Now we dive into a card-by-card examination of the Major Arcana, which I'm taking two at a time since they are brief "thumbnail sketches" (supported by links to my previous posts). Since my approach to the tarot is esoteric in the main but with a practical slant, I've decided to begin each sub-section with commentary on the … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Major Arcana: The Fool and The Magician
Month: August 2018
Tarot 101, My Way – Card Reading for Beginners
The first impression that newcomers to the tarot cards often receive, if they're serious about learning, is "These things are complicated" (and they would not be wrong). You aren't going to digest them at one sitting (or even 100, for that matter), you have to approach them as you would eating an elephant, one well-chewed … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Card Reading for Beginners
Tarot 101, My Way – The Minor Arcana
In my experience, the numbered suit cards of the tarot provide the "meat" of any reading aimed at examining the eventualities of day-to-day existence. The Waite-Smith deck and its ilk even have prosaic scenes on their Minor Arcana that suggest - for better or worse, as we shall see - ready-made narrative vignettes. One of the best ways to … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – The Minor Arcana
Who Killed Mary? – A “Whodunit” Reading
Thirty-seven-year-old Mary Critchley was murdered sometime between July 25, 1981, when she attempted to hitch a ride from Framingham, MA to Waterbury, VT, and August 9, 1981, when her body was discovered in the woods of rural Unity, NH. https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-unsolved-case-file-mary-elizabeth-critchley/22677217 I performed my "Rogue's Gallery" spread to see what it might tell me about this cold … Continue reading Who Killed Mary? – A “Whodunit” Reading
Tarot 101, My Way – The Court Cards
The court cards of the tarot can be an elusive enigma for beginners. Nineteenth-century descriptions of the courts as defining the physical characteristics of people who may appear in a situation didn't help by encouraging the "tall, dark stranger" mode of fortune-telling prediction that has since fallen out of favor. The context of a particular question may not even admit the active … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – The Court Cards
The “Last Word” Positional Awareness Spread
This is a decision-making spread and a variant of my typical "situational awareness" approach. In this case, the decision involves whether a position being maintained or contemplated by the querent in a particular situation is in fact tenable, or whether the advisability of sustaining or pursuing it should be reconsidered. The positional meanings are self-explanatory. … Continue reading The “Last Word” Positional Awareness Spread
The $100,000 Question: Closing in on Excellence
There used to be a TV quiz show called "The $64,000 Question." Accounting for inflation and devaluation, let's up the ante and call this the "$100,000 Question:" What are the key qualities that make for an exceptionally competent and effective tarot reader, those that separate the best from the rest? (Hint: It's more than just "being … Continue reading The $100,000 Question: Closing in on Excellence
Tarot 101, My Way – The Major Arcana and Esoteric Symbolism
There are a couple of different ways to approach sequencing of the Major Arcana, or "trump" cards. Modern thinking is that the series begins with the Fool, numbered zero, and ends with the World, designated XXI in Roman numerals. But it wasn't always that way. Some early decks had the Fool as an unnumbered card and various writers … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – The Major Arcana and Esoteric Symbolism
A New Look
Since I upgraded to a premium WordPress account, I decided to experiment with the expanded access to customization features. The new header image shows my crystal ball against a backdrop of the Grand Teton range on my computer screen; what looks like a flying saucer is actually a reflection of my desk lamp, and the … Continue reading A New Look
Tarot 101, My Way – An Overview
Some of my followers have encouraged me to offer online tarot lessons. While I have no interest in getting into an interactive training arrangement, I don't mind mentoring to the best of my ability. Last year I created some beginner's instructional material for a face-to-face course that never happened. I'm going to present that material here … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – An Overview
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 