AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm currently following an interesting sub-reddit thread in which the conversation centers on ex-partner reconciliation and the broader issue of "soulmate/twin-flame" connections, two areas of concern that are frequently brought to a diviner's attention. Then it broaches the subject of "attachment style," which I didn't realize has become an area of formal study … Continue reading The “Ex-Partner” Dilemma: Abandonment and Avoidance
Anchoring the Abstract
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Many years ago in Rachel Pollack's 78 Degrees of Wisdom, I encountered the 21-card, 7x3 tableau of tarot trumps (the Fool was set aside as a "thing apart"). The arrangement ran from the Magician at the top-left to the World at the bottom-right. More recently, I came across it again in Sallie Nichols' … Continue reading Anchoring the Abstract
The Vertical Sword: “Lighting Rod of Inspiration”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've been contemplating the notion that any single, vertical sword shown in a tarot card can act as a "lightning rod" that conducts focused inspiration directly into the subject of a reading. I'm indebted to Sallie Nichols for bringing this to my attention as it relates to the raised sword of Justice that … Continue reading The Vertical Sword: “Lighting Rod of Inspiration”
Pop Metaphysics and the “Spirit Guide Mentality”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Following up on my previous post about "scrying in the spirit vision," I have a few more critical observations to share about the "spirit guide mentality." I'm not sure where the notion of spirit guides first cropped up in the practice of Western occultism. Although it apparently made its earliest appearance in the … Continue reading Pop Metaphysics and the “Spirit Guide Mentality”
A Man of Certainty (or “I’ll Know It When I See It”)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This essay follows the same line-of-thought as my previous post on “mystical rationalism.” Not too long ago I read an editorial piece that presented the results of a survey in which it was reported that 37% of the adult population of the United States refers to itself as "spiritual but not religious." The … Continue reading A Man of Certainty (or “I’ll Know It When I See It”)
Actions with Spirits: The Power of Walt
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm not a believer in the power of prayer. At its best it strikes me as well-meaning but credulous supplication of the "This may not help but it can't hurt" variety, and at its worst it comes across as a banal expression of mock-solemn tribute mumbled by dutiful sympathizers, usually after some tragedy … Continue reading Actions with Spirits: The Power of Walt
Flagrant Faking: Real or Imaginary?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In a recent sub-reddit thread, someone asked whether it is possible to spot a "fake" tarot reader, and how that might be done. The person was understandably nervous about paying for a poor-quality reading by an incompetent practitioner. Many of the negative comments were aimed at YouTube readers, and I was inspired to … Continue reading Flagrant Faking: Real or Imaginary?
“Death Becomes Him” – Thoughts on Mystical Rationalism
AUTHOR'S NOTE: You may remember the old Bruce Willis-Meryl Streep-Goldie Hawn film Death Becomes Her. I'm paraphrasing the title to support my introductory premise but there is no intended plot connection. In the occult tarot lexicon, the Death card corresponds to the enigmatic and remorseless Water sign Scorpio. In a previous essay I mentioned that, … Continue reading “Death Becomes Him” – Thoughts on Mystical Rationalism
The Lenormand Tree: Rotten to the Core?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just came to the realization that the illustration of the Tree card in most Lenormand decks shows it to be mature and clearly in excellent health, while its usual interpretation is anything but hale-and-hearty. This discrepancy seems like a "red herring" that leads beginners to see it as a fortunate card when … Continue reading The Lenormand Tree: Rotten to the Core?
“Don’t Rock the Boat!” – The Secular Hierophant
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I've mentioned before, I spent the better part of 40 years (not very diligently) trying to get my head around Temperance in a pragmatic way because the alchemical baggage associated with it defied easy translation into terms that would make sense in a mundane reading. Once I accomplished that feat I turned … Continue reading “Don’t Rock the Boat!” – The Secular Hierophant
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 