For those of us who believe that tarot divination is an effective tool for identifying future possibilities and tendencies in an individual's personal reality, the question of "when" looms large on the predictive horizon. There is a divergence of professional opinion on the subject of how long a reading is "good for." Some people say they have … Continue reading Not If, But When
Learning
“I Smell A Rat” – A Problem-Solving Spread
Everyone knows that the Devil can be a perfidious fellow (what The Eagles once called a "cru-el dude"). Here I cast him as the proverbial "rat" in the classic "I smell a rat" trouble-is-brewing scenario. A key feature of this spread is that the Rat may not appear exactly where the Querent suspects he is going … Continue reading “I Smell A Rat” – A Problem-Solving Spread
The “Turning Point” Life’s Journey Spread
Most of us have had the experience of reaching a major turning point in our lives (a death, a divorce or break-up, the loss of a job, a relocation or other new beginning, etc.), with no idea what lies ahead. This spread is intended to explore that uncertain future from a "destiny" perspective - spiritual, … Continue reading The “Turning Point” Life’s Journey Spread
Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Tens
Plato considered Ten to be a perfect number when viewed from a philosophical rather than a mathematical perspective (in the second case, the term has an entirely different derivation attributed to Euclid). In the qabalistic model of the Universe, Ten delivers the "last gasp" of an elemental energy in its increasingly encumbered progress down the Tree of Life. The original, largely spiritual, force … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Tens
“According to Dignity”
I've carried on at some length in previous posts about the concept of Elemental Dignity, which is a method of inflecting the meaning of a card according to the elemental influence of its neighboring cards in a spread (that is, the level of agreement or disagreement between the qualities of the classical elements [Fire, Water, Air and Earth] assigned to the … Continue reading “According to Dignity”
Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Nines
The number Nine marks the end of the series of simple numbers; the Ten is more of a postscript, the "jumping-off place" for a return to Unity (Ten reduces numerologically to One: 1+0 = 1). As such it is considered the completion and fulfillment of the promise of the Ace of each suit. Zoroaster said it … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Nines
Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Eights
I've said almost everything I have to say about the Eights in two previous posts, "The Eights and Anxiety" and "The Sevens and Eights" (links below). The one thing that bears repeating is Joseph Maxwell's idea that the simple even numbers Four and Eight are characteristically balanced owing to their roots in the binary Two, although the … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Eights
Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Sixes
According to Wikipedia, "(Greek) mathematicians, including the mathematician-philosopher Pythagoras, proposed as a perfect number, the number 6, (which) was believed perfect for being divisible in a special way: a sixth part of that number constitutes unity; a third is two; a half — three; two-thirds is four; five-sixths is five; six is the perfect whole." It … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Sixes
For Good or Ill
Anyone who delves into the Golden Dawn's "Liber T" tarot study material will soon encounter a phrase that places the focus of a question squarely on its context. MacGregor Mathers, its principle author, frequently stated that the influence of a card would be experienced "for good or ill" by the querent in a reading. The idea is … Continue reading For Good or Ill
Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Fives
Five is a number of necessary change, usually experienced as chaotic, coming hard on the heels of the complacent Four. I like to call it a "can-opener" or "nut-cracker" that liberates the stale atmosphere of its predecessor and re-establishes momentum; however, its benefit is often recognized only in hindsight. In action it can feel thoroughly disruptive. I also … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – Minor Arcana: The Fives
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 