If you're like me, you don't swallow every spoonful of generally-accepted wisdom that's pushed at you; at least you take a sniff first, and if it doesn't pass the "sniff test" (never mind the "giggle test"), you are wary of ingesting it. So it is with me regarding the astrological correspondences given to the Major … Continue reading Astrologically Rethinking the Major Arcana
“Cheap Shots” #1
"Tarot is the new "blind date" for the emotionally timorous, without the trepidation of actually having to follow through. It's safe, it's not emotionally messy and it doesn't require nerve or opportunity." In my curmudgeonly way , I have a large store of acerbic observations about the world of tarot as we presently know it. … Continue reading “Cheap Shots” #1
The Inner Magician Spread
I'm a member of a Voyager Tarot Study Group in central Massachusetts. One of the first exercises from the James Wanless course material that we took on was the "Constellation of Magic" reading associated with the Magician card. This reading has 25 "line items," each one relating a way in which the Magician's qualities can … Continue reading The Inner Magician Spread
The Beanstalk of Life
Over the last few years I've created 60-odd tarot spreads that were posted on the Aeclectic Tarot forum. My approach is usually complex and detailed, with thorough developer's notes. My goal is to eventually publish a workbook of these spreads. In the meantime, I'll offer a few of them here. This is one of the … Continue reading The Beanstalk of Life
The Grand Tableau – Lenormand “Multi-Tool”
Most of us are familiar with the “multi-tools” used by craftsmen and handymen; Leatherman makes one and the ubiquitous “Swiss Army Knife” is another. They allow the wielder to perform a variety of dissimilar tasks without relying on an arsenal of task-specific implements. The 36-card Grand Tableau – one of the oldest card arrangements in … Continue reading The Grand Tableau – Lenormand “Multi-Tool”
Lunar Month Look-Ahead Spread
UPDATE: In a more recent essay I explored the idea that a mathematically-derived monthly “New Moon” card (similar to a “birth card” or a “year card”) might be a useful addition to this spread. This is calculated by summing the "day-month-year" digits for the date of the New Moon, reducing as necessary to a number … Continue reading Lunar Month Look-Ahead Spread
Elemental Modifiers as Natural Phenomena
In Part Three of the Book of Thoth, Aleister Crowley briefly examines the elemental qualities of the Knight cards as natural phenomena: the “swift and violent, but transient” Knights correspond to the Lightning Flash in Wands; to Rain and Springs in Cups; to Wind in Swords; and to Mountains in Disks. Then he neatly extricates … Continue reading Elemental Modifiers as Natural Phenomena
The Armchair Cynic’s Guide to the End of the World
Here is a bit of fun for the cheerfully cynical among you. End of the World Spread
Wrestling with the Angel: ATU XIV – Art/Temperance
It has taken me the better part of 40 years to come to grips with the divinatory meaning of the Temperance card. The common understanding that it means nothing more than “moderation” has never convinced me. Nor has all of the elevated talk in the literature about alchemical transmutation and the reconciliation of opposites (Fire … Continue reading Wrestling with the Angel: ATU XIV – Art/Temperance
Rules of Engagement
I often participate in on-line debates about the legal risks inherent in reading the cards for pay in a public setting. Some localities in the US have anti-fortune-telling statutes that force readers to offer their services “for entertainment only.” But there is a broader set of considerations regarding just how much protocol and structure we … Continue reading Rules of Engagement
