AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is an elegant spread that offers three possible paths to resolution: the left-hand path of intuitive insight, the right-hand path of rational judgment, and the central or "ideal" path that blends the two into a perfectly coordinated "middle way" between them. All three pass through a central "lens" (Key #2) that represents … Continue reading The “Hourglass of Opportunity” Three-Way Spread
Problem-solving Spreads
Aspiring to Perfection: Mining a Metaphor
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As part of my exploration of esoteric syncretism, here I'm paraphrasing a quote from Benebell Wen's I Ching, The Oracle: A Practical Guide to the Book of Changes to make it more relevant to tarot reading. The quote relates to invoking the "Mysterious Lady of the Nine Heavens" as a metaphor to aid … Continue reading Aspiring to Perfection: Mining a Metaphor
Interstitial Tarot Reading: “Piercing the Veil”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In a non-tarot-related Medium post I came across the word "interstitial" (a term that describes the transitional space connecting two related objects or ideas, much like a short hallway linking adjacent rooms). It brought to mind my previous comments about having to rely too heavily on intuitive guesswork in order to bridge the … Continue reading Interstitial Tarot Reading: “Piercing the Veil”
Trump-Card Functionality: A Learning Exercise
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is a two-part learning exercise with a dual purpose - to study individual cards that have been giving us trouble during interpretation, and to examine their effects in combination with other cards as a way to better understand their practical functionality. This essay is a couple of months old and the narrative … Continue reading Trump-Card Functionality: A Learning Exercise
The I Ching Cards and the “Big Party”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although I normally use Chinese coins for my I Ching predictions, I've had Anthony Clark's delightful I Ching Pack (now out-of-print) for many years and seldom work with it. I'm on the verge of buying Benebell Wen's new I Ching translation and thought I would give the deck a workout. (Note that I … Continue reading The I Ching Cards and the “Big Party”
The “Do/Don’t Do” Problem-Solving Spread (with “Bottom Line”)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Tarot spreads frequently include positions for "Do This" and "Don't Do That." Here is a problem-solving spread that expands on that premise by offering two paths, one involving active disposition of situational factors in five areas and the other suggesting either inaction or a more passive stance in those aspects of the matter. … Continue reading The “Do/Don’t Do” Problem-Solving Spread (with “Bottom Line”)
The “Philosopher’s Scorecard” Problem-Solving Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Any armchair philosopher and cerebral cartomancer who has ever encountered a complex problem-solving scenario has most likely waffled between the various ways to tackle the solution: emotionally, intellectually or intuitively. Rather than just throwing down a series of cards and reading them, the diviner tries to finesse the situation by "what-iffing" it to … Continue reading The “Philosopher’s Scorecard” Problem-Solving Spread
A Lenormand “Whodunnit” Tableau & Example Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Those who have been following this blog know that I have an abiding interest in criminal "cold-case" readings. I normally use horary astrology and tarot for this purpose, but here I'm exploring an interesting way to apply the Lenormand cards. The first thing I did was locate all of the cards that could … Continue reading A Lenormand “Whodunnit” Tableau & Example Reading
The “Devil’s Due” Square-and-Cross Conflict Resolution Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is a conflict-resolution spread designed around the 3x3 "mini-tableau" of the Lenormand system, although I've altered the flow of the reading slightly. It can be used with any deck, but when working with Lenormand I would substitute the materialistic "Bear" (Card #15) for the equally materialistic "Devil" (Card #15) of the tarot … Continue reading The “Devil’s Due” Square-and-Cross Conflict Resolution Spread
“Crisis at the Crossroads” – A Problem-Solving Spread
This spread uses elemental affinity and reversal to arrive at one of three possible outcomes for problem resolution: "Accept and Support;" "Try Everything" or "Do Nothing." In each case it creates a five-card reading with the "Crossroads" card as the "turning point" in the matter. Shuffle the deck to allow for reversals.
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 