AUTHOR'S NOTE: Self-styled "tarot debunkers" are convinced that those who book readings from professional diviners are only looking for substantiation that some outcome they covet will actually occur. In the naysayers' opinion, these obsessed seekers don't really care about the truth unless it agrees with their preconceptions, which they hope will result in a self-fulfilling … Continue reading Eyes Wide Open: A Meditation on “Confirmation Bias”
General Divination
Too Much “Woo” and Not Enough to “Shew” for It
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Another rant, just when you thought it was safe to come out. This has been in the queue for a while and I debated whether to post it because it could burn another bridge or two between me and those who might have had an interest in following my work. But that work … Continue reading Too Much “Woo” and Not Enough to “Shew” for It
General Life-Reading: A Convenient Fallback
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I often see consternation brewing among tarot neophytes over the fact that, although they want to "get serious" when it comes to divination with the cards, they are unsure how to proceed because they have no pressing questions to ask. Following is a summary of ways to offset that shortcoming through a "general … Continue reading General Life-Reading: A Convenient Fallback
Divination: What Is It Good For?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Don't ask Edwin Starr (even if he is deceased), he'll just tell you "Absolutely nothing, uh huh." In a recent post on using tarot in a business setting, I likened a card reading to a "metaphysical process-control audit" that looks beyond the physical dimensions of a client company and into its less tangible … Continue reading Divination: What Is It Good For?
Tarot Reading for Businesses: A Conceptual Overview
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Not long ago a new acquaintance, upon hearing that I read tarot cards, asked whether I do readings for business-related questions. I responded that I have yet to do so in a professional capacity but I certainly could, and I have in fact created quite a few experimental spreads for just that purpose. … Continue reading Tarot Reading for Businesses: A Conceptual Overview
The Case for Esoteric Syncretism
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In The Book of Thoth, Aleister Crowley went to great lengths (15 pages) to relate a number of primitive cultural rites to his understanding of the Fool, with much of his inspiration coming from Sir James George Frazer's anthropological tome, The Golden Bough. This conceptual melding is known as syncretism, and as one … Continue reading The Case for Esoteric Syncretism
“Scrying Into” the Tarot Cards: An Alternative to Intuition
AUTHOR'S NOTE: "Scrying in the spirit vision" is an occult practice involving out-of-body exploration (or, if you prefer, "astral travel") that is more focused and directed than the spontaneous act of intuitive discernment commonly used in divination. (Classically, one visualizes and enters the "body of light," projecting it onto the Astral Plane and moving about … Continue reading “Scrying Into” the Tarot Cards: An Alternative to Intuition
2,001: A Tarot Odyssey
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The adventure of the title began in 2017 when I started this blog and reached a zenith with post #2,000 at the conclusion of my "tarot alchemy" series two days ago. Yesterday, post #2,001 - although little different from the 242 consecutive daily essays that preceded it - opened what I intend to … Continue reading 2,001: A Tarot Odyssey
Words and Pictures
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I believe I've found the perfect aphorism to describe the art of tarot reading. It was in a 1989 short story by science-fiction writer Bruce Sterling, of all places. According to a quote in the story, "underground" (an old cultural buzzword) cartoonist R. Crumb (he of Fritz the Cat fame although you may … Continue reading Words and Pictures
Quantity or Quality? (The Blogger’s Challenge)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've decided that it's time for a recap. For the past 224 days I've written a brief essay every morning on a range of topics related to divination, typically three or four paragraphs in length but more recently running from five to eight paragraphs. At least within the narrow range of my chosen … Continue reading Quantity or Quality? (The Blogger’s Challenge)
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 