AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just came across the idea that an unpopulated tarot spread (prior to laying the cards) represents an "unseen map of the question" (this coming once again from Vincent Pitisci's Genius of the Tarot, my current "morning-treadmill" read). This squares well with my own premise that the spread positions represent "signposts" or "way-points" … Continue reading The Unseen Map: “Here Be Dragons”
Tarot Resources
Tarot and Astrology: Convergence or Collision?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that I was already a natal astrologer of the "psychological" school and had been for a couple of years before I began pursuing tarot study and practice in a systematic (primarily esoteric) way. So I have an abiding appreciation for astrological principles even though … Continue reading Tarot and Astrology: Convergence or Collision?
The “Whole Suit” Tarot-Timing Technique
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have little faith in any of the tarot timing methods I've tried, including several I created for my own use. Unless an occurrence is limited to a known time-frame (e.g. an action with a firm deadline for closure), its destiny can be too fluid and present too many variables to pin down … Continue reading The “Whole Suit” Tarot-Timing Technique
Cups Redux – A Valentine’s Day Reboot
Although I think it's just another "Hallmark holiday" now, I've begun a tradition of informally bumping my "Cups in Love" post every Valentine's Day. https://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/got-love-if-you-want-it-or-love-in-its-cups/
“Six-ness” and the Sextile
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I recently came across two online questions that I've merged into a single essay. The first involved the blending of astrology with tarot, and the second inquired whether the 6 of Swords is a favorable card. In thinking about this topic, it struck me that in astrology the sextile aspect (60 degrees of … Continue reading “Six-ness” and the Sextile
Aleister Crowley: “Hierophant” or “Devil?”
I'm now reading Alejandro Jodorowsky's commentary in The Way of Tarot about the number Five and its "decimal equivalency" in the Pope (Hierophant) and the Devil. One passage struck me as an accidental portrait of Aleister Crowley as an exemplar of what Jodo is talking about: "The Five of Wands represents two temptations: sublimating the … Continue reading Aleister Crowley: “Hierophant” or “Devil?”
The “Active Witness” and the Minor Arcana
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is another interesting observation from Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Way of Tarot. In it he notes that, when a "pip" card of the Tarot de Marseille exhibits a red dot or figurative "eye," the symbol represents an "active (that is, actively involved) witness" to the action signified by the card. This idea inspired … Continue reading The “Active Witness” and the Minor Arcana
The Tree of Life in the Abstract
As I understand it after many years of study, there are two ways to look at the Qabalistic Tree of Life. There is the traditional viewpoint of Hebraic mysticism involving what I term the "rabbinical" Tree, perhaps best exemplified by the work of Rabbi Isaac Luria (which I admit to not having studied in depth … Continue reading The Tree of Life in the Abstract
The Archetypal Celtic Cross
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The deck in the photograph is the Waite-Smith Centennial Edition in a Tin, which is copyrighted by U.S. Games Systems Inc. of Stamford, CT, used by permission and in accordance with the provisions of Fair Use. In The Way of Tarot, Alejandro Jodorowsky characterizes the Magician as dwelling entirely in the present, and … Continue reading The Archetypal Celtic Cross
An Archetypal “Yes-No-Maybe” Template
There is constant argument on the tarot forums and pages about whether the cards can or should be used to address "yes-or-no" questions. I strongly believe that any inquiry can be put to the tarot as long as we are perceptive and sensitive about how we interpret the verdict. Simply saying "The tarot is ineffective … Continue reading An Archetypal “Yes-No-Maybe” Template
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 