AUTHOR'S NOTE: I still see far too many novice readers using tarot spreads with an even number of cards. Unless the focus is strictly on the four elements, the problem with this approach is that it will frequently contain two equal groups of cards of an opposing nature, fortunate on one side and unfortunate on … Continue reading The “Tie-Breaker”
Tarot Theory
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 . . . ?”
Integrating “Indigestible” Keywords: A Spread-Based Approach
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When it comes to developing a personalized set of meanings for the tarot cards to be used in divination, I've always advised beginners to follow the lead of the Lenormand system and choose only one or two key words or phrases to internalize for each card; apply those for a while in practice; … Continue reading Integrating “Indigestible” Keywords: A Spread-Based Approach
Transcendence in Two-Digit Tarot Cards
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A few years ago while reading the companion book for the Voyager Tarot by James Wanless, I encountered the concept of the second number in a two-digit tarot trump creating a kind of "numerological counterpart" between that card and the single-digit trump of the same number (for example, the Hanged Man as 12 … Continue reading Transcendence in Two-Digit Tarot Cards
“Excess Importance” and Zero-Sum Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While following an r/occult sub-reddit thread, I came across the concept of "excess importance." Here is the technical definition: "Excess importance is a concept from Vadim Zeland's Reality Transurfing that refers to overvaluing a person, object, or goal, which creates 'excess potential' (unbalanced energy). It manifests as desperation, fear, or obsession, often leading … Continue reading “Excess Importance” and Zero-Sum Tarot Reading
Subjective Bias and Objective Transparency in Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've long been a critic of the purely intuitive approach to tarot reading because I think it encourages subjective bias in the narrative, and when in a less charitable mood I've called it "subconscious navel-gazing" with no immediate objective confirmation. It's understandable that, were we to rely entirely on free-association from the images … Continue reading Subjective Bias and Objective Transparency in Tarot Reading
The Bane of the Tarot Neophyte
"Coherence is the sole quality demanded of us."- Aleister Crowley in Magick AUTHOR'S NOTE: In The Eye in the Triangle, his biographical study of the life of Aleister Crowley, Israel Regardie referred to a quote from Crowley's Liber 185 that, with a little paraphrasing, has a direct bearing on the title of this post:"One may … Continue reading The Bane of the Tarot Neophyte
“Releasing” Positions and “Charging” Cards: Friction or Stimulation?
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While reading Roger Horne's Cartomancy in Folk Witchcraft, I encountered the curious notion that difficult positions in a spread should be viewed as "releasing" their influence, whether harmlessly banishing it or unleashing it with prejudice on the seeker I can't say since there was no explanatory text at that point in the book … Continue reading “Releasing” Positions and “Charging” Cards: Friction or Stimulation?
The Tarot Threes: Sidling, Then Circling
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is a three-deck comparison of the Threes similar to the one I recently posted for the Fives. When applying esoteric number theory to the forty Minor Arcana of the tarot, the number One represents the Point and the four Aces that describe the "prelude" to the action signified by their suit but … Continue reading The Tarot Threes: Sidling, Then Circling
Attention-Driven Prediction: When Reason “Bumps” Instinct*
*Bump: To nudge; to prod; to goad; to incite; to spur, to urge; to provoke; to propel; to exhort (as in a persuasive appeal to follow a course of action). AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is another take-away from my ongoing reading of Joe Monteleone's Tarot Mysticism: The Psycho-Spiritual Technology of the Thoth Tarot. I'm convinced that … Continue reading Attention-Driven Prediction: When Reason “Bumps” Instinct*
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 