Upon entering the ranks of the professional diviner, we inevitably encounter the question "How much is enough?" Time, that is, or effort expended for value received.I was once advised that, in rural New England where I lived at the time, the going rate for a face-to-face tarot reading was a dollar a minute. This was … Continue reading Time Bites: The Value of a Minute
Tarot
“Tarot-Free” Tarot Decks (or “Damn the Symbolism, Full Speed Ahead!”)
I have a problem with self-proclaimed tarot decks that strip the usual symbolism from the cards and replace it with something radically different and wholly unlikely, whether it's animals or flowers or landscapes or similar charming but overly literal artwork that conveys something other than the customary narrative cues while often being utterly devoid of … Continue reading “Tarot-Free” Tarot Decks (or “Damn the Symbolism, Full Speed Ahead!”)
Tarot and Talking Heads
This will be a controversial topic and I may offend a few of the more experienced purveyors of wisdom in the online divination community, but they aren't my target here. My goal is to encourage improvements for everyone in the overall effectiveness of knowledge transfer and not just to criticize its shortcomings. For the less … Continue reading Tarot and Talking Heads
Bridging the Gap Between Magic and Meaning
You will often hear me say that, at least in my own work, divination is a subliminal process rooted in the unconscious (or, if you like, "Higher Self") that relies heavily on imagination, inspiration and ingenuity to tease practical messages from evocative symbolism that is typically shrouded in rather obscure "magical" imagery. In the best … Continue reading Bridging the Gap Between Magic and Meaning
Virus Alert!
With the 2019-nCoV ("COVID-19") coronavirus spreading relentlessly worldwide, I decided to do a reading to examine what the chances are for a global pandemic of epic proportions to occur over the next few months. I had not yet had the opportunity to test my apocalyptic forecast (the "Armchair Cynic's Guide to the End of the … Continue reading Virus Alert!
A “Root-to-Fruit” Psychological Profile Reading
Since I have no suitable client readings in the queue, I decided to test this spread on myself, asking the question "Who am I at this point in my life?" I used the Waite-Smith Centennial Pocket Edition with reversals, and drew the court-card Significator randomly. All images copyright U.S. Games Systems, Stamford, CT The King … Continue reading A “Root-to-Fruit” Psychological Profile Reading
The “Root-to-Fruit” Psychological Profile Spread
Most of you know that I'm skeptical of using tarot for psychological profiling purposes, especially the "mind-reading" variety aimed at furnishing answers to "thinks-and-feels" questions that are driven by either wishful thinking or idle curiosity. Querent: "What does 'X' think/feel about me?" (i.e. "Does 'X' like me?"). Me (looking at cards): "Hmm, maybe 'X' isn't … Continue reading The “Root-to-Fruit” Psychological Profile Spread
The “Tip of the Iceberg” Mixed-Media Problem-Solving Spread
I've been meaning for some time to try my hand at creating spreads that use both cards and dominoes in developing the reading layout. Here is my first attempt focused on problem-solving scenarios. It is essentially a doubled five-card path from an opening "current situation" perspective to a closing "future consequences" projection that has a … Continue reading The “Tip of the Iceberg” Mixed-Media Problem-Solving Spread
The “AC/DC” Dual-Current Conflict Resolution Spread
Here is some more fun with dice and cards. It assumes that odd numbers are "active" and resolute in their function while even numbers are "passive" and vulnerable to lapsing into discord due to insufficient momentum or mixed feelings about the outcome. One path shows uneventful progress toward a clearly-marked destination while the other presents … Continue reading The “AC/DC” Dual-Current Conflict Resolution Spread
Taking the Trumps for a Spin
I'm always looking for new learning approaches to improve my grasp of tarot card combinations. With a couple of million possible permutations of ten cards out of a total of 78, my regular use of the Celtic Cross isn't going to cover all of them any time soon, and working through them methodically from beginning-to-end … Continue reading Taking the Trumps for a Spin
