Somewhere along the way I gathered these useful lists of basic keywords for the Major and Minor Arcana of the Thoth deck. I may have condensed them myself into this particular form, but more likely they came from the Aeclectic Tarot forum or an on-line blog. If I could recall from whom, I would credit … Continue reading Simple Keyword Lists
Tarot
Court and Minor Cards as Allies to the Major Arcana
The appeal of systematically aligning the cards of the Minor Arcana with the Major Arcana has engaged many thinkers on the tarot, and a number of schemes have been proposed, most with a numerical or hierarchical root. Attempts along these lines have been made by James Wanless (Voyager Tarot) and Elizabeth Hazel (The Tarot Decoded). … Continue reading Court and Minor Cards as Allies to the Major Arcana
Maxwell and Cirlot: Numbers Don’t Lie
I've been working with the numerological ideas of Joseph Maxwell and the geometric graphics of J.E. Cirlot to come up with a new model for interpreting the Tarot de Marseille pip cards. This involves Maxwell's isomorphs of the first four numbers, and Cirlot's metaphysical interpretations of the point, line, cross, triangle, square and circle. I've … Continue reading Maxwell and Cirlot: Numbers Don’t Lie
Tarot Unzipped: Fixing the Unfixable
We have all had the experience: something we take for granted that is commonplace but also absolutely essential to the performance of some action no longer works as it should. Think of a broken zipper on a jacket or pair of pants. Replacing a zipper – unless you're a talented seamstress or accept the expense … Continue reading Tarot Unzipped: Fixing the Unfixable
The Sevens and Eights
When reading the pip cards as a numeric sequence in accordance with esoteric number theory (both Pythagorean and Hermetic), the Sevens, Eights and Nines present a unique conundrum because they depart from the elegant geometric simplicity of the first six numbers. This makes them more difficult to conceptualize in metaphysical terms without relying on prior … Continue reading The Sevens and Eights
Aces as Significators
Since I'm luke-warm about the usefulness of court-card Significators, I came up with an approach that uses the elemental nature of the different Aces instead. I created the attached information sheet, which I show to my sitters before a reading and have them pick which of the descriptions most accurately fits their circumstances. Since I … Continue reading Aces as Significators
The “Who Goes There?” Personal Outreach Spread
This is an unusual spread aimed at zeroing in on the kind of person the querent needs to reach out to in his or her particular situation. It could be a lover, a mentor or an electrician depending on the circumstances. It uses two decks, one to lay out all 16 court cards in a … Continue reading The “Who Goes There?” Personal Outreach Spread
Grantchester Meadows: The Card
Sometimes a song's lyrics and melody excite the imagination toward a particular deck or even a specific card. I was listening to "Grantchester Meadows," Pink Floyd's charming English-folk-style song from an early album, and thought what a placid, contemplative card image it would make. "Icy wind of night, be gone. This is not your domain. … Continue reading Grantchester Meadows: The Card
The “Aces High” Motivational Outlook Spread
This spread looks at fulfillment potential in each of four sets of circumstances: Actions (Fire), Emotions (Water), Ideas (Air) and Sensations (Earth). The Aces of Wands (Doing), Cups (Feeling), Swords (Thinking) and Pentacles (Being) are placed in advance at the head of their elemental columns as the "root" energy for that particular manifestation. Aces High … Continue reading The “Aces High” Motivational Outlook Spread
The “Decision Stream” Spread
This is a simple decision-making spread that evaluates the pros and cons of up to four options, although it can easily be expanded to cover more than four by adding input streams. Decision Stream Spread
