AUTHOR'S NOTE. In his 1967 study The Medium Is The Message: An Inventory of Effects, Canadian communication theorist Marshall McLuhan proposed that the medium by which knowledge is transmitted can have an impact in shaping our understanding of the world that goes far beyond the information it conveys. A good case in point is the … Continue reading Mistaking the “Medium” for the “Message”
tarot-psychology
Taking Time Off from Tarot – A Cure for Stale Readings?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: First a confession: I'm probably not the best person to recommend taking time off from the tarot since today's essay completes a 75-day streak of daily posts on this blog, and I previously had an unbroken 450-day run to my credit. Compulsive and occasionally addictive behavior dogs my family, and my personal vice … Continue reading Taking Time Off from Tarot – A Cure for Stale Readings?
“The Shadow Knows” (aka “How Tarot Works”)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Shadow was a supernatural detective show that ran on AM radio in the United States from 1937 to 1954. In its early years it featured the distinctive voice of Orson Welles intoning at the beginning of each episode: "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" trailing … Continue reading “The Shadow Knows” (aka “How Tarot Works”)
Gender Parallels and Partitions in the Court Cards
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In the fourfold elemental world of the occult tarot that is symbolized by Fire, Water, Air and Earth, there is a fundamental separation of the elements into two divisions of two elements each that share the same polarity (positive or negative), the same mode of operation (active or passive) and the same key … Continue reading Gender Parallels and Partitions in the Court Cards
Tarot Scholars vs. Tarot Mystics: A Lopsided Showdown
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As a long-time student of the esoteric tarot and a committed practitioner of divination with the cards, I've always had a foot in both the scholarly and mystical camps. But my interaction with the online tarot community demonstrates that the academic perspective is far outweighed by the psychological navel-gazing, psychic mind-reading and intuitive … Continue reading Tarot Scholars vs. Tarot Mystics: A Lopsided Showdown
The “Pendulum of Revealing” Positional Yes-or-No Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is the fourth in my series of "Revealing" spreads: I've done a "Mandala," a "Pentacle" and an "Onion" of Revealing in the past. I'm using the pendulum motif for this one to answer the perennial yes-or-no question, with a nod toward "maybe" and any contrary trends that might occur as shown by … Continue reading The “Pendulum of Revealing” Positional Yes-or-No Spread
Court Cards As “Loss of Control”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've almost always viewed court cards in a reading as describing potential interaction with other people who have an interest in the matter, or as attitudes and behaviors the seeker should either adopt or avoid. But I just encountered another possibility in a sub-reddit thread. Suppose that numerous court cards in a spread … Continue reading Court Cards As “Loss of Control”
Talking in Tongues: The Many Voices of the Tarot
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The more time I spend with the tarot, the more appreciative I become of the numerous layers of intelligent and meaningful commentary that can be found within its often obscure symbolism. It's said with justification that tarot talks to us in its own tongue. This is an easy assumption to make but I … Continue reading Talking in Tongues: The Many Voices of the Tarot
Elemental Colors: An Artist’s Perspective
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The four classical elements (Fire, Water, Air and Earth) were assigned an elaborate color scheme in four "Scales" formulated by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn using Qabalistic and magical principles, but a more fundamental arrangement going back to an earlier time asserted only that Fire is represented by Red, Water by … Continue reading Elemental Colors: An Artist’s Perspective
The Crucible of Desire: Mars and Venus on the Cube of Space
"Mars goes out and gets what Venus wants." - Attributed to astrologer Isabel Hickey AUTHOR'S NOTE: One of my favorite ways to translate tarot cards into a compelling narrative is to apply their planetary energies across the board, whether they are assigned through direct correspondence or extrapolated from sign rulership. Here I'm going just a … Continue reading The Crucible of Desire: Mars and Venus on the Cube of Space
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 