AUTHOR'S NOTE: In his book Tarot Master-Class, Paul Fenton-Smith discussed situations where clients dispute the accuracy of a reading as it applies to their own understanding of personal reality. He recommended probing more deeply into the querent's past via dialogue since there may be insights the individual's subconscious did not divulge during its interaction with … Continue reading “Say What?” – Probing the Gap Between Reading and Reality
Professional Tarot
“Was It the Right Question?” – Incompatible Cards in a Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm indebted once again to Paul Fenton-Smith for bringing another intriguing topic to my attention in his comprehensive book, Tarot Master-Class. It happens more often than seems reasonable, especially if we assume that our attempts at divination are guided toward the truth: the cards in a spread will fail to come together in … Continue reading “Was It the Right Question?” – Incompatible Cards in a Reading
Shifting Gears: The Multi-Phase Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: From the day I first encountered it in 1972, I've followed Eden Gray's suggestion that we can disregard asking sitters (those who "sit" for a tarot reading) to tell us their specific question or concern prior to divining for them. I tell them to silently concentrate on what they want to know while … Continue reading Shifting Gears: The Multi-Phase Reading
Chains of Conjecture: A Multi-Path Decision-Making Method
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A single run of cards can be silent, inconclusive or even contradictory in its testimony when the querent is facing a "multiple-choice" dilemma within a decision-making scenario. This is where having two or more chains of cards to analyze as a group comes into its own. Each option offers a separate narrative regarding … Continue reading Chains of Conjecture: A Multi-Path Decision-Making Method
Confessions of a Spread-Fiend: An Unfashionable Opinion
AUTHOR'S NOTE: There, I've said it again: I'm hooked on creating and using positional tarot spreads. Of course, those who believe tarot reading should be entirely open-ended and unstructured will never agree with me. Intuitive interpretation won't tolerate many strictures, but in my opinion it also doesn't inspire a lot of confidence in the dependability … Continue reading Confessions of a Spread-Fiend: An Unfashionable Opinion
“He’s Gone to Plaid!”- The Danger of Over-Analyzing
"They've gone to plaid!" - Barf (John Candy) to Lone Star (Bill Pullman) as Spaceballs One overshoots their interstellar Winnebago in Mel Brook's Star Wars parody, Spaceballs. AUTHOR'S NOTE: An author I'm presently re-reading holds the opinion that sticking with one or two definitions for a tarot card is "lazy" when a wide range of … Continue reading “He’s Gone to Plaid!”- The Danger of Over-Analyzing
Reading Reversals: “Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: "You're missing half the fun" is one of my favorite rebuttals for those who avoid reading reversals because they find the practice unnecessary, inconvenient or confusing. (My title alludes to the old Doublemint gum commercial.) But, unless we deliberately ignore or suppress them as some do, they are going to dog us whenever … Continue reading Reading Reversals: “Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun”
“The Compleat Solarian” – A Lesson Learned
AUTHOR'S NOTE: File under "Every card has both positive and negative meanings." It is generally assumed that the Sun is an entirely favorable card that bodes no evil; even when reversed it suggests a "passing cloud" rather than a gloomy long-range forecast. But there is another way to look at it. I recently performed a … Continue reading “The Compleat Solarian” – A Lesson Learned
“Split-Level Tarot” – A Layered Approach to Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've touched on this subject in written form on several occasions in the past, but this time I'm illustrating it with an annotated image for a specific example, and also applying it to an unconventional analysis of the Tower card. (All cards shown are from the Thoth Tarot, copyright of US Games Systems … Continue reading “Split-Level Tarot” – A Layered Approach to Reading
The “Ace in the Hole” Developmental Arc Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This spread is intended to show the development of an opportunity along the most favorable elemental lines. The "Ace in the Hole" card is a wild card that is dealt face-down and then aligned with the most advantageous path when it is turned face-up. The idea is to build a five-card reading around … Continue reading The “Ace in the Hole” Developmental Arc Spread
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 