AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's acknowledged wisdom in the tarot community that any question posed solely for the purpose of discovering whether a hoped-for event will occur in the near future should be rephrased in the form of "What can I do to encourage the outcome I want?" This approach does away with the rigid "yes-or-no" structure … Continue reading Aligning with Circumstances: “What If I . . . ?” Rather Than “Will I, Can I, Should I . . . ?”
General Tarot
Integrating “Indigestible” Keywords: A Spread-Based Approach
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When it comes to developing a personalized set of meanings for the tarot cards to be used in divination, I've always advised beginners to follow the lead of the Lenormand system and choose only one or two key words or phrases to internalize for each card; apply those for a while in practice; … Continue reading Integrating “Indigestible” Keywords: A Spread-Based Approach
A “Royal Disconnect”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Any historian who writes about the development of cartomancy in the West will eventually have to deal with the fact that there are three "royal" or face cards - King, Queen and Jack - in a standard playing-card deck and four "court" cards - King, Queen, Knight and Valet or Knave - in … Continue reading A “Royal Disconnect”
An Inevitable Transition
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When I started this blog in the summer of 2017, I made it abundantly clear that I would be writing primarily for myself, not the public, and I would not monetize it, instead paying for the privilege of saying whatever I want to say on the subject of divination, which I - as … Continue reading An Inevitable Transition
A Planetary Astro-Tarot Heptad
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This mandala-style layout is another of my attempts to organize the tarot cards around the principles of astrology. I have no particular purpose in mind for its use, although it could be applied as a template on which to deal random cards and then look for convergence between their symbolism and the planetary … Continue reading A Planetary Astro-Tarot Heptad
Anecdotal vs. Empirical: The Rational Diviner’s Dilemma
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was recently engaged in an online conversation with an avowed skeptic who wants to delve into the occult but can't overcome the perception that there is no objective evidence of its legitimacy, while also acknowledging that he hasn't actually made an attempt to prove otherwise to his own satisfaction. This was my … Continue reading Anecdotal vs. Empirical: The Rational Diviner’s Dilemma
Divination: A Step Away from Ceremonial Magic
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As a longtime student and practitioner of the esoteric arts, I progressed through several years of close contact with ceremonial magic back in the 1980s. This was a natural outgrowth of my investigation of the Hermetic Qabalah and the literature of its chief proponents that began in 1971, particularly addressing the contributions of … Continue reading Divination: A Step Away from Ceremonial Magic
The Mystical Tide: Rising or Falling?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Between the ages of 18 and 30, I lived through the 12-year period that saw the hippie zeitgeist reach its brief zenith and then fade. It was a heady time of boundless "New Age" enthusiasm for all things exotic in the realm of metaphysics, as well as the burgeoning of unique psychological and … Continue reading The Mystical Tide: Rising or Falling?
Rethinking My Online Business Model
AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the last nine years I've keep my charges for online tarot, Lenormand and horary astrology readings roughly in line with my face-to-face sessions, even though it takes quite a bit longer to write everything down in a report than it does to deliver it orally across a table. I even tried raising … Continue reading Rethinking My Online Business Model
Numerical Rectification of the Minor Arcana
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Even when divining with tarot decks that include scenic or semi-scenic Minor Arcana (specifically the Waite-Smith, the Thoth and their numerous clones), I'm prone to rely on suit-and-number theory for much of my improvisational content. When interpreting the cards, I pay little attention to the images after I've identified their presence in a … Continue reading Numerical Rectification of the Minor Arcana
