Form

Foundation; stability; time management.


In music, form refers to the underlying structure of a composition. The form of a piece is usually defined by dividing it into repeating and non-repeating parts; “A-A-B-A” is a familiar form in pop music, for example, meaning “verse-verse-chorus-verse.” Certain forms have given rise to large oeuvres of music, such as the sonata; others are closely related to style, such as 12-Bar Blues. 

Form in music is different from form in architecture or painting; it occurs in time instead of in space. It is related to rhythm in that it deals with measured durations and repetition; rhythm is in motion, however, while Form is more fixed. Form is like a broad “over-rhythm” within which music arises; it is structure built in time. 

Form is an Elemental card, and speaks of structure, particularly as it relates to time; in addition to foundation and stability, it addresses issues of planning and time management. It might also refer to an existing blueprint that must be worked with or around.

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