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!
General Tarot
Cards of Finality: The Stigma of “Endings”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was just reading about cards that convey "endings" of various kinds: the 3 and 5 of Swords (sorrowful and acrimonious, respectively); 10 of Swords (demoralizing); Death (inevitable); the Tower (sudden); and the 5 of Cups (miserable), among others of less-potent stringency. To that group I would add Judgement because there is no … Continue reading Cards of Finality: The Stigma of “Endings”
The “Pattern Reader” Prevails!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I approach the end of my re-reading of Paul Fenton-Smith's Tarot Master-Class, I came across his view of the four types of professional tarot reader: the Mystic who endeavors to channel guidance from a spiritual source; the Nurturer who "just wants to help" and the Pattern-Reader who adopts a more deductive style … Continue reading The “Pattern Reader” Prevails!
“Say What?” – Probing the Gap Between Reading and Reality
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In his book Tarot Master-Class, Paul Fenton-Smith discussed situations where clients dispute the accuracy of a reading as it applies to their own understanding of personal reality. He recommended probing more deeply into the querent's past via dialogue since there may be insights the individual's subconscious did not divulge during its interaction with … Continue reading “Say What?” – Probing the Gap Between Reading and Reality
“Was It the Right Question?” – Incompatible Cards in a Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm indebted once again to Paul Fenton-Smith for bringing another intriguing topic to my attention in his comprehensive book, Tarot Master-Class. It happens more often than seems reasonable, especially if we assume that our attempts at divination are guided toward the truth: the cards in a spread will fail to come together in … Continue reading “Was It the Right Question?” – Incompatible Cards in a Reading
Shifting Gears: The Multi-Phase Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: From the day I first encountered it in 1972, I've followed Eden Gray's suggestion that we can disregard asking sitters (those who "sit" for a tarot reading) to tell us their specific question or concern prior to divining for them. I tell them to silently concentrate on what they want to know while … Continue reading Shifting Gears: The Multi-Phase Reading
Cresting the Wave: A Case for Odd-Numbered Lines
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When it comes to designing line spreads for tarot reading, I typically employ an even number of cards only in situations that require a choice between two options, or when invoking the four classical elements represented by the suits. One thing I learned from Lenormand reading is that an odd-numbered line will always … Continue reading Cresting the Wave: A Case for Odd-Numbered Lines
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
“He’s Gone to Plaid!”- The Danger of Over-Analyzing
"They've gone to plaid!" - Barf (John Candy) to Lone Star (Bill Pullman) as Spaceballs One overshoots their interstellar Winnebago in Mel Brook's Star Wars parody, Spaceballs. AUTHOR'S NOTE: An author I'm presently re-reading holds the opinion that sticking with one or two definitions for a tarot card is "lazy" when a wide range of … Continue reading “He’s Gone to Plaid!”- The Danger of Over-Analyzing
A Tarot Conversation with Myself
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This one is just for fun! (Well, maybe there's an uncomfortable truth or two and a little sarcasm mixed in with the merriment . . . )Me the Inquisitor: "Why do you read the tarot cards?"Me the Mad Scientist: "I want to get under the skin of objective reality and see what makes … Continue reading A Tarot Conversation with Myself
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 