The number Four expresses stability that is the result of entrenched inertia rather than the dynamic tension that steadies the Two; it is the initial fulfillment of the promise of the Ace, and presages the final state of completion in the Ten. Pythagoras observed that the power of the Ten lies within the Four because summing the numbers from One to Four (1+2+3+4) produces … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Fours
Esoteric
The “Alternate Reality” Timeline Spread
I don't use the 3-card "past/present/future" spread very much because I find it lacking in detail. Trying to stuff all of the relevant nuances of a moment in time into the narrow confines of a single card is like omitting the yeast when baking bread; it can be done but the results are usually quite … Continue reading The “Alternate Reality” Timeline Spread
Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Threes
In esoteric number theory, the Three represents growth, progress and opportunity. Geometrically, it is symbolized by the triangle, the third point of which provides a new perspective by mediating between the other two; thus, "understanding" is also indicated. Another thought is that it implies "getting off the treadmill" implied by the cyclical motion of the Two and … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Threes
Invictus and the Tarot Triptych
In honor of William Ernest Henley's poem Invictus, which started me down this road with the line "My head is bloody, but unbowed" and its perfect complement in the Waite-Smith Tarot's 9 of Wands, I decided to render the entire poem in tarot cards. Although the text is structured in four-line stanzas, the three-card triptych made for … Continue reading Invictus and the Tarot Triptych
The Jabberwocky and the Thoth Tarot
There is something slightly dismal about the opening and closing stanzas of the famous Lewis Carroll nonsense poem that reminds me of some of the more unsettling cards of the Thoth deck (must be those flimsy, miserable, shabby-looking birds described by Humpty Dumpty). I took on the interesting challenge of finding correlations between the cards and the rest … Continue reading The Jabberwocky and the Thoth Tarot
Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Aces
There is a common assumption that the Aces represent a new beginning, the first step in any activity; but they more properly convey the urge to take that step rather than its execution. They carry the potential energy of a suit up to the point of "pulling the trigger" on its promise of action. In … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Aces
Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: An Overview
Any discussion of the Minor Arcana - or "pip" cards in traditional terms - must start with a discussion of numbers. Before there were tarot cards with illustrated scenes, the familiar "small" cards bore only suit emblems in the appropriate quantity, along with a few decorative details. These rather mute cards are still the bane of … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: An Overview
Tarot 101, My Way – Court Cards: The Pentacles Court
The members of the Pentacles court (also called Disks or Coins depending on the deck) are the "planners" of tarot royalty. They are for the most part orderly and regular, not prone to flights of fancy and wasted motion (or for that matter, emotion). Give them a set of rules and they will follow it … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Court Cards: The Pentacles Court
Swinburn and the Major Arcana
Now I'm really going to have to work! This brilliant piece of mystical poetry, extracted from Algernon Charles Swinburn's epic verse drama, Atalanta at Calydon, is rife with possibilities for metaphorical correspondences to the cards of the Major Arcana. I was able to bring all 22 trumps to bear here; not all of them are a … Continue reading Swinburn and the Major Arcana
Tarot 101, My Way – Court Cards: The Swords Court
The members of the Swords court are the "thinkers" of tarot royalty. Their domain includes anything to do with mental pursuits, from education to arguments and legal disputes. In the simplest terms, they often involve a decision the seeker is facing or a quandary that will soon appear, and can suggest the proper "angle of attack" in confronting … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Court Cards: The Swords Court
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 