Here is a kind of "trial balloon" floating some of the ideas I've been talking about in my most recent posts. The image in the Conver 7 of Coins suggests a trellis bearing ripe fruit, some of which have fallen (or are in the act of falling) to the ground. It shows the harvest at … Continue reading A Tarot de Marseille Thumbnail: 7 of Coins
Experimental Methods
“It’s Alive!”
Aleister Crowley went to some trouble in The Book of Thoth to characterize the cards of the tarot as living beings. Much like Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein (who was rewarded after a fashion when his creature began making "yummy sounds" in the basement), I've been on a similar quest to coax heart-and-soul out of … Continue reading “It’s Alive!”
The “Crossroads of Opportunity” Spread
Whenever inspiration for my next post fails me, I turn to creation of a new spread. This one plays off my fascination with inserting unknown qualities (in this case, face-down cards) into my layouts, the implications of which are revealed through certain selective operations. Other than that feature, this is a fairly standard multi-path decision-making … Continue reading The “Crossroads of Opportunity” Spread
Over Under Sideways Down
In 1966, the English rock band The Yardbirds released the song that was the inspiration for the title of this post. The image it conveys reminds me strongly of something I picked up from the Enrique Enriquez documentary, "Tarology," regarding the structural patterns that are evident in the "pip" cards of the Tarot de Marseille. … Continue reading Over Under Sideways Down
Who Killed Stacey? – A “Whodunit” Rogue’s Gallery Reading
On Mother's Day in 2009, 41-year-old Stacey Burns of Wolfboro, NH was found stabbed to death in her bed; nobody has ever been charged with the crime, although the investigation is still active. I have a special tarot spread for these circumstances, the "Whodunit Rogue's Gallery Spread," and decided to put this case through it … Continue reading Who Killed Stacey? – A “Whodunit” Rogue’s Gallery Reading
Straight, No Chaser: A Project-Management Reading
The old-time whisky drinkers in the crowd will get the hint in my title: taking things "straight" in this situation could be a harsh dram to swallow. We have a landscaping project pending at our new home that was stalled last year because of the early onset of winter. Although our grounds are now dry … Continue reading Straight, No Chaser: A Project-Management Reading
Stiff-necked Scholars, Attend!
Although it's an over-simplification of the truth, I can easily pass for a card-carrying member of the "Stiff-necked Scholars' League" of Lenormand practitioners: I value the historical basis of this cartomantic system above all else, and take a dim view of too much imaginative tinkering with its customary methods. (On the other hand, is there … Continue reading Stiff-necked Scholars, Attend!
What Happened to Adam? – A Missing Person Reading
UPDATE: Adam Camarato was found deceased on the shore of Great Bay in Newington, NH after a three-week search. There was no further information about the cause of death, other than he seemed to be "slightly intoxicated" in surveillance videos the night of his disappearance. No toxicology results had been published as of October 3, … Continue reading What Happened to Adam? – A Missing Person Reading
The Double Jeopardy Rite-of-Passage Spread
Just when it looked like I wasn't going to post today, I've come up with another new spread. We're all familiar with the phrase "you're your own worst enemy," but in this "Age of Empowerment" we don't see it trotted out very often in tarot practice. My impression is that in this particular paradigm it's … Continue reading The Double Jeopardy Rite-of-Passage Spread
“Unto the Breach” Problem-Solving Spread
Most personal-problem scenarios reach a point where things "come to a boil;" we have gained some momentum toward resolution but the opposition is entrenched, so a pitched battle ensues (even if the conflict is only within our own psyche). Some kind of "breach" has to be found (or made) in the wall of resistance that … Continue reading “Unto the Breach” Problem-Solving Spread
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 