*Bump: To nudge; to prod; to goad; to incite; to spur, to urge; to provoke; to propel; to exhort (as in a persuasive appeal to follow a course of action).

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Here is another take-away from my ongoing reading of Joe Monteleone’s Tarot Mysticism: The Psycho-Spiritual Technology of the Thoth Tarot.

I’m convinced that intuitive, freestyle tarot readers who also identify as psychic and who begin their sessions with no narrative frame-of-reference beyond simply knowing the question are at a distinct disadvantage compared to more literal-minded diviners. The well-rounded practitioner combines intellectual rigor with spiritual sensitivity, and uses well-designed spreads that establish logical limits (both external boundaries and internal structure) for the scenario being examined. This is the “method” that reins in the “madness” of entirely ad-hoc storytelling.

Tarology founder Enrique Enriquez once said that reading the tarot cards is an “irrational” act. On the face of it that would seem to be true because the images are cunningly impressionistic rather than forthright in their import and thus favor transcendent discernment. But by contemplating the core meaning of each card pulled and scrutinizing its present contribution with a critical eye toward how it furthers the answer in concert with its similarly-unpacked companions, a sensible portrait of the situation should emerge from this undivided attention.

In his 1933 book, The Tarot, French author Joseph Maxwell observed that “An individual being exists, as it were on several planes simultaneously . . . the subconscious is actively interleaved with the astral levels (and) the mental and intellectual processes, emanating from the intelligence, link themselves in a living web to the spiritual levels.” The thoroughgoing, attention-driven approach I’m recommending here increases depth and breadth of insight via the interlaced tiers and planes of meaning it offers).

This highlights the sometimes uneasy relationship between Mercury and Venus in metaphysical pursuits. The rational testimony of the former clothes the instinctual sentimentality of the latter in thought, elevating coherent ideas over ineffable feelings. Where the romanticized vision of Venus can be difficult to bring to bear on the pragmatic aspects of the matter at hand except as an atmospheric backdrop, the meticulous observations of Mercury edge toward the concrete and more readily serve up actionable advice. For those who want something more specific than a “feel-good” glimpse into their future, Mercurial analysis is usually the ticket.

One area where precision is particularly critical is the “health” reading, during which the forecast must walk a fine line between explicit medical diagnoses and vague anecdotal opinions aimed at general well-being. The goal is to avoid legal liability while still furnishing useful and meaningful information. While many readers prefer to stay well away from this “slippery slope,” there is a way to tackle it with minimal risk and few consequences.

Not long ago I began an essay that proposed using a cerebral (or “head-based”) rather than a mystical (or “heart-based”) mode of inquiry when answering health-related questions. I scrapped it because it became too personal in its examples, but here I will attempt to salvage the more impersonal content.

When I returned to professional tarot practice in 2011 as a shameless fortune-teller and no longer the psycho-spiritual theoretician I once was, I found it necessary to back away from the “starry-eyed” speculation that, while esoterically and philosophically intriguing, had not borne much fruit in practical terms over the previous 40 years. I set out to do action-and-event-oriented predictions that seek utilitarian answers while shunning psychological profiling and mind-reading with the cards.

Shortly thereafter I encountered a three-pronged divinatory admonition that struck me as both overstated and overwrought: “Thou shalt not perform medical, financial or legal predictions for fear of malpractice litigation.” The warning is legitimate but applying it too strictly amounts to “throwing the baby out with the bathwater.”

I see no reason why we can’t give a concerned client a heads-up regarding any hints or “signs” of potential health-maintenance issues that bear watching. As long as we stop short of trying to identify and diagnose symptoms (which few readers are qualified to do), I would think such cautionary counsel would be appreciated even if nothing comes of it other than heightened attention and awareness. A while back I created a “well-being” spread aimed at doing just that.

“All Well and Good, But . . .”