The Elemental Key Spread is designed to actively involve the Querent in their tarot reading. This spread divides life into four key areas: career, spirituality, wisdom, and wealth. Before starting the reading, the Reader should discuss the meanings of these terms with the Querent to ensure clarity and relevance.
The Reader uses the element associated with the Major Arcana card drawn to interpret the preceding cards.
Career (Wands):
The Wands card in this position reflects the Querent's satisfaction with their career achievements and overall self-actualization.
Spirituality (Cups):
The Cups card here represents the Querent's level of satisfaction with their focus and emotional balance, encompassing both religious aspects and their inner emotional world.
Wisdom (Swords):
This Swords card signifies the Querent's confidence in their decision-making abilities and covers intellectual aspects of life, including learning, understanding others, and communication.
Wealth (Pentacles):
The Pentacles card indicates the Querent's material well-being and their ability to maintain a satisfactory standard of living while managing practical aspects of life.
The Elemental Key:
The Major Arcana card in this position signifies a significant force in the Querent's life. It should be interpreted based on its element rather than traditional meanings. Key combinations to remember include:
Two equal elements create the strongest combination.
Fire and Air or Water and Earth are favorable combinations that strengthen the elements.
Fire and Water or Air and Earth combinations are unfavorable as they weaken each other.
Fire and Earth or Air and Water combinations are neutral with negligible interaction.
Neutral Major Arcana cards (the Fool or the World) do not impact the nearby cards.
Interpretation:
The relationship between the Elemental Key and the preceding cards highlights the importance of each aspect (career, spirituality, wisdom, wealth) in the Querent's life at this moment.
If the Elemental Key reinforces a preceding card, it indicates that aspect is crucial in the Querent's life.
This interpretation is considered alongside the ranking given by the Querent. If a low-ranking card is identified as important, further exploration is necessary.
Conversely, if the low-ranking card is weakened by the Elemental Key, it suggests stability in that area.
In this spread, the Elemental Key functions as the synthesis, providing a comprehensive view of the Querent's current life situation.
The Reader begins by asking the Querent to reflect on four key aspects of their life: Career, Spirituality, Wisdom, and Wealth. The Querent is then asked to rate their level of satisfaction for each aspect on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 represents the lowest satisfaction and 10 the highest.
The Question:
"On a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 represents the lowest and 10 the highest, rate your level of satisfaction for the following aspects of your life: career, spirituality, wisdom, and wealth."
Selecting the Cards:
The Querent writes down their ratings, and the Reader uses these numbers to select the corresponding cards from the deck:
Career: A Wands card matching the given rating.
Spirituality: A Cups card matching the given rating.
Wisdom: A Swords card matching the given rating.
Wealth: A Pentacles card matching the given rating.
The Reader places these four cards in a row from left to right.
The Elemental Key:
The Reader then shuffles the Major Arcana and randomly selects one card, placing it above the four previously drawn cards. This card serves as the Elemental Key and will be interpreted based on its elemental association.
Interpretation:
Analyze the Four Aspect Cards: The Reader first examines the four cards representing Career, Spirituality, Wisdom, and Wealth, interpreting their meanings individually.
2. Elemental Key Analysis: The Reader then considers the Elemental Key card, focusing solely on its elemental value. The interpretation of this card is based on how its element interacts with the elements of the four aspect cards.
The Elemental Key provides additional insights and emphasizes the significance of each life aspect as influenced by elemental interactions. This approach helps the Querent understand the current state of their life and the interplay between different aspects.
What We Have Learned
The Elemental Key Spread is a modern approach that emphasizes the Querent's active involvement in the reading. It not only requires the Querent to participate in the interpretation but also asks them to assign numerical values to different areas of their life.
The Reader uses the Querent's rankings to select the corresponding number cards, which are then used to understand the aspects of their life that are going well and to explore potential solutions to any issues.
Since the reading is based on the Querent's own evaluation of their current situation, it encourages them to recognize emerging problems and identify the solutions suggested by the Tarot cards.
Key Information
Number of cards used: Five
Cards used: Major and Minor Arcana
Objective: An understanding fo which aspects of life need attention
Layout: One row of four cards with a fifth placed above
Example Reading
When the Reader asks the Querent to evaluate the four different aspects of life, they should do so using a scale of 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest):
Career - 8
Card Drawn: 8 Wands
Essential Meanings: Speed, Action
Keywords: Movement, Flying, Climax, Reaction, Rushing, News, Flow
Element: Fire
Represents Career
The Querent is satisfied with their career, but the presence of the Eight of Wands, associated with speed and movement, suggests they might be anticipating an upcoming promotion or contemplating a job change.
Spirituality - 5
Card Drawn:
5 Cups
Essential Meanings: Repentance, Loss
Keywords: Shortages, Regret, Guilt, Pessimism, Self-Sacrifice, Difficulties, Disappointment
Element: Water
Represents Spirituality
The Querent is preoccupied with a recent loss, which is hindering their spiritual journey.
Wisdom - 7
Card Drawn: 7 Swords
Essential Meanings: Subterfuge, Indiscretion
Keywords: Gossip, Confidentiality, Subtlety, Intrigue, Deception, Stealth
Element: Air
Represents Wisdom
Although the Querent is relatively satisfied with this aspect of their life, the card indicates hidden schemes and subterfuge. The Reader might then ask the Querent if they have any plans they prefer to keep secret.
Wealth - 1
Card Drawn: Ace Pentacles
Essential Meanings: Gain, Materialism
Keywords: Acquisition, Success, Possessions, Physicality, Opportunity, Gift, Start, Fortune
Element: Earth
Represents Wealth
The low value assigned to this aspect by the Querent indicates an area that needs attention. Aces symbolize the 'roots' of the elements, suggesting that financial difficulty may be driving the Querent's desire for a career change. This issue cannot be resolved immediately and will require future attention and effort.
Interpretation
The Elemental Key - Drawn by the Reader
Card Drawn: The Magician
Element: Fire
The Magician, linked to the element of Fire, amplifies the influence of the Eight of Wands (also linked to Fire), highlighting the importance of career. Simultaneously, the Magician neutralizes the Five of Cups (linked to Water), postponing the issues associated with this card. Additionally, the Magician slightly strengthens the Seven of Swords (linked to Air), suggesting that the Querent may have a secret plan.
The combination of the Magician as the Elemental Key and the Ace of Pentacles is neutral. The Reader might suggest that the Querent focus on rebalancing their life by concentrating on career advancement.
The Querent's hidden plans could be key to seizing career opportunities. Once these plans are resolved, life will become more balanced, although financial issues may take more time to address.