I had a near-term timing question that I thought would be a perfect opportunity for testing this spread. A couple of weeks ago I submitted an article to the publisher of The Cartomancer quarterly journal for possible publication. (This wasn't a "shot in the dark" since I've had several articles published there already). She got … Continue reading An Example Reading with the “Destiny’s Dartboard” Timing Spread
Experimental Methods
Crossing the Line
There is mixed opinion in the tarot community about whether it's necessary for a reader (at least in a face-to-face setting) to know exactly what a sitter wants before attempting a reading. Some ask the sitter to tell them the specific question, others want to know as little as possible in advance. My early tarot … Continue reading Crossing the Line
The “Destiny’s Dartboard” Event Timing Spread
The first thing almost every sitter wants to know from a reading is whether something will happen. But right on the heels of that objective is usually an anxious "If so, when?" The timing of a projected event is one of the thorniest questions facing any diviner, and numerous attempts have been made by spread … Continue reading The “Destiny’s Dartboard” Event Timing Spread
An Example Reading with the Personalized Astrological Spread
I performed a reading with the personalized astrological spread I described in my last post. The question was "How will our planned cross-State household relocation go this Summer?" I used the Thoth deck for the house/sign template and the Liber T, Tarot of Stars Eternal as the reading deck. My Significator, the Knight of Cups, … Continue reading An Example Reading with the Personalized Astrological Spread
Personalizing the Astrological Spread
An interesting question came up on Saturday while I was giving a presentation on the Golden Dawn's Opening of the Key spread. It's been said that, due to its extreme complexity (and, I might add, its redundancy), the members of the Order almost never did all five operations of the OotK, contenting themselves with the … Continue reading Personalizing the Astrological Spread
Company in the Cross-hairs: A SWOT Road-map
The subject of "SWOT" analysis (Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats) comes up fairly often on the tarot forums, usually in the context of personal circumstances rather than the corporate affairs for which it was originally intended. I can see the appeal, but I think it's a bit mechanistic for that purpose and have created many SWOT alternative spreads that … Continue reading Company in the Cross-hairs: A SWOT Road-map
Win, Lose or Punt?
To punt (Informal): To cease doing something; give up. ("Let's punt on this and try something else.") Predicting the scores for opposing teams in sporting events is a fascinating minor sidelight to our more ponderous cartomantic excursions, and - at least in my experience - one that seldom yields accurate results. I've come to believe … Continue reading Win, Lose or Punt?
The “Devil Made Me Do It” Moral Dilemma Spread
Every once in a while we all face a moral dilemma. They don't have to be life-changing issues (unless they snowball, of course), they can be little things. Do I tell that white lie to save someone's feelings or do I tell the plain truth and let the chips fall where they may? The basic … Continue reading The “Devil Made Me Do It” Moral Dilemma Spread
Casting Lots
There are many forms of divination I know little about, but I'm constantly trying to educate myself. One such practice is lithomancy (the art of casting stones), for which these is very little published literature. One of the best resources I've found is this one by Gary Wimmer. http://garywimmer.com/writer/litho_book.htm Although Gary uses stones thrown onto … Continue reading Casting Lots
A Study in Facing, Part 3: Pip Cards
The Minor Arcana, or "pip" cards, of the RWS deck are by far the most diverse population from a directional standpoint, since there are more cards that I would classify as "ambiguous." This includes cards with posture/gaze misalignment and cards with multiple figures that give no clear sense of facing or "visual flow." There are … Continue reading A Study in Facing, Part 3: Pip Cards
