AUTHOR'S NOTE: The professional tarot community is understandably dismissive of the journeyman reader's reliance on memorized keywords as a shortcut to flesh out the bones of a rudimentary narrative. This is a perfunctory technique that I've called "Lego-Block® divination" in previous essays because it promotes the stacking-up of tailored snippets of language in the hope … Continue reading Outgrowing “Lego-Block” Tarot: When Rote Memorization Gives Way to Internalized Recall
General Divination
A New Year, A New Agenda
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's no secret that I've become thoroughly disenchanted with the populist pretensions of the online tarot community, to the point that I've decided to disengage from public conversation and return to private academic pursuits of a more esoteric nature. (I doubt the typical YouTube "talking head" will miss me or even notice.) I … Continue reading A New Year, A New Agenda
“Igniting Consciousness” – The Tarot Reader’s Mission
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I recently plowed my way through a lengthy post on the r/Tarot sub-reddit in which the author discussed the true purpose of tarot reading, ending with the opinion that it's all about igniting the seeker's consciousness via an act of motivation. I like this focus much better than the typical goal of "empowerment," … Continue reading “Igniting Consciousness” – The Tarot Reader’s Mission
The Realist Bids Farewell to the Romantic (or “Don’t Call Me, I’ll Call You”)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was recently cautioned against performing the kind of investigative tarot-reading that operates in the same algorithmic space as probabilistic number-crunching (specifically for odds-making in sports betting). The critic's presumptuous attitude was that I'm tarnishing my credentials as a diviner (which I assume means my standing as an enlightened mystic). I'm not so … Continue reading The Realist Bids Farewell to the Romantic (or “Don’t Call Me, I’ll Call You”)
The AI Assault on the Art of Divination
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I can't quite fathom why anyone would think that the intrusion of AI (artificial intelligence) technology into the art of divination is desirable. Regarding the entire phenomenon, we might well substitute "AI" for "America" in the old Funkadelic album title "America Eats Its Young." I'm disturbed (although I can't say shocked) by the … Continue reading The AI Assault on the Art of Divination
“Tell Me What’s Going to Happen, Percy!”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was just reading an online comment that stated in part "Tarot isn't meant to give you answers (about the future) per se . . . " I looked up the current definition of that phrase, which is "by or in itself; intrinsically." For the purpose of this essay I decided to transmute … Continue reading “Tell Me What’s Going to Happen, Percy!”
Digging Deeper: Creative Consulting vs. Counseling
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While all tarot reading for other people is advisory in nature, some professional diviners possess the psychoanalytical qualifications and credentials to counsel their clients in a therapeutic way, while those who don't should be careful to remain within the bounds of informal "consulting." I may bring decades of life experience, philosophical study and … Continue reading Digging Deeper: Creative Consulting vs. Counseling
The “Third-Party” Reading and the Boomerang Effect
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Arguably the most common question put to the tarot after "Does my ex want to come back to me?" is "What does Joe or Mary think or feel about me?" (A bit of wry humor there: inquiries about the mental state of a prospective love interest far exceed those exploring possible reconciliation with … Continue reading The “Third-Party” Reading and the Boomerang Effect
Sensible Divination – Oh, My Stars and Cards!
Those of a certain age will remember Bullwinkle Moose exclaiming "Oh, my stars and garters!" whenever something surprised him, and I certainly resemble that remark (chronologically if not semantically since a certain rude three-letter acronym now replaces such quaint language). AUTHOR'S NOTE: When I began my esoteric journey as an astrologer in 1970, I was … Continue reading Sensible Divination – Oh, My Stars and Cards!
Confessions of a Spread-Fiend: An Unfashionable Opinion
AUTHOR'S NOTE: There, I've said it again: I'm hooked on creating and using positional tarot spreads. Of course, those who believe tarot reading should be entirely open-ended and unstructured will never agree with me. Intuitive interpretation won't tolerate many strictures, but in my opinion it also doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in the dependability … Continue reading Confessions of a Spread-Fiend: An Unfashionable Opinion
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 