Recently I joined several more Facebook pages and subreddit feeds related to the tarot, divination in general, occult principles and practices, the Thoth deck, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the Kabbalah/ Qabala/Cabala (both orthodox and esoteric). I'm still sorting out which ones are of value and which of them I will let … Continue reading An Expanding Universe
General Divination
“Personal Favorite” Predictive Methods
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Not long ago I answered an online question about how I would rank my favorite methods of divination. This required me to step back and re-examine where I've been going with prognostication over the last fifty-odd years. Tarot: Reading the tarot cards is the "fortune-telling" practice I've been pursuing the longest (since 1972) … Continue reading “Personal Favorite” Predictive Methods
Left or Right? Polarity in Divination
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Moving on from my recent essay about the observer's proper orientation to the left and right pillars of the Qabalistic Tree of Life, I set out to explore the significance of the left and right sides in divination. In Western mystical circles, the passive left side is often referred to as the receptive, … Continue reading Left or Right? Polarity in Divination
A Worthy Outlet?
One thing to which any blogger pays at least casual attention is daily site traffic. In my own case I haven't monetized this blog so I'm not hanging on every minuscule fraction of a penny that changes hands over my contribution to the community. But, although I have slightly more than 300 followers now (a … Continue reading A Worthy Outlet?
Divination or Fortune-Telling: A Matter of Degree, Not Pedigree
These days I fancy myself an ordinary "fortune-teller" rather than a starry-eyed purveyor of the psychological and spiritual insights that I've concluded are not particularly worthwhile pursuits for the tarot when compared to the robust capabilities of natal astrology. But I also agree with Alejandro Jodorowsky that a tarot reading - although it may be … Continue reading Divination or Fortune-Telling: A Matter of Degree, Not Pedigree
Legal Liability and the Risk of Error
From time to time a sensational news article appears about a fortune-telling scammer who has bilked a naive client out of a considerable sum of money by proposing to free them of an imaginary curse. Some US States have laws that restrict the practice of divination to "entertainment" status, which makes it clear that no … Continue reading Legal Liability and the Risk of Error
The Case for a Firm Foundation
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've written in the past about the advantages and disadvantages of using secondary factors (numbers, elements, astrological correspondences, etc.) when reading tarot cards. But the more I see and hear of the current pop-culture "buzz" surrounding the practice of tarot, the more I think that applying such nuances of thoughtful study and contemplation … Continue reading The Case for a Firm Foundation
Portents, Predictions and Probability
While vacationing at a beach in Florida and needing something to take my mind (and my eyes) off the abundant evidence that this vulgar age of conspicuous consumption has had an adverse impact on the semi-clad human physique (present company included; thankfully there are no ocean-side mirrors), I decided to dip back into the writing … Continue reading Portents, Predictions and Probability
The Diviner’s Duty
Although I frequently encounter the sentiment in online discussions, nowhere have I read that it is the solemn duty of a diviner to make a querent "feel good" about the outcome of a reading. Empowered? Hopefully. "Forewarned and forearmed?" Whenever warranted. Enlightened? Absolutely. But not necessarily cheered or encouraged by the prospects described in the … Continue reading The Diviner’s Duty
Reckoning the Rewards: Divination in Review
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've acknowledged before that I don't consider myself much of a psychic, although every form of divination certainly involves some level of mystical perception in its skill-set. (If it didn't, we would call it "science.") Here I'm going to examine and to some extent rank my own experience with the practices I've used … Continue reading Reckoning the Rewards: Divination in Review
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 