(These observations apply to face-to-face reading; on-line reading is frequently performed in a vacuum with no opportunity to "check-and-adjust" the narrative through interactive feedback from the seeker.) Those of us who read for others sometimes sense that we're about to "fail open" like an electrical circuit breaker when the responses we're receiving from our sitter … Continue reading Changing Gears: Recovering from a Weak Start
Tarot Opinion
“Cheap Shots” #9: Where’s the Beef?
Many of us remember the old Wendy's TV commercials in which actress Clara Peller grumpily complained "Where's the beef?" when handed a competitor's burger. There is a parallel phenomenon in tarot divination that takes two different paths but eventually arrives at the same place. On-line reading exchanges offer a perfect vantage point for observing this … Continue reading “Cheap Shots” #9: Where’s the Beef?
Astrology is Your Friend
Those who prefer an entirely intuitive, visual approach to reading tarot cards are in the habit of pushing back vehemently against the use of any kind of knowledge-based occult symbolism or esoteric correspondences in their practice. In some cases a certain dismissive elitism is behind this resistance, in others it's simply a matter of being … Continue reading Astrology is Your Friend
Not Your Daddy’s Clergyman After All
I spent decades wrestling with ways to translate Temperance into practical interpretive terms, never once realizing that the Hierophant posed just as big a puzzle for me. I was content thinking of the latter as showing traditional values and conventional wisdom of a practical sort, primarily due to its correspondence to the conservative fixed sign, … Continue reading Not Your Daddy’s Clergyman After All
The “Inner Life” of Tarot
There is a punch line from an old and very non-PC joke, (for which I apologize without revealing any more) and a response from John Lennon's book In His Own Write, that together neatly summarize all we think we know about the inner workings of a tarot reading. Q: “How do it know?” A: “You … Continue reading The “Inner Life” of Tarot
Who You Callin’ a . . . ?
. . . narcissist. In a forum exchange about which cards best portray male narcissism, I came up with a near-perfect expression in Brian William's Post-Modern Tarot.
Rota Fortunae: Ticket to Ride
In my unpublished book on tarot spreads, I made the following statement about the Wheel of Fortune: It sits in the eleventh position of the sequence, mid-way between Key 0 (the Fool) and Key 21 (the World), bringing to closure the first half of the Fool's journey of self-discovery and stimulating a fresh start with … Continue reading Rota Fortunae: Ticket to Ride
“Cheap Shots” #8 (Do You Believe in Magic?)
There's even a song about it (although I rather ruthlessly culled the verses I wanted for my purpose). "I'll tell you about the magic, and it'll free your soul If you believe in magic, come along with me Believe in the magic that can set you free Ohh, talking 'bout magic Do you believe like … Continue reading “Cheap Shots” #8 (Do You Believe in Magic?)
Court and Minor Cards as Allies to the Major Arcana
The appeal of systematically aligning the cards of the Minor Arcana with the Major Arcana has engaged many thinkers on the tarot, and a number of schemes have been proposed, most with a numerical or hierarchical root. Attempts along these lines have been made by James Wanless (Voyager Tarot) and Elizabeth Hazel (The Tarot Decoded). … Continue reading Court and Minor Cards as Allies to the Major Arcana
Tarot Unzipped: Fixing the Unfixable
We have all had the experience: something we take for granted that is commonplace but also absolutely essential to the performance of some action no longer works as it should. Think of a broken zipper on a jacket or pair of pants. Replacing a zipper – unless you're a talented seamstress or accept the expense … Continue reading Tarot Unzipped: Fixing the Unfixable
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 