In microeconomics, economy of scale refers to the theory that average costs start falling as output increases. As I apply it to tarot spread design, it asserts that the level of effort required to read a spread decreases as the number of card positions increases. While this seems counter-intuitive, it's due to the fact that, … Continue reading Economy of Scale in Spread Design
Tarot Techniques
“The Blind Pig and the Acorn” Career Outlook Spread
Although Dukes of Hazzard fans would like to claim it as part of Southern heritage, as would Appalachia, the proverb alluded to in the title was apparently of ancient Roman origin: "Even a blind pig can find an acorn once in a while." According to Wikipedia, there is a "related Latin saying that a blind … Continue reading “The Blind Pig and the Acorn” Career Outlook Spread
The “On the Fly” Random Contact Spread
Those who read frequently for others often encounter sitters who are seeking romance, and those readers probably don't have enough fingers and toes (or hairs on their head) to count how many times they've been asked whether an upcoming event (trip, party, night on the town or other gathering of peers) will produce just such … Continue reading The “On the Fly” Random Contact Spread
The Best-Laid Plans: An Alternative Action Spread
When querents bring a planning question to the table, they typically have at least a rough idea of what they want to do, although it may be founded more on hope and conjecture than clear-eyed foresight. Most are aware they need a fall-back position, or "Plan B," to which they can resort if things don't … Continue reading The Best-Laid Plans: An Alternative Action Spread
An Example Reading with the “Destiny’s Dartboard” Timing Spread
I had a near-term timing question that I thought would be a perfect opportunity for testing this spread. A couple of weeks ago I submitted an article to the publisher of The Cartomancer quarterly journal for possible publication. (This wasn't a "shot in the dark" since I've had several articles published there already). She got … Continue reading An Example Reading with the “Destiny’s Dartboard” Timing Spread
Crossing the Line
There is mixed opinion in the tarot community about whether it's necessary for a reader (at least in a face-to-face setting) to know exactly what a sitter wants before attempting a reading. Some ask the sitter to tell them the specific question, others want to know as little as possible in advance. My early tarot … Continue reading Crossing the Line
An Example Reading with the Personalized Astrological Spread
I performed a reading with the personalized astrological spread I described in my last post. The question was "How will our planned cross-State household relocation go this Summer?" I used the Thoth deck for the house/sign template and the Liber T, Tarot of Stars Eternal as the reading deck. My Significator, the Knight of Cups, … Continue reading An Example Reading with the Personalized Astrological Spread
Personalizing the Astrological Spread
An interesting question came up on Saturday while I was giving a presentation on the Golden Dawn's Opening of the Key spread. It's been said that, due to its extreme complexity (and, I might add, its redundancy), the members of the Order almost never did all five operations of the OotK, contenting themselves with the … Continue reading Personalizing the Astrological Spread
The Tarot Salad Bar
For those of us who use esoteric correspondences in reading the tarot, pulling cards for a reading is like ordering a "tarot salad" with special dressing This is especially true if there are several cards of a similar "flavor," whether elemental, astrological or numerical. Many writers have addressed what happens when you have an abundance … Continue reading The Tarot Salad Bar
The Long Result of Time
Bear with me here, soon enough you'll see my quirky connection between Tennyson's poetry and the professional practice of tarot divination. Back in 1965, British science fiction author John Brunner wrote a novel dubbed The Long Result. He lifted the title from a couplet in Tennyson's long lyrical poem, Locksley Hall, which - even though … Continue reading The Long Result of Time
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 