AUTHOR'S NOTE: In retrospect, I probably should have titled this essay "Saving Tarot from Psychology" as mentioned in the last paragraph, but I decided to let the original title stand as more representative of the overall thrust. More to the point, I already have an earlier essay with that title. I'm greatly amused (I used … Continue reading The Long Shadow of Jung
Tarot and Psychology
The “Wrong Answer” Dilemma
Lately I've been frequenting the "r/tarot" sub-reddit forum since it is one of the more active public tarot platforms. What caught my eye is the regular appearance of posts that express dismay over the incorrect results of self-reading: "Why did the cards tell me this when exactly the opposite happened?" Most of these observations come … Continue reading The “Wrong Answer” Dilemma
An Experiment in “Symbolic Parallels”
Here is a 15-card spread that explores the notion that cards will complement one another according to the position they hold within the 78-card series, essentially creating pairs of "symbolic parallels." It is intended to show the querent's psychological orientation to the subject of the reading as it develops over time, from initial awareness to … Continue reading An Experiment in “Symbolic Parallels”
Do the “Loosen Up”
While writing my recent post about the the ability of the court cards to receive "inspiration and support from Above," I stumbled upon an epiphany that deserves further exploration. At the end of the essay I wrote: "I will continue to see tarot royalty as hobbled by their inability to “loosen up;” in practical reading … Continue reading Do the “Loosen Up”
Tarot as “Projection”
There is a common belief among those who dismiss tarot reading as a naive exercise in self-deception that the results are merely a fanciful "projection" of the seeker's fondest dreams or deepest fears, and that the agency of the cards cannot reliably come up with unbiased testimony about future circumstances. In my opinion, this argument … Continue reading Tarot as “Projection”
The “Blottomancer”
A couple of different themes come together in this essay: "ordinary" divination and "augmented" divination. If you've ever gone googling for every instance of the suffix "-mancy" you were probably amazed by how many different forms of divination have been practiced throughout recorded history, more than a few of which are quite odd and also … Continue reading The “Blottomancer”
Tarot Reading and “Psychic Vampirism”
As it frequently does, the subject of defending oneself against negative influences while reading the cards for other people came up again on one of the Facebook tarot pages. I usually approach this perceived vulnerability as Astral Plane intrusion (think "Ouija board") but it is even more likely to come from the person across the … Continue reading Tarot Reading and “Psychic Vampirism”
Tarot and the Nature of Desire
The tarot reader is often tasked with divining "what someone wants" in a situation. In natal astrology the answer is much simpler: Venus and Mars rule the realm of basic human appetites and their interaction goes to the heart of the matter. Boston astrologer Isabel Hickey once said "Mars goes out and gets what Venus … Continue reading Tarot and the Nature of Desire
Cups and Pentacles: Even More Subtle Distinctions
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Completist that I am, I figured I had better finish my thoughts on the nuances of interpretation that separate the elementally "friendly" minor suits of the tarot. The suits of Cups and Pentacles (or, in different systems, Coins or Disks) are entirely sympathetic to one another; one represents the element of Water and … Continue reading Cups and Pentacles: Even More Subtle Distinctions
Wands and Swords: Subtle Distinctions
In my recent thinking about the minor-card suits of the tarot, I recognized that there is some functional convergence (if not quite overlap) between the characteristic energies of the Wands and the Swords: as Fire and Air, both are elementally masculine, active and positive, and both strive for self-expression in a direct and unsentimental way. … Continue reading Wands and Swords: Subtle Distinctions
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 