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Sabian Symbols in Card Reading

by Delle Fowler

163 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #00-0085; ISBN 1-55212-420-7; US$20.00, C$23.06, EUR16.50, £11.50

Sabian Symbols in Card Reading is a manual for reading playing cards in order to achieve higher guidance.

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about the book      about the author      Table of Contents and excerpt      catalogue info

About the Book

This set of Sabian Symbols were discovered by Marc Edmund Jones and Zoe Wells associated with an ancient Mesopotamian source. These Sabian Symbols are specifically designed for card reading, and have never before been presented to the public. In Sabian Symbols in Card Reading by Delle Fowler, these Symbols and their original little descriptions are presented along with an expanded explanation of each Symbol. All seven levels of meaning are included. This new and expanded view allows meaning to become more readily available to the card reader. Fowler's many years of devoted attention to these symbols have allowed her to achieve a fine tuned breadth of insight into the fifty-two playing cards. The authentic keyword system developed by Marc Edmund Jones is presented in simple terms that will allow the reader to discern the options available in any situation and offer understanding and insight into any problem.
Self-discovery becomes a delight as Sabian Symbols in Card Reading enables you to read the cards immediately. The book is written as a reference text and allows you to find the meanings for the cards in your very first attempt. Written in a friendly and giving style you find yourself relating to the cards quickly and most significantly as the book takes you step by step through the process. Life becomes an adventure as you learn to play this "game of life." You will be amazed at the guidance that is available to you through the cards, and the contact with your higher self.
This volume includes:

An in-depth description of all seven levels of meaning, plus keywords, for each of the fifty-two cards

Explanation of how divination is made possible

Detailed, step-by-step instructions for laying out the cards

Instructions for shuffling and achieving the "set" that will insure your layout will have valid meaning

Explanation of the "accident" that may occur as in the dropped card, etc.

How to find the individual keynote in a layout

How to confirm that your cards are ready to speak

How to record your insights and maintain your work

Sample form for recording your layouts

Descriptive illustrations of all facets of the layout

Reviews from The Wholistic Astrologer magazine (Australia), August/October 2001
by Candy Hillenbrand

    Most astrologers who are familiar with the Sabian Symbols recognise them as the 360 symbolic pictures or vignettes which correspond with each degree of the zodiac. These Sabian Symbols were first developed in 1925 by astrologer Dr. Marc Edmund Jones in collaboration with clairvoyant Elise Wheeler, and were subsequently popularised by Dane Rudhyar.
    The Sabian Symbols referred to in this book by Delle Fowler, however, are not the same symbols, but interestingly were also developed by Marc Jones some two years earlier than the astrological symbols. In 1923, Jones collaborated with Zoe Wells to originate this first set of 52 Sabian Symbols, each of which corresponds with one of the cards in a regular playing deck. Whereas the set of 360 astrological symbols includes only one keyword per symbol, the earlier set incorporates a series of seven keywords, each of which is associated with seven different levels of consciousness.
    Therefore, while this particular book is not directly concerned with astrology as such, it is of relevance for astrologers with an interest in the conventional set of Sabian Symbols, for it places the latter within its historical context.
    As Delle Fowler explains in the prologue to her book, the playing card symbols were incorporated into the Tarot work of the Sabian Assembly, the esoteric organization founded by Marc Jones. For many years, this material remained confined within the inner sanctum of the Sabian Assembly until shortly before his death in 1980 when Dr. Jones gave Delle Fowler permission to release the symbols to the public.
    Delle had begun working on the symbols in 1972 but it wasn't until 1997 that she experienced an "inexplicable urge" to sit down at the computer and begin writing. The result is a development and synthesis of the original work by Dr. Jones and Zoe Wells.
    The book is subtitled "A Manual for Reading Playing Cards for Higher Guidance" and it is in this light that the material is presented, principally as a tool for divination purposes. The book begins with an explanation of the nature and importance of symbols in our lives and proceeds to cover material on how to use the cards for divination, including instructions for laying out and interpreting the cards.
    The heart of the book is devoted to the individual card descriptions which include the seven keywords and their expanded explanations for the seven levels of meaning. The Symbolic level meaning of each card is presented as an imaginative story, and is followed by keywords and descriptions of the other six levels: Superficial, Signature, Abstraft, Ritualistic, Astrological and Brotherhood. The material on the Astroligical level does not contain specific astrological information, but it could, however, lend clues to the current astrological trends at work if read in this way. Delle suggests that when using this level one should keep in mind the life cycles, rites of passages and milestones which are active at the time. This is the level which offers "a vision of the future and the possibilities involved in the longer range view of life."
    Obviously, this is an area of interest to astrologers, and offers the potential for greater research into the intersection of astrology and the tarot.
    It is clear from this book that Delle Fowler has inherited from Dr. Marc Jones a remarkable legacy to present this long-hidden knowledge to the public in a new, more meaningful and accessible way. As a professional astrologer and Sabian Tarot practitioner, as well as Esoteric Secretary and long-time member of the Sabian Assembly, Delle Fowler is well qualified for this task.
    This is a quite unique system, which like the 360 astrological Sabian symbols, has its roots in an ancient Mesopotamian source. Its uniqueness lies not only in its arcane source but in its presentation of material which links the disciplines of astrology and tarot with the Sabian spiritual philosophy. Sabian Symbols in Card Reading presents not only a useful tool for insight and guidance, but is also a highly-worthwhile contribution to the field of esoteric studies.

from Horoscope magazine, July 2001
by Chris Lorenz

    Many astrologers use the Sabian Symbols to help interpret a natal horoscope. Developed by Marc Edmund Jones with the help of his psychic friend Elsie Wheeler, the Sabian Symbols are a collection of 360 abstract images with each one assigned to a specific degree of the zodiac. Since the symbols were first channeled in 1925, astrologers have furthered their practical application by arranging them in hierarchies of meaning and using them for other astrological purposes.
    The Sabian Symbols as they have come to us today are actually refinements of an earlier set of symbols that were correlated to the fifty-two playing cards of an ordinary deck of cards. Delle Fowler began working with these original symbols in 1972 and over the decades has accumulated much insight and experience with their use as a divination tool. She writes about her expertise and the system she has developed in Sabian Symbols in Card Reading.
    According to the author, the original Sabian Symbols came to astrologer Marc Edmund Jones in 1923 with the assistance of another psychic, Zoe Wells. He expressed that Wells seemed to have some strange genetic tie of some sort back into exceptionally early Mesopotamian or even earlier foundations of human intelligence. Their channeling of these fifty-two symbols was associated with the Tarot work of a metaphysical society known as the Sabian Assembly. Seven key words, representing seven levels of interpretation, were assigned to each card. Then, to do a reading, the cards were spread out in a prescribed layout in the same manner as Tarot readers work with a deck of Tarot cards.
    Sabian Symbols in Card Reading shows you how to perform a divination reading using an ordinary deck of cards. The first half of the book explains the history of the system, the various layouts, and how to form a question and derive an answer. Included in this section is the author's modest explanation of how she expanded the original seven keywords for each card into a more specific, descriptive sentence. The process was similar to the method used by both Zoe Wells and Elsie Wheeler: she took one symbol per day and channeled information from perhaps the ancient Mesopotamian source.
    The second half of the book gives the individual card descriptions for each of the fifty-two cards. Each card gets seven levels of interpretation, beginning with the Symbolic. Here a key phrase is illuminated by an accompanying anecdote or story (about a paragraph in length). Then you have a choice of which level of interpretation to follow. The highest is the Brotherhood, and probably most readings will use this. The Brotherhood is the seventh and most exalted level and includes spiritual advice, lessons to learn, and directions for your life's mission. The other levels begin with the Symbolic, then Superficial, Signature, Abstract, Ritualistic, and Astrologicals. The order doesn't imply levels of sophistication, but describes seven different perspectives. You choose an interpretive level as you are making your question. All this is explained in the first half, along with other practical advice on how to conduct a reading.
    Here's an example taken from the description of the Jack of Spades: At the Symbolic level this card represents "Insignia: A spray of joyous colors." The various interpretive levels portray this card as one of action, beginning, enthusiasm, and courage. Fowler singles out this card in the introduction because it is also symbolic of the entire deck of cards. When she began channeling an image of an ancient seal came to her that she feels is the same one channeled by Zoe Wells in 1923, but was never drawn or explained. That image is depicted in this book and gives the entire process an air of authenticity.

About the Author

Delle Fowler insists she is one of the most fortunate of people in that she was born into the exactly right family. Her mother was a professional astrologer for many years as was her uncle, Carl Payne Tobey, who is known for his research in astrology. Finding this background of real support and interest she went on to become a profesional astrologer herself. She has maintained her success in this field for thirty-five years. Her articles have been printed in American Astrology and she has been a guest on many TV shows and radio programs.
Living in this milieu she sought constantly to find the most proficient and reliable methods for this scientific art. In 1967 she joined The Sabian Assembly and began working seriously with Marc Edmund Jones' concepts. The structured and reliable techniques that were found in Jones' system were exactly what she had been searching for, and she has been developing and expanding upon these ever since.
In 1972 as part of the inner discipline within the Sabian Assembly she was introduced to Sabian Tarot. This was the beginning of a serious and intense journey as she found herself captivated by its extraordinary potential. The ways and means of tapping a superior guidance and advisement existed within this discipline. When, much later, Dr. Jones gave his permission for the keywords of this system to be given to the public it became possible for a book to be conceived. At that point it became possible for the remarkable pattern of keywords, and its unusual potential for insight and guidance, to be made more generally available. Sabian Symbols in Card Reading is the final result of that conception.
Delle Fowler studied psychology at both City College and The New School for Social Research in New York City. She is currently Esoteric Secretary of the Sabian Assembly and Vice President of the Sabian Publishing Society's Board of Trustees.

Table of Contents and excerpt

Table of Contents
PROLOGUE - ix
SABIAN SYMBOLS IN CARD READING - 1
USING CARDS FOR DIVINATION - 10
THE LAYOUT OR ARCANUM - 13
THE SEVEN LEVELS OF INTERPRETATION - 17
LAYING OUT THE ARCANUM - 21
(Figure 1) - 24
(Figure 2) - 26
HOW TO READ THE ARCANUM - 30
THE SUITS - 32
INTERPRETATION OF THE CARDS - 34
INDIVIDUAL KEYNOTE - 36
EXAMPLE LAYOUT - 38
(Diagram) - 39
(Interpretation) - 40
THE FOUR WORLDS - 43
(Figure 3) - 44
THE JOKER - 51
THE CARDS
(Diamonds Begin) - 56
(Spades Begin) - 82
(Hearts Begin) - 108
(Clubs Begin) - 134
EPILOGUE - 160
WORKSHEET (Feel Free to Copy) - 162

excerpt from Chapter One
We all live with symbols. Without exception, consciously or not, we all interpret symbols. We categorize those we meet with memories of others we have known and thus they take on the symbolism of those others, rightly or wrongly. Isn't it true that if someone reminds you of an old friend you find yourself more kindly disposed toward them, or if their name is the same as a former lover who hurt you, aren't you wary? When you see a rainbow aren't you uplifted? Maybe you even think of the covenant, and if your past holds experience with symbolism training maybe you think of the iris as well. (That beautiful flower is a symbol standing for the rainbow and that same covenant. Check your dictionary.)
So, knowing we already have some understanding and experience with symbols the next step is to take conscious control of this tool for interpreting life. The willy-nilly method described above isn't necessarily too accurate. It is for some and not for others. We need a more perfected method for using symbols consciously, constructively and accurately. Down through history we have, as human beings, been using various methods for doing this. History tells us that the ancients even read the entrails of slaughtered animals. (You will be happy to know I won't be recommending that particular method!) We read tea leaves and we have found meaning and significance in reading the bumps on a person's head! There is a wide history of various ways and means for making symbols talk to us and reveal greater implication than is perceived on the surface of things. Though we laugh at some of the methods used never the less there is relevance here. After all the famed Dr. Carl Jung devoted most of his last year of life to a book called Man and his Symbols. The history of the use of the cards teaches us that we do definitely have to have three things in order to develop and use this skill effectively. 1) We do need something to read. Entrails aside, we do have to have something to use as a medium or agency. Then 2) a structure is required, a pattern which will allow us to read the "whatever," and, finally, 3) we need a means of interpreting what is defined there. So, let us look first into what to read.
One of the more convenient and most facile ways to work with symbols is to use a deck of cards. This medium is already familiar to all of us as a means for playing various "games." Because of the convenience of the popular deck of cards, it has been used as a divinatory tool by the gypsies and many others. There is, too, the old Tarot deck with its pictures and medieval history but that isn't what we are talking about here although it has a valuable place. We are involved with the very simple and totally convenient fifty-two card deck familiar to every one of us. In a modern society where even our most advanced psychology has accepted divination as a means of getting in touch with our higher selves, there is no reason for anyone to deprive himself of the convenient assistance of a deeper and broader perspective on life and its problems. This is readily available in the symbolism that this ordinary deck of cards can make available to each one of us.

from Page 116-117
Five of Hearts Melody: "A street musician playing."
The sound could be heard some time ahead of the presence and the cheery mood advanced ahead of his steps. The children came from everywhere as to a magnet and the hurdy-gurdy rolled along in a throng of laugter and smiles. The small rhesus monkey strutted among them with his tin cap outstretched to catch the many coins. He doffed his tiny, red cap in appreciation of every one. The little, old man turned the crank with renewed energy with every smile as he knew there was no issue here, just the joy in the now which was his very life.
Superficial:

Victory: Truly you are victorious as you can realize the joy and beauty of life itself that is found in the true reason for your being, your chosen effort.

Signature:

Backbone: Here is the renewed energy to turn the crank of life and move ahead as it is achieved from within yourself. You stand taller and prouder in your integrity of self. Here you start to live your chosen effort.

Abstract:

Energy: Fill yourself with the renewed energy found in the living of life from this victorious perspective.

Ritualistic:

Vogue: Laughter and joy are contagious and dissolve negative issues. Can you start a trend? Could this way of life not become the "in vogue" style. Aren't you the trend setter? If not, why not?

Astrological:

Conception: Is this idea not born within you, and is it not now your conviction? Are you not preganant with the concept of living your life this way? Is a concept not an idea at work?

Brotherhood:

Immolation: Here is the creative self-immolation of the mind and heart at work in the way of joy. This is the giving of the self to something more. Lose yourself in service, as the gift of the spirit that the burning up of the self up in a chosen creative work can be.

Catalogue Information