AUTHOR'S NOTE: There is a handful of what might be called "first principles" or "prime directives" in reading the tarot cards, broad concepts to which I mostly adhere. One premise, for which I am indebted to Dr. James Wanless, is that "There are no 'bad' cards, only opportunities" (in a forthcoming essay I make the … Continue reading “No Blame” – A Useful First Principle in Divination
Tarot Theory
Incentivizing the Shadow: A “Numerical Synthesis” Pros-and-Cons Spread with Resolution
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A while back I came to the realization that the so-called "quintessence" calculation is anything but when applied to a group of input cards that doesn't consist of the traditional four-card "cross." (Quintessence in tarot terms simply means "fifth expression," not "without equal"). I came up with alternative nomenclature for the numerical synthesis … Continue reading Incentivizing the Shadow: A “Numerical Synthesis” Pros-and-Cons Spread with Resolution
Literal Intent with a Hint of Impressionism
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As a follow-up to the posting of my essay on intuition vs. analysis in divination, I've been having a conversation with another member of the r/seculartarot sub-reddit. Our subject is the need to stay within the established context of the cards as a starting point in any reading, and only then resort to … Continue reading Literal Intent with a Hint of Impressionism
Revisiting the Astrology of the Major Arcana
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Recently, someone in the r/tarot sub-reddit community voiced the opinion (for which they had been previously chastised and downvoted) that some of the astrological correspondences proposed by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn for the Major Arcana of the tarot just don't seem to hold water. Although I don't personally agree with … Continue reading Revisiting the Astrology of the Major Arcana
“No Truth, No Trust” – Cautionary Advice for the Tarot Reader
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Several years ago I met a kindly gentleman from Mississippi, a business colleague who told me pointblank that, when engaged in conversation with a Southerner, I shouldn't believe everything (or maybe anything) I hear; they are masters of amiable dissembling and there is almost certainly something quite different going on behind that charming … Continue reading “No Truth, No Trust” – Cautionary Advice for the Tarot Reader
Not Milk: An Atypical Astro-Tarot Meditation Array
AUTHOR'S NOTE: There is a biblical quote that goes something like "Milk for babes, meat for strong men." Here I'm offering what might be a hard-to-swallow bit of gristle for those who are locked into the Golden Dawn's esoteric attributions for the cards of the tarot. What can I say, I've always been an iconoclast … Continue reading Not Milk: An Atypical Astro-Tarot Meditation Array
The “Upset Condition” – Getting at the Bad
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Process-control technicians often face a dilemma known as an "upset condition," an off-normal deviation that must be corrected to return the system to a state of balance. There are similar challenges in tarot reading, where the reader must flush out any discordant anomalies so they can be examined and dealt with constructively by … Continue reading The “Upset Condition” – Getting at the Bad
A “Shots on Goal” Advancement Spread: Elemental Alignment and Orientation as Success Factors
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The phrase "shots on goal" describes a statistic used in sporting events such as international football and hockey to quantify how many legitimate attempts to score a team was able to make during a game (which is usually a function of offensive-line ability to breach the opponent's defense). There are situations in daily … Continue reading A “Shots on Goal” Advancement Spread: Elemental Alignment and Orientation as Success Factors
Tarot As “Mental Gymnastics”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I continue to create innovative tarot spreads, I decided to pause for a moment and reflect on what is driving me in this effort. Those who have been following me for a while know that I have a strong inclination toward critical analysis of the cards that I temper with a little … Continue reading Tarot As “Mental Gymnastics”
2024 Presidential Election: A Political Showdown Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Now that Kamala Harris has been confirmed as the Democratic nominee for US President, I figured it's time to do my usual "Enemy at the Gates" political showdown reading to see what the tarot has to say about a probable winner. (See the link to the spread at the end of this essay.) … Continue reading 2024 Presidential Election: A Political Showdown Reading
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 