AUTHOR’S NOTE: Once again I’ve received inspiration for a new essay from something tarot author and entrepreneur Marcus Katz said on the Tarot Professionals Facebook page. His wise counsel for those confronting a “Tower moment” is “May it bring about for you an Acceleration in those things which require Acceleration.”

It’s common knowledge that those who seek a tarot reading are often at a stalled juncture in life, whether through direct opposition or sheer inertia, and they are pursuing insights that will assist in propelling them forward. It may not be anything as dramatic as a “Tower” event but the thought is there.

One tool that the tarot reader can bring to bear on this analysis is the concept of “preponderance” in the spread (an abundance of one element and a shortage of the rest). In esoteric theory, the element of Fire is impulsive and that of Air is expansive; both are active and convey upward movement. As a rule, Water is more relaxed and flows downward under the pull of gravity, while Earth is “as low-and-slow as it gets;” these elements are considered passive in their engagement with external affairs.

A great many Wands or other Fire cards (such as the Tower and the Sun) in a reading can be almost too energetic, leaving little room for reflection on what may become an exhilarating but reckless “wild ride.” At its best, a wealth of Swords or Air cards will be more focused and orderly in its expression, although it can suffer from the “analysis paralysis” of overthinking if allowed to become too deeply entrenched (the “all talk and no action” scenario). In practice, both of these “active” elements bode well for timely progress in advancement of the querent’s agenda, although the nature of the cards involved will have something to say about how agreeable this acceleration will be (that is, whether it will deliver a helpful boost or a rude “kick in the pants”).

A large population of Cups or Water cards can imply developmental momentum that is more “seeping” than “surging.” Growth may be gradual and relatively uneventful but it will most likely be inexorable in its ripening as long as the querent is willing to take the “long view” of success. A plenitude of Pentacles or Earth cards would be more inclined to champion the status quo or even retreat from chaotic evolution by adopting a wary vigilance that mistrusts any unruly onrush of circumstances and their consequences. These “passive” elements are more about “wait-and-see” than instant gratification; there can be a frustrating indolence to their tempo that anxious clients don’t want to contemplate.

In a reading I would take elemental preponderance “under advisement” when deciding how much emphasis to place on the potential for a rapid unfolding of the matter. In any elemental subset there are cards that can “push the envelope” beyond its normal reach, and I would look to the presence of these outliers first, then at the broader dimensions of the situational landscape to put them into context. (For example, Death and the Chariot are Water cards but they are typically not retiring and unassuming; one could say that they “jump in with both feet.”)

No single card functions well in a vacuum, so the complexion of the entire array must ultimately become the overarching theme of the analysis. This is where elemental predisposition comes into its own, along with other forms of “accidental dignity” like the repetition of number or rank. But it’s fair to assume that much of what we hold sacrosanct in the realm of tarot reading can be chalked up to serendipity, so it’s unrealistic to get too literal about any of it. As diviners we must remain light on our feet and receptive to any oracular stimulus that can (as I wrote in my essay Carpe Momentum!) “flood the channel by which we receive our insights.”

Mark Twain once observed “If you don’t like the weather in New England, wait a minute.” I’ll steal that thought by saying that if you don’t fancy one of my predictions, wait a bit; things can change, often without rhyme or reason. In that sense it may be prudent to put more faith in the preponderances than in the particulars of a reading since they are pervasive influences that lurk in the background and shape the spontaneous reaction to more exacting demands. If I had a choice I would opt for patient, fastidious Water and Earth in my own case (oh wait, I already have an over-abundance of those in my natal horoscope).