I've heard those words, preceded by a slightly petulant "I already knew that," out of my sitters' mouths more times than I care to remember. I'm always baffled by people who, seeing plainly that the tarot is capable of accurately describing a past that is unknown to the reader, can be so unenthusiastic about giving … Continue reading “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know”
Tarot Techniques
The “Build It As You Go” 3-Card Vignette
My aversion to very small spreads is well-known; in most cases, even three cards don't do much for me. However, I often find ways to extract meaningful subsets from larger patterns, especially if there are compelling indicators bringing them to my attention. The "cross" section of the Celtic Cross spread with its "past-present-future" triplicity is … Continue reading The “Build It As You Go” 3-Card Vignette
The “Mole’s-Eye View” Event-Horizon Spread
I'm not a fan of spreads that have no specific meaning for each card (also known as non-positional spreads). Speaking strictly for myself, I think they can leave the reader groping for relevance and potentially taking far too long to come to closure on a reading if the goal is to be diligent about providing … Continue reading The “Mole’s-Eye View” Event-Horizon Spread
A “Simple Yes-or-No Spread” Update
I don't do many yes-or-no readings because I think the tarot is more effective at telling stories. But today we had a contractor scheduled to come and hydro-seed our new lawn, and they hadn't arrived yet as of 10:00 AM. Because contractors in our area can be notoriously hard to pin down to a commitment, … Continue reading A “Simple Yes-or-No Spread” Update
Utility, Overkill or Elegance: A Spread Designer’s Dilemma
"Once upon a time there were three bears . . . oops, I mean tarot spreads that lived in a binder on my bookshelf. There was a great big 'father' spread, a middle-sized 'mother' spread and a tiny 'baby' spread. One was too large and hard and one was too small and easy but the … Continue reading Utility, Overkill or Elegance: A Spread Designer’s Dilemma
A “Two Paths” Example Reading
The Question: "What is the best way to approach local metaphysical (formerly "New Age") shops about getting card-reading gigs at their establishments? The Deck: Conver Ben-Dov (CBD) Tarot de Marseille All images copyright U.S. Games Systems, Inc, Stamford, CT This reading will test both the spread and my provisional TdM "pip" card meanings. The court-card … Continue reading A “Two Paths” Example Reading
The “Two Paths You Can Go By” Decision-Making Spread
Popular culture is often a goldmine of spread ideas and titles. In this case, the line "Yes, there are two paths you can go by" from Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" was tailor-made for a decision-making spread. After completing my "pips" cycle of essays, I decided to create a spread specifically for "pips-only" use. This … Continue reading The “Two Paths You Can Go By” Decision-Making Spread
Adaptive Reading
I recently came across a new wrinkle in the lexicon of political correctness: adaptive sports. What used to be called disabled and before that handicapped has now been scrubbed of any negative connotation. While I applaud the objective, I sense a whiff of sanctimony in the execution. But that's not what I came to write about. Back in … Continue reading Adaptive Reading
“It’s Alive!”
Aleister Crowley went to some trouble in The Book of Thoth to characterize the cards of the tarot as living beings. Much like Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein (who was rewarded after a fashion when his creature began making "yummy sounds" in the basement), I've been on a similar quest to coax heart-and-soul out of … Continue reading “It’s Alive!”
Gaze: Cooperation, Confrontation or Indifference?
Since I've been working with the Tarot de Marseille lately, I thought I would revisit the concept of facing, which in older terminology defines the "gaze" or "regard" of the central figure on each of the trump and court cards. (Is it looking, gesturing or posing toward the left, the right or straight out at the … Continue reading Gaze: Cooperation, Confrontation or Indifference?
