It goes without saying that belief in the validity of divination is key to being able to do it with conviction. But what, exactly, is the object of our faith? Does our certainty have to be unalloyed and unsalted with skepticism or is there room for healthy doubt? I often contemplate what it means to … Continue reading What We Believe
General Divination
Prediction, Projection and Confirmation Bias
What is divination anyway? The popular scientific view is that it is pure conjecture with no quantifiable basis; the religious opinion is that it is forbidden by scripture; for the average person it is primarily a subject of idle curiosity. Detractors have coined (or co-opted) the phrase "confirmation bias" (which seems to draw on the … Continue reading Prediction, Projection and Confirmation Bias
Divination As Self-Sabotage
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although I'm unimpressed by much that passes for tarot wisdom on the YouTube channels, I believe I've found a kindred spirit in "Balthazar" at the Balthazar's Conjure site (https://www.balthazarconjure.com/). While most of his recent output is focused on practical magic and related occult disciplines rather than exclusively on divination, his historical content is … Continue reading Divination As Self-Sabotage
Another Milestone
Just a brief aside before I finish the daily essay I started working on last night. Yesterday I finally passed 1,500 posts on this blog that I launched in August of 2017. I took the better part of a year off, so it seems I've come fairly close to my original goal of writing something … Continue reading Another Milestone
“Fundamental” vs. “Derived” Divination
AUTHOR'S NOTE: These are just random thoughts prompted by my reaction to what I see as imprecise terminology. Take them for what they're worth. Recently I came across the notion (touted somewhat brashly as "divination for a new millennium") that there are two main types of divinatory insight: an innate approach (often viewed by its … Continue reading “Fundamental” vs. “Derived” Divination
The Long Shadow of Jung
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In retrospect, I probably should have titled this essay "Saving Tarot from Psychology" as mentioned in the last paragraph, but I decided to let the original title stand as more representative of the overall thrust. More to the point, I already have an earlier essay with that title. I'm greatly amused (I used … Continue reading The Long Shadow of Jung
Tone vs. Substance: “Soft Focus” and the Art of Simplification
Sometimes (well, actually, more often than not) I think people just starting into the practice of tarot reading expect far too much from it in the way of precision. I was talking to a frustrated individual online who admitted to being extremely analytical and receiving little encouragement from the persistent lack of congruity between his … Continue reading Tone vs. Substance: “Soft Focus” and the Art of Simplification
Magic du Jour
I recently came across a discussion in the "r/occult" Reddit feed about something called "Gallery of Magic," which is apparently a series of books (reported by detractors to be dumbed-down grimoires full of angelic names in modern Hebrew) that purport to demystify (I would instead say "denature") ceremonial magic for today's instant-gratification crowd. As a … Continue reading Magic du Jour
“Co-divination” – Parallel Paths and Diminishing Returns
A common complaint of professional diviners is the persistent and occasionally aggressive client who asks the same question repeatedly, often without allowing the previous answer a decent chance to unfold, and expects a more agreeable outcome. The most annoying of these is the person who visits multiple readers with the same intent, and who isn't … Continue reading “Co-divination” – Parallel Paths and Diminishing Returns
What’s Up Next?
Having spent countless hours formatting my five e-books for publication. I'm at a loss where to take my daily posts next. Over the last five years I've said everything I want to say about the tarot (sometimes more than once, as I found out when compiling my essays). I'm thinking I will get back into … Continue reading What’s Up Next?
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 