When dealing with lost items or missing persons, I often default to horary astrology because of its proven effectiveness. But I'm always looking for ways to augment that approach with tarot. I made a previous attempt to blend the location principles of horary astrology from John Frawley's book The Horary Textbook with a tarot layout … Continue reading An Astro-Tarot Location Method
Tarot Theory
The Rhythms of the Universe
In his 1975 book The Tarot, one of my favorite studies of the esoteric and psychological complexion of the Major Arcana, Richard Cavendish mentions while describing the Chariot that "numerologically the number seven governs the underlying rhythms of the universe." I have always subscribed to Aleister Crowley's assumption that the seventh sephira of the qabalistic … Continue reading The Rhythms of the Universe
The “Damned If I Know” Vague Answer Remedy
Things have been getting rather technical around here lately, so I thought I would indulge in a little useful fun. I'm not one to anthropomorphize my tarot decks (c'mon people, they're cardboard and ink!) but I sometimes think they act all too human, saying in essence: "Just give 'em the short answer and maybe they'll … Continue reading The “Damned If I Know” Vague Answer Remedy
The “Prudence of Prognostication”
According to author Richard Cavendish, the Roman philosopher Cicero considered the virtue of prudence to be comprised of three characteristics: memory, intelligence and foresight. When applied to the art of divination, these qualities refer to 1) fastidious contemplation of the past, 2) avid engagement with the present and 3) canny speculation about the future, all … Continue reading The “Prudence of Prognostication”
Cosmobiology and the Chaldean Decans in Tarot
The German cosmobiologists of the mid-20th Century held that the "soft" aspects between planets (the sextiles and trines along with the less prominent quintiles and bi-quintiles) were largely a waste of time in that they seldom show anything "visible" happening. These astrologers focused on the "hard" aspects - squares, semi-squares, sesquiquadrates and oppositions - when … Continue reading Cosmobiology and the Chaldean Decans in Tarot
A “Wish, Will and Way” Example Reading
I decided to test my 5-card approach to this method by asking the same question I've been chasing for the last few years: "As a professional diviner, how can I become more publicly successful and sought-after?" I chose for my inspiration the time-honored assumption that a skilled cartomancer is both sensitive and intuitive (Queen of … Continue reading A “Wish, Will and Way” Example Reading
The Wish, The Will and the Way
In tarot divination, there is a tendency to look at the Major Arcana (aka "trump") cards that turn up in a reading and say "That's all well and good as a philosophical abstraction, but what does it really mean for this particular person or situation at this point in time?" Their archetypal aim can be … Continue reading The Wish, The Will and the Way
The Ringmaster Speaks
While digging through on-line interview material looking for videos by Enrique Enriquez, I came across a quote of his that put something into perspective for me. "The first metaphor in tarot happens when we shuffle the tarot. There is a carnivalesque stance in this debasement of hierarchies. I associate this with sabotaging reality. Shuffling the … Continue reading The Ringmaster Speaks
Poetry in Motion
I've been thinking about Enrique Enriquez' imaginative approach to the Tarot de Marseille that aims to turn the cards into "visual poetry," apparently without the intervention of inductive reasoning. (I believe it's intended to be more inventive and inspiring than ordinary free-association, which works rather poorly with the TdM anyway.) It seems to me that, … Continue reading Poetry in Motion
The Skinny End
We've all seen the Hollywood version of the investigative psychic: the brow furrowed in concentration, the eyes squeezed shut, the hands to the temples, proclaiming "I think I see the letter 'B' . . ." One thing I've learned during my pursuit of missing-person situations is that the number of unsolved homicides far outweighs incidents … Continue reading The Skinny End
