AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've written about the tarot Fives a number of times from an esoteric perspective, and also from a pragmatic point-of-view as indicating the need to "break eggs (the stagnant Fours) to make omelettes (the harmonious Sixes)." I've often called them "can-openers" and "nutcrackers." Their disruptive nature comes from their association with the sphere … Continue reading The Disruptive Fives: A Bleak But Essential Corrective
Tarot Card Meanings
Qabalistic Mercury and the Tarot Trumps
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In my theoretical reworking of the Golden Dawn's astrological correspondences for the Major Arcana a few years ago, I realigned Mercury with two of the four trumps - Temperance and the World - via sign rulership and left it in place with the Magician, which represents the archetypal personification of its energy. Here … Continue reading Qabalistic Mercury and the Tarot Trumps
Swapping Correspondences for the Empress and the Lovers*
*Empress = Taurus (the most fertile of signs) and the Lovers = Venus (the Goddess of Love) In an earlier post (linked below), I explored "rethinking" the Golden Dawn's astrological assignments for the Major Arcana based on my five decades of practice with the esoteric tarot and astrology. This is the third in my series … Continue reading Swapping Correspondences for the Empress and the Lovers*
Musings on the Major Arcana: The Chariot and the Wheel of Fortune
"Big wheel keep on turnin'"- from Proud Mary by Creedence Clearwater Revival AUTHOR'S NOTE: Several years ago I posted a high-level overview of my personal reassignment of some of the Golden Dawn's astrological correspondences for the tarot's Major Arcana (I'm an experienced astrologer and some of them just didn't sit well with me). I've linked … Continue reading Musings on the Major Arcana: The Chariot and the Wheel of Fortune
Strength Reversed: Not This Time
The lion this time againHe's in the circus in a cageHe's trying to break out of the frameThe lion this timeHe hears that same old sad refrainBut they can't hold him with no chainAnd they just can't denounce his claimThe lion again- from The Lion This Time by Van Morrison AUTHOR'S NOTE: Morrison seems to … Continue reading Strength Reversed: Not This Time
The Emperor and Jus Ad Bellum: Moral Rectitude or Just a Shot of Arrogance?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just came across a term I had never seen before, in this case regarding the Emperor card of the tarot. Jus ad bellum means being justified in one's reasons for taking on a fight. (It sounds like "the ends justify the means" to me.) It is usually applied when presenting an argument … Continue reading The Emperor and Jus Ad Bellum: Moral Rectitude or Just a Shot of Arrogance?
Affinity or Dignity? – Elemental Compatibility in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In its Liber T tarot curriculum, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn presented elaborate and prescriptive rules for the analysis of elemental associations between cards of different suits in a tarot reading, an interpretive technique known as "Elemental Dignity." The classical premise was that Fire and Air are "friendly" to one another, … Continue reading Affinity or Dignity? – Elemental Compatibility in Tarot Reading
Death Reversed: Resetting the Agenda
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When upright, the Death card of the tarot is usually understood to mean that something of great importance to the querent will come to an end to make way for something new. It echoes the Coffin, one of the "stop" cards in Lenormand reading, that always indicates a terminal event after which a … Continue reading Death Reversed: Resetting the Agenda
The 7 of Swords: Avoidance or Self-Sabotage?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Many tarot readers find malice or deception in the Waite-Smith 7 of Swords, but I see mainly avoidance. The notions of an underhanded plan and potential theft almost certainly stem from the man's sly expression, his furtive body language and the fact that he has been "caught in the act" with an armful … Continue reading The 7 of Swords: Avoidance or Self-Sabotage?
The 4 of Swords Reversed: Pandora’s Box?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The reversed image of the Waite-Smith 4 of Swords offers some interesting insights. The vision of an inverted sarcophagus immediately makes me think the lid is ajar and the contents might spill out. This notion leads to a couple of satirical "Hollywood moments:" 1) after Graham Chapman died, the remaining members of Monty … Continue reading The 4 of Swords Reversed: Pandora’s Box?
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 