I'm fascinated by reversals and am always looking for creative ways to take maximum advantage of their subtle influence. Here is a spread that uses reversal to further the "hidden" story-line. The reading will be from two to five cards depending on how many reversals appear, and the first reversed card will set the topical … Continue reading The “Hidden Path” Situational Awareness Spread
RWS in the Cross-Hairs: A Critique
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm not enamored of the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) tarot deck. I think it comes in a distant second to the Thoth Tarot's "masterful/magical/mystical/ mythical/metaphorical mojo;" after all, how could it compete with Aleister Crowley's enormous erudition and Frieda Harris's brilliant rendering. Don't hate me, but I'm afraid it's true. I do use it in … Continue reading RWS in the Cross-Hairs: A Critique
“Inner Navigation” with the Thoth Tarot
The purpose of this essay is to inquire "At what point does (or should) a serious tarot scholar become a diviner?" The best answer to that comes from Aleister Crowley's Book of Thoth, at the beginning of Appendix A, "The Behaviour of the Tarot: Its Use in the Art of Divination," which I will quote … Continue reading “Inner Navigation” with the Thoth Tarot
A Tarot Spread “4-Pack”
At the rate I'm creating new content, I may never catch up on my backlog of essay drafts because I try to post only once each day to avoid spamming my readers. Since tarot spread creation is a "fill-in" activity between my more involved literary efforts, they tend to languish in the queue, now more … Continue reading A Tarot Spread “4-Pack”
Sneaking Up on the Book of Thoth
In response to those tarot journeymen who are struggling mightily (and often unsuccessfully) with Aleister Crowley's daunting Book of Thoth (BoT) and complaining almost as fiercely, I'll stick my oar in the water here. As always, I do this at the risk of repeating myself, not for the first time nor the last. (I could, … Continue reading Sneaking Up on the Book of Thoth
The Thoth Minor Arcana: “Back Door” to Cartomancy?
I've long wanted to practice playing-card cartomancy, and have studied it just a little. But learning a new system and figuring out how to effectively work with it is a time-consuming proposition, so I haven't made much headway beyond buying a few decks of playing cards and a book or two. However, during online discussions … Continue reading The Thoth Minor Arcana: “Back Door” to Cartomancy?
The American Justice System Superimposed on the Astropsychological Tree of Life
Mainly for my own amusement, I spent some time superimposing elements of the American Justice System on the paths of my "re-imagined" version of the Hermetic (Kircher) Tree of Life. I started with the idea that Justice has to do with the "trial" in any judicial setting and Judgement speaks of the "verdict," and then … Continue reading The American Justice System Superimposed on the Astropsychological Tree of Life
The “One-and-Done” Single Use Dilemma
There are at least four instances (and one related case) I can think of where a card in the tarot deck is limited to a single appearance in a reading when it might be reasonable (and in some cases necessary) to assume that it warrants more than one iteration. One of these is the 12-card … Continue reading The “One-and-Done” Single Use Dilemma
Harmony Montgomery Missing-Person Case: A Natal Horoscope Rectification Attempt
I don't have a valid birth time and exact birthplace for Harmony, so rectification of her horoscope based on limited historical information is the only way forward in examining any transits and progressions of interest in the case. The method of rectification I use involves looking at the unrectified (usually noon) birth chart for personal … Continue reading Harmony Montgomery Missing-Person Case: A Natal Horoscope Rectification Attempt
The Fertilizing Flash
I've now gleaned a number of fresh impressions from my study and practice that support writing a bit more about the Tower, the 16th trump card of the present-day tarot (titled "the House of God" or the "Lightning-Struck Tower" in older packs). One of my favorite interpretations comes from Alejandro Jodorowsky's book The Way of … Continue reading The Fertilizing Flash
