Author's Note: For those of you who work with the esoteric tarot, this isn't a conventional explanation of the astrological decanates as they apply to the 36 minor cards (the Aces are a "special animal" in that regard) which mostly stop at sign and planet associations. I've expanded upon that model by looking more closely … Continue reading Foreground, Middle-Ground and Background Cards
Tarot Resources
Temperance/Art and the Sagittarius Decans
Continuing with my exploration of the "meditation patterns" for the Minor Arcana from Jim Eshelman's Liber Theta, here are the patterns for the Sagittarius trump card, Temperance (Art in the Thoth deck), and the three decans of Sagittarius; I call this sequence "Art for Art's Sake." The Minor Arcana for Sagittarius are the 8 of … Continue reading Temperance/Art and the Sagittarius Decans
Meditation Patterns: Strength/Lust and the Leo Decans
Continuing my exploration of the "meditation patterns" for the Minor Arcana from Jim Eshelman's Liber Theta, here are the patterns for the Leo trump card, Strength (Lust in the Thoth Deck), and the three decans of Leo; I call this sequence "The Three Trials of Lust." The Minor Arcana for the Leo decans are 5 … Continue reading Meditation Patterns: Strength/Lust and the Leo Decans
Meditation Patterns: The Emperor and the Aries Decans
A Facebook friend of mine just reminded me that Liber Theta, the College of Thelema's Thoth-based rewrite of the Golden Dawn's Liber T, includes what author Jim Eshelman calls "meditation patterns" for each pair of Major Arcana that are considered "astrological counterparts" to the Minor Arcanum for the associated decan of the Chaldean zodiac. There … Continue reading Meditation Patterns: The Emperor and the Aries Decans
Reversals and “Chaldean Mirrors”
I've been considering a different way to handle reversed cards that I call "Chaldean mirrors." The concept may not be new, but I haven't encountered it before. Most of the cards were associated with the “decans” of the Chaldean zodiac by the Golden Dawn's Macgregor Mathers, bringing the nature of the card together with the … Continue reading Reversals and “Chaldean Mirrors”
“No Way, No How?” – A Card-by-Card Event-Timing Table
UPDATE: I revised the table to reflect that certain cards in combination can indicate that the anticipated event won't happen without extra effort on the part of the querent. https://memes.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/53119a42-5ef5-4011-a985-1d8d93234f37#o9i6Ao7uhZ.copy Timing of events with the tarot is the proverbial "tough nut to crack." None of the various methods I've explored (and some of those I've … Continue reading “No Way, No How?” – A Card-by-Card Event-Timing Table
Favorite Things
I was recently talking to someone about "reading style." It's a subject worth examining in more detail. Although I can be a bit flippant in calling myself "half mad scientist and half mystic," what it boils down to is that my own mode of reading the cards partakes slightly more of the analytical than the … Continue reading Favorite Things
Don’t Memorize, Internalize!
Tarot neophytes are often mortified when they reach the inevitable conclusion that they have to memorize the complex and often non-intuitive meanings of 78 images before they can effectively read the cards. While I believe that acquiring a solid grounding in traditional lore is vital to full comprehension of the tarot, the very thought of … Continue reading Don’t Memorize, Internalize!
Students, Cynics and the Tarot Court
One of my favorite aphorisms is "I'm a student of human nature, so of course I'm a cynic." I believe that every individual has a private script (and usually a personal agenda) of some kind running at any given moment (they're basically starring in their own movie, although I don't think that's exactly what Aleister … Continue reading Students, Cynics and the Tarot Court
Musings on Another Year
I just renewed my WordPress subscription (or, more accurately, I allowed it be renewed) for another year. Thus begins my fourth year of running this blog, and I thought it would be a good time for a quick review. I've covered a lot of ground over the past 36 months, in 1,170 posts. Some of … Continue reading Musings on Another Year
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 