AUTHOR'S NOTE: Over the years I've formulated and applied my own style of reversed-card interpretation, and I finally concluded that inversion of the image doesn't materially alter the core meaning of the upright presentation, just redirects it in various subtle ways as detailed in my nearly two dozen previous essays on the subject. The required … Continue reading Reversal as “Underdeveloped Potential”
General Tarot
Metaphysical Entropy
AUTHOR'S NOTE: During a recent conversation in the online tarot community, the questionable accuracy of long-range forecasts came up for discussion. The idea of intervening variables was mentioned, those unexpected changes in circumstances that can render a prediction invalid before it fully matures. I made the following observations (slightly edited for this essay): The main … Continue reading Metaphysical Entropy
Irrelevance in Divination
AUTHOR'S NOTE: One of my unshakeable convictions about modern society is that there is nothing less relevant to my own life than the Hollywood actor, the professional sports figure and the online "influencer," all of whom seem to think that their social, cultural and political views matter. I rarely sit still to observe an entire … Continue reading Irrelevance in Divination
Status-Quo Cards (as in “Maintaining the . . . “)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In a recent post I mentioned that the Hierophant, due to his conventional and conservative appointment, can be viewed as an example of "maintaining the status quo." (I've also called it the "don't-rock-the-boat" card.) There are a number of other cards that convey a similar sentiment. Because the Major Arcana represent an archetypal … Continue reading Status-Quo Cards (as in “Maintaining the . . . “)
The “Thematic Threads” of the Major Arcana
AUTHOR'S NOTE: More insights from Tarot Reading Explained by James Ricklef. This essay is a rehash of several previous posts on the subject, but I think the common tendency of tarot readers to exaggerate the impact of trump cards in a reading bears further scrutiny, and I received reinforcement for this assumption from my re-reading … Continue reading The “Thematic Threads” of the Major Arcana
An “AI Reckoning”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In online discussion groups I frequently encounter ill-tempered sniping over whether specific written content is an original creation or whether it was assembled via internet "scraping" by generative AI. Because of my admittedly literate writing style, I've been waiting for the day when I'm accused of such derivative chicanery. To see where I … Continue reading An “AI Reckoning”
Illuminating the Path: A Hopeful Light in the Darkness or Dim Prospects Ahead?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Querents often sit for a tarot reading when they are completely in the dark about what to do next in their current situation. At its best a forecast will illuminate the path ahead and give the sitter something to shoot for in the way of self-directed effort. But all too often the vista … Continue reading Illuminating the Path: A Hopeful Light in the Darkness or Dim Prospects Ahead?
The “Tie-Breaker”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I still see far too many novice readers using tarot spreads with an even number of cards. Unless the focus is strictly on the four elements, the problem with this approach is that it will frequently contain two equal groups of cards of an opposing nature, fortunate on one side and unfortunate on … Continue reading The “Tie-Breaker”
Public Figures and Personal Privacy in Divination
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In his book Tarot Reading Explained, James Ricklef mentioned that, when he began practicing tarot divination on prominent public figures in support of his American Tarot Association column, he chose not to read about those who were still living, under the assumption that it would constitute an invasion of privacy and could result … Continue reading Public Figures and Personal Privacy in Divination
Parsing* the Three-Card Reading
*Parse: To analyze a complex set of information—such as a sentence, data, or code—by breaking it into smaller parts to understand its structure and meaning, or to process it, AUTHOR'S NOTE: Right off the top I should mention that the three-card reading finds little favor in my own work because there can be a glaring … Continue reading Parsing* the Three-Card Reading
