Today’s post is a look at how I currently interpret a combination involving the Scythe. Different readers have different ways of looking at this card. Generally it’s a card of pain, danger, cutting, and suddenness or impact. Not a very pleasant card in most circumstances! The question is, how does the Scythe affect its neighbor(s)?
In the traditional methods as I learned them, the Scythe is seen as cutting the card which the blade faces. In my deck, the Scythe blade is on the right, so it is primarily affecting the card to it’s right. If the card to the right is Clover, I would suspect someone’s happiness is going to be short-lived, or over before it begins. On the other hand, if Mountain is to the right, then I envision the Scythe as cutting right through any obstacles, effectively clearing them.
Let me take a particular pairing, Scythe and Ring.
Scythe + Ring
The Scythe is pain, danger and cutting. The Ring is relationship or business partnership. Scythe + Ring most likely speaks of a severing of a relationship, whether personal or professional. I think this is compatible with the theme and modifier technique I sometimes use: the Scythe’s cutting is the main theme, and the modifier is a relationship: the cutting (or ending) is of a relationship.
Ring + Scythe
The reverse seems to suggest a painful relationship: the Ring is the relationship, and Scythe is pain and danger. Because the blade of the Scythe is facing to the right, it is not actually severing the Ring, so it’s not bringing and end to this relationship. This is also compatible with the theme and modifier technique: the main subject is the relationship, and the modifier is pain and danger. For the severance to occur, it (represented by Scythe) would need to be the main subject.
There are other ways that readers handle pairings with the Scythe. Some ignore direction of the blade, and read the cards in a linear flow of energy. They determine the Scythe’s impact according to how they perceive the sequence of action, which may be the opposite of what I’ve written here. Others generalize the placement such that negative cards on the right have greatest impact to their immediate left. It can get confusing if a person starts comparing all the styles and techniques!
I think the most important way to handle the Scythe and similar cards is to pick one technique that works, and be consistent.
How do you like to read the Scythe? Do you have a favorite technique other than this method I’ve described? Please post your comments or questions.
Jase on Cards 
5 comments
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October 1, 2009 at 2:40 pm
kapherus
Hi Jase,
I’m enjoying your directional musings! I’m one of the people you mentioned who doesn’t take the direction of the Scythe’s blade into account. I base my interpretation on the sequence of action in the card order.
For example, I read Scythe + Ring to indicate a divorce or separation that has already taken place, and I’ve had this combination come up in a reading to represent a possible reconciliation.
Ring + Scythe represents the threat of a break up or breach of contract in my readings.
I agree that consistency is the most important factor in acquiring accuracy with the cards. In my experience, the cards will mean whatever you expect them to mean– as long as what you expect remains consistent. 🙂
Kaph
October 1, 2009 at 7:28 pm
Jason
Hi Kapherus,
Thanks for the comment. I’m glad to know my musings on these “obscure” topics are enjoyable to someone. 🙂
I completely agree with you that consistency is an important factor for accuracy with cards — any cards!
It’s interesting that your Scythe + Ring is a separation that has already occurred, whereas the reverse pair is warning of future separation. That’s sort of the reverse of how I see it.
I think I understand your approach to Scythe + Ring: the Scythe as a self-contained ending that has taken place, and the Ring is now promising a partnership, despite the severance of ties. Right?
I wasn’t getting my mind around your Ring + Scythe at first, but now I think I do. The contract has taken place with the Ring. Then the Scythe is coming in to threaten a break.
Correct me if I misread your flow of action, please. 😀
October 3, 2009 at 9:26 am
Kapherus
Yes, that’s correct.
I read the flow of action from left to right, and from past to future. So the card order would determine for me whether the break has already occurred, or will occur in the possible future.
For example, Man + Scythe + Ring might describe a single man who is divorced, and Man + Ring + Scythe might describe a married man going through a divorce or headed in that direction.
Kaph
October 7, 2009 at 3:02 pm
spiritsong
I’ve enjoyed your thoughts on this one Jason. I tend to read from left to right as well, but you’ve given me something to think about- it makes sense.
Now Scythe+Ring could also denote decisions made around a deal/contract or a relationship.
I would usually see Ring+Scythe as a relationship break 🙂
I remember Chanah writing about themes and modifyers…….I realise that I might find myself using that with the Book, noticing which way it faces. I hadn’t really thought too much about it.
I realise that I tend to get most of my information on combinations intuitively without thinking about it too deeply; which is funny, because usually I can be very analytical.
Thanks for the food for thought 🙂
Spiritsong
October 10, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Jason
Thanks, Spiritsong. I sometimes think of the right-to-left way of looking at a pair of cards as being like a European language, where the adjective follows the verb. Spanish is one such example. I don’t know German at all, but I wonder if the German language is similar? In which case it makes sense that some of these techniques of reading combinations developed as they did. The cards are read similarly to the language, as opposed to English, which is a straight left-to-write.
I hope that makes sense!
I also get a lot of my combinations intuitively, in the sense that I don’t always sit around and work out what a pair of cards means like I do in this example; many times I just flow through the cards, left to right, and it works. But when I want to ponder it, or the cards aren’t speaking right away, this analytical technique can really help me.