AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've covered this topic in bits-and-pieces over a number of previous essays, but I want to take a more integrated look at it. I was inspired by Benebell Wen's observation in Holistic Tarot that the 2 of Swords "conceptualizes" the latent promise of the Ace of Swords by clothing it in the language … Continue reading From Ace to Four: Originating, Conceptualizing, Mobilizing and Manifesting
Esoteric Tarot
“The More, The Merrier . . .” or Maybe Not
AUTHOR'S NOTE: One of the more confounding events facing the less-experienced tarot reader is the appearance of numerous court cards in a spread, particularly if the novice is unsure whether they stand for other people involved in the matter; personal attitudes and behaviors that should either be adopted or avoided; or impersonal and universal forces … Continue reading “The More, The Merrier . . .” or Maybe Not
Wringing Out the Meaning at Three Levels
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The hierarchy of cards in a tarot reading is one feature that can be used in crafting a narrative, but it isn't always clear how they interrelate for that purpose since there can be a considerable gap in their perceived significance. The nature of an exalted trump card may have little or nothing … Continue reading Wringing Out the Meaning at Three Levels
The Suit of Swords: An Ill Wind
AUTHOR'S NOTE: "It's an ill wind that blows no good" is an old proverb that can be interpreted in one of two ways. The pessimist would say "It is indeed an ill wind because it blows no good," while the optimist would observe more provisionally "It would be an ill wind indeed if it were … Continue reading The Suit of Swords: An Ill Wind
The 3 of Swords: Another Person’s Pain
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As an esoteric tarot-reader, my aim is to get "under the skin" of the imagery on any card to see if there is more substance hiding beneath the surface of popular opinion. This is nowhere more appropriate than with the Waite-Smith 3 of Swords and its interpretation (I would say misapprehension) as emotional … Continue reading The 3 of Swords: Another Person’s Pain
“Opportunity Presented” – A Multi-Path Decision Making Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Upon reading Benebell Wen's observation in Holistic Tarot that each of the Aces symbolizes "an opportunity presented" (but not yet acted upon), I realized that this concept could be put to use in a decision-making spread with three distinct outcome chains depending on how the opportunity is handled. Card backs are from the … Continue reading “Opportunity Presented” – A Multi-Path Decision Making Spread
Point/Counterpoint: The Interplay of Cards in a Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Whenever the meaning of the "outcome" card in an online spread analysis is unclear, I expect to encounter advice from the community to "look at the rest of the cards in the reading for the answer." This is wise counsel since no single card operates in a vacuum when accompanied by one or … Continue reading Point/Counterpoint: The Interplay of Cards in a Reading
The Six of Cups: “Pleasure Promised” (b/w “Pleasure Denied”)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: For those unfamiliar with archaic music-industry jargon, "b/w" ("backed with") referred to the frequently inferior song on the reverse side of a 45-rpm record that stood in stark contrast to the "hit" on the front side. In this instance it is being applied to the reversed orientation of the card in question. Thoth … Continue reading The Six of Cups: “Pleasure Promised” (b/w “Pleasure Denied”)
A Reversed-Trump Triptych: the Devil, the Tower and Judgement
SUMMARY: I now have over twenty draft essays in my pre-publication queue, and my writing has been so prolific lately that I can't seem to whittle the population down, so I'm going to lump a few of them together when they share a theme. In this composite post the common topic is trump-card reversal shown … Continue reading A Reversed-Trump Triptych: the Devil, the Tower and Judgement
“Two Sides to Every Story” – An Explicit/Implicit Approach to Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: We're often told that "there are two sides to every story" and that we must understand both if we are to effectively defuse a controversy. In this light, although I'm not purposely focusing on conflict-resolution scenarios, I've created a new spread that examines the opposite faces of a situation, one overt or readily … Continue reading “Two Sides to Every Story” – An Explicit/Implicit Approach to Tarot Reading
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 