AUTHOR'S NOTE: The assumption behind this spread is that the top tier of cards is more likely to be "fast-tracked" to closure, the middle tier will play out more gradually and the bottom tier will be substantially delayed. The table at the end of the essay offers a tool to determine which tier a card … Continue reading Kicked Upstairs: A Numerical Displacement Method and Spread
Tarot Techniques
“Just the Right Words”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Last night I was watching a documentary by and about Scottish comedian, actor and musician Billy Connelly (there are apparently several but this two-part series on Prime was filmed in 2018-19), and he made a point that "resonated" with me (not an expression I like much but it seems to be in vogue … Continue reading “Just the Right Words”
Tarot Journaling: Why Bother? (With a Little “Blarrrrgh!” on the Side)
First a bit of personal drama. Pseudo-John Cleese intones gravely: "Tonight on 'Too Much Information,' we explore the frontiers of stomach flu." In the wee hours I woke up with a mild fever that went downhill to the point that I began to feel that glottal "Barfish" (not "Bar-fish," you're thinking of Douglas Adams' "Babel-Fish;" … Continue reading Tarot Journaling: Why Bother? (With a Little “Blarrrrgh!” on the Side)
The Speed of Dark
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was just reading a post of quotes from comedian and TV personality Stephen Wright and came across this humorous philosophical puzzler: "What's the speed of dark?" In the past I've done some work with a Jungian psychologist on use of the tarot to explore both the persona and the shadow side of … Continue reading The Speed of Dark
The “Full House” – A 78-Card Tarot Tableau and Readings
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In my previous post about 78-card tarot arrays I hinted that I might come up with a new spread based on that premise. Here it is, and there are two suggested ways to use it that will identify a subset of cards for the actual reading. (Obviously, I don't advise attempting this sprawling … Continue reading The “Full House” – A 78-Card Tarot Tableau and Readings
The Power of “Past Prediction” in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The simple "past-present-future" predictive reading is such an integral part of the tarot practitioner's toolbox that we usually perform it without thinking too much about exactly what we're doing. In practical terms, examining events and circumstances that have already transpired and can no longer be affected by our active intervention would seem to … Continue reading The Power of “Past Prediction” in Tarot Reading
Obviously A Map . . . But Of What?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The panorama of 78 tarot cards is often described as a "map." Some say that it portrays the dimensions of the objective Universe, others consider it a "roadmap of life" into which we can dip to extract the itinerary for a particular leg of the journey (stay tuned, there may be a new … Continue reading Obviously A Map . . . But Of What?
A Tarot Take on “Strictures Against Judgement”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: What follows is an odd-ball idea that applies the poker-player's caveat about "knowing when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em." There are times when it's clear that a reading is going nowhere, but we still feel obligated to make the most of it. If that realization occurs with the very first … Continue reading A Tarot Take on “Strictures Against Judgement”
“Oi Flings ‘Er!” – Yet Another Critique of Jumpers
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In the Monty Python sketch Interesting People, in which Michael Palin as the master-of ceremonies interviews a stream of curious characters, Graham Chapman arrives carrying a live cat. Palin asks Chapman what the cat does that is interesting. Chapman replies "She flies across the stage and lands it that bucket" (conveniently placed at … Continue reading “Oi Flings ‘Er!” – Yet Another Critique of Jumpers
Fortuitous Attraction: A Spirit-Contact Spread Using Court Cards
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although it is usually the domain of psychic mediums, contacting ancestral spirits via tarot reading is a popular topic of discussion in the online community that often generates requests for suitable spreads. I've created a few such arrays in the past, but I'm on the fence about the subject. Humans in primordial times … Continue reading Fortuitous Attraction: A Spirit-Contact Spread Using Court Cards
