AUTHOR'S NOTE: The keyword meanings given in tarot books are typically objective in that they can apply to a wide range of conditions, and it's up to the diviner to tailor them to a sitter's subjective circumstances. When analytical tarot readers (i.e. those who value the traditional knowledge presented in established definitions) begin to assess … Continue reading Objective and Subjective Significance in Tarot Cards
General Tarot
Occult Knowledge: What’s the Use?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have a few less-meaty essays in my backlog of pending posts. This is one, and I will publish the others over the next couple of days. A fellow member of the r/occult sub-reddit community recently asked a particularly vexing question: "What do you people even do with occult knowledge?" This individual was … Continue reading Occult Knowledge: What’s the Use?
Tarot Reading Beyond the Lookup
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In a recent post titled "Most Tarot Readings Stop Too Soon," tarot author Paul Hughes-Barlow observed that, at its most basic, a tarot reading approximates a "lookup table:" Pull a card, look up the meaning, make the interpretation. He concluded by saying that "It works, but only in the same sense that a … Continue reading Tarot Reading Beyond the Lookup
Intuitive Divination as “Auto-Suggestion”
Auto-suggestion: "A psychological technique where an individual consciously or unconsciously influences their own attitudes, behaviors, or physical states through repeated self-instruction or mental affirmations." (Wikipedia) AUTHOR'S NOTE: When I first picked up the tarot in 1972, reading the cards was primarily an expression of esoteric principles applied in a mystical way, and about as far … Continue reading Intuitive Divination as “Auto-Suggestion”
Intuition: The Literal Diviner’s Trusty Sidekick
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In a recent r/tarot sub-reddit thread there was unexpected consensus among experienced diviners that intuition works in concert with knowledge and experience but is not superior to them. It has been my opinion for a long time that all three are vital to successful divination, and I'm used to seeing it dismissed by … Continue reading Intuition: The Literal Diviner’s Trusty Sidekick
The Fortune-Teller As “Percipient”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While reading Dr. Dean Radin's book on yoga (Supernormal) I added a new word to my divination vocabulary: percipient. The specific reference was to scientific experiments conducted by Princeton University in which the subjects who were tested for precognition were called "percipients" (those who perceive the future). Even when it isn't deliberately fraudulent, … Continue reading The Fortune-Teller As “Percipient”
Supplemental Notation: The Hierarchy of Upright and Reversed Orientation in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While debating the subject of reversed cards in an r/tarot sub-reddit thread, I arrived at what I consider to be my final position on the subject. I didn't realize how sharply divided the community is on whether or not the reading of upside-down cards in a tarot spread is necessary. The skeptics like … Continue reading Supplemental Notation: The Hierarchy of Upright and Reversed Orientation in Tarot Reading
The Practical Mystic: Intelligence and Imagination in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Some time ago I added a sub-category titled "Practical Mysticism" to the "Categories" drop-down menu on the sidebar. This feature was inspired by my reading of Lon Milo DuQuette's Tarot Architect and it was solidified by the observations of Dr. Dean Radin in Real Magic. I've written extensively in the past on the … Continue reading The Practical Mystic: Intelligence and Imagination in Tarot Reading
Tarot As Blunt Instrument
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm presently immersed in the study of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras as explained by parapsychologist Dean Radin in his book Supernormal, which I'm relating to my practice of divination in a series of essays. One of the first things that impressed me was that - without resorting to complex magical rituals or metaphysical "props" … Continue reading Tarot As Blunt Instrument
Seizing the Power of “Empowerment”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: "Empowerment" is one of the most common personal-growth buzzwords enlisted in the performance of divination. Nobody dares offer a prediction without at least mentioning it for fear of being branded a "fortune-teller." We nearly do back-flips trying to erase any hint of predestination from our readings (you know the shtick: the future isn't … Continue reading Seizing the Power of “Empowerment”
