AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just discovered a quote by an unnamed "Bacon" (it's unclear whether the writer meant Roger or Francis, but my money would be on the latter, who was a consummate linguist) that speaks loudly to my long-held opinion that the scenic (and often "folkloric") minor cards of the Waite-Smith tarot do no justice … Continue reading Bringing Home the Bacon!
General Tarot
“Spirits of Another Sort”
"But we are spirits of another sort." - Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream AUTHOR'S NOTE: The modern fascination with "noble spirits" willing to ally with humans in our quest for self-awareness seems to owe a good deal to Shakespeare's fanciful treatment of the subject, disregarding the uncharitable attitude often attributed to "faery-folk" who have … Continue reading “Spirits of Another Sort”
“You Have No Power Over Me” – Benefic and Malefic Tarot Cards
AUTHOR'S NOTE: My title comes from the final exchange between Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) and the Goblin King (David Bowie) in the fantasy movie The Labyrinth, in which she informs him that she is no longer susceptible to his wiles. But the inspiration for what follows comes from The Discarded Image by C.S. Lewis (who knew … Continue reading “You Have No Power Over Me” – Benefic and Malefic Tarot Cards
Under the Moon
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As a "lunar" person born on a Full Moon I've always felt its pull, and this month is no exception. Although I was inspired in beginning this essay by my reading of Medieval cultural history, as I was writing it I was at least subconsciously aware that the Moon will be full tomorrow. … Continue reading Under the Moon
Therapeutic Tarot: Counseling or Healing?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I recently came across a debate in the online tarot community that argued whether a tarot reading should be used as a form of therapy that, instead of seeking an answer to a specific question, can "work through and heal the anxiety underlying why the question is being asked in the first place." … Continue reading Therapeutic Tarot: Counseling or Healing?
Fudging, Hedging and Guessing: Random Thoughts on Timing
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Timing the occurrence of specific events or the arrival of predicted circumstances with the tarot cards is a perennial source of discussion (and frustration) in the online tarot community. Responses usually run the gamut from the traditional suit-based approach that transitions from Wands (very soon) at one end to Pentacles (very much later) … Continue reading Fudging, Hedging and Guessing: Random Thoughts on Timing
“Prohibited, Occulted and Scorned” – Individuation vs Institutionalization
"The occulting of ideas, especially those that empower individuation and spirituality as opposed to ideas which offer institutionalization and religiosity, has been taking place since . . . around the first century."- From The Tao of Thoth by Ethan Indigo Smith AUTHOR'S NOTE: I try to get in half-an-hour of metaphysical reading every morning while … Continue reading “Prohibited, Occulted and Scorned” – Individuation vs Institutionalization
Days of Future Present
AUTHOR'S NOTE: For my header I've borrowed and adapted the title from the old Moody Blues prog-rock album Days of Future Passed to acknowledge that many tarot readers believe the cards can only speak effectively to present conditions and not to future occurrences. I might even hint at the Jethro Tull lyrics "It was a … Continue reading Days of Future Present
Tarot Reading as Truthful Fiction
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've just encountered the "five species of dream" derived from the Oneirocritica of 3rd-Century (CE) Graeco-Roman soothsayer (professional dream interpreter) Artemidorus, whose work was admired by Sigmund Freud. I've listed them below, but only the first three are germane to this essay. Veridical Kinds (Coinciding with reality)Somnium: Truths veiled in allegorical fiction.Visio: Direct, … Continue reading Tarot Reading as Truthful Fiction
No Man’s Land: Thoughts on the Astral Plane
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've been reading about the work of Chalcidius, the 4th-Century CE Christian translator and commentator on Plato's Timaeus who, along with his 12th-Century interpreter, French theologian Alain de Lille (Alanus ab Insulis), subscribed to Plato's "Principle of the Triad" in concluding that God does not engage directly with Man, but solely through invisible … Continue reading No Man’s Land: Thoughts on the Astral Plane
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 