This is an odd one inspired by discussions on the Aeclectic Tarot forum about using tarot cards to contact ancestral spirits. It takes into account the hazards of invoking the Lower Astral plane when indiscriminately opening oneself up to unfiltered psychic influences. P7D-Ancestor Spread
Month: August 2017
An Astrological Crossroads
When I was first learning astrology in the early '70s, the psychological approach of writers like Dane Rudhyar and Marc Edmund Jones was in its ascendancy; the ideas of Carl Gustav Jung colored nearly every consideration, and the "modern" planets Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were receiving intense analysis, to the point of meriting whole books … Continue reading An Astrological Crossroads
The “Balance of Forces” Decision-Making Spread
This is a slightly fanciful spread designed around the model of a Medieval "high fantasy" court, with King, Queen, Mage, Priest, Knights (War Chief and Queen's Guard) and Realm, along with the the advisory inputs of Justice, Mercy and other forms of counsel based on elemental "jurisdiction." But it has a serious objective: whether to … Continue reading The “Balance of Forces” Decision-Making Spread
The Art and Science of Divination: An Opinion
Aleister Crowley stated it succinctly and perversely in the front-piece to “A Description of the Cards of the Tarot” from The Equinox, Volume 1, Number 8: “All divination resembles an attempt by a man born blind to obtain sight by getting blind drunk.” In his 1907 motto for the Astrum Argenteum, while also taking an … Continue reading The Art and Science of Divination: An Opinion
The “Money Matters” Enterprise Spread
The goal of this spread is to provide broad insights into the prospects for success of any start-up business venture. It is taken in the most straightforward sense, without consideration of the myriad subtle factors that can make or break a new business. For example, environmental variables like emerging trends, business competition, marketplace logistics and … Continue reading The “Money Matters” Enterprise Spread
The “Career Crossroads” Spread
This 9-card (+2) spread is designed for examination of career-change potential, including both external opportunity and internal readiness considerations. The main thrust of the reading follows the horizontal axis (Yellow), while inputs to the decision come from the vertical axis (Red = external and Blue = internal). Optional factors include the advisability of additional occupational … Continue reading The “Career Crossroads” Spread
The Thoth Minor Arcana
I've worked with the Aleister Crowley/Frieda Harris Thoth deck since 1972 and have been consistently impressed by how evocative the Minor Arcana are, mainly through their use of color and mood along with Crowley's Golden-Dawn-derived titles and brief explanations in The Book of Thoth. I never felt any need for scenic illustrations and their encapsulated … Continue reading The Thoth Minor Arcana
The “Hidden Key” Advice Spread
I decided to tackle the subject of two-card readings. Because the number Two can be more about polarity and division than cooperation and resolution (depending on whether the "pendulum" in a situation is swinging in or out), two-card spreads can seem static, especially if the cards are of similar rank, number and element. I created … Continue reading The “Hidden Key” Advice Spread
“Cheap Shots” #11: Prescriptive vs. Improvisational
In considering the limited role of intuition in reading the Lenormand cards, I hit upon the term "improvisational" as the best way to describe my method of putting together card combinations. Taken one at a time, Lenormand cards are quite literal in meaning. They are descriptive, not suggestive in the way tarot cards can often … Continue reading “Cheap Shots” #11: Prescriptive vs. Improvisational
The Perfect Lenormand
This isn't a recommendation, it's a lament: I have yet to find my ideal Lenormand deck. When I first started reading the Lenormand cards in 2011, I bought the Piatnik and then Laura Tuan's very large Lenormand Oracle (which I still use primarily to lay out a "foundation" of houses to spread the reading cards … Continue reading The Perfect Lenormand
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 