when I used either of those decks for my own array.

My Elemental Array has remained steady for many years. It is:
Swords / Cups / Wands / Pentacles

I like them all and the spacing between them is fairly close and even.

Another way to produce a kind of absolute benchmark that would level the playing field for everyone is to do the following exercise:

Using four unlined index cards, write the name of one suit in capital letters at the bottom of each card. Let your mind supply the images from your own sensibility. Do the process of creating your Elemental Array with these cards. You may well find that you get the most accurate, dependable and consistent results this way.

It's interesting to compare the results using these blank cards with the results you get from any other deck. I should tell you that my Elemental Array doesn't change when I use blank cards.

Bright blessings,
Wald
Logged
Crystalgate
Newbie
*
Posts: 1



View Profile
Re: Your Elemental Array
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2006, 05:54:14 PM »
Using the "Art Nouveau Tarot", my Elemental Array is:

Swords/Wands/Pentacles/Cups

Very different from what has come up for me when I have previously worked with this tool. I feel that what comes up evolves from where we are in life at any given time, as well as with which deck we are using.

Quite frankly, I hope that I can hold this energy pattern steady for a while!
Logged
Johanna
Guest


Email
Re: Your Elemental Array
« Reply #4 on: October 09, 2005, 09:11:41 PM »
As an artist I find that I was responding to Smith's graphics, more than anything else. I don't know if this would hold-up with other decks (including my Sacred Rose). As for whether I am a starter or finisher, I truly don't know. Starting is difficult for me, but when I get into a project I achieve greater joy in its birth.  Cheesy
Logged
Leisa
Newbie
*
Posts: 1



View Profile
Re: Your Elemental Array
« Reply #3 on: September 26, 2005, 10:38:19 PM »
My Elemental Array is

Swords Wands Pentacles Cups

Thats with the Rider Waite and I think that is more accurate. If I do it with the Universal Waite then it is ": Wands Cups Pentacles and Swords.

I think the artist has a bias for Cups by the way that card looks.

I would put Swords and Wands very close if not touching.   I really like to start things but I am not so much of a finisher. Wink


Leisa
Logged
Janet
Administrator
*****
Posts: 18



View Profile WWW
Re: Your Elemental Array
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2005, 06:18:14 PM »
I've not heard of that book, Johanna. Thanks for mentioning it!

I originally used the Universal Tarot to arrive at my array. When I look at the Universal Waite, though, Cups seems to be edging forward a whole lot more. I find my Array varies, but like Wald said, when you're first investigating the Elemental Array, it could very well fluctuate...especialy depending on what's going on in life at the time.

There are times when I actually put Cups first. Maybe that's my way of "integrating" Cups more--or consciously cultivating relationships and such (for an example.)

Having Wands 3rd, are you more of a starter rather than a finisher, Johanna? Maybe more Perceiving as opposed to Judging (think Myers-Briggs/Keirsey.)
Logged
Johanna
Guest


Email
Re: Your Elemental Array
« Reply #1 on: September 25, 2005, 03:24:01 AM »
My Elemental Array is:

Cup  Sword  Wand  Pentacle.

I found this workshop stimulating. In using the images from the RWS deck I reacted as above. I don't know if I would react the same way to another deck. All I know is the analysis that followed was accurate. Also, of interest is the book "Tetragrammaton" by Donald Tyson which has something to say about various ways the energies show themselves through  It is NOT a "must buy or have" but if you come across a copy do look-up your array.
Logged
Janet
Administrator
*****
Posts: 18



View Profile WWW
Your Elemental Array
« on: September 22, 2005, 08:24:42 PM »
Hello!

Would you care to share your Elemental Array and your interpretation of how it applies to your life?

Mine is:

Swords - Pentacles - Wands - Cups

I'll share thoughts on my Array sometime later. I loved to hear about yours!

For those curious about this series, you can visit http://tarotschool.com/Tapes.html for more information or to purchase. Also, I've written a review of this series which can be found here.
« Last Edit: September 22, 2005, 08:36:45 PM by Janet » Logged
Pages: [1] Go Up Print 
« previous next »
Jump to:  

Xsorbit | Powered by: X5 – FREE Plan |Create your own board free!
© 2001-2004 , Xsorbit . All Rights Reserved.