by Henry Ho
Spirit also has a quality of harmonising inimical elements. So when a card with the element of Spirit is amongst two cards of opposing elements, the presence of Spirit unites them into a harmonious whole.
Interpreting Triads
The in depth analysis above is an adequate look at how to interpret pairs of cards. Examples will be given in the chapter on card pairing. Pairs are relatively simple. However when it comes to interpreting triads or groups of three cards there is an extra level of complexity.
When we have a triad, we have a “centre” card with two cards on either side dubbed “modifiers.”
Over the years of reading the OOTK I have identified four common types of triads. These categories are by no means all-encompassing but they will help beginners of this spread to interpret these blocks of three cards.
Types of Triads
Generally there are four types of triads:
The centre card is the subject, and the modifiers are aspects of the centre card.
The centre card is the subject, whilst the modifiers are external forces acting on the centre card.
The modifiers interact with each other, to “create” the centre card.
The modifiers are situations that “emerge” from the centre card. Can either be two sides of one result, or it can be showing two different possible outcomes.
Very often some triads can fit into more than one category. However usually one form of interpretation pops into your head much more prominently than others. As with all divination techniques, intuition and individual judgement is key. Bear in mind that the same triad can have a different meaning within the same reading depending on the context. Often cards crop up (are counted onto) more than once in the same reading, and each time the same triad can mean something different.
Here are some examples of each type. Obviously your interpretation of the cards may be different than mine. These are simply my own observations. Everyone will apply elemental dignities differently. If you find your own style that works better for you, I would always recommend the reader to use their own style. It is very likely that you would have a very different way of classifying triads than mine.
Type 1
Centre is the subject, and the modifiers are aspects of the centre card. These triads are generally read from the “inside-out.” It simply makes more grammatical sense to start with the subject before moving onto the adjectives.
This type of triad is most commonly found with Court cards as centre cards, especially when describing people. However not all Triads with Court cards are Type 1 triads as sometimes Court cards represent a type of action as opposed to an individual with a certain personality. This type of triad is not limited to just Court cards, a Minor or Major in the centre the triad can be describing a situation.
(5 of Cups, Princess of Wands, 10 of Wands)
Here is the first example of a Court card in the centre. These triads principally describe the character and situation of a person.
We have someone who is young, ambitious and passionate at heart. However she does have insecurities, symbolized by the 5 of Cups, a Water card which weakens the fiery Princess of Wands. However she compensates for this by being extremely aggressive to hide those insecurities, symbolized by the 10 of Wands.
As you can see, the emphasis is on the relationships between the cards and what they are trying to say and less on the individual meanings of the cards. What is more important is their relationship with one another, which creates the context of the story or narrative being created.
(Hanged Man, Knight of Disks, 7 of Swords)
Here my client was a man who, as a Virgo, was an obsessive perfectionist. However because of his own inability to fulfil his own standards or desires, he is in essence torturing himself into depression.
(3 of Cups, 2 of Cups, Lust)
Here we have a loving relationship that is full of both emotion and passion. In this example it is shown that even though two cards weaken each other or cancels each other out doesn’t mean they always result in negative consequences.
Type 2
For Type 2 triads, the centre is the subject, whilst the modifiers are external forces acting on the centre card. In this case it doesn’t matter whether one starts with the modifiers or the centre card, as the relationship is still the same.
(Hierophant, Princess of Disks, 10 of Disks)
Here we have three cards of the same element. Both modifiers strengthen the centre card. Help from a wealthy person gives a platform for the Princess of Disks to change spiritually and/or financially. Perhaps by offering the person a job where he/she becomes more mature.
(7 of Wands, 7 of Swords, 2 of Swords)
Here is a triad with only two elements. This is an example where we can start from the centre as the past or the present, and progress to the modifiers which are describing the future.
Feelings of futility can be overcome with courage, action and stillness of mind.
(Emperor, 6 of Cups, 2 of Disks)
In the above two examples, the codifiers gang up on the centre card to create a positive outcome. In this example each modifier affects the centre card differently. This is common to Triads with 3 elements.
Here success is shown to be achieved through gradual progress. The reading is telling the querent that rushing things (Emperor) will be detrimental.
Type 3
The modifiers interact with each other, to “create” the centre card. One way to look at these triads is to start from the modifiers and move inwards, or “outside-in.”
(3 of Cups, 2 of Cups, Lust/Strength)
I’ve mentioned this triad before as a Type 2 triad. Here we see that certain triads can be read as both Type 2 and 3. Here the combination of both positive emotion and Lust creates Love (2 of Cups). This particular triad follows the formula of 0 = 2, where two forces that are equal and opposite, cancel each other out and also create a 3rd force, completely different to it.
(Princess of Swords, Queen of Swords, 6 of Disks)
Again we have the Formula of 0 = 2 in action. The Princess of Swords has been impatient about her progress. This triad tells her to be patient and realistic. That way she will be able to perceive things more clearly. See that the influence of the Earth calms the stormy clouds in the Princess of Swords into the clear skies in the Queen of Swords?
(Moon, Lovers, 9 of Disks)
The 9 of Disks here grounds and balances the instability of the Moon card, resulting in the Lovers. A feeling of light-hearted openness.
Type 4
This is similar to Type 1 where you read the cards from inside-out. The centre is the situation at hand and the modifiers are the possibilities that emerge from that situation.
(8 of Cups, Ace of Disks, 7 of Wands)
This was taken from the example reading that we will examine later. Aces represent unmanifested potential. The modifiers are in deep contrast with one another, and so I interpreted it as two divergent paths that the querent could choose from.
(6 of Wands, 4 of Cups, 7 of Wands)
The 4 of Cups here is the current situation of the querent, the stagnant status quo. The fiery modifiers contrast to this starkly, so to me it feels like a movement away from what is described in the centre to a situation that is much more exciting.
(5 of Disks, 4 of Swords, 7 of Disks)
Here we have a state of mental ease and stability turning into that of worry and anxiety. Something is going to happen that throws the querent out of balance.
My experience
After years of reading the OOTK spread I have found that I do not use this system of elemental dignities very strictly any more. At least not consciously. I believe that the method is simply a means to get the reader to look at how the cards interact with one another. Once they have gained proficiency, their intuition would have developed to a point where they have a natural feel of how the cards get on with each other and the interpretation of the cards comes naturally that way.
Take these rules
as rough guidelines, but there is so much more depth that can be explored as we continue our tarot practice. No book can break down every type of combination you that can occur because there are so many permutations in the tarot. And even the same cards can have a different meaning depending on its context, such as how the rest of the reading plays out, and what the question of the querent is.
When I taught my wife the OOTK spread, I decided to omit the mention of elemental dignities entirely, because this is the technique that requires the most explanation. I was showing her the spread in a café in Paris and so I only had around half an hour or so to teach her all the mechanics. I reasoned that she is already experienced reader and so can interpret three cards in a block without the benefit of this system. And I was right. After that one session she pretty much nailed it.
The best metaphor I have come up with for interpreting groups of cards is to imagine the cards as individual personalities. If you were to put them all in a room together, how would they interact with each other? Would they get along, or would they be in conflict? I have found that whether cards mesh well has more to do with their individual characters than purely their elemental attributions. The elements only define cards in a very broad sense, almost like being of a certain race or skin colour is for humans.
For example if I put the 6 of Wands with the 6 of Cups together, I get a feeling of harmony, even though they are technically of opposite elements. Perhaps they balance each other in a harmonious way and therefore cancel each other out. This is compounded by the fact that 6 is a number of balance.
Regardie’s examples show us that when two cards cancel out, you’re supposed to ignore them. But I find that interpreting them anyway gives valuable insight into what is happening. It tells you why they are cancelling each other out. And so contrary to the original instructions I do interpret cards that cancel each other out. As you will see in my examples.
Similarly I feel that cards of the same element can conflict with one another, like the 5 of Cups and 10 of Cups. They both represent emotions, but are of such opposing nature that I can’t help but think that they would be at war with one another. But because they are of the same elements, rather than cancel each other out, they amplify the intensity of one another. Like how when we have mixed emotions about something, rather than feeling neutral, the conflict makes us really emotional and moody.
A good tool for exploring elemental dignities is one taught to me by Michael Rowan in his workshop for London Tarot Study Group. He suggested to get the physical objects of each element, (a candle, a glass of water, etc.) and imagine the effects of combining them together.
What was a fascinating insight for me was that this explained how introducing a third element can harmonise the relationship between two opposing elements. Ordinarily water puts out fire, but if you have the element of earth as an intermediary, such as when you have a pot of water on a stove, then the three elements work in harmony as a unit. The Golden Dawn instructions observed this phenomena. But it was this little exercise that explained why this was so.
One little tip that Michael Rowan also prescribed was that this principle equally applies to people. If you have an “Airy” person with an Earthy one in the same group, say a work team or a family, arguments would ensue because you have one person who wants to talk and another who just wants to act. Introducing a mediator, such as a Fiery or Watery person can bridge the gap between the two.
This mirrors what Crowley states about tarot cards in the Book of Thoth, “that the cards of the Tarot are living individuals.” I have personally found that this mind set has greatly enriched my experienced with the cards.
Incidentally this method of intuiting the relationship between things is how the meanings of the Major Arcana are derived. If you mix the energies of two Sephiroth together, what does that make? In fact this pattern of synthesis is the foundation of the Golden Dawn system itself. Blending ideas from different grimoires into a syncretic whole. It is how the Golden Dawn came up with the meanings of every tarot card. Each card is a blend of its Qabalistic and Astrological correspondences. Every human being is a mixture of all the aspects of their natal charts. Elemental Dignities is a wonderful representation of the Hegelian Dialectic at work.
Pro Tip
One issue that crops up with the OOTK spread is that it takes a long time to read with it. For some, a single operation can take hours, and doing all five takes days. This observation may help shorten the length of time this reading takes.
When I see other readers using positional spreads, especially those who are very intuitive, I find that they can come up with a whole narrative from just one card before moving onto the next. Users of positional spreads are likely able to give a 10 minute (or longer) reading from 3 cards alone. As you may guess, this style of reading is very inappropriate for a tarot spreads that involve up to a quarter of the cards in the deck!
The best analogy I have come up with is to think in terms of language. What I have observed when I use the OOTK is that I condense every card into its quintessential meaning, that is usually summarised in one word or a few words. We see this in how the Thoth deck gives the Minor Arcana one word titles. Thus a triad of three cards forms a whole sentence. That is why when you look at my examples, each triad only creates a short paragraph of interpretation.
Reading the cards in this way keeps the massive OOTK spread much more concise. That is why I can use the First Operation for a quick 10 minute reading as well as an in depth hour long session. It all depends upon how many dimensions I decide to explore for any given reading.
Card Counting
The method of card counting makes up the second pillar that makes up the foundation of the OOTK spread. Whereas elemental dignities is how the reader analyses the relationship between the cards, it is through card counting that we progress through a reading in a linear narrative.
Each tarot card is assigned a number. Count the number of cards from it, using that number along the string of cards in order to find the next triad of cards to read and interpret.
There are no published sources that explain the origins of card counting and how it was created. However I have my suspicions that it was derived from Vedic (Sidereal) astrology. Unlike in Western astrology where the aspects of planets are derived from whether planets are in trine, opposition or square to each other, the aspects of planets in Vedic astrology are deduced by the same counting method found in the OOTK spread. Whereby the astrologer counts the number of houses from a planet to find its aspects.
Mechanics of the counting technique
When initiating the count, the card you start on counts as 1. Card counting stops when you count onto a card that you have arrived on before. The card counting values for each card are as follows.
Zodiacal Majors: 12
- The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, Lust/Strength, The Hermit, Adjustment/Justice, Death, Art, The Devil, The Star, The Moon
Planetary Majors: 9
- The Magician, The Priestess, The Empress, Fortune, The Tower, The Sun, The Universe/World
Elemental Majors: 3
- The Fool, The Hanged Man, The Aeon/Judgement
Princesses/Pages: 7
Knights, Queens, Princes/Kings: 4
Aces: 5 or 11[7]
Minor Arcana: Count according to their number (2-10)
The String of Cards as a Loop
These quoted instructions don’t mention what you do when you count off of the edge of a string of cards. What you do is you go to the other end of the string and continue the count. An easy way to remember this is by imagining that the line of cards is in fact a circle. This will be more apparent once we get to the example reading.
Direction of Counting
The traditional Golden Dawn instructions tell us to count in the direction that the Court card is facing. This is problematic since there is a lack of consistency between different tarot decks. There is also the complication that I encountered in the Thoth Taro
t, some cards are facing forwards rather than left or right!
Paul Hughes-Barlow in his book The Tarot and the Magus offers us his own solution. When using Court card significators he suggests counting left for Knights and Princes, and counting right for Queens and Princesses. The directions are reversed if the cards are reversed.
Since he himself doesn’t use significators (he starts counting from the top card of the string instead) he counts right for upright cards and left for reversed cards.
My own method when time is limited is to simply count left as a default, no matter what card I’m counting from. This keeps the consistency of applying the idea that Hebrew is read from right to left throughout this whole system of reading. Otherwise I count in both directions.
From my own experiences of using the card counting technique, I find that the leftward count reveals how things pan out as we move towards the future. So if when we count left we move “forwards,” counting right is in essence a way to “look backwards.” I have found that the rightward count reveals the inner influences and the reasons why things are happening the way they are in the leftward count.
In short, count left to find out what happens. Count right in order to find out why.
Changing directions
I believe it was Paul Hughes-Barlow who suggested that one could change directions of the count depending on the card that you have counted on. Either it is reversed or the Court card you land on may be of an opposite gender or may be facing a different direction. I am not sure if the Golden Dawn advocated doing this, if so I have not seen it.
For simplicity’s sake, I personally do not change the direction of the count when using this spread. I keep to one direction. I also do not used reversed cards as I feel the system of elemental dignities is sufficient at modifying the meanings of the cards. That is simply my style. But feel free to experiment and find what works for you. That is why I am presenting these different variations of the OOTK spread. See how you can innovate the system!