UPDATE: This one turned out to be a winner! AUTHOR'S NOTE: Let's try this again with a modified spread. I fixed a conceptual flaw in the design to better align the offense and defense factors between the two teams; in the last reading everything I said about the superiority of the Bills' defense should have … Continue reading NFL Football: New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens, 11/23/25
Tarot Card Meanings
The 9 of Pentacles As “Self-Indulgence”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is another essay in my informal series of "stretch" definitions (as in "Wow, that's a stretch!") that brings a fresh set of eyes to cards I've already examined. This time, as an outgrowth of my ongoing interaction with the online tarot community, I'm presenting the 9 of Pentacles (Thoth Disks), which is … Continue reading The 9 of Pentacles As “Self-Indulgence”
The 3 of Swords: Another Person’s Pain
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As an esoteric tarot-reader, my aim is to get "under the skin" of the imagery on any card to see if there is more substance hiding beneath the surface of popular opinion. This is nowhere more appropriate than with the Waite-Smith 3 of Swords and its interpretation (I would say misapprehension) as emotional … Continue reading The 3 of Swords: Another Person’s Pain
A Reversal Miscellany – Variations on a Theme
SUMMARY: Let it be said that nothing is certain in life except death, taxes and more essays from me on the subject of reversed cards in tarot reading. Here is another composite post based on the new "shared theme" model that I debuted recently, this time taking a more general look at reversals. The "Bubble … Continue reading A Reversal Miscellany – Variations on a Theme
The Six of Cups: “Pleasure Promised” (b/w “Pleasure Denied”)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: For those unfamiliar with archaic music-industry jargon, "b/w" ("backed with") referred to the frequently inferior song on the reverse side of a 45-rpm record that stood in stark contrast to the "hit" on the front side. In this instance it is being applied to the reversed orientation of the card in question. Thoth … Continue reading The Six of Cups: “Pleasure Promised” (b/w “Pleasure Denied”)
The Middle Way: Finding the “Sweet Spot”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It is often said that, within its range of customary definitions, every tarot card contains all possible shades of positive and negative meaning that will invariably yield a piece of the puzzle when wisely applied to a specific question. The analysis is typically approached as a deductive exercise that first zeros in on … Continue reading The Middle Way: Finding the “Sweet Spot”
Carpe Momentum Redux : Another “Two Sides to Every Story” Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When I created this spread a couple of days ago, I had two "test" questions in mind. Here is the second one. Since we moved to our new home seven years ago, I've been doing at least one reading a year exploring how I might go about restarting the small tarot-reading business I … Continue reading Carpe Momentum Redux : Another “Two Sides to Every Story” Reading
A Reversed-Trump Triptych: the Devil, the Tower and Judgement
SUMMARY: I now have over twenty draft essays in my pre-publication queue, and my writing has been so prolific lately that I can't seem to whittle the population down, so I'm going to lump a few of them together when they share a theme. In this composite post the common topic is trump-card reversal shown … Continue reading A Reversed-Trump Triptych: the Devil, the Tower and Judgement
Cards of “Accelerated Circumstances”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In a previous post I explored the cards of the Waite-Smith deck that generally indicate "movement" in the matter at hand. I cast a fairly wide net in assembling that population, but here I'm sharpening the focus to identify only those cards that create a propulsive "push" to get on with business. In … Continue reading Cards of “Accelerated Circumstances”
The Pages: Impatience Rising
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In my recent readings I've been interpreting the Page of Swords as being "impatient for an answer." Today, while reading about the Page of Wands in Benebell Wens Holistic Tarot, I realized that this mild form of agitation can be applied to the Pages of all four suits. Because of their immaturity, aversion … Continue reading The Pages: Impatience Rising
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 