AUTHOR'S NOTE: On one of the astrological sub-reddits, a member recently asked how it can be right for different house systems to yield inconsistent chart structures and planetary placements but still manage to "resonate" with our life circumstances even though there is little commonality in the competing definitions. This fluidity of horoscope factors doesn't seem … Continue reading Modern Astrology and the “Pick-a-Chart” Quandary
General Astrology
“In Angles They Will Pursue Thee” – Angles Speak Louder Than Curves
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just came across the following quote (attributed to The Emerald Tablets of Thoth by Taoist author Ethan Indigo Smith) that brought me back to the subject of predictive vs psychological (or humanistic) astrology. "Know ye, the hounds of the Barrier move only through angles and never through curves of space. Only by … Continue reading “In Angles They Will Pursue Thee” – Angles Speak Louder Than Curves
Circular Numerology and the Revolving Tarot
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A large percentage of everything that goes on in our environment is cyclical rather than linear in nature (although some cycles like the 25,800 year "wobble" of the Earth's axis are so long that it's difficult to observe their periodicity). The alternation of day and night and the turning of the seasons are … Continue reading Circular Numerology and the Revolving Tarot
“Reeking of Self-Confidence” – An Astro-Tarot Reflection
AUTHOR'S NOTE: There is a question I've been chewing on for more than 30 years, and with the aid of divination I think I'm getting close to an answer. One day back in the '80s, a co-worker walked up to me with an enigmatic smile and said "You know, you reek of self-confidence." I laughed … Continue reading “Reeking of Self-Confidence” – An Astro-Tarot Reflection
Convergence Between Tarot, Lenormand and Horary Astrology
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Whenever I'm confronting a major decision or a significant occurrence in my life or the lives of my clients, I find it useful to perform both a tarot (or Lenormand) reading and a horary astrology event chart. I'm looking for convergence in their testimony, particularly in the status and placement of critical features, … Continue reading Convergence Between Tarot, Lenormand and Horary Astrology
That Devil Moon – “Flying Under the Radar”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The unforeseen ways by which syncretic alignment between ideas can enter metaphysical thought are truly remarkable. Human beings are conceptual pattern-makers who are always trying to draw parallels where no obvious convergence exists, and the subtle arts are no exception. I've acquired many fortuitous insights for presentation in this blog while engaging in … Continue reading That Devil Moon – “Flying Under the Radar”
Planetary Energies and the Tarot: Seven Daily Meditations
AUTHORS NOTE: The seven days of the week all have a planet associated with them, and there are seven "planetary" trump cards in the tarot. Both the planetary energy-of-the-day and the related trump card create an environmental theme or situational backdrop against which the events of the 24-hour period play out. Thirty-six of the Minor … Continue reading Planetary Energies and the Tarot: Seven Daily Meditations
Personalizing Taoist Cosmology: Natal Planets and the Five Agents of Change
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In a previous post I explored the Taoist "Five Agents of Change" (Wu Xing) as encompassed by the twin cycles of creation and destruction in the order Wood-Fire-Earth-Metal-Water. I decided to take the Minor Arcana cards associated with the five personal planets (Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus and Mars) of my natal horoscope and … Continue reading Personalizing Taoist Cosmology: Natal Planets and the Five Agents of Change
Connecting Sky and Earth
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In his book on the history of the occult tarot (The Esoteric Tarot: Ancient Sources Rediscovered in Hermeticism and Cabalah), Ronald Decker ventures into astrological symbolism as it may have appeared in some of the early decks. In his discussion of the traditional planetary deities he cites a passage from the magical tome … Continue reading Connecting Sky and Earth
Personalizing the Princesses
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In my previous essay on assigning tarot court cards to the Sun, Moon and Ascendant degrees of the natal horoscope, I promised to address how the multi-sign Princesses of the Golden Dawn and Aleister Crowley can brought into the same model. Here goes! It is a traditional assumption that each King has mastered … Continue reading Personalizing the Princesses
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 