AUTHOR NOTE: I was answering a question on one of the occult forums regarding what kind of magic I've found most effective, and I came up with the following response. Although I haven't performed any ritual magic since the mid-1980s, I realized that I now pursue what might be called "purposeful divination" as a form … Continue reading Purposeful Divination
Mixed-Media Spreads
General Life-Reading As “Logic Puzzle”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's a common practice, when a client arrives for a reading with no specific question or topic of interest in mind, for the reader to offer a "general life-reading" that explores the environmental theme or tone of the period for which it is performed. Some argue that this type of prediction is of … Continue reading General Life-Reading As “Logic Puzzle”
“One Ringy-Dingy” – A Tarot “Patch-Through” Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Those who (like me) are "older than dirt" will remember Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In with Lily Tomlin as "Ernestine" the telephone switchboard operator and her iconic line "One ringy-dingy, two ringy-dingy" as she patched a call through and waited for the receiving party to pick-up. In this spread I've used the "patch-cord" motif … Continue reading “One Ringy-Dingy” – A Tarot “Patch-Through” Spread
A “Week Ahead” Forecast: Active and Passive Days
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I seldom perform single-card daily draws but they do have a place in the seven-card weekly reading to show how the period might trend. Here I've added the idea of "active" and "passive" days that adjust the energy level delivered by the cards. This is another mixed-media spread that employs tarot cards and … Continue reading A “Week Ahead” Forecast: Active and Passive Days
A Timing Prediction with Tarot, Dominoes and Pendulum
AUTHOR'S NOTE: An acquaintance of mine who is pregnant and due to deliver on or about July 30 asked me to do a reading to predict whether the baby will arrive on-time. I decided to pose the question three ways: will the event occur within one week, two weeks or three weeks on either side … Continue reading A Timing Prediction with Tarot, Dominoes and Pendulum
“Spirits Passing By” – A Random Spirit-Contact Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've written in the past about using the tarot to approach the Astral Plane for the purpose of contacting disembodied spirits, usually deceased relatives. I mentioned that we may not get the party we're after (dear departed Uncle Joe or Aunt Mary may not be near the portal at the time) so we … Continue reading “Spirits Passing By” – A Random Spirit-Contact Spread
The “Spiritual Tribunal” Astral Contact Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: All of the spirit-contact methods I'm aware of assume that we're going to encounter precisely the entity we're seeking (ancestor, god-form, elemental figure, spirit guide, etc.) whenever we ask. But I've never been convinced that disembodied beings are lurking at the threshold of the Astral Plane, just waiting for us to reach out, … Continue reading The “Spiritual Tribunal” Astral Contact Spread
Missing in Plain Sight? – A Local-Area “Search Envelope”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: What's to be done when one wakes up at 2:00 AM and can't get back to sleep? I don't know about you, but I think about tarot. Here's my latest insomnia-fueled spread. I normally use horary astrology when I'm helping someone look for a lost item, or when I'm examining a missing-person case, … Continue reading Missing in Plain Sight? – A Local-Area “Search Envelope”
The “Full House” – A 78-Card Tarot Tableau and Readings
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In my previous post about 78-card tarot arrays I hinted that I might come up with a new spread based on that premise. Here it is, and there are two suggested ways to use it that will identify a subset of cards for the actual reading. (Obviously, I don't advise attempting this sprawling … Continue reading The “Full House” – A 78-Card Tarot Tableau and Readings
The “Mystical Month” and the “Practical Month” – A Two-Stage New Moon Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I prepared to do my monthly New Moon reading at the end of February, I decided to separate it into two complementary halves: a "mystical" path reflected in tarot cards and a "practical" trajectory defined by Lenormand cards. The tarot cards are intended to provide a subliminal or psychic impression of the … Continue reading The “Mystical Month” and the “Practical Month” – A Two-Stage New Moon Reading
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 