Reading In The Flow: Subtle Influences - Time & Direction

I’m adding to my existing “Reading In The Flow” series to include what I consider to be other subtle influences potentially impacting a card’s meaning. In the Cards in Combination portion of the series, we’ve been reading cards in tandem to come up with possible interpretations. Here, I’ll be covering connecting themes in the deck to provide additional layers through which to view your draws. Today, we’ll be observing the relationship between time and direction. Central figures in the cards can provide many clues as to the card’s underlying influence, just by observing the way in which they face. While this isn’t conclusive, or totally comprehensive, one easy way to understand this influence is to think about things along the lines of time tenses. There are other ways to contemplate directions, but for the purpose of this post we’re going to keep it simple and focused just on the following - past, present and future.

It may help to go through your deck (I’m specifically working with and referencing the Rider Waite Smith for this post) and begin by separating the obvious ones out. You can place the ones which feature a figure clearly facing left in one pile, a figure clearing looking straight on in another pile, and a figure clearing facing right in a third pile. There are some cards which will be more ambiguous (5 of Wands, 6 of Pentacles, 3 of Cups etc.) and for those, you can just set them aside for later discussion. For now, let’s focus on just three possibilities and see what we may discover.

With your three piles in front of you, we will now assume that left equals the past, right equals the future and face-forward equals the present (or an integration of all time possibilities). Within this framework, what may you conclude regarding the card’s overall message? Let’s explore some examples.

The 6 of Wands features a prominent figure on a horse amidst a crowd. That figure and the horse they ride face right. Other cards with a clear right-facing figure include Death, The Knight of Cups, The Knight of Pentacles, the 6 of Swords and so on. Could this indicate that these cards contain some connection to the future, forward movement, or being compelled by something not yet known?

Now, let’s look at some of the cards which feature prominent figures clearly facing left. The 7 of Pentacles, The Queen of Cups, The Knight of Swords, The 5 of Cups, the 9 of Wands, The Hermit etc. Perhaps, this facing could indicate past influences existing within the energy of the card.

This is a good time to stop and make mention that future vs. past is not a good vs. bad. Just because a card looks to the left doesn’t mean it’s stuck in the past. With the Queen of Cups, for example, I would consider her past influences are due to her connection with water and therefore the subconscious. In this case, it may even be argued that she is the one with influence over it and not the other way around - but the connection remains. This is similar to what I see happening with The Hermit. Yes, this wise figure goes left, but they do so very consciously and in an effort to gain self-knowledge. The lantern is a symbol of their own light which will help guide the way, and the summit is a sign that when they do this reflection, it may be from a higher vantage point. Think of it in terms of personal journaling or working through patterns or even exploring our shadows by choice. These are all activities of The Hermit.

Now, let’s consider those figures who sit or stand in the center, facing forward. Examples include The High Priestess, The Hierophant, The 4 of Pentacles to name a few. This to me may indicate a sense of equilibrium or balance. It could also be an indication that the card is influenced by the present moment or that all timelines are integrated and considered. For some of these cards, I get a sense of the peace or stability one may obtain when working from that centered, present space. (I realize the 4 of Pentacles feels a bit out of place, but I wanted to feature it for consideration since it fits the visual pattern).

Going on that thought, let’s explore some of the variations amongst those figures who face a similar direction. The Hermit, The 7 of Pentacles and the Queen of Cups are still. In contrast, the Knight of Swords and the Knight of Wands are rushing. If we agree that the past has some connection to these cards, perhaps the body language of the figures can lend more clues as to their relationship with that connection. Are they in command? Are they poised? Are they aware of what is driving them?

We see similar contrasting energies with the figures who face right. Death and the 6 of Wands are in movement. The 8 of Pentacles is sitting, but working away. The Queen of Swords is sitting and relatively still. In these instances, the connection to future influence may be true, but again the degrees may vary. The 6 of Wands appears very engaged and eager for that forward movement. The 8 of Pentacles may be working toward a future, but so caught up in the work that they aren’t actively seeking outcomes. The Queen, on the other hand, looks off into the distance, perhaps an indication of foresight and patience.

So, what then can we make of those less obvious cards? Let’s take a few examples.

The 3 of Cups, the 2 of Cups and the 6 of Cups: In each scene, we have multiple people who face different directions. In the 3, we could view this as a synthesis of past, present and future culminating to create a sense of NOW. In the 2 of Cups, we see an exchange where both figures face each other. This could be a nod to the past and the future coming together or the synthesis of something being cultivated presently. As for the 6 of Cups, could the child on the left be offering gifts of the past to the figure on the right? This is all speculative of course, but it’s interesting to consider!

The 5 of Wands: This is one where the direction is far from clear. Maybe this indicates an inability to learn from the past and thus allowing the current energies to sweep us away, leading to a disconnect from future outcomes. In other words, these people are going to fight to the death, to hell with the consequences!

The 7 of Swords: Here, the legs say one thing while the head says another! This could indicate that we can’t exactly trust what we’re seeing, whether it relates to time or otherwise. If we are assuming this time thing is relevant, then perhaps this figure is engaging with influences from the past while being prompted to consider where their actions may lead. And maybe they too don’t know whether they’re coming or going! Lots of room for interpretation here.

The 4 of Cups: Now we have a figure who gives little indication of what direction they are facing. If I had to name it, I’d say slightly to the left (the past). And maybe that’s why this “gift” is so unalluring to our figure - perhaps they’ve become bored or indifferent to their circumstances, but they simply don’t know how to get beyond it. Maybe enough is enough, hence the crossed arms. Again, there is a lot of ambiguity and I suspect, what I see today may be different from what I see tomorrow, and that, in a nutshell, is both the beauty and the problem with tarot.

I’m not saying that any of this is definitive. Much of what we draw from cards in a reading will rely on context (the question, the other cards involved, our intuition). My purpose in exploring these subtle influences is to a) remind us that nothing in tarot is arbitrary and all aspects have some kind of meaning and b) to provide you another layer or lens with which to view the cards you draw. Whether you choose to use it in any given moment is up to you, but options are always good. To me, it falls along the lines of “the more you know”. In tarot, it’s a bit of that but also “the more you see”, “the more you dig”, “the more you express curiosity”, which allows for greater degrees of understanding to be made available. Apply what makes sense, adapt any disconnects or omit what doesn’t apply. If you’ve enjoyed this post, you may want to check out my #78connections series where I explore visual connections between the cards. As for more of the Reading In The Flow series, you can find past posts on my resources page. And of course, stay tuned for more!

Julia