There is a wide range of opinion and much debate on whether any conceivable request can be brought to the tarot. Some say you can't answer simple "yes-or-no" questions in a straightforward way with it because its answers are too conditional and nuanced. Other believe you should steer well clear of anything that could create … Continue reading A Good Question
Divination
Casting Lots
There are many forms of divination I know little about, but I'm constantly trying to educate myself. One such practice is lithomancy (the art of casting stones), for which these is very little published literature. One of the best resources I've found is this one by Gary Wimmer. http://garywimmer.com/writer/litho_book.htm Although Gary uses stones thrown onto … Continue reading Casting Lots
The Three-Card Carousel
"Round and round she goes, and where she stops nobody knows." I'm pinching those words from the old Ted Mack Amateur Hour TV show to illustrate one method of reading a three-card spread in tarot divination. There are differing opinions on this: some always read in a line from left-to-right, with the Past on the … Continue reading The Three-Card Carousel
Soothsayer or Master Craftsman?
The frequent on-line debates about whether the tarot cards have a distinct "personality" or whether they are in truth just inert pieces of printed cardboard bearing compelling pictures sometimes spill over into other "tools of the trade." For instance, scrying devices - such as magic mirrors and crystal balls - are often subjected to a … Continue reading Soothsayer or Master Craftsman?
Scrying: First Attempt
I got my scrying space set up and made a first attempt at gazing. I used Uma Silbey's method of visualizing the ball as filled with golden light by breathing "through" my Heart Chakra, with middling success. I tried to move into the ball and immediately had a sense of heightened awareness, followed by a … Continue reading Scrying: First Attempt
Geomancy Redux
Several years ago I spent a good deal of time learning and practicing the art of geomancy (literally, "Earth Divination"). The old texts specify that one is to use a wand to poke a random number of holes in a local patch of soil for each of the four main geomantic figures (the "Mother" figures) … Continue reading Geomancy Redux
Cheap Shots #28: Prediction vs. Divination
We've been having a spirited and occasionally contentious debate on one of the forums I frequent regarding the difference between divination and prediction (if there even is one), and which approach is most suitable for work with the tarot. A side issue is whether the proper role of a reader in discussing difficult cards is … Continue reading Cheap Shots #28: Prediction vs. Divination
An Artifact of the ’70s
It's interesting how things that once seemed so natural now come across as more than a little stilted and excessive. Case in point: as I work up my knowledge (and courage) to dive into the untested waters of crystal ball gazing, I'm absorbing the information in two books. In his Golden Dawn material on scrying, … Continue reading An Artifact of the ’70s
Crystal Gazing 101
While researching books on crystal-ball divination and lining up my finances to buy something worthwhile. I've been spending some time with the scrying section of Israel Regardie's Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic. Although, according to Regardie, the Golden Dawn used Tattwa images and not reflective surfaces for "scrying in the spirit vision," the principle … Continue reading Crystal Gazing 101
A New Pursuit for the New Year
After several years of wanting one, I finally got this 150mm crystal ball. It's natural quartz that has been "reconstituted;" they grind quartz crystal into a fine powder and then fuse it using heat and pressure to create a clear sphere. Here I show it with a few of its "country cousins" and the "grandfather … Continue reading A New Pursuit for the New Year
