AUTHOR'S NOTE: This array is a "prepared" layout that randomly selects 25 cards from the population of 78 to set up a more limited range of probable circumstances. It is an outgrowth of my extensive work with the Lenormand Grand Tableau spread. Once the 5x5 arrangement is established, a second step locates the "starting point" … Continue reading An “Open Field” Tarot Tableau
Reversed Cards
“Grounding the Archetypes” – A Three-Card Daily Draw Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just encountered the idea that whenever we receive a Major Arcana (aka "trump") card in a reading, we should immediately pull another card to describe its practical (as opposed to its universal or spiritual) significance for the querent's future. I'm no fan of using clarifying cards in my work, but I can … Continue reading “Grounding the Archetypes” – A Three-Card Daily Draw Spread
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 Inverted Pentagram in Tarot: “Dying Cockroach Syndrome”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: During the late 20th Century, a common way to express utter futility was by citing the "dying cockroach" analogy and invoking the image of a roach with its legs waving feebly in the air, unable to right iteslf and scuttle away to safety. In tarot terms, the pentagram symbol appears in many of … Continue reading The Inverted Pentagram in Tarot: “Dying Cockroach Syndrome”
“It Don’t Come Easy” – The Friction of Reversal*
*With apologies to Ringo Starr for borrowing his song title. AUTHOR'S NOTE: While discussing the implications of reversal in Tarot Master-Class, Paul Fenton-Smith noted that the reversed Death card can express unwillingness to endure the metamorphosis that its upright orientation portends. He then added "You need to trust that sometimes life has a greater awareness … Continue reading “It Don’t Come Easy” – The Friction of Reversal*
Cards of Momentum and Metamorphosis
AUTHOR'S NOTE: "Movement" and "change" are recurring themes in tarot reading and some cards express it more eloquently than others. Aleister Crowley believed that any request for divination means that something needs to change for the better, so the message in these cards is one of encouragement for the seeker. (There are other cards to … Continue reading Cards of Momentum and Metamorphosis
Reversal as “Standing Pat”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In Tarot Master-Class, Paul Fenton-Smith suggests that reversal of a card can mean "it is wise to remain where you are, despite the tempting opportunities awaiting you." If scrambling is necessary to dodge adversity, he advises returning to the upright guidance of the previous card in the series, which offers a "comfort zone" … Continue reading Reversal as “Standing Pat”
The “Upside/Downside” Situational Roadmap: A Cartomantic Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In the cinematic cartography of the buccaneers favored by Hollywood, treasure maps invariably displayed an "X" where the prize could be found (i.e. "X marks the spot"). On a different arc, there have been many tarot spreads that use the "best case/worst case scenario" to indicate how a situation can be expected to … Continue reading The “Upside/Downside” Situational Roadmap: A Cartomantic Spread
An “Overt-and-Covert” Situational Development Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is a spread that is designed to follow the progress of an initiative, enterprise or project from its inception to the "first milestone" of self-sustaining viability. (The "story arc" is structured so it can be repeated for later phases of a strategic game plan.) It includes a public (or "overt") arc and … Continue reading An “Overt-and-Covert” Situational Development Spread
Reversal as Disconnection: “How Far Should I Stick My Neck Out?”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is another take on the phenomenon of reversed cards in a tarot reading, this time inspired by the interpretation of a reversed court card from Paul Fenton-Smith's Tarot Master-Class. The male subject was described as being disconnected from expressing the characteristics of the upright orientation, and the impression was of being barred … Continue reading Reversal as Disconnection: “How Far Should I Stick My Neck Out?”
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 