AUTHOR'S NOTE: In his book Prometheus Rising, Robert Anton Wilson discusses three-dimensional "Euclidean space," observing that every human experience displays not only a perceived* temporal shift from the Past to the Future (conventionally graphed as left-to-right) and a non-temporal "chaotic-to-concrete" organizing principle that devolves from top-to-bottom (my Qabalistic take, not his), but also a psychological … Continue reading The Past/Present/Future Tarot Reading in Euclidean Space
Tarot Readings
The “Elastic” Tarot Reading: Stretching the Narrative
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This innovation is a real "stretch" (and perhaps even a dead-end) but I'm always seeking unique approaches to spread use. This one is just more "out there" than most, although the goal of overcoming an insurmountable roadblock is legitimate. Tarot readers who prefer to use positional spreads (for the record, I'm one of … Continue reading The “Elastic” Tarot Reading: Stretching the Narrative
Jumping Hurdles: A “Race to the Finish” Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This spread was inspired by my reading of Benebell Wen's Holistic Tarot and her "Six Controversies" (aka "Six Points") spread that examines "points of contention or strife in the seeker's situation." In my own model I'm using the idea of "hurdles" as represented by figurative potholes or boulders that place obstacles in the … Continue reading Jumping Hurdles: A “Race to the Finish” Spread
The Primary/Secondary “Tarot Ledger” Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A comment on one of my Medium posts led me to the idea that it would be productive to bin the cards pulled for a spread into "Primary Scope/Direct Answer" and "Secondary Scope/Rest of the Story" sub-categories, resembling a double-entry financial ledger. So here goes! I began by shuffling the deck to allow … Continue reading The Primary/Secondary “Tarot Ledger” Spread
The “Seed” Card and Directional “Pointer” – A Multi-Path Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is another unique way to use the single "focus" (aka Signficator) card to open a tarot reading. Additional Insights: I'm now home after the trip to Italy described in the example reading below. All of the anxiety I anticipated was reserved for the vehicular mayhem we experienced in Florence (Firenze), the one … Continue reading The “Seed” Card and Directional “Pointer” – A Multi-Path Spread
Who Am I Today (and Do I Really Want to Know)?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In my essay on self-reading I mentioned that I had already spent 40 years "doing the psycho-spiritual thing with both astrology and tarot." That pursuit was mainly philosophical navel-gazing aimed at uncovering my theoretical "true nature" apart from my observable attitudes and behaviors. After all that time, when I returned to professional tarot … Continue reading Who Am I Today (and Do I Really Want to Know)?
Personality, Adaptive Behavior and Character in Three Cards
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Not long ago I read a psychological article that described personality as being innate or instinctual, while character develops gradually over time through repetitive experiences that eventually solidify into a Pavlovian "conditioned response." In astrological terms, personality is the purview of the natal horoscope while the emergence of character can be shown by … Continue reading Personality, Adaptive Behavior and Character in Three Cards
NFL Football: Patriots at Seahawks, September 9, 2026
UPDATE: It looks like the Seahawks found the pulse of all those reversed trump cards after all. The only thing I can say about this reading - other than that I'm getting better at "hedging" - is that the final point spread was within range of the predicted single touchdown, although on the wrong side. … Continue reading NFL Football: Patriots at Seahawks, September 9, 2026
A Tarot Card-Counting Tableau
AUTHOR'S NOTE: After a long spell pursuing other divination-related interests, I've returned to reading Benebell Wen's Holistic Tarot and was just examining her card-counting approach to populating spreads. She uses the Golden Dawn technique from the "Opening of the Key" method, but I find it counterintuitive so I decided to create my own based loosely … Continue reading A Tarot Card-Counting Tableau
Midterm Election: Trump the Enabler or Trump the Adversary?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It was probably inevitable but I have to mention before continuing that Donald Trump looms large in this midterm election forecast as the Emperor, first upright as "Trump the Enabler" in the Republicans' "Chance to Win" position, and then reversed as "Trump the Adversary" in the Democrats' "Weaknesses" position. In the first instance, … Continue reading Midterm Election: Trump the Enabler or Trump the Adversary?