There is a old phrase used in card-playing circles that has made its way into general usage as an expression of the fickleness of life: "the luck of the draw." It's a philosophical bookend to the related sentiment "Play the hand you're dealt." There is a fated quality to both that doesn't sit well with … Continue reading The Art of the Draw
Tarot Techniques
Joe and Jill: A “Moral Dilemma” Example Reading
All images © U.S. Games Systems, Inc, Stamford, CT and Lo Scarabeo, Torino, Italy This is a hypothetical reading addressing a common real-world scenario that I worked up to demonstrate my "Moral Dilemma" spread. The principals in this reading are entirely fictional. I used the Night Sun Tarot to populate the "Left-Hand Path" (or "dark" … Continue reading Joe and Jill: A “Moral Dilemma” Example Reading
The Three-Card Carousel
"Round and round she goes, and where she stops nobody knows." I'm pinching those words from the old Ted Mack Amateur Hour TV show to illustrate one method of reading a three-card spread in tarot divination. There are differing opinions on this: some always read in a line from left-to-right, with the Past on the … Continue reading The Three-Card Carousel
Thrown Under the Bus: The Major Arcana and Fate
Although the title of this article is only half-serious, it points to a common perception about the appearance of several Major Arcana (aka “trump”) cards in a reading. Eden Gray summarized it neatly in her 1960 book, The Tarot Revealed: “If the majority of cards in the layout come from the Major Arcana, there is … Continue reading Thrown Under the Bus: The Major Arcana and Fate
A Study in Facing, Part 3: Pip Cards
The Minor Arcana, or "pip" cards, of the RWS deck are by far the most diverse population from a directional standpoint, since there are more cards that I would classify as "ambiguous." This includes cards with posture/gaze misalignment and cards with multiple figures that give no clear sense of facing or "visual flow." There are … Continue reading A Study in Facing, Part 3: Pip Cards
A Study in Facing, Part 2: Trump Cards
I separated the Major Arcana cards of the RWS deck into three subgroups: those cards that have either a pronounced or insinuated "lean" to the left (the past), those that are gazing or aligned straight out of the card, facing the observer (the present), and those that favor the right side (the future). The key … Continue reading A Study in Facing, Part 2: Trump Cards
A Study in Facing, Part 1: Court Cards
Facing or directionality in the cards of the tarot has always intrigued those who use the cards for divination. One convention that takes advantage of this phenomenon is the assumption that the cards to the left in a line reading represent the past, the focus card in the center shows the present, and the cards … Continue reading A Study in Facing, Part 1: Court Cards
2004 Cold Case: Where Is Maura?
Update: There may be new evidence in this case suggesting she was kept in a basement near the crash scene. Here is a recent news article. https://www.wmur.com/article/maura-murray-family-woodsville-disappearance/26241858 Original Post: In 2004 a young Massachusetts woman crashed her car in New Hampshire and disappeared. She had a run-in with the law shortly before her disappearance but … Continue reading 2004 Cold Case: Where Is Maura?
Are We Having Fun Yet?
I guess you could call me an "accidental professional." Will I read for the public, for pay? Sure, if the circumstances are right. Do I obsess about getting paid for my efforts? Not by a long shot. I learned to read the cards - and to cast and interpret horoscopes and geomantic charts - mainly … Continue reading Are We Having Fun Yet?
Trump’s Showdown
Donald Trump is walking a tightrope with the handling of his prospects for facing an interview by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Does he take a bold, adversarial stance or a cautious, conciliatory one? I have a spread that deals with just such a scenario, one I call the "Hold 'Em or Fold 'Em Gambler's Option … Continue reading Trump’s Showdown
