AUTHOR'S NOTE: The threat of a "bad" outcome card showing up in a reading is one of the most challenging scenarios facing professional tarot readers and their clients. Experienced diviners are normally able to take this unpleasant development in stride, but for the rest it generates an anxious moment of dread. In my own coaching … Continue reading Ominous Predictions: Cautionary or Constructive?
Professional Tarot
Range of Motion: An Action-Driven Reading Matrix
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A couple of years ago I performed a careful analysis of the Waite-Smith tarot to determine which cards express some kind of active movement. In the end I came up with five Major Arcana, six court cards and ten Minor Arcana as indicators of either acceleration or deceleration in a querent's affairs. (All … Continue reading Range of Motion: An Action-Driven Reading Matrix
The “Third-Party” Reading and the Boomerang Effect
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Arguably the most common question put to the tarot after "Does my ex want to come back to me?" is "What does Joe or Mary think or feel about me?" (A bit of wry humor there: inquiries about the mental state of a prospective love interest far exceed those exploring possible reconciliation with … Continue reading The “Third-Party” Reading and the Boomerang Effect
Why Bother? The Case for Tarot Timing
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When it comes to divination, I have little interest in modern philosophical or scientific theories about the elastic nature of time. My aim is to help my clients understand (and therefore withstand) their circumstances; such academic hypotheses add nothing to the outlook and only serve to complicate it. Events occur in "real time," … Continue reading Why Bother? The Case for Tarot Timing
“Squishy” Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Not long ago I came across a post on one of the Facebook pages that railed against the current "state of the art" (if I may dignify it as such) in on-line tarot reading. The relevant part of the rant is worth quoting here: "I know intuition and the client's question/situation will influence … Continue reading “Squishy” Tarot Reading
Situational Precision in General Readings
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know there is an oxymoron in there somewhere (almost-but-not-quite Pink Floyd's "random precision"), but bear with me. General readings are not usually noted for their situational exactness, so I'm taking this "outside the box." When clients come to me for a reading they are usually experiencing some kind of distress, so I … Continue reading Situational Precision in General Readings
Cards of Finality: The Stigma of “Endings”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was just reading about cards that convey "endings" of various kinds: the 3 and 5 of Swords (sorrowful and acrimonious, respectively); 10 of Swords (demoralizing); Death (inevitable); the Tower (sudden); and the 5 of Cups (miserable), among others of less-potent stringency. To that group I would add Judgement because there is no … Continue reading Cards of Finality: The Stigma of “Endings”
The “Pattern Reader” Prevails!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I approach the end of my re-reading of Paul Fenton-Smith's Tarot Master-Class, I came across his view of the four types of professional tarot reader: the Mystic who endeavors to channel guidance from a spiritual source; the Nurturer who "just wants to help" and the Pattern-Reader who adopts a more deductive style … Continue reading The “Pattern Reader” Prevails!
“Say What?” – Probing the Gap Between Reading and Reality
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
“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
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 