AUTHOR'S NOTE: Last night I was watching a documentary by and about Scottish comedian, actor and musician Billy Connelly (there are apparently several but this two-part series on Prime was filmed in 2018-19), and he made a point that "resonated" with me (not an expression I like much but it seems to be in vogue … Continue reading “Just the Right Words”
Tarot Theory
The Speed of Dark
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was just reading a post of quotes from comedian and TV personality Stephen Wright and came across this humorous philosophical puzzler: "What's the speed of dark?" In the past I've done some work with a Jungian psychologist on use of the tarot to explore both the persona and the shadow side of … Continue reading The Speed of Dark
The “Full House” – A 78-Card Tarot Tableau and Readings
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In my previous post about 78-card tarot arrays I hinted that I might come up with a new spread based on that premise. Here it is, and there are two suggested ways to use it that will identify a subset of cards for the actual reading. (Obviously, I don't advise attempting this sprawling … Continue reading The “Full House” – A 78-Card Tarot Tableau and Readings
The Power of “Past Prediction” in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The simple "past-present-future" predictive reading is such an integral part of the tarot practitioner's toolbox that we usually perform it without thinking too much about exactly what we're doing. In practical terms, examining events and circumstances that have already transpired and can no longer be affected by our active intervention would seem to … Continue reading The Power of “Past Prediction” in Tarot Reading
A Tarot Triptych: Catalysts, Linked Patterns and Sensitive Junctures
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although I haven't considered it for quite some time because the opportunity for self-improvement is a foregone conclusion among experienced diviners, I was recently reminded by Benebell Wen in Holistic Tarot that tarot cards can serve as catalysts or motivators for seekers to act on their own behalf in ways suggested by the … Continue reading A Tarot Triptych: Catalysts, Linked Patterns and Sensitive Junctures
Obviously A Map . . . But Of What?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The panorama of 78 tarot cards is often described as a "map." Some say that it portrays the dimensions of the objective Universe, others consider it a "roadmap of life" into which we can dip to extract the itinerary for a particular leg of the journey (stay tuned, there may be a new … Continue reading Obviously A Map . . . But Of What?
Anticipatory Forecasting: “Escape from New Tarot”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Despite the title, I promise I won't invoke the cinematic spirit of Kurt Russell in this essay; Carl Gustav Young will have to do. I've just begun reading Benebell Wen's Holistic Tarot, and the introductory chapter brought me back to the topic of "first principles" in my practice of divination. Some of this … Continue reading Anticipatory Forecasting: “Escape from New Tarot”
A Tarot Take on “Strictures Against Judgement”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: What follows is an odd-ball idea that applies the poker-player's caveat about "knowing when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em." There are times when it's clear that a reading is going nowhere, but we still feel obligated to make the most of it. If that realization occurs with the very first … Continue reading A Tarot Take on “Strictures Against Judgement”
Occult Tarot Fundamentals: Justice vs. Judgement
AUTHOR'S NOTE: There is endless confusion among new tarot readers about the difference between the Justice and Judgement cards because both seem to be about the same thing. Here I will attempt to sort this out since it all comes down to the intent of the esoteric symbolism. One of my forum-mates on Aeclectic Tarot … Continue reading Occult Tarot Fundamentals: Justice vs. Judgement
Fortuitous Attraction: A Spirit-Contact Spread Using Court Cards
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although it is usually the domain of psychic mediums, contacting ancestral spirits via tarot reading is a popular topic of discussion in the online community that often generates requests for suitable spreads. I've created a few such arrays in the past, but I'm on the fence about the subject. Humans in primordial times … Continue reading Fortuitous Attraction: A Spirit-Contact Spread Using Court Cards
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 