AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm not the first writer to use the term "tarotscope;" I've encountered it in various posts over the years. But here I'm applying it to a merger of horary astrology and tarot to come up with a monthly forecast that may well be unique. (I don't believe the hyphenated term in my title … Continue reading A Monthly “Astro-Tarotscope” – Harnessing Horary Astrology and Tarot Insights
Cultural & Social Commentary
Secular or Mystical: Alternate Paths in Divination
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I roam the internet seeking inspiration for my writing, I've become aware that the practice of divination has split into two camps, mainly along conceptual lines: one operates in the boundless realm of spontaneous conjecture while the other is more delimited in a focused and scrupulous way. There is a stark contrast … Continue reading Secular or Mystical: Alternate Paths in Divination
“Reeking of Self-Confidence” – An Astro-Tarot Reflection
AUTHOR'S NOTE: There is a question I've been chewing on for more than 30 years, and with the aid of divination I think I'm getting close to an answer. One day back in the '80s, a co-worker walked up to me with an enigmatic smile and said "You know, you reek of self-confidence." I laughed … Continue reading “Reeking of Self-Confidence” – An Astro-Tarot Reflection
The “Reasonable Man” Premise in Fortune-Telling
ANNOUNCEMENT: Post No. 2,200. Yay! AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm a former member of the r/seculartarot sub-reddit, where the term "fortune-telling" is a dirty word among the gatekeepers, who are Jung-besotted and staunchly anti-woo (for that, at least, I applaud them). But they are too enamored of their own pet theories to condone an intelligent dialogue about … Continue reading The “Reasonable Man” Premise in Fortune-Telling
Does It or Doesn’t It?
( . . . or to be less opaque, does "shit happen" randomly or not?) AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you gag on a bit of good-natured barnyard naughtiness, you can give this one a pass. But scratch the surface and you’ll find a substantial, divination-based discussion of fate versus causality. Those who tout the legitimacy of … Continue reading Does It or Doesn’t It?
The “Chinese Menu” Tarot Timing Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Recalling the raucous furor that attended the colloquial renaming of Covid-19 as "the Chinese flu" (in which many people chose to demean the source of the presumed gaffe and dismiss the mounting evidence), and the more recent rallying cry over "cultural appropriation," I might have felt some trepidation about the political correctness of … Continue reading The “Chinese Menu” Tarot Timing Spread
Sympathetic Magic: The Secular Side of Spellworking
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's fascinating how dreams can unearth old memories that are still germane to present conditions, figuratively "turning over rocks to see what crawls out from underneath." Last night in one such nocturnal interlude I was discussing with an unknown savant the assumption that object-oriented magic is best performed with "power items" that hold … Continue reading Sympathetic Magic: The Secular Side of Spellworking
Updated “Tarot Euphemisms” for the RWS Minor Arcana
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Several years ago I began collecting one-line "euphemisms" (imaginative circumlocutions) based on the cultural, social, historical and literary metaphors and analogies that I've come to use consistently with the Waite-Smith (and occasionally Thoth) minor cards when reading in public. Most of these are fanciful notions that popped into my head in the form … Continue reading Updated “Tarot Euphemisms” for the RWS Minor Arcana
Is the Fix In? – Prospects and Circumstances for Donald Trump’s Survival or Demise
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I almost never post twice in one day, but this is a timely subject that I wanted to get out there as soon as possible. Ever since Donald Trump was identified as the likely Republican candidate for the 2024 Presidential election, I've had concerns about a possible assassination attempt. Recent events have upgraded … Continue reading Is the Fix In? – Prospects and Circumstances for Donald Trump’s Survival or Demise
Shouting into the Void: Intuition vs. Analysis in Divination
AUTHOR'S NOTE: My themes seem to be getting more pugnacious lately. Don't take it to heart; I'm basically respectful of diverse theories, just not too tolerant of what I see as sheer metaphysical folly. I've long maintained that, while our physical senses bring us raw input, the cognitive faculties remain the only reliable tool we … Continue reading Shouting into the Void: Intuition vs. Analysis in Divination