I'm a firm believer in the idea that tarot can aid us in making momentous and potentially life-changing decisions as long as a judicious method is devised for applying its testimony. Like the old caveat about astrology ("The stars don't compel, they impel"), the cards in a reading should be treated as either encouraging or … Continue reading The “Ring Pass Not” Critical Decision-Making Spread
Tarot Techniques
The “Unwanted Attention” Interrogation Spread
This spread is intended for use whenever confronted by either the occurrence or the possibility of unwelcome attention of any kind, whether at home or in public. It is designed as a set of questions to be asked via the cards about an absent second party who either has been making such advances or is … Continue reading The “Unwanted Attention” Interrogation Spread
“Theosophical Reduction” or “Casting Out Nines?”
I've touched on this subject before but wanted to spend some time going over the details. There are situations (particularly the "quintessence" calculation) where we add together the numerical values of all the cards in a spread to arrive at a single trump card that can provide a summary "roll-up" of the combined energies at … Continue reading “Theosophical Reduction” or “Casting Out Nines?”
“Gut” or “Gourd” – Your Choice
As I frequent larger Facebook tarot groups, I encounter advice for reading the cards that recommends to beginners "Just go with your gut, don't think about it," which seems to be book-ended by "There is no right or wrong way, so whatever feels right is "right for you." As a thinking person, I have some … Continue reading “Gut” or “Gourd” – Your Choice
Reversed Cards As Psychological Cues
I know I'm repeating myself here, but I draw few psychological inferences (not none, but certainly not many) from my tarot readings. I'm an "action-and-event" kind of guy, and would rather explore what could potentially happen in a situation and not what someone else "thinks or feels" might happen, since (putting it kindly) they may … Continue reading Reversed Cards As Psychological Cues
An “Agree to Disagree” Example Reading
To test this spread, I asked how effective the US government's response to the COVID-19 crisis is going to be. I used the dazzling Tabula Mundi Colores Arcus Tarot (a Thoth clone), with reversals. Note that, in this case, the only relevant aspects of the two court cards are their facing and orientation; they aren't … Continue reading An “Agree to Disagree” Example Reading
The “Agree to Disagree” Decision-Making Spread
Here is a spread designed to examine situations where an individual must interact with another person or entity to undertake an initiative of some kind when one or both of them may not be fully on-board with the arrangement. I could see using it in any scenario involving controversial legislative action in the present US … Continue reading The “Agree to Disagree” Decision-Making Spread
Lunar Month Look-Ahead for March-April 2020
On every New Moon I try to remember to do my Lunar Month Look-Ahead spread for the upcoming 28-day period, and the March New Moon occurred today, March 24. With what has been going on in the world, it seemed like an especially good month to do one. This time I brought out the Anna … Continue reading Lunar Month Look-Ahead for March-April 2020
The “Let Me Face It” Action/Initiative Decision-Making Spread
This spread is named in honor of a French-Canadian acquaintance who always said "Let me face it" instead of the rhetorical "Let's face it" when making a point. It uses the facing of the court cards to indicate which of four rows of face-down cards to select for the reading. The court cards are separated … Continue reading The “Let Me Face It” Action/Initiative Decision-Making Spread
A 2020 Spring Equinox Quarterly Outlook
I performed my Quarterly Outlook spread for the first quarter of the zodiacal year beginning March 20, 2020. I used the Waite-Smith Centennial Pocket Edition with reversals for this reading. All images copyright U.S. Games Systems, Inc, Stamford, CT This 3-month layout displays two different developmental arcs that are, at least on the surface, out-of-sync … Continue reading A 2020 Spring Equinox Quarterly Outlook
