AUTHOR'S NOTE: There is a well-established marketing ploy that assumes "Sex sells, and everyone's buying!" In the tarot-reader's world, the sales model is more like "Love sells, and sex is along for the ride!" Most diviners have extensive experience with the "love" question, usually phrased as "When will I find it?" Some querents are actively … Continue reading Love, Sex . . . and Tarot
General Tarot
Tarot Architect: A Book Review
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When I buy a new tarot book after casually researching it, I trust that the contents will provide insights to inspire my own writing. Although it has its merits in that regard due to fostering a couple of my recent essays, Lon Milo DuQuette's Tarot Architect didn't quite measure up overall. Knowing DuQuette's … Continue reading Tarot Architect: A Book Review
The 9 of Wands: Why “Strength?”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've written about the 9 of Wands a couple of times before, usually in more detail. But I keep coming back to it because it's one of several Golden-Dawn-named cards that doesn't wear its title well. Aleister Crowley tried to fix most of them in his own way but - at least in … Continue reading The 9 of Wands: Why “Strength?”
Sagittarius: Distant Cousin of the Flame
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Among the Fire signs of the zodiac, the Sagittarius native can be a perennial "dabbler" while the other two are usually accomplished "doers." Aries sports the ruddy flush of Fire on its ample brow (I know a few who fit the description), and Leo wears the sentiment on its sleeve, but Sagittarius keeps … Continue reading Sagittarius: Distant Cousin of the Flame
“Downsizing” the Major Arcana in Mundane Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: All too often, the random appearance of a trump card in a tarot reading about a commonplace subject feels like a giant rock has been tossed into the middle of a placid pond when a drop of rain or two would have been sufficient to stir the water to a depth that churns … Continue reading “Downsizing” the Major Arcana in Mundane Tarot Reading
Elemental Colors: An Artist’s Perspective
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The four classical elements (Fire, Water, Air and Earth) were assigned an elaborate color scheme in four "Scales" formulated by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn using Qabalistic and magical principles, but a more fundamental arrangement going back to an earlier time asserted only that Fire is represented by Red, Water by … Continue reading Elemental Colors: An Artist’s Perspective
Spread Denial: A Curious Myopia
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just came across a critique in the online tarot community that belittled using structured tarot spreads because they "muzzle the message" that the cards are trying to deliver. I can only assume that this individual has not carefully considered (or has chosen to ignore) the many advantages of adopting a more coherent … Continue reading Spread Denial: A Curious Myopia
Mixed Elements Among the Minor Arcana: Recipes for Self-Realization
"The cosmic duty of the elements is to mix with each other in infinite combinations and proportions in order to knit manifest creation together."- Lon Milo DuQuette in Tarot Architect AUTHOR'S NOTE: This quote brought me back to my earlier essay about the four elements as "natural forces," an analysis that aligned with and expanded … Continue reading Mixed Elements Among the Minor Arcana: Recipes for Self-Realization
“Shaken or Stirred” – Synthesis vs. Precision in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm sure it's abundantly clear from my written work that I value the precise use of language. (Chalk it it up to being a former technical and legal writer in business.) This quest for accuracy spills over into the way I read the tarot cards, although I have to be vigilant in not … Continue reading “Shaken or Stirred” – Synthesis vs. Precision in Tarot Reading
Personalizing the Tarot
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I recently posted on the subject of creating a unique, hand-made tarot deck for independent study and practice, noting that someone (like me) who has accumulated several decades of esoteric experience with traditional decks probably won't benefit much from doing so. But that does not mean one shouldn't try to "personalize" the chosen … Continue reading Personalizing the Tarot
