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!”
General Divination
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
“Playing It Safe” or “Coloring Outside the Lines:” A Tarot Reader’s Sketchbook
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When I was a kid, one of the earliest self-discipline challenges I faced was learning how to "color inside the lines" with my crayons and coloring-books. I eventually became a trained artist possessing the talent to draw my own outlines within which to paint, and I now see parallels in the narrative art … Continue reading “Playing It Safe” or “Coloring Outside the Lines:” A Tarot Reader’s Sketchbook
Reductionism as the Tarot Reader’s Duty
"Your goal as a reader is to clarify the client's situation, so reducing the possible meanings for each card on the table is a part of this process."- Paul Fenton-Smith in Tarot Master-Class AUTHOR'S NOTE: My belief has always been that the tarot cards are infinitely flexible and adaptable to any situation, given that each … Continue reading Reductionism as the Tarot Reader’s Duty
“Watching the Grass Grow” – Elemental Humours and Temperaments in Divination
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've always been fascinated by the vision of human personality portrayed by natal (aka "birth-chart") astrology, and to a lesser extent by the cards of the tarot. But in recent years I've left behind the highly-nuanced character profiling of "New Age" psychological astrology and evolved (some might say devolved) into the simpler techniques … Continue reading “Watching the Grass Grow” – Elemental Humours and Temperaments in Divination
Mistaking the “Medium” for the “Message”
AUTHOR'S NOTE. In his 1967 study The Medium Is The Message: An Inventory of Effects, Canadian communication theorist Marshall McLuhan proposed that the medium by which knowledge is transmitted can have an impact in shaping our understanding of the world that goes far beyond the information it conveys. A good case in point is the … Continue reading Mistaking the “Medium” for the “Message”
“The Shadow Knows” (aka “How Tarot Works”)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Shadow was a supernatural detective show that ran on AM radio in the United States from 1937 to 1954. In its early years it featured the distinctive voice of Orson Welles intoning at the beginning of each episode: "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" trailing … Continue reading “The Shadow Knows” (aka “How Tarot Works”)
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 