Chapter 8

Reading The Cards

Man has a visible and invisible workshop.
The visible one is his body, the invisible one his imagination.
— Paracelsus

No outside reading or study is necessary to use this deck. The beginning user does not even need to read the interpretations provided. You can immediately begin to use this deck simply by relating directly and personally to the images. However, by reading the card descriptions in Chapters 3 through 7, and referring to the charts in Chapter 2 — you will greatly increase the range of ideas and responses available to you.

Additional study of Blake and Tarot is encouraged, and for this purpose a few resource books are recommended in the Appendix.

Although this chapter deals with how to interpret the cards, we must try to avoid converting symbols into rigid meanings, or images into tight-fitting allegories. Such actions limit the imagination. Instead, we want to 'see into' symbols as metaphors, personal fantasies, and jumping-off points for myth-making, for taking imaginative leaps that do not define meaning but instead allow symbols to connect with our lives and dreams in ways that are imaginative and open-ended.

—Principles of Divination
—Using the Suit Key-Phrases
—Interpreting the Number Cards
—Interpreting the Person Cards
—Making Correspondences to Other Decks (Using the Suit Glyphs)
—The Symbol Windows

PRINCIPLES OF DIVINATION

You can interpret the cards by using the imaginative principles of the suits themselves. To do this, follow the same keywords that are thematic to the suits:

1. Painting = Form: Physically inspect the cards: their suits, numbers, figures;
2. Science = Structure: Intellectually analyze the symbols and meanings;
3. Music = Vibration: Emotionally empathize with the querent and the cards;
4. Poetry = Prophecy: Imaginatively intuit the truth revealed in the cards;
5. Triumphs = Soul: Divine the spiritual purpose that the reading serves.

The following paragraphs briefly expand on the above principles:

1. Inspection. Carefully note all the 'facts' presented by the cards in a reading: its suit, number, characters, symbols, colors, and so forth. Note the details; many are subliminal or seemingly trivial.

Tarot author Mary K. Greer calls this the "literal dimension" of meaning, emphasizing factual statements of what is contained or happening in the pictures on the cards.

2. Analysis. Systematically analyze all the 'facts' and their interactions. Knowing the keywords for the symbols is helpful as a place to start. Don't memorize; instead, learn their principles and seek to understand their contextual significance. Symbols have stories and are themselves the elements of storytelling. By learning their own stories, you can weave them into new stories that embody the truth of the situation at hand.

Greer calls this the "allegorical dimension" of meaning, using the symbols as allegory instead of facts. Think about symbols as having a range of interpretive responses, rather than 'meanings'. The idea is to weigh the possibilities of the allegory as grist for your own imaginative mill.

3. Empathy. Let yourself respond emotionally to the cards and the reading situation. Cards that evoke strong feelings in you or the querent may be particularly relevant. Remember that, for the querent, the reading is likely to be predominantly an emotional experience. However, avoid making value judgments about what the querent is feeling.

Greer calls this the "moral dimension" of meaning, because it evokes subjective responses based on personal beliefs. The feelings surrounding the cards often point to the appropriate interpretation, assuming they are allowed to be felt and expressed.

4. Intuition. Give your imagination free rein to play with the particulars of the reading and then integrate them into a prophecy that speaks psychological truth. The querent will usually affirm your interpretation, but sometimes not — either from lack of feedback or because the interpretation seems wrong or inapplicable. In this case, ask the querent to express her own intuitions about the reading. There will be a mutual sense of revelation when the appropriate interpretation is found. The 'true' interpretation involves combining and sequencing of details (the narrative) within a meaningful context (the plot).

5. Spirit. Lastly, look for the highest potential or spiritual moral of the prophecy revealed in the cards. Any outcome should always be placed in a context of higher consciousness: what is the soul saying through these cards?

Greer calls this the "spiritual dimension," of meaning, which always has the capacity to be uplifting. What can be learned from the cards and the experiences they represent? How can this be put to beneficial use? Every card has the potential to convey a spiritual insight of immediate value.

USING THE SUIT KEY-PHRASES

A supplemental 80th card in the deck provides key-phrases for each of the suits, as does the Frontispiece to this book. These key-phrases are useful starting points for reading the cards. By noting the name and number of any card, and then relating it to the key-phrases, some correlation to the situation at hand may become evident.

At the conclusion of a reading, the cards selected can be arranged according to suit. A predominance of cards in any suit suggests that the keywords of that suit are particularly significant in the reading. Note any suits that are missing: their qualities are either lacking from the situation or point to a resource that is operating well and does not need consideration — you must decide which.

INTERPRETING THE NUMBER CARDS

Cards bearing the same numbers are numerologically related even though they appear in different suits. This information that can be helpful when interpreting them.

The Relationships of the Number Cards

Aces

Aces are seeds or roots that we must nurture, or gifts and opportunities that we must grasp if they are to develop. The number 1 is the number of creation and the source of all numbers; it signifies the male attributes that assert or initiate things. In the four suits they represent the four creative essences: Generation (body), Intellect (mind), Passion (feelings), and Inspiration (spirit).
OTHER KEYWORDS FOR THE ACES'S ARE: CONCENTRATION, WILL, CREATIVITY, ORIGINALITY, INDEPENDENCE.
NEGATIVE: INABILITY TO GRASP OPPORTUNITY.

Two's

The number 2 is the number of duality and signifies the female attributes. The 2's deal with making choices, and with nurturing, change, and intuition. In the four suits they represent four types of choice-making: Balance (choosing both), Reflection (not choosing), Contraries (interacting with both), and Individuality (choosing one).
OTHER KEYWORDS FOR THE 2'S ARE: RECEPTIVITY, SENSITIVITY, ADAPTABILITY, PEACEFULNESS.
NEGATIVE: UNBALANCED, INABILITY TO CHANGE.

Three's

The number 3 is the number of growth and synthesis. The 3's combine the impetus of 1 with the receptivity of 2 to produce beauty and fruitfulness. In the four suits they represent four aspects of growth: Practice (refines growth), Jealousy (inhibits growth), Exuberance (celebrates growth), and Creativity (embodies growth).
OTHER KEYWORDS FOR THE 3'S ARE: OPTIMISM, KINDNESS, HEDONISM, EXTROVERSION, ARTISTIC TALENT, FECUNDITY, LOVINGNESS.
NEGATIVE: ARROGANCE, TRIVIALITY, FRIVOLOUSNESS, SELF-INDULGENCE.

Four's

The number 4 is the number of consolidation, of stabilizing and actualizing. The 4's mark initial success and establish boundaries. In the four suits they represent four ways of consolidating: Means (through materialism), Repose (through rest), Musing (through play), and Harmony (through rapport).
OTHER KEYWORDS FOR THE 4'S ARE: DEPENDABILITY, DIGNITY, DISCIPLINE, PRACTICALITY, CONSERVATIVENESS, ENDURANCE.
NEGATIVE: REPRESSION, LIMITATION, DISCONTENT, SELFHOOD, STAGNATION.

Five's

The number 5 is the number of upset or conflict, a reaction against the 4's. The 5's cause change through loss, strife, and purgation. In the four suits they represent four ways of upsetting stability and stagnation: Hardship (through difficulty), Division (through alienation), Melancholy (through sadness), and Strife (through conflict).
OTHER KEYWORDS FOR THE 5'S ARE: TEACHING , LEARNING, PROBLEM-SOLVING, COMBATIVENESS, VERSATILITY, RESOURCEFULNESS.
NEGATIVE: DOGMA, ANGER, DEPRESSION, DISRUPTION, IRRESPONSIBILITY.

Six's

The number 6 is the number of sharing and reciprocity. The 6's are concerned with the right use of energy and the benefits of reconciliation. In the four suits they represent four ways of relating and experiencing: Assistance (by helping), Passage (by communing), Pleasure (by enjoyment), and Cooperation (by sharing).
OTHER KEYWORDS FOR THE 6'S ARE: PROTECTIVENESS, UNSELFISHNESS, HEALING, SYMMETRY, SERVICE, RESPONSIBILITY, DISCRIMINATION.
NEGATIVE: VANITY, CONDESCENSION, STUBBORNNESS.

Seven's

The number 7 is the number of initiation and instability. The 7's are tests of what you have learned. In the four suits they represent four ways of overcoming obstacles: Patience (waiting them out), Lamentation (pushing them away), Fancies (seeing them as opportunities), and Boldness (facing them directly).
OTHER KEYWORDS FOR THE 7'S ARE: POISE, STOICISM, RESEARCH, INTROSPECTION, FAITH, MOVEMENT, VICTORY.
NEGATIVE: DELUSION, DECEIT, MANIPULATION, AVOIDANCE.

Eight's

The number 8 is the number of reevaluation and assertive expansion. The 8's deal with balancing of power and making decisions. In the four suits they represent four ways of asserting power: Discipline (power over oneself), Restriction (limitation of power), Discontent (negative assertion), and Swiftness (positive assertion).
OTHER KEYWORDS FOR THE 8'S ARE: LEADERSHIP, AUTHORITY, THOROUGHNESS, VISION, ACTION.
NEGATIVE: FRUSTRATION, JEALOUSY, INDECISION, FEAR.

Nine's

The number 9 is the number of attainment and completion. The 9's are plateaus achieved through effort. In the four suits they represent four types of attainment: Fruition (sensual or material success), Despair (mental failure), Happiness (emotional success), and Powers (spiritual success).
OTHER KEYWORDS FOR THE 9'S ARE: UNDERSTANDING, COMPASSION, GENIUS, HUMANITARIANISM, PURIFICATION, SOLITUDE.
NEGATIVE: ISOLATION, DENIAL, REJECTION.

Ten's

The number 10 is the number of culmination and transcendence. The 10's represent the essences of their ruling elements and are overviews of their suits. In the four suits they represent four types of culmination: Delight (material culmination), Defeat (negative mental culmination), Sublimity (emotional culmination), and Prophecy (spiritual culmination).
OTHER KEYWORDS FOR THE 10'S ARE: END OF CYCLE, RESULT OF ATTAINMENT, KARMA.
NEGATIVE: OVERFLOW, FATALISM, CORRUPTION.

INTERPRETING THE PERSON CARDS

The Person Cards are called the Court Cards in conventional Tarot. The word 'person' literally means a face mask used by actors, from personare, to sound through (per, through, and sonare, to sound). Hence, a person is a character or a role as well as a body and a personality. The Person Cards in the Blake Deck, in each of the four suits, are: Angel (sacred person or mask), Child (face of innocence), Woman (feminine role), and Man (masculine role). They roughly correspond to the Knight, Page, Queen, and King cards, respectively, in the conventional Tarot. One vital difference is that the Blakean frame of reference concerns imagination and the arts as divine pursuits, not regal pretensions or materialistic strivings. Blake's persons are artists and heroes, not egotistic monsters. Like the Number Cards, the Person Cards reflect the characteristics of their suits; however, the former depict human situations while the latter portray the personalities involved in them. Viewed internally, the Person Cards are levels of self-mastery and models of success within their suits. Viewed personally, they represent aspects of yourself in the situation, and sometimes other people around you.

Meanings of the Person Cards

Angel Cards

The Angel cards are divine muses representing imagination in its various forms. Blake invokes the angelic muses himself:

Come into my hand By your mild power; descending down the nerves of my right arm
From out the portals of my brain, where by your ministry
The eternal great Humanity divine planted his paradise.

The word 'angel' means 'divine messenger, bringer of good news' (from Greek). In this deck, the Angel cards are celestial and spiritual emissaries whose powers flow from eternity. They know the secrets of the suits, and can call, inspire, or awaken us to the special abilities of each suit, and set the atmosphere in which we perform creative work. They also represent Swedenborg's "divine influxes" — sacred feelings such as love and beauty, idealism and transcendence. The Angel represents the initiatory or generative energy of a situation or project. Each angel is a servant of the gods, a talismanic presence that reminds man of the fundamental ideas (as expressed in the Triumphs cards). Although often depicted as female, angels (and archangels) are androgynous. The Angel cards can considered to correspond to Knight cards in the conventional Tarot, but their differences make this correspondence quite limited when interpreting the cards. Their similarity is that both Angel and Knight cards signify energy and purpose. The Angel cards are associated with the element Air, which is their medium.

Child Cards

The Child cards are innocent and instinctive beings of light. Although novices, they are powerful in their directness and simplicity. Playful and enthusiastic, they represent our ability to see freshly, and are wellsprings of imagination. They represent growth and learning, openness and curiosity. They discover, explore, and develop the powers of each suit. They challenge us to take risks. "Jesus supposes every thing to be evident to the child..." The Child cards roughly correspond to the Page cards in the traditional Tarot, but with greatly extended powers of artistic imagination, and lacking the 'messenger' aspect of the Page cards. The Child cards are associated with the element Earth, ever growing and renewing.

Woman Cards

The Woman cards are endowed with skills and wisdom. Working from the heart, they are the spiritual power within, and represent the sacredness of imagination. They receive and use the creative powers of each suit, and are fertile and productive ("the female is a golden loom"). They are sensitive, receptive, self-aware, introspective, and people-oriented. Their talents are personal and interpersonal. They look for inner meaning. "But what may woman be, to have power over man from cradle to... grave?" The Woman cards roughly correspond to the Queen cards in the traditional Tarot, but with greatly extended powers of creativity and spirituality. The Woman cards are associated with the element Water because they are fluid, shape-shifting, and primal.

Man Cards

The Man cards are focused and goal-oriented. Working from the mind, they represent rational power, artistic mastery, and control over the powers of the suits. They define and assert, and demand recognition for their expertise. Seeking action and wanting to transform things ("the male is a furnace of beryll"), they can also be inflexible and intolerant of others. They are self-defining and self-oriented. The Man cards roughly correspond to the King cards in the traditional Tarot, but with greatly extended powers of creativity and spirituality. The Man cards are associated with the element Fire because they are forceful, passionate, and dangerous.

MAKING CORRESPONDENCES TO OTHER DECKS (USING THE SUIT GLYPHS)

New users of the Blake Deck may already be familiar with another deck, especially the Waite- Smith deck or one its many variants. For this reason, the Blake Deck incorporates an easy method of determining the equivalent cards. This is done via the suit glyphs, which are designed to correspond with those of the Waite-Smith Deck in particular, but will correspond with most decks as well. Each suit card in the Blake Deck contains two glyphs that symbolize its suit first is a literal picture of the suit symbol (at the lower left corner of each card), while the second is a shorthand version of the same (at the lower right corner of each card).

The shorthand version is intended be used in handwriting or text to represent the suit; for example:

• means the Ace of Painting,
• means the 8 of Science,
• means the Angel of Music,
• means the Child of Poetry.

	Palette	=Painting		=Penticles	[pentigram image]
	Compass	=Science		=Swords	[sword image]
	Lyre	=Music		=Cups	[cup image]
	Scroll	=Poetry		=Wands	[wand image]

However, the handwritten glyph has another very important purpose: it indicates the corresponding Waite-Smith suit via the graphical similarity of their glyphs.

For example, the glyph for the Suit of Painting deliberately resembles the suit glyph of Pentacles in the Waite iconography: both are roughly circular. The other suit glyphs are likewise correlated by their similar shapes. All cards in the two decks with similarly shaped glyphs are equivalent. For example, the 7 of Painting is equivalent in meaning to the 7 of Pentacles in the Waite-Smith Deck. The card meanings correlate in all cases, taking into account the differing frames of reference between these two decks. The only variation is in the Person Cards, where the correlations are: Angel Knight and Child Page.

All owners of another deck — especially the Waite-Smith deck — are strongly urged to compare every card in their deck with every card in the Blake Deck by placing the corresponding cards side by side. This exercise will greatly accelerate the process of understanding the cards, and should prove highly entertaining as well!

THE SYMBOL WINDOWS

Each of the 56 cards in the Creative Process or "working" suits (Painting, Science, Music, and Poetry) contains a Symbol Window — a space on the card in which you may mark or paste your own personal symbols. In this manner, users of the William Blake Tarot can imaginatively incorporate their own symbolic data into the Blakean and Tarot data. A fine-point wax pencil or stylus is recommended so that your symbols can be changed as needed by simply wiping them off. Or after experimenting, you may want to make some symbols or sets of symbols a permanent part of your deck — a personalization that makes the deck uniquely yours.

Alternatively, you can glue or adhere printed matter or images to the Symbol Windows by using paste or tape. Stamps, rubber stamps, and stickers are other possibilities. To fit the maximum of information into the Symbol Window spaces, use your computer to generate the desired symbolic information, and then with your computer printer, print the data to exactly fit the spaces, which are 3/8" high x 2-1/2" wide (10 mm x 64 mm).

Many different symbol systems can be employed to answer different questions, or to satisfy different needs. Several different symbol systems can be used on the cards at the same time, or combined in any way. Some kinds of symbolic information you might add to your cards are:

• Words — of any kind: Phrases, Notes, Slogans, Reminders, Signatures.
• Numbers — of all kinds: Weights and measures, Monetary symbols, Mathematics.
• Alphabets — Hebrew, Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphs, Mayan glyphs, Braille dots.
• Names — of Persons, Animals, Flowers, Places, Objects, Gods & Goddesses, etc.
• Titles — of Books, Songs, Films, Brand-names, Corporations, Clubs, etc.
• Symbols — Alchemical, Geometrical, Architectural, Scientific, etc.
• Divination — Runes, I Ching hexagrams, Astrological and other systems.
• Designs — Talismans, Monograms, Seals, Crests, Brands, Signs, Flags.
• Correspondences — Colors, Gemstones, Essential Oils, Musical notes and notations.
• Time notations — Hours of the day, Months, Years, Dates.
• Terms used in — Organizations, Professions, Occupations, Industries, Crafts, Arts.
• Location terms — Compass points, Directions, Degrees of circle, Latitude/longitude.
• Keywords for — Ideas in progress, Questions being asked, Alternatives being pondered.
• Predictive data — Lottery numbers, Stock-market listings, Sports betting, Horse-racing, etc.
• Personalizing the cards — Coloring, Drawings, Designs, Cut-outs, Doodles.

Here are some ways the Symbol Windows can be used, with appropriate spreads:
• Add personal meanings to one or more cards.
• Add personal reminders of related issues.
• Get answers to questions by using specific words or symbols keyed to the questions.
• Choose from numerous alternatives by specifying them in detail on the cards.
• Get ideas and suggestions for artistic processes and crafts projects.
• Use a secondary set of symbols for extending your interpretation. Add other divination symbols to your deck. Add gems, plants, animals, constellations, colors...
• Play with math, chemical, statistical equations. (Let the cards be quantities and unknowns; invent various spreads to use as operations.)
• Determine lottery numbers, names of race horses, and other gambling information.
• Select among possible travel destinations, things to do, people to see...
• Choose times and dates, latitudes and longitudes, degrees of circle...
• Create a Braille deck for a blind friend by adding dots (in the windows of the Suits cards and in the bottom spaces of the Triumphs).
• Creative play: Generate poems or haikus by writing words on the cards. (For example, if each card contains a noun, infinitive, adjective, etc.; then spread positions can be parts of speech.) Compose a tune using musical notation. See if the cards can speak to spirit a la Ouija.
• Decoration: Beautify or personalize your deck with designs, colors, clippings...

Effective use the Symbol Windows will greatly depend on the data you put into your deck and the spreads you choose to work with that data. The Symbol Windows are meant to entice you into using your own imagination and see what happens. Some books that might help with ideas are listed in the Appendix.

For readers who make use of the Symbol Windows, I recommend doing lots of experimentation with this feature to determine their utility (how to use them) and their dynamics (what are they for). If you want to give Symbol Windows a whack, three primary issues are involved:

1. You need to assign which symbols go with which cards.

First choose which cards seem the best vehicles for your particular symbolic additions, based on their primary meanings and present symbology. You could add your symbol sets randomly, but for most purposes it makes sense that the added symbols should be meaningfully applied. In other words, each of the cards already has a constellation of meanings attached to it, so the goal of adding more symbols is to extend the range and specificity of the existing meanings, not to introduce new and unrelated ones. Next, in doing this:

2. You need to find or invent ways to match the symbols to the windows.

There are 56 windows altogether, a number that is unlikely to match the number of symbols in your set(s). So the next issue is how to assign your symbols to the windows, and whether or not to use all the cards in a particular reading. If your symbol-set is shorter or longer than the number of cards with windows, obviously some accommodation is necessary. Here are the possibilities:

• Mark Some, Use All: You can mark some of the cards, but still do readings with the entire deck. In this case, the added symbols will be meaningful only when marked cards are dealt. Even though your symbol-set is smaller than the card-set, it will still add a deeper dimension to any reading in which the marked cards are dealt.

• Mark Some, Use Only Those: You can mark some of the cards, then select out only those cards for the reading(s). In this case, your reading(s) will consist only of subsets of cards that you marked. This enables you to do shorter or very specific readings in which the cards represent defined choices, decisions, or answers. You may also designate several different subsets of cards, each marked with different symbol-sets, and then use whichever subset most applies to the reading situation.

• Mark All: You can mark all the cards, with one or more symbol systems, and then either use all of them or only some of them, as outlined in the two preceding paragraphs.

3. Finally, you need to discover which spreads make the best use of your added symbols.

If your readings involve all the cards, whether or not all are marked, the spreads you ordinarily use should work fine without change. The marked cards will simply extend the meanings within the existing structure of the spreads. However, if you use only some of the cards in a reading; that is, only subsets consisting of marked cards, then you may have to invent new spreads to accommodate the smaller number of cards available to be dealt. This might be as simple as drawing a single card. However, using several cards in a spread will yield more information and more depth of interpretation.

Finally, the use of the Symbol Windows is entirely optional. The Blake Deck is functionally complete without them, and no one should feel under any obligation to use them. However, they represent a potential that can be creatively explored at any time, especially when you wish to receive very specific and highly personal information from the cards.

I would like to hear about the ways you find to use the Symbol Windows. My address is listed in the Appendix. Please let me know about your own experiments and experiences with them, which I will report in the TAROT Newsletter.