Copyright © 1999 by Lenna A. Mahoney

# APPENDIX C

More from my dopple-kin Sabre/"Elaine"... I would have preferred a more comprehensive treatment of this Ailurosi fortune-telling method. I've rewritten what there is of it to better fit Earthuman ways of life, taking out the GWs, DMs, macopaves, hermaphrodites, sorcerers, coteries, orgs, and so on.

INTRODUCTION

The Ailurosi use a version of Tarot that is based on the first 118 chemical elements. As you might guess, 118 cards make a very thick deck that requires skill and large hands to shuffle. Usually the Ailurosi prefer tiles, stirring them in a bag and drawing out a few to make the spread (which the Ailurosi call a hive). Often a bit of each element is built into each tile, when that's physically possible.

The Ailurosi began using the chemical elements as a predictive tool during the period after their immigration to Adt. Their previous null-science and magic were still documented, but the Ailurosi lost the full meaning of the records for a few centuries and rationalized chemistry in a magic-like form (just as folk etymology rationalizes the sources of words).

Nowadays the Ailurosi say that, if the elements are as crucially important to the null-science and magic of life as they inarguably are, they must also be important to the part of sapient life that is concerned purely with meaning. Then it is only a matter of determining the elements' meanings and finding a right way to use them.

STRUCTURE OF THE CHEMICAL TAROT

Elements 1 through 18 (H, He, Li, Be, B, C, N, O, F, Ne, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, Ar) are similar to Earth's Major Arcana. They represent the process, the large-scale motive forces in, on and of one's life. They may be genes, fate, or karma, they may be overwhelming or controllable, but they come from outside one's own individual scope of causation. The first two elements, H and He, are referred to as the "primal resources". After that come the eight "inner-world" elements, which most pertain to the life within oneself, and the eight "outer-world" elements, those which have to do with life outside and around oneself.

The nine Group 8 metals, Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir and Pt, are the charismatic (magnetic or catalytic) elements. They represent the memons that influence sapients by means of "post-animal magnetism". These elements are also called "counter-evolutionary instincts". Elements 108 through 110 (of which 108 and 109 have been named hassium [Hs] and meitnerium [Mt] on Earth) also belong in the Group 8 category. Their meanings are unknown at present.

Conductivity, to the Ailurosi, represents a quality that allows ideas (which are the potential for action) to move rapidly from place to place and person to person. Some of the most conductive elements, those of Group 1b (Cu, Ag, and Au), therefore symbolize the three primary virtues: Satiability, Objempathy, and Generosity. Element 111 (as yet unnamed on Earth) constitutes a fourth conductive virtue. The Ailurosi mostly agree that this fourth virtue is Maturity, but there is absolutely no agreement as to what maturity means. It would be premature to speculate at this point in Gregarian history.

Next there come six sets of tiles that are arranged as if in suits, like the Minor Arcana of the Earth Tarot. These describe immediate situations and persons in or around one's life.

The first four "suits" are related to distinctively sapient activities and attitudes. Suit 1 deals with creativity, intuition, insight and so on: K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Se, Br and Kr. Suit 2 describes moral values, goals, and their offspring, the emotions: Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Tc, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Te, I and Xe. Suit 3 relates to analysis, criticism, proof, planning, and design: Cs, Ba, La, Hf, Ta, W, Re, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, Po, At and Rn.

The fourth sapient suit (Fr, Ra, Ac, Rf, Ha, Sg, Ns, and elements 112 through 118) is a matter of some controversy because it consists of elements that (with one exception) are unstable to the point that they exist only in very specialized artificial conditions. The majority Ailurosi opinion is that Suit 4 represents the fluke events and people, the situations in which "the center does not hold". These are the anomalies that sapients perceive, react to, or create meaning for, but that pre-sapients wouldn't notice or learn from. This flukishness is of a character that often lacks any aspect of fatedness, compensation, retribution, irony, or synchronicity, and so may seem quite unmeaningful. That being the case, these elements are rather difficult to use and interpret, though to some extent their symbolic properties can be estimated based on those of their predecessors in the periodic table.

There are also two "suits" that cover the pre-sapient situations and responses. Suit 5, the lanthanides, deals with labor, family, property, and bodily health and pleasure. The actinides (Suit 6) are related to dominance, struggle, and other zero-sum games.

In all six of these suits, the first and last pairs of elements represent people and the remaining ten elements per suit represent situations. Among the ten situation elements of each suit, the lower atomic numbers refer to the earlier stages of an activity and the higher ones to later stages.

In the four sapient suits, the first and last pairs of elements contain the alkalis, alkali metals, halogens, and inert gases. The distinguishing feature of sapients is their preference (or lack of it) for each others' company. Alkalis (valence +1) are "one-person" people, typically monogamous, with a habit of working on their own; they have few friends and children. Alkali metals (valence +2) are team players and coordinators, gregarious, polygamous if possible, probably parents many times over. Halogens are noticeably ambivalent about their dealings with others; they may alternately charm people and drive them away. The noble gases are the loners, consistently shying away from other people. All of these elements can equally well describe either men or women, though the male pronoun is used in discussing them.

The pre-sapient suits also contain a pair of person elements at the beginning of the set and another pair at the end, but their meanings are different. The logic is that individual attitudes toward others define a person only to the extent that he's behaving in a distinctively sapient manner. Once he or she switches over to pre-sapient mode, sex (reproductive) roles and pecking order are all that matter. The outer two (first and last) elements in a pre-sapient suit represent, respectively, the men and the women who do not rank high in their social order. The inner two (second and penultimate) elements represent men and women who have become well established in the hierarchy. For men, this means some degree of power or wealth; for women, it may mean the same thing, or it may mean bearing children or having a high-ranking husband or male relative.

A COMMON CHEMICAL HIVE

One of the most frequently used hives is called the Rosette. It seems to be a relative of the Celtic Cross spread used in Earthuman Tarot and it contains 10 tiles. (Ailurosi avoid hives of more than 17 tiles. The larger the hive, the more likely it is to include a tile merely because its mathematical odds of being left out of the hive were low, rather than because that tile has anything meaningful to say.)

The positions of the Rosette hive have the following meanings:

> 1. The querent's immediate situation or surroundings; what brought him/her to ask a question of the elements.
> 2. The "stem" of the Rosette. The part of the recent past that is pertinent to the question. Events and situations that may have just ended or begun. Facts recently brought to light.
> 3. The "roots" of the Rosette. The oldest causes, events, or facts of the situation.
> 4. Inner-world (left-hand) aspects of the situation. Skills the querent can bring to bear; meanings he/she can create or recognize; habits and beliefs that help or hinder.
> 5. Outer-world (right-hand) aspects of the situation. Help or hindrance from other people or from the environment.
> 6. One possible (but not inevitable) inner-world occurrence in the near future. Unless the tile is one of the "Major Arcana", the querent will be able to avoid or attain this outcome through his/her own decisions. If a Major Arcanum appears here, the outcome will depend on someone else's behavior (past or current) or on some impersonal nexus of events (memonic or otherwise).
> 7. As for position 6, but a potential outer-world event. This tile may be related to the same potential occurrence as 6, or to something more or less separate.
> 8. The outcome the querent sincerely (though perhaps incorrectly) expects, whether he/she hopes for, fears, and/or denies it.
> 9. The true final outcome of the matter; the apex of the arrow formed by positions 4, 5, 6, and 7. This event or situation will definitely come to pass, after the events of 6 and 7 (should they occur).
> 10. The outcome the people around the querent sincerely expect, whether they hope for, fear, and/or deny it.

GENERAL SYMBOLISM OF THE CHEMICAL TAROT

The elemental tiles are hexagonal and so may fall in six different positions, which determine the interpretations. The first three positions listed are considered "well-tilted"; the remaining three, "ill-tilted". In this list, "cclockwise" means counter-clockwise.

> > Top at top: | The basic meaning.
> > Top at 1/6 clockwise: | A trivial, transient, or purely outer-world form of the basic meaning.
> > Top at 1/6 cclockwise: | A powerful, lasting, or purely inner-world form of the basic meaning.
> > Top at 1/3 clockwise: | Release from, or loss of, or setbacks in the basic meaning.
> > Top at 1/3 cclockwise: | The basic meaning is exaggerated or caricatured to the point that the virtue (for a good tile) becomes a vice, or the basic event is misused to bad effect. For a bad tile, the distortion of the basic vice to virtue, or the good use of an unfortunate event. Pride becomes arrogance; self-pitying misery hits bottom and becomes an impetus to improvement; courage becomes callousness and rashness; obsession becomes perseverance.
> > Top at bottom: | The polar opposite, or the refusal or rejection, of the basic meaning. Conformity becomes unconventionality, pride becomes humility, and so on. Another interpretation is that there is a reversal from being the person doing the basic meaning to being the person it's done to, or vice versa.

The elements have meanings that combine their location in a suit (Minor Arcana), or some conceptual meaning (Major Arcana), with the symbolism of the chemical properties of the element. Molybdenum, for example, is the fourth of the situational elements in the emotions/morals suit. As such, it indicates that some moral or emotional situation or activity has become fourish: habitual, formulaic, rigid, or safely established. Further interpretive detail comes from considering molybdenum's physical properties, its hardness and high melting point, and the colors of its compounds.

PROPERTIES OF THE ELEMENTS

In interpreting the properties of the elements, use the following glossary for clues.

> > Soft: | decisions made on a flexible pragmatic basis.
> > Hard: | decisions based on unchanging abstract principles.
> > Ductile: | energies and resources are spread widely.
> > Malleable: | same as "ductile".
> > Brittle: | energies and resources go into a single narrow activity.
> > Light (lightweight): | decisions are rapidly made and changed.
> > Heavy: | decisions are made and changed slowly; there is inertia.
> > Dense: | same as "heavy".
> > Low melting point: | easily moved to enthusiasm or sympathy for people.
> > High melting point: | unsympathetic, unenthusiastic.
> > Reactive: | highly involved with one's surroundings.
> > Inert: | remote from, uninvolved with one's surroundings.
> > Magnetic: | an extended influence is exerted on the surroundings, at the cost of a reciprocal influence.
> > Catalyst: | the surroundings are stirred up, but without reciprocity.
> > Radioactive: | contagious but inconsistent behavior or ideas.
> > Toxic: | beneficial only in quite small doses.

COLORS

Some elements have salts, solutions, and/or flames that display definite and distinctive colors. These colors are given the standard Hexist interpretations in terms of sapients' goals and motives. (The magical meanings that are associated with the six colors, as they are used in spellcasting, are not relevant.)

Blue indicates a person, group, idea, or situation whose most important relationship is with some Abstract that is seen as a living entity. Blue goals are often set in the far future, or in the afterlife, or in some other unattainable, unknowable, unprovable condition. Red relates to outer-world goals, those which are on a social, present-day, strictly practical and demonstrable level, such as nationalism, populism, and charity. A red person's most important relationships are with other people, whether as individuals or groups. Yellow denotes goals that are purely inner-world, the improvement for its own sake of one's own skills or knowledge or grasp on reality/unreality: related practices are self-education, self-examination, meditation, and (often) art for art's sake. A yellow person's most important day-to-day relationship is with himself.

Intermediate colors have intermediate meanings. Green means one of those commonplace religions in which each person has an individual relationship with a god or gods, and a fairly simple dogma merges with personal moral responsibility ("virtue for its own sake"). Blue-green and cyan place more emphasis on obedience to doctrinal purity, usually complex and prescribed by experts. Purple often means royalism or elitism, though blue-violet tends more toward utopias. Magenta covers both capitalism and socialism, among others: both aim at worldly improvement but the first treats the Invisible Hand as a sort of blue deity to be propitiated, while the second idolizes "the people" as an abstract good. Anarchists tend to the orange, sometimes the yellow side. Zen might be called a chartreuse way of life.

The more brilliant (saturated) the color, the greater is the belief that the goal is achievable and the more effort that is put into it; the closer to black (the darker it is), the greater the pessimism (though the devotion may be no less). Pale colors (pastels) mean that little energy is put into making beliefs work: this is moral unconcern or passivity, or sometimes hypocrisy. White means a pure (and often contented) disconnection from all goals, black a pure (and often restless) nihilism.

MAGICAL ASSOCIATIONS

In a few of the Major Arcana, magnetic memons, and conductive virtues, the symbolism of the six magical elements should be considered as part of the interpretation. Earth is solidity and permanence; Fire is creation, illumination, and destruction; Water, motion and change; Air, that which is intangible, necessary, and indivisible; Claw, the searching, focused energy of fertility and survival; Metal, that which can be manipulated and used with infinite precision and acuteness. In general, only those metallic elements that are hard as well as conductive or magnetic are associated with Metal symbolism. All the magnetic memons count as Metal, symbolizing the extent to which memons manipulate sapients.

INTERPRETATIONS (BASIC MEANINGS) OF THE ELEMENTS

The remaining section of this Appendix lists the elements, in the order in which they appear in the Periodic Table, and presents their meanings in the chemical Tarot. Brief (and by no means exhaustive) descriptions of the chemical properties are also supplied.

1. H: Imagination. The power to create, combined with skill and wisdom if well-tilted. Expect energetic change of any kind, and rapid decisions.

> Hydrogen is the most abundant of all elements, created from nothing, and is the material (with helium) from which all other elements are built. Stars depend on hydrogen, as do Water and many acids. Extremely prone to catch Fire, and the lightest of all gases.

2. He: The Inchoate. The will to be created, the determination to be formed or to become. Helium always indicates a peculiar susceptibility or loyalty to hidden or seemingly trivial influences; these may be dangerous if the tile is ill-tilted.

> Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, with the lowest melting point of any element. An inert light gas, which at cryogenic temperatures behaves unlike any other known substance, for example by climbing out of containers.

3. Li: Aha! An insight; the traditional light-bulb above the head. Lithium will be an idea that's harmless, if not conventional or strictly accurate, so long as the tile is well-tilted. The notion will spring rapidly out of the in-seer's circumstances, and be directed either at no goal at all (that is, pursued for its own sake), or at causing major changes in the world around the in-seer. Lithium implies that a number of possible courses of action become apparent. Some of those (all, if the tile is ill-tilted) will set the in-seer outside the loyalties and sympathies of those around him (and vice-versa) and so may be destructive.

> Lithium is a reactive, corrosive metal, the lightest of all metals and lighter than Water. Its chloride and bromide suck Water out of the Air with unusual speed. It is the hardest element to heat. Its colors, in Fire, are crimson or dazzling white.

4. Be: Affection. This means affection for or attraction to an idea, a person, a thing; the tile implies a certain openness to temptation and risk even when well-tilted. Beryllium is a pleasantly luring affection that makes its host receptive to everything about its inspirer, even credulous and manipulable when ill-tilted, but it doesn't often include reciprocation. "Being in love with love" is a good description.

> Beryllium is a light, fairly hard Metal with an unusually high melting point. It is conductive, nonmagnetic, relatively inert. Beryllium is sweet to the taste but rather toxic.

5. B: Perplexity. A quick, complex, bewildering, incoherent situation that may involve illusion and deception. The complexity of Boron can be prophylactic, in the sense that it may prevent premature decisions. Or it may, when ill-tilted, cause its host to be deceived or to mentally harden into unnecessarily single-minded "principles" just to get relief from confusion.

> Boron is the lightest solid non-metal, and is polymorphic. It is used in alloys to harden other metals. Ulexite is a transparent boron mineral that trickily displaces images of things seen through it. Boric acid and borax (sodium borate) are used as antiseptics, cleaners, and preservatives.

6. C: Hope. Inspiration, help, or relief is expected to come from somewhere, and will if the tile is well-tilted. Carbon's hope, optimism, and willingness to bind to and "learn from" the surroundings are seen as the universal framework on which life depends.

> Carbon, a non-metal, appears in a uniquely incalculable number of combinations supporting all manner of life (Claw). Diamond, the brilliant, and graphite, the greasy, are both carbon.

7. N: Attainment. A whole range of related meanings: liberation, glory, gain of truth, pride; also (particularly when ill-tilted) arrogance, smugness, excess certainty. The mind and spirit are turned outwards by Nitrogen, away from introspection and self-examination. The result can be quite messy, depending on how ill-tilted the tile is. However, attainment is seen as a necessity of life (in the right amount).

> Nitrogen is the major constituent of Air; nitrogen is more inert than most common gases, but (when heavily bonded) is reactive enough to contribute to explosives (TNT, nitroglycerine, azides). Its colors are red-orange and green-blue-violet, when ionized; anything but yellow.

8. O: Doubt. The destruction of illusion, or the illusion of destruction. Everything is reborn and renewed through doubt; painful and erosive though it can be, doubt and dissatisfaction are necessary to life and creation.

> Oxygen is an abundant reactive gas, the minor constituent of Air, the breath of life (Claw) and of Fire. The form of oxygen called ozone is formed when UV light or an electric arc contacts oxygen; ozone both prevents cancer, by shielding against solar UV, and causes cancer, when present in the body.

9. F: Surrender. It means self-surrender, humility, repentance, voluntary when well-favored, not necessarily so when ill-tilted. When the tile is well-tilted, the implication is that the ultimate result will be beneficial to the person sacrificed (though often only in his inner world). The sacrifice may never be appreciated by those for whom it was intended.

> Fluorine is a pale yellow gas, the most reactive of all elements, combining with (and therefore superficially destroying) practically anything. But once fluorine is bound (particularly to carbon), it can produce extremely inert compounds (think of Teflon). Its odor is pungent.

10. Ne: Composure. A decision is made as if of itself, irrevocably and perhaps with little or no conscious analysis. The feeling is as of coming to one's senses, without doubt or excitement. Usually, Neon's host has been trying to improve his ability to understand the world around him, to then change or accept it; in other words, he's been seeking an "attitude adjustment". Neon (well-tilted) promises the adjustment will come to pass.

> Neon is a very inert gas, useful as a refrigerant. Its color is red-orange, when ionized.

11. Na: Chance. Some sudden, uncontrollable, unexpected event, perhaps imbued with an irony that makes it look like fate. The event is generally fortunate if the tile is well-tilted. A pragmatic, creative reaction is recommended, together with relying more on one's own qualities and less on outside factors.

> Sodium is a soft, reactive metal that is lighter than water, and incompatible with Water to the extent of catching Fire when in contact with it. A major component of salt (with chlorine) and caustic soda (hydroxide). It makes Fire yellow.

12. Mg: Success. This is the kind of rapid, visible success that involves a triumph over or conquest of someone or something, as distinct from the simple accomplishment symbolized by Nitrogen. It is often accomplished without a clear long-range objective in mind, though not entirely without forethought.

> Magnesium is a lightweight metal that burns with a dazzling white Fire and is used in fireworks and incendiaries. Its consumption (in minor quantities) is necessary to plant and animal life.

13. Al: Rulership. This indicates the possession of power (which may include wealth), whether by struggle and ambition (ill-tilted) or by stability, self-discipline, foresight, and leadership (well-tilted). Aluminum's form of success depends not on personal charisma but on strength and the ability to communicate one's ideas and ideals to others.

> Aluminum is the commonest Metal in the earth's crust, with excellent corrosion resistance and strength that make it a prime material for construction. It is lightweight, conductive, nonmagnetic. Its oxide (though itself colorless) is the major component in rubies and sapphires.

14. Si: Structure. The traditions, conventions, and rules of society, and those people who make them function. The rules and functionaries are wise or helpful, if the tile is well-tilted. Otherwise, the indications are that much effort will be needed to cope with even seemingly simple conventions. The structures of Silicon may serve any sort of goal, inner-, outer-, or ultra-world.

> Silicon is the most abundant solid element; it is not a metal but has an iridescent gray metallic luster. Its semiconducting properties make it essential for such second-level life forms as computers; it is also needed by first-level life (sapients). Silicon oxide is found as sand (Earth), and, in terms of making objects (brick, ceramics, concrete, glass), is one of the most useful and easily used compounds.

15. P: Abundance. This is a fortunate tile, meaning happiness, pleasure, comfort, fruitfulness of ideas, feelings, loins, or possessions. Even when the tile is ill-tilted, some of its comforts and pleasures remain; but they may corrupt. Phosphorus is not very compatible with goals that are "out of sight", or beyond the mundane.

> Phosphorus, when pure, is a waxy white solid, though it can also be yellow, red, violet, or black. It is an essential part of protoplasm, brains, and bones (Claw), and correspondingly is an extremely important fertilizer (as phosphates). Phosphorus is incredibly flammable and unquenchable, whether for light or destruction, and very toxic.

16. S: Compulsion. This is seldom a fortunate tile, indicating bondage, obsession, possibly irresistible unscrupulousness. Sulfur indicates a persistent focus and single-mindedness which can only be beneficial in small doses. The worst aspect of Sulfur's compulsion is inner (mental or spiritual) bondage; physical servitude or oppression may also be indicated, but is secondary.

> Sulfur is brimstone. It is a pale yellow brittle solid (Earth), odorless till burned, and then it stinks and is toxic. It occurs in an enormous number of forms. It is part of gunpowder and vitriol, and it is essential to life (Claw). Health spas are often located in the vicinity of sulfur-containing hot springs.

17. Cl: Strife. The difference between Chlorine and the more combative tilts of Magnesium and Aluminum is that in the sort of vengeful, bitter, rancorous strife associated with Chlorine, no one involved is a winner. Only those who stay outside the combat zone have any chance to benefit, most likely by learning to avoid such situations. Chlorine can mean fighting oneself or others or the world at large, but it allows very little of the impersonal "long view" that is associated with beyond-mundane motivation.

> Chlorine is a greenish-yellow gas, very reactive. It is used to purify water for drinking; also for disinfectants and bleaches. It is corrosive to lungs as well as metals. Its colors range from green-yellow through yellow to red and red-brown.

18. Ar: Retreat. This tile represents prudence, circumspection, retirement. When ill-tilted, it can indicate cowardice or "cop-out". The rest and (possibly) seclusion of Argon are much more likely to be a fallow period of the host's life than a creative or interactive time.

> Argon is a very inert gas, the most readily obtained of the inert gases; it is commonly used as a shield against various types of reaction (including Fire).

19. K: A creative, flexible person who is intensely involved with his surroundings and full of fertile insights. He is somewhat more interested in his own creative tasks (art, a sport, invention, ideology) than in people, being something of an elitist, and he tends to have few children and only one friend and/or lover at a time.

> Potassium is second only to lithium as a light, reactive metal. It is very soft and reacts rapidly with Air; it sets Fire to Water, and gives Fire a violet color. It is an important element in potash, which is widely used in fertilizers.

20. Ca: A gregarious, extroverted person with competitive drive, strong principles, and considerable inventiveness (particularly in coordinating others' work). He may have a rather polygamous approach to lovers, and will certainly have many friends and children. He has a talent for inspiring others except when his urge to get his own way makes him act like a killjoy, squashing others' beloved ideas.

> Calcium is a rather hard metal that burns with a yellow-red Fire. It can be used to deoxidize, desulfurize, or decarburize other metals. Quicklime (a caustic) and limestone (carbonate) are well-known forms of calcium.

21. Sc: A novel idea for an invention, or artwork or research study, comes to mind. A new career is undertaken. A journey. An athlete tries a new sport. These new ideas or projects may be something of especial use or interest to business-owners, parents, or families. Adaptability and rapid decisions are recommended.

> Scandium is a soft, light metal with a pinkish or yellowish cast. It frequently accompanies rare earths, and is not found in high concentrations on planets; it is more abundant in some kinds of stars.

22. Ti: In a creative project (art, invention, or sport), doubts cause delays or an early accomplishment triggers opposition. A rethinking of goals could restore the balance between support and opposition. A journey is delayed. Insight helps with the dialogue. The project would benefit from having its members reduced to a small but energetic group. This is not the time for pessimism or distant, far-flung objectives.

> Titanium is a lustrous metal, light, strong, and corrosion-resistant. It is the only metal that burns in pure nitrogen. It is ductile only when free of oxygen, and its oxide is a major source of white pigment. It is found primarily in igneous rock, meteorites, and small planetoids. Its colors (other than white) are blue-black and violet-black.

23. V: The first rewards (primarily fame and recognition) come in from creative or inventive work in art, science, sports, ideology, any of many fields. Apprenticeship is past. The creator's or athlete's ingenuity or versatility is praised (perhaps dangerously flattered). There are many (perhaps too many) new opportunities to take the work in previously unanticipated directions, using previously unavailable resources. Dogmas are ignored at this stage.

> Vanadium is a bright metal, soft and ductile; it is toxic but very small doses can reverse hardening of the arteries. All of the colors but cyan are represented among its compounds.

24. Cr: An artist or athlete or ideology becomes modish, or an invention or discovery becomes an established thing. Some people may crusade for its further adoption. Its creator is more interested in fine-tuning it to match a defined concept of its use or merit than in making large changes to it: "evolution, not revolution". Incompatible new ideas begin to be limited by the need to fit the established principle or device; on the other hand, its use is spurring compatible new work on all sides. This particular artwork, or insight, is likely to have social implications (whether to support the masses or the elite); or it may be strictly religious.

> Chromium is a hard, lustrous metal often found in ores that also contain iron. All of its compounds are colored, reds, purples, and greens. Chromium also acts as a catalyst.

25. Mn: Competing inventions or sports or art spring up; almost everyone is attracted into one or another side of the controversy; each side cites principles for their side's rightness, and devotes all their energies to their faction. The competition, or controversy, allows a few people to make themselves an elite.

> Manganese is a metal resembling iron, but harder and very brittle. It is reactive, and many of its ores and alloys are magnetic. It colors amethyst and purple glass. The permanganate is a powerful oxidizer.

26. Fe: The memon of crusade: fury and idealism combined. Iron is the most commonly found and attractive of the magnetic spirits, single-minded and driven by principle. Even crusades against change cause change. The goal of crusade is either revision of the outer-world or establishment of some religious truth; except when it is purely nihilistic.

> Iron is found in metal form only in meteorites. It is the cheapest and one of the most abundant of metals, brittle and hard until alloyed, and is reactive (especially with Water). It is an essential part of human blood. It is the most magnetic of pure metals. Its colors are red, black, and dark green.

27. Co: The memon of cooperation, compromise, and social trust. Cobalt is a single-minded, principled spirit like Iron, but not so easily eaten away by circumstances. Compromise can be fueled either by mystical goals (an urge for Balance) or by a desire to improve society, establishing "a more perfect Union".

> Cobalt is a hard and brittle Metal, with somewhat less magnetism than iron. It resists oxidation. Its colors are reds, roses, and red-violets, and brilliant blues.

28. Ni: The memon of total order and systematization. While System is principled, it is also adaptable to circumstance and detail. The most basic motive of Nickel is its unabashed worship of abstract order for its own sake.

> Nickel is a Metal that takes a high polish; like iron and cobalt, it is magnetic and hard, but unlike them it is ductile and malleable. Its color is green.

29. Cu: Satiability. This is the virtue of adaptation, economy, management, willing self-regulation. It is well to learn how to have enough of material things, and also how to moderate religious, mystical, and utopian urges and the beyond-mundane in general; but there is no such thing as too much self-examination and introspection. Satiability is the virtue that holds off voracity, which encompasses greed, lust, gluttony, perfectionism, moral absolutism, and the other asymptotic vices.

> Copper is a reddish bright metal, malleable, ductile, and second only to silver in conductivity. It sometimes occurs pure (uncombined) in nature; minerals containing it are more common, and are often peacock-colored. Its colors are reds, and also all the blues and cyans that fall between violet-blue and emerald green.

30. Zn: A creative project or creator reaches its/his peak, becoming the acknowledged leader in the field. An athlete or ideology becomes generally popular. An actor becomes a star. Controversy is stilled, the competition makes concessions. The creator's or creation's allies spread it widely. There are high expectations for its long-range benefits and lastingness.

> Zinc is a bluish-white, lustrous, brittle metal that is needed for many important alloys. Zinc oxide is used by industries in an unusual variety of ways.

31. Ga: A creator (artist, inventor, ideologue, athlete) overreaches himself, to his partial discredit. Perhaps he attempts to be "all things to all men", or acts shifty and unreliable. His skills are inadequate, and disappointment results. His project is self-limiting, which is clear in hindsight. The changes in thinking, or behavior, that it has caused are extensive and unstable enough to hinder further progress. Only some new insight (whose arrival is unpredictable) can re-enliven the project.

> Gallium is a liquid at warm normal temperatures, and has a longer liquid range than most metals. It expands on solidifying. Painted on glass, it makes an excellent mirror.

32. Ge: New art is blocked by a surge of interest in traditional forms. A new invention or ideology is blamed (inaccurately) for some sort of trouble or calamity. A promising young athlete loses to one who came out of retirement. An old forgotten invention or artwork is rediscovered.

> Germanium is a metal-like crystalline solid often found in coal. It is one of the major semiconductors.

33. As: Assistance to an artist, inventor, actor, or athlete that paralyzes him; material comfort is gained, but insights and creativity are lost because of a too-tight routine or excessive demands to be true to principle. Or the artist becomes so obsessed with his distaste for his own past work and the "need" for self-improvement that he can't produce. Writer's block, for example.

> Arsenic is a very brittle crystalline metal-like solid. It and its compounds are well-known poisons. When heated, it smells like garlic. Its colors are yellow and gray.

34. Se: An artwork or ideology is censored or destroyed, more likely by popular demand than by elite preference. An invention or sport is suppressed because its effects or side-effects are observed to be generally destructive. A creator, actor, or athlete is converted to a fondness for "normal life", or social religion, that leads him to give up his career. The lack of privacy that comes with fame ruins a creator's life.

> Selenium is a crystalline solid, red or metallic grey; it is found in copper ores. It is a photovoltaic material and a semiconductor. Selenium itself is not very toxic, but some of its compounds are extremely toxic. It is used to make ruby glass.

35. Br: A creative person (inventor, artist, athlete, actor) who tries to attract and repel people by turns. His charm has a caustic, mordant quality, and he loses friends and lovers about as fast as he gains them. He is often a social reformer with a practical though slightly pessimistic bent. He probably has no children, or is estranged from them.

> Bromine is a reddish-brown liquid with a strong, irritating odor. It can act as a bleach and disinfectant, and makes sores on the skin when it comes in contact. It is the only liquid non-metal, and is obtained from brines.

36. Kr: A loner, probably an eccentric, whose most obvious traits are creativity, intuition, and insight. He may have only one or two friends in his whole life. Quite possibly his inventions, ideology, or art, will be discovered only after his death. (Krypton, as a loner, could not very well describe an actor or athlete.)

> Krypton is an inert gas, but not entirely inert; with some care, krypton compounds can be produced.

37. Rb: An adaptable, emotional, passionate person who can become a bit hysterical under the influence of loyalty or enthusiasm. He tends toward monogamy and has only a few close friends at any time, perhaps because he is choosy or sensitive. He has only one or two children. He is a firm believer in individualism and self-sufficiency. Definitely a romantic.

> Rubidium is a soft metal that ignites in Air and reacts violently in Water; it is liquid at temperatures that are at the hot end of normal. It colors Fire yellow or violet, and its other colors are yellows and oranges.

38. Sr: A passionate person with many children, friends, lovers, and sharers in work and beliefs. He has a strong moral drive to improve society and the world, now, today. He may appear creative and intuitive, but his ideas will largely have been agglutinated out of those acquired from his many personal contacts.

> Strontium reacts with Water and ignites in Air. Its salts make flames crimson. It substitutes for calcium in living organisms, often not to the organism's advantage.

39. Y: Someone is converted to a new religion or philosophy, probably one with strong mundane or social ties. An unexpected stab of conscience (probably social conscience) leads to a changed life. A new love, or a period of great felicity, begins.

> Yttrium is a reactive metal. Its oxide phosphoresces red. Its compounds have been used in lasers.

40. Zr: A new romance or friendship fails to progress because of a loss of enthusiasm, or of opportunity to interact. Two opposing emotions about the same person or thing. A dialogue, probably beneficial, between two distinct (if not opposite) moral poles. An anticipated source of happiness is delayed.

> Zirconium is a lustrous metal. It is corrosion-resistant; its oxide is the body of zircon gems; and the oxide is used as a heat-resistant insulating ceramic.

41. Nb: A religious or philosophical conversion, probably beyond-mundane, improves someone's life (though they do not actively promote the beliefs). Joy from romance, friendship, companionship, or hospitality. Broadening the number of things (or people) one knows how to enjoy.

> Niobium is a shiny soft ductile metal, whose old (oxidized) surfaces have a bluish cast. (The oxide is blue-black.)

42. Mo: Mystical or utopian moral doctrines have been adopted and will not be changed. Depression and dissatisfaction with the "real world". Sympathy or loyalty to beliefs, not people or facts. A romance or friendship becomes taken-for-granted habit. Desire becomes obsession.

> Molybdenum is a very hard metal with a high melting point. It improves the strength and corrosion resistance of alloys. Its sulfide is a high-temperature lubricant. Its colors are blue, blue-violet, and black.

43. Tc: Moral conflict, with someone else or oneself. A sense of being morally under threat and on the edge. Jealousy in romance. A marriage or friendship threatened by moral or religious differences or by infidelity. In any case, a situation that propagates rapidly to other people, won't last long, and will demand a definite end.

> Technetium is not a stable element; it must be created artificially, and is radioactive. It is an unusually good corrosion inhibitor for steel.

44. Ru: The memon of asceticism and self-denial. Ruthenium is always principled and not particularly touchable by circumstances; it is compatible either with mystical or inner-world goals.

> Ruthenium is a hard Metal, fairly inert, that tarnishes only at Fire temperatures. It is a catalyst (when finely divided) and a hardener in alloys. Its colors are dark blue and yellow.

45. Rh: The memon of platonic love of beauty. This is another principled spirit, and good at catching others' images in itself. It is largely an inner-world spirit, perhaps with a religious bent, and more often than not pessimistic (generally about the fate of beauty in the outer world).

> Rhodium has much the same character as ruthenium, and also is highly reflective -- not as much so as silver, but then rhodium is much less easily tarnished. Its colors are brown, olive-green, and yellow.

46. Pd: The memon of altruism, selflessly supporting. When Palladium is accompanied by tiles indicating sympathy and enthusiasm, it is wide-ranging and versatile; but when it is in the company of work tiles, it relies on principle and is not very adaptable. It requires enormous amounts of imagination. Its goals are largely of the outer-world, and are mingled with some disillusionment.

> Palladium is a Metal that does not tarnish, and is soft and ductile when recently heated but hard when cold-worked. Sometimes it is found with platinum, sometimes with nickel and copper. It absorbs uniquely large amounts of hydrogen, is used to purify hydrogen, and is a good catalyst when finely divided. Its colors are dull reds, ambers, and browns.

47. Ag: Objempathy. The virtue that combines balanced, objective, enlightened judgment with wide-ranging projective emotional understanding. This is the virtue that is reflective and capable of seeing oneself in the image of others; it armors one against despair, and is not colored by one's own goals or motives (ulterior or otherwise). It is not compatible with compulsion.

> Silver is a brilliant white metal, very ductile and malleable, with the highest conductivity of all metals, inert enough to sometimes be found pure in nature (though often it is associated with lead). When its surface is fresh, it is the best of known reflectors of visible light; but it is tarnished rapidly by sulfur compounds in the air. Its compounds are sensitive to illumination. It has germicidal properties. Its colors are whites, grays, and blacks.

48. Cd: The peak of a lasting romantic passion. Great harmony in a marriage or a friendship that ranges over most parts of one's life. Moral integrity and serenity come naturally and without regrets because a mystical or religious reward is believed in. Possibly the kind of experience that makes it unmistakable that life is worth living, or belief is worth believing. In any of these cases, Cadmium is a warning against spoiling such experiences by trying to artificially repeat or spread them among more people.

> Cadmium is a very soft bluish-white metal which is found in zinc, copper, and lead ores. Some of its compounds phosphoresce blue and green. It and its compounds are very toxic.

49. In: A possessive, complaining lover or spouse, who insists on involving himself in everything one does. Trying to get along with too many peoples' different emotional or moral expectations. Moral or religious one-upsmanship and display without basis in any actual risk or effort. (This will often be concerned with a social-based morality, a philosophy promoting unlimited intellectual self-improvement, or fashionable cynicism.) Desiring someone or something that turns out not worth it. Projecting one's own qualities on the object of desire.

> Indium is a very soft, brilliantly lustrous white metal which gives a high-pitched cry when bent. Plated on glass, it gives as good a mirror as silver. Its colors are reddish-brown, pale yellow, and black.

50. Sn: A tendency to blame others for problems arising from one's own accumulated moral shortfalls. Self-pity (quite possibly justified). Habitual moral criticism of others and an inability to sympathize with them. A friendship or romance begins to seem askew, though not painful. More pleasure from memories than from the present. Great emotional endurance. An attraction to traditional religion and morality. Tin indicates that family ties and childhood friendships are strengthened.

> Tin is a malleable and somewhat ductile metal which cries out when bent. It has a relatively useless form (called "tin pest") that forms at the cold end of normal temperatures. Tin is an important part of many basic alloys: solder, pewter, bronze.

51. Sb: Peace of mind, though nothing deeper, is found by cleaving to a single philosophy or lover. A short-lived but rewarding passion, for a belief or a person. Happiness found in single-minded introspection. As with Cadmium, there is a warning that it would be harmful to expect too much from any of these situations.

> Antimony is an extremely brittle, flaky metal. It burns brilliantly when heated. It and many of its compounds are toxic. Its colors are yellow and white.

52. Te: A marriage or friendship fails in spite and rancor; it may be the only close relationship one has at the time. Despair of ever being understood, and loneliness. Sorrow, the loss of a loved one. Lovers are parted by social upheaval. One's only dogma shows itself unmistakably destructive. A desperate leap into nihilism or lunatic optimism, or getting lost inside one's own fantasies, or submerging oneself in religious activities. Generosity is required to temper the experience.

> Tellurium is a brittle, easily crumbled crystalline solid with a metallic luster; it is most often found in combination with gold. It is a semiconductor; it burns with a greenish-blue flame; it is toxic, and gives people who inhale it garlic breath. Its colors are white, black, yellow, and blue-green.

53. I: This is someone who drives people away by being too devoted and idealistic, or by trying (for their own good) to convert them to some religion or philosophy. In small doses, though, his vision is refreshing and attractive. Probably a utopian, but could also be a pragmatic individualist (in love with hard-nosedness), or one who fully believes that life in this mundane world is hopeless and something beyond-mundane is the only hope. If he has children, they are estranged.

> Iodine is a blue-black solid that exhales an irritating blue-violet gas. It is found in brines. It causes sores on the skin when it comes into contact, but diluted with water is used as an antiseptic. Its colors are blue-black, blue-violet, and red-brown to orange.

54. Xe: A loner whose most obvious trait is his intense moral or religious devotion to a completely mystical belief. In his whole life, he will probably have had one great romantic passion, which failed. He may be a hermit (whether hidden in the woods or lost among the city crowds). Some such people are dangerous.

> Xenon is an almost completely inert gas; it produces a gorgeous blue color in an electric arc. Its compounds are very strong oxidizers, to the point of being highly explosive (the trioxide).

55. Cs: A somewhat easily distracted skeptic who is constantly pulling ideas and situations apart to see what makes them tick. Very energetic and interested in what goes on around him; also quick-tempered and sarcastic. Has a knack for abstract (though often practical) analysis, and his main goal is honing his own mind. Has only a few friends and children and a single mate, and is loyal to them.

> Cesium is a liquid metal at normal temperatures. It is the most alkaline metal; it reacts with ice, and explodes in contact with cold water. Its hydroxide is the strongest base known and attacks glass. It has an unusual affinity for oxygen. Colors are yellow, orange, and brown.

56. Ba: An optimistic, friendly, methodical person with a wide range of interests, knowledge, and friends. He is skilled at coordinating teamwork and planning activities, especially intellectual ones. He also tends to pursue multiple love affairs, which may cause heartache as the lovers take his good-natured affection much more seriously than he intended. He probably has many children, if he is (or was) married. He is energetically religious, but is too flexible to be doctrinaire.

> Barium is a soft metal that reacts easily with oxygen and is decomposed by water. Its sulfate gives a permanent white pigment, and its nitrate and chlorate color flames green.

57. La: A long-range business or family plan is laid out, or a law devised. Brainstorming is needed and should consider a great variety of possibilities. Intense analytical and abstract thought needs a focus. Beginning of an education in such a profession as medicine, psychology, history, hard sciences, law, or teaching.

> Lanthanum is a malleable, ductile metal, and very soft. It is found in conjunction with rare earths.

Next (in the middle of the analysis/planning suit) come the lanthanides, representing the resources on which plans are founded. All of the lanthanides are soft, ductile, and malleable, reflecting the pragmatism involved in family, property, health, and sensual activities and the large variety of forms such activities can take. All of them are at least fairly reactive, indicating that lanthanide behavior requires involvement with one's surroundings.

58. Ce: A low-ranking, or young, man who is hard-working and reliable. He wants property and a family, not necessarily in that order of importance. He is optimistic and practical, with a hard-working self-reliant bent. He can be combative or very helpful, depending on the impression one makes on him. Not very interested in religion.

> Cerium is the most abundant of the lanthanides, a lustrous metal. Its salts are yellowish or orange-red, or white. Thorium is a common impurity in cerium. It is a useful catalyst.

59. Pr: An established man, probably wealthy, a property-owner and a father. He makes no bones about liking to live comfortably. He has a solid way about him and is probably recognized as a staunch member of some mainstream religion. On the other hand, his beliefs may be largely self-devised, which is not something he's reticent about.

> Praseodymium is a metal; its colors are green and yellow.

60. Nd: Property is inherited. Starting a long, laborious business expansion. A child (possibly the heir) is born. The advent of something that is physically very satisfying or pleasant, anything from sex to a gourmet meal to unprecedented good health. Beginning some legal or political activity that is related to acquiring or protecting property, or "redistributing" it for charitable or social reasons.

> Neodymium is a bright metal. Its colors are pink, rose, and red to violet.

61. Pm: A business competitor appears. A sale is delayed because someone else made a better bid. Family disagreements, probably over religious dogma. Prolonged (though probably minor) ill health. An anticipated body-pleasure must be put off, perhaps because it conflicts with religious observance. Procrastination on the job. Balancing multiple demands from coworkers or family. Difficulties in conceiving a child. Promethium suggests that some effort (and perhaps prayer) will result in self-propagating improvements.

> Promethium is not a stable element; it must be created artificially (typically from neodymium and praseodymium), and is radioactive. It is formed in some stars. Its salts luminesce with a blue or green glow.

62. Sm: Past work pays off in a solid business position or property improvements. A good early harvest. One's children are unusually accomplished. Return of good health. A new home is acquired, or new comforts. Family activities are satisfying. There is a general tendency to withdraw within one's own home and family and enjoy them.

> Samarium is a bright metal, used as a neutron absorber. Its alloys have exceptionally high resistance to being demagnetized. Its color is pale yellow.

63. Eu: A decision to stop having children. Consolidation of a business, or the purchase of land or facilities that "complete the set". Expansion and diversification are resisted. A long period of acceptable health and comfort. "Smother love" from parents. Charity is given, but only enough to maintain the status quo. An opportunity to change one's home is turned down.

> Europium is a metal. Its color is pink.

64. Gd: Poor health, probably resulting from overwork or other stress. Heavy business competition. A company splits up, or property is divided among heirs. A rift in the family. A child becomes estranged from parents. Theft, fraud, or a legal struggle over property or funds. Gadolinium suggests that outside influences, perhaps malicious ones, have worsened the difficulties.

> Gadolinium is a metal; it is magnetic in cool normal temperatures.

65. Tb: A business leaving its competition behind, becoming effectively a monopoly. One's home is a showplace. An earned inheritance. One's first offspring. A child succeeds in the adult world. Good health, vigor, fertility, and unstinted physical pleasures. Strength and harmony and the peak moment of an activity involving labor, satisfaction, property, and solidity. Charity is given freely even though it may be in vain.

> Terbium is a very soft metal. Its oxide is a dark maroon or chocolate color.

66. Dy: An offspring fails to meet expectations. A child grows up and leaves home, perhaps refusing to follow in the parental business. Parents are too demanding. More hard work just when completion was expected. A risky business venture doesn't pay off well. Sexual or other physical dissatisfaction or insatiability. A medical treatment helps symptoms, but doesn't restore full health. Damage to the home or property.

> Dysprosium is a metal; it has been used to make laser materials.

67. Ho: All of the children have left home. Not quite enough money or health to live as pleasantly as in the past. A home or some of its appurtenances must be sold. Family reunion. Cherished mementos are lost. Some need for regaining prudent self-sufficiency instead of continuing to depend on family or possessions.

> Holmium is a very soft bright metal. Its color is tan.

68. Er: An unexpected child late in life. Peaceful, secure, disease-free old age. Staying at home all the time. Charitable social activities. Financial or medical help from a family member. Grandchildren (or later generations) are born. Family matters are stabilized.

> Erbium is a very soft bright metal; its colors are rose-red to rose-violet.

69. Tm: Sterility, frigidity, or impotence. The harvest fails, or investments are lost. Death of a family member. Homelessness, destitution, financial ruin. Severe illness or overwork. Family is broken up by social upheaval. In all these events, religious ideas, companions, or practices may be partly at cause.

> Thulium is the rarest of the lanthanides, a very soft bright metal. Its color is greenish-white.

70. Yb: An established businesswoman of recognized pragmatism, or a wife and mother. She has worked for a long time to get where she is, and (if she is a mother) she has many children. Even if she is married, she probably has her own property.

> Ytterbium is a very soft bright metal.

71. Lu: A young woman who is looking for a marriage or, if married, is eager for children. If she has any interest in a career, she hasn't gotten so far in it that she wouldn't be willing to substitute raising children.

> Lutetium is a very soft metal.

72. Hf: Education must be put off. Serving an apprenticeship. A plan runs into opposition because of emotional ambivalence among people involved in it. A medical (or psychological) diagnosis turns out to be incomplete, though helpful. Criticism and advice improve a piece of work, bringing out the strengths in it. Clever (if unconstructive) legal decisions are made.

> Hafnium is a brilliant ductile metal generally found with zirconium. It has an unusual ability to stop neutrons and is extremely corrosion resistant.

73. Ta: A good impartial plan, consistently followed, makes a project a success. An outstandingly correct medical diagnosis. Someone (who stays emotionally uninvolved) gives advice or criticism that is consistently good at making people happier. A successful law or educational technique.

> Tantalum is a heavy metal, very hard and ductile; it is extremely difficult to separate from niobium, with which it is often found. It is very nonreactive, and inert in living tissue.

74. W: Laws, rules, and standards that are flexible where they need to be rigid, but rigid where they need to be flexible. Bureaucracy. Established standards of literary criticism, or scientific peer-review, or medical and psychological treatment, that are counterproductive and stifling. Suppression of intellectual dissent, possibly by corruption or other unscrupulous means. The motives for any of these things may be the utopian belief that the facts (the truth) are already known, or too much pride in one's own theories.

> Tungsten is a soft, malleable metal, and ductile when pure. It has the highest melting point of all metals, with excellent corrosion resistance. Its disulfide is a high-temperature lubricant. Colors are yellow-orange, brown, and blue-violet.

75. Re: A plan runs into opposition through adapting too slowly and grudgingly to new circumstances. Factions, ideological competition, and emotional uproar within a profession (medicine, science, education, law, etc.). Criticisms come from all viewpoints and motives, and spur improvements, new activity, and wider applicability of a plan, law, or method. There may be so many criticisms and so much information that temporary paralysis occurs.

> Rhenium is a heavy metal with a high melting point, generally found in molybdenum ores. When annealed, it is very ductile. It is a very good catalyst. Colors are black, yellow, red, or blue.

76. Os: The memon or spirit of misrule; the "Imp of the Perverse". Osmium allows very little in the way of sympathy, or of divergence from its guiding rule of disorder and perversity. It is slow to change its intentions and desires and tends to aim at having rather cynical (and destructive) effects on the outer-world.

> Osmium is lustrous, extremely hard and brittle, with a very high melting point. It is found under much the same circumstances as palladium. When it is powdered, it reacts with Air to make a stench (which is highly toxic). It is the densest element. Its colors are browns and blacks.

77. Ir: The memon of ambivalence and of a preference for complexity: "I can believe two impossible (and contradictory) things before breakfast!" Iridium is extremely single-minded and hard to budge. It can be the spirit possessing the professional skeptic, or the scholarly art-critic or philosopher who has a bent for detail and deep inner meaning, or the theologian or mystic. It has little to do with the outer world and its mood is often rather dark.

> Iridium is a very hard and brittle Metal, the most corrosion-resistant of metals. It is the second densest element. Its colors are yellow, brown, indigo, olive green.

78. Pt: The memon of the ceaseless pursuit of novelty: "Progress". Platinum is adaptable and wide-ranging, as one would expect of the love of novelty. It consumes large amounts of imagination (and could be considered the patron spirit of science-fiction). It is largely interested in finding new things that will aid in mental self-development -- the superman -- and secondarily in improving the world.

> Platinum is a lustrous Metal, malleable and ductile. It generally occurs with iridium, osmium, palladium, ruthenium, and rhodium, though these are in smaller quantities than the platinum; and it may accompany nickel. Air does not react with it, though halogens and sulfur do. Platinum-cobalt makes a very strong magnet. Platinum, like palladium, absorbs large amounts of hydrogen and is an excellent, versatile catalyst. Its colors are yellows, ochres, and browns.

79. Au: Generosity. The triumph of courage, love, kindness, or goodwill; the conqueror of envy. Generosity can be spread thin and still be valuable. It is the purest of the virtues. It is recommended to be particularly generous to certain groups of people: oneself; the most everyday people; the hereditary elite, not because they need it but for the sake of rerouting one's own envy; and the deep pessimists and cynics, because otherwise they'd never believe generosity existed.

> Gold is a bright yellow metal; it is the most malleable and ductile of metals, very soft, a good conductor. It is very unreactive and does not tarnish, and is more often found pure than in ores (which are tellurides). Its colors are yellow when solid, or red, black, and purple when finely divided.

80. Hg: A plan or law succeeds beyond all expectations. Methodical review and analysis of a problem turn up unexpected facts that allow it to be solved. Educational success, or success as a critic, peer reviewer, or lawyer. Mercury can also be taken as a warning that intellectual success is fluid -- one shouldn't go utterly utopian (or utterly hard-headed practical) and think nothing remains to be learned.

> Mercury is a heavy liquid metal, unusually volatile, and not a good conductor. Its vapor glows blue-violet in an electric arc. It is a cumulative poison of the mind as well as the body. Its fulminate is explosive. Its colors are blue-violet and yellow to red.

81. Tl: A theory, method, medical technique, or critical standard turns out not to be as versatile or general as was thought. A plan is only partly successful. A poor diagnosis harms a patient or poor teaching doesn't give students enough training, though the error is not irrevocable. No career is available that's consistent with one's education. A law or legal decision causes more trouble than it controls, or opens more loopholes than it closes.

> Thallium is a very soft malleable metal, often found in lead and zinc ores. It is very toxic, and its sulfate is odorless and tasteless and used to poison insects and animals.

82. Pb: It becomes clear that a plan is going to fail, probably because of inadequate communication, and its supporters look everywhere for scapegoats and ways out. Critics take a scattergun approach that misses the basic flaw in a theory, method, or law. Teachers, doctors, psychologists, or lawyers promote exclusively traditional methods. A new law is rescinded, or a legal ruling reversed. One's education has become obsolete.

> Lead is a very soft metal, highly malleable and ductile, and a poor conductor. It is very corrosion resistant and cumulatively toxic to mind and body. It is an effective sound absorber. Its compounds are effective pigments, white, yellow, and red.

83. Bi: A compromise plan or law is rapidly patched together. Work is redone or expanded in order to minimally satisfy critics or reviewers. Errors in a scientific analysis or a medical treatment are corrected. Part of one's formal education must be repeated. There is an implication that a single-minded approach is taken not because it's sufficient but because time is short.

> Bismuth is a pinkish-white brittle metal that is found in lead, copper, tin, silver, and gold ores. It is the most diamagnetic of all metals and a very poor conductor. It expands when it solidifies, and has a low melting point. It is not toxic.

84. Po: Paralysis of a plan owing to legal action or blatant mismanagement. A scientific study is found fraudulent. Medical or psychiatric incompetence, or commitment to an insane asylum on false grounds. An educator exploits his students, or a legal or medical professional exploits his clients, to his own gain (sexual or financial). A law is passed ostensibly for pure beyond-mundane reasons but really to benefit its purchasers. Judicial incompetence. Whatever type of trouble it is, once it starts it spreads rapidly.

> Polonium is a very rare naturally radioactive metal, strongly self-heating and glowing blue. It is extremely toxic.

85. At: A dry, methodical person whose main interests are reviewing, consolidating, and testing theory. He doesn't blatantly drive people away, and can work with them to some extent, but tends to alienate or chill them by his pickiness and detachment. He socializes competently but might not do it if it didn't further his work. Probably has no children.

> Astatine is not a stable element; it must be created artificially (typically from bismuth), and is radioactive.

86. Rn: A hypercritical, argumentative person with essentially no friends. Possibly an eccentric collector. Apt to be very knowledgeable in one or more specialties. May live on inherited money or something similar; he doesn't hold jobs very long, because he stirs up too much bad feeling.

> Radon is a naturally radioactive, mostly inert gas, mostly produced by the decay of radium and thorium.

Suit 4, that of the flukes, starts with element 87 (Francium). The interpretations that are available for this suit of elements are brief, provisional, and perhaps not very helpful. Keep in mind that fluke events could be more or less mundane: a dream inspires an invention, a peculiar encounter instigates a romance or feud, a mechanical breakdown results from a conjunction of improbable events, an inheritance or gift from someone one has never met, a large amount of money found on the roadside, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a heroic act, infection with a very rare disease, peculiar pet behavior. Or flukes can be more outré: someone's inexplicable disappearance, a prophetic vision that saves lives or money, spontaneous human combustion, a close encounter with offworlders of a previously unknown species, and other Fortean anomalies.

87. Fr: A close friend or spouse does something wholly uncharacteristic, perhaps under stress or medication. Whatever the action is, it won't last long (though its consequences may).

> Francium is a very rare, highly unstable element.

88. Ra: A group of people, perhaps a significant fraction of the population, do something they wouldn't have normally done (especially if they'd been acting alone). This might be a lynch mob, mass hysteria, a financial "bubble", an evangelical movement, or something akin. The action is likely to be harmful, and it will be a single fad with a definite beginning and end (not a "social trend", in other words).

> Radium is an uncommon, naturally radioactive brilliant white metal that gives a carmine red color to flame. It is used in self-luminous paint. When mixed with beryllium, it produces neutrons. It is very toxic and produces radon.

89. Ac: A fluke that begins some longer sequence of events. The events are more likely to involve some type of struggle than any other kind of activity. The rise of factions may result.

> Actinium is a naturally radioactive metal with a short half-life, occurring in uranium minerals.

As the lanthanides (Suit 5) fell in the middle of Suit 3, the actinides (Suit 6) fall in the middle of Suit 4. Struggle and suffering are close kin to flukiness, in the view of the Ailurosi. All of the actinides are radioactive and quite toxic, in keeping with the contagiousness and destructiveness of pre-sapient fight/flight activity. Note that though the language of war is used to describe the actinides, the venue could be family, marriage, business, the arts and sciences, politics, or courts of law. What matters is that a game with at most one winner is being played, or a zero-sum game (a game where what one's gain exactly equals another's loss, and there's no net creation of wealth).

90. Th: A young man, or one of low rank, who may be rebellious and contentious. He is brave and eager for power (or authority or responsibility) and tries many different methods for getting it. His sympathies are difficult to engage. He has a knack of pressuring or dazzling people into making things happen.

> Thorium is an abundant metal, soft and very ductile, stable in air. Its oxide has an extremely high melting point and glows dazzlingly when heated; thorium oxide is also a useful catalyst.

91. Pa: A man who has become an established leader or judge. His decisions are clearly defined, final, and impersonal. He tolerates no challenges to his power but otherwise is just.

> Protactinium is a very rare metal. Its colors are black and white.

92. U: The beginning of a conquest achieved primarily by principled means. Becoming the champion and leader of a religious or social cause. The first step on the road to power. Marshaling all of one's resources for a long war or struggle.

> Uranium is a fairly plentiful metal, rather hard but malleable and ductile. Its colors are yellow to red, and olive to dark green.

93. Np: The necessity to prove one's case to, or negotiate with, a powerful elite before dealing with the real enemy. A balance of opposing forces in one's own mind. A temporary truce (perhaps under religious auspices). A well-matched fight, such that any small sudden advantage could make all the difference.

> Neptunium is an artificial metal. Its compounds (in Water solution) are lavender, yellow-green, green-blue, and pale pink.

94. Pu: A startling early conquest, which may not be what it seems. Allies rally to a victor, who should not depend on them too far. A utopian regime forced on people after their initial enthusiasm has waned. Independence achieved by fighting. Self-discipline is successful, but too harsh. Plutonium generally indicates a brilliant and honest but potentially self-defeating success in a struggle.

> Plutonium is a rare natural and artificial radioactive metal, reactive and somewhat self-warming. Its colors (in solution) are lavender-blue, yellow-brown, and pink-orange. It is incredibly toxic.

95. Am: Carrying the war into enemy territory, and establishing redoubts there. An entrenched struggle with gradual gains. A leader holds on to his power forcibly but without massacre. Massive defenses (or prisons) are built.

> Americium is an artificial metal, somewhat malleable and reactive, and very self-warming. Its colors are reddish-brown and black.

96. Cm: Possibility of civil war on some scale. Social unrest. Treachery. A leader overthrown by ambitious underlings, or a leader who slaughters those whom he regards as threats. Prisoners (of war or of law) are mistreated.

> Curium is an artificial metal, reactive and very self-warming. Its compounds are faintly yellow. It is incredibly toxic.

97. Bk: A war (or a legal conflict) is won. The victor is honored. Power is gained, or regained. There are no threats on the horizon and whatever rebuilding is necessary can safely commence.

> Berkelium is an artificial metal, reactive and incredibly toxic.

98. Cf: A struggle won by spying or assassination more than by fighting. Forces are overextended and may be lost. Territory or hostages are taken from a neighbor because he is weaker, though he posed no threat. Loyal allies are weaker than was believed, and strong allies less loyal. Secret weapons fall into the enemy's hands. Dishonorable methods are used to win. Slander, libel, forgery, blackmail.

> Californium is an artificial metal, reactive, an unusually good neutron emitter, and incredibly toxic.

99. Es: Battles and peripheral territory are lost but the core is still quite safe. Saboteurs and traitors are blamed (accurately or not) for defeats, and are punished. The choices of strategy are severely restricted by circumstances or lost resources. Paralysis and indecision. A prison sentence.

> Einsteinium is an artificial metal.

100. Fm: What was lost in earlier struggles is regained but probably cannot be held. An oppressive but not ruinous truce is made with a strong enemy. There have been heavy losses. Suspicion is endemic. The last chance for emigration or evacuation, and those who can take it are doing so. A legal conflict settled out of court, disadvantageously. Escape from prison or confinement.

> Fermium is an artificial metal.

101. Md: Utter defeat, and the victor is cruel. Pitiless occupation by the enemy. Ruin and suffering. Severe punishment by the law, or outside the law by legal enforcers or vendetta.

> Mendelevium is an artificial metal.

102. No: A woman who has high rank, whether inherited, married, mothered, or earned. She is of strong character and is more than capable of defending herself and her loved ones by whatever means are necessary.

> Nobelium is an artificial metal.

103. Lr: A woman of low rank, or a childless woman, who is determined to get the respect she feels is due her. She may make her husband, when she gets one, a tool of her ambitions.

> Lawrencium is an artificial metal.

104. Rf: A fluke that causes a delay, polarization, or balance in some ongoing activity.

> Rutherfordium is very unstable.

105. Db: A fluke that leads to the fulfillment or fruition of some activity or situation.

> Dubnium is very unstable.

106. Sg: A fluke that increases an activity's or situation's longevity, stability, or ability to resist beneficial changes; or that allows the true nature and implications of a situation to be recognized.

> Seaborgium is unstable.

107. Ns: A fluke that leads to short-term conflict or competition.

> Nielsbohrium is unstable.

108. Hs: The first of the three unknown memons. Sometimes interpreted as a generic warning against GW dependency.

> Hassium is unstable.

109. Mt: The second of the three unknown memons. Sometimes interpreted as a generic warning against emulating others.

> Meitnerium is unstable.

110. Mc: The third of the three unknown memons. Sometimes interpreted as a generic warning against attempting to predict the future.

> This element is as yet unnamed on Earth; for convenience (considering its meaning) we refer to it as "mancium".

111. My: Maturity. The fourth conductive virtue. There is little agreement among Ailurosi as to what constitutes maturity, and it would probably be a good idea to refuse to assume that any of the usual Earthuman definitions pertain.

> This element is as yet unnamed on Earth; we refer to it as "maturium".

112. Pk: A fluke that leads to strength and harmony, the peak moment of some situation or activity.

> This element is as yet unnamed on Earth; we refer to it as "peakium".

113. Ch: A fluke that leads to disappointment, overreaching, overconfidence, instability, chaos (in the sense of large outcomes from small causes).

> This element is as yet unnamed on Earth; we refer to it as "chaosite".

114. Ng: A fluke that leads to backtracking, retrenchment; or to the need to repeat something; or to scapegoating, "sour grapes" rationalizations, or nostalgia.

> This element is as yet unnamed on Earth; we refer to it as "nostalgium".

115. Rl: A fluke that leads to relief or respite from some oppressive situation; a "last hurrah", or "Indian summer".

> This element is as yet unnamed on Earth; we refer to it as "reliefite".

116. Fi: A fluke that leads to collapse or failure, desperation, the end.

> This element is as yet unnamed on Earth; we refer to it as "finishite".

117. Ly: A person who's likely to be called a "crackpot", someone who may have a group of followers at one time of his life, but may live as a hermit or outcast at other times. His ideas seem stunningly improbable but have enough intellectual resonance to make them also seem frighteningly plausible, especially any that are later acknowledged to be correct.

> This element is as yet unnamed on Earth; for convenience (and perhaps to honor Timothy Leary) we refer to it as "learyite".

118. Bb: A loner who gives an impression of (most likely) incomprehensibility or incoherence verging on insanity. He does not have the crackpot's urge to convince other people; he has withdrawn from that arena. Therefore, he is seldom dangerous.

> This element is as yet unnamed on Earth; for convenience (and to advertise The Church of the SubGenius) we refer to it as ""bob"ium".

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