AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've touched on this subject in written form on several occasions in the past, but this time I'm illustrating it with an annotated image for a specific example, and also applying it to an unconventional analysis of the Tower card. (All cards shown are from the Thoth Tarot, copyright of US Games Systems … Continue reading “Split-Level Tarot” – A Layered Approach to Reading
Tarot and Psychology
“Prediction Bias” in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Lately, online pundits who are pushing a psycho-sociological agenda have been all over the topic of "bias" in human relations: confirmation bias, cognitive bias, affinity bias, attribution bias, conformity bias, gender bias, etc. It has me thinking that maybe tarot needs another label: "prediction bias." There is already a framework for it in … Continue reading “Prediction Bias” in Tarot Reading
Planetary Energies and the “Personal Power Profile”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: After previously analyzing the nature of the pentagram as it is used in tarot imagery, I decided to create a tableau that brings it to bear on a "personal power profile" that can be used for self-awareness or to assess the character of another party to the matter in question. This layout should … Continue reading Planetary Energies and the “Personal Power Profile”
Tarot Takes On Pascal’s Wager
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While in college I had a philosophy professor who was also an ordained minister with an open mind. He brought "Pascal's Wager" to our attention: all things considered, it's less risky to believe in the existence of a Supreme Being when there isn't one than to disbelieve when there is. In the first … Continue reading Tarot Takes On Pascal’s Wager
“A Little Magic”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yesterday I was visiting a friend who has limited knowledge of tarot but considerable curiosity, and I was explaining a theory that I believe summarizes one of the fundamental ways in which tarot-reading "works." I had offered to do free readings for him and his wife, and he expressed anxiety that he might … Continue reading “A Little Magic”
Applied Tarot: From Anxiety to Empowerment
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I recently came across the opinion that fear as expressed in a tarot reading is not necessarily a bad thing because it keeps us sharply focused on our challenges while galvanizing us into action. In addition, fear in the form of anxiety is often the driver that brings a sitter to the reader's … Continue reading Applied Tarot: From Anxiety to Empowerment
“Playing It Safe” or “Coloring Outside the Lines:” A Tarot Reader’s Sketchbook
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When I was a kid, one of the earliest self-discipline challenges I faced was learning how to "color inside the lines" with my crayons and coloring-books. I eventually became a trained artist possessing the talent to draw my own outlines within which to paint, and I now see parallels in the narrative art … Continue reading “Playing It Safe” or “Coloring Outside the Lines:” A Tarot Reader’s Sketchbook
Patriarchal and Matriarchal Bias in the Tarot
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In the early 1980s, I departed the urban tarot scene for a couple of decades to study and practice privately in the country, and when I returned via the internet in 2011 a full-blown controversy was underway over masculine bias in the cards. The online community was awash in hand-wringing, finger-pointing and self-righteous … Continue reading Patriarchal and Matriarchal Bias in the Tarot
What Tarot Does Best: An Opinion
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's been said that the tarot can be tasked with answering any question, but in my own predictive work it has proven to be better for some inquiries than for others. This compilation offers an overview of my experience in reading the cards since I returned to active practice in 2011. The categories … Continue reading What Tarot Does Best: An Opinion
Reductionism as the Tarot Reader’s Duty
"Your goal as a reader is to clarify the client's situation, so reducing the possible meanings for each card on the table is a part of this process."- Paul Fenton-Smith in Tarot Master-Class AUTHOR'S NOTE: My belief has always been that the tarot cards are infinitely flexible and adaptable to any situation, given that each … Continue reading Reductionism as the Tarot Reader’s Duty
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 