Back when I was employed and had to rise before dawn to get ready for work without waking my wife, I used to judge the promise of the coming day by whether or not I slid my slippers on the right feet on the first try in total darkness. If I got it wrong, I … Continue reading “Coin-Flip” Divination
Tarot Opinion
“Cheap Shots” #22: Tough Talk
I've written on the topic of tarot professionalism before (see Volume 3 - Issue 2 of The Cartomancer), but recent forum exchanges bring me back to the subject. What might be termed the "journeyman class" of tarot readers- those who have been reading for family and friends for some time - is strongly tempted to … Continue reading “Cheap Shots” #22: Tough Talk
The Tarot of Dreams Deck Interview
I just received Ciro Marchetti's Tarot of Dreams (the 2015 reissue) today and decided to run it thorough my "personality profile" deck interview spread. This is Ciro's second tarot project, following on the heels of his Gilded Tarot. I consider it a step up in excellence. All images copyright U.S. Games Systems, Inc, Stamford, CT … Continue reading The Tarot of Dreams Deck Interview
A Question of Accuracy
I recently participated in a forum discussion involving ways to increase one's accuracy when reading for others. Many readers experience occasional lapses in querent satisfaction after a long string of successful attempts, and are puzzled why this should be the case since nothing has changed in their approach. My thought on this is that they … Continue reading A Question of Accuracy
Christopher Hyatt and the Opening of the Key
During my recent exploration of the Opening of the Key (OotK) method as described by Aleister Crowley in both the Book of Thoth and in his 1912 release of the Golden Dawn tarot material in The Equinox, Volume 1, Number 8 (which he also identified as "revised and improved" from the version "given to students … Continue reading Christopher Hyatt and the Opening of the Key
The Full Monty: Comparing Tarot Deck Styles
For those of you aren't British, this is the source of my title: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_full_monty_(phrase) A question was recently raised on one of the tarot forums as to whether there is a comprehensive table providing a side-by-side comparison of card meanings across all the major deck styles: Tarot de Marseille (TdM), Etteilla, Wirth, Golden Dawn, RWS … Continue reading The Full Monty: Comparing Tarot Deck Styles
Adherence of the RWS Pips to Their Golden Dawn Roots
As a follow-up to my previous post on the relationship between the RWS and Thoth decks and their common source in the Golden Dawn's esoteric system, I conducted a small exploratory analysis of the relative adherence of the RWS pip cards to their Golden Dawn roots. I took the descriptions in Liber T and compared … Continue reading Adherence of the RWS Pips to Their Golden Dawn Roots
Cheap Shots #21: Thoth vs RWS, Head-to-Head
Let it be said right up front: I'm not a huge fan of the Waite-Smith (aka Rider-Waite-Smith or "RWS") deck. I think that, in many cases, the narrative vignettes embedded in Pamela Colman Smith's scenic "pip" cards - the minors with their ready-made stories - hijack the deeper esoteric meaning that lies at its core, … Continue reading Cheap Shots #21: Thoth vs RWS, Head-to-Head
Thoth Pip Cards as Emotions
A couple of years ago one of my Aeclectic Tarot forum mates conducted an exercise to explore how the Minor Arcana, or "pip" cards, of the Thoth deck might be categorized as a range of emotional expressions: Joy, Anger, Love, Grief, Surprise, Fear, Trust and Anxiety. Because the Thoth pips have titles on them as … Continue reading Thoth Pip Cards as Emotions
The Aces: “First Whirlings”
I often hear novice tarot readers say, upon encountering an Ace in a reading, "You're going to be starting something new!" I think to myself "Well, no . . . at least not yet." The Aces represent the impulse to act that sparks (or should spark) the focus and concentration essential to mounting any well-planned … Continue reading The Aces: “First Whirlings”
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 