AUTHOR'S NOTE: In the Golden Dawn's system of elemental correspondences for the suits of the tarot, Swords are assigned to Air, suggesting admirable fluidity, flexibility and agility. This despite the fact that, as A.E. Waite observed in his Pictorial Key to the Tarot, the Swords "generally are not symbolic of beneficent forces in human affairs" … Continue reading The Unpredictable Swords: Mental Agility or Mental Chaos?
Golden Dawn
Cut to Fit: Existential Advice in Four Elemental “Flavors”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: One problem with tarot spreads based on the four classical elements of Fire, Water, Air and Earth is that there is often a significant qualitative mismatch between the elemental position meanings and the nature of the cards that land in those positions, requiring vigorous mental gymnastics on the part of the reader to … Continue reading Cut to Fit: Existential Advice in Four Elemental “Flavors”
Tension and Release in the Chaldean Counterparts for the Minor Arcana
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm constantly seeking innovative ways to extract more interpretive value from the set of esoteric correspondences devised by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn for the Minor Arcana of the tarot. Here is my latest attempt. In musical composition and performance there is the concept of "tension and release" by which the … Continue reading Tension and Release in the Chaldean Counterparts for the Minor Arcana
The Two and Nine of Cups: Love or Wishful Thinking
"Oh, we're half way thereOh-oh, livin' on a prayer"- from Livin' on a Prayer by Jon Bon Jovi AUTHOR'S NOTE: Tarot readers and their clients are usually delighted when the 2 of Cups appears in a prediction about romantic matters. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn titled this card "Lord of Love," and it … Continue reading The Two and Nine of Cups: Love or Wishful Thinking
A Matter of Symbolism
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Not so long ago (before purely psychic free-association became fashionable among "pop-tarot" practitioners), tarot reading was a matter of deciphering complex images to come up with a narrative that was assumed to explain mundane conditions. The diviner's art lay in the translation of decidedly arcane symbolism into more commonplace language for the purpose … Continue reading A Matter of Symbolism
“Waitin’ on Judgement Day” – Thoughts on Legacy
"It's just ol' Luke, and Luke's waitin' on the Judgement Day"- from The Weight by The Band For my 400th consecutive daily post and 2,407th entry in the last eight years, I decided to briefly ponder the subject of "legacy." I realize that in this era of "New Tarot" revisionism such considerations are felt to … Continue reading “Waitin’ on Judgement Day” – Thoughts on Legacy
The Sixes: Pathways of Progress
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In Dawn Jackson's "Hedgewytchery" system of playing-card divination, one general keyword for the number Six is "paths," which ideally means "a way forward" and not merely the avoidance of stagnation by retracing one's steps or traveling in circles. But this progressive advancement should really be considered in light of the following sequence of … Continue reading The Sixes: Pathways of Progress
Over-interpretation: Looking for Trouble in All the Wrong Places
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I admit to being more than a little skeptical of the "empowerment" (aka "cheerleading") mode of divination and of unbridled optimism in general, which is why I seldom take anything I see in a spread at face value. I'm always looking for the "rest of the story" (in talk-radio host Paul Harvey's memorable … Continue reading Over-interpretation: Looking for Trouble in All the Wrong Places
“Business and Enterprise” Cards in Lenormand Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the fourth in my series of posts that examine the informal (and highly non-traditional/unofficial/controversial) correlation of the Lenormand cards to the 12 signs and 36 decanates of the astrological zodiac. This time I'm looking at business and enterprise aspects reflected in the sign of Capricorn and its "native" 10th House, in … Continue reading “Business and Enterprise” Cards in Lenormand Reading
“Personal Advantage” Cards in Lenormand Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the third essay in my series that attempts to align groups of seemingly related Lenormand cards with the 12 signs and 36 decans of astrology. Not all of them are a perfect fit, but I think most work to some extent. One of the challenges I faced was how to integrate … Continue reading “Personal Advantage” Cards in Lenormand Reading
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 