It's probably obvious that I really love the tarot. It's been a faithful companion on my life's journey since I first discovered it around 1970; it brings out my contemplative side in the same way that philosophy does, thanks mainly to the writing of Aleister Crowley, whom I admire as a thinker and scholar if … Continue reading Turn of the Tide
Tarot Opinion
Divinatory Revisionism
Yesterday I was reading an article that equated geomancy with "earth healing" - that is healing of or through the Earth. This stopped me in my tracks because not only does this usage have absolutely nothing to do with the suffix "mancy," which derives from the ancient Greek word "manteia," meaning divination, it is at odds with … Continue reading Divinatory Revisionism
Big Words
Peter Gabriel said it best in his ironic song "Big Time:" I've been stretching my mouth To let those big words come right out I love word-craft and clever language, but sometimes that fascination can get the best of me. Those big words are my nemesis because they can spell death for any hope of creating good writing. … Continue reading Big Words
The One-Note Samba
Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos (aka "Tom") Jobim once wrote a song called "One-Note Samba," which had lyrics (excerpted below) that were later sung by Frank Sinatra: This is just a little samba Built upon a single note Other notes are bound to follow But the root is still that note A similar idea appeared in the … Continue reading The One-Note Samba
The “No BS” Deck’s Agenda Spread
Every once in a while (and without a doubt more often than we would like), a reading begs the question "I know what was asked, but what does the seeker really want?" And the cards proceed to impose their own agenda on the story to the bemusement and bafflement of both reader and querent. Grappling with this situation can test the … Continue reading The “No BS” Deck’s Agenda Spread
Morning Coffee and Caitlin
I do some of my best work over a morning cup of strong black French Roast coffee. Today I took the opportunity to finish reading the last few pages of Caitlin Matthews' book, Untold Tarot, in preparation for writing this review. The book is beautifully produced, with an intelligent structure and numerous full-color illustrations, and it is … Continue reading Morning Coffee and Caitlin
But Is It Divine?
The root of the word divination is "divine," meaning "resembling God or a god in qualities such as power, beauty, or benevolence." I have encountered readers who are convinced that their every utterance is a direct communication from a Higher Power via their private psychic channel. My suspicion is that many of these people are converts … Continue reading But Is It Divine?
Context Is King
Although this has been a recurring minor theme in many of my previous posts, I thought I would expand on it a bit. In a lengthy thread on the Cartomancy Forum titled "Is There Such a Thing as Bad Cards?" author Andy Boroveshengra (of Lenormand fame but equally accomplished in tarot and traditional astrology) made … Continue reading Context Is King
Where There’s Smoke . . .
One objection that some tarot readers have to so-called "positional" spreads - those that typically bear a fixed positive or negative meaning for each card position in the layout - is that they can create an uncomfortable setting where a nominally good" card must be interpreted in a "bad" way according to its position and vice versa. The Celtic Cross is a perfect … Continue reading Where There’s Smoke . . .
Craft, Career or Calling?
I sometimes wonder how many people actually make a living wage in the field of divination, much less a handsome income. There are notable exceptions, of course, mostly respected authors, teachers, lecturers, artists, publishers and the occasional shop owner (although those are rapidly disappearing or diversifying in the face of crushing online sales). But I would venture to … Continue reading Craft, Career or Calling?
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 