This is the third of my "storyboard" examinations of the Minor Arcana cards of the Waite-Smith (aka RWS) tarot. The suit of Swords is unquestionably the least encouraging of the set since any light it emits is muted and often fades into gloom, so the title of this post may be somewhat optimistic. Swords encompass the realm … Continue reading The “Light and Shadow” RWS Storyboard
Tarot
Where Is “Rogue #13” (Carrie’s Killer)?
As promised, I ran the King of Swords from the previous "Whodunit" reading through my "Sundial Location Spread." I also used the RWS Centennial Edition for this layout. The Significator turned up in the South quadrant, implying a warm, sunny place. If the suspect was over 45 years old at the time of the murder, … Continue reading Where Is “Rogue #13” (Carrie’s Killer)?
Who Killed Carrie? – A “Whodunit” Example Reading
This is the first use of the "Rogue's Gallery" spread I posted earlier today. Fourteen-year-old Carrie Moss was found murdered in New Boston, NH in 1989; no charges have ever been filed in her death. I used the RWS Centennial Edition deck in this reading. http://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-unsolved-case-file-carrie-moss/22551101 All images copyright U.S. Games Systems, Inc, Stamford, CT … Continue reading Who Killed Carrie? – A “Whodunit” Example Reading
The “Whodunit” Rogue’s Gallery Spread
I spend quite a bit of time examining missing-person cases - both current and "cold" - and have encountered a few alternate situations where the police have a body but they don't have a suspect, who is actually the absent person. These victims don't qualify as missing, so neither of my spreads designed for that … Continue reading The “Whodunit” Rogue’s Gallery Spread
Tarot Euphemisms: A Work-in-Progress
If you've been following my "RWS storyboard" posts and have read any of my example readings, you're already aware that I make extensive use of metaphor and analogy when interpreting the minor cards of the tarot, often bringing in shared cultural, social, historical and literary references. The Thoth tarot, my mainstay for many years, offered … Continue reading Tarot Euphemisms: A Work-in-Progress
The Sagittarian Conundrum
Sagittarius is described in the literature of astrology as a high-minded philosophical and religious sign (along with its associated 9th-House placement in the "natural" zodiac, although traditional astrologers tell us signs and houses have nothing to do with one another); it is the province of academics and clerics and the most abstract and "temperate" of … Continue reading The Sagittarian Conundrum
Missing-Person Update #2: Brandon
The case of Brandon Chicklis is progressing, with a young Massachusetts woman to be charged with his murder. No details of the investigation were provided, other than that he was allegedly murdered in her Ashburnham, MA home and dumped in New Hampshire. http://www.wmur.com/article/1-arrested-in-connection-with-killing-of-man-found-dead-in-rindge/22530232 The first three cards as interpreted in the original reading now come … Continue reading Missing-Person Update #2: Brandon
The “Barbarians at the Gate” RWS Storyboard
This is the second in a series of "storyboard" studies of the Minor Arcana cards of the Waite-Smith deck, this time examining the Wands. The quote in the title originated in Roman times, although modern readers will connect it more readily to the story of rapacious corporate greed portrayed in the book and movie of … Continue reading The “Barbarians at the Gate” RWS Storyboard
“A Minute Passed” – The Problem of Prediction
There is an old comedy sketch by Monty Python's Eric Idle that neatly lampoons the slippery art of predicting future circumstances and events. Although the subject of Idle's monologue is anticipatory sexual tension and not divination, the notion of waiting in vain for something to happen is all too familiar. "A minute passed. Then another. Then, another … Continue reading “A Minute Passed” – The Problem of Prediction
The “Boy-Meets-Girl” RWS Storyboard
The "boy-meets-girl" fairy-tale is one of the oldest (and perhaps now most irrelevant) cliches in the annals of romantic storytelling. It struck me that the RWS suit of Cups offers an almost pitch-perfect "storyboard" for the ups-and-downs often associated with these narratives, with a few added wrinkles to make it interesting. In this essay I … Continue reading The “Boy-Meets-Girl” RWS Storyboard
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 