AUTHOR’S NOTE: Here is a compact tableau that proposes to identify the ideal positional alignment the seeker should maintain going into a looming “showdown with circumstances.” It uses a pre-established set of “situational bias” cards that facilitates adopting a “forward,” “reverse” or “neutral” posture toward one’s approach to a potential conflict scenario or uncertain evolution. (In other words, whether to aggressively advance, prudently withdraw or impassively “stand pat.”) It has a foot in both “crisis-management” and “decision-making” territory and applies a nominal “Body/Mind/Soul” paradigm across three possible modes of response. (All images are from the privately-published Retro-Thoth Tarot [card backs only] and the Thoth Tarot [card faces], which is copyright of US games Systems Inc, Stamford, CT.)

In general terms, “Forward Bias” cards are those that correspond to the enthusiastic element of Fire (including those that suggest recklessly “getting your fingers burned”);

“Reverse Bias” cards are those associated with the conservative element of Earth (including those that imply “standing down” in an excess of caution);

“Neutral Bias” cards are those assigned to the versatile elements of Water and Air (which are flexible and can go either way depending on the circumstances).

From a numerological and astrological perspective, “Forward Bias” cards are those connected with the Cardinal signs and the growth-oriented numbers Two, Three and Four;

“Reverse Bias” cards are those related to the quarter-ending Mutable signs that are about to hand off to the next Cardinal phase and the “waning” transitional numbers Eight, Nine and Ten;

“Neutral Bias” cards are those allied with the Fixed signs and the sustaining “middle-ground” numbers Five, Six and Seven. (Note that I’m using Qabalistic number theory here and not the conventional “lucky-number” type of numerology.)

The inherent nature of the cards according to most customary systems of interpretation is secondary to the elemental focus. (For example, the 8 of Swords looks like a “stop” card in both the RWS and Thoth decks, but it challenges the seeker to find a constructive way to escape the “dead-end” it portrays.) Reversed orientation may be used to convey more covert aspects of the testimony offered by the cards.

Here is an example reading for a hypothetical querent who is facing an existential crisis in the form of a potentially life-altering event.

This pull holds no good news for the querent. The “Pragmatic Stance” displays a shifting situational landscape in which there is no solid ground to stand on; it begins with the neutral 6 of Swords and the subsequent reversals (the reversed Magus in particular “has his hands tied”) advise that the seeker needs to tread carefully or risk making a grave misstep with the unsteady Princess of Wands reversed.

The “Psychological Stance” is rife with the temptation to jump right in along with the unrestrained Chariot and “do the wrong thing” (Moon and Devil); there are no reversals, so the individual would be doing so “with eyes wide open” and there would be no excuse for bad behavior.

The “Ethical Stance” shows that the client would quickly become mired in “moral quicksand” by choosing to proceed. The only advice I could give would be to walk away before getting in too deep.