There is a reasonable assumption that, due to its layered symbolism, any card in a tarot deck can mean almost anything within its broadly-construed conceptual range when encountered in a reading. This elasticity of context is limited only by the diviner's resourcefulness in "connecting the dots," and it could be argued that, in the interest … Continue reading Weasel This!
General Tarot
No Fortune-Telling Here . . . Well, Not Much
It's fashionable these days for people who write about the tarot to say "The cards don't predict the future." My response to that is "Well, of course they don't, they never did." They are nothing but tools, evocative visual aids that serve as pointers for the diviner in helping the seeker explore the potential consequences … Continue reading No Fortune-Telling Here . . . Well, Not Much
The Arrow and the Song
All images copyright U.S. Games Systems, Inc, Stamford, CT I haven't done one of these in a while, but recently I was performing a decision-making spread and the 8 of Wands came up as the "resolution" card in one of the decision chains; I judged it as reflecting an open-ended (inconclusive) outcome and was strongly … Continue reading The Arrow and the Song
First Things First: Preliminary Courtesies
"We're all here just to have a little fun Fred'll play the fiddle, now we'll begun" (from "The Corn Won't Grow So Rock-and-Roll" by Goose Creek Symphony) Most face-to-face tarot readers have certain protocols and courtesies they go through between the time a sitter "sits" and the moment the diviner "starts the clock" on the … Continue reading First Things First: Preliminary Courtesies
Down with the Synonym! – Variations on a Theme
Writers who care about originality love the synonym. It lets us repeat the same idea (sometimes ad nauseum) without seeming overly redundant or hackneyed. You may have noticed that I try not to use the word "shows" to describe the import of the cards in a reading more than once in the same piece of … Continue reading Down with the Synonym! – Variations on a Theme
Pseudoscience: Mystics vs. Statistics
Tarot of Dreams by Ciro Marchetti Once in a while, as I mine public information sources like Wikipedia, I bump into the term "pseudoscience" used to describe the esoteric arts, and especially astrology. Even in supposedly unbiased academic circles, the implication of this epithet is that what we do is invalid or "fake" and … Continue reading Pseudoscience: Mystics vs. Statistics
Hazardous to Your Wealth?
Today I was thinking that, with the inordinate number of tarot decks being purchased as a result of the pandemic lock-down, it might be appropriate to have a "Surgeon General's Warning" on the boxes, something like "Warning! Excessive consumption of this type of product can be hazardous to your wealth." I've pretty much immunized myself … Continue reading Hazardous to Your Wealth?
“Oh, the Shame . . . “
I had a novel experience yesterday. I was bounced from a Facebook group for being too forthcoming with my knowledge. I won't name it, but it's a very popular tarot students' site. The convenient excuse was that I was promoting my divination business, but I never did. The real reason was that I didn't fit … Continue reading “Oh, the Shame . . . “
Card-Learning Tricks: “Sensory Complexion”
The title is a misnomer. There are no "tricks" or reliable shortcuts for instantly absorbing and retaining the gist of the 78 cards of the tarot, but there are some convenient alternatives to memorizing reams of keyword text. This fanciful method was brought to my attention yesterday, and I thought I would elaborate on the … Continue reading Card-Learning Tricks: “Sensory Complexion”
“You Do You”
I was looking up the phrase "You do you" for this post on self-reading and found that its origin may be older than we think, although I believe the emphasis here was on the "do" and not the "you" in this antique usage; "Do enjoy yourself" was the intent and the comma was only to … Continue reading “You Do You”
