AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here and there in the esoteric literature I've encountered what I'm calling the "Magician's Creed," a set of four postulates that every practitioner of the occult arts should adopt and apply diligently: "To Know, To Dare, To Will and To Keep Silent" (Scire, Audere, Velle, Tacere). This morning I recognized that these stipulations … Continue reading The Tarot Court and the Magician’s Creed
court-cards
The “Knight of Wants” – Reach vs. Grasp in Tarot Terms*
"Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?"(Robert Browning) AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although the line from Browning's poem was clearly meant to be inspirational, in common usage the phrase "his reach exceeds his grasp" is intended to mean that the individual is aspiring to a lofty summit that he can't … Continue reading The “Knight of Wants” – Reach vs. Grasp in Tarot Terms*
Two Sides of the Tarot Queens: “13” and “3”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: My recent post on the numerical "transcendence" of the second number in the two-digit trump and court cards inspired a few thoughts on the nature of the tarot Queens (with the rest of the court cards to follow). This essay and those in progress build on the observations of a previous post that … Continue reading Two Sides of the Tarot Queens: “13” and “3”
Transcendence in Two-Digit Tarot Cards
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A few years ago while reading the companion book for the Voyager Tarot by James Wanless, I encountered the concept of the second number in a two-digit tarot trump creating a kind of "numerological counterpart" between that card and the single-digit trump of the same number (for example, the Hanged Man as 12 … Continue reading Transcendence in Two-Digit Tarot Cards
“The More, The Merrier . . .” or Maybe Not
AUTHOR'S NOTE: One of the more confounding events facing the less-experienced tarot reader is the appearance of numerous court cards in a spread, particularly if the novice is unsure whether they stand for other people involved in the matter; personal attitudes and behaviors that should either be adopted or avoided; or impersonal and universal forces … Continue reading “The More, The Merrier . . .” or Maybe Not
The Pages: Impatience Rising
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In my recent readings I've been interpreting the Page of Swords as being "impatient for an answer." Today, while reading about the Page of Wands in Benebell Wens Holistic Tarot, I realized that this mild form of agitation can be applied to the Pages of all four suits. Because of their immaturity, aversion … Continue reading The Pages: Impatience Rising
Reversed Court Cards: Perverse or Preoccupied?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I recently came across an opinion in the tarot literature that a reversed court card in a spread will typically highlight the negative character traits of an individual when that card stands for another person who is involved in the situation and not a psychological or universal/spiritual concept. Given my nuanced approach to … Continue reading Reversed Court Cards: Perverse or Preoccupied?
The Daily Reading in Three Parts
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Consider this the "club sandwich" of tarot spreads, or maybe the "lasagna;" it breaks the daily reading into three distinct tiers of interpretation. Within the field of behavioral conjecture it's a well-established premise that the human personality exhibits three characteristic modes of response to circumstances: automatic or unplanned (the "knee-jerk reaction"); conditional or … Continue reading The Daily Reading in Three Parts
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 