"Oh, we're half way thereOh-oh, livin' on a prayer"- from Livin' on a Prayer by Jon Bon Jovi AUTHOR'S NOTE: Tarot readers and their clients are usually delighted when the 2 of Cups appears in a prediction about romantic matters. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn titled this card "Lord of Love," and it … Continue reading The Two and Nine of Cups: Love or Wishful Thinking
Month: April 2025
Deja Vu, Take 2: Rear-View Mirrors of the Minor Arcana
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The title of this essay refers to the fact that I already posted on the subject of "deja vu all over again" in the Lenormand category. Here the target of the famous Yogi Berra quip is the Minor Arcana series of the Waite-Smith (aka "RWS") tarot. (Note that although I much prefer the … Continue reading Deja Vu, Take 2: Rear-View Mirrors of the Minor Arcana
The “Targeted” Grand Tableau
AUTHOR'S NOTE: During the brief time I spent in the traditionalist enclave of the online Lenormmand community (it turned out that, even though I adhere closely to historical methods, my original ideas were still too "experimental" for them), I picked up a concept that I have yet to fully explore in my own work. I … Continue reading The “Targeted” Grand Tableau
The Aces: Close-to-the-Vest
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In his playing-card divination book 54 Devils, Cory Hutcheson describes the suit of Diamonds (tarot Coins or Pentacles) as relating to money and messages, while - as in most systems of cartomancy - the Ace refers to something new such as an original idea or an initiative that is still at the planning … Continue reading The Aces: Close-to-the-Vest
Taboo Topics in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While searching for a subject to continue my streak of daily posts, I decided to revisit one that I've touched on before in a less-comprehensive way. Like many professional tarot readers, I shy away from answering direct questions about medical concerns, financial investments or legal maneuvers because of the risk that they will … Continue reading Taboo Topics in Tarot Reading
“Waiting for Godot” – Court Cards in Long-Range Forecasts
AUTHOR'S NOTE: One of my sly assumptions when court cards appear in a tarot reading is that, rather than defaulting to psychological, ethical or spiritual conventions, they will quite often signify the direct involvement of another human being who has a stake in the querent's future "for good or ill." I say this mainly because … Continue reading “Waiting for Godot” – Court Cards in Long-Range Forecasts
Reversed Fours: A Stumble and A “One-Point Landing”
AUTHORS NOTE: Having finished re-reading 54 Devils, Cory Hutcheson's playing-card divination book, and not yet possessed of a new tarot book, I picked up my interrupted reassessment of Paul Fenton-Smith's Tarot Master Class (which I believe has now been renamed). In it he mentions that the 4 of Wands reversed can indicate a "lack of … Continue reading Reversed Fours: A Stumble and A “One-Point Landing”
Court Cards “On the Diamond”
"Roundin' third, he was headed for homeIt was a brown-eyed handsome man."- from "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" by Chuck Berry (who wasn't talking about the Knight of Swords or Pentacles but certainly could have been) AUTHOR'S NOTE: As always, my title is a "lure" to spark interest but the objective is nothing more than coming … Continue reading Court Cards “On the Diamond”
A Matter of Symbolism
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Not so long ago (before purely psychic free-association became fashionable among "pop-tarot" practitioners), tarot reading was a matter of deciphering complex images to come up with a narrative that was assumed to explain mundane conditions. The diviner's art lay in the translation of decidedly arcane symbolism into more commonplace language for the purpose … Continue reading A Matter of Symbolism
A “Body/Mind/Soul” Positional-Bias Matrix
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is a compact tableau that proposes to identify the ideal positional alignment the seeker should maintain going into a looming "showdown with circumstances." It uses a pre-established set of "situational bias" cards that facilitates adopting a "forward," "reverse" or "neutral" posture toward one's approach to a potential conflict scenario or uncertain evolution. … Continue reading A “Body/Mind/Soul” Positional-Bias Matrix