In The Way of Tarot, Alejandro Jodorowsky floats the idea of "charging" the Major Arcana cards with personal significance instead of relying on the memorization of traditional keywords, in effect turning them into talismans imbued with the power of our own subjective vision. The implication is that conventional teaching methods based on the tarot literature … Continue reading “Charging” the Reader and the Reading
Tarot Techniques
A Short Essay on Esoteric Color Symbolism
As I learned them long ago, these are the brief esoteric meanings for the primary colors of the visible spectrum as they appear in the cards of the tarot: Red - Desire, Elemental Fire (Suit of Wands: Action, Ambition, Inspiration, Opportunism, Arousal, etc.)Blue - Feeling, Elemental Water (Suit of Cups: Intuition, Sensitivity, Kindness, Inclusiveness, Receptivity, … Continue reading A Short Essay on Esoteric Color Symbolism
Jodo’s Numerical Counterparts: “VI in the Ones Place”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I first came across the idea of "numerological counterparts" for the Major Arcana in the companion book to the Druid Craft Tarot by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm. It was derived in the same way as the "quintessence" card, but here is a slightly more involved method. In The Way of Tarot, Alejandro Jodorowsky … Continue reading Jodo’s Numerical Counterparts: “VI in the Ones Place”
The “PITA” Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: (Hint: It's not hummus.) Acronyms are an economical convenience. As verbal shorthand, they can go straight for the jugular without mincing words. Take one of my current favorites among those in modern usage (or at least those that are suitable for polite company): "PITA," or "Pain in the Ass" (in earlier times often … Continue reading The “PITA” Spread
The “S&N or CS” Multi-Path Life-Reading Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: No, this has nothing to do with Crosby, Stills and Nash splinter groups, it is a complex, branching spread for general life-reading. As is probably obvious by now, I love complex, finely-tuned tarot spreads for the purpose of performing open-ended readings with no specific question or topic. If they offer multiple paths for … Continue reading The “S&N or CS” Multi-Path Life-Reading Spread
The “Ill Wind” Troubleshooting Forecast
AUTHOR'S NOTE - Question: What tarot concept involves zodiacal elements, English proverb, folklore, Shakespeare, Dickens, the Archangel Gabriel, yard maintenance and meteorological metaphor? Answer: This spread, obviously. English idiom: "It's an ill wind that blows nobody good." I've always felt that this proverb can be easily misconstrued as an ironclad guarantee of misfortune (e.g. "no … Continue reading The “Ill Wind” Troubleshooting Forecast
Trump Indictment: A Yes-or-No Reading in Two Parts
To test my archetypal "Yes-No-Maybe" template, I asked the question "Will Donald Trump be indicted for sedition due to allegedly encouraging insurrection in Washington DC on January 6, 2021?" This was before I learned that an indictment for Espionage Act violations may be even more likely because it is seen as an "open-and-shut" case (if … Continue reading Trump Indictment: A Yes-or-No Reading in Two Parts
An Archetypal “Yes-No-Maybe” Template
There is constant argument on the tarot forums and pages about whether the cards can or should be used to address "yes-or-no" questions. I strongly believe that any inquiry can be put to the tarot as long as we are perceptive and sensitive about how we interpret the verdict. Simply saying "The tarot is ineffective … Continue reading An Archetypal “Yes-No-Maybe” Template
The Three-Card Quintessence: A New Twist on an Old Idea
In The Way of Tarot, Alejandro Jodorowsky points out that the second half of the Tarot de Marseille trump-card series - both in its whole numbers and in its factored integers - progresses by addition of the Roman numerals with no subtraction needed (e.g. while the Devil is 10 + 5 [or X+V] = 15, … Continue reading The Three-Card Quintessence: A New Twist on an Old Idea
The “Mandala of the Moment”
In The Way of Tarot, Alejandro Jodorowsky envisions arranging all 78 cards of the Tarot de Marseille in a single emblematic pattern, a geometric "mandala" that can be visually absorbed at a glance, instantly embraced by the mind and easily understood in its entirely once the cards' basic meanings have been internalized. While pondering this … Continue reading The “Mandala of the Moment”
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 