One thing I have always appreciated about tarot is its ability to speak the plain truth in difficult circumstances. Its advice is often bluntly constructive rather than comforting, and the reader must walk a fine line when imparting its wisdom to assure impartiality. It's a truism that "bad things" do still happen to "good people," … Continue reading Should We Empower or Should We Enable?
Tarot Opinion
Culling the Herd
In agriculture, threshing a wheat harvest means separating the kernels from the chaff, after which winnowing removes the hulls, leaving behind only the edible part of the grain. Facing the bounty of new, old and restored tarot decks on the market today, I feel like a lucky farmer confronting a bumper crop. The phrase “So … Continue reading Culling the Herd
“Cheap Shots” #14 – Tough Love
I generally prefer decks that hand out unvarnished truth rather than affirmative pleasantries (which excludes many oracle decks, and especially "angel cards"). The Thoth is the granddaddy of them all in that regard, and each of its various clones is no slouch either. For example, unlike the ambivalent 8 of Cups in the Waite-Smith deck, … Continue reading “Cheap Shots” #14 – Tough Love
Cold Reading Then and Now
"Cold-reading" is an interesting subject; it seems to mean something entirely different now than in the past. In my own experience, it used to describe reading with zero prior knowledge or information, simply drawing insight from the cards or other tools of divination with no preliminary "warm-up" clues from the sitter. But it now implies … Continue reading Cold Reading Then and Now
“Is this love, or is it just confusion?”
Jimi Hendrix could have been channeling a dysfunctional 2 of Cups when he wrote the lyrics to "Love or Confusion:" Oh my head is pounding pounding Going 'round and 'round and 'round and 'round Must there always be these colors? Without names without sound? My heart burns with feelin' but Oh but my mind is … Continue reading “Is this love, or is it just confusion?”
Hangin’ Out
It has always seemed to me that the Hanged Man gets a bad rap. After all, patience is a virtue and in my experience the “sacrifice” almost universally applied to interpretation of this card often means relinquishing time or initiative rather than irretrievable loss of anything more concrete. Inaction can even be the most prudent … Continue reading Hangin’ Out
The Art and Science of Divination: An Opinion
Aleister Crowley stated it succinctly and perversely in the front-piece to “A Description of the Cards of the Tarot” from The Equinox, Volume 1, Number 8: “All divination resembles an attempt by a man born blind to obtain sight by getting blind drunk.” In his 1907 motto for the Astrum Argenteum, while also taking an … Continue reading The Art and Science of Divination: An Opinion
“Let Me Face It”
I once had a friend whose English pronunciation was a bit on the ragged side. He added an "s" to many singular nouns (those of you from a certain part of the world will relate) and instead of the common idiom "Let's face it," he always said "Let me face it." Looks like a ready-made … Continue reading “Let Me Face It”
What’s Your Style?
This question is more about personality than professional demeanor. What is the best "face" to present to clients when reading in-person? Sunny and breezy? Casual and friendly? Confident and focused? Sympathetic and upbeat? Clever and glib? Solemn and serious? Wise and scholarly? Perhaps a pinch of each? Personally, I'm about as far from the description … Continue reading What’s Your Style?
“Cheap Shots” #10: Who Are the Pros?
Since I first connected with other tarot enthusiasts on-line back in 2011, I've met numerous talented readers who have honed their craft to the point that they have successfully entered the ranks of professional diviners. In fact, these contacts encouraged me to return to public reading after many years away. On the other hand, I … Continue reading “Cheap Shots” #10: Who Are the Pros?
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 