I've been slowly and patiently working my way through Alejandro Jodorowsky's Tarot de Marseille book, The Way of Tarot (a full analysis of which will have to wait for another time, assuming I get to the end of it). I came to it prepared to be disappointed, convinced by previous reviews that it veers too … Continue reading Jodo’s Hermit: Walk this Way
Esoteric Tarot
Down to the Crossroads
American delta blues singers of the last century were literally "bedeviled" by the idea of a crossroads, where it was believed one could go to bargain with Old Scratch at midnight. Having finally come to terms with the intricacies of Temperance, I decided to turn my attention to its astrological counterpart, the Lovers, which I … Continue reading Down to the Crossroads
A Cold Case Continuation: Where Is Bethany?
As mentioned in my last post, here is the second half of the reading on the fate of Tina and Bethany Sinclair. In this spread, I was looking for a Page to come up as the Significator for the 15-year-old girl. The Page of Pentacles appeared as the very first card in the draw, which … Continue reading A Cold Case Continuation: Where Is Bethany?
A Cold Case Update: Where Is Tina?
In February, 2001, Tina Sinclair and her daughter Bethany disappeared from their home in West Chesterfield, NH under suspicious circumstances. Speculation was that they were victims of domestic violence but no evidence to that effect was ever substantiated. As this link shows, investigators are still actively searching for them. http://www.wmur.com/article/divers-search-near-dam-in-sinclair-investigation/5191159 I did a previous reading … Continue reading A Cold Case Update: Where Is Tina?
Where Is Curtis? – One Cold Case, Two Readings
I promised some of my followers an example reading with my new missing person spread, and since I had already laid out the cards for this cold case using my "Train to Nowhere" spread but haven't analyzed and posted it yet, I decided to do both readings for comparative purposes. This is the case of … Continue reading Where Is Curtis? – One Cold Case, Two Readings
The Thoth and the Liber T: A Deck Comparison
I've used the Thoth deck with the Liber T: Tarot of Stars Eternal in two-deck readings for some time, but it never occurred to me to size them up using my "Friend or Foe" deck comparison spread. The Liber T is an almost worshipful rendering of the Crowley/Harris Thoth - at least in the Major … Continue reading The Thoth and the Liber T: A Deck Comparison
The “Be All You Can Be” Archetype Alignment Spread
There was an old recruitment slogan used by the U.S. Army for over 20 years that went "Be All You Can Be." I poached this phrase to reflect aspiration to the universal human ideals captured in the first four numbered trump cards of the tarot as Fire (Emperor/Mars), Water (High Priestess/Moon), Air (Magician/Mercury) and Earth … Continue reading The “Be All You Can Be” Archetype Alignment Spread
The Stairway from Heaven
Much has been said about the lack of a coherent traditional system for interpreting the minor - or "pip" - cards of historical tarot decks (which, after all, were never intended for divination). The scenic minor cards of the Waite-Smith deck are basically an imaginative "work-around" designed to squeeze meaning out of these inscrutable icons … Continue reading The Stairway from Heaven
A Table of Mirrors
If you've read my previous posts on the subject of "mirror cards," you'll know what I'm up to here. Using the astrological assignments for the cards of the tarot developed by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, I've assembled a set of corresponding card pairs (astrologically derived counterparts) for the entire deck. In the … Continue reading A Table of Mirrors
A “Melting Pot” Example Reading
There has been some interest in seeing how this spread works in action, so I decided to do an example reading with it. The question involves a planned relocation to the other side of the State to be near family members, and one of the options we're considering is moving into a town that has … Continue reading A “Melting Pot” Example Reading