Those new to the tarot, and especially those who are younger (but then almost everyone involved is younger than me these days) rejoice when told by their mentors that they don't have to learn all of that arcane stuff in tarot books, just "go with what you feel" and ignore any methodical, structured approach to the cards. To … Continue reading Esoteric Twaddle? Yes, Please
Esoteric
Earth Abides*
(*Thanks to George R. Stewart for the title of his 1949 science-fiction novel and its main character "Ish," the word for "Man" in biblical Hebrew.) For most of us, at any given moment the one thing we can rely on in our experience of objective reality is the ground beneath our feet. The element of … Continue reading Earth Abides*
Air Apparent
I put the Book of Thoth's slant on elemental Air under the microscope next. In his discussion of the Ace of Swords, Crowley called Air "all-embracing, all-wandering, all-penetrating, all-consuming." He also said "In nature, the obvious symbol of Air is the Wind, 'which bloweth whithersoever it listeth.'" Taken together, these observation could be seen as … Continue reading Air Apparent
Water, Water Everywhere
Expanding on my analysis of elemental Fire as described in The Book of Thoth, I examined Crowley's observations regarding the other two "primal" elements ("completely spiritual forms of pure energy"), Water and Air, and the special case of Earth, which represents a "crystallizing out" or coalescing of the other three in order to effectively impinge … Continue reading Water, Water Everywhere
The Inner Flame
In re-reading The Book of Thoth for what is now the fourth time, I'm constantly being enriched by fresh insights and epiphanies regarding the esoteric underpinnings of the modern tarot. I've long appreciated Crowley's statement regarding the Hebrew letter Shin (relative to Judgement in the Golden Dawn system of trump-card correspondences) that "The element of Fire … Continue reading The Inner Flame
Puttin’ on the Rex
As an American with strong ancestral ties to Scotland and Ireland, I have more than a passing interest in the outcome of the Brexit controversy. I realize that the term is a conflation for "British Exit" from the European Union (EU), but I latched onto the subsumed fragment "Rex," which was a title once given … Continue reading Puttin’ on the Rex
My Favorite Things
A subject that is usually approached piecemeal in the tarot forums is "What is your favorite card?" More pragmatic readers (and maybe those who don't want to think too hard) almost invariably reply "all of them," since every card makes a unique contribution to any reading it appears in and, depending on the context and … Continue reading My Favorite Things
The Sticking Point
sticking point (noun): "a point, detail, or circumstance causing or likely to cause a stalemate or impasse." For those with enough cartomantic experience to instantly spot what is working in a reading and what isn't, there is often one card (and frequently more than one) that stands out by defying meaningful connection to the matter … Continue reading The Sticking Point
“Adam Cardman”
There is a qabalastic tradition that places an image of the male human body within the structure of the Tree of Life, such that the ten spheres (or sephiroth) of the Tree relate to different parts of the anatomy. This image is known as "Adam Kadmon," or the Primordial Man. The most common version of … Continue reading “Adam Cardman”
A Life-Factors Reading: Who Is Brett Kavanaugh?
I decided to test my Temperament and Character spread on Judge (now Justice) Brett Kavanaugh to see what kind of person it shows him to be. I used the Thoth deck, with reversals, and selected the senior member of the Swords suit (the Thoth Knight) as Significator. My camera is packed away for our move, … Continue reading A Life-Factors Reading: Who Is Brett Kavanaugh?
