AUTHOR'S NOTE: A few years ago I read that the numbers Three, Six and Nine represent the "Three Perfections" of Greek philosophy as espoused by Plato, Socrates and Aristotle. I finally pinned down where the idea came from, and it isn't a direct quote from any of them. While an argument can be found in … Continue reading The “Three Perfections” in the Suit of Swords
Suit of Wands
Tarot Profiling: “Don’t Need No Gypsy to Tell You Why”
- from Ain't Wastin' Time No More by the Allman Brothers Band. AUTHOR'S NOTE: As a classical astrologer I don't agree with the elemental assignments for the four "humours" (choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic and melancholic) presented in a slightly different form by Robert Anton Wilson in Prometheus Rising, but his fourfold model of human sociopolitical behavior … Continue reading Tarot Profiling: “Don’t Need No Gypsy to Tell You Why”
The Numerical Essence Card as “Vaulting Over Limitations”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: After taking a long detour into the psionic research of Dr. Dean Radin as applied to divination, I've returned to reading Benebell Wen's Holistic Tarot. I just encountered a three-card example reading in the book that I felt deserved a more carefully-considered analysis. The reading was for an aggressive Aries male who was … Continue reading The Numerical Essence Card as “Vaulting Over Limitations”
The “Knight of Wants” – Reach vs. Grasp in Tarot Terms*
"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?"(Robert Browning) AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although the line from Browning's poem was clearly meant to be inspirational, in common usage the phrase "his reach exceeds his grasp" is intended to mean that the individual is aspiring to a lofty summit that he can't … Continue reading The “Knight of Wants” – Reach vs. Grasp in Tarot Terms*
The Major Arcana As Personality Types
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In an r/tarot sub-reddit thread, someone asked about an old post (not one of mine) that gave definitions for the trump cards as "people." It's more common to treat the court cards as representing other individuals involved in the querent's circumstances, but I was intrigued by the idea that one of the Major … Continue reading The Major Arcana As Personality Types
The Fives and Sevens as “Discord”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've written in the past about the relationship between the tarot Fives, Sixes and Sevens (linked below), but my recent introduction to the art of playing-card divination brought a fresh perspective to my take on the subject. In standard cartomancy, the Fives and Sevens are eight of the most dissonant "pip" cards in … Continue reading The Fives and Sevens as “Discord”
The Nines and Tens: Perfection and Postscript
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As evident in the online tarot community, current practice reflects the general agreement that "if Nine is good, Ten must be better" (with the obvious exception of the suit of Swords). The genesis of this idea most likely goes back to the assertion of Pythagoras that Ten is the "perfect" number, as symbolized … Continue reading The Nines and Tens: Perfection and Postscript
The Tarot Threes: Sidling, Then Circling
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is a three-deck comparison of the Threes similar to the one I recently posted for the Fives. When applying esoteric number theory to the forty Minor Arcana of the tarot, the number One represents the Point and the four Aces that describe the "prelude" to the action signified by their suit but … Continue reading The Tarot Threes: Sidling, Then Circling
The Disruptive Fives: A Bleak But Essential Corrective
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've written about the tarot Fives a number of times from an esoteric perspective, and also from a pragmatic point-of-view as indicating the need to "break eggs (the stagnant Fours) to make omelettes (the harmonious Sixes)." I've often called them "can-openers" and "nutcrackers." Their disruptive nature comes from their association with the sphere … Continue reading The Disruptive Fives: A Bleak But Essential Corrective
“Boadicea’s Tarot of Earthly Delights” Personality Profile
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here I'm applying my "Tell Me No Lies" Personality Profile spread to the recently-purchased tarot deck shown above. (This is my version of the "new-deck interview.") This spread is designed to explore the quasi-psychological profile of a deck in twelve cards, conveying its immediate impact on the viewer ("first impressions") along with its … Continue reading “Boadicea’s Tarot of Earthly Delights” Personality Profile
