AUTHOR'S NOTE: In an old post of several years ago I mentioned a sidelight to the RWS version of this card that views the choppy surface to the right of the boat as driving it toward the calmer waters to its left and thus uneventfully on to the far shore. An interlude of "smooth sailing … Continue reading The 6 of Swords: Steering by Troubled Waters
Thoth Material
“Checking Out” – Is It in the Cards?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's a foregone conclusion among modern diviners that attempting to predict someone's death is a forbidden topic from both an ethical and legal standpoint. But it wasn't always so. Historically, astrologers - particularly horary practitioners - routinely forecast the "time of decumbiture" at which an ailing individual retired to his or her bed, … Continue reading “Checking Out” – Is It in the Cards?
Lunar Month Look-Ahead, April-May, 2026
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I haven't done one of these in quite a while. These readings are normally based on the titles for the eight lunar sub-phases from astrologer Dane Rudhyar's Lunation Cycle, but this time I'm using astronomical notation. Each sub-phase lasts approximately 3.5 days. There are no other position meanings, it is mainly a timing … Continue reading Lunar Month Look-Ahead, April-May, 2026
The Reversed Hanged Man: Transcending Forced Idleness
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've just encountered another instance of the reversed Hanged Man in a tarot reading, and decided to revisit my past assumptions about it. There are three ways to approach it: practical, psychological and spiritual. In divination I usually consider its practical implications first and its psychological impact next, while spiritual consequences are not … Continue reading The Reversed Hanged Man: Transcending Forced Idleness
The Fives and Sevens as “Discord”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've written in the past about the relationship between the tarot Fives, Sixes and Sevens (linked below), but my recent introduction to the art of playing-card divination brought a fresh perspective to my take on the subject. In standard cartomancy, the Fives and Sevens are eight of the most dissonant "pip" cards in … Continue reading The Fives and Sevens as “Discord”
The Suit of Pentacles: “Plan the Work and Work the Plan”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've been following the drama surrounding the proposed White House ballroom. Statements made by the administration that the court only prohibited ground-breaking and that planning would still proceed reminded me of my current thinking on the tarot suit of Pentacles (aka Coins and Disks). A few years ago I developed a set of … Continue reading The Suit of Pentacles: “Plan the Work and Work the Plan”
Integrating “Indigestible” Keywords: A Spread-Based Approach
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When it comes to developing a personalized set of meanings for the tarot cards to be used in divination, I've always advised beginners to follow the lead of the Lenormand system and choose only one or two key words or phrases to internalize for each card; apply those for a while in practice; … Continue reading Integrating “Indigestible” Keywords: A Spread-Based Approach
A Multi-Path “Coin-Flip” Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is a multi-path spread that uses a twist on the three-coin I Ching hexagram creation technique to select which sub-pack to read for the answer: short, medium or long-range approach to resolution. Card-back images are from the Retro-Thoth Tarot (privately published) The idea is to shuffle the deck (reversals may be used) … Continue reading A Multi-Path “Coin-Flip” Spread
Transcendence in Two-Digit Tarot Cards
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A few years ago while reading the companion book for the Voyager Tarot by James Wanless, I encountered the concept of the second number in a two-digit tarot trump creating a kind of "numerological counterpart" between that card and the single-digit trump of the same number (for example, the Hanged Man as 12 … Continue reading Transcendence in Two-Digit Tarot Cards
A Planetary Astro-Tarot Heptad
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This mandala-style layout is another of my attempts to organize the tarot cards around the principles of astrology. I have no particular purpose in mind for its use, although it could be applied as a template on which to deal random cards and then look for convergence between their symbolism and the planetary … Continue reading A Planetary Astro-Tarot Heptad
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 