ED's - or 'Elemental Dignities' are based on the 5 elements that are associated with the tarot.
Fire - Usually associated with the suit of Wands/Rods/Staves
Air - Usually associated with the suit of Swords
Water - Usually associated with the suit of Cups
Earth - Usually associated with the suit of Pentacles/Disks/Coins
Spirit - Major Arcana
The 5th element of 'Spirit' which is associated with the Major Arcana can be a little tough to integrate when using them with ED's. Normally the element most associated with a given Major Arcana card is what's used when dealing with the Spirit and ED's (see Majors Chart below).
So with the elements and suits you end up with the following associations;
Fire - Wands
Air - Swords
Water - Cups
Earth - Pentacles
Spirit - Major Arcana (individual element associations - see Majors Chart below).
Each of the elements/suits can also be broken down into other categories that help you define them.
Active - Masculine - Energizing - Extroverted
Fire - Wands
Air - Swords
Passive - Feminine - Inert/Nurturing - Introverted
Water - Cups
Earth - Pentacles
The Majors Arcana cards vary according to element association, (see Majors Chart below).
The suits and thus the elements are broken down into certain meanings which play an important part in using ED's.
WANDS
Motivational States Career and/or Job |
FIRE: Action, motivation, energy, growth, will, passion, libido, desire, inspiration, initiation, enthusiasm, creativity. |
SWORDS Intellectual States Thoughts and Ideas |
AIR: Mental activity, thoughts, ideas, intellect, logic, reason, analysis, decision, communication, action, conflict, volatility. |
CUPS Emotional States Relationships and Emotions |
WATER: Relationships, emotions, feelings, receptivity, reflection, subconscious, vision, imagination. |
PENTACLES Material States Financial Affairs |
EARTH: Stable, practical, groundedness, solid, material concerns, possessions, earthiness, strength, resources, money, wealth, commerce, labor, prosperity, security, value, generosity, charity, body. |
MAJOR ARCANA Spiritual Path |
SOUL: Spirituality, soul, morality, ethics, religion, philosophy, karma, archetypes, milestones. |
Cards usually only elementally effect one another when placed next to each other. Most spreads that use elemental dignities are set out in a linear fashion (one after the other).
1 ... 2 ... 3
1 .. 2 .. 3 .. 4 .. 5
And so on.
Elementally card #1 effects card #2 and vise-versa - Card #2 effects card #1.
In turn card #2 effects card #3 and vise-versa - card #3 effects card #2.
But, because there is a card (#2) between card #1 and card #3 they DO NOT effect each other elementally.
And so on depending on the number of cards being used.
Only cards situated next to each other effect each other elementally. So if you had three cards in a triangle layout all the cards would effect each other elementally.
Examples
.1.
2 3
Since a 'circle' in essence is nothing more than a straight line that's curved, and who's ends meet then circular type spreads also work well with ED's.
Be aware that if you use the center card, as in the image above - technically the other 12 cards could be effecting it elementally.
Here are the normal rules for Elemental Dignities
Normal Rules for ED's
The only difference between the normal rules and the rules I use to determine elemental dignities is that 'Neutral Elements DO NOT Strengthen Each Other!'. The word 'Neutral' means just that and since the elements are neutral they don't effect one another.
Don's Rules for ED's
Note: When you see Fire and Air are friendly this also means;
Air and Fire are friendly
Fire and Fire are friendly
Air and Air are friendly
The same thing goes for Water and Earth;
Water and Earth are friendly
Earth and Water are friendly
Water and Water are friendly
Earth and Earth are friendly
In other words any combination of Fire and Air ... OR Water and Earth elements/cards are friendly.
Note: Just because the rules say certain elements are friendly - that does NOT necessarily make that a 'good thing'. For instance; Fire & Fire usually means something - a situation and so forth - is 'excessively active'. Air & Air can mean 'Very active, unstable'.
See:
http://www.supertarot.co.uk/lessons/04perm.htm
Elemental Stress Factors
For a more complete Major Arcana Chart click here.
For a Minor Arcana Astrological Card Chart click here.
Lust, Art, and Aeon are from Crowley's Thoth tarot deck.
What are Elemental Dignities and what can they do for me?
Elemental Dignities is a powerful system of Tarot divination and analysis based upon the relationships between cards rather than on the divinatory meanings. Since tarot readings are usually about relationships, a more sophisticated reading is possible. The Supertarot Website is dedicated to teaching and explaining the power and uses of Elemental Dignities and Tarot.
Donster Note: Many people, me included, use elemental dignities 'in place of reversed cards' and some even use them 'with reversed cards' - along with reading many aspects of the elements into a reading.
Is this different from "normal" Tarot reading?
To some extent, every Tarot reader has his or her own individual style and techniques. Elemental Dignities are one such technique. We have found it to be very effective in getting to the heart of the matter quickly and efficiently. It was part of the method taught by the Order of the Golden Dawn.
I suggest you print this out and keep it handy for doing ED's.
Don S.