In my book Tarot Hermetica, I made the following observation about the use of esoteric principles and practices in tarot reading: "Recent years have seen a groundswell of resistance to the theories of esoteric interpretation formulated by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and its chief architect, Samuel Liddell “MacGregor” Mathers, at the end … Continue reading For What It’s Worth
Qabalistic Theory
The “Gang of Ten”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: After reading Paul Marteau's peculiar statement that the Fool doesn't necessarily belong at either end of the Major Arcana sequence as 0 or 22, but would more properly be found after any multiple of 7 (e.g. the Chariot or Temperance), I felt I had to drive the notion from my head by tackling … Continue reading The “Gang of Ten”
The Unevolved Fire Signs: A Study in Vanity
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I struggled to find a polite way to say "arrogance" without actually saying it, but that would be an extreme example of my point. Also, there is an idea here regarding the reversed court cards and their Golden Dawn assignment to the Chaldean zodiac that warrants further exploration in another essay. In astrology … Continue reading The Unevolved Fire Signs: A Study in Vanity
A “Yin-and-Yang” Monthly Pattern
My efforts to apply the Yin and Yang principles of Chinese philosophy to the monthly cycle of the Moon via the Major Arcana of the tarot proved to be more difficult than anticipated. I suspect this is due mostly to the fact that the Moon is a quintessential symbol of the feminine Yin, and the … Continue reading A “Yin-and-Yang” Monthly Pattern
The Tens as “Disengagement”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This meditation on the nature of Ten is an extension of my previous thoughts on the subject. I've written in the past that, esoterically speaking, the Tens of the tarot suits represent the exhaustion of the original elemental force that first appeared as pure, untrammeled spiritual energy in the Aces. This is based … Continue reading The Tens as “Disengagement”
“The Wall Was Too High” – A 9 of Swords Comparison
I've been reading Barbara Walker's excellent 1984 book, The Secrets of the Tarot: Origins, History and Symbolism, and have been gaining some valuable insights and inspiration from her brief essays on the Minor Arcana. In it she applies the Thoth title of "Cruelty" to the 9 of Swords while discussing it mainly in terms of … Continue reading “The Wall Was Too High” – A 9 of Swords Comparison
The “Three of a Perfect Pair*” Tarot Card Selection Method
I'm always looking for novel ways to pull cards for a tarot reading. Here I've adopted and also adapted the "card pairing" method of the Golden Dawn as used in the First Operation of the "Opening of the Key." First, I shuffled the deck and pulled a single card to show the "Heart of the … Continue reading The “Three of a Perfect Pair*” Tarot Card Selection Method
Isolation and Insight: The “Essence of Nine”
I just unearthed another random gem from Barbara Walker's book, The Secrets of the Tarot: Origins, History and Symbolism. One meaning she offers for the 4 of Swords is "insight generated by seclusion" and, judging from the obvious opportunity for introspection shown in the RWS version, I can see where she's coming from. The Thoth … Continue reading Isolation and Insight: The “Essence of Nine”
The American Justice System Superimposed on the Astropsychological Tree of Life
Mainly for my own amusement, I spent some time superimposing elements of the American Justice System on the paths of my "re-imagined" version of the Hermetic (Kircher) Tree of Life. I started with the idea that Justice has to do with the "trial" in any judicial setting and Judgement speaks of the "verdict," and then … Continue reading The American Justice System Superimposed on the Astropsychological Tree of Life
The “Higher Octave” Meditation
As a traditional natal and horary astrologer who typically uses only the seven planets of antiquity and their various modes of essential and accidental dignity, I don't assign zodiacal signs of exaltation to the modern (aka "trans-Saturnian) planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. In fact, I barely use those planets in my work at all, but … Continue reading The “Higher Octave” Meditation
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 