AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is another take on the phenomenon of reversed cards in a tarot reading, this time inspired by the interpretation of a reversed court card from Paul Fenton-Smith's Tarot Master-Class. The male subject was described as being disconnected from expressing the characteristics of the upright orientation, and the impression was of being barred … Continue reading Reversal as Disconnection: “How Far Should I Stick My Neck Out?”
Tarot Card Meanings
Portraits of Immaturity: Court-Card Reversal as “Backsliding”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was put on the scent of this topic while re-reading Paul Fenton-Smith's Tarot Master-Class. When addressing the subject of reversal in his court-card chapter, Fenton-Smith maintains the premise that the appearance of a reversed card in a reading means that something about the affairs of the previous upright card in the natural … Continue reading Portraits of Immaturity: Court-Card Reversal as “Backsliding”
Court-Card Conceits: Player, Dreamer, Schemer and Delver
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was just reading Paul Fenton-Smith's character analysis for the court cards in Tarot Master-Class (a thorough portrayal that I find to rival that of Aleister Crowley for useful insights), and encountered his description of the Swords personality as a "skimmer" who is known to casually stroll through any topic without dipping too … Continue reading Court-Card Conceits: Player, Dreamer, Schemer and Delver
The Mirror of Identity: An Astro-Tarot Self-Appraisal Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here I'm merging astrological principles (natal planets and rising sign) with tarot cards and insights from the casebook of psycho-spiritual mind/body awareness to create a self-appraisal tool that is intended to identify any strengths and weaknesses in one's personality that may not stand out clearly from horoscopic delineation or cartomantic examination alone. While … Continue reading The Mirror of Identity: An Astro-Tarot Self-Appraisal Spread
The “Pendulum of Revealing” Positional Yes-or-No Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the fourth in my series of "Revealing" spreads: I've done a "Mandala," a "Pentacle" and an "Onion" of Revealing in the past. I'm using the pendulum motif for this one to answer the perennial yes-or-no question, with a nod toward "maybe" and any contrary trends that might occur as shown by … Continue reading The “Pendulum of Revealing” Positional Yes-or-No Spread
Court Cards As “Loss of Control”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've almost always viewed court cards in a reading as describing potential interaction with other people who have an interest in the matter, or as attitudes and behaviors the seeker should either adopt or avoid. But I just encountered another possibility in a sub-reddit thread. Suppose that numerous court cards in a spread … Continue reading Court Cards As “Loss of Control”
The 5 of Cups: Disappointment or Loss in Pleasure?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is another instance where Aleister Crowley's tinkering with the Golden Dawn's title for one of the Minor Arcana does not really capture the original intent (or so it seems to me). The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn presented the 5 of Cups as the "Lord of Loss in Pleasure." Use of … Continue reading The 5 of Cups: Disappointment or Loss in Pleasure?
Confronting Reversals: Do We Retreat or Advance?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I really need a new tarot book. Right now I'm re-reading Paul Fenton-Smith's Tarot Master-Class, which I believe has been revised, re-titled and republished since I bought it. This is not a bad experience, just a redundant one, but it has brought me face-to-face once again with his premise that encountering a reversed … Continue reading Confronting Reversals: Do We Retreat or Advance?
The “Ship-to-Ship” Interest-Signaling Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is a relationship spread that uses the "ships that pass in the night" metaphor to explore how meaningful "signals" might be sent between the two parties to the encounter. The idea is that interest and intent will be expressed openly or obliquely by both individuals, accompanied by direct or indirect actions and … Continue reading The “Ship-to-Ship” Interest-Signaling Spread
My Inner House of Cards
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In Lon Milo DuQuette's Tarot Architect, the author proposed that students build a personal "house" of knowledge and wisdom in their consciousness with the 78 cards of the tarot. I see it as a practical way to pursue Aleister Crowley's vision of "living with the cards" that is more organized than daily divination. … Continue reading My Inner House of Cards
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 