Peter Gabriel said it best in his ironic song "Big Time:" I've been stretching my mouth To let those big words come right out I love word-craft and clever language, but sometimes that fascination can get the best of me. Those big words are my nemesis because they can spell death for any hope of creating good writing. … Continue reading Big Words
Humor
A Guilty Pleasure
I admit to watching almost no television (in fact, nearly zero most of the time). I became offended by its growing insipidity (not to mention cultural and moral bankruptcy) back in the early '80s and pretty much weaned myself off it. The occasional HBO or Netflix fantasy series may still capture my attention (Game of Thrones, Westworld, … Continue reading A Guilty Pleasure
The Fool and Me
It never occurred to me that this 1974 hard-rock song from Robin Trower's Bridge of Sighs album, co-written and sung by the late, great James Dewar, most likely had its roots in the tarot; the timing was certainly right for a veiled New Age allusion. With lyrics that seem to play off the Fool's heedless … Continue reading The Fool and Me
The “Redneck Romantic Worthiness Scorecard”
Sometimes tarot can be just plain fun. This spread is a step up from the GEICO "caveman" shtick (although admittedly a small one). Use it at your next "Walking Dead" house party, or on your SO to reset the bar (or maybe the "scales will fall from your eyes"). I hope there aren't many thin-skinned … Continue reading The “Redneck Romantic Worthiness Scorecard”
The Tarot Gods Speak!
I've been having an interesting discussion with another tarot writer about the distinctions between the "esoteric" and "exoteric" branches of tarot practice. The former is commonly held to be the domain of serious study in occult symbolism and correspondences, while the latter is better suited to practical divination. Although I used the esoteric Thoth deck … Continue reading The Tarot Gods Speak!
Tarzan and Jane’s Sexual Adventure Spread
That title grabbed your attention, didn't it! A couple of years ago, someone on the Aeclectic Tarot forum asked point-blank in a reading exchange "Does X want to have sex with me?" After I got done laughing at the audacity, I realized that all of the hopeful, high-minded "friendship" spreads and the widespread curiosity over … Continue reading Tarzan and Jane’s Sexual Adventure Spread
WYSIWYG or “WYSINWYG?”
Back in the '80s, computer geeks were always talking about programming code that let a developer (and eventually a user) see the end product of their work on the monitor screen while they were in the middle of creating it. These editors were known by the acronym "WYSIWYG" ("What you see is what you get"), … Continue reading WYSIWYG or “WYSINWYG?”
A Simple Question-and-Answer Spread
Those of us who create a lot of spreads sometimes get so caught up in the game that we neglect the simple stuff. This spread is a substitute for the three-card and five-card line that puts a different spin on the reading: not so much "past/present/future" as countervailing influences that will push the answer one … Continue reading A Simple Question-and-Answer Spread
Death, Be Not Loud
Few writers have had as much fun with the personification of Death as Terry Pratchett. Pratchett's stiff-necked Death always spoke in CAPITAL LETTERS and was pompous and portentous to the point of clueless self-ridicule (which was of course the idea). I especially liked the bit where Death wanted to take a holiday and asked his … Continue reading Death, Be Not Loud
The Hanged Monarch
My take on the Hanged Man, in as few words as possible.
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 