Pip Card Reference Guide
Ace through Ten, stripped down to their core mechanics
The pips are the numbered Minor Arcana cards (Ace through Ten). Each pip value represents a functional phase-mechanism.
Suits provide the domain (what domain or "area of life" that the mechanism is running through), but the phase itself is the same regardless of which suit (or system domain) it's being processed through.
Orientation modifies how the phase expresses: upright tracks as outward execution (Macrocosm/Spacetime), while reversed tracks as inward processing (Microcosm/Timespace).
This page keeps suits removed on purpose so the pip mechanics stay clear.
Table A: Neutral Pip Mechanisms (No Suit, No Orientation)
Pure phase map
| Pip | Core mechanism (neutral) |
|---|---|
| Ace (01) | Ignition. Emergence from baseline and first surge of potential into motion. |
| Two (2) | Bifurcation. Polarity appears and the system detects a split, choice, or tension. |
| Three (3) | Triangulation. Early stabilization by coordinating tensions into a workable pattern. |
| Four (4) | Structuring. Container forms and stability becomes repeatable. |
| Five (5) | Stress apex. The structure strains and contradiction, conflict, or disruption surfaces. |
| Six (6) | Temporary harmonization. The system regains coherence and achieves a visible stabilization point. |
| Seven (7) | Descent begins. Stability fractures and corrective action becomes necessary to maintain function. |
| Eight (8) | Acceleration toward conclusion. Processes intensify and the system moves fast toward an endpoint. |
| Nine (9) | Critical load. Maximum burden and final consolidation before closure, collapse, or release. |
| Ten (10) | Cycle closure. Outcome locks in, the phase resolves, and the system transitions into reset or renewal. |
Note: this table is intentionally domain-neutral. When you add suits later, the phase stays the same, but the "material" running through the phase changes.
Table B: Upright Nuance (Macrocosm/Spacetime Expression Only)
Outward execution, visible interface, externalized behavior
| Pip | Upright (Macrocosm/Spacetime) functioning |
|---|---|
| Ace (01) | External spark and visible ignition point that begins the phase in observable motion. |
| Two (2) | Externalized choice, divergence, and relational mirroring that forces a decision in the world. |
| Three (3) | External synthesis and early structure that becomes visible as coordination and form. |
| Four (4) | External structure achieved, with a fixed framework that holds the process in place. |
| Five (5) | External conflict or disruption where strain becomes observable in events and outcomes. |
| Six (6) | External harmony and visible stabilization where the system regains functional coherence. |
| Seven (7) | External struggle to maintain structure through procedure, will, and corrective action. |
| Eight (8) | External rapid movement and acceleration where momentum dominates the interface. |
| Nine (9) | External burden and situational exertion where weight is carried in visible form. |
| Ten (10) | External conclusion where the cycle resolves in the world as a completed outcome. |
Table C: Reversed Nuance (Microcosm/Timespace Expression Only)
Inward processing, internal dynamics, non-visible interface work
| Pip | Reversed (Microcosm/Timespace) functioning |
|---|---|
| Ace (01) | Internal inception and invisible germination where the phase begins beneath the surface. |
| Two (2) | Internal duality and psychological splitting where tension is experienced inside the system. |
| Three (3) | Internal coordination of emerging patterns where synthesis is happening privately. |
| Four (4) | Internalized rigidity or stabilizing walls where the container becomes mental, emotional, or private. |
| Five (5) | Internal rupture or identity crisis where strain breaks continuity inside the system. |
| Six (6) | Internal reconciliation after instability where coherence is rebuilt from within. |
| Seven (7) | Internal sabotage, wavering, or distortion where the system undermines its own stability. |
| Eight (8) | Internal speed-up and overwhelm where processing accelerates beyond comfortable capacity. |
| Nine (9) | Internal isolation and psychic compression where the weight is carried privately. |
| Ten (10) | Internal integration or collapse into renewal where closure becomes an internal reset. |
Court Cards Reference Guide
Knave, Knight, Queen, and King
Court Cards Reference
Knave, Knight, Queen, King as interface roles
Court Cards Reference (Suitless)
Knave, Knight, Queen, King as interface roles
The court cards describe role-states of agency. They show how a system is interacting with a domain at the level of interface, procedure, integration, and executive command.
When suits are removed, the courts remain fully readable because the role-state stays the same and only the domain changes.
Orientation adds directionality: upright expresses through externalized interface activity (Macrocosm/Spacetime), while reversed expresses through internalized processing and reconfiguration (Microcosm/Timespace).
This section keeps suits removed to present the court roles as pure mechanism.
Table D: Neutral Court Mechanisms (No Suit, No Orientation)
Role map only
| Court | Core mechanism (neutral) |
|---|---|
| Knave | Entry and boundary contact. The system establishes an interface point with a domain and begins collecting real feedback. This role-state creates the initial conditions that allow learning, calibration, and traction to begin. |
| Knight | Procedural throughput. The system commits energy to forward motion and executes a method through time. This role-state advances the process by taking steps, applying force, and generating outcomes through action. |
| Queen | Integration and regulation. The system consolidates results, updates its internal model, and stabilizes its operating logic. This role-state improves coherence by refining priorities, constraints, and response patterns. |
| King | Executive command. The system holds a stable center of decision-making that can govern outcomes across contexts. This role-state sustains consistency by aligning internal parts into a unified authority that executes reliably. |
Shortcut: Knave establishes contact, Knight executes procedure, Queen integrates and regulates, King sustains executive command.
Table E: Courts Upright (Macrocosm/Spacetime Expression Only)
Externalized interface activity, visible execution and outcomes
| Court | Upright (Macrocosm/Spacetime) functioning |
|---|---|
| Knave | The system initiates visible contact with the domain. It takes a first step that establishes an entry point and produces immediate feedback. |
| Knight | The system executes outwardly through procedure. It advances by acting, iterating, and pushing the process forward in observable steps. |
| Queen | The system expresses integration as improved calibration. Output becomes cleaner because internal priorities and constraints have been refined into workable order. |
| King | The system expresses stable command. Decisions remain coherent across contexts and produce consistent results through sustained executive control. |
Table F: Courts Reversed (Microcosm/Timespace Expression Only)
Internal processing, reconfiguration, and role-state correction
| Court | Reversed (Microcosm/Timespace) functioning |
|---|---|
| Knave | The system prepares entry conditions internally. It forms the interface, sets boundaries, and calibrates before initiating outward contact. |
| Knight | The system recalibrates procedure internally. It repairs method, resolves interference, and rebuilds momentum so execution can resume cleanly. |
| Queen | The system performs integration internally. It consolidates results, updates its model, and stabilizes regulation before external outcomes change. |
| King | The system restores executive command internally. It aligns internal priorities into a single decision center so sustained coherent output becomes possible. |
Suitless use: reversed courts often indicate internal role-state work, preparing contact, recalibrating procedure, integrating results, or restoring executive command.