"I'm a monkey, m-m-monkeyI'm a monkey, m-m-monkeyI'm a monkey, m-m-monkeyMonkey, monkey man"- from Monkey Man by the Rolling Stones AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm indebted to James Ricklef and Lon Milo DuQuette, in Tarot Reading Explained and Tarot Architect respectively, for bringing these concepts to my attention. (Oh, and to Mick Jagger for obvious reasons.) By way … Continue reading The Monkey Mind and the Meat Brain: Putting the Brakes on Mystical Excess in Divination
Professional Tarot
“Implements of Instruction”
" . . . shovels and rakes and implements of destruction . . . "- from Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie AUTHOR'S NOTE: This essay is not for the softhearted or the soft-headed. It's another unapologetic critique of contemporary divination (specifically tarot-reading) with just a hint of ironic self-reflection. Proceed at your peril! As I … Continue reading “Implements of Instruction”
Expansion and Contraction in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE This essay has been in the "pending" queue for a while now and I've moved on from where I was when I wrote it to explore other topics, but I think it's still worth posting. It seems that I can't push even one page further into my renewed study of James Ricklef's Tarot … Continue reading Expansion and Contraction in Tarot Reading
“Stepping Back from the Brink” – Wisely Confronting Adversity
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's not uncommon during our life's journey to encounter major pitfalls that can only be described as steeply plunging cliffs barring the way ahead. Assuming the risks have been identified far enough in advance to allow for timely deliberation, we may have a number of choices for dealing with them. My focus here … Continue reading “Stepping Back from the Brink” – Wisely Confronting Adversity
Metaphysical Entropy
AUTHOR'S NOTE: During a recent conversation in the online tarot community, the questionable accuracy of long-range forecasts came up for discussion. The idea of intervening variables was mentioned, those unexpected changes in circumstances that can render a prediction invalid before it fully matures. I made the following observations (slightly edited for this essay): The main … Continue reading Metaphysical Entropy
Irrelevance in Divination
AUTHOR'S NOTE: One of my unshakeable convictions about modern society is that there is nothing less relevant to my own life than the Hollywood actor, the professional sports figure and the online "influencer," all of whom seem to think that their social, cultural and political views matter. I rarely sit still to observe an entire … Continue reading Irrelevance in Divination
Illuminating the Path: A Hopeful Light in the Darkness or Dim Prospects Ahead?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Querents often sit for a tarot reading when they are completely in the dark about what to do next in their current situation. At its best a forecast will illuminate the path ahead and give the sitter something to shoot for in the way of self-directed effort. But all too often the vista … Continue reading Illuminating the Path: A Hopeful Light in the Darkness or Dim Prospects Ahead?
Public Figures and Personal Privacy in Divination
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In his book Tarot Reading Explained, James Ricklef mentioned that, when he began practicing tarot divination on prominent public figures in support of his American Tarot Association column, he chose not to read about those who were still living, under the assumption that it would constitute an invasion of privacy and could result … Continue reading Public Figures and Personal Privacy in Divination
Aligning with Circumstances: “What If I . . . ?” Rather Than “Will I, Can I, Should I . . . ?”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's acknowledged wisdom in the tarot community that any question posed solely for the purpose of discovering whether a hoped-for event will occur in the near future should be rephrased in the form of "What can I do to encourage the outcome I want?" This approach does away with the rigid "yes-or-no" structure … Continue reading Aligning with Circumstances: “What If I . . . ?” Rather Than “Will I, Can I, Should I . . . ?”
An Inevitable Transition
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When I started this blog in the summer of 2017, I made it abundantly clear that I would be writing primarily for myself, not the public, and I would not monetize it, instead paying for the privilege of saying whatever I want to say on the subject of divination, which I - as … Continue reading An Inevitable Transition
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 