There is a dark current running through the Minor Arcana (or scenic "pip") cards of the Waite-Smith deck that finds its most eloquent expression in the suits of Cups and Swords. I was encouraged by my daughter-in-law to examine Edgar Allan Poe's gloomy, elegiac poem The Raven for inclusion in my "poetry-as-trumps" project, and in doing so I couldn't … Continue reading The Raven and the Dark “Pip” Cards
Pips
Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Twos
The number Two represents the Line in Pythagorean number theory; it is the original Point "in extension," which in theory is infinite but in practice joins Point A to Point B. It cycles from one extreme to the other in an oscillating or reciprocal fashion that is symbolized by the swing of a pendulum, briefly … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Twos
Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Aces
There is a common assumption that the Aces represent a new beginning, the first step in any activity; but they more properly convey the urge to take that step rather than its execution. They carry the potential energy of a suit up to the point of "pulling the trigger" on its promise of action. In … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Aces
Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: An Overview
Any discussion of the Minor Arcana - or "pip" cards in traditional terms - must start with a discussion of numbers. Before there were tarot cards with illustrated scenes, the familiar "small" cards bore only suit emblems in the appropriate quantity, along with a few decorative details. These rather mute cards are still the bane of … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: An Overview
The “Bowling for Dollars” RWS Storyboard
This is the fourth and last of my "storyboard" studies of the RWS minor cards. The title comes from the old TV show "Bowling for Dollars" and plays off the bizarre impression created by the central image on the Ace of Pentacles. It is tempting to think of the suit of Pentacles (Coins or Disks in other decks) … Continue reading The “Bowling for Dollars” RWS Storyboard
The “Light and Shadow” RWS Storyboard
This is the third of my "storyboard" examinations of the Minor Arcana cards of the Waite-Smith (aka RWS) tarot. The suit of Swords is unquestionably the least encouraging of the set since any light it emits is muted and often fades into gloom, so the title of this post may be somewhat optimistic. Swords encompass the realm … Continue reading The “Light and Shadow” RWS Storyboard
Tarot Euphemisms: A Work-in-Progress
If you've been following my "RWS storyboard" posts and have read any of my example readings, you're already aware that I make extensive use of metaphor and analogy when interpreting the minor cards of the tarot, often bringing in shared cultural, social, historical and literary references. The Thoth tarot, my mainstay for many years, offered … Continue reading Tarot Euphemisms: A Work-in-Progress
The Sagittarian Conundrum
Sagittarius is described in the literature of astrology as a high-minded philosophical and religious sign (along with its associated 9th-House placement in the "natural" zodiac, although traditional astrologers tell us signs and houses have nothing to do with one another); it is the province of academics and clerics and the most abstract and "temperate" of … Continue reading The Sagittarian Conundrum
Tarot de Marseille: Built for Comfort, Not for Speed
"Some folk rip and roar, some folk b'lieve in signs But if you want me, you got to take your time Because I'm built for comfort, I ain't built for speed" Built for Comfort (Willie Dixon/Howling Wolf) There is something (well, actually 40 "somethings") about the Tarot de Marseill that eludes a facile approach to … Continue reading Tarot de Marseille: Built for Comfort, Not for Speed
“Easy Come, Easy Go”
I'm not exactly "at war" with the narrative thrust of the Minor Arcana in the Waite-Smith (aka RWS) deck, but it often doesn't sit well with me because of my lengthy involvement with the Thoth deck and the Golden Dawn's system of esoteric symbolism. It's not just that the stories they tell are prosaic, they … Continue reading “Easy Come, Easy Go”
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 