Tarot and Medici Solitaire. Fortune-telling Practice.
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Chapter From the Author.
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—What is that?
—An oak.
—We can see it’s not a linden. You’re being asked, who are these Kostya plus Lucy?
—I couldn’t say; it was delivered with them.
—Find out who these individuals were and strictly demand restitution for the… wood damage.
—Apollon Mitrofanovich, that tree is heavens only know how many years old. Perhaps that Kostya and Lucy are no longer among the living.
—Demand restitution posthumously.
(The Strugatsky Brothers. Monday Begins on Saturday)
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Fig. And the course of Fate is inevitable—to write, to write in every conceivable manner.2
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This book ought, logically, to conclude the trilogy of foundational information on the Medici Solitaire.
As the topic of Medici Solitaire is far too vast and multifaceted, the author has found it impossible to contain within a single book.
Therefore, for those discovering this for the first time, the author wishes to remind you:3
1)
The theory of Stalking with Tarot cards, along with practical exercises for its mastery, is set forth by the author in the book 'Tarot and Medici Solitaire.
Stalking Self-Study Guide.'
2)
An idiosyncratic primer of the basic archetypal figures of the Tarot can be found in the book 'Tarot and Medici Solitaire: Gallery of Examples.'
This book serves as a peculiar manual, aimed at the educated and already practicing Tarot readers who have chosen to expand their repertoire of tools. Including, notably, when working with clients.
Within, it details the practice involving one of the most mythical and rarely illuminated Tarot Solitaire traditions. It bears many names, and its traces flicker through the annals of History and Literature for at least several centuries.
Catherine de' Medici, Mary Stuart, John Dee, Molière, Catherine the Great, Alexander Pushkin, the Decembrists, Dream Hackers—this is but a brief roster of those acquainted with the PM, and about whom the 'author' of this book has managed to learn.4
This practice is a secret treasure of Hermeticism and a legacy of Tarot. At the time of writing, the author is not affiliated with the Brotherhood. His current Patron has permitted him to share information concerning the PM. 5
In accordance with the spirit of Aquarian openness, he describes the practice of the Medici Solitaire in this book.
That is, this book is written, as Hermeticism would classify it, 'by a profane for the profane.'
This book is written as concisely as possible—eschewing intermediate logical chains, references, and proofs. Otherwise, its length would swell to rival a doctoral dissertation.
Yet, even then, the only real proof of its Truth can be its effectiveness in the hands of Tarot practitioners.
The author is nonetheless obliged to offer, at minimum, some brief clarifications, since it is not the knowledge of Truths that makes a layman into a specialist, but at least a rudimentary grasp of them.
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Chapter What is the Medici Solitaire?
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My preferred form of wit is simply telling the truth.
There is nothing in this world more amusing.
(Bernard Shaw)
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Fig. Faceless are the Principles of Fate. Yet we persistently obey them…6
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The Medici Solitaire is but one of the myriad disguises of the Universal Law of Conservation of Energy, shown here in a figurative-modular guise.
In this context, the module-images are visualized as Tarot cards.
The very structure and rules of PM ensure a balance among the Forces involved. Which, in practice, translates into its stability and surprising capacity for realization in Reality.
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One of the practical avenues for applying PM can take the form of a peculiar prophecy, cunningly disguised as fortune-telling. Even though prophecy is but one possible variant of the future, the balance of Forces in PM makes it entirely possible to realize it in Reality.
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Chapter Why Use the Medici Solitaire?
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– Don’t try to bend the spoon. That’s impossible. To begin with, you must grasp the main point.
– And what is the main point?
– There is no spoon.
(The Matrix: Neo’s conversation with Indigo, at the Oracle’s, in the hallway.)
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Fig. And the Word—weighty—of the Prophet shapes Destiny… …by the Will of Fate… 7
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Practicing Tarot readers, whom the profane generally call 'fortune-tellers,' are faced with the following situations in their dealings with clients:
1)
The client wishes to be assured that the 'fortune-teller' is not a charlatan. To this end, the Tarot reader tells the client’s past, employing this or that form of vision. In doing so, the cards usually serve merely as a tool for the Tarot reader to attune to the informational channel. And, more often than not, they serve merely as a smokescreen for his extrasensory talents and, in truth, he needs them about as much as a fish needs an umbrella.
2)
Once the Tarot reader has conquered the client's trust, he proceeds to an analysis of the current state of affairs. In such cases, as a rule, he employs the ritual of having the client draw or toss 'random' cards. Which, in one way or another, the Tarot reader interprets in relation to the client. Since the client's life is a multifaceted structure, the current situation is typically considered from a particular angle. The usual suspects: career, love, money, enemies, and the like.
3)
And then, as a rule, the treacherous fog of the Future begins to roll in. The Future itself—though a peculiar reflection of the Past—contains, at its pivotal moments, certain 'forks' in the road. From these, in due course, the Tree of Future Variants for the particular client quietly takes root. At this stage, the Tarot reader’s professional mission is to locate these Key Events and analyze how the client might employ them to their own advantage.
4)
At the same time, most clients, to put it delicately, are hardly interested in the causes and consequences underlying such a particular configuration of the Future. Tarot readers themselves rarely possess a complete Vision of the client's Karma and, more often than not, fail to discern the causal chains of Past Incarnations or the current imprint of the client’s Future in the Mirror of the World. And explaining to the average client the link between their Past Lives and their present circumstances—and further, the unfolding of events in the Future—can prove rather complicated.
5)
Thus, the typical scenario when working with a client, for the average Tarot reader, generally unfolds as follows: the Tarot reader, in one way or another, 'sees' scattered fragments of the client’s Future and a small zone of 'branching' in the Future, clustered around these Key Events. But he perceives only fragments of the
current
imprint of the Future. Which, more often than not, possesses rather serious limitations along the borders of possible outcomes.
6)
A good and honest Tarot reader will candidly tell the client what may come to pass for them—and what simply cannot occur, under any spread whatsoever. And a reasonably balanced client soberly recognizes the limitations of their Fate. Yet such a pairing of Tarot reader and client is a rare occurrence indeed. The very premise—a diagnosis without radiant prospects—can hardly be considered commercially viable. No one is inclined to pay for the obvious statement of fact: that their Life resembles that of a 'grey mouse,' with no chance of finding themselves 'swimming in chocolate,' no matter how the cards are spread.
7)
The ordinary client, by and large, isn’t all that interested in the particular Fate life has allotted them.
He wants a specific Fate, tailor-made to his desires. And all that truly concerns him is how to achieve such a Destiny with the least possible effort.
Meanwhile, the majority of clients are willing, at best, to exercise their initiative solely in the form of a weighty 'no' to various proposals. And thus, their engagement in shaping their own future generally comes to an end. Those who, in fact, live by different principles typically do not seek out the Tarot reader.
8)
Thus, the average client wishes to get from the Tarot reader, in exchange for their money, precisely the version of the Future they want—regardless of any objective preconditions for it. A host of Tarot readers and charlatans, eager to maximize their profits, merely pander to the client, telling them exactly what they wish to hear. Naturally, if the client is not especially given to self-critique, the portrayal of the so-called ‘predicted’ Future is often nothing but exquisite nonsense—inevitably crowned, as surely as the sunrise, with a resplendent Hollywood-style Happy Ending. Yet in reality, such tactics can hardly serve as a winning strategy for a 'parlor' Tarot reader, for he will swiftly acquire the reputation of a charlatan and the flow of clients will dry up. It can be used only by ‘itinerant performers’ of various stripes, forever fleeing their own reputation as a ‘soap bubble’ and the wrath of disillusioned clients.
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Fig. And however much one may yearn, in a flash, to have it all swiftly and easily, experience—unfashionably—remains the only loyal friend. Everything else is mere phantasm…10
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Those Tarot readers who are reliably effective and successful in their dealings with clients typically employ direct seeing at the Vishuddha level. For such Tarot readers, the Tarot cards are no more than a curious screen—a convenient cover for their extrasensory talents. Meanwhile, true Tarot readers of such calibre are rare indeed, and the price of their services is simply astronomical. They have no need for advertising, nor any desire to expand their roster of clients. Most potential clients will never hear their names, for they bend every effort to evade the unwelcome attentions of the general public. Readers of this level typically accept clients only upon the recommendation of their most trusted patrons.
As for the reputation of Tarot readers of a rather lower-frequency Assembly Point, it is under bоооооооооооооa rather significant question. They can 'snatch' or pick up isolated fragments of the client’s life, their past and present, and thereby impress the uninitiated. However, to genuinely and deeply 'see' the Future may be beyond their Forces.11
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So how, then, does one reconcile the irreconcilable?
How does one remain an honest Tarot practitioner, train one’s powers—which are often far from ideal or all-encompassing—and at the same time be useful to Society? How does one earn their 'bread and butter' and remain an in-demand practitioner with a durable, positive reputation?
In the author’s view, within the bounds of the 'usual' ‘divinatory’ practice, there is not, and cannot be, any intelligible answer to this question.
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However, an affirmative answer does exist, but it lies outside the domain of divination.
Tarot cards are a practical tool, founded on the principles now known as Hermeticism. And one of the central Universal Principles of Hermeticism, as everyone knows, states: 12
…
‘That which is below is analogous to that which is above.’
…
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It is precisely thanks to this Principle that divining with Tarot cards becomes possible, and may reflect what has already been inscribed in the Higher Spheres.
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Yet many forget the second part of this Principle:
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‘And that which is above is analogous to that which is below, in order to accomplish the wonders of the One World.’
…
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The second part of the principle allows us to construct the Future ‘below’ and bring it into being, so that it is, as a matter of fact, already mirrored in the Higher Spheres.
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In other words, the Hermetic Principles make it possible not only to divine with the Tarot cards, but to construct the Future with their help.
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So why is it that this part of the principle is still not embraced by Tarot readers?
Fig. And since the prognosis was not composed, it crumbled… it crumbled…13
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In the author's view, the following is taking place here:
Quite often, novice Tarot readers, having seized upon isolated bits of the Future, attempt to offer this prognosis to their clients. And they really can 'see' individual elements of the Future. But since they do not perceive the whole picture—in its entirety—they do not convey it to the client in their prognosis.
An incomplete prognosis, in turn, is no more stable than, say, a table with two legs in place of four. Accordingly, what happens is usually much the same as with such a table: the Future predicted to the client collapses the moment they set about trying to realize it.
When the Tarot reader perceives only a fragment of the Future, countless Forces are left out of the equation—and these are precisely what begin to sow Disharmony and Chaos in any attempt to enact the half-seen scenario.
Thus, for example, a Queen bereft of Mercy becomes a Tyrant, and instead of winning the people's affection, transforms into their waking nightmare.
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The main reason for the fiasco of beginner Tarot readers’ prognoses is their incomplete vision of the Future.
An overreliance on too few ‘points of support.’
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Medici Solitaire, however, deploys ALL possible variants of the Forces.
All Forces involved within it are balanced by the very rules of the Solitaire itself. 14
Such equilibrium of Forces within the solitaire allows for the projection of event scenarios that have a fair chance of materialization.
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Moreover, constructing, rather than divining, makes it possible to shape precisely the Future the client themselves desire.
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Of course, such an approach cannot make every Tarot reader’s client the CEO of Gazprom overnight. But it can help them realize their karmic potential to the fullest, without the destructive effects of disharmonized Forces.15
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Thus, the main reason to use the Medici Solitaire is the chance to achieve ANY final scenario outcome that the client themselves genuinely desires.
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The upshot of this approach is that the Tarot reader becomes a Conductor of Fate, rather than a mere fortune-teller, and the client in turn becomes a Stalker.
In practical use of the Medici Solitaire, the Tarot reader is by no means obliged to explain in detail the Principles of its workings—or how they differ so radically from those of your average Tarot reader.
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Fig. And no matter how much he resisted, he was transforming… transforming…16
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Bonus: For a sense of what’s actually being discussed, it’s recommended to watch the film 'Horoscope for Luck' (2015).17
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Below, the author—as a true slacker and perpetual student—will be drawing upon excerpts from his already written books.
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Chapter The Deck for PM.
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A client comes to a lawyer and spends an eternity tediously recounting every detail of his case.
The lawyer, having finally lost his patience, interrupts him:
"Kindly, sir, tell me briefly and clearly what this is about, and how it really happened ."
As for the court and jury, I can muddle them splendidly all by myself.
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Fig. No one even noticed the shackles. Ignorance—that is our chain…18
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The Medici Solitaire deck differs rather profoundly and in principle from the standard Tarot reader’s deck.
In the author’s firm conviction, several cards have been removed from popular versions of the Tarot deck.
Their removal was plainly deliberate, reducing the Tarot deck to an innocuous plaything.
The author grasps the rationale behind this decision, but in time the maimed Tarot deck has become so canonical that something simply must be done about it.19
Here, in the author’s opinion, the Hermeticists seem to have erred a touch on the side of caution.20
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Thus, for the Medici Solitaire, the deck comprises the following cards:
1)
The denominations of the cards follow one another consecutively from ‘zero’ to ten.
That is, there are 11 minor denominations.
2)
Page (Jack), Queen, Rider, King, Ace.
That is, 5 major denominations.
3)
And, well,
ннннннн
oh yes, all of this is repeated across the four suits.
Denarii, Diamonds – Earth, Muladhara, Workers. 22 23 24
Cups, Hearts – Water, Svadhisthana, Merchants.
Swords, Spades – Fire, Manipura, Kshatriyas.
Staves, Clubs – Air, Anahata, Priests.
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Thus, the deck for Stalking in the Medici Solitaire consists of 64 cards.
Four suits, running from ‘zero’ to Ace.
The Major Arcana of the Tarot deck are not employed in Stalking Medici Solitaire (a practice thinly veiled as ‘divination’).
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This sort of deck can be assembled from the Minor Arcana of two identical Tarot decks, ingeniously repurposing the most suitable cards to stand in for the missing ones.
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For the sake of convenience in laying out the Medici Solitaire, it is wisest to pre-ruled the table in advance.
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Chapter The Rules and Structure of the Medici Solitaire.
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The Fool is confident enough.
The unknowing need rules.
The intelligent are content with a hint.
The wise need only to see.
The genius requires Inspiration.
The creator needs only the canvas of Infinity.
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Fig. And the Chukchi, in orderly ranks, danced with us for hours.
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And so, at last, we have arrived at the very heart of our narrative.
All else was merely a prelude, intended to shed light upon what is presented here.
Hermeticists are fond of encrypting their knowledge from outsiders, employing an array of decidedly Hermetic keys. The author, without a doubt, could have devised a similar charade.26
But the modern reader already boasts a suite of talents and is quite capable of rendering even the most crystalline idea thoroughly muddled, unaided. Therefore, the author will neither obfuscate nor conceal anything.
On the contrary, the author will make every effort to present the matter with maximum clarity and intelligibility. Equipped with a set of keys—including Hermetic ones—both manifest and concealed.27
Various theorizing and footnotes will, whenever possible, be omitted for the sake of narrative simplicity. Explanations regarding the finer points of theory will be provided in other chapters.
In other words, the matter will be presented closer to a Grimoire than to a dissertation on symbol-object programming for consciousness resonance with the space-time continuum.
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So then…
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The basic principles of constructing and laying out the Medici Solitaire
1. The Solitaire is laid out with the full—and only the full—deck of the Minor Arcana of the Tarot.
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That is, a deck that includes, among other things, such cards as the Raiders (Riders), Zeroes, and Ones. We're not talking about 'Aces' here, but specifically about the suit's 'units.'
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In short, the Ace card is not a 'unit' in the tabulation of human consciousness; it is, in fact, a 'Super-Unit.' So, the 'Ace' is, of course, a 'Unit,' but one of an immeasurably higher order than a mere 'unit' as humans understand it. The 'Ace' card embodies the Divine Logos—the Absolute—that Pythagorean 'Unit' from which all other numbers and objects proceed.
Yet for the working mechanics of the Medici Solitaire algorithm, what is required is a 'unit' in its most straightforward, human sense.
The author's speculations on why the 'unit' and 'zero' vanished from the modern deck are recounted in chapters 13 and 13 bis of this very book.
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With all additions complete, the deck should comprise four suits: 64 cards, with 16 cards to each suit.
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The Minor Arcana consist of four suits—Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles. Each suit contains Zero, One, Two, Three, and so on up to Ten.
Then come the 'court cards' or 'picture cards'—Page (Jack), Knight (Rider), Queen, King, and Ace.
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Important!
When preparing the PM spread by hand, a complete deck can be assembled from two poker decks. To do this, the most suitable cards from the second deck are converted into the missing ones from the first, until the full set is complete.
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For the ordinary poker deck, one must add four 'Zeroes', four 'Ones', and four 'Raiders'.
'Zeroes' are conveniently fashioned from the twos. 'Ones' are best improvised from the threes or fives. 'Raiders'—from the 'Kings' or 'Jacks'. To obliterate the previous illustration, employ a white marker or the so-called correction fluid.
Jokers, too, are to be removed from the deck.
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2. In the modern playing deck, Denarii—or Coins—have become the suit of Diamonds; Cups, the suit of Hearts; Swords, the suit of Spades; Staves, the suit of Clubs.
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1. Any problem may be approached by various methods and means. Accordingly, the Medici Solitaire may be constructed through different algorithms and techniques.
Each such algorithm will possess its own peculiarities, yet provided certain Hermetic Laws are followed, all shall be legitimate.
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Below, we shall consider one of the algorithms for composing the PM.
The author of this algorithm christened it the 'Seal of the Templars.'
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Fig. The Seal of the Templars (photo from Wikipedia).
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Scheme of the Medici Solitaire spread according to the 'Seal of the Templars' algorithm.
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Step № 1 of constructing the PM: Lining the table.
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Take a wide table and trace it into a grid of 5 rows and 17 columns, all of equal width. The cells should be just a touch larger than a standard playing card.
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In the top row, from left to right, note the column for enumerating the suits, then number the remaining columns from 1 to 16.
The suits are irrevocably tethered to their own row.
Which suit is placed in which row is indicated in the left column of the table. Furthermore, the leftmost column can also serve a purpose when reorganizing the cards.
Solitaire is, at first, laid out in rows of four cards—that is, four rows of fifteen columns each.
For a manual spread, it is most desirable to have a wide table, preferably lined. Alternatively, should you employ a computer, any ordinary text editor—Word, for example—will suffice.
Nevertheless, where possible, it is recommended to eschew manual layouts and instead avail yourself of specialized programs.28
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For example, as follows:
Fig. Table lining.
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Step № 2 of constructing the PM). At this stage, one selects the manner in which suits alternate along the rows of the table.
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Which type of suit alternation is optimal for which tasks will be addressed later, in a separate chapter.
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There are three possible types of suit alternation:
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The 'reverse' type of suit alternation.
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In this type, the rows are filled from top to bottom in the following order: diamonds, Hearts, Spades, Clubs.
Or, in other words: Denarii, Cups, Swords, Staves. Or, to put it differently: the elements of Earth, Water, Fire, Air.
That is, a sequential raising of frequency.
In other words, from Matter backwards ('in reverse') to the Absolute. That is, a path “contrary” to the natural way of manifesting an idea.
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Important!
The reading of the PM spread begins from the upper left corner of the table.
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In the table, for example, it appears as follows:
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Fig. The 'reverse' type of suit alternation.
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“Direct” suit alternation type.
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In this mode, the rows are filled consecutively from top to bottom by Clubs, Spades, Hearts, and diamonds. Or, in other words: Staves, Swords, Cups, Denarii. Or, put differently, the elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.
That is, a sequential lowering of frequency. From the Absolute, “directly” into Matter. That is, a “direct” path to the incarnation of an idea.
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In the table, for example, it appears as follows:
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Fig. “Direct” suit alternation type.
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The “Mixed” suit alternation type.
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With this type, the rows are filled from top to bottom with suits in an arbitrary or random order.
There may be a total of 4*3*2*1—2=22 mixed variations of suit alternation.
In this case, the frequency of traffic flow through the PM takes on a nonlinear character.
In the table, this might look, for example, as follows:
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Fig. The “Mixed” suit alternation type.
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From here, the layout of the Medici Solitaire will be considered using the example of “Direct” suit alternation.
Rules for constructing the Medici Solitaire according to the ‘Seal of the Templars’ algorithm.
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Rule 1. The fundamental law employed in Medici Solitaire is the Hermetic Rule of Sympathy and Valency. In practice, this manifests as neighboring cards being combined—stacked, if you will—either by denomination or by suit.
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As is only natural, in such combinations the later cards remain on top, while the earlier ones quietly ‘retire’ below. As if vanishing from view. This is analogous to the flow of time.
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Important!
In practice, the Medici Solitaire is arranged, but on the table it remains—in all its laid-out glory.
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For such an arrangement to be possible, one must observe the following rule for laying out the Solitaire:
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Rule 2. Each column must contain all four suits.
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In essence, only the presence of all four suits together yields an energetic coordinate in space.
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Fig. The coordinate of any object: (x, y, z, t).
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Much like the intersection of latitude and longitude coordinates on a map, or a three-dimensional projection in an engineer’s blueprint. Only here, we employ a four-dimensional projection, since our visible physical world is, after all, four-dimensional.
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Essentially, each column serves as a symbolic-object coordinate.
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Rule 3. At the same time, the cards within a single column must not coincide either by Denomination or by suit. Otherwise, they will simply not fit together properly.
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Fig. Those who ‘crumple’ the rules are destined to ‘crease’ the card spread itself.
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An “incorrect” addition of the PM manifests in the multidimensional world as a “crumpling” of its structure. Thus, the PM spread must be rather strictly structured according to certain rules.
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A kind of exception to this rule is that the “target,” Raiders, “flag,” and “trigger” cards are arranged in a single vertical column.
For, in essence, they represent a single card in four projections.
Therefore, in the four columns on the far right, a coincidence of cards by Denomination is possible without breaking the rules of the PM spread.
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Important!
In principle, the 'target' cards may coincide in denomination. However, this is generally not recommended for novice Stalkers, or, indeed, in most cases.
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The finer points of this nuance will be explained later.
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Rule 4. Cards in adjacent columns (from the 1st to the 12th) must not coincide in denomination. Otherwise, they will refuse to combine properly with each other. Adjacent columns should be combined in a uniform fashion exclusively by suit—and by suit alone. Therefore, cards in adjacent columns may coincide by suit, and only by suit.
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If these rules are ignored, the PM spread becomes ‘crumpled,’ its structure and resonance with the surrounding world disrupted. When ‘crumpled,’ its practical value tends toward zero. When ‘crumpled,’ the PM spread degenerates into a mere sequence of unstructured events.
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Step №3 in constructing the PM: a set of ‘target’ cards is laid out in column №16.
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That is, cards symbolizing the events you intend to ‘receive’ or to ‘provoke’ into ultimately ‘manifesting’ in reality. More about them somewhat later.
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Any of the 52 cards in the deck may find their place here, with the exception of Riders, Aces, and Jacks.
That is—2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Queen, King, or Ace of any suit.
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Important!
It is strongly advised against designating Zeroes as 'target' cards!
Since this may well lead to a deterioration of the Stalker's health during the PM.
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At the same time, one must remember that all suits should be represented among the set of 'target' cards.
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The role of the “target” cards will be explored in greater detail later, in a special chapter.
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Any card except “zeroes,” ones, Raiders, and Jacks may serve as a “target” card. The Denomination of the “Ones” cards is reserved for “trigger” cards. The Denomination of the “Jacks” cards is reserved for “flag” cards. The Denomination of the “Raiders” cards is reserved for trend cards.29
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The spread typically begins with the rightmost column of the table.
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All enumerations of cards proceed from top to bottom and from left to right. Starting from the top left corner of the table.
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Below are examples of target card spreads:
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Fig. An example of a proper target card spread. The target cards differ by denomination.
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A correct spread: Five of Clubs, Seven of Spades, Eight of Hearts, Ten of Diamonds. The PM spread rule is observed.
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Fig. An example of an ill-advised target card spread. The target cards repeat in denomination.
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Five of Clubs, Eight of Spades, Eight of Hearts, Five of Diamonds. The illustration presents a layout not recommended for beginners. The Denomination of the Clubs and Diamonds, Hearts and Spades cards in the column matches.
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Step № 4 of constructing the PM. Cards are laid out—Raiders (Knights).
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Alternatively, the card may be called Rider or Knight.
While many modern playing decks lack them, they do appear in Tarot decks. And in the PM spread, they are essential for synchronizing the traffic.
This card plays a special role and might be referred to as the ‘trend card’ or, if one prefers, the ‘tailwind card’, ‘mounting the saddle’, ‘loosened reins’, or ‘wind at your back’ card.
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In essence, it is the card of 'synchronizing' the magical strike of the PM with the world's current state.
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It plays a special part, and the role of the Raider cards will be examined more thoroughly later, in a dedicated chapter.
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Raiders are placed in the 15th column, in cells adjacent to the 'target' cards. The suit of the Raider, in any given cell, is determined by the suit of the row indicated on the left side of the table.
When laid out, the Raiders follow the same PM spread rules (1–4) as the other cards in the spread.
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Fig. Correct spread.
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The correct arrangement of the Raiders for this example:
Raider of Clubs, Raider of Spades, Raider of Hearts, Raider of Diamonds.
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Fig. Incorrect arrangement of the Raiders.
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Raider of Clubs, Raider of Spades, Raider of Diamonds, Raider of Hearts. Incorrect arrangement. The Diamond and Heart Raiders are in rows that do not correspond to their suit.
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Step № 5 of constructing the PM. The “trigger” cards—that is, the suit aces—are laid out.
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The “trigger” cards are placed in the 14th column, in the cells adjacent to the Raiders, according to the suit of the row.
'Aces' are absent both in the modern playing deck and in the modern Tarot deck. However, in this algorithm, their presence is mandatory.
The author's musings on this topic can be found in Chapter 13 of this book.
The role of the 'trigger' cards will be explored in greater detail later, in a dedicated chapter.
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Fig. Adding the 'trigger' cards.
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In the next Step, the 'ones' are added to the 14th column.
Ace of Clubs. Ace of Spades, Ace of Hearts, Ace of Diamonds.
Do not forget to place the cards by suit in their designated rows. The suit of the cards for each row is determined in advance, when selecting the spread type, and is shown on the left side of the table.
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Step № 6 of constructing the PM. At this point, the “flag” cards—the Jacks—are laid out.
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This card serves as a “flag” card—a kind of indicator on the PM panel, signaling, on the one hand, that the Solitaire is charged. And on the other, it is a declaration to the world that the Stalker is prepared to ‘discharge’ the Solitaire.
The “flag” cards are laid out in the 13th column, in the spaces adjacent to the “trigger” cards, according to the suit of the row.
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We’ll discuss them in more detail a bit later, in a special chapter.
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Fig. “Flag” cards: the correct spread.
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It is worth noting an important point. At this stage, the peculiar “framework” of the future Medici Solitaire spread has already taken shape. Given the set pattern of suit alternation and the “target” cards, it remains unchanged.
The remaining cards in the spread may be assigned by the Stalker in any arbitrary or random order.
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Important!!!
When arranging the remaining cards in the deck, it is ESSENTIAL to observe all four PM spread rules outlined in this chapter. Only then is the Medici Solitaire considered 'convergent,' and its use in Stalking becomes meaningful.
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'Non-convergent' PM spreads possess a 'crumpling' structure, making their enactment in real life rather pointless. After all, they are poorly synchronized with the flow of events.
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Step № 7 in constructing the PM. The top row of the PM spread is being filled in.
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Cards are laid out in an arbitrary or random fashion.
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It is recommended to draw cards by shuffling the remainder of the deck and randomly selecting a card of the required suit. If the card being laid out violates the PM spread rules, you must choose an alternative arrangement.
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Fig. Filling the first row: an example of an incorrect spread.
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An example of an incorrect spread is shown above. The 7 of Clubs, dealt into the 11th column, has been placed in a row that does not correspond to its suit.
Evidently, at this stage, the arrangement of cards in the other columns of the first row may be quite arbitrary. Naturally, this holds true if the suit of the card being placed matches the suit of the row.
It is recommended to take cards by shuffling the remainder of the deck and randomly selecting a card of the desired suit.
For example, as follows:
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Fig. Filling the first row: an example of a proper spread.
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The Clubs suit symbol from the first column has been removed, lest it be confused with the Ace.
The first row is filled thus: (all cards in the first row, needless to say, are Clubs)
Zero, 2, Ace, 6, 4, 3, 8, Queen, 10, King, 7, 9. Next, the “framework” of this row consists of the Jack of Clubs, the Ace of Clubs, the Raider of Clubs, and the “target” card—the Five of Clubs.
Let me remind you: apart from the “framework,” the order in this row can be absolutely anything.
Since at this step, with any arrangement of cards by suit, it is, in principle, impossible to violate any of the PM rules.
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Step № 8 of constructing the PM. The cards are placed in the second row from the top in the PM spread.
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It is recommended to draw cards by shuffling the remainder of the deck and randomly selecting a card of the required suit. If the card being laid out violates the PM spread rules, you must choose an alternative arrangement.
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Important!
In practice, this means that for the card drawn from the deck, you need to choose a place in the row where it does not violate the PM spread rules.
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Let us offer an example of incorrectly completing the second row:
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Fig. Incorrect layout for filling in the second row.
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Zero of Spades, Ten of Spades, Three of Spades, Two of Spades, Six of Spades, Queen of Spades, Four of Spades, Ace of Spades, King of Spades, Nine of Spades, Five of Spades, Eight of Spades. And the “framework” – Jack of Spades, Ace of Spades, Raider of Spades, and Seven of Spades.
The proposed variant for completing the second row is incorrect:
1) In the first column, the Zero of Spades coincides in Denomination with the Zero of Clubs in that same column, which violates Rule No. 3 of the PM spread;30
2) In the fifth column, the Six of Spades coincides in Denomination with the Six of Clubs in the adjacent fourth column—a clear breach of Rule No. 4 of the PM spread.31
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Any card that violates the PM spread rules should be relocated elsewhere within the row of its suit, in such a manner that the rule is no longer infringed.
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To aid in this, one might find it convenient to employ the empty cell in the far-left column of the same row. Alternatively, one can use the empty cells at the bottom row of the table.
Having temporarily moved the incorrectly positioned card there, you should then, at least in spirit, search for a card in the same row to exchange it with—without, of course, breaking the PM spread rules.
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Important!
When arranging the second row, it suffices merely to be attentive and to check that each card placed conforms to the PM spread rules. If the card being slotted into a cell contravenes the PM rules, one must seek out an empty cell in the second row where said rules remain unbroken.
Usually, this is quite enough to lay out the second row without rearranging the cards.
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Let us present an example of proper completion of the second row of the table:
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Fig. Filling in the second row—the correct spread.
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For instance: Six of Spades, Ten of Spades, Three of Spades, Two of Spades, Eight of Spades, Queen of Spades, Four of Spades, Ace of Spades, Zero of Spades, Nine of Spades, Five of Spades, King of Spades, and the “framework”—Jack of Spades, One of Spades, Raider of Spades, Seven of Spades.
The provided example observes the PM spread rules.
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Step № 9 in constructing the PM. Cards are laid out in the third row from the top of the PM spread.
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It is recommended to take cards by shuffling the remainder of the deck and randomly selecting a card of the desired suit.
If the card being laid out violates the PM spread rules, you must choose an alternative arrangement.
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Important!
In practice, this means that for the card drawn from the deck, you need to choose a place in the row where it does not violate the PM spread rules.
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Important! If it proves utterly impossible to arrange the cards without violating the PM spread rules, the preceding second row of the PM spread must be partially reconfigured or dismantled, and Step № 8 is repeated anew.
Important! With a dash of experience and a penchant for analytical thinking, one might well discern—in the first two rows—those very cards which stand in the way of arranging the third row.
By delicately exchanging cards within the row, one can achieve a state in which all the cards in the spread refrain from “conflicting” with one another, and the PM spread rules are properly observed.
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Important!
The “framework” of cards—the “target,” raiders, “trigger,” and “flag” cards—remains unchanged.
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For example, as follows:
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Fig. Filling in the third row, the correct spread.
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Let us fill in the third row of the table. For example, like this:
Ace of Hearts, King of Hearts, 4 of Hearts, 9 of Hearts, 10 of Hearts, Zero of Hearts, 7 of Hearts, 2 of Hearts, 5 of Hearts, 3 of Hearts, Queen of Hearts, 6 of Hearts, and the “framework”—Jack of Hearts, 1 of Hearts, Raider of Hearts, and 8 of Hearts.