Elemental Dignities

Elemental dignities are the Golden Dawn method for assessing how neighbouring cards strengthen or weaken one another according to their element: Wands are Fire, Cups are Water, Swords are Air and Pentacles are Earth. Identical elements reinforce each other; Fire and Air, or Water and Earth, are friendly and supportive; Fire and Water, or Air and Earth, are contrary and cancel each other out. Thus a Three of Swords flanked by two Cups cards has its pain softened, while surrounded by Wands it intensifies. It is the classic alternative to reversals for reading nuance, and it requires knowing the elements of the Major Arcana.