Things have been getting rather technical around here lately, so I thought I would indulge in a little useful fun. I'm not one to anthropomorphize my tarot decks (c'mon people, they're cardboard and ink!) but I sometimes think they act all too human, saying in essence: "Just give 'em the short answer and maybe they'll … Continue reading The “Damned If I Know” Vague Answer Remedy
Tarot
The “Prudence of Prognostication”
According to author Richard Cavendish, the Roman philosopher Cicero considered the virtue of prudence to be comprised of three characteristics: memory, intelligence and foresight. When applied to the art of divination, these qualities refer to 1) fastidious contemplation of the past, 2) avid engagement with the present and 3) canny speculation about the future, all … Continue reading The “Prudence of Prognostication”
A “Paragon of Earth” Talisman
In looking over my "Aces/Princesses" paradigm of descent into materiality that "operates via the 'solar' potency of the Sixes, establishing their 'kingdom on Earth' through the administrative vigor of the fixed signs," I thought it might be interesting to use the "quintessence" technique to turn the series of cards into single trumps to use as … Continue reading A “Paragon of Earth” Talisman
Cosmobiology and the Chaldean Decans in Tarot
The German cosmobiologists of the mid-20th Century held that the "soft" aspects between planets (the sextiles and trines along with the less prominent quintiles and bi-quintiles) were largely a waste of time in that they seldom show anything "visible" happening. These astrologers focused on the "hard" aspects - squares, semi-squares, sesquiquadrates and oppositions - when … Continue reading Cosmobiology and the Chaldean Decans in Tarot
A “Wish, Will and Way” Example Reading
I decided to test my 5-card approach to this method by asking the same question I've been chasing for the last few years: "As a professional diviner, how can I become more publicly successful and sought-after?" I chose for my inspiration the time-honored assumption that a skilled cartomancer is both sensitive and intuitive (Queen of … Continue reading A “Wish, Will and Way” Example Reading
The Wish, The Will and the Way
In tarot divination, there is a tendency to look at the Major Arcana (aka "trump") cards that turn up in a reading and say "That's all well and good as a philosophical abstraction, but what does it really mean for this particular person or situation at this point in time?" Their archetypal aim can be … Continue reading The Wish, The Will and the Way
A List Of My Tarot and Lenormand Spreads
NOTE: This list gets out-of-date with alarming frequency since I have to print, scan, edit and import a new set of pages every time I add a spread to my inventory. The Dropbox link at the sidebar location that most likely brought you here is the best way to see the current list. You can … Continue reading A List Of My Tarot and Lenormand Spreads
The Ringmaster Speaks
While digging through on-line interview material looking for videos by Enrique Enriquez, I came across a quote of his that put something into perspective for me. "The first metaphor in tarot happens when we shuffle the tarot. There is a carnivalesque stance in this debasement of hierarchies. I associate this with sabotaging reality. Shuffling the … Continue reading The Ringmaster Speaks
Poetry in Motion
I've been thinking about Enrique Enriquez' imaginative approach to the Tarot de Marseille that aims to turn the cards into "visual poetry," apparently without the intervention of inductive reasoning. (I believe it's intended to be more inventive and inspiring than ordinary free-association, which works rather poorly with the TdM anyway.) It seems to me that, … Continue reading Poetry in Motion
Who Killed Lynne? – A Rogue’s-Gallery “Whodunit” Reading
Lynne Brennan, a 53-year-old Manchester, NH mother of three was found dead in her apartment on October 11, 2010; it was ruled a homicide but no-one has ever been charged with her murder, and no further details were released by police. https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-unsolved-case-file-lynne-brennan/23480932 I applied my "Rogue's Gallery" spread to this cold case to see what … Continue reading Who Killed Lynne? – A Rogue’s-Gallery “Whodunit” Reading
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 