Quintessence, yay or nay?

[Lonely]

I originally did quintessence by only adding minor arcana (excluding courts) and now I add all including courts (I don't use reversals but if I did I would subtract their values) and I was just wondering 1: how those of you that use a quint add up the value and 2: do you view it as an overall outcome, theme, hidden factor, etc?

 

Side note: I've heard some people add the bottom card of the deck's value, why?

[stephanelli]

18 minutes ago, Lonely said:

I originally did quintessence by only adding minor arcana (excluding courts) and now I add all including courts (I don't use reversals but if I did I would subtract their values) and I was just wondering 1: how those of you that use a quint add up the value and 2: do you view it as an overall outcome, theme, hidden factor, etc?

 

Side note: I've heard some people add the bottom card of the deck's value, why?

I use it occasionally on larger readings (usually at least 5 cards, although I've done 4 in my example so I don't have to do as much maths) if I feel pulled to do so.  I never read reversed, just for reference.  It usually represents a theme for me, but I've had it as an extra piece of information before now that was really important to the reading.

 

I can't remember where I learnt about the way I do the adding up, possibility on this forum, let's pick some random cards to demonstrate:

5 of Cups

9 of Swords

Queen of Cups

X Wheel of Fortune

 

Step 1: add up all the numbers (Pages - Kings are 11 -14; I include major arcana as well )

5 + 9 + 13 + 10 = 37

If answer is 21 or below, that is the Quint number and the corresponding Major Arcana is the theme.

 

If not, move onto step 2.

 

Step 2: add up the digits in Step 1.

3 + 7 = 10

 

If answer is 21 or below, that is the Quint number and the corresponding Major Arcana is the theme.

If not, repeat Step 2.

 

If it's between 10 and 21 inclusive, it's possible to do Step 2 again to get a single digit number.  If that happens I look at the card in context with the reading to know if it's say card 10 or 1.

In my previous experience, it's been obvious which one I need for the reading.

 

Hope that helpful!

[Raggydoll]

I personally don't do them. I have tried it many years ago, about the same time that I experimented with elemental dignities. I found that for me it did not add to my readings. I never included the base card in the calculations though. I have, on rare occasions, paid notice to the base card. Though its not something I find to be particularly necessary for most readings that I do. 

 

I am sure others will chime in and hopefully some of the ones that do use quint cards. In the meantime, here are some older links that may prove interesting!

 

 

 

[Lonely]

22 hours ago, stephanelli said:

I use it occasionally on larger readings (usually at least 5 cards, although I've done 4 in my example so I don't have to do as much maths) if I feel pulled to do so.  I never read reversed, just for reference.  It usually represents a theme for me, but I've had it as an extra piece of information before now that was really important to the reading.

 

I can't remember where I learnt about the way I do the adding up, possibility on this forum, let's pick some random cards to demonstrate:

5 of Cups

9 of Swords

Queen of Cups

X Wheel of Fortune

 

Step 1: add up all the numbers (Pages - Kings are 11 -14; I include major arcana as well )

5 + 9 + 13 + 10 = 37

If answer is 21 or below, that is the Quint number and the corresponding Major Arcana is the theme.

 

If not, move onto step 2.

 

Step 2: add up the digits in Step 1.

3 + 7 = 10

 

If answer is 21 or below, that is the Quint number and the corresponding Major Arcana is the theme.

If not, repeat Step 2.

 

If it's between 10 and 21 inclusive, it's possible to do Step 2 again to get a single digit number.  If that happens I look at the card in context with the reading to know if it's say card 10 or 1.

In my previous experience, it's been obvious which one I need for the reading.

 

Hope that helpful!

I'm so relieved you add them up the way I do, it felt reassuring lol so what's your take on if the sum is 108, should it be 18 or 9 then??

[Lonely]

22 hours ago, Raggydoll said:

I personally don't do them. I have tried it many years ago, about the same time that I experimented with elemental dignities. I found that for me it did not add to my readings. I never included the base card in the calculations though. I have, on rare occasions, paid notice to the base card. Though its not something I find to be particularly necessary for most readings that I do. 

 

I am sure others will chime in and hopefully some of the ones that do use quint cards. In the meantime, here are some older links that may prove interesting!

 

 

 

I read all of these threads and especially the first 2 helped! Thank you for knowing where to find these at on the site for me!!!!!

[stephanelli]

34 minutes ago, Lonely said:

I'm so relieved you add them up the way I do, it felt reassuring lol so what's your take on if the sum is 108, should it be 18 or 9 then??

If it adds up to 108 I'd sum again because it's over 21: 1+0+8 = 9.

I think zeros are important.  It's the Fools number.  And though he can't appear as the quint,I think it's important to not ignore zeros personally.

[Lonely]

55 minutes ago, stephanelli said:

If it adds up to 108 I'd sum again because it's over 21: 1+0+8 = 9.

I think zeros are important.  It's the Fools number.  And though he can't appear as the quint,I think it's important to not ignore zeros personally.

I've heard of people using 22 as the fool so instead of getting to 21 they add till 22 or lower. But thank you, I'm always unsure if I should add like 10+8 or 1+0+8 so that helped!

[stephanelli]

1 hour ago, Lonely said:

I've heard of people using 22 as the fool so instead of getting to 21 they add till 22 or lower. But thank you, I'm always unsure if I should add like 10+8 or 1+0+8 so that helped!

I don't use 22 for The Fool because of how the Fool fits into the major arcana.  Cards 1-21 are essences that the Fool encounters on his journey and are key learning points for him.  For me, the Quint gives the theme of the reading, and you can imagine that the querent IS the Fool and you're finding what point/theme they are in on their journey at the point of the reading.

 

At least, that's how I see it.

[Lonely]

On 8/19/2021 at 4:08 AM, stephanelli said:

I don't use 22 for The Fool because of how the Fool fits into the major arcana.  Cards 1-21 are essences that the Fool encounters on his journey and are key learning points for him.  For me, the Quint gives the theme of the reading, and you can imagine that the querent IS the Fool and you're finding what point/theme they are in on their journey at the point of the reading.

 

At least, that's how I see it.

Ooooooo that's very helpful since I keep getting the same 3 quintessence cards: lovers, justice, and wheel. So since you said it's where I'm at on my journey now I get why the same three keep coming up. Whereas I took them to mean a larger outcome or future theme. Not current and ongoing. Oooooooo

[nord_drache]

I remember this was a big topic on AT and I know Barleywine was very helpful to me in the explanation.

I think the bottom card gets added as many readers use this as the shadow card for hidden and underlying meanings.

In my regular readings I use a 4 card spread plus a shadow card with reversals, I have also gotten in the habit of using the quintessence card.

For adding I give the court cards their value, the Page=11, the Knight =12, etc, reversals are negatives, and I total up the numbers. The result I reduce adding each digit when the total is over 21. I use the reversals because often it brings something in we need to hear as well when used in the quintessences you can get a 0 . . . the fool.

Some people who read this might ask , aren't the quintessence and shadow the same? I find the shadow shows details forgotten or even the foundation. The quintessence acts as a filter on the overall reading.

[fire cat pickles]

I use the 22 as the 0 as there are 22 Majors, not 21. I also don't use the shadow card. (I call it the "heel" card.)