In my reading I came across the assertion that the Two in tarot always represents an incipient action arising from the potential embodied in the Ace of its suit. (It shows the "first step" or initial outbound impulse that the static, self-absorbed Ace has only been pondering up to that point.) The imputed binary state … Continue reading The Threes as “Feedback Loop”
Tarot Opinion
The Near-Sighted Tarot Reader
AUTHOR'S NOTE: No, this isn't an allegory about a cartomancer with defective vision, it's an elaboration of my previous thoughts concerning the reliable duration of a tarot reading. The title was just a clever ploy to grab your attention. It's a given that "things change," especially when more than one person is involved in a … Continue reading The Near-Sighted Tarot Reader
The Crane and The Snake: “Hard” and “Soft” Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: "Reading style" is a consideration that is always at the forefront of my thinking on the most effective ways to wield the tarot when divining for other people. I was just nudged a little further along the path by my study of traditional Chinese philosophy. I recently finished a thought-provoking book, The Tao … Continue reading The Crane and The Snake: “Hard” and “Soft” Tarot Reading
Spirituality and the Tarot
"Spiritual" use of the tarot is a subject I haven't revisited often enough in my writing since I moved into "action-and-event-oriented" divination a few years ago. My own approach to spirituality is filtered through my long exposure to esoteric studies and practice; it's about as far away from orthodoxy as one can get and also … Continue reading Spirituality and the Tarot
The Unevolved Fire Signs: A Study in Vanity
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I struggled to find a polite way to say "arrogance" without actually saying it, but that would be an extreme example of my point. Also, there is an idea here regarding the reversed court cards and their Golden Dawn assignment to the Chaldean zodiac that warrants further exploration in another essay. In astrology … Continue reading The Unevolved Fire Signs: A Study in Vanity
Tarot Symbolism in Divination: Fabulism or Impressionism?
I'll clarify my terms before starting. "Fabulism" denotes the placement of fantastical elements into an everyday setting; "impressionism" refers to allusions based on subjective reactions, often loosely-stated. As an example, this distinction aptly displays the difference between the Waite-Smith 7 of Cups, which could best be described as moodily phantasmagorical, and the same card in … Continue reading Tarot Symbolism in Divination: Fabulism or Impressionism?
The Tarot Professional’s Dilemma
Along with much of the professional tarot community, I've been shut out of the local face-to-face market by Covid-19, Delta, Omnicron, et al, and have moved tentatively into online consulting, which I'm more than a little lukewarm about since my firm belief is that a tarot reading should be an interactive event, a dialogue rather … Continue reading The Tarot Professional’s Dilemma
Intuition as “Awareness Practice”
I recently came across a fascinating passage in The Tao of Thoth that perfectly captures my quarrel with the widely-held belief that intuitive tarot reading unsupported by study is the optimum way to practice the art. (The author's martial-arts context here is that of looking for openings to exploit in an adversary's defense while at … Continue reading Intuition as “Awareness Practice”
“No Wrong Way” (But Maybe Better Ones)
I'm weary of hearing well-intentioned metaphysical mavens trumpet "There is no wrong way to read the tarot," which is usually appended with "Just do whatever you feel." I recently came across a quote from Aleister Crowley that I think is appropriate here: "There are only two operations possible in the Universe, Analysis and Synthesis. To … Continue reading “No Wrong Way” (But Maybe Better Ones)
A Tale of Two Wanderers
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've always believed that - apart from their customary role in the "Fool's Journey" pageant - there is more to be said about the visual similarities between the Waite-Smith Hermit and the Fool than I've come across in the literature. Here I explore one version of it in "storytelling" guise. I've been bemused … Continue reading A Tale of Two Wanderers
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 