Here's some more fallout from my study of Etteilla; in his reading examples he talks about one card in a spread "falling into" another, and the meaning of both being modified by their interaction. This spread looks suspiciously like "Production Management 101," but I can see it being used for complex personal or group projects.
Tarot Techniques
A Single-Event Predictive Approach
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was recently answering a question on one of the tarot forums about the best way to cover pragmatic topics in a "predictive" type of tarot reading. I've always been partial to the "Five W's" of effective creative writing that were drilled into me in high school: "Who, What, Why, Where and When?" … Continue reading A Single-Event Predictive Approach
The Grand Etteilla: First Use
AUTHOR'S NOTE: For those of you familiar with Etteilla, in this reading I "went by the book" in some cases (that is, The Grand Etteilla by Orsini, Lemarchand and d'Odoucet) but in many instances (after having read both that book and Alliette's own Etteilla or the Only Way to Draw the Cards), I decided to … Continue reading The Grand Etteilla: First Use
The Archetypal Celtic Cross
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The deck in the photograph is the Waite-Smith Centennial Edition in a Tin, which is copyrighted by U.S. Games Systems Inc. of Stamford, CT, used by permission and in accordance with the provisions of Fair Use. In The Way of Tarot, Alejandro Jodorowsky characterizes the Magician as dwelling entirely in the present, and … Continue reading The Archetypal Celtic Cross
The “Mystic Gyroscope” Developmental Insight Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This spread was (or is soon to be) published in the online magazine AstroLogic, although I retain all rights. The Cosmic Tarot is copyright of AGM Urania/Königsfurt-Urania Verlag GmbH, Ringstraße 32, D-24103, Kiel, and the Rohrig Tarot is copyright of U.S. Games Systems, Stamford, CT. Here is a tarot spread designed around two … Continue reading The “Mystic Gyroscope” Developmental Insight Spread
The “Crucible” Problem-Solving Spread: An Alchemical Approach
While thinking about using the Temperance card as a kind of "talisman" for my reading sessions (an adaptation of another of Alejandro Jodorowsky's ritualistic ideas), I decided to create a spread based loosely on alchemical principles, specifically Aleister Crowely's assumption that the vigorous interaction of Fire and Water release Air. The premise is that one's … Continue reading The “Crucible” Problem-Solving Spread: An Alchemical Approach
“Charging” the Reader and the Reading
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
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
