Symbolic inclusiveness: The idea that all symbols are interchangeable and can mean anything one wants them to mean; personal perception "in the moment" trumps the accumulated wisdom of the ages, so there is no need to learn the symbolic language of any particular system of thought in order to practice it. Throw enough symbols at … Continue reading Symbolic Inclusiveness vs. Singularity of Purpose
Tarot Opinion
The Twos and the Sword of Damocles
The analogy I'm attempting here may be too much of a stretch even for me, but let's see where it takes us. Damocles was a courtier to King Dionysius II, 4th Century BC ruler of Syracuse. He was the classic "Man Who Would Be King," envious of the tyrant's power and glory. His thinking would … Continue reading The Twos and the Sword of Damocles
Bad Stuff
Shortly after I returned to professional practice a couple of years ago, I had a client who sat down at the table and said briskly "Don't tell me any bad stuff!" I assured her that even the less agreeable insights that may arise in a tarot reading can be worked with creatively and constructively to … Continue reading Bad Stuff
The “Bounce”
I'm delving into a subject here that may be difficult to grasp, so bear with me. Some of you - but not many, I'd wager, given the demographic of the tarot community - know what a "dead-blow" hammer (or mallet) is. It's a striking tool used in applications like metal-working, sculpting, wood-carving, cobbling, jewelry-making and … Continue reading The “Bounce”
The Literal Tarot
It sometimes seems to me that trying to learn tarot as a neophyte in the 21st Century is like stepping into quicksand with cement overshoes, especially when talking to those ad-hoc mentors who see intuition as the only reliable arrow in a reader's interpretive quiver. The idea that there is any kind of intellectual bedrock … Continue reading The Literal Tarot
Eden Gray: A New Age Icon
I thought I was going to have to do some prodigious legwork to write this post, but Mary Greer saved me the trouble with her informative blog article on Eden Gray. Read hers first, since summarizing her excellent research for my own purposes would be pointless: https://marykgreer.com/2008/03/27/eden-grays-fools-journey/ There was little in the way of popular … Continue reading Eden Gray: A New Age Icon
The Pangloss Syndrome
Because I try to post something new almost every day, I'm delighted by how often random forum conversations serve up grist for my philosophical mill. Today I was talking to katrinka/fennario (Stella Waldvogel) on one of the cartomancy forums about the book Tarot on Earth by Tom Benjamin, who apparently subscribes to the belief that, … Continue reading The Pangloss Syndrome
The Gold Standard
It's a rare tarot deck that doesn't have a single fan of its charms, even if appreciation is limited to the deck's creator or reserved for a particular purpose (such as esoteric study, self-reflection or divination). Generally, it's the skill of the artist that garners the most interest followed by the accessibility of the symbolism … Continue reading The Gold Standard
Signs, Signs . . .
"Everything is a sign." (Yoav Ben-Dov, The Open Reading) As a life-long student of all things occult (even though I've gained no more than a nodding acquaintance with some of them), I've formed definite opinions about the "inner workings" of divination. In a shamanistic sense, what we're looking for are "signs" that point toward intimations … Continue reading Signs, Signs . . .
Perfect Is As Perfect Does
One fascinating question that often comes up in conversation with tarot novices is "What is the perfect deck for my first one?" Usually they know that the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) deck in one of its numerous incarnations is recommended by most experienced readers as a good place to start, and the broad, deep field … Continue reading Perfect Is As Perfect Does
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 