Crowley’s Emotional Roller-Coaster

The Minor Arcana of the Thoth Tarot all have "esoteric" titles that for the most part hark back to their Golden Dawn roots. While these titles have academic connections to the Order's tarot curriculum or to Crowley's Thelemic elaborations, they often invoke visceral reactions in the viewer due to their evocative imagery and compelling color … Continue reading Crowley’s Emotional Roller-Coaster

More Thoughts on the Trump Cards

Not long ago I posted a detailed essay on how I think the Major Arcana (aka "trump" cards) operate in divination. https://parsifalswheeldivination.com/2020/03/21/much-ado-about-nothing-the-problem-with-trump-cards-in-prediction/ Since that time I've had occasion to further consider their significance in readings that explore situational developments where external factors are likely to play a part. As before, I seldom see them as … Continue reading More Thoughts on the Trump Cards

The “Motivational Extremes” Problem-Solving Menu

Consider this "the spread that is not a spread." It requires the reader to exercise judgment regarding which two of sixteen "obstacle" and "opportunity" cards present the greatest challenge for the querent and the brightest hope for successful resolution in any problem-solving scenario. The result of this deliberation is a three-card reading that describes the  … Continue reading The “Motivational Extremes” Problem-Solving Menu

A 3-Card Yes-or-No Preponderance Matrix

One of the perennial debates among tarot enthusiasts is how to answer yes-or-no questions with the cards. Conventional wisdom is that the tarot can't resolve such matters effectively, and they should therefore be avoided. But I believe it can successfully address any subject if a proper methodology is applied. The one-card pull is usually too … Continue reading A 3-Card Yes-or-No Preponderance Matrix

“Painting Testimonial Pictures” – Problem Cards and Pataphysics

I think we can all agree that the tarot excels at throwing us curve-balls during the practice of prediction. Usually it's in the form of a card in a reading that just won't fit the puzzle no matter how we turn it. Often it's a major - or "trump" card - that lands in the … Continue reading “Painting Testimonial Pictures” – Problem Cards and Pataphysics