" . . . the relationship among letters, words and reality is potent, magical and central to human life." (Isabel Kliegman, in Tarot and the Tree of Life) The truth of this quote is apparent in the lives of those for whom the spoken word seems to be vital to their sense of self-identity beyond … Continue reading The Problem of Pronunciation
Cultural & Social Commentary
A State of Mundanity
It is now going on five years since we moved to our new home in a much more populous region of southeastern New Hampshire. Although we relocated mainly for proximity to family, we had high hopes that we would discover an active social and intellectual environment. Unfortunately that hasn't proved to be the case. While … Continue reading A State of Mundanity
The Fool and The Tower: “Flirtin’ with Disaster”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was listening to Molly Hatchet while on my treadmill this morning and the Fool and the Tower jumped right out of the headphones. Now I know what to think when I see the two close together in a reading: "playing with fire." The rest of the cards pretty much fell into place. … Continue reading The Fool and The Tower: “Flirtin’ with Disaster”
The Sixes as “Solar Centerpiece”
I recently reconnected with an idea I had forgotten about from my previous studies: adding together the integers of certain sets of three consecutive numbers from One to Nine (and, if necessary, refining the sum through "Theosophical reduction") will always yield the number Six. The same is true of the double-digit trump cards, and actually … Continue reading The Sixes as “Solar Centerpiece”
The Devil: Gateway to the Shadow
Alejandro Jodorowsky, in his decimal approach to the numbering of the Major Arcana (described in The Way of Tarot), notes that the "5" that is subsumed in "15," the number of the Devil, is connected as a "numerological counterpart" to the "5" of the Pope/Hierophant. Where the latter aspires to spiritual sublimation, the former seeks … Continue reading The Devil: Gateway to the Shadow
Nature vs. Nurture in Tarot Education
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I may not be the ideal person to comment on this subject since there were no local teachers or mentors back in 1972 when I began my tarot journey and since then I haven't needed any, so my awareness of what is available in the way of tarot education (outside of self-study via … Continue reading Nature vs. Nurture in Tarot Education
Universal Love: Magnetism, Gravity or Wishful Thinking
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Consider this the "curmudgeon's-eye-view" of the subject since, philosophically speaking, I find most exhortations of unconditional, universal love at the spiritual level to be debatable at best and improbable at worst. But don't take this too seriously (except the anti-religious part); my goal is as much sly humor as criticism. (For the record, … Continue reading Universal Love: Magnetism, Gravity or Wishful Thinking
A Measure of Self-Protection
With the current increase in litigation over the use of licensed Creative Commons material on public sites without proper citation, I thought it wise to state my monetization status for this blog. For those who don't read sidebar pages, I decided to bring this notice front-and-center on the main feed. If you like my writing … Continue reading A Measure of Self-Protection
A Matter of “Reach”
I'm constantly chiding my wife over the perfectly reasonable assumption that talking to someone is best performed face-to-face, not by shouting from two rooms away and expecting to be understood. (On the other hand, getting up and trotting over to her desk every five minutes is great exercise!) As I see it, this premise also … Continue reading A Matter of “Reach”
Necessity, Convenience or Just Plain Ignorance?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The "curmudgeon" has entered the building! "Snowflakes" should find the exit A few years ago, not too long after the fateful day when character limits were imposed on messaging by Twitter, I began to observe what seemed like a steep decline in the grammatical proficiency of English-language users. Punctuation appeared to have gone … Continue reading Necessity, Convenience or Just Plain Ignorance?
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 