AUTHOR'S NOTE: Despite the title, I promise I won't invoke the cinematic spirit of Kurt Russell in this essay; Carl Gustav Young will have to do. I've just begun reading Benebell Wen's Holistic Tarot, and the introductory chapter brought me back to the topic of "first principles" in my practice of divination. Some of this … Continue reading Anticipatory Forecasting: “Escape from New Tarot”
Tarot and Psychology
“Playing the Victim” – Self-Inflicted Pain in RWS Imagery
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I wasn't aware that there is a modern interpretation of the Waite-Smith 8 of Swords that describes the person in the picture as "faking" the distress or intentionally "self-victimizing," as in willingly submitting to what looks like abusive treatment. It reminds me of the hateful, misogynistic affront to rape victims and targets of … Continue reading “Playing the Victim” – Self-Inflicted Pain in RWS Imagery
“It’s What They Do”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I occasionally encounter complaints in the online community from people who are distressed that their tarot readings are only reflecting their feelings back at them and are not providing actionable advice. Although I haven't done so yet, I'm tempted to tell them that the cards are only a mirror of the subconscious mind, … Continue reading “It’s What They Do”
“Future Uncertain, But Certainly Slight”
"Here come the world with the look in its eyeFuture uncertain, but certainly slight"(from Devil Inside by INXS) AUTHOR'S NOTE: Three years ago, when I passed the five-decade mark in the study and practice of divination, I had a major epiphany. I realized that predictive techniques poke their collective nose into the future and bring … Continue reading “Future Uncertain, But Certainly Slight”
The “Tarot Magic” Invocation Spread: Second Cut
AUTHOR'S NOTE: After reading further into Donald Tyson's Tarot Magic, I decided to add a couple of new features to this spread. Tyson mentions that in traditional evocation, the Triangle of Art is drawn with its apex pointing away from the Circle of Summoning. The idea is that when the aspiration identified as the focus … Continue reading The “Tarot Magic” Invocation Spread: Second Cut
Leveraging the Hexagram: A Motivational Spread
AUTHOR’S NOTE: For this spread, I’ve lifted the internal hexagram array from my “Tarot Magic” layout to use as a motivational overview covering both mental/spiritual and physical aspirations as well as four types of opportunity: adventurous (i.e. risk-taking) or pragmatic (both aligned with Physical Motivation) and intellectual or emotional (associated with Mental/Spiritual Motivation). Taking a … Continue reading Leveraging the Hexagram: A Motivational Spread
Aspiring to the Inside: A “Tarot Magic” Invocation Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When I created my "Tarot Magic" spread based on Donald Tyson's book of the same name, I was planning to use it for evocation rituals that are focused on the realization of external objectives. However, upon reading further, I found that Tyson also covered the manifestation of internal conditions within the querent's immediate … Continue reading Aspiring to the Inside: A “Tarot Magic” Invocation Reading
Head Games: Are We Fooling Ourselves?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is another installment in my long-running series about the functional dynamics of tarot reading and the arguable legitimacy of cartomantic fortune-telling. (File under "How tarot works.") I don't doubt that, unless they are unusually introspective, most seasoned tarot readers who are confident in their skill and experience have it in their heads … Continue reading Head Games: Are We Fooling Ourselves?
“Pie in the Sky:” A Segmented Look at the Correspondences
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn shoehorned twelve of the 22 tarot trumps, all 40 numbered minor cards and the 16 court cards into their "Chaldean" model of the zodiac, making just a few adjustments in the design to accommodate their vision. Only the seven planetary trumps and the three "Primal Element" … Continue reading “Pie in the Sky:” A Segmented Look at the Correspondences
The Map and the Territory: Precision in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: "The map is not the territory" is a celebrated statement by semanticist Alfred Korzybski that points out the cognitive disconnect between viewing a printed map and physically walking the land it represents. I've used it often to convey the idea that a tarot prediction is only an approximation of one possible future, and … Continue reading The Map and the Territory: Precision in Tarot Reading
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 