". . . and dat's all what I yam!" (In the immortal words of Popeye the Sailor Man.) I came across a neat bit of wisdom on Andy Boroveshengra's blog Fortuna's Picturebook that I'm going to borrow for the theme of this post: "Cards are never something else before they are themselves." https://abcartomancy.blogspot.com/2019/07/shall-i-compare-thee.html Andy was … Continue reading “I Yam What I Yam . . .”
Tarot Techniques
The “Skeleton in the Closet” Chain-of-Destiny Spread
I firmly believe that few momentous events in a human life occur in a vacuum, however random or unprecedented they may seem to be. On a personal, interpersonal or trans-personal level, there was almost always something in the past that set the individual up for the experience, whether it was a sin of commission or … Continue reading The “Skeleton in the Closet” Chain-of-Destiny Spread
A “Hidden Agenda” Developmental Insight Reading
I was recently asked by someone to perform a reading to answer whether a person they are involved with has a "hidden agenda." (This is not a romantic situation.) It so happens that I have a spread specifically for this scenario, and I don't often get a chance to use it. https://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com/2018/08/01/the-hidden-agenda-developmental-insight-spread/ The querent suspects … Continue reading A “Hidden Agenda” Developmental Insight Reading
What Happened to Linda? – A Missing Person Case Closure
Linda Minery had been missing from Hillsboro, NH since April of this year, and was just found deceased inside a storage unit that she rented in that town. https://www.concordmonitor.com/Hillsboro-NH-missing-woman-s-body-found-in-storage-unit-27394864 Several things stand out from the reading I did on April 9: https://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com/2019/04/09/what-happened-to-linda-a-missing-person-spread/ This was the instance that caused me to consider whether the stipulation in … Continue reading What Happened to Linda? – A Missing Person Case Closure
Who Killed Trish? – A “Whodunit” Rogues’ Gallery Reading
I ultimately decided to perform my "Rogues' Gallery" spread on the murder of 26-year-old New Hampshire native Trish Haynes, whose remains were found in a pond in Grafton, NH. (See my previous "missing-person" posts.) This spread uses the Death card as the Significator, the 16 court cards as the "rogues' gallery" of potential suspects, and … Continue reading Who Killed Trish? – A “Whodunit” Rogues’ Gallery Reading
A “Binary Dilemma” Example Reading
I was asked to do a reading to determine whether the casual acquaintances between a couple and two others can be expected to blossom into real friendship. This "yes-or-no" question presented a perfect opportunity to test-drive my new approach to binary inquiries. I selected the Conver Ben-Dov Tarot de Marseilles for this reading, and used … Continue reading A “Binary Dilemma” Example Reading
Where Is Trish? – A Missing-Person Case Closure
I have updated my post regarding the whereabouts of Trish Haynes to show that her remains have been recovered from a pond in Grafton, NH. The "missing-person" aspects of this case have now been resolved, and it has become a homicide investigation. I haven't decided whether to perform my "Whodunit?" Rogues' Gallery Spread on her … Continue reading Where Is Trish? – A Missing-Person Case Closure
The Binary Dilemma
As much as we encourage them to frame their questions in a flexible manner that invites meaningful commentary from the cards rather than an open-and-shut, "yes-or-no" verdict, I would venture to say that the majority of people who request a reading from us aren't seeking a panoramic view of their future circumstances. They want a … Continue reading The Binary Dilemma
Symbolic Triptych: A Past/Present/Future Life-Reading Snapshot
This spread is an oddity for me in that it only has three cards. But I wanted to play around with geometric symbolism and someone asked me for a small-spread recommendation. The square represents stability in past circumstances (even if only in the sense that they aren't going to change) and perfectly symbolizes the "Foundation" … Continue reading Symbolic Triptych: A Past/Present/Future Life-Reading Snapshot
Cut the Cake
My wife makes a very elegant four-layer chocolate/coconut/custard cake with different fillings between the layers. It's like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates; "You never know what you're gonna get," but it's always delightful (yes, even the jelly fillings). It's a perfect analogy for how I view the cards of the tarot. I like to say … Continue reading Cut the Cake
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 