I recently received a request to do a professional tarot reading that spanned up to a two-year period. I thought long and hard about attempting it, but ultimately decided that it wouldn't be prudent, primarily because the topic was "personal life" circumstances, which can often be a euphemism for relationship matters, and situations involving other … Continue reading The Practicality of Long-Range Readings
Tarot Techniques
“A Quarter for Your Thoughts” Quarterly Outlook Spread
Technically, the phrase is "A penny for your thoughts," but inflation eventually overtakes all things. I like to say that I prefer to perform inductive rather than deductive readings, working up from the details in the individual cards to create a "big picture" - or "gestalt" - overview of the matter in question. This approach … Continue reading “A Quarter for Your Thoughts” Quarterly Outlook Spread
Divinosaurus Recidivus
Sometimes I feel like a displaced "dinosaur," and at other times I'm more a "cosmic anomaly" like Arthur Dent - a walking anachronism on one hand and a "man-out-of-time" on the other - with one foot planted firmly in the cartomantic past and the other tentatively treading the future of the art, but with little … Continue reading Divinosaurus Recidivus
The “Diurnal Footprint” Daily Draw Spread
Although I've reconciled myself to using the one-card daily draw to show the overall "tone" of the upcoming day rather than a single type of activity that will prevail during the entire time, I've been looking for a better model that will capture shifts in the "energy pattern" that may take place during the day. … Continue reading The “Diurnal Footprint” Daily Draw Spread
Without A Trace: A Missing-Person Roundup
There are currently three active missing-person cases in New Hampshire that I've been following closely to judge the accuracy of my readings. These cases are starting to grow cold, and at least two of them may not "break" until the winter weather does the same. In the past I have accurately (but only belatedly) divined … Continue reading Without A Trace: A Missing-Person Roundup
Bridging the Gap Between Magic and Meaning
You will often hear me say that, at least in my own work, divination is a subliminal process rooted in the unconscious (or, if you like, "Higher Self") that relies heavily on imagination, inspiration and ingenuity to tease practical messages from evocative symbolism that is typically shrouded in rather obscure "magical" imagery. In the best … Continue reading Bridging the Gap Between Magic and Meaning
A “Root-to-Fruit” Psychological Profile Reading
Since I have no suitable client readings in the queue, I decided to test this spread on myself, asking the question "Who am I at this point in my life?" I used the Waite-Smith Centennial Pocket Edition with reversals, and drew the court-card Significator randomly. All images copyright U.S. Games Systems, Stamford, CT The King … Continue reading A “Root-to-Fruit” Psychological Profile Reading
The “Root-to-Fruit” Psychological Profile Spread
Most of you know that I'm skeptical of using tarot for psychological profiling purposes, especially the "mind-reading" variety aimed at furnishing answers to "thinks-and-feels" questions that are driven by either wishful thinking or idle curiosity. Querent: "What does 'X' think/feel about me?" (i.e. "Does 'X' like me?"). Me (looking at cards): "Hmm, maybe 'X' isn't … Continue reading The “Root-to-Fruit” Psychological Profile Spread
Other Worlds
I have to admit that I'm not much of an astral traveler or "scryer." Of course, I do have an intellectual understanding of parallel-universe theories, bilocation and the "illusion of time," as well as more than a little experience with Astral Plane phenomena, but trying to approach the latter from a disciplined rather than totally … Continue reading Other Worlds
The “Tip of the Iceberg” Mixed-Media Problem-Solving Spread
I've been meaning for some time to try my hand at creating spreads that use both cards and dominoes in developing the reading layout. Here is my first attempt focused on problem-solving scenarios. It is essentially a doubled five-card path from an opening "current situation" perspective to a closing "future consequences" projection that has a … Continue reading The “Tip of the Iceberg” Mixed-Media Problem-Solving Spread
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 