I've been thinking about the presence of interpretive contrasts and contradictions in almost every tarot reading, particularly when using spreads that include a "reactive" position such as the three-card "action/reaction/resolution" layout in which the second card provides an occasion for rebuttal against the original premise. Unless we are indulging in wishful thinking of the "It's … Continue reading “On the Other Hand . . . ” (A Study in Contrasts)
Tarot Techniques
The Reconciler
Over the past few weeks I've written at some length about the various ways to read a three-card tarot spread. One idea I didn't spend much time on is the aggregating power of the middle card: rather than merely being a transitional turning-point in the narrative or a "hinge" between the past and the future, … Continue reading The Reconciler
The DIY “World-View” Self-Realization Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I recently came across an observation on one of the qabalistic pages that merits quoting for my purpose in developing this spread: "All along the way you make the definitions, the container, the parameters of your being." I realize that "You make your own reality" is a rather tattered bromide (and apparently a … Continue reading The DIY “World-View” Self-Realization Spread
Numerological Counterparts and the “Blueprint for Perfection”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Mirroring the principles of natal astrology, it could be said with some justification that the basic "blueprint for self-realization" resides in the planetary correspondences for the first four numbered trumps of the tarot: the Magician (1) as Mercury, the High Priestess (2) as the Moon, the Empress (3) as Venus, and the Emperor … Continue reading Numerological Counterparts and the “Blueprint for Perfection”
Strength and The Star: A Case of “Brute Finesse?”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Since I'm working with the Waite-Smith deck and not my preferred Thoth in these "numerological counterpart" exercises, I'm treating Strength as the eighth trump and pairing it with the Star (17=1+7=8) because I've already written about Justice as "11" (or 1+1=2) and equated it with the High Priestess. My customary approach is to … Continue reading Strength and The Star: A Case of “Brute Finesse?”
“Pictures, Words and Numbers, Cardman”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: There is an old movie from the early '90s titled Eddie and the Cruisers that portrays Michal Paré as Eddie Wilson, the leader of a 1960s-era rock band, sagely advising Tom Beringer (as Frank "Wordman" Ridgeway, the group's lyricist) on the nature of the business: "It's about words and music, Wordman, words and … Continue reading “Pictures, Words and Numbers, Cardman”
The “Flatline & Spiral” Attitude Adjustment Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is a spread for readers who have trouble making sense of vague or seemingly irrelevant answers from a three-card draw. It requests a "second opinion" from the cards when the outcome of the initial pull does not square with the relative significance of the situation. This is an instance of the "shape" … Continue reading The “Flatline & Spiral” Attitude Adjustment Spread
The Lovers and The Devil: “I Double-Dare Ya!”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the third in my series of essays examining the trump cards of the tarot as "numerological counterparts" that present "alike but different" versions of a common theme. This time I'm looking at two cards that express the number "6," those "strange bedfellows" the Lovers (VI) and the Devil (15=1+5=6). Esoterically, Six … Continue reading The Lovers and The Devil: “I Double-Dare Ya!”
A “Poser” for the Celtic Cross
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The term "poser" has a couple of meanings; it can refer to a question that is exceptionally difficult to answer, or to an individual who is "faking it" in some way. I recently read a fascinating essay in New Yorker magazine about the "imposter phenomenon" (not "syndrome" since, according to its creators, it … Continue reading A “Poser” for the Celtic Cross
The “Answer” Begs a “Question”
"Without a question, there is no answer possible" - Alejandro Jodorowsky AUTHOR'S NOTE: From time-to-time I revisit my long-standing preference for reading tarot cards without knowing the sitter's specific question in advance (something I've been doing since 1972). The above quote from The Way of Tarot has raised the subject once again and I couldn't … Continue reading The “Answer” Begs a “Question”
