AUTHOR'S NOTE: In a blog post a while back, Mary Greer described the Lenormand card meanings we use today as having evolved from the reading of coffee-ground patterns that remained on the inside of a cup after the liquid had been consumed. (It apparently originated in the Middle East - mainly Turkey - where grounds … Continue reading Dots and Dashes: A Lenormand Experiment
Bat Chain Variations (A Metaphysical Reverie)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Beyond offering "something completely different" to mark my 1,800th post on this blog, I thought I would add an informal supplement to my Diviner's Manifesto explaining the reasons for my dissatisfaction with much of the over-hyped sideshow that passes for mystical enlightenment in the social-media age. (I honestly have no problem with this … Continue reading Bat Chain Variations (A Metaphysical Reverie)
The Aces: A Solitary Path
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm re-reading Cory Hutcheson's 54 Devils, a short volume on divining with the playing cards. In it he portrays the Ace of Spades as a showing a solitary venture in which no assistance is forthcoming. I decided to expand this idea to all of the Aces as expressions of "going it alone." In … Continue reading The Aces: A Solitary Path
Three New Spreads: Catching Up on the Queue
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I delve into more complex subjects, my backlog of minor posts awaiting publication has become ten-deep. I decided to clear out the cache by presenting these three recent experimental spreads in one post. Tarot Holdem: A Self-Made Destiny Spread AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is a spread that will put your intuition to the … Continue reading Three New Spreads: Catching Up on the Queue
The Question of Distance in Lenormand Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When examining the traditional meaning of a Lenormand card, we frequently encounter mention of its distance from the Significator card, usually to the benefit or detriment of its impact on the situation. (This degree of separation is a factor in the "MOD" - method of distance - or "near/far" approach to interpretation of … Continue reading The Question of Distance in Lenormand Reading
“Beer & Pretzels” Tarot
AUTHOR'S NOTE: One of the reading venues that professional readers often mention is parties. While I haven't done one since the early days of my practice almost 50 years ago, I honed my chops on 15-minute reading sessions during more recent psychic fairs, so I know the bare-bones drill. The kind of parties I usually … Continue reading “Beer & Pretzels” Tarot
A “Lenormand Grab-Bag” 26-Card Example Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here I've taken the explanatory pull from my previous post about this spread and spun it out into a narrative around an imaginary querent (Lady) and the central focus cards (as well as exploring the "second-line" story suggested by the ten extra cards). I'm only going to examine a few key points in … Continue reading A “Lenormand Grab-Bag” 26-Card Example Reading
A “90/10” Proposition
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've always maintained that my tarot reading style is roughly 60% analytical and 40% - or at least 30% - intuitive. But I just came across the opinion that effective divination is 90% common sense (which I personally arrive at by using deductive reasoning from a "gestalt" view of the whole spread), and … Continue reading A “90/10” Proposition
The “Lenormand Grab-Bag” – A 26-Card, 5×5+1 Tableau
AUTHOR'S NOTE: To my knowledge, between the 9-card, 3x3 "box" and the 36-card Grand Tableau there is only one non-linear layout, the 15-card, 5x3 mini-tableau (although the 21-card, 7x3 Gypsy spread might qualify). Here is an unconventional attempt to fill that void using the 36-card deck and a single six-sided die as a pointer. It … Continue reading The “Lenormand Grab-Bag” – A 26-Card, 5×5+1 Tableau
The “Mandala of Revealing” Decision-Making Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is another "mixed-media" spread that uses tarot cards and a single six-sided die as a "pointer." Instead of just posting the spread and following up with an example reading tomorrow, I combined the two in this post. (The images are from the Magical Tarot of the Golden Dawn by Pat Zelewski and … Continue reading The “Mandala of Revealing” Decision-Making Spread
