"You've got to ac-cent-tchu-ate the positiveE-lim-i-nate the negativeLatch on to the affirmativeDon't mess with Mr. In-Between"(from Ac-Cen-Tchu-Ate the Positive by Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters) AUTHOR'S NOTE: This isn't the first time I've addressed this question, but it keeps coming up on the tarot sites: Do you deliver negative readings in an unvarnished way … Continue reading Accentuating the Negative? – Delivering Bad News
Month: February 2025
Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Card Meaning in Tarot Spreads
AUTHOR'S NOTE: At its finest, reading the tarot cards is a subtle art full of nuance and inflection that can't be shoehorned into a formula (or a TikTok algorithm). Ostensibly, I'm going to talk about the nominal influence of the cards in a spread, both individually and in combination, but I will also get into … Continue reading Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Card Meaning in Tarot Spreads
The “Mystical Month” and the “Practical Month” – A Two-Stage New Moon Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I prepared to do my monthly New Moon reading at the end of February, I decided to separate it into two complementary halves: a "mystical" path reflected in tarot cards and a "practical" trajectory defined by Lenormand cards. The tarot cards are intended to provide a subliminal or psychic impression of the … Continue reading The “Mystical Month” and the “Practical Month” – A Two-Stage New Moon Reading
500 Views . . . and Nothing to See: The Tarot Wasteland
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Not long ago I joined a couple of online deck-collecting groups, and in short order my eyes were assaulted by swarms of substandard tarot decks that I would never buy in a million years (not nearly 500 of course, I was just trying to get your attention; let's round it off to 100). … Continue reading 500 Views . . . and Nothing to See: The Tarot Wasteland
“Claiming the Energy” – A Peculiar Premise
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just heard about TikTok tarot readings that are generic and algorithm-based. (I stay even farther away from TikTok than I do from YouTube.) One user of the service mentioned that they received prompts from TikTok urging "Interact four times to claim this energy." It sounds to me like the platform is "fishing … Continue reading “Claiming the Energy” – A Peculiar Premise
Elements and Modes in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: If there are any astrologers among my readers who were active during the era of New-Age metaphysical expansion, feel free to fact-check my historical observations. Having been there myself, this is how I remember it. Astrology uses a modal form of analysis: there are three quadriplicities (also known as modalities) - Cardinal, Fixed … Continue reading Elements and Modes in Tarot Reading
Locating Those Who Vanish – An Informed Opinion
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just discovered a thread on the r/tarot sub that questioned whether tarot can be used to locate missing people. The consensus ran strongly in the direction of "No," with one person saying that only law-enforcement professionals can find them and another stating that psychics never succeed. Both of these attitudes are misinformed, … Continue reading Locating Those Who Vanish – An Informed Opinion
The Roads Not Taken (There Can Be Only One)
AUTHORS NOTE: In his famous poem, Robert Frost had two roads to choose from. Here I'm proposing four and using reversals to decide which ones should not be taken in favor of a more promising upright signpost pointing the way. Select a deck that has non-reversible card backs so you can discern orientation without turning … Continue reading The Roads Not Taken (There Can Be Only One)
A “Methodology Checklist” – Technique in a Nutshell
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've written numerous essays on the subject of tarot techniques and methods, usually in the form of criticism aimed at those practices of modern "pop-metaphysics" that I find especially pointless or unfounded. This time I decided to turn it into an exhaustive but simplified "question-and-answer" checklist that lays out my preferred approach and … Continue reading A “Methodology Checklist” – Technique in a Nutshell
“Playing the Victim” – Self-Inflicted Pain in RWS Imagery
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I wasn't aware that there is a modern interpretation of the Waite-Smith 8 of Swords that describes the person in the picture as "faking" the distress or intentionally "self-victimizing," as in willingly submitting to what looks like abusive treatment. It reminds me of the hateful, misogynistic affront to rape victims and targets of … Continue reading “Playing the Victim” – Self-Inflicted Pain in RWS Imagery
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 