AUTHOR'S NOTE: This essay is a reprise of more than one prior post, but I recently came across Alejandro Jodorowsky's extremely favorable assessment of the number 8 in its role as tarot symbolism and felt compelled to restate my case. While some esoteric thinkers consider the number 8 to be the ultimate "perfection" of the … Continue reading The Eights: Concentrated Fulfillment or Adaptation and Adjustment?
Pips
The Nines: One Foot Out the Door
AUTHOR'S NOTE: My metaphysical view of the cards of the Minor Arcana has long been steeped in the numerical symbolism of the Hermetic Tree of Life, seasoned with a little Pythagorean number theory. But it can be refreshing to consider other perspectives, and in this example I'm addressing the opinions of Alejandro Jodorowsky in The … Continue reading The Nines: One Foot Out the Door
The Suit of Swords As “Opportunity” – The Rest of the Story
I recently realized that I never completed my discussion of the Swords minor cards as conveying "opportunity" rather than always showing us their unpleasant side. My goal was to explore how we might handle these cards in a constructive way and not merely wind up suffering their "slings and arrows," whether outrageous or only irritating. … Continue reading The Suit of Swords As “Opportunity” – The Rest of the Story
The Ace of Cups as “Affirmation”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The following observations by Mme. Le Marchand in The Grand Etteilla regarding the Ace of Cups are unique in my experience of tarot literature (although they do bear a resemblance to the cartomancy I've studied). It's interesting stuff for speculation and perhaps for use. This Ace is described as "confirming the prediction of … Continue reading The Ace of Cups as “Affirmation”
Four as a “Closed Loop”System
"The security that arises from needs being met." This observation was presented in The Grand Etteilla regarding the nature of the 4 of Clubs (Wands). It equates the card with the process of "digestion" that succeeds the "generation" of the 3 of Clubs, but there is no mention of the "elimination" that must inevitably follow. … Continue reading Four as a “Closed Loop”System
The “Test of Strength” Developmental Insight Spread
As is probably obvious from my track record, I love to create spreads around cultural metaphors or analogies. This one is based on the "test of strength" games (aka "Strongman" or "High-Striker") that are popular at carnivals, in which the player uses a hammer to drive a metal striker up a vertical column with the … Continue reading The “Test of Strength” Developmental Insight Spread
A Utilitarian “Day-Trip” Event Planning Spread
While at a Maine beach yesterday I was thinking about how the tarot might be used for planning any kind of daily outing or event, covering circumstances such as weather, general comfort level, crowds and access (meaning "getting there and getting in"). It applies the 40 "elemental" minor cards and the astrological correspondences for the … Continue reading A Utilitarian “Day-Trip” Event Planning Spread
A Developmental “Reality-Check” Model
I consider the ten suit cards from Ace to Ten to show the developmental ideal for advancement of any conceivable situation. In order to do this we have to put a "good face" (or as good a face as possible) on all of them. This is easier to do with pip decks than with scenic … Continue reading A Developmental “Reality-Check” Model
Even and Odd Pips: Closed and Open Circuits
More useful insights from Paul Marteau's Tarot de Marseille book. I'm over half-way through it now and I'm not entirely sure I like his writing style; while his observations are generally coherent if a bit clinical, they tend to wander all over the spiritual, mental/emotional and material landscape without much disciplined organizational rigor other than … Continue reading Even and Odd Pips: Closed and Open Circuits
The Fives and Sevens: Transition and Improvement
In modern tarot practice, the Fives and Sevens are generally interpreted as difficult cards. But Paul Marteau, writing about the Tarot de Marseille in 1949, gave me a different perspective. It became apparent as I read his book that Marteau was heavily influenced by the numerological thinking of fellow Frenchman Joseph Maxwell in the latter's … Continue reading The Fives and Sevens: Transition and Improvement
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 