A Broad Understanding on How to Read Tarot Time: The Elemental Dignities

To understand tarot time you must understand the four suits and what season they represent, the four suits are: Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles…

So to determine what seasonal events are happening the basic rule to remember is:
Pentacles represent autumn
The wands represent spring
The cups represent summer
The swords represent winter

So for a general understanding on how to read tarot time, elemental dignities
Each of the four elements is associated with a compass point: the following directional quotes are valid for the northern hemisphere, so if you are in the southern hemisphere, the opposite will apply.

So what are the elemental dignities of the four tarot suits?

• Earth – Pentacles
• Air Swords
• Glasses of water
• Fire – Wands

Now, to consider a general understanding about how to read tarot time, the elemental dignities of the four tarot suits, and how they interact with each other, this requires a simple formal use of the four elements.

What do I mean? For example, an excess of cups, water cards would normally denote an emotional image and that things are generally passive.

So the next stage is to start using the rules of elemental dignities. So consider the elemental dignity of the four tarot suits and how they interact using simple, easy-to-learn rules:

1. Fire and Air are friendly and active
2. Water and land are friendly and passive
3. Fire and Water are enemies; weaken each other
4. Air and earth are enemies; weaken each other
5. Fire and earth are strong but neutral
6. Water and Air strengthen but are neutral

So when we take a general understanding on how to read tarot time, we can see that

• Earth is related to North at the point of the compass.
• Air is related to East at the point of the compass.
• Fire is related to the South at a point of the compass
• Water is related to the West at the point of the compass.

What are the characteristics of the earth in the tarot?

Earth is related to the suit of Pentacles or Coins.

The characteristics of the earth in the tarot: it is believed that the earth symbolizes the absolute feminine quality, it is fertile and stable, the earth is connected with the goddess Gaia.

The earth is nutritious, it is productive, it sustains and gives life, it is strong and constant. The earth, our planet, evolves turning throughout the year, on this earth that we all share we witness all aspects of life from birth through our life cycles and finally to death and rebirth.

What are the characteristics of the air in the tarot

Air is related to the suit of Swords

The Characteristics of Air in the Tarot – Associated with action, change, strength, power, oppression, ambition, courage and conflict, usually action is both positive and negative. The air carries away your problems and carries positive thoughts to those who are far away.

Air deals with the intellect and thoughts, attitudes and beliefs. The sword is double-edged and symbolizes the delicate balance between intellect and power and how these two elements can be used for good or for evil.

What are the characteristics of fire in the tarot?

Fire is related to the suit of wands/staffs.

The characteristics of fire in the tarot – Associated with our primordial energy, spirituality, inspiration, determination, strength, intuition, creativity, ambition and expansion, fire can create and can destroy, it symbolizes the fertility of God. Fire can produce new growth or destroy old and worn out. Fire is associated with that at the core of your being, your passions, what makes you tick.

Fire implies movement, action and initiatives and the launching of new ideas.

What are the characteristics of water in the tarot?

Water is related to the suit of cups.

The characteristics of water in the tarot – Associated with emotion, love, feelings, creativity, fantasy, relationships and connections, water is a feminine energy and is connected to aspects of the Goddess. Water heals, cleanses and purifies.
Water relates to expressions of emotion, indicates thinking from the heart, and reflects your spontaneous responses and reactions to situations.

I hope you have enjoyed this article on a general understanding of how to read tarot time elemental dignities.