AUTHOR'S NOTE: Following up on my previous post, I did a reading on the crisis in Iran that applies the "n x 9/n2 - 5" numerological-reduction model shown therein. I used my favorite sociopolitical deck, Brian Williams' PoMo (Post-Modern) Tarot, to explore what will become of the Islamic regime over the next month in the … Continue reading “Banishing the Clerics” Reading – Tarot Looks at the Iran Crisis
Tarot Spreads
Purposeful Divination
AUTHOR NOTE: I was answering a question on one of the occult forums regarding what kind of magic I've found most effective, and I came up with the following response. Although I haven't performed any ritual magic since the mid-1980s, I realized that I now pursue what might be called "purposeful divination" as a form … Continue reading Purposeful Divination
“One Ringy-Dingy” – A Tarot “Patch-Through” Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Those who (like me) are "older than dirt" will remember Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In with Lily Tomlin as "Ernestine" the telephone switchboard operator and her iconic line "One ringy-dingy, two ringy-dingy" as she patched a call through and waited for the receiving party to pick-up. In this spread I've used the "patch-cord" motif … Continue reading “One Ringy-Dingy” – A Tarot “Patch-Through” Spread
The Conditional Future: A “Retrocausation” Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In his book Real Magic, Dean Radin introduced me to the idea of "time running backward" and its corollary, "retrocausation," in which the future reaches back into the present and shapes current circumstances to align with its long-range outlook. I covered this in my previous essay "Predisposition in Tarot Reading," and here I'm … Continue reading The Conditional Future: A “Retrocausation” Spread
A “Week Ahead” Forecast: Active and Passive Days
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I seldom perform single-card daily draws but they do have a place in the seven-card weekly reading to show how the period might trend. Here I've added the idea of "active" and "passive" days that adjust the energy level delivered by the cards. This is another mixed-media spread that employs tarot cards and … Continue reading A “Week Ahead” Forecast: Active and Passive Days
The Benefits of Structured Tarot Reading (or Pattern-Recognition on Steroids)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In my considered opinion, one area where modern tarot reading has "gone off the rails" is in the rise of the so-called "freestyle" layout in which there is no established rhyme or reason to the arrangement of the cards. Its proponents claim that this "deconstructed" approach sparks their creativity but it seems to … Continue reading The Benefits of Structured Tarot Reading (or Pattern-Recognition on Steroids)
The Story of a Life: Past-Life Reading with the Tarot
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A question occasionally arises in the online divination community regarding whether anyone has attempted to explore past lives with the tarot cards. I have a couple of existing spreads for this purpose, but I'm currently reading parapsychologist Dean Radin's book on yoga, Supernormal, in which he makes a case for reincarnation and past-life … Continue reading The Story of a Life: Past-Life Reading with the Tarot
A Timing Prediction with Tarot, Dominoes and Pendulum
AUTHOR'S NOTE: An acquaintance of mine who is pregnant and due to deliver on or about July 30 asked me to do a reading to predict whether the baby will arrive on-time. I decided to pose the question three ways: will the event occur within one week, two weeks or three weeks on either side … Continue reading A Timing Prediction with Tarot, Dominoes and Pendulum
Statement of Intent: A Mixed-Media Social Orientation Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When we've met or are about to meet someone new, regardless of the circumstances under which it occurs, it's useful to obtain a heads-up about the person's likely social orientation and distinctive habits, particularly if we have no other source of information about them (such as a mutual friend or associate). For example, … Continue reading Statement of Intent: A Mixed-Media Social Orientation Spread
A “User Profile” Spread and Table: Stalking the Wild Sociopath
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In a recent post I explored the subject of "using" and "being used" in a socially-manipulative way. Here I'm making good on two "oh-by-the-way" suggestions I made in that essay. One was to create a spread to examine the social priorities of a target individual (or entity) and the other was to bin … Continue reading A “User Profile” Spread and Table: Stalking the Wild Sociopath