One fascinating question that often comes up in conversation with tarot novices is "What is the perfect deck for my first one?" Usually they know that the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) deck in one of its numerous incarnations is recommended by most experienced readers as a good place to start, and the broad, deep field … Continue reading Perfect Is As Perfect Does
Tarot
A Romantic Interlude Sample Reading
I was asked to write up a sample reading for this spread to show how it is to be approached, and chose this real-life scenario. I used the Golden Universal Tarot for the querent's line and the RWS Centennial Edition for the love interest's "moving lines." The querent is a young professional man and the … Continue reading A Romantic Interlude Sample Reading
The “Just Passin’ Through” Romantic Interlude Spread
This spread is intended to be used when considering the advisability of making overtures to a potential love interest (for example, when eyeing the proverbial “workplace dalliance”). Given the relative impermanence of modern romantic liaisons, it's not an accident that the layout simulates a question mark. Many of us have had the bittersweet romantic experience … Continue reading The “Just Passin’ Through” Romantic Interlude Spread
The Fateful Dodger
This post is a continuation of my earlier thoughts on the subject of fate. I was just reading the Art of Cartomancy blog run by cartomancer extraordinaire Kapherus, in which the nature of fate or destiny was debated. Comments were closed and I wasn't able to add to the discussion, so I'm bringing my observations … Continue reading The Fateful Dodger
Position, Position, Position
The real estate agent's mantra is "Location, location, location." It refers to the fact that the location of a house is frequently more important to a prospective home buyer than the features or condition of the building itself. There is an analogous situation in the landscape of a tarot spread: the position of a particular … Continue reading Position, Position, Position
Lunar Month Look-ahead for March-April 2018
Every month on the New Moon I perform my Lunar Month Look-ahead spread using only the Minor Arcana as described in an earlier post. Here is the reading for the monthly period beginning with the New Moon on March 17th. I used the Rohrig Tarot, with reversals. The eight subdivisions are based on psychological astrologer … Continue reading Lunar Month Look-ahead for March-April 2018
An Open-and Shut Case
By the time Arthur Edward Waite formulated the iconic RWS tarot deck with Pamela Colman Smith, he had forsworn the magical pursuits of the Golden Dawn era and moved on into Christian mysticism. So apparently, when envisioning the Strength card, he decided to ignore the entire Tarot de Marseille tradition behind it and show the … Continue reading An Open-and Shut Case
Where is Taina? (A Missing Person Spread)
Update: I learned something yesterday about missing-person coverage in the newspapers. If a person is found promptly, there is only a terse mention of that fact in the local news, with no details of the circumstances. I assume it's a privacy issue. At any rate, doing these readings on "live" cases has little or no … Continue reading Where is Taina? (A Missing Person Spread)
The “Fifth Element” Spiritual Input Spread
Consider this the “bonsai” version of the Tree of Life spread. It cuts right to the Abyss and doesn't sweat the small stuff. (Don't try this at home, kids!) The “Fifth Element” of the title is that of Spirit – the “Quintessence” - here represented principally by the hidden Sephiroth Da'ath, suggesting that Spirit knows … Continue reading The “Fifth Element” Spiritual Input Spread
Twice Bitten, Thrice Shy
Those of you unfamiliar with the Ian-Hunter-penned song Once Bitten, Twice Shy will understandably be puzzled by the title of today's post. Hang in there. A woman of my acquaintance has twice contracted an infectious respiratory illness this winter during consecutive visits to her son's family, approximately two months apart. The first was a serious … Continue reading Twice Bitten, Thrice Shy
