*Summary Justice: "A . . . judicial action accomplished swiftly and without observance of certain formalities of legal procedure, with the connotation of arbitrary and unfair judgment." (If you've been unjustly harmed in a lopsided conflict and are seeking the advice of the tarot, you can ignore that last part and [like "Judge" Roy Bean, … Continue reading “Hold Him While I Hit Him” – A Summary-Justice* Spread
Quintessence Spreads
The “Go With The Flow” Decision-Making Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In my ongoing I Ching studies I'm reading about enlisting the qi (life-force) of water to effect a reversal of misfortune. In nature, water flows where it will, surrounding and over-topping all obstacles in its relentless advance. It fills "potholes" in the road, which can give the illusion of firmness even though water … Continue reading The “Go With The Flow” Decision-Making Spread
The “Inner Question” Spread: Darkness at the Center
"When the day goes to sleep and the full moon looks/ The night is so black that the darkness cooks" - from The Green Manalishi by Peter Green AUTHOR'S NOTE: In my ongoing study of I Ching divination (a lifetime pursuit similar to astrology and tarot but much more scholarly), I discovered the premise that … Continue reading The “Inner Question” Spread: Darkness at the Center
Inside the Box: Quaternary vs. Quinary Synthesis*
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've been loosely using the term "quintessence" to describe the numerical conflation of any quantity of tarot cards in a spread, but traditionalists have criticized that assumption as being inconsistent with the historical meaning of the word as the symbolic fifth iteration (or "quinary essence") of a four-card "tirage on croix" (French Cross) … Continue reading Inside the Box: Quaternary vs. Quinary Synthesis*
“Pass-Through” Processing – An Energy Translation Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I've mentioned before, there are several ways to read a three-card line. My favorite is to approach it as a developing scenario that evolves from Point A to Point C, with "processing" of the energy-in-transit to occur at Point B, thus grooming the outcome to achieve its maximum potential. I will sometimes … Continue reading “Pass-Through” Processing – An Energy Translation Spread
A “Meaning of Life” Example Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: To demonstrate the "Meaning of Life" spread I posted yesterday, here is a fictional reading based on real-life circumstances. A 47-year-old New Hampshire man was living in his mother's basement. She bought him a Playstation 5 for his birthday, but he jacked up the volume so high while playing that it annoyed her. … Continue reading A “Meaning of Life” Example Reading
Purpose, Potential and Performance: A “Meaning of Life” Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: At the risk of impersonating a "self-help guru," I've created a spread for those who feel that life is bereft of meaning, and who want to stop drifting and "jump-start" their private reality. Craving a path to a better place through divination, they want to tap into subliminal glimpses of what the immediate … Continue reading Purpose, Potential and Performance: A “Meaning of Life” Spread
The Root, the Stem and the Fruit: A Developmental Insight Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is another of my "breakout" spreads that explores ways to approach and ideally resolve a known problem. The "root" of the title is the central card of the layout that describes the dilemma; the "stem" is the three-card developmental array that leads from the center; and the "fruit" is the calculated quintessence … Continue reading The Root, the Stem and the Fruit: A Developmental Insight Spread
Ascending and Descending Energies as Ruling and Yielding Principles in the Tarot
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I pursue my study of the I Ching, I'm encountering numerous new ideas that demand scholarly attention while also creating a wealth of intriguing notions that I intend to fold into my ongoing exploration of the syncretism between the tarot and the Book of Changes. Here is the latest example. In general, … Continue reading Ascending and Descending Energies as Ruling and Yielding Principles in the Tarot
“The Fix is In!” – Invoking Tarot Energy
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This tarot-based technique for magically imposing one's personal Will on circumstances is based on the concept of intention. If we "intend" something strongly enough we will ideally achieve its realization without "getting our hands dirty." As long as it isn't harmful to others (and if it is, the Wiccan "Three-fold Law" might kick … Continue reading “The Fix is In!” – Invoking Tarot Energy