AUTHOR'S NOTE: This essay follows the same line-of-thought as my previous post on “mystical rationalism.” Not too long ago I read an editorial piece that presented the results of a survey in which it was reported that 37% of the adult population of the United States refers to itself as "spiritual but not religious." The … Continue reading A Man of Certainty (or “I’ll Know It When I See It”)
Actions with Spirits: The Power of Walt
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm not a believer in the power of prayer. At its best it strikes me as well-meaning but credulous supplication of the "This may not help but it can't hurt" variety, and at its worst it comes across as a banal expression of mock-solemn tribute mumbled by dutiful sympathizers, usually after some tragedy … Continue reading Actions with Spirits: The Power of Walt
Flagrant Faking: Real or Imaginary?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In a recent sub-reddit thread, someone asked whether it is possible to spot a "fake" tarot reader, and how that might be done. The person was understandably nervous about paying for a poor-quality reading by an incompetent practitioner. Many of the negative comments were aimed at YouTube readers, and I was inspired to … Continue reading Flagrant Faking: Real or Imaginary?
“Death Becomes Him” – Thoughts on Mystical Rationalism
AUTHOR'S NOTE: You may remember the old Bruce Willis-Meryl Streep-Goldie Hawn film Death Becomes Her. I'm paraphrasing the title to support my introductory premise but there is no intended plot connection. In the occult tarot lexicon, the Death card corresponds to the enigmatic and remorseless Water sign Scorpio. In a previous essay I mentioned that, … Continue reading “Death Becomes Him” – Thoughts on Mystical Rationalism
The Lenormand Tree: Rotten to the Core?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just came to the realization that the illustration of the Tree card in most Lenormand decks shows it to be mature and clearly in excellent health, while its usual interpretation is anything but hale-and-hearty. This discrepancy seems like a "red herring" that leads beginners to see it as a fortunate card when … Continue reading The Lenormand Tree: Rotten to the Core?
“Don’t Rock the Boat!” – The Secular Hierophant
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I've mentioned before, I spent the better part of 40 years (not very diligently) trying to get my head around Temperance in a pragmatic way because the alchemical baggage associated with it defied easy translation into terms that would make sense in a mundane reading. Once I accomplished that feat I turned … Continue reading “Don’t Rock the Boat!” – The Secular Hierophant
“Grow, Grow . . .”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: My title is an allusion to a quote from the Talmud mentioned by Sallie Nichols in Tarot and the Archetypal Journey: "Every blade of grass has its Angel that bends over it and whispers, 'Grow, grow!'" One of my favorite semi-truisms about the tarot is "Every time I perform a reading for another … Continue reading “Grow, Grow . . .”
The “Soft Landing”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although it still surfaces occasionally among new students, the outdated opinion that the upside-down orientation of a tarot card automatically overrules and refutes the upright meaning doesn't get much play these days. The implications of reversal are now understood to be far more subtle and nuanced, even beyond the typical assumptions of "blockage" … Continue reading The “Soft Landing”
The I Ching Cards and the “Big Party”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although I normally use Chinese coins for my I Ching predictions, I've had Anthony Clark's delightful I Ching Pack (now out-of-print) for many years and seldom work with it. I'm on the verge of buying Benebell Wen's new I Ching translation and thought I would give the deck a workout. (Note that I … Continue reading The I Ching Cards and the “Big Party”
“Guided Intuition”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Before the mystics and psychics among my readers get too excited, this essay is not about the participation of "spirit guides" in tarot reading, since in my estimation such entities may be nothing more than astral phantasms of subconscious origin projected by those seeking the comfort and confidence of an external spiritual authority. … Continue reading “Guided Intuition”
