Tarot of Dreams by Ciro Marchetti Once in a while, as I mine public information sources like Wikipedia, I bump into the term "pseudoscience" used to describe the esoteric arts, and especially astrology. Even in supposedly unbiased academic circles, the implication of this epithet is that what we do is invalid or "fake" and … Continue reading Pseudoscience: Mystics vs. Statistics
Tarot Theory
Card-Learning Tricks: “Sensory Complexion”
The title is a misnomer. There are no "tricks" or reliable shortcuts for instantly absorbing and retaining the gist of the 78 cards of the tarot, but there are some convenient alternatives to memorizing reams of keyword text. This fanciful method was brought to my attention yesterday, and I thought I would elaborate on the … Continue reading Card-Learning Tricks: “Sensory Complexion”
“You Do You”
I was looking up the phrase "You do you" for this post on self-reading and found that its origin may be older than we think, although I believe the emphasis here was on the "do" and not the "you" in this antique usage; "Do enjoy yourself" was the intent and the comma was only to … Continue reading “You Do You”
Reversals and “Chaldean Mirrors”
I've been considering a different way to handle reversed cards that I call "Chaldean mirrors." The concept may not be new, but I haven't encountered it before. Most of the cards were associated with the “decans” of the Chaldean zodiac by the Golden Dawn's Macgregor Mathers, bringing the nature of the card together with the … Continue reading Reversals and “Chaldean Mirrors”
Friends, Enemies and Accomplices
A couple of years ago, while preparing a presentation on the subject of Elemental Dignities, I had a small epiphany. In the Golden Dawn system designed by Macgregor Mathers, Fire and Air are considered mutually friendly because one works hand-in-hand with the other in the act of combustion, just as Water and Earth are entirely … Continue reading Friends, Enemies and Accomplices
Carpe Momentum!
Recently, on the Tarot Professionals Facebook page, Marcus Katz mentioned the aphorism "The oracular moment is sacrosanct." This got me thinking about the instant in time when each tarot card is randomly drawn from the deck to populate a spread. These linked cards are imprinted with the subtle influences inherent in that temporal interval, whether … Continue reading Carpe Momentum!
“No Way, No How?” – A Card-by-Card Event-Timing Table
UPDATE: I revised the table to reflect that certain cards in combination can indicate that the anticipated event won't happen without extra effort on the part of the querent. https://memes.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/53119a42-5ef5-4011-a985-1d8d93234f37#o9i6Ao7uhZ.copy Timing of events with the tarot is the proverbial "tough nut to crack." None of the various methods I've explored (and some of those I've … Continue reading “No Way, No How?” – A Card-by-Card Event-Timing Table
Who’s Driving Here?
I find it curious how much hand-wringing goes on in the tarot community over how the client sees the physical arrangement of the cards on the table. Should the cards appear upright or reversed to the reader or to the sitter? Should the cards be read from left to right according to the perspective of … Continue reading Who’s Driving Here?
Favorite Things
I was recently talking to someone about "reading style." It's a subject worth examining in more detail. Although I can be a bit flippant in calling myself "half mad scientist and half mystic," what it boils down to is that my own mode of reading the cards partakes slightly more of the analytical than the … Continue reading Favorite Things
The Tens: A Lingering Farewell
A music critic once observed that Led Zeppelin seemed to be "emptying the vaults of every scrap of unreleased material" when they issued the Physical Graffiti album. I'm in a similar situation here; this post has been lurking in my drafts for a couple of weeks, waiting patiently as the rants of the last few … Continue reading The Tens: A Lingering Farewell
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 