Alternate Subtitle: "I Don't Know What It Is, But I'll Know It When I See It" Intuitive truth, that is. For the last few years in these essays I've nibbled around the edges of what it means to read the tarot cards "intuitively," but only in the last few days has my grasp of the … Continue reading “Intuition Pandering” (or “The Soft Underbelly”)
“So Many Words . . .”
Those four syllables were spoken (well, written) by tarot author and entrepreneur Marcus Katz during a recent online conversation about the symbolism that has been attached to the tarot cards since the advent of esoteric contemplation with Etteilla in the 18th Century. It came across as a slightly rueful acknowledgement of the monumental effort involved … Continue reading “So Many Words . . .”
The “What-If?” Alternate Reality Lessons-Learned Spread
Yesterday I came across a question on the r/tarot sub-reddit asking whether we can put "what-if" questions to the tarot. For example, "What would have happened if I had made a different decision than the one that landed me where I am now?" An ideal specific subject might be "Where would I be in life … Continue reading The “What-If?” Alternate Reality Lessons-Learned Spread
The Long Shadow of Jung
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In retrospect, I probably should have titled this essay "Saving Tarot from Psychology" as mentioned in the last paragraph, but I decided to let the original title stand as more representative of the overall thrust. More to the point, I already have an earlier essay with that title. I'm greatly amused (I used … Continue reading The Long Shadow of Jung
The “Jodo’s Judgement” Situational Breakout Spread
The “syncretic” approach to esoteric study and practice has fascinated me ever since I first encountered Aleister Crowley's exhaustive and rather intimidating catalog of mystically-linked assumptions in The Book of Thoth, and in his even more relentless source material, Sir James George Frazer’s Golden Bough. I often combine ideas from more than one metaphysical discipline … Continue reading The “Jodo’s Judgement” Situational Breakout Spread
A Quick “Semi-Commercial” Soft-Sell
If you're new to this blog, this is just a quick reminder that it isn't monetized on the basis of "clicks." At least not by me. WordPress rides on my coat-tails and puts up ads, even though I have no say in them, never see them myself, and can't get rid of them unless I … Continue reading A Quick “Semi-Commercial” Soft-Sell
Tarot Taboos
This subject comes along with some regularity on the tarot forums and social-media pages, especially among new readers: "What topics can't (or shouldn't) we attempt to read with the cards?" My personal opinion is that almost any matter is fair game as long as the question is worded with finesse (although I do draw the … Continue reading Tarot Taboos
Rachel Pollack: A “Best-Case Scenario” Reading
Author's Note: It may be presumptuous of me to do this without being asked, but those of us who have ever met Rachel are deeply concerned about her condition and I wanted to capture that interest in an appropriate appeal to the tarot. It seemed fortuitous that I have her Shining Tribe deck. UPDATE: This … Continue reading Rachel Pollack: A “Best-Case Scenario” Reading
The “Gatekeeper and Keymaster” Best-Case Scenario Spread
The title of this spread comes from the two demonic characters ("Zuul" and "Vinz Clortho") played by Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis in the first Ghostbusters movie. The premise was rife with thinly-veiled sexual innuendo about the "gate" and the "key," but it seemed like a good basis for a tarot spread. The spread uses … Continue reading The “Gatekeeper and Keymaster” Best-Case Scenario Spread
The Wheel and the Case for Cancer
One of my favorite academic pastimes is tinkering with the cherished set of esoteric correspondences that was handed down to us by the Hermetic Order of the Golden. Its chief architect, Samuel Liddell "MacGregor" Mathers, was by all accounts an accomplished scholar, occultist and metaphysical innovator but I don't think he was infallible, and some … Continue reading The Wheel and the Case for Cancer
