The more Tarot de Marseille books I read, the more weary I become of the ubiquitous (and usually anal) attempts to parse all of the bits of local color in an image into some kind of coherent meaning; when they don't drive me crazy, these exhaustive permutations soon degenerate into a monochromatic blur in the … Continue reading Color Me “Plaid”
The Turning Away
I've never been content with the conventional wisdom that any card placed in the far left position of a line spread usually refers to past aspects of the matter. Right now I'm reading the English translation of Paul Marteau's 1949 Tarot de Marseille book, in which he suggests that left-facing figures in individual cards denote … Continue reading The Turning Away
A 3×3+3 Goal-Oriented Life Purpose Spread
A question commonly asked by those who consult a tarot reader is "What is my life's purpose?" - often with the implicit (and more urgent) undertone "What should it be that it isn't right now?" coming from those who are completely at a loss. The typical fortune-telling spread is inadequate to address such broad inquires … Continue reading A 3×3+3 Goal-Oriented Life Purpose Spread
A “Knowledge & Wisdom Ledger” Example Reading
Here is a reading I did to test this spread. I didn't have a specific question in mind beyond curiosity over what my proposed initiative to push my tarot-reading practice into the corporate sector (still only a notion, not an actual plan) will mean for my future. Overall, this is a very encouraging reading for … Continue reading A “Knowledge & Wisdom Ledger” Example Reading
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I would not be surprised if this has been done before (and perhaps better), but this is my own spin on it. In a previous essay I floated the idea that a reversed court card might exhibit the qualities of the preceding zodiacal sign more prominently than those of its primary astrological referent … Continue reading Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
The Unevolved Fire Signs: A Study in Vanity
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I struggled to find a polite way to say "arrogance" without actually saying it, but that would be an extreme example of my point. Also, there is an idea here regarding the reversed court cards and their Golden Dawn assignment to the Chaldean zodiac that warrants further exploration in another essay. In astrology … Continue reading The Unevolved Fire Signs: A Study in Vanity
The “Knowledge & Wisdom Ledger” – A Contrast and Complement Spread
I'm experimenting with elemental correspondences again. Here is a spread that examines how knowledge can become wisdom in the four main areas of life; it uses opposing positions in the attached Chaldean decan charts to show the contrasting or complementary energy for a drawn card. I had to do something different with the planetary trumps … Continue reading The “Knowledge & Wisdom Ledger” – A Contrast and Complement Spread
Tarot Symbolism in Divination: Fabulism or Impressionism?
I'll clarify my terms before starting. "Fabulism" denotes the placement of fantastical elements into an everyday setting; "impressionism" refers to allusions based on subjective reactions, often loosely-stated. As an example, this distinction aptly displays the difference between the Waite-Smith 7 of Cups, which could best be described as moodily phantasmagorical, and the same card in … Continue reading Tarot Symbolism in Divination: Fabulism or Impressionism?
The”Holistic Well-Being” Example Reading: A Personal Wellness Blueprint
I originally created an example reading based on an existing medical crisis (not mine) but caught myself trying to massage the meaning of the cards to fit the circumstances, so I scrapped it and started over. This time I strove to come up with a personal "wellness blueprint" capturing my present and future state of … Continue reading The”Holistic Well-Being” Example Reading: A Personal Wellness Blueprint
The Tarot Professional’s Dilemma
Along with much of the professional tarot community, I've been shut out of the local face-to-face market by Covid-19, Delta, Omnicron, et al, and have moved tentatively into online consulting, which I'm more than a little lukewarm about since my firm belief is that a tarot reading should be an interactive event, a dialogue rather … Continue reading The Tarot Professional’s Dilemma
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 