AUTHOR'S NOTE: Those who have seen the Tom Hanks/Gary Sinise movie Forrest Gump will appreciate the reference in the title. This spread uses all 78 cards to create a six-card reading in one of thirteen situational and temporal settings as determined by the location of a pre-selected "Significator" card. The four general topic areas are … Continue reading The “Box of Chocolates” Life-Reading Spread
The “Wages of War” Conflict-Resolution Spread
This conflict-resolution spread links tarot divination back to its Italian game-playing roots. The card-selection method presented here uses two decks to determine which card of a pair is to be read in each of five "conflict engagement" areas. It is based on the simple "trick-taking" game "War," in which one card bests another in a … Continue reading The “Wages of War” Conflict-Resolution Spread
A Matter of Succession
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm leaping right over other European contributors to the esoteric tarot like Papus, de Guaita, Peladan, Pitois (Paul Christian) and Wirth, mainly because I haven't explored them to any depth yet; I'm still getting my feet wet with Etteilla. In The Book of Thoth, Aleister Crowley (apparently echoing the now-disputed sentiments of Eliphas … Continue reading A Matter of Succession
Lunar Month Look-Ahead for World Events (November, 2022)
Not long ago I was asked whether my New-Moon-based "Lunar Month Look-Ahead" spread (link below) can be used to predict world events in addition to personal circumstances. I responded that I didn't see why not, and then decided to attempt it myself. This reading has no regional or national focus, and is simply a high-level, … Continue reading Lunar Month Look-Ahead for World Events (November, 2022)
“Turn the Page:” A Personal/Professional Development Spread
I'm always looking for new ways to use the facing of the human figures and other directional elements on the tarot cards. Here I've created a spread that takes on different forms depending on whether or not the salient features are focused "off-page" and which way they're looking or pointing (left, right or straight out). … Continue reading “Turn the Page:” A Personal/Professional Development Spread
The Magician and “Imposter Syndrome”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sometimes the Magician gets a well-deserved "rap on the knuckles." In all his sly cleverness, the Magician can come across as insincere; there may be disarming assurances of proficiency or protestations of virtue where no such qualities exist. I'm reminded of the "Imposter Syndrome" in which we find ourselves in an uncomfortable position … Continue reading The Magician and “Imposter Syndrome”
Friction and Lubrication: Chaldean Decans as “Built-in Clarifiers”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In the Golden Dawn system of astrological correspondences, every card except the ten planetary and elemental trumps has a counterpart on the opposite side of the Chaldean zodiac. I've explored these pairs in a previous post (linked below), but here I'm proposing that a reversed mate is the instigator for reactionary change and … Continue reading Friction and Lubrication: Chaldean Decans as “Built-in Clarifiers”
A Reversal Compendium, Part 2: More Recent Posts
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is the second half of my population of posts on the subject of reversed cards. Since my thinking is constantly evolving, there could very well be a "Part 3." https://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com/2022/01/25/lurkers-on-the-threshold/ https://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com/2022/02/03/reversed-cards-as-interrogatories/ https://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com/2022/03/23/two-steps-forward-one-step-back/ https://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com/2022/07/20/half-measures/ https://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com/2022/09/18/reversed-cards-and-night-crawler-hunting/ https://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com/2022/09/26/reversal-as-reconciliation/ https://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com/2022/10/01/friction-and-lubrication-chaldean-decans-as-built-in-clarifiers/
A Reversal Compendium, Part 1: “Everything Is A Sign”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I try to limit my public essays to one a day (although I'm building quite a backlog). But this is a compilation that I think will bring value (or at least a fresh perspective or two) to the everyday practice of tarot reading, so I decided to present it as a "bonus" post. … Continue reading A Reversal Compendium, Part 1: “Everything Is A Sign”
“Symbol-Sense Disambiguation”
Those who spend any time googling will have seen the term "disambiguation" in the search results. Its full definition is "word-sense disambiguation" or "text disambiguation," and it describes "the act of interpreting an author's intended use of a word that has multiple meanings or spellings." In a recent essay I touched on the idea that … Continue reading “Symbol-Sense Disambiguation”
