Elemental Tarot General Reading - Part 1

I recently had a great experience using Lo Scarabeo’s Elemental Tarot (artwork by Marco Turini) in a reading for a client, and it seemed like a good time to do a larger reading for myself with this marvelous deck. The Little White Book (LWB) that comes with the deck offers a couple of general readings. I chose one in which five cards are chosen initially, one each from the Majors and four suits, to represent broad areas of life. Then, three more cards are chosen for each of those cards to represent energy helping/opposing, advice, and potential outcome if advice is followed. The spread looks like this:

and here are the cards I drew in each of the five positions:

Because this is quite a huge spread (at least for me!) I am going to divide up my interpretation into separate blog posts, each linking to the next. Let’s start with Position (1) Overall Focus. From the Major Arcana, I pulled The Stars. To accompany that card, I drew:

Overall Focus (Major Arcana): The Stars

Energy helping/opposing: Knight of Chalices

Advice: 3 of Pentacles

Potential outcome if advice is followed: 5 of Swords

I can hardly go wrong with The Stars (Trump 17) as my Overall Focus. The LWB for this deck calls the card “Faith restored” and follows that with: “As the wheel turns, so we move from darkness to light. The glimmers of light bring hope, healing, and renewal.” All of this fits in nicely with my usual interpretation of this Key.

Let’s see what energy might help or oppose me in that effort. The Knight of Chalices seems to sit a bit precariously on his steed as the horse steps cautiously into the water. The Knight is not holding on. One arm hangs loosely beside him and in the other hand he holds a Chalice whose contents appear to shimmer and shine. The LWB offers the following statement about this card: “The roughest, toughest people will go the extra mile for that which thrills their heart.”

Certainly this Knight is capable of understanding and tuning in to The Star’s message of hope, healing, and renewal. But sometimes he is too easily deceived. He could fall prey to addiction, escapism, and illusions. Those characteristics will likely not help me focus on what is needed to experience “hope, healing, and renewal.”

Now let’s see what advice the cards want to offer me concerning this Overall Focus. The 3 of Pentacles depicts three earth elementals capering about a large amount of vegetation that grows from the brown earth. The LWB notes that this card represents “the gifts of a seed – strength and nourishment are found in the sweet, ripe fruit and softly scented flowers of the earth.” I feel I am being advised to make my hopes and dreams a reality through activity, dedication, and perseverance.

Finally, we come to “potential outcome if advice is followed.” On the 5 of Swords, five Air elementals dance on an open hand. The LWB tells us that this card stands for “Long term guidance,” adding: “Your destiny is literally in your hands. But the key is deciding how to play the hand you were dealt.” So, let’s see… I have been “dealt” these five Air elementals. Let’s call them Communication, Ideas, Mental Activity, Attitudes, and Perceptions. They are “in my hands” for me to use for good or for ill.

Looking at the “advice” card I can see that my success or defeat – as already stated – depends on how I play the hand I was dealt. Will I play it hesitantly, timidly, half-heartedly – or will I confidently “go for the gold”?

To read Part 2 of this General Reading, click HERE.