AUTHOR'S NOTE: Once again I'm indebted to Benebell Wen for presenting an I Ching-related concept that I can apply directly to my tarot practice: the premise that the "cycle of life" will, on balance, provide a "net gain" in one's sense of well-being and not a "net loss" (even though we all know how it … Continue reading Optimistic Divination: Opportunities for “Net Gain”
The Diviner’s Medium: Intuitive Insight or Pure Projection?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've always been skeptical of the widely-held opinion that the subliminal insights we tap into while reading the cards are a form of spiritual illumination coming from a mystical source of higher wisdom. Those who aspire to the practice of "secular tarot" (now there's an oxymoron for you) believe that it isn't received … Continue reading The Diviner’s Medium: Intuitive Insight or Pure Projection?
An Emotional “Hopes and Fears” Spread: Rising and Falling Trends
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In almost any single-chain tarot reading there will be a mix of nominally fortunate and unfortunate cards; the reader's task is to sort them out and come up with as constructive an interpretation as possible while giving each its due. The reading frequently involves confronting the "good card/bad position" conundrum and its opposite. … Continue reading An Emotional “Hopes and Fears” Spread: Rising and Falling Trends
Convergence Between Tarot, Lenormand and Horary Astrology
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Whenever I'm confronting a major decision or a significant occurrence in my life or the lives of my clients, I find it useful to perform both a tarot (or Lenormand) reading and a horary astrology event chart. I'm looking for convergence in their testimony, particularly in the status and placement of critical features, … Continue reading Convergence Between Tarot, Lenormand and Horary Astrology
“A Hole in the Bucket” – An I Ching-Inspired Tarot Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In contemplating the nature of the "broken" (that is, interrupted) yin lines of an I Ching hexagram, it strikes me that the gap between to the two segments opens both upward and downward: one direction offers a channel through which insight can ascend to illumination if we pursue the "middle way," and the … Continue reading “A Hole in the Bucket” – An I Ching-Inspired Tarot Spread
“Auspicious to Proceed” – A Gambler’s Choice Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In its 64 oracular "judgments," the I Ching makes frequent use of the recommendation "Auspicious to proceed" when an augury is favorable and substitutes "No blame" when it may not be entirely agreeable but is still unlikely to cause harm. Here I'm using these concepts in a three-pronged tarot spread that applies typical … Continue reading “Auspicious to Proceed” – A Gambler’s Choice Spread
Coming and Going: A Dual-Spiral “Reversal of Fortune” Method
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is an ambitious concept aimed at addressing the premise that, according to Dr. James Wanless, "There are no bad cards, only opportunities." (Conversely, there are no entirely good cards, only fortuitous hints.) After choosing a card to represent the goal of the reading, I'm using the same four randomly-drawn cards to show … Continue reading Coming and Going: A Dual-Spiral “Reversal of Fortune” Method
The Joint-and-Several “Relationship Fishbone” Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The "fishbone" of the title refers to the Ishikawa (aka "fishbone") diagram that is sometimes used in manufacturing problem-solving to pin down the various causes that led to an off-normal condition (typically called "root-cause analysis"). All of the inputs are streamed diagonally into a main stem that, when fully populated, resembles the skeleton … Continue reading The Joint-and-Several “Relationship Fishbone” Spread
The “Fog Cutter” – A Tarot Disambiguation Technique
"Now when the day goes to sleep and the full moon looks/ And the night is so black that the darkness cooks" - from The Green Manalishi by Peter Green AUTHOR'S NOTE: My allusion in the title is to the potent, three-liquor "Tiki" cocktail that, in sufficient volume, will do anything but "cut the fog" … Continue reading The “Fog Cutter” – A Tarot Disambiguation Technique
That Devil Moon – “Flying Under the Radar”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The unforeseen ways by which syncretic alignment between ideas can enter metaphysical thought are truly remarkable. Human beings are conceptual pattern-makers who are always trying to draw parallels where no obvious convergence exists, and the subtle arts are no exception. I've acquired many fortuitous insights for presentation in this blog while engaging in … Continue reading That Devil Moon – “Flying Under the Radar”
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 