Synergy Tarot Method

In contrast to the traditional approach to tarot interpretation, which tends to labor over the isolated details of possible meanings implied by the symbolism of the individual cards as they appear in a reading, the Synergy method is more holistic and grounded in the realistic context of where individuals live in a world of people. Uncovering and interpreting the social dynamics revealed in the cards is the starting point and focus of Synergy reading. In the chapter ahead, I will show you how to recognize key people and ways of interpreting the role and influence they play in matters of concern to the individual consulting the cards. For hands-on learning, I have also included an exercise to help orient you to Synergy combinations of cards and to practice interpreting the significance of the various combinations.

As I have already indicated, it is a rule of thumb that people are identified in a reading by the court cards of the Minor Arcana suits: Pages, Knights, Queens, and Kings. Kings most often represent men, but men can also appear as Knights or Pages, depending on their maturity, social status, character, or role in the question. For example, in a reading that profiles a troubled love relationship, an immature lover is apt to appear as a knight: the Knight of Swords if he is quarrelsome and unpleasant and the Knight of Wands if he has taken flight from the relationship. Knights and Pages can also indicate the presence of young men or boys, but if the boy is a central figure in the question, he can appear as a King. Queen cards denote women, but again, they can also show up as Knights and Pages depending on the function and role they play in the situation.

As previously discussed, the court cards of the Minor Arcana are hierarchical and reflect the social stations typical of medieval feudal society: Kings and Queens rule, Knights defend and fight, and Pages deliver messages. Drawing on the antiquated values about social rank depicted in the court cards, the diverse and varying degrees of relationships can be inferred by the sequence of court cards in a reading. For example, decisive and important people who are equals with something at stake in the question at hand show as kings and queens. Knights and Pages, on the other hand, traditionally serve kings and queens, and the role that can be ascribed to people represented by these cards is one of lesser influence, or perhaps even indirect involvement.

The characteristics of the people signified by the court cards can be determined by the attributes of the suit in which they appear. For example, people denoted by the Wand court cards are typically humble and industrious. Traditional interpretations ascribe dark hair to people represented by the Wand suit cards. People represented by the Cup court cards are said to have fair complexions and, like the general indication of the suit, they are given to visionary and imaginative inclinations, whether in the form of the arts, spiritual ascetics, or human service occupations. Sword people are typically intense and passionate, often concerned with institutions of power and authority and driven by high-energy libido to conquer and achieve. Pentacles represent practical and refined people concerned with worldly matters in the areas of business, finance, culture, and education, and according to tradition, recognized by their dark hair.

The vertical orientation of the court cards provides further detail about the people represented. Upright cards show people possessing the positive characteristics of the suit represented: Wands show honesty and effort; Cups, imagination and vision; Swords, ambition and strength; and Pentacles, wealth and refinement. Reversed, the court cards describe people who have the opposite characteristics: Wands depicting bad faith and struggle; Cups, deviousness and deception; Swords, rage and cruelty; and Pentacles, greed and theft.

People appear in readings not by how they look or what they pretend to be but how they are acting in the given situation in the reading. For example, a spiteful and controlling man will appear as the King of Swords reversed, but at a different time, he might show as his opposite, the King of Cups, a kind-hearted and loving man. Likewise, an unfaithful woman with secrets will make her presence known in the Queen of Wands reversed, and a generous benefactress will make her presence felt in the upright form of the Queen of Pentacles at a different moment.

Certain personage cards of the Major Arcana can also represent people. For example, it is traditional for the Magician to represent male questioners in a reading, and the High Priestess, female. The Magician in an upright position can also represent a medical practitioner or healer and sometimes indicates the questioner is experiencing health problems and is under medical care. The Empress and Emperor stand for powerful female and male figures, often associated with governments and positions of authoritarian control and power. The Hermit often represents a teacher. The presence of these particular cards next to the court cards can lend a defining grain to the role and attributes of the person represented by the court card. For example, the Hermit next to the King of Cups upright shows the presence of a kindly disposed and knowledgeable man who aids and benefits the questioner.  The Queen of Pentacles next to the Empress speaks of an extremely wealthy and powerful woman of considerable influence in the question at hand.

Identifying and reading the significant relationships, as revealed by the cards, is the primary interpretative framework of the Synergy Tarot method. We start with an understanding of the people involved in the situation, and once this platform is in place, we fill in the details of the specific scenario and actions of the people involved by reading the adjacent cards.