This spread uses the rank (minor, court or trump) of a majority of the cards pulled to show the projected urgency or intensity of any challenges present or anticipated in a developing situation. Because it is likely that "ties" will occur (such as a "2-2-1" distribution), one or two "tie-breaker" cards should be pulled and … Continue reading The “Nature of the Evidence” Situational Challenges Spread
Tarot Techniques
A Developmental “Reality-Check” Model
I consider the ten suit cards from Ace to Ten to show the developmental ideal for advancement of any conceivable situation. In order to do this we have to put a "good face" (or as good a face as possible) on all of them. This is easier to do with pip decks than with scenic … Continue reading A Developmental “Reality-Check” Model
“White On This Side”
Being an "action-and-event-oriented" tarot reader reminds me of the "Fair Witnesses" in Robert Heinlein's novel, Stranger in a Strange Land: they were absolutely incorruptible observers who could be called on to help assess the truth or falsehood of any situation. If you pointed to a white house and asked "What color is that house?" they … Continue reading “White On This Side”
A Chess-Inspired Major Problem-Solving Spread
When I think of it (which is often) our handling of a complex problem might be equated to the moves in a chess game, where we are angling for position and control of the "board." Here is a layout that amounts to an "exploded" version of the standard "action/reaction/resolution" spread that gives a detailed picture … Continue reading A Chess-Inspired Major Problem-Solving Spread
“The Initial Sweep of the Divinatory Eye”
While reading an Amazon review of the gold-enhanced, 78-card Oswald Wirth deck (which I had been thinking of buying but now I'm not so sure), I happened upon the phrase "the initial sweep of the divinatory eye" in a criticism of the uninspired non-Wirth pip cards that drag this deck down. The author noted that … Continue reading “The Initial Sweep of the Divinatory Eye”
Big Little Spreads
I have to confess to shamelessly manipulating the title of John Crowley's "otherworld" book, Little, Big, for this essay. Sometimes a chance opportunity is too good to pass up. I recently came across a question on one of the Facebook tarot pages, "What is a good two or three-card spread?" As a great fan of … Continue reading Big Little Spreads
Suit Dynamics: Rising and Falling Energies
Apart from the symbolic orientation typically used in tarot reading (left refers to "the past," right shows "the future," up reveals matters and down conceals them), there are directional suit dynamics to consider. When you think of it in those terms, the assignment of the function of Spirit alternately to the tarot suits of Fire … Continue reading Suit Dynamics: Rising and Falling Energies
The Fives and Sevens: Transition and Improvement
In modern tarot practice, the Fives and Sevens are generally interpreted as difficult cards. But Paul Marteau, writing about the Tarot de Marseille in 1949, gave me a different perspective. It became apparent as I read his book that Marteau was heavily influenced by the numerological thinking of fellow Frenchman Joseph Maxwell in the latter's … Continue reading The Fives and Sevens: Transition and Improvement
Daily “Hermetic Meditation” #1
Casting around for something new to post, I decided to do a series of daily "Hermetic Meditations" using the various Golden-Dawn and Thoth-based decks I own. I have around a dozen of them now and will be rotating them in and out of the six-card pull regularly. The layout is the graphic for my "Pentagram … Continue reading Daily “Hermetic Meditation” #1
Tarot Reading and “Psychic Vampirism”
As it frequently does, the subject of defending oneself against negative influences while reading the cards for other people came up again on one of the Facebook tarot pages. I usually approach this perceived vulnerability as Astral Plane intrusion (think "Ouija board") but it is even more likely to come from the person across the … Continue reading Tarot Reading and “Psychic Vampirism”
