AUTHOR'S NOTE: It could be argued that any human activity - no matter how slight - that isn't fully automatic on one hand or totally arbitrary on the other has an implicit blueprint or model that expresses its ideal performance, even if this exemplar is only a personal benchmark that we keep in our own … Continue reading The Fount of All Wisdom?
Tarot Opinion
Secular or Mystical: Alternate Paths in Divination
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I roam the internet seeking inspiration for my writing, I've become aware that the practice of divination has split into two camps, mainly along conceptual lines: one operates in the boundless realm of spontaneous conjecture while the other is more delimited in a focused and scrupulous way. There is a stark contrast … Continue reading Secular or Mystical: Alternate Paths in Divination
“Reeking of Self-Confidence” – An Astro-Tarot Reflection
AUTHOR'S NOTE: There is a question I've been chewing on for more than 30 years, and with the aid of divination I think I'm getting close to an answer. One day back in the '80s, a co-worker walked up to me with an enigmatic smile and said "You know, you reek of self-confidence." I laughed … Continue reading “Reeking of Self-Confidence” – An Astro-Tarot Reflection
The “Reasonable Man” Premise in Fortune-Telling
ANNOUNCEMENT: Post No. 2,200. Yay! AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm a former member of the r/seculartarot sub-reddit, where the term "fortune-telling" is a dirty word among the gatekeepers, who are Jung-besotted and staunchly anti-woo (for that, at least, I applaud them). But they are too enamored of their own pet theories to condone an intelligent dialogue about … Continue reading The “Reasonable Man” Premise in Fortune-Telling
The Diviner as Sage and the Curse of “Voodoo Metaphysics”
"And if I claim to be a wise man, well/That just means that I don't know." - from Carry On Wayward Son, by Kansas AUTHOR'S NOTE: I realize that I already used this quote casually in a recent essay, but I wanted to bring it front-and-center in this one as a reminder that even a … Continue reading The Diviner as Sage and the Curse of “Voodoo Metaphysics”
Does It or Doesn’t It?
( . . . or to be less opaque, does "shit happen" randomly or not?) AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you gag on a bit of good-natured barnyard naughtiness, you can give this one a pass. But scratch the surface and you’ll find a substantial, divination-based discussion of fate versus causality. Those who tout the legitimacy of … Continue reading Does It or Doesn’t It?
“Home-Court Advantage” in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A staple of tarot reading is the "dual-path" spread that is intended to highlight the more auspicious of two choices for the querent's consideration. They come in many shapes and sizes (typically parallel rows or columns, and sometimes "forked" arrays) but are usually brief. Ideally, each path will be neutral before the cards … Continue reading “Home-Court Advantage” in Tarot Reading
Multiple Reversals as “Covert Operations”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've written often about the myriad ways in which one can interpret reversed cards in a tarot reading; I now have over 200 general keywords in 15 major categories to describe it that go well beyond "blocked" or "delayed." One common assumption is that reversal suggests a covert influence entering the matter, usually … Continue reading Multiple Reversals as “Covert Operations”
“No Blame” – A Useful First Principle in Divination
AUTHOR'S NOTE: There is a handful of what might be called "first principles" or "prime directives" in reading the tarot cards, broad concepts to which I mostly adhere. One premise, for which I am indebted to Dr. James Wanless, is that "There are no 'bad' cards, only opportunities" (in a forthcoming essay I make the … Continue reading “No Blame” – A Useful First Principle in Divination
Literal Intent with a Hint of Impressionism
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As a follow-up to the posting of my essay on intuition vs. analysis in divination, I've been having a conversation with another member of the r/seculartarot sub-reddit. Our subject is the need to stay within the established context of the cards as a starting point in any reading, and only then resort to … Continue reading Literal Intent with a Hint of Impressionism
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 