Upon first entering wider society, young people (although they aren't as young at that point as they once were) are often at a loss as to what their life's purpose should be. This usually involves deciding which of two or three possible paths seems the most compelling at the time. I will normally use a … Continue reading Soul Train or Love Boat: A Life-Purpose Spread
Tarot
The Other “I” Words
Since I describe myself as a storyteller in the same breath that I profess to being a diviner, I often find that intuition is thin sauce with which to season my readings. It's not something that can typically be turned on and off at will like a faucet; when it's "on," it's free-flowing and insightful, … Continue reading The Other “I” Words
Those Fractured Court Cards
A tarot artist in one of the Facebook groups I frequent has been working on a project to blend the qualities of two court cards into a single entity; combining the King of Cups and the King of Pentacles is her current task. My first thought was that some intriguing possibilities are offered by this … Continue reading Those Fractured Court Cards
The “No Guts, No Glory” Risk Analysis Spread
Sometimes you just "gotta do what you gotta do." This simple spread is designed to show the risk and payback potential of any chancy course of action. No detailed guidance is needed, the spread positions are self-explanatory. Either your idea is a good one or it isn't. The "Advice" card is the quintessence derived from … Continue reading The “No Guts, No Glory” Risk Analysis Spread
The Blame Game: Court Cards as People
I haven't been polishing my "curmudgeon cred" much since I ended my "Cheap Shots" series, so here is another crack at it. Late-19th-Century tarot authorities, lacking our psychological and sociological sophistication, almost unanimously considered the court cards to show other people in the querent's life, even going to the extreme of trying to describe their … Continue reading The Blame Game: Court Cards as People
Keywords: Guilty As Charged
There is no way around it, keyword memorization is one of the cornerstones of the tarot student's curriculum. It is a convenient and familiar way to acquire at least a modest vocabulary without having to think too hard about it. Keywords are "training wheels" for the wobbly novice. Most tarot writers are able to fill … Continue reading Keywords: Guilty As Charged
A “Tough Love” Example Reading
This reading was performed on a hypothetical romantic relationship by applying my "Relationship Crisis Spread." I used the Thoth deck, with reversals; this spread does not require a Significator card. I also calculated the two optional "quintessence" cards to show how that is intended to work. The relationship in question was between a man and … Continue reading A “Tough Love” Example Reading
Tough Love: A Relationship Crisis Spread
There is a saying "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Although it is intended to mean that the tough knuckle down and battle on through to the end, when things get truly ugly the toughest option may be to pull up stakes and leave the situation. The main question is obviously "Should … Continue reading Tough Love: A Relationship Crisis Spread
Multiculturalism or Cultural Appropriation?
Yesterday I came across a news article about a young woman who chose a traditional Chinese dress to wear to her high school prom because she appreciated its modesty. She posted a picture on social media and was deluged with howls of protest over such an egregious expression of "cultural appropriation." From where I sit, … Continue reading Multiculturalism or Cultural Appropriation?
Where Is Celia? – A Missing-Person Reading
UPDATE: It has been reported that Celia was found "safe in New York." There was no detail regarding where she was found, how she got there or whether she was aided in any way. This has the earmarks of an "assisted runaway" scenario, but we will probably never know. Case closed for now. Fifteen-year-old Celia … Continue reading Where Is Celia? – A Missing-Person Reading
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 