AUTHOR'S NOTE: I recently plowed my way through a lengthy post on the r/Tarot sub-reddit in which the author discussed the true purpose of tarot reading, ending with the opinion that it's all about igniting the seeker's consciousness via an act of motivation. I like this focus much better than the typical goal of "empowerment," … Continue reading “Igniting Consciousness” – The Tarot Reader’s Mission
General Tarot
You Tell Me!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: One of the directives of the Golden Dawn's "Opening of the Key" (OotK) method and its five-step progression is to abandon the reading if the cards pulled fail to accurately identify the seeker's unspoken reason for pursuing the divination. This is the "tell the Querent why he has come" stipulation that must receive … Continue reading You Tell Me!
Vetting the Significator
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Over the past 15 year I've largely eliminated the use of a "significator" card to represent the client in my public readings after recognizing that it adds little or nothing to the story shown by the rest of the spread. But I've recently experienced an epiphany regarding the subject. When performing the initial … Continue reading Vetting the Significator
Tarot Signals: Symbolic vs. Visionary Impressionism
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here I've set out to examine the differences between the two main modes of tarot interpretation: objective (or descriptive, akin to the way Lenormand cards are read) and subjective (or suggestive, which displays a more intuitive or psychic bias). A couple of years ago I was approached by a prospective client who wanted … Continue reading Tarot Signals: Symbolic vs. Visionary Impressionism
“Ballpark” Tarot Timing: Finesse In Action
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've made several attempts to come up with a reliable method for timing future events with the tarot cards. So far, success has eluded me because every innovation has remained susceptible to producing irrational answers that don't accurately reflect the context of the question (e.g. short-turnaround situations too often receive grossly exaggerated long-term … Continue reading “Ballpark” Tarot Timing: Finesse In Action
Hidden Things
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While it's true that reversal can skew the reader's assumptions about any tarot card and convey impressions that diverge markedly from its upright meaning (even though my own opinion is that the appearance of deviation is largely in the eye of the beholder who can't shake off the visual disorientation), here I want … Continue reading Hidden Things
“Who’s On Third?”
"Who's on first, What's on second, I Don't Know is on third . . . "- from Who's On First? by Abbott and Costello AUTHOR'S NOTE: In online tarot discussions I often see novice readers asking for help with their efforts to guess the thoughts and feelings of an absent "third party" who is usually … Continue reading “Who’s On Third?”
Faking It in the Key of “T”
"Lovely bloke, but posing."- Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones commenting in 1986 on Elton John's lack of rock & roll authenticity. AUTHOR'S NOTE: In music there is what is known as a "fake book" that typically provides melody and chords but no written-out "parts" for each player. It is defined as "the minimal information … Continue reading Faking It in the Key of “T”
Wringing Out the Meaning at Three Levels
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The hierarchy of cards in a tarot reading is one feature that can be used in crafting a narrative, but it isn't always clear how they interrelate for that purpose since there can be a considerable gap in their perceived significance. The nature of an exalted trump card may have little or nothing … Continue reading Wringing Out the Meaning at Three Levels
The Realist Bids Farewell to the Romantic (or “Don’t Call Me, I’ll Call You”)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was recently cautioned against performing the kind of investigative tarot-reading that operates in the same algorithmic space as probabilistic number-crunching (specifically for odds-making in sports betting). The critic's presumptuous attitude was that I'm tarnishing my credentials as a diviner (which I assume means my standing as an enlightened mystic). I'm not so … Continue reading The Realist Bids Farewell to the Romantic (or “Don’t Call Me, I’ll Call You”)
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 