AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm currently reading T. Susan Chang's Tarot Correspondences: Ancient Secrets for Everyday Readers, and I'm at the point where she talks about the indirect connections between sephiroth on the Hermetic Tree of Life that aren't joined by established "paths" along with their associated trump cards. In baseball terminology, we could say that she … Continue reading Dynamic Tension: “Secret Paths” on the Tree of Life
experimental-tarot
Tarot Timing By Number and Rank
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is a unique timing method that uses reasonably expected and objectively determined target dates to zero in on the most likely span of time from the date of the reading to the proposed time of completion. The aim is to partially offset some of the exaggeration that can occur with most methods … Continue reading Tarot Timing By Number and Rank
Repurposing the Chaldean Decans for Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Golden Dawn's alignment of the tarot cards with the astrological (aka "Chaldean") decanates (36 ten-degree segments of the zodiac beginning on the Vernal Equinox) has intrigued me since I first picked up the tarot in 1972 to complement my practice of astrology, but I have never been satisfied with its customary application … Continue reading Repurposing the Chaldean Decans for Tarot Reading
The Astrological Trumps and the Sephiroth: A Creative Rethinking
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Although I've studied and worked with the pattern for over fifty years, I've never found much practical (i.e. divinatory) use for the assignment of the tarot's Major Arcana to the paths of the Qabalistic Tree of Life outside of astral pathworking (at which I'm not particularly adept). The alignment of the ten sephiroth … Continue reading The Astrological Trumps and the Sephiroth: A Creative Rethinking
The “Full House” – A 78-Card Tarot Tableau and Readings
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In my previous post about 78-card tarot arrays I hinted that I might come up with a new spread based on that premise. Here it is, and there are two suggested ways to use it that will identify a subset of cards for the actual reading. (Obviously, I don't advise attempting this sprawling … Continue reading The “Full House” – A 78-Card Tarot Tableau and Readings
A Tarot Take on “Strictures Against Judgement”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: What follows is an odd-ball idea that applies the poker-player's caveat about "knowing when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em." There are times when it's clear that a reading is going nowhere, but we still feel obligated to make the most of it. If that realization occurs with the very first … Continue reading A Tarot Take on “Strictures Against Judgement”
Coming and Going: A Dual-Spiral “Reversal of Fortune” Method
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is an ambitious concept aimed at addressing the premise that, according to Dr. James Wanless, "There are no bad cards, only opportunities." (Conversely, there are no entirely good cards, only fortuitous hints.) After choosing a card to represent the goal of the reading, I'm using the same four randomly-drawn cards to show … Continue reading Coming and Going: A Dual-Spiral “Reversal of Fortune” Method
The “Creeping Darkness” Shadow Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: More inspiration from Benebell Wen's book, I Ching the Oracle: A Practical Guide to the Book of Changes. I was just reading about Hexagram 23 (Bo; Partition) which has five "dark" yin lines underlying a single "bright" yang line. The commentary is "Dark yin lines ascend upward to overthrow the final line of … Continue reading The “Creeping Darkness” Shadow Spread
Deeper Than You Realize: Reversals As Hidden Messages
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just came across the intriguing notion that it could be instructive, after performing a reading that allows for reversed cards, to go through the rest of the deck and find additional instances of reversal that didn't make it into the reading. (In other words, they didn't surface during the pull.) The assumption … Continue reading Deeper Than You Realize: Reversals As Hidden Messages
The “Reset Arc” – Daily Draw x 7
". . . every day resets itself, from sunrise to sunset to sunrise again."Benebell Wen, I Ching, the Oracle: A Practical Guide to the Book of Changes AUTHOR'S NOTE: The above quote should be the guiding principle behind every daily draw in tarot reading. But too many readers trust the one-card pull to satisfy this … Continue reading The “Reset Arc” – Daily Draw x 7
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 