AUTHOR'S NOTE: In a recent post titled "Most Tarot Readings Stop Too Soon," tarot author Paul Hughes-Barlow observed that, at its most basic, a tarot reading approximates a "lookup table:" Pull a card, look up the meaning, make the interpretation. He concluded by saying that "It works, but only in the same sense that a … Continue reading Tarot Reading Beyond the Lookup
Month: July 2026
Intuitive Divination as “Auto-Suggestion”
Auto-suggestion: "A psychological technique where an individual consciously or unconsciously influences their own attitudes, behaviors, or physical states through repeated self-instruction or mental affirmations." (Wikipedia) AUTHOR'S NOTE: When I first picked up the tarot in 1972, reading the cards was primarily an expression of esoteric principles applied in a mystical way, and about as far … Continue reading Intuitive Divination as “Auto-Suggestion”
Intuition: The Literal Diviner’s Trusty Sidekick
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In a recent r/tarot sub-reddit thread there was unexpected consensus among experienced diviners that intuition works in concert with knowledge and experience but is not superior to them. It has been my opinion for a long time that all three are vital to successful divination, and I'm used to seeing it dismissed by … Continue reading Intuition: The Literal Diviner’s Trusty Sidekick
“One Ringy-Dingy” – A Tarot “Patch-Through” Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Those who (like me) are "older than dirt" will remember Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In with Lily Tomlin as "Ernestine" the telephone switchboard operator and her iconic line "One ringy-dingy, two ringy-dingy" as she patched a call through and waited for the receiving party to pick-up. In this spread I've used the "patch-cord" motif … Continue reading “One Ringy-Dingy” – A Tarot “Patch-Through” Spread
The Fortune-Teller As “Percipient”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While reading Dr. Dean Radin's book on yoga (Supernormal) I added a new word to my divination vocabulary: percipient. The specific reference was to scientific experiments conducted by Princeton University in which the subjects who were tested for precognition were called "percipients" (those who perceive the future). Even when it isn't deliberately fraudulent, … Continue reading The Fortune-Teller As “Percipient”
Supplemental Notation: The Hierarchy of Upright and Reversed Orientation in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While debating the subject of reversed cards in an r/tarot sub-reddit thread, I arrived at what I consider to be my final position on the subject. I didn't realize how sharply divided the community is on whether or not the reading of upside-down cards in a tarot spread is necessary. The skeptics like … Continue reading Supplemental Notation: The Hierarchy of Upright and Reversed Orientation in Tarot Reading
The Practical Mystic: Intelligence and Imagination in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Some time ago I added a sub-category titled "Practical Mysticism" to the "Categories" drop-down menu on the sidebar. This feature was inspired by my reading of Lon Milo DuQuette's Tarot Architect and it was solidified by the observations of Dr. Dean Radin in Real Magic. I've written extensively in the past on the … Continue reading The Practical Mystic: Intelligence and Imagination in Tarot Reading
The Conditional Future: A “Retrocausation” Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In his book Real Magic, Dean Radin introduced me to the idea of "time running backward" and its corollary, "retrocausation," in which the future reaches back into the present and shapes current circumstances to align with its long-range outlook. I covered this in my previous essay "Predisposition in Tarot Reading," and here I'm … Continue reading The Conditional Future: A “Retrocausation” Spread
Tarot As Blunt Instrument
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm presently immersed in the study of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras as explained by parapsychologist Dean Radin in his book Supernormal, which I'm relating to my practice of divination in a series of essays. One of the first things that impressed me was that - without resorting to complex magical rituals or metaphysical "props" … Continue reading Tarot As Blunt Instrument
A “Week Ahead” Forecast: Active and Passive Days
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I seldom perform single-card daily draws but they do have a place in the seven-card weekly reading to show how the period might trend. Here I've added the idea of "active" and "passive" days that adjust the energy level delivered by the cards. This is another mixed-media spread that employs tarot cards and … Continue reading A “Week Ahead” Forecast: Active and Passive Days
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 