Cult of Tarot Forum

Hello Dodalisque, it's me again, looks like I will be reading for you twice. Again, let me know if you have a question or a focus area.

Here is the spread, I'm attaching here as well, hope that is ok.

HI there, good to meet you. I don't think we need a question for the TdM Summer Solstice spread this month. The card positions seem set up for a general reading about my whole personality or life in general, or what is facing me at this moment in time. But if that is too wide and vague I will try to come up with something more specific. I will definitely think of a more specific question for you to answer in the other reading section using the Thoth deck. I hope you don't mind reading for me twice. I'm looking forward to it.

dodalisque wrote: ↑14 Jun 2019, 22:53 HI there, good to meet you. I don't think we need a question for the TdM Summer Solstice spread this month. The card positions seem set up for a general reading about my whole personality or life in general, or what is facing me at this moment in time. But if that is too wide and vague I will try to come up with something more specific. I will definitely think of a more specific question for you to answer in the other reading section using the Thoth deck. I hope you don't mind reading for me twice. I'm looking forward to it.

Oh that is okay, just wanted to make sure in case you had a question in mind. Will do the reading this weekend between tomorrow and monday. I'm looking forward to this.

Ok so, I shuffled the cards and what turned up was interesting. On the side of the moon touching the feminine, intuitive sensitive is le pendu and le chariot. On the side of the sum illuminating the masculine, driven, assertive, decisive is le diable and la lune. I find both these columns reflexive. It is almost as if they were inversed, mirroring each other The feminine seeks assertiveness through movement, being at the forefront, having a central role in the decisions made in your life. The feminine aspects want to be untied from constraints, turned inside out, and reversed, from its position of weakness.

Conversely, the masculine here descends into darker more sentimental waters. I get a sense of vulnerability. The masculine seeks expression of vulnerability. The devil unveils the bondages of power revealing tender areas underneath. Here he raises a scepter of bondage and deception, questioning masculine dominion. What does it mean to rule? To be masculine? He asks.

The union of both these columns lies in the emperor, I see here that it is a union wherein both aspects are in a position of power, both are comfortable in their expressions. The chariot (the feminine) here has handed the ruling scepter, while the moon shining down upon the shadows, pulling and tugging at emotions and feelings, is carried by the emperor in the shape of his shield. (Note that from the masculine side doesn't come the sceptor but the shield). Both these signs of power are carried in unison and share their functions in harmony. The sceptor rules and orders while the shield protects and guards. The harmony of both the feminine and masculine lies in highlighting their more hidden gifts. That the feminine has power to lead with direction, while the masculine has power to guard and protect trusting that there is strength in vulnerability, honesty in seeing with the heart.

These general readings, especially with so few cards, are the most difficult to do in my opinion. There are just too many possibilities - too many things the cards could be referring to. You managed to add a couple of extra cards to the designated spread but that's OK. I think the original design was meant just to be 3 cards. The Moon and Sun cards in the original spread were there just to remind us that "feminine consciousness" issues go on the left and "masculine consciousness" ones on the right. But I like the way you blended the Hanged Man and Chariot on the feminine side, and the Devil and Moon on the masculine side.

Your idea that my feminine side wants to be released from helpless bondage as the Hanged Man and allowed to take the lead as the Chariot sounds right to me. I'm getting old now and my assertive practical masculine side is not as much use to me now as it once was. So, you're right, I need to be looking inward to set free and give more power to my sensitive intuitive side - perhaps put more emphasis on things like tarot and dream analysis than on fixing the plumbing and making money. I see the two cards on the masculine side as being related to darkness. That is, my masculine aspect is in decline.

Strange that the Hanged Man and Devil cards both feature bondage. It's almost as if the Devil on the masculine side IS the Hanged Man on the feminine side - he has been rendered harmless. That must be what you mean about the two sides mirroring of each other. The two horses on the Chariot are also mirror the two dogs on the Moon card. The two horses are bigger than the two dogs, which again suggests that the feminine is growing in importance while the masculine is shrinking.

I like your idea that the Emperor in the resolution position at the bottom represents a comfortable fixed state, that the current blend of characteristics seems stable. It's true, I do feel as though things are the way they are supposed to be right now. So thanks again. This was a difficult spread but you managed to make sense of it.

I forgot to mention that I loved your choice of deck. It looks like the Noblet but it's a photographic reproduction that I've never seen before. I didn't even know it existed, and I consider myself a bit of a deck collector. Since Aeclectic closed I must have lost touch with what's going on. I thought the Flornoy Noblet was the only one available. I find the Type I decks like the Dodal and Noblet so much more lively and interesting to read with than Type II. I guess the Vieville is a Type I as well but that deck has some oddities that seem to put it into a category of its own.

dodalisque wrote: ↑27 Jun 2019, 04:02 I forgot to mention that I loved your choice of deck. It looks like the Noblet but it's a photographic reproduction that I've never seen before. I didn't even know it existed, and I consider myself a bit of a deck collector. Since Aeclectic closed I must have lost touch with what's going on. I thought the Flornoy Noblet was the only one available. I find the Type I decks like the Dodal and Noblet so much more lively and interesting to read with than Type II. I guess the Vieville is a Type I as well but that deck has some oddities that seem to put it into a category of its own.

Yes, it is a small Flornoy fascimile of the Noblet that came into my hands in a weird way! I bought this Noblet and this came along with it, majors only. I agree, my favorite TDMs are the Noblet and the Dodal, they are lively as you say, very talkative, and evocative. Definitely engaging. I have a couple other TDM reinterpretations but just one Dodal and one Noblet from Flornoy house. Then there's Fournier's Spanish Tarot which I adore but I'm not sure if that is TDM I or II, I'm thinking most likely II.

Yes, I think the Fournier is based on the Conver Type II deck. There is another Type II Spanish deck by Rodes and Sanchez that is excellent, very brightly colored with a gold background. I would use it more but all the titles are in red and green and I am color-blind with those two colors so the words on the cards are invisible. Pablo Robledo from Argentina made a Dodal and a Conver deck about 5 or 6 years ago that looks very similar to the Flornoy versions but with a slightly more intense color-scheme. Robledo's decks are very beautiful but I think they are a little difficult to find now.

But why am I talking about this when I should be doing your reading! I haven't forgotten. I'll get to it soon. It's been a weird month.