AUTHOR’S NOTE: Whenever I see a post that purports to fact-check some controversial occurrence, I immediately become suspicious that the supposedly impartial investigator has a private agenda that is being served by facts specifically “groomed” to support the objective, a hunch that is usually borne out by the demonstrated bias of the platform on which the reporting appears. Here is an experimental spread that intends to sniff out the truth of the matter.

The premise behind it is that there is: 1) a popular perception of the truth; 2) an “overt” spin presenting what the “fact-checkers” want us to believe; 3) a “covert” spin conveying what they are really after; 4) an objective version of what is actually going on. I’m not yet satisfied that the tarot will lend itself to this analysis, but I’m amenable to tinkering with the notion. The “reality” card that closes the reading is derived from the “essence” calculation that blends the numerical values of the other three cards to come up with a summary assessment in the form of a single “trump” card. I’m applying reversal to show whether the evidence being presented is transparent or more occluded in nature, suggesting that not all facts or falsehoods are created equal. My normal practice is to subtract the face value of any reversed cards when I calculate the “essence,” which allows the Fool to remain as zero and can also produce a reversed essence card.

Here is an example reading that looks at the current political turmoil in Washington, DC. I’m using the Thoth deck due to its ability to transcend the prosaic narrative offered by RWS-based decks (although in this case I think there is reasonable consistency between the two).

Two of Disks (“Change”) reversed: The common view is that the practical outlook is uncertain, although something is sure to change for better or worse.

Eight of Cups (“Indolence”): The “overt” spin is an alarmist prediction of “doom-and-gloom.” The inferred risk is for an economic slowdown precipitated by the shaky 2 of Disks.

Five of Wands (“Strife”) reversed: The “covert” spin suggests that the real goal is accelerated destabilization.

Magus: The reality of the matter is that “finesse” will carry the day in the form of nimble maneuvering that will stay one step ahead of the naysayers. (The calculation was “8-7=1.”) It looks like the conjurer will “find his footing” after the imbalance implied by the reversed 2 of Disks.

Conclusion: It appears that this method of deduction holds promise, but I will have to test it on more personal matters to be convinced.