Hi again, I have a question. Which of the four season represent the court cards: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter?

There is probably a standard explanation for that, since many are familiar with the Tarot's links to astrology, cabala, numerology, etc.

All I know is that each suit stands for an element in nature: Wands are fire, so they would be summer, but some consider them as wood, so would be spring in the Chinese system. Cups are water, so they could be spring, but water in FS stands for winter. Swords are Air, which I believe is autumn (metal in FS), although for some it could be spring. And Pentacles are Earth, the middle seasons in the Chinese system, but looking at the cards it looks like lush spring.

In fact, just by looking at the RW suit illustrations, Wands look like dry, hot summer, Pentacles like green spring growth, Cups like wet, mild autumn and Swords like cold, bleak winter.

This is an interesting subject. I would like to see how others think on it. Would you consider the element each suit is associated to or read each suit intuitively by its colors and feel?

I agree with Pirbid here, although there are so many interpretations of this darn timing thing with the tarot cards. :(

I have been battling with the idea of seasons and timing a lot of late.
I have now accepted and will try and do readings based on this concept that:
Cups = Spring
Wands= Summer
Swords = Autumn
Pentacels = Winter.

I would take the Ace as the season itself and the numbers following afterwards for each suit as the number of weeks until I reach the King and the Queen which I would take as the transitional point from one season to the other. As to the pages and knights, that I am still struggling with. Anybody got any ideas, please share with us.

Hey, I like your approach, Cedars. I never bother too much with the time aspect of readings, but I know many querents are very interested to know when things are to be expected. Counting pips as weeks into each season sounds like an easy point to remember.

In one of the several books I read on the subject (which is why I cannot remember which one it was), they did it this way: Aces, 2s and 3s meant hours or days; 4s, 5s and 6s, up to a week; 7s and 8s, from days to 1 or 2 weeks; 9s and 10s, from 1 to several weeks.

I like the royal couple as a transition point between seasons. If you would like an idea for knights and pages, here is the first thing that comes to my mind. Since the smallest period that you contemplate through pips is 1-2 weeks, yo might like to consider the impulsive knights as something which will happen soon and suddenly, with no previous warning, a surprise. Pages have traditionally been thought of as messengers, so they could stand for news received within a week from the reading and in a gentler way than knights. How's that?

Since this is a prickly and difficult point in readings, I would be grateful for any input from more experienced readers ( Gem, where are yooou?   ) or just anybody who has given it more thought than I have, namely anyone at all  

Good one about the pages and the knigths Pirbid.

Wow...in one of the books that you have read, do they go as far as giving hours? In other words, the next few hours after the reading is done? That would be scary...      

I know all psychics and clairvoyants always say they cannot guaranty timing. And, I am not too bothered about timing, but it is ALWAYS good to know as I have had some tarto readings from professionals who were bloody good with their timing forecast.
Based on the above, I gave a reading to a friend and gave him and indication of my own tarot timing. It turned out that a psychic reading he had had a week before, was given the same timing as the cards revealed for the same situation..... well... coincidence? Am willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.
cedars