A while back I posted a reading about a landscaping project at our new home that had been delayed since mid-December of last year due to winter weather constraints. It was supposed to be finished by the end of June but didn't even get started until a week after that. The decision-point in my reading … Continue reading A Project Management Reading Update: Landscaping Completion
Learning
The “Onion of Revealing” Situational Well-being Spread
It does look a bit like an onion, doesn't it? But the idea behind the title is that situational well-being in any state of affairs can have both an "inner" and an "outer" dimension, with the reader's task being to peel back the layers to get at the heart of the matter. Something that seems … Continue reading The “Onion of Revealing” Situational Well-being Spread
The “Build It As You Go” 3-Card Vignette
My aversion to very small spreads is well-known; in most cases, even three cards don't do much for me. However, I often find ways to extract meaningful subsets from larger patterns, especially if there are compelling indicators bringing them to my attention. The "cross" section of the Celtic Cross spread with its "past-present-future" triplicity is … Continue reading The “Build It As You Go” 3-Card Vignette
The “Mole’s-Eye View” Event-Horizon Spread
I'm not a fan of spreads that have no specific meaning for each card (also known as non-positional spreads). Speaking strictly for myself, I think they can leave the reader groping for relevance and potentially taking far too long to come to closure on a reading if the goal is to be diligent about providing … Continue reading The “Mole’s-Eye View” Event-Horizon Spread
Utility, Overkill or Elegance: A Spread Designer’s Dilemma
"Once upon a time there were three bears . . . oops, I mean tarot spreads that lived in a binder on my bookshelf. There was a great big 'father' spread, a middle-sized 'mother' spread and a tiny 'baby' spread. One was too large and hard and one was too small and easy but the … Continue reading Utility, Overkill or Elegance: A Spread Designer’s Dilemma
A “Two Paths” Example Reading
The Question: "What is the best way to approach local metaphysical (formerly "New Age") shops about getting card-reading gigs at their establishments? The Deck: Conver Ben-Dov (CBD) Tarot de Marseille All images copyright U.S. Games Systems, Inc, Stamford, CT This reading will test both the spread and my provisional TdM "pip" card meanings. The court-card … Continue reading A “Two Paths” Example Reading
The “Two Paths You Can Go By” Decision-Making Spread
Popular culture is often a goldmine of spread ideas and titles. In this case, the line "Yes, there are two paths you can go by" from Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" was tailor-made for a decision-making spread. After completing my "pips" cycle of essays, I decided to create a spread specifically for "pips-only" use. This … Continue reading The “Two Paths You Can Go By” Decision-Making Spread
Adaptive Reading
I recently came across a new wrinkle in the lexicon of political correctness: adaptive sports. What used to be called disabled and before that handicapped has now been scrubbed of any negative connotation. While I applaud the objective, I sense a whiff of sanctimony in the execution. But that's not what I came to write about. Back in … Continue reading Adaptive Reading
A Question of Value
Value can be a slippery thing; it's not the same for all people and its presence is often apparent only in "the eye of the beholder." In manufacturing, adding value to something is defined as "the amount by which the value of an article is increased at each stage of its production, exclusive of initial … Continue reading A Question of Value
A Tarot de Marseille Thumbnail: Ace of Coins
I consider the TdM Ace of Coins a "gambit" card (an action that is calculated to gain an advantage), one that entails some "grit" and requires getting one's hands dirty. The expression "dirt under the fingernails" gives an idea of how much hands-on engagement and self-reliance are required. It has no patience with the proverb … Continue reading A Tarot de Marseille Thumbnail: Ace of Coins
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 