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 and Psychology
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
Spirituality and the Tarot
"Spiritual" use of the tarot is a subject I haven't revisited often enough in my writing since I moved into "action-and-event-oriented" divination a few years ago. My own approach to spirituality is filtered through my long exposure to esoteric studies and practice; it's about as far away from orthodoxy as one can get and also … Continue reading Spirituality and the Tarot
The “Anatomy of Affirmation” Self-Actualization Spread and Example Reading
I created a self-actualization spread for rational/emotional self-work that uses a pre-selected trump card as its focus, and the idea of contrasting "hard" (rational) and "soft" (emotional) approaches with Elemental Dignities as the main determinant. I also included a tenth card under the middle "Full Face" position and called it "The Back of the Head" … Continue reading The “Anatomy of Affirmation” Self-Actualization Spread and Example Reading
The “Personality Plus” Character Analysis Spread
Here is a spread that builds on the standard four-factor identity model by allowing for an "unfolding" or "flowering" of the basic personality snapshot into multi-faceted fullness stimulated by elemental interaction between the cards pulled and the underlying "state of being" reflected in each "phase:" Fire and Wands represent the Will (including primary drives, urges … Continue reading The “Personality Plus” Character Analysis Spread
Modern Assumptions and Attitudes About Tarot Usage
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's been a while since I've posted even a mild rant on the subject of modern tarot practice. As usual, online conversations with other tarot enthusiasts light my fuse. Although some mystical purists might insist that I've gone philistine, over the last ten years I've adopted a more utilitarian philosophy regarding use of … Continue reading Modern Assumptions and Attitudes About Tarot Usage
The “Spirit-Mind-Body” Personality Matrix
Here is another complex layout that isn't a reading spread but a personality profile developed using the cards; it takes a bit of effort to set up but should be worth it. I've been looking at full-deck readings posted online recently and wanted to try that in a way that randomly "compartmentalizes" the cards into … Continue reading The “Spirit-Mind-Body” Personality Matrix
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 