deceleration, braking, lethargy, dragging

In music, a ritardando indicates a decrease in speed; the number of bars over which this decrease takes place is indicated by an ellipsis, just as with an accelerando. Where the accelerando tends to be steady, measured, and longish, however, the ritardando tends to be shorter and more dramatic, as if it’s slowing down to make a point.

In a casting, Ritardando refers to a retard of some kind. There may be a sense of things grinding to a halt, or an increasing lethargy, a sudden wading through deep mud; there may also be a beneficial slowing, a purposeful respite from the frantic, an easing into a more manageable pace.

To divine the meaning of this card in a casting, consider the Solfege Die it was drawn above or under.

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