AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Pythagorean and Qabalistic systems of occult numeration that I use in my metaphysical work were formed around the first nine "whole" numbers or integers, One through Nine, while Ten was an outgrowth of their progressive development. (Zero represents an absence of quantity and Ten is the first "complex" multi-digit number that the … Continue reading Degrees of Balance: Unitary and Binary Numbers in Tarot Reading
Numerology
The Trump-Card “Playbook” – An In-Depth Look at Counterparts
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A number of tarot writers have explored the concept of "numerological counterparts" for the Major Arcana. Here I will examine their ideas and expand them to include the Minor Arcana and the court cards in instances where a direct numerical correlation exists or where arithmetic manipulation reveals similarities. Phillip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm did … Continue reading The Trump-Card “Playbook” – An In-Depth Look at Counterparts
A “Close Encounter” Triskelion Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is a concise spread that is aimed at exploring the general characteristics, consequences and dynamics of a new human contact or other opportunity that has recently entered (or is about to enter) the seeker's life. (If it addresses a situation rather than a specific individual, those attributes will reflect the querent's own … Continue reading A “Close Encounter” Triskelion Spread
Small Steps: The Wise Man’s Journey Through the Minor Arcana
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Since the rise of the Jungian approach to tarot during the early days of the "New Age" era, a sea of literary ink (both physical and digital) has been spent on explanation of the "Fool's Journey" as it applies to the Major Arcana. Here I'm proposing a similar concept for the Minor Arcana. … Continue reading Small Steps: The Wise Man’s Journey Through the Minor Arcana
The 5 of Wands: Strife, Striving or “Sham” Battle?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here I'm departing briefly from my usual two-pronged comparison of a Thoth card to the Golden Dawn's original meaning by interjecting a few observations about the Waite-Smith version. Although Aleister Crowley conformed to the Order's description of "Lord of Strife" in his own title of "Strife" for the 5 of Wands, somewhere in … Continue reading The 5 of Wands: Strife, Striving or “Sham” Battle?
The Aces as “Seed-State”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In Tarot Architect, Lon Milo DuQuette describes the Ace of Wands as the "Seed of Will" that carries the blueprint for purposeful action. I decided to extend this concept into the rest of the Aces. The Ace of Cups suggests the "Seed of Compassion;" the Ace of Swords the "Seed of Insight;" and … Continue reading The Aces as “Seed-State”
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
“Passing Through Zero:” Transcending the Victim Archetype (A Tarot Spread)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As an astrologer I've long been familiar with the "victim mentality" as revealed in the natal horoscope. (I once called it the "doormat syndrome" exemplified by the Virgo-Pisces axis: people who become accustomed to being walked on.) Now I see that it has been elevated to the status of an "archetype" and decided … Continue reading “Passing Through Zero:” Transcending the Victim Archetype (A Tarot Spread)
“Absence of Strain” – Managing Esoteric Correspondences
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In The Discarded Image (a seemingly bottomless source of inspiration for this blog), C.S. Lewis describes the insertion of astrological principles into Medieval literature and architecture as, in the best cases, being "woven into the plot," while in the less salutary examples the addition amounts to an "overload of philosophy." These observations offer … Continue reading “Absence of Strain” – Managing Esoteric Correspondences
The Virtue of Numbers: Contrast vs Polarity
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Esoteric number theory is an important part of divination with the tarot cards. Aleister Crowley wrote in the Book of Thoth: "Ultimate reality is best described by numbers and their interplay." Since revealing objective truth through subjective engagement with the cards is one of the main goals of serious prognostication, number associations will … Continue reading The Virtue of Numbers: Contrast vs Polarity
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 