AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I continue to create new tarot spreads, they have become increasingly complex because I've already explored most of the simpler approaches to spread design. An online friend recently commented that one of my efforts is "complicated but interesting." I replied "Life can be a 'can of worms' and tarot is the perfect … Continue reading The “Can of Worms” and the “Can-Opener”
Professional Tarot
Randomizing and Shuffling: “Generating White Noise” and “Creating Order Out of Chaos”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In previous posts I've mentioned in passing that the purpose of the shuffle is not to randomize the cards but rather to subconsciously arrange them in the proper order to tell the story. Judging from the responses I received (or more tellingly, didn't receive) nobody really "got" what I was trying to say. … Continue reading Randomizing and Shuffling: “Generating White Noise” and “Creating Order Out of Chaos”
A “Near-Term Breakout” Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is a spread that is intended for use when we feel becalmed or unmotivated and are looking for a definitive "breakout moment" sometime in the next month. You will need two decks for this spread, one for the fifteen "advice" cards in the top row and one for the "mode of action/inaction" … Continue reading A “Near-Term Breakout” Spread
“Rule from Within:” A Tarot Paradigm
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While pursuing my study of the I Ching, I encountered the concept of "rule from within" that exploits the inner strength by which the Mind and the Will exercise control over one's external circumstances like a general in the midst of his army. This idea presented a perfect opportunity to discuss the significance … Continue reading “Rule from Within:” A Tarot Paradigm
Tarot and Physical Appearance: “The Packaging vs. the Content”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: One of the least useful questions I've encountered in online discussion groups, after the ubiquitous "What does this person think or feel about me?" is "What will my future lover look like?" Probably because most of its later development occurred in Western Europe, traditional (that is, non-inclusive) tarot is notoriously poor at identifying … Continue reading Tarot and Physical Appearance: “The Packaging vs. the Content”
Grazing the Group-Chat Channels
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In August I will have been running this blog for seven years and will soon pass 2,100 divination-related posts. I try my best to throw a new twist into each of my daily essays but I catch myself repeating topics when I'm not mining a new metaphysical book that has captured my interest … Continue reading Grazing the Group-Chat Channels
Divination: What Is It Good For?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Don't ask Edwin Starr (even if he is deceased), he'll just tell you "Absolutely nothing, uh huh." In a recent post on using tarot in a business setting, I likened a card reading to a "metaphysical process-control audit" that looks beyond the physical dimensions of a client company and into its less tangible … Continue reading Divination: What Is It Good For?
The “Hourglass of Opportunity” Three-Way Spread
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
Off-Topic Tarot Readings: Crossing the Conceptual Divide
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here I'm tackling the evasive defense (OK, it's a convenient excuse) that is often trotted out to justify why tarot readings yield advice that seems valid while not even remotely addressing the question we asked: "They're responding to a different issue that may be more important but that wasn't recognized by the querent." … Continue reading Off-Topic Tarot Readings: Crossing the Conceptual Divide
“But Does It Work?”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: If dismay among junior members of the online tarot community is any indication, it's not uncommon for beginners to expect far more factual accuracy and predictive discernment from a tarot reading than it is reasonably able to deliver, causing many new readers to question its usefulness. Lack of observable success leads to disillusionment, … Continue reading “But Does It Work?”
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 