AUTHOR'S NOTE: In The Tarot of the Bohemians, Gerard Encausse (aka "Papus") spends the first 20% of the book playing with the numerology of the cards and relating them to the four Hebrew letters of the "ineffable Name of God" (euphemized as "Tetragrammaton"). Papus stacked up the trump cards in "quaternaries" (four-card sets) following the … Continue reading Papus and the “Formula of Tetragrammaton”
Tarot Books
The Tarot of the Bohemians: First Thoughts
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Now that I've finished Sallie Nichols' Tarot and the Archetypal Journey I'm setting off in an entirely different direction, having just begun reading The Tarot of the Bohemians (third edition) by Gerard Encausse (aka "Papus"), which will surely generate as many brief essays as the former work. I'm only part-way through the preface … Continue reading The Tarot of the Bohemians: First Thoughts
Aleister Crowley: “Hierophant” or “Devil?”
I'm now reading Alejandro Jodorowsky's commentary in The Way of Tarot about the number Five and its "decimal equivalency" in the Pope (Hierophant) and the Devil. One passage struck me as an accidental portrait of Aleister Crowley as an exemplar of what Jodo is talking about: "The Five of Wands represents two temptations: sublimating the … Continue reading Aleister Crowley: “Hierophant” or “Devil?”
“Dreams and Mystification”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm not a huge fan of this book but it does have its moments of lucidity. (Some may recall that Jodorowsky was a fiercely iconoclastic and surrealistic film-maker in the '70s [El Topo, The Holy Mountain, etc], which may explain his singular and often peculiar notions about the tarot.) As I begin re-reading … Continue reading “Dreams and Mystification”
The Ace of Cups as “Affirmation”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The following observations by Mme. Le Marchand in The Grand Etteilla regarding the Ace of Cups are unique in my experience of tarot literature (although they do bear a resemblance to the cartomancy I've studied). It's interesting stuff for speculation and perhaps for use. This Ace is described as "confirming the prediction of … Continue reading The Ace of Cups as “Affirmation”
A Matter of Succession
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm leaping right over other European contributors to the esoteric tarot like Papus, de Guaita, Peladan, Pitois (Paul Christian) and Wirth, mainly because I haven't explored them to any depth yet; I'm still getting my feet wet with Etteilla. In The Book of Thoth, Aleister Crowley (apparently echoing the now-disputed sentiments of Eliphas … Continue reading A Matter of Succession
That Mean Ol’ Moon
I've begun reading the English-language translation of The Grand Etteilla, a 19th Century French tarot compilation by Julia Orsini et al, with the goal of beginning to wrap my head around Alliette's "Continental" system of interpretation. I noticed three things immediately: 1) the method of pulling and arranging the cards for a reading (often using … Continue reading That Mean Ol’ Moon
Tarot Principles & Practices: A Deep Dive into the Tarot Reader’s Art
This is the final book in my series of blog compilations (at least until I write some more stuff). It's a book of divination principles and practices (including basic and advanced techniques, tactics, strategies and resources) for the tarot reader who intends to work publicly with the Waite-Smith deck or one of its numerous “clones.” … Continue reading Tarot Principles & Practices: A Deep Dive into the Tarot Reader’s Art
“My Publications” Listing
I just added a new page to the sidebar on my home page showing the tarot e-books I've published on the Lulu self-publishing platform, along with links to the Lulu Bookstore if you're interested in purchasing any of them. They include a Tarot de Marseille book; a large book of full-color spreads and guidance for … Continue reading “My Publications” Listing
Tarot Hermetica – Basics and Beyond
I finally completed compiling all of my blog posts on the subject of divination with the esoteric tarot. It's 265 pages, published as an e-book in PDF format, and available on the Lulu bookstore.
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 