This spread provides a "short-form" version of my earlier spreads on the subject of "missing-person" cases. It uses a court-card "significator" to represent the absent person that is either specifically selected or carried over from a previous reading in which it appeared. Two decks are required: one to populate the three-card "narrative" row and one … Continue reading A “Missing-Person Vignette” Spread
Tarot Techniques
Stretchable Positions
No, I'm not talking about yoga or the Kama Sutra. Yesterday on the Tarot Professionals Facebook page Marcus Katz mentioned the notion of adjusting the meanings of spread positions according to the cards that land in them. I wasn't able to look at his full explanation because it's on the paid part of the site, … Continue reading Stretchable Positions
Stepping Back: A “Roll Them Bones” Situational-Awareness Reading
I decided that, as of today, I will be backing off from publicly posting on the status of certain missing-person cases in New Hampshire because of the volatility of the issue, especially if criminal activity is suspected. (I will continue working on "cold cases" and less provocative scenarios.) Although I've been careful about maintaining discretion … Continue reading Stepping Back: A “Roll Them Bones” Situational-Awareness Reading
The “Fool’s Itinerary” Success Path Spread
This spread assumes that there are two ways to contemplate the likely success of any endeavor: the "easy way" and the "hard way." It includes a three-card planning stage, a "trigger" card and a choice of paths dictated by the orientation of the trigger card, either upright or reversed. It is necessary to allow reversals … Continue reading The “Fool’s Itinerary” Success Path Spread
Jumping to Conclusions
In a recent conversation I described the art of cartomancy as "inspired guesswork with prompts." Anyone with finely-tuned intuitive sensibilities can do it with a little exposure to the theory and practice behind it, although mastering its nuances is another story. This nonchalance is nowhere more evident than in the curious concept of assigning special … Continue reading Jumping to Conclusions
The “3-Card a la Carte” Decision-Making Spread
Those of you who follow me know that I'm not a fan of three-card readings. In my opinion they take too narrow a slice of the deck and tell too shallow a story, requiring considerable intuitive guesswork to fill in the gaps in the narrative. I prefer not to work that hard when the information … Continue reading The “3-Card a la Carte” Decision-Making Spread
COVID-19 “Health & Wellness” Reading
Since it appears that we will be avoiding public contact until sometime in May due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I thought I would do a "health and wellness" reading to see what this means for my personal state of physical and mental fitness. I used my "All Well and Good, But . . ." spread … Continue reading COVID-19 “Health & Wellness” Reading
The “Elemental Checkpoint” Subject Location Spread
Although I find horary astrology much more effective than tarot for locating misplaced objects or missing people, there is something to be said for using the elemental properties of the minor and court cards as pointers for where to look for the subject of a reading. I built this spread around the suggestions of astrologer … Continue reading The “Elemental Checkpoint” Subject Location Spread
Should I or Shouldn’t I? – A “Measure of the Moment” Reading
After having spent most of the last month in my house, going nowhere but into the back yard, I've been itching to get into the outdoors and do something active. The governor here has been encouraging it, but so many people are following his advice that the parks and trails are crowded, defeating the purpose … Continue reading Should I or Shouldn’t I? – A “Measure of the Moment” Reading
A “Hanged-Man Moment”
I've been immersed lately in one of the more active Facebook tarot pages, where the question of reversed cards comes up with predictable frequency. New readers who don't use them wonder anxiously if they should, while more experienced diviners who do are confident that they are worthwhile (I've been one of the latter for almost … Continue reading A “Hanged-Man Moment”
