When I returned to professional reading at a local New Age shop a couple of years ago, the proprietress gave me a piece of good advice: the tarot contains a few trump cards that really throw sitters for a loop if they pop up unheralded as the "outcome" in a reading, especially if those clients … Continue reading The Nasties
Culture
Mea Culpa, Baby . . . Maybe
I appreciate the expression mea culpa. It has a contrite, confessional ring to it that in this imperfect world may in fact only be, like the Tarot de Marseille stage-magician's averted glance, an attempt to deflect critical scrutiny (call it moral sleight-of-hand). Bring attention to the little sins and let the big ones go so … Continue reading Mea Culpa, Baby . . . Maybe
“All Eyes and No Sight”
Although I made my daily post for June 30 early this morning, I was sitting at my desk looking at a mug with amusing Shakespearean quotes on it given to me by my daughter-in-law when I spied the words "all eyes and no sight." This was excerpted from the line in the play Troilus and Cressida … Continue reading “All Eyes and No Sight”
Live the Question/Live the Answer
Many people believe that the tarot can answer any question, big or small (true, in a qualified way), and that the mere act of asking will deliver an unconditional solution to their problem, gift-wrapped and duty-free, into their anxiously waiting hands (less certain in many cases). They take the old "instant food" promise to heart … Continue reading Live the Question/Live the Answer
Life After Tarot
I'm not going anywhere. At least not soon, and not unless I'm carried out. I've just been wondering where I might point my omnivorous intellectual appetite next in the world of metaphysical inquiry. There is still some unfinished business in that area: I have to get back to my study and practice of geomancy, which … Continue reading Life After Tarot
Saving Tarot from Psychology
During a delightful presentation by Rachel Pollack at a regional tarot meeting on Saturday, the subject of fortune-telling came up. Rachel made the fascinating remark that back when she began reading for others over forty years ago, she was committed to saving tarot from the tarnish of fortune-telling, but now she is more inclined to … Continue reading Saving Tarot from Psychology
Cartomantic Consumerism: One Deck Too Far
A question came up on one of the tarot forums late last year that stopped me in my tracks, and after thinking carefully about it I haven't bought a new deck of any kind since (although I still lust for quite a few). "How many decks are too many?" My flippant answer at the time … Continue reading Cartomantic Consumerism: One Deck Too Far
Keywords: Guilty As Charged
There is no way around it, keyword memorization is one of the cornerstones of the tarot student's curriculum. It is a convenient and familiar way to acquire at least a modest vocabulary without having to think too hard about it. Keywords are "training wheels" for the wobbly novice. Most tarot writers are able to fill … Continue reading Keywords: Guilty As Charged
Multiculturalism or Cultural Appropriation?
Yesterday I came across a news article about a young woman who chose a traditional Chinese dress to wear to her high school prom because she appreciated its modesty. She posted a picture on social media and was deluged with howls of protest over such an egregious expression of "cultural appropriation." From where I sit, … Continue reading Multiculturalism or Cultural Appropriation?
Psychoactive Tarot
Every once in a while on the tarot forums, someone asks whether it's helpful (or even wise) to attempt reading the cards while under the influence of psychoactive "substances," whether drugs or alcohol. The thrust of the question usually revolves around the perceived loosening of cognitive strictures that may create a more fluid intuitive climate … Continue reading Psychoactive Tarot
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 