This morning I was thinking about the various "tarot factions" that exist and how I might write about them in a fresh (and satirical) way. The timeline for tarot-card development is fairly well-known, at least in broad terms: early Italian decks were appropriated by French, Swiss and German cartiers for the "Marseille" and "Besancon" styles, … Continue reading The Avatars of Tarot Past and Present
Humor
Hazardous to Your Wealth?
Today I was thinking that, with the inordinate number of tarot decks being purchased as a result of the pandemic lock-down, it might be appropriate to have a "Surgeon General's Warning" on the boxes, something like "Warning! Excessive consumption of this type of product can be hazardous to your wealth." I've pretty much immunized myself … Continue reading Hazardous to Your Wealth?
Cartomantic Snobbery?
The snooty elitism of wine snobs is well-known. Much of their recondite vocabulary speaks of properties that apply to anything but fermented grapes. To be fair, I have come to the conclusion that some red wines do present the fanciful and not-entirely-agreeable sensory impression of "raisins" or the slightly more desirable "black currants" in both … Continue reading Cartomantic Snobbery?
A Horse of a Different Color
To my knowledge, other than the small dog in Le Mat, the lion in La Force, the two canines in La Lune and the two horses in Le Chariot, there have been few attempts to rope the Tarot de Marseille animals into the narrative of a reading and give them a starring role. I was … Continue reading A Horse of a Different Color
Nevermore?
I don't know about you but when I encounter a post more than three or four paragraphs long, I tend to glaze over before I get to the end and I often leave the page without finishing (unless it's something I want to keep for future reference, in which case I'll save the link for … Continue reading Nevermore?
Game of Thrones: Who Makes It To The End?
Here is the reading I promised yesterday. The goal was to see which of the remaining Game of Thrones characters that amount to anything are still standing (and still human) at the end of the season. First I shuffled and dealt the ten tarot significator cards into a line (try shuffling ten cards sometime, it … Continue reading Game of Thrones: Who Makes It To The End?
“Yes, But . . . .” – A Cautious Take On Prediction
A woman wants to know if her husband is cheating on her. A man wants to know if his wife is going to file for divorce. A businessman wants to know if a proposed investment would be a wise move. A high-school graduate wants to know whether it would be best to go to college … Continue reading “Yes, But . . . .” – A Cautious Take On Prediction
No Thanks, I’ll Pass
On dream analysis, that is. Last night I slept so soundly that I had an almost unbroken series of anxiety dreams, for no apparent reason. (The t-shirt lies!) These were so entertaining that I had to write them down and share them. First I was being pursued by a relentless but incompetent zombie who couldn't … Continue reading No Thanks, I’ll Pass
Home of the Strange
Imagine an unhinged Frank Sinatra crooning: Home, home of the strange Where the seer and the astrologue play Where seldom is heard a Discordian* word And the skrys are not cloudy all day. (Sorry about that, Dr. Higley. And yes, Sinatra did record Higley's original in 1946) I finally have my reading space and occult … Continue reading Home of the Strange
The Doctor Is Out
. . . but the curmudgeon is always in! I'm inclined to approach a tarot session as I would a surgical emergency room rather than as an updated 19th Century parlor pastime: "We're going to perform a little triage here, not just exchange polite pleasantries. It could get bloody!" But I'm suspicious that many newcomers … Continue reading The Doctor Is Out
