AUTHOR'S NOTE: There is endless debate in the online tarot community over whether studying tarot literature is of any value when reading the cards from an entirely intuitive or psychic perspective, or whether it merely impedes fluency. It has come up again on one of the Facebook pages I frequent and, although I've covered it … Continue reading Book, No Book . . . or Pure “Glorp”
Tarot Opinion
Look But Don’t Touch!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As an old-school tarot reader who expects face-to-face clients to shuffle and cut the deck, I find it amusing that so much fretful angst exists in the online tarot community over the prospect of someone other than ourselves laying hands on our precious cards. The source of this aversion seems to lie in … Continue reading Look But Don’t Touch!
“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 Solitary Diviner and the Unholy Alliance
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Many years ago, Wiccan author Scott Cunningham wrote at least one book of guidance and advice for the "solitary witch," the isolated practitioner with no coven to call home. My experience over the last fourteen years as a professional tarot reader seeking sophisticated fellowship echoes that unhappy sense of seclusion, The regional communities … Continue reading The Solitary Diviner and the Unholy Alliance
The “Slice of Life” Structured Pull
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A question frequently posed by beginners to more seasoned tarot readers is "How do you pull the cards for a reading?" It's a legitimate request since the method of delivery determines which cards appear in the spread. I have always followed the advice of Eden Gray in her 1960 book The Tarot Revealed: … Continue reading The “Slice of Life” Structured Pull
“Neat Borders:” A Further Case for Tarot Spreads
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was just reading a fascinating post in which a miscellany of famous authors expounded on why they (often vociferously) disliked a variety of important books by other esteemed writers (some of them very popular). I came across this gem from Charlotte Bronte, who was eviscerating Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: it … Continue reading “Neat Borders:” A Further Case for Tarot Spreads
Trump’s Next Four: A PoMo Perspective
AUTHOR'S NOTE: After listening to part of Donald Trump's inauguration speech (I dislike the man as much as ever but, as a Libertarian sympathizer, I'm not entirely opposed to his message), I decided to dig out my favorite sociopolitical deck, Brian Williams' PostModern (aka "PoMo") tarot to see what the next four years will spell … Continue reading Trump’s Next Four: A PoMo Perspective
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?
The Hierophant: Returning to Normal
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Of all the tarot trumps, the Hierophant (originally the Pope) feels most like a "square peg in a round hole" when brought up against modern expectations. It's a product of a bygone era and a different mindset, often requiring a great deal of mental calisthenics to puzzle out in practical reading situations. I'm … Continue reading The Hierophant: Returning to Normal
The Redeemed Imposter (A Tarot Confession)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: "Imposter Syndrome" is a modern psychological debility (a particularized version of the traditional "inferiority complex?") that afflicts those - mostly females in corporate management positions according to some studies - who suspect (or have been led to assume) that they are presenting themselves as more proficient in some professional, technical or creative capacity … Continue reading The Redeemed Imposter (A Tarot Confession)
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 