There used to be a TV quiz show called "The $64,000 Question." Accounting for inflation and devaluation, let's up the ante and call this the "$100,000 Question:" What are the key qualities that make for an exceptionally competent and effective tarot reader, those that separate the best from the rest? (Hint: It's more than just "being … Continue reading The $100,000 Question: Closing in on Excellence
Learning
Tarot 101, My Way – The Major Arcana and Esoteric Symbolism
There are a couple of different ways to approach sequencing of the Major Arcana, or "trump" cards. Modern thinking is that the series begins with the Fool, numbered zero, and ends with the World, designated XXI in Roman numerals. But it wasn't always that way. Some early decks had the Fool as an unnumbered card and various writers … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – The Major Arcana and Esoteric Symbolism
Tarot 101, My Way – An Overview
Some of my followers have encouraged me to offer online tarot lessons. While I have no interest in getting into an interactive training arrangement, I don't mind mentoring to the best of my ability. Last year I created some beginner's instructional material for a face-to-face course that never happened. I'm going to present that material here … Continue reading Tarot 101, My Way – An Overview
Where Is Mollie? – A Missing-Person Reading (Final Update)
UPDATE: The body of Mollie Tibbetts was found in a cornfield in rural Poweshiek County, Iowa. She was discovered "on a farm" as suggested in the reading, but was probably not detained or murdered by a resident. In an interview this afternoon, authorities said the suspect, an illegal immigrant, had lived in the area for from four to seven years. The … Continue reading Where Is Mollie? – A Missing-Person Reading (Final Update)
A Tight Rein and a Short Leash
In the Lenormand system of cartomancy, traditional meanings are concise and pragmatic, the epitome of "what you see is what you get." Lenormand cards have been popular in Europe for a couple of centuries but have only recently gained prominence and wider use in the United States. Understandably, its emergence has lured a large number of people … Continue reading A Tight Rein and a Short Leash
Spread Technician: The Artist-Philosopher-Engineer at Play
Having passed the "century" mark in self-designed tarot spread creation and presently working on my second hundred, I've been thinking (when am I not?) of what it takes to develop a truly informative and compelling layout that avoids being tiresomely trite. The most common formula in use today is to take five card positions, which seems to be the … Continue reading Spread Technician: The Artist-Philosopher-Engineer at Play
The “Bowling for Dollars” RWS Storyboard
This is the fourth and last of my "storyboard" studies of the RWS minor cards. The title comes from the old TV show "Bowling for Dollars" and plays off the bizarre impression created by the central image on the Ace of Pentacles. It is tempting to think of the suit of Pentacles (Coins or Disks in other decks) … Continue reading The “Bowling for Dollars” RWS Storyboard
Cardboard, Ink and Magic
The forum conversations used to go something like this: Question: Do tarot cards have "personalities?" Answer: Nope, they're just tools made of cardboard and ink. The human qualities they seem to exhibit are those we project onto them. The formal word for it is "anthropomorphizing" but, put more simply, it's a type of animism with roots in … Continue reading Cardboard, Ink and Magic
Where Is “Rogue #13” (Carrie’s Killer)?
As promised, I ran the King of Swords from the previous "Whodunit" reading through my "Sundial Location Spread." I also used the RWS Centennial Edition for this layout. The Significator turned up in the South quadrant, implying a warm, sunny place. If the suspect was over 45 years old at the time of the murder, … Continue reading Where Is “Rogue #13” (Carrie’s Killer)?
Tarot de Marseille: Built for Comfort, Not for Speed
"Some folk rip and roar, some folk b'lieve in signs But if you want me, you got to take your time Because I'm built for comfort, I ain't built for speed" Built for Comfort (Willie Dixon/Howling Wolf) There is something (well, actually 40 "somethings") about the Tarot de Marseill that eludes a facile approach to … Continue reading Tarot de Marseille: Built for Comfort, Not for Speed
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 