What are my greatest talents?
The Talent Map speaks of me through the symbolic language of the Major Arcana
THE MAP
One of the first times I had the opportunity to have a chat with Matteo Penzo, friend and founder of the Daleth School of the Symptom, I was asked my date of birth. That consultation stemmed from the need to understand the origin of a physical malaise - I call it that because at the time I still had no idea of the existence of biological laws - that had been gripping me for some time and was giving me a hard time. I had come into contact with Matteo a few weeks earlier, on the occasion of an interview I did with him for my YouTube channel, which was new at the time. Without asking myself too many questions I answered, even though inside I could not find the connection between the physical malaise, the subject of the interview, and the day I was born. Matthew began 'rambling' things about a hermit, problems with the male, isolation and much, much more. However, I could not help but realise that the indications he was giving me in relation to my date of birth and a series of mental calculations he had put in place in a short time were not off the top of my head. One by one, Matteo was plumbing every detail of my life without hesitation and some time later I began to understand the work he was doing.
Although performed very quickly and hastily at that juncture, Matteo had introduced me to the Map of Talents, that set of mathematical operations that, starting from the date of birth, reveal the most significant aspects of an individual's personality, using the conceptual and symbolic language of the Major Arcana.
That physical malaise to which I referred is no longer present today. I do not know whether it was those revelations or whether I simply became aware of the event that triggered what I can now unceremoniously call 'biological activation'. Probably a combination of the two.
The Map Of Talents talks about the family system. It is about a programme. A set of procedures that heterodirect the individual's existence. Modes of response to life events. It is a system that works by repetitions, where each family member is called upon to break a pattern. Repetitions occur through information that is passed on from generation to generation and from which no party can escape. The fact that I respond to certain eventualities in a certain way is no accident. Pamela Levin explains in her book 'The Cycle of Development' how each individual draws his or her own map over a period of time ranging from 70 days to 6-7 years of life.
It is at this juncture that all the modes of response that the subject will put in place whenever he or she comes into contact with any given reality are configured. However, this map is strongly influenced by the family system, which unequivocally and peremptorily determines what the 'rules in progress' are, unless someone within the tree manages to change the cards on the table.
MY TALENTS
To make myself better understood, I will help myself with an example. A close friend got married and had three daughters. His father died when he was still very young. In the entire family environment, the only male present - apart from him - is homosexual. Looking at his map, we find among the 'biggest' numbers an eight, a ten, an eighteen and a three. The ten carries what in bio-genealogy is called a 'homosexual knot', while the other three are all numbers that speak of femininity, especially the eighteen and the three. Without going too deep, for those who are a little familiar with the Map tool, it is easy to see that we are facing a system that for some reason is 'cutting off' all the males in the family. The reasons why this is happening are to be explored through the wealth of information that the Map makes available through the Arcana and their position within the Map itself.
In reality, the Map has a very specific purpose: to unearth the individual's unexpressed talents. In a society such as the one in which we are placed, where the ultimate goal is consumption and not the artistic expression that is inherent in every human being, it is difficult for one's talents and potential to find a glimmer of light. Therefore, the Map highlights what tends to be kept in the shadows, talents placed inside a drawer that is never opened. In short, it is true that the family system functions according to repetitions and pre-established patterns, but it is also true that it provides us with the tools to break these same patterns.
Just like life itself, everything works according to the same modus operandi. There are obstacles to overcome, afflictions to face, difficulties to overcome. We may not like it and we may complain throughout our existence, but reality will continue to function according to logics that we cannot control. We can only make peace with our hearts, prepare the bare minimum, and begin the long and winding journey into the experience of self-consciousness.
Like all symbolic-conceptual languages, the map has undergone various customisations over time. To date, I cannot comment on who was the inventor of this tool. There are several hypotheses, but I don't think it is of much help to know. The Map must be lived and experienced, in full connection with the person in front of you and above all with the wonderful and eccentric world of the Major Arcana. It does not matter, therefore, if one philosophy is followed rather than another. My advice is to 'feel' what resonates most within you, as working with the map is an entirely intimate and subjective experience.
From a practical point of view, the procedure I have studied and with which I feel in perfect resonance is the one that takes the following numbers into consideration:
Day of birth (life direction)
Month (automatic response)
Year (genealogical memory)
Deep Personality (who you are)
Basic Conflict (the greatest talent)
Project Sense (the talent experienced in conflict by a parent)
Balance (the number that brings all other numbers into alignment)
First Aid (what helps me in times of difficulty)
Emotional Key (what helps me when I need to shake myself emotionally)
Separately, the four centres relating to human relations must be considered:
Nest Centre (territory)
Relationship Centre (relationship with partner)
Social Centre (relationship with peers)
Work Centre (relationship with the professional world)
I have deliberately indicated in bold the numbers that are from my point of view more 'substantial', at least from my experience with the Map. By this I do not wish to belittle the other numbers or imply that they are in any way 'less important' - the Map actually shows many more than the above-mentioned numbers. There are fellow students who use them and regard them as the 'bigger' numbers. This is a personal choice that should not be taken as an absolute guideline. Even the calculation of numbers is not an invitation to be taken 'literally' and in fact there are many practitioners who practice a reading similar to mine, albeit different in some respects.
For example, there are some online sites where you can do a Talent Map calculation by entering your date of birth. Comparing the results, however, some numbers may not match. Even the meaning given to different numbers sometimes changes. For instance, in some interpretations, the deep personality is reversed with the day, i.e. the direction of life. Some do not even use the Major Arcana, but other types of tarot.
A CHARIOT
I must be honest. I have not had the opportunity to delve into further philosophies or different Map modes. However, I can assure you that in my little experience in this field, I have had very concrete feedback in terms of 'response' from the cards. Let me explain myself better, also because I realise that the topic is not easily accessible. A person who was born on day seven (or twenty-five, which becomes 5 + 2 = 7) is represented in terms of 'life direction' by the Chariot card.
The image depicts a prince on a chariot drawn by two horses, each with a different direction. One of the two horses, however, has its head turned in the opposite direction and appears to be blind in one eye. The prince's legs are not visible and it is therefore impossible to determine whether he is sitting or standing. His shoulders are represented by faces that appear to be councillors, one opposite the other. The upper part represents a sort of curtain with stars, as if to cover the sky. I could probe further into the details visible in the Chariot's map, but what I have mentioned already provides us with an enormous source of analysis. The Chariot speaks to us of duality, polarisation, indecision and lack of a specific direction. The two horses cannot head in opposite directions otherwise it would be impossible to pull the Chariot. The horse that turns its head expresses insecurity because it does not know if the direction it is taking is the right one. A prince should then stand to manifest his magnificence, yet he does not expressly show his position. The two faces seem to be in opposite moods. The one on the right shoulder is sullen, while the one on the left shoulder hints at a slight smile. The separation of the celestial (higher) and earthly worlds expresses a deep rootedness with earth and matter.
The Chariot speaks of people who are very practical and resolute when the arcane is experienced in solution, but when experienced in conflict, people born on the seventh day can also be extremely indecisive and insecure. The Chariot also speaks of movement, speed, transport. From a genealogical point of view, it brings us memories of double experiences. Double jobs, double relationships, double homes, double ideas. The advice that can be given to a Chariot is to reunite one's positions and beliefs towards a single goal and to ensure that the two horses can harmoniously and parallel travel the same path.
A Chariot tends to be very 'free-range', 'tenacious' and 'engaging'. His skill in practical things makes him a good worker, even though he may sometimes go too fast in relation to those around him, thus putting the entire workforce at a disadvantage. The Chariot also talks about means of transport, drivers, wheels and engines. Very often I have met Chariots in the day or in the deep personality with close relatives who have worked in the world of transport. From aeroplane pilots to train drivers. Or simply transporters or express couriers.
I have given you this example to bring to light the immense amount of information that an arcane major can contain. If I wanted to describe everything that the Chariot Tarot communicates to me, I would probably have to devote an entire article to it - and it is also likely that I may do so in the future.
However, you must pay close attention to the biggest obstacle you can come up against when entering these contexts: identification.
The world of the Major Arcana is purely symbolic and the person you interface with will certainly give you a subjective reading, based solely and exclusively on his or her personal experience. There are some objective parameters to refer to, that is certain, but the reading of the Tarot will always and only be that of the person in front of you. Moreover, each person expresses all the Major Arcana in every moment of his or her daily life. They are archetypes, models through which we deal with everyday life. It is certainly important to know what my deep-seated personality corresponds to, as it represents my basic structure, but you must absolutely remember that man is an 'adaptive' being and as such can wear different clothes or roles. To explain myself better, I will help myself with a very simple, purely invented example:
My ideal outfit is a Hawaiian shirt, Bermuda shorts and flip-flops because it makes me feel comfortable, free and cool. I can't stand wearing jackets, trousers, tie shirts and dress shoes. It's something that doesn't resonate with me and the few times I do get dressed like this I feel like a fish out of water.
All I have done is to express a trivial preference in the field of clothing. We all have predilections and ways of dealing with everyday reality. It's not something that requires a particular intellectual search because it's about sensations. When you look good in a dress you feel it, just as when you are with people you resonate with. You don't need words or explanations. It just happens.
And yet, if I were to go to church or to a wedding - unless it was in a tropical country - it would be unthinkable for me to turn up in flip-flops. The 'church' environment requires me to dress in a certain way, according to the canons and rules that that environment implicitly demands. It is always the context that dictates the rules, although very often the tendency to think that one is at the centre of everything and that everything must go according to one's preferences wins out.
To conclude, I feel good in flip-flops, but that does not mean I have to wear them everywhere I go. The same thing applies to the Major Arcana. I may have the personality of the Hermit, but that does not detract from the fact that I can lend myself to social and convivial situations. It would be rather stupid to identify oneself in an image or a number. They are models, indicators, ways of responding to everyday events. As such they should be experienced with flexibility and with the knowledge that at any moment I can express a specific Arcanum or, even better, that at any moment an Arcanum can manifest through me.