"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness . . . " (from A Tale … Continue reading The Best or Worst of Times?
Tarot Opinion
The Myths of Tarot: Sacred Cows and Tin Gods
I haven't had a good rant in a while and this topic has come 'round again with a vengeance. As I cruise the Facebook tarot pages I keep encountering the same old tired myths related to the tarot, usually brought up by neophytes who haven't been told any different. Not all of these folkloric superstitions … Continue reading The Myths of Tarot: Sacred Cows and Tin Gods
Deck Lust and Forbearance: A Tale of Two Extremes
I haven't counted lately, but last I knew I had just over 70 decks distributed unequally among tarot, oracle and Lenormand cards. It would be dishonest of me to say that I use all - or even most - of them. From 2011 through 2018, I went through a serious episode of "Deck Acquisition Syndrome" … Continue reading Deck Lust and Forbearance: A Tale of Two Extremes
“Who Ya Gonna Call?”
In Chapter 18, Part IV of Book Four: Magick in Theory and Practice, Aleister Crowley gives a brief summary of his understanding of how divination "works." "The theory of any process of divination may be stated in a few simple terms. 1. We postulate the existence of intelligences, either within or without the diviner, of … Continue reading “Who Ya Gonna Call?”
Musings on Another Year
I just renewed my WordPress subscription (or, more accurately, I allowed it be renewed) for another year. Thus begins my fourth year of running this blog, and I thought it would be a good time for a quick review. I've covered a lot of ground over the past 36 months, in 1,170 posts. Some of … Continue reading Musings on Another Year
The Thrill of the Chase
There is an old aphorism that any activity worth pursuing is "more about experiencing the journey than about reaching the destination." In other words, the things you learn along the way are often more valuable than what you find at the end of the road. This truth is abundantly obvious in the art of tarot … Continue reading The Thrill of the Chase
A Duty of Honesty
The question sometimes comes up regarding whether a diviner has a professional duty to be brutally honest in making predictions for paying clients, or whether a little leeway should be allowed in the interest of human kindness. I believe there are a couple of different scenarios where this consideration arises. Obviously, in cases involving sensitive … Continue reading A Duty of Honesty
Half-Steps and Stepping Stones
I believe it was Paul Fenton-Smith, in his book Tarot Masterclass, who first introduced me to the idea that reversed cards represent unfinished business from the previous card in the sequence. Thus, if you get the 5 of Pentacles reversed, you still have accounts to settle with the 4 of Pentacles before the Five will … Continue reading Half-Steps and Stepping Stones
Hobbled and Hamstrung: The Scientific Fallacy
It has struck me that all past efforts to legitimize psychic phenomena have attempted to play by the rules of conventional logic in trying to apply established quantitative benchmarks to unknown phenomena. Making the observation fit the intellectual hypothesis is a time-honored practice by which theoretical discoveries are brought under the umbrella of academic acceptance. … Continue reading Hobbled and Hamstrung: The Scientific Fallacy
Metaphysical Entropy
The subject of how long a tarot prediction can be considered reliable is a fascinating one. This becomes especially interesting when an attempt is made to forecast circumstances and events an entire year into the future. In general I will use the Lenormand Grand Tableau for this purpose because its numerous "departments of life" can … Continue reading Metaphysical Entropy
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 