A couple of days ago a client asked me if I have any "chaos-based" spreads. I replied that I don't but then remembered that at an earlier time I had casually researched chaos theory, so I went back for another look. Although I have a few designs that nibble around the edges, I have none … Continue reading A “Chaotic Complex” Random-Variable Life-Reading Spread
Tarot Techniques
The “Opportunity Spotter”
There is a certain queasiness in tarot circles about use of the term "fortune-teller" to describe what we do, as if we're contemplating the commission of a scurrilous or unclean act. The rational-sounding "psychological" approach to the tarot is usually trotted out to dispel any taint of moral impropriety that the mere mention of prognostication … Continue reading The “Opportunity Spotter”
The Gestalt Overview and the Hierarchy of Significance
A question came up recently on the r/tarot subreddit regarding the most effective way to build an overarching "big-picture" synopsis from the individual cards in a tarot spread. I prefer to think of the goal as avoiding the "Lego-block" mentality of simply stacking up keywords that often fail to jell into a convincing summary. Once … Continue reading The Gestalt Overview and the Hierarchy of Significance
A 2022 U.S. Congressional Election “Majority” Forecast, Part 2
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is the "tarot" segment of my two-part analysis of the 2022 Congressional mid-term election. It turned out to be a nuanced and tricky reading. (I apologize in advance for the seemingly gratuitous use of quotes and parenthetical asides, but they're intended to season my rhetoric with anecdotal aptness.) Full Disclosure: For most … Continue reading A 2022 U.S. Congressional Election “Majority” Forecast, Part 2
A 2022 NFL Tarot Prediction: Los Angeles Rams vs Buffalo Bills
UPDATE: Although the point-spread prediction was inaccurate, this reading did get three things right: 1) the Bills won (by a larger margin than expected); 2) the score was tied at halftime; and 3) the Bills defense shut down the Rams offense during the entire second half. The Bills didn't exactly "break it wide open," but … Continue reading A 2022 NFL Tarot Prediction: Los Angeles Rams vs Buffalo Bills
Celtic Cross – “The Right Tool For The Job”
As is probably obvious from the examples I've posted, I'm a big fan of the well-thought-out positional tarot spread. I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum from the "I never use formal spreads!" crowd and slightly to the conservative side of those who say they make unique spreads on-the-fly to suit the question or … Continue reading Celtic Cross – “The Right Tool For The Job”
A “Solar Ingress” Monthly Astro-Tarot Reading Template
Here is another original take on the monthly forecast that uses an astrological "front-end." Previously, I've created a monthly projection framed on the 28-day "lunation cycle" beginning with the New Moon. This time I've calculated the horoscope for the ingress of the Sun into Libra on October 23, 2022 at my location. (The latitude and … Continue reading A “Solar Ingress” Monthly Astro-Tarot Reading Template
“All The World’s A Stage:” A Three-Tiered Short-Term Development Spread
This spread illustrates my long-held opinion that the Major Arcana rarely show significant "big-deal"events in a short-term reading; they may create an environment conducive to such events but they seldom "pull the trigger" all by themselves. Instead, they provide an archetypal "stage-setting," "thematic backdrop" or "environmental prompt" for the situational drama delivered by the Minor … Continue reading “All The World’s A Stage:” A Three-Tiered Short-Term Development Spread
“Intuition Pandering” (or “The Soft Underbelly”)
Alternate Subtitle: "I Don't Know What It Is, But I'll Know It When I See It" Intuitive truth, that is. For the last few years in these essays I've nibbled around the edges of what it means to read the tarot cards "intuitively," but only in the last few days has my grasp of the … Continue reading “Intuition Pandering” (or “The Soft Underbelly”)
“So Many Words . . .”
Those four syllables were spoken (well, written) by tarot author and entrepreneur Marcus Katz during a recent online conversation about the symbolism that has been attached to the tarot cards since the advent of esoteric contemplation with Etteilla in the 18th Century. It came across as a slightly rueful acknowledgement of the monumental effort involved … Continue reading “So Many Words . . .”
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 