AUTHOR'S NOTE: Arguably the most common question put to the tarot after "Does my ex want to come back to me?" is "What does Joe or Mary think or feel about me?" (A bit of wry humor there: inquiries about the mental state of a prospective love interest far exceed those exploring possible reconciliation with … Continue reading The “Third-Party” Reading and the Boomerang Effect
Professional Tarot
Cards of Finality: The Stigma of “Endings”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was just reading about cards that convey "endings" of various kinds: the 3 and 5 of Swords (sorrowful and acrimonious, respectively); 10 of Swords (demoralizing); Death (inevitable); the Tower (sudden); and the 5 of Cups (miserable), among others of less-potent stringency. To that group I would add Judgement because there is no … Continue reading Cards of Finality: The Stigma of “Endings”
The “Pattern Reader” Prevails!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I approach the end of my re-reading of Paul Fenton-Smith's Tarot Master-Class, I came across his view of the four types of professional tarot reader: the Mystic who endeavors to channel guidance from a spiritual source; the Nurturer who "just wants to help" and the Pattern-Reader who adopts a more deductive style … Continue reading The “Pattern Reader” Prevails!
“Was It the Right Question?” – Incompatible Cards in a Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm indebted once again to Paul Fenton-Smith for bringing another intriguing topic to my attention in his comprehensive book, Tarot Master-Class. It happens more often than seems reasonable, especially if we assume that our attempts at divination are guided toward the truth: the cards in a spread will fail to come together in … Continue reading “Was It the Right Question?” – Incompatible Cards in a Reading
“He’s Gone to Plaid!”- The Danger of Over-Analyzing
"They've gone to plaid!" - Barf (John Candy) to Lone Star (Bill Pullman) as Spaceballs One overshoots their interstellar Winnebago in Mel Brook's Star Wars parody, Spaceballs. AUTHOR'S NOTE: An author I'm presently re-reading holds the opinion that sticking with one or two definitions for a tarot card is "lazy" when a wide range of … Continue reading “He’s Gone to Plaid!”- The Danger of Over-Analyzing
Reading Reversals: “Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: "You're missing half the fun" is one of my favorite rebuttals for those who avoid reading reversals because they find the practice unnecessary, inconvenient or confusing. (My title alludes to the old Doublemint gum commercial.) But, unless we deliberately ignore or suppress them as some do, they are going to dog us whenever … Continue reading Reading Reversals: “Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun”
“It Don’t Come Easy” – The Friction of Reversal*
*With apologies to Ringo Starr for borrowing his song title. AUTHOR'S NOTE: While discussing the implications of reversal in Tarot Master-Class, Paul Fenton-Smith noted that the reversed Death card can express unwillingness to endure the metamorphosis that its upright orientation portends. He then added "You need to trust that sometimes life has a greater awareness … Continue reading “It Don’t Come Easy” – The Friction of Reversal*
“Playing It Safe” or “Coloring Outside the Lines:” A Tarot Reader’s Sketchbook
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When I was a kid, one of the earliest self-discipline challenges I faced was learning how to "color inside the lines" with my crayons and coloring-books. I eventually became a trained artist possessing the talent to draw my own outlines within which to paint, and I now see parallels in the narrative art … Continue reading “Playing It Safe” or “Coloring Outside the Lines:” A Tarot Reader’s Sketchbook
The Less-Traveled Byways of Tarot: Knowledge and Inspiration Meet Insight and Wisdom
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Whenever I contemplate the unstructured psychic or purely intuitive approach to tarot reading as currently practiced in "live" settings, on internet platforms and via telephone-hotline "prediction mills," my skeptical nature goes into overdrive. I summon a fanciful vision of a youngish mystical diviner (who is largely untutored and inexperienced in the historical roots … Continue reading The Less-Traveled Byways of Tarot: Knowledge and Inspiration Meet Insight and Wisdom
What Tarot Does Best: An Opinion
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's been said that the tarot can be tasked with answering any question, but in my own predictive work it has proven to be better for some inquiries than for others. This compilation offers an overview of my experience in reading the cards since I returned to active practice in 2011. The categories … Continue reading What Tarot Does Best: An Opinion
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 