AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although this spread is set up for a specific set of priorities and a single, narrowly-framed question, it is adaptable to almost any kind of analysis. Just change the header titles and the "Query" entry to suit the topical focus. It includes a "response" row; an "advantages" row; a "disadvantages" row; and a … Continue reading The “Best-Case/Worst-Case” Situational Priorities Spread
Tarot Techniques
The “Amends with Benefits” Adjusted-Reaction Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I think I've outdone (or maybe undone) myself with pun-ish titles on this one. It's a variation of the "yes-or-no" spread that takes the prediction in a more actionable direction. This approach uses the cards in a positive-reinforcement way that focuses on the desired outcome, and recognizes that the outlook the seeker hopes … Continue reading The “Amends with Benefits” Adjusted-Reaction Spread
The Realist Bids Farewell to the Romantic (or “Don’t Call Me, I’ll Call You”)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was recently cautioned against performing the kind of investigative tarot-reading that operates in the same algorithmic space as probabilistic number-crunching (specifically for odds-making in sports betting). The critic's presumptuous attitude was that I'm tarnishing my credentials as a diviner (which I assume means my standing as an enlightened mystic). I'm not so … Continue reading The Realist Bids Farewell to the Romantic (or “Don’t Call Me, I’ll Call You”)
NFL Football: Patriots at Bengals, 11/23/25
UPDATE: Another winner, but the Patriots were sweating it all the way to the end! Looks like Joe Flacco was able to move the ball as I assumed he would. AUTHOR'S NOTE: For those of my readers who have no interest in probabilistic forecasting, this will be the last post on the subject until the … Continue reading NFL Football: Patriots at Bengals, 11/23/25
Tendencies, Trends and Probabilities: Three Modes of Realization in Tarot Prediction
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Before I dive into my subject, I should mention that I no longer use tarot for the purpose of psychological self-awareness and self-development after doing so for the better part of four decades. I decided beginning in 2011 that natal astrology (which I've also done since 1972) is a far better tool for … Continue reading Tendencies, Trends and Probabilities: Three Modes of Realization in Tarot Prediction
Thursday Night Football: Houston Texans vs. Buffalo Bills, 11/20/25
UPDATE: Looks like I had the defensive advantage on the wrong side; I over-complicated what should have been a head-to-head comparison and missed the mark. This spread needed some work to sort out the offense/defense pairing. In practice, the original spread did not lend itself to a clean judgment regarding the forces at work, so … Continue reading Thursday Night Football: Houston Texans vs. Buffalo Bills, 11/20/25
“Opportunity Presented” – A Multi-Path Decision Making Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Upon reading Benebell Wen's observation in Holistic Tarot that each of the Aces symbolizes "an opportunity presented" (but not yet acted upon), I realized that this concept could be put to use in a decision-making spread with three distinct outcome chains depending on how the opportunity is handled. Card backs are from the … Continue reading “Opportunity Presented” – A Multi-Path Decision Making Spread
Point/Counterpoint: The Interplay of Cards in a Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Whenever the meaning of the "outcome" card in an online spread analysis is unclear, I expect to encounter advice from the community to "look at the rest of the cards in the reading for the answer." This is wise counsel since no single card operates in a vacuum when accompanied by one or … Continue reading Point/Counterpoint: The Interplay of Cards in a Reading
A Reversal Miscellany – Variations on a Theme
SUMMARY: Let it be said that nothing is certain in life except death, taxes and more essays from me on the subject of reversed cards in tarot reading. Here is another composite post based on the new "shared theme" model that I debuted recently, this time taking a more general look at reversals. The "Bubble … Continue reading A Reversal Miscellany – Variations on a Theme
Noise Pollution: Unpacking the Ambiguous Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Lately I've been using the analogy of "white noise" when discussing the lack of a cohesive (it doesn't hang together) and coherent (it isn't intelligible) message in the cards of a tarot reading. All too often, when diviners are confronted with such ambiguity in a spread, the sound coming out of them (myself … Continue reading Noise Pollution: Unpacking the Ambiguous Reading
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 