In his 1949 Tarot de Marseille book, Paul Marteau made frequent use of the term "condensing" when discussing the action of the suit of Cups on the emotional "vapors" (my word, not his) of the human psyche. The Cups are obviously vessels for holding liquid, and my fanciful take on Marteau's idea is that they … Continue reading The “Condensing and Concentrating” Cups
Tarot Resources
Pips, Courts and Trumps: A Short, Simple Guide to the Tarot de Marseille
UPDATE: Success! I was finally able to publish my book on Lulu, the only platform I could find that will accept OpenOffice "ODT" documents without a lot of reformatting effort. I should mention that this is not a work for the absolute beginner since it's aimed it at the "experienced TdM generalist and serious student" … Continue reading Pips, Courts and Trumps: A Short, Simple Guide to the Tarot de Marseille
Tarot Trumps and Planetary Hours of Greatest Potential Impact
I just came across the notion of "day" readings and "night" readings that can supposedly exhibit different qualities. This reminded me that traditional astrology includes the concept of "planetary hours" that can be used for selecting the most favorable time to undertake any activity governed by one of the seven classical planets. From there it … Continue reading Tarot Trumps and Planetary Hours of Greatest Potential Impact
A Creative Approach to Weekly and Daily Draws
A common practice recommended to tarot beginners is to randomly pull one card each day and contemplate its meaning over the course of that day, with the goal of gradually mastering the complex art of interpretation. Unfortunately, this approach to learning can continue long after its initial usefulness fades; the "daily draw" becomes institutionalized and … Continue reading A Creative Approach to Weekly and Daily Draws
The “Mercury Reversed” Retrograde Period Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I split this spread off from yesterday's post for better visibility, saying three times "I promise not to repeat myself . . ." As discussed at length in my previous essay, I don't buy the popular notion that Mercury going retrograde as part of the evolving "sky pattern" is automatically a harbinger of … Continue reading The “Mercury Reversed” Retrograde Period Spread
“Who’s Got the Ball?” – Court Cards As “Agency”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The ideas and practices described here are updated from those presented in at least one earlier post on the subject. It has always struck me that the court cards of a tarot deck have a fairly narrow range of usefulness in a reading (not to mention that they are often a source of … Continue reading “Who’s Got the Ball?” – Court Cards As “Agency”
The Astropsychology of the Tree of Life, Part 2: General Notes
Since the philosophical and hierarchical bases (beyond my First Principle that "Nothing is sacred") may not be perfectly clear for my comprehensive redistribution of the planets, signs and tarot trumps on the paths of the Hermetic Tree of Life , I decided to post my notes. My goals in reallocating the seven traditional planets to … Continue reading The Astropsychology of the Tree of Life, Part 2: General Notes
The “Higher Octave” Meditation
As a traditional natal and horary astrologer who typically uses only the seven planets of antiquity and their various modes of essential and accidental dignity, I don't assign zodiacal signs of exaltation to the modern (aka "trans-Saturnian) planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. In fact, I barely use those planets in my work at all, but … Continue reading The “Higher Octave” Meditation
Tarot 101 “Whys and Wherefores”
I've noticed a considerable increase in traffic on this blog lately, much of it coming from those new to tarot who are seeking beginner material. They are immediately confronted with a puzzle: why do I call my newbie stuff "Tarot 101, My Way" when what I've done is round up and judiciously condense the keywords … Continue reading Tarot 101 “Whys and Wherefores”
The Astropsychology of the Tree of Life
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's going to be another "two-fer" day for my readers since I decided to sneak this one into my usual "tarot brain-dump." It's not so much writing as thinking (way) outside the box. This is a liberal adaptation of the "standard" Hermetic (Kircher) Tree of Life that appears in most modern esoteric books. … Continue reading The Astropsychology of the Tree of Life
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 