It has been proposed that the three-card line forms the basic "sentence" of tarot reading, and adding more cards to the series only augments but doesn't supersede the original narrative. Three cards in sequence can be read in a number of ways: as a traditional "Past/Present/Future" outlook; in the Hegelian sense of "Thesis/Antithesis/ Synthesis;" according … Continue reading The Three-Card “Tarot Sentence”
Tarot Theory
The Power of Alignment
AUTHOR'S NOTE: My comments here presume that I have a "live one" sitting at the table with me who can partake of the action. Remote reading is a substantially different proposition that (at least in my opinion) operates under more mystical or psychic assumptions. My recent reading (books, not cards) has inspired me to contemplate … Continue reading The Power of Alignment
Rethinking the Three-Card “Timeline” Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In a recent post I gave a brief nod to the idea of scrapping the venerable "Past/Present/Future" three-card, left-to-right, timeline spread and replacing it with a more relevant sequence: "Present/Immediate Future/Extended Future." While examining prior events may be admissible in a large spread like the Celtic Cross where most of the emphasis is … Continue reading Rethinking the Three-Card “Timeline” Spread
Tarot as “Magic Mirror”
Although I've always viewed tarot divination as "mirroring" the current disposition of the subconscious mind via the act of shuffling and cutting the deck, I had only seen it portrayed more grandly as a "mirror of the soul" in the title of Gerd Ziegler's Thoth book, Tarot: Mirror of the Soul. As such, it implies … Continue reading Tarot as “Magic Mirror”
Legal Liability and the Risk of Error
From time to time a sensational news article appears about a fortune-telling scammer who has bilked a naive client out of a considerable sum of money by proposing to free them of an imaginary curse. Some US States have laws that restrict the practice of divination to "entertainment" status, which makes it clear that no … Continue reading Legal Liability and the Risk of Error
The “When” and “Where” of Prediction
While creating my "Magical Prescription" situational spread, I was struck by a new insight regarding the use of tarot to determine not only how, but also when and where circumstances or events might play out in a particular scenario. In the past, I've always considered the "when" to be a specific point in time and … Continue reading The “When” and “Where” of Prediction
Balancing the Arcana: A Sun-Moon Example
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Having returned to New Hampshire after a month in the Florida sunshine, I've picked up reading Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Way of Tarot again during my morning treadmill sessions. I'm now pondering his discussion of three-card combinations that exhibit a revolving, left-to-right order of presentation, in which the diversity of the three-way distribution alters … Continue reading Balancing the Arcana: A Sun-Moon Example
Active and Passive Dynamics
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The next major milestone on the road to mastery for the neophyte tarot reader after internalizing the card meanings (as opposed to merely memorizing or looking them up) is to begin synthesizing the interpretation of all the cards in a spread to form a seamless narrative. (I often describe early efforts in this … Continue reading Active and Passive Dynamics
Portents, Predictions and Probability
While vacationing at a beach in Florida and needing something to take my mind (and my eyes) off the abundant evidence that this vulgar age of conspicuous consumption has had an adverse impact on the semi-clad human physique (present company included; thankfully there are no ocean-side mirrors), I decided to dip back into the writing … Continue reading Portents, Predictions and Probability
“Six-ness” and the Sextile
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I recently came across two online questions that I've merged into a single essay. The first involved the blending of astrology with tarot, and the second inquired whether the 6 of Swords is a favorable card. In thinking about this topic, it struck me that in astrology the sextile aspect (60 degrees of … Continue reading “Six-ness” and the Sextile
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 