The Near & Far technique is nothing new. It has been used by gypsies for a long time. I can’t tell you how long but I know from experience at least 45 years that I am personally aware of.
There are many techniques used in the interpretation of the Grand Tableau depending how deeply you want to investigate the cards and their combinations.
The Near & Far technique is based on the positioning of the Significator cards, the Lady and Gentleman. I know I have mentioned my gypsy relative often in other posts. She was the woman who first exposed me to the Lenormand and Zigeuner Wahrsagekarten decks in the summer of 1970. She also read my coffee grounds. I specifically recall her telling me that a man with lighter hair was waiting for me after I travel the large waters back home to America. Canada and the United States were often referred to as America back in those days especially in Eastern Europe. She pointed to the Rider card. “You will meet him soon & marry, and have a child within one year” she said, pointing to the Lady, Stork & Ship cards. I don’t recall much else except that she continued this part of my reading using the Near & Far technique. When she was done she did the corners technique. She read position 1 and 36, 2 and 35 and so on. After that I shuffled the cards again & did the mystical card layout which was quite large as it only had left row of center, right row of center, top row of center and bottom row of center using all 36 cards. The Zigeuner cards were used another time using the same method. I fell in love with those cards because they felt so mystical to me. She gave me her deck for some strange reason and told me “America” viewed gypsies as bad. Needless to say, the 1970’s were not so kind to “fortune tellers” in “America”. Tarot was starting to become big. Other divination systems by cards were strictly a “European thing”.
Ok back to the topic of this post – Near & Far technique. You do the GT the same way, shuffle the deck and lay it out 4 rows x 9 cards (or 5 rows x 8 cards with only 4 cards in row five centered).
Locate the Significator. Read the cards Near the Lady (example for post). Now, I suppose you may be wondering how? There is a bit more to this technique. There are 4 possible Near interpretations and 4 possible Far interpretation.
Near the Significator: Far from the Significator
1. near and above: 1. far and above
2. near and below: 2. far and below
3. near and to the left: 3. far and to the left
4. near and to the right: 4. far and to the right
In this technique the meanings are altered according to location from the Significator whether it is Near of Far. Certain cards above, below, to the left, to the right of the Significator changed in meaning.
The cards near would be current influences. The cards far would be past or future influences. The positioning of is degrees of the card’s influences.
For example:
Snake near and beneath suggests the influence of bad friends. Snake far and beneath suggests getting mixed up with bad friends.
Snake near and above warns of treachery at your doorstep. Snake far and above suggests treachery.
Snake near and to the left suggests recent slander. Snake far and to the left suggests past slander.
Snake near and to the right suggest losses are around the corner which involves trust. Snake far and to the right suggest losses are waiting to happen which involves trust.
In the Near & Far technique positions of the cards from the Significator is very important. The same applies to the Significator card representing the significant other usually a marital partner. lover, etc.
I think the Near & Far technique would work really well if you just read the Lenormand Houses.
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