“All around me golden sunflakes/Settle on the ground.”
– from Granchester Meadows by Pink Floyd
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I was just reading a fascinating description of the behavior of visible light from a quantum physics perspective.
Luminosity has been portrayed by scientists as quasi-particulate in that it is transmitted and received in “packets” of massless particles called photons, but it also exhibits oscillation that is characteristic of a wave. (One physicist combined the two and named the dual phenomena “wavicles.”) The key factor in determining which trait will be demonstrated is whether: 1) it has been “observed” (i.e. monitored with instruments or, in the view of some theoreticians, via focused mental attention), in which case it acts like a stream of particles; or 2) it hasn’t been disturbed by measurement or conscious scrutiny and therefore partakes of wave-like attributes. This shift in properties wrought by the “observer effect” is one of the fundamental tenets of quantum mechanics.
Bringing these ideas to bear on the performance of the tarot “line” reading, we could say that the linear model shows a string of “particles” in which the cards carry discrete meanings that vary in quality but are not markedly dissimilar in strength when taken in the aggregate. This diverse population must be seamlessly fused to provide an intelligible outlook that is rhythmically cohesive from beginning to end. Thinking of the five-card layout in Pythagorean terms, we will ideally achieve an unwavering pattern in which the total accurately reflects the sum of its parts: 1+2+3+4+5 = 15. Any “false notes” (i.e.interpretive irregularities) that crop up can be handily taken in stride by a seasoned diviner without missing a beat.
However, some time ago I experimented with turning that level flow of projected developments into a rising-and-falling evolution that mimics the movement of a wave from trough-to-trough. It appears from nowhere (Position #1); surges (Position #2); crests (Position #3); decelerates due to friction or resistance (Position #4); dwindles and withdraws (Position #5). Unlike the uniform “flat-line” of the linear array, the crest of the wave (Position #3) is the point of both maximum potential and greatest vulnerability. From this sensitive summit the querent can “ride the wave” and steer emerging conditions toward enhancement of any predicted advantages (best case) or mitigation of any disadvantages (alleviated worst case) depending on the nature of the cards pulled.
It brings up obvious cliches like “Carpe diem” and “Strike while the iron is hot,” in which case the end-of-the-matter card (Position #5) is a logical outgrowth of any actions taken or prudently avoided at the apex of the cycle (Position #3), and the “coast-down” phase (Position #4) represents a state of post-crisis acquiescence that lets the “chips will fall where they may.” To complete the tableau, Position #1 is formative in nature and Position #2 shows a climate of growing anticipation or apprehension, once again according to the relative benefit or detriment of the card pulled for that slot.
The point in all of this is that the unfolding of the scenario illustrates expansion followed by contraction, which is more realistic than an undifferentiated straight-line run of cards from start to finish. In the “textbook case,” Positions #1 is neutral and seminal; Position #2 is energizing and motivating; Position #3 shows a dynamic climax or turnaround; Position #4 is “post-critical” and anticlimactic (as in “It’s all over but the shouting”); and Position #5 is either meaningfully conclusive or open-ended and short on closure (in which case I may pull another card or two to reveal “the rest of the story”).
There are (or should be) no unmeasured dimensions in a successful tarot reading to produce it, so the wave-form must be imposed deliberately, which I have done in my various “bell-curve”spreads. This approach adds a bit of drama to the routine, step-wise advancement of the situation, in which the sitter experiences a run-up to a moment of reckoning followed by a gradual let-down and a cessation of effort. The mode of transformation I envision is one of “compression” up to Position #3 and “release” thereafter.
I picked up the concept of a middle “hinge” or turning-point card from Lenormand reading, and I appreciate the aim of having a developmental “peak indicator” since we can’t rely solely on the random pull to place the necessary emphasis where it belongs in the course of events. Sometimes the cards need a nudge from the spread design, and a profile that is reminiscent of how life’s circumstances often play out is a reasonable approach. The “observer” (i.e. querent) usually has subconscious expectations or intentions that shape the narrative trajectory along predictable lines, and the positional structure of the layout can accentuate the story-arc in useful ways.
– from Granchester Meadows by Pink Floyd
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I was just reading a fascinating description of the behavior of visible light from a quantum physics perspective.
Luminosity has been portrayed by scientists as quasi-particulate in that it is transmitted and received in “packets” of massless particles called photons, but it also exhibits oscillation that is characteristic of a wave. (One physicist combined the two and named the dual phenomena “wavicles.”) The key factor in determining which trait will be demonstrated is whether: 1) it has been “observed” (i.e. monitored with instruments or, in the view of some theoreticians, via focused mental attention), in which case it acts like a stream of particles; or 2) it hasn’t been disturbed by measurement or conscious scrutiny and therefore partakes of wave-like attributes. This shift in properties wrought by the “observer effect” is one of the fundamental tenets of quantum mechanics.
Bringing these ideas to bear on the performance of the tarot “line” reading, we could say that the linear model shows a string of “particles” in which the cards carry discrete meanings that vary in quality but are not markedly dissimilar in strength when taken in the aggregate. This diverse population must be seamlessly fused to provide an intelligible outlook that is rhythmically cohesive from beginning to end. Thinking of the five-card layout in Pythagorean terms, we will ideally achieve an unwavering pattern in which the total accurately reflects the sum of its parts: 1+2+3+4+5 = 15. Any “false notes” (i.e.interpretive irregularities) that crop up can be handily taken in stride by a seasoned diviner without missing a beat.
However, some time ago I experimented with turning that level flow of projected developments into a rising-and-falling evolution that mimics the movement of a wave from trough-to-trough. It appears from nowhere (Position #1); surges (Position #2); crests (Position #3); decelerates due to friction or resistance (Position #4); dwindles and withdraws (Position #5). Unlike the uniform “flat-line” of the linear array, the crest of the wave (Position #3) is the point of both maximum potential and greatest vulnerability. From this sensitive summit the querent can “ride the wave” and steer emerging conditions toward enhancement of any predicted advantages (best case) or mitigation of any disadvantages (alleviated worst case) depending on the nature of the cards pulled.
It brings up obvious cliches like “Carpe diem” and “Strike while the iron is hot,” in which case the end-of-the-matter card (Position #5) is a logical outgrowth of any actions taken or prudently avoided at the apex of the cycle (Position #3), and the “coast-down” phase (Position #4) represents a state of post-crisis acquiescence that lets the “chips will fall where they may.” To complete the tableau, Position #1 is formative in nature and Position #2 shows a climate of growing anticipation or apprehension, once again according to the relative benefit or detriment of the card pulled for that slot.
The point in all of this is that the unfolding of the scenario illustrates expansion followed by contraction, which is more realistic than an undifferentiated straight-line run of cards from start to finish. In the “textbook case,” Positions #1 is neutral and seminal; Position #2 is energizing and motivating; Position #3 shows a dynamic climax or turnaround; Position #4 is “post-critical” and anticlimactic (as in “It’s all over but the shouting”); and Position #5 is either meaningfully conclusive or open-ended and short on closure (in which case I may pull another card or two to reveal “the rest of the story”).
There are (or should be) no unmeasured dimensions in a successful tarot reading to produce it, so the wave-form must be imposed deliberately, which I have done in my various “bell-curve”spreads. This approach adds a bit of drama to the routine, step-wise advancement of the situation, in which the sitter experiences a run-up to a moment of reckoning followed by a gradual let-down and a cessation of effort. The mode of transformation I envision is one of “compression” up to Position #3 and “release” thereafter.
I picked up the concept of a middle “hinge” or turning-point card from Lenormand reading, and I appreciate the aim of having a developmental “peak indicator” since we can’t rely solely on the random pull to place the necessary emphasis where it belongs in the course of events. Sometimes the cards need a nudge from the spread design, and a profile that is reminiscent of how life’s circumstances often play out is a reasonable approach. The “observer” (i.e. querent) usually has subconscious expectations or intentions that shape the narrative trajectory along predictable lines, and the positional structure of the layout can accentuate the story-arc in useful ways.
Chaos theory shows that even if you had a perfect model and perfect data, after about two weeks, chaos in a non-linear system like weather (or indeed people!) causes sufficient divergence to make your predictions useless.