Timings in Tarot

[MysticMoggie]

What systems do people use?

Me, I like: (for RWS versions)

Pentacles - years (Earth, slowest)
Cups - months (Water...)
Swords - weeks (Air...)
Wands - days

There is, I know, a complex system using the Thoth courts, pips and Majors, in an overlapping sequence. I do have the link somewhere (and a printout with the deck) but it really is complicated, relying on astrological associations for the Princes, Knights and Queens, but there I hit a barrier on understanding the reasons behind the associations.

The months for me have been counting down from Eight (Cups) in early June to the Ace (Cups) now in January. When I ask "when" now and cut - for this countdown - I am getting only Major cards (mostly Empress and Hierophant, and also Justice). Does anyone have any illumination? (The spread version shows Two of Swords, ie two weeks.)

[LisaT4P]

I had to devise my own system of interpreting time. And I generally draw a card specifically as a "timed" position.

I use season and then the numbers to interpret.

Pentacles - Winter
Swords - Spring
Water - Autmn
Wands - Summer

Majors - the Universe will make things happen in it's own time, and you have no say in the matter. :)

So, if I pulled the Ace of Wands, I would say that the situation would be resolved in one of the summer months. Now, depending on what my intuition told me about the matter, I would determine whether this meant:

A)The first month of Summer
B)One week from now (if it's already summer, same goes for weeks & months)
C) One year from now in the summer

This may not work for everyone, but I've had some success with it. As we all know, determining time is the bane of many of our tarot existences. ;)

[Brightshores]

As we all know, determining time is the bane of many of our tarot existences. ;)
:fpraise: SO well said.. :lol:

I'm replying mainly to subscribe to this thread, so I can see what everyone else does about issues of time in tarot readings... so many people want to know "When is this going to happen???" and I have yet to find a system that works for me... You two seem to have great ideas so far... I may just try them, if you don't mind! :)

[MysticMoggie]

My system - with the Cups=months - has "counted me down" since last June, so I know it is sort of accurate. However in the last month (since the beginning of January when I was drawing the Ace) things have gone haywire. Possibly it's like getting close to a magnet, warping things out of shape (although the Sword-count for timing replaced the Cups throughout January, so it seems to work. Oh well, it's now the end of January so I'll see whether the tarot was just playing around with me...!!!)

Ravensong had the Majors as being "it is imminent/happening already"...LOL, Lisa, you are probably quite right with yours though!:fpraise:

[inlucesco]

I read somewhere, ages ago, this correspondence:
Cups = days
Pentacles = weeks
Wands = months
Swords = years
...and it has always seemed to work for my readings. I guess my cards know what to do. ;)

As far as the majors and court cards, I usually assume that I'm not supposed to know when "it" is going to happen. Which is annoying. I like to plan ahead!

[MysticMoggie]

I think that whatever works for each of us works... for each of us.

For me the King of Swords refers to a very definite person, so when he turns up in a political spread I know who the tarot is referring to. Just like, my Cups are months, yours are days (do you have a rationale for it?). Ravensong suggested that the King and Queen were "imminent", and the Knight and Page/Princess were 12 and 11 respectively, though one could do that numerologically and use them for 3 and 2.

Also someone (I think it was Sasha Fenton) used as her guideline for timing in a Celtic cross as "the last pip card in a reading", adding that usually came up in the staff.

Timing using the Moon Oracle is worth looking at (that's an actual product), it's worked for me so far very accurately, tallying with my readings with the tarot; which is why I am getting quite apprehensive at the moment as it still seems to be "all quiet on the Western front" regarding the issue. Maybe I just need to read the papers.

[LisaT4P]

I think that whatever works for each of us works... for each of us.Exactly, it's all in the intent. :)

[inlucesco]

I think that whatever works for each of us works... for each of us.

Just like, my Cups are months, yours are days (do you have a rationale for it?).

No, if there was a rationale for it when I read it, I've long since forgotten. It was years ago, and I was fairly new to tarot. I assumed, at the time, that everyone used the same system. :) But since it seems to work, I didn't question it too much.