AUTHOR'S NOTE: The title is a riff on ling chi, the ancient Chinese method of torture and execution that bled the victim to death over an extended period of time using myriad small cuts (technically, the methodical removal of body parts). In English it is variously called "slow slicing," "lingering death," or "death by a … Continue reading The Ten of Swords: Success by a Thousand Cuts
Divination
The Tarot Reader and the “Sword of Truth” – The Perilous Pursuit of Speculative Divination
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”- Attributed to Mark Twain (with thanks to Dean Radin for the tip) AUTHOR'S NOTE: Those tarot readers who champion freestyle improvisation and dismiss matter-of-fact appraisal of the cards have an implacable "sword of truth" … Continue reading The Tarot Reader and the “Sword of Truth” – The Perilous Pursuit of Speculative Divination
Beyond the Facts: The Role of Speculation in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: First a disclaimer. I'm no fan of the word "intuition" as universally applied to tarot reading because I think of it as a "one-size-fits-all" mystical answer-generator that encourages over-reliance on subjective bias, as in "If it feels true it must be true." I'm far too cautious (not to mention too skeptical) to swallow … Continue reading Beyond the Facts: The Role of Speculation in Tarot Reading
Sun and Clouds: The Variable Tarot Forecast
"May you live in interesting times."- Ancient Chinese curse AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's a common belief among tarot professionals that every prophecy must end on an encouraging note for reasons of "client empowerment." I'm not one of those since strength of character can emerge from bad tidings as readily as from good ones. It's a matter … Continue reading Sun and Clouds: The Variable Tarot Forecast
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*
The Major Arcana As Personality Types
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In an r/tarot sub-reddit thread, someone asked about an old post (not one of mine) that gave definitions for the trump cards as "people." It's more common to treat the court cards as representing other individuals involved in the querent's circumstances, but I was intrigued by the idea that one of the Major … Continue reading The Major Arcana As Personality Types
Over the Hill: The “Post-Crisis Downslope” in a Five-Card Tarot Reading
"So you know, that you're over the hillWhen your mind makes a promise that your body can't fill."- from Old Folk's Boogie by Little Feat AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Little Feat quote was a late pick as I began thinking about a title for this post. The first inspiration was a quip I came across online: … Continue reading Over the Hill: The “Post-Crisis Downslope” in a Five-Card Tarot Reading
The Monkey Mind and the Meat Brain: Putting the Brakes on Mystical Excess in Divination
"I'm a monkey, m-m-monkeyI'm a monkey, m-m-monkeyI'm a monkey, m-m-monkeyMonkey, monkey man"- from Monkey Man by the Rolling Stones AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm indebted to James Ricklef and Lon Milo DuQuette, in Tarot Reading Explained and Tarot Architect respectively, for bringing these concepts to my attention. (Oh, and to Mick Jagger for obvious reasons.) By way … Continue reading The Monkey Mind and the Meat Brain: Putting the Brakes on Mystical Excess in Divination
“Implements of Instruction”
" . . . shovels and rakes and implements of destruction . . . "- from Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie AUTHOR'S NOTE: This essay is not for the softhearted or the soft-headed. It's another unapologetic critique of contemporary divination (specifically tarot-reading) with just a hint of ironic self-reflection. Proceed at your peril! As I … Continue reading “Implements of Instruction”
Expansion and Contraction in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE This essay has been in the "pending" queue for a while now and I've moved on from where I was when I wrote it to explore other topics, but I think it's still worth posting. It seems that I can't push even one page further into my renewed study of James Ricklef's Tarot … Continue reading Expansion and Contraction in Tarot Reading
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 