I was recently talking to someone about "reading style." It's a subject worth examining in more detail. Although I can be a bit flippant in calling myself "half mad scientist and half mystic," what it boils down to is that my own mode of reading the cards partakes slightly more of the analytical than the … Continue reading Favorite Things
Process & Methodology
“Walking the Line” – A Situational Awareness & Response Spread
My father's generation had a number of colorful threats aimed at bringing unruly kids back into line. These began with "You're walking a fine line, Mister!" and ended with a thunderous "You're cruisin' for a bruisin'!!!", the second one thankfully almost never executed; delivered with enough intensity, the ominous alliteration was enough to compel immediate … Continue reading “Walking the Line” – A Situational Awareness & Response Spread
2020 Summer Solstice Grand Tableau
Every six months on the solstice I do a Grand Tableau reading to look at potential circumstances over the next two quarters. This one for the 2020 Summer Solstice is especially interesting because it allowed me to use a technique I very seldom need to apply: that of transposition as described in Caitlin Mathhews' book … Continue reading 2020 Summer Solstice Grand Tableau
Here We Go Again!
There is no subject more mystical (and in my opinion, more overstated) in the art of "guided" divination (as distinct from purely psychic prescience) than that of intuition. It's often touted as the "gold standard" by which to read the signs in the tarot cards, but I think that advice is misleading, especially for those … Continue reading Here We Go Again!
The Land of 1,000 Chances
Some of you (but I'll bet not many) may remember the old Wilson Pickett song "The Land of 1,000 Dances." I'm stealing his song title, slightly modified, for this post to reflect the observation that "There are no negative cards, only opportunities." So every card in a reading, no matter how dire it seems, always … Continue reading The Land of 1,000 Chances
Don’t Memorize, Internalize!
Tarot neophytes are often mortified when they reach the inevitable conclusion that they have to memorize the complex and often non-intuitive meanings of 78 images before they can effectively read the cards. While I believe that acquiring a solid grounding in traditional lore is vital to full comprehension of the tarot, the very thought of … Continue reading Don’t Memorize, Internalize!
A “Human Dynamics” Situational Posture Spread
When I worked in corporate business, one of the major preoccupations of senior management was assessing the influence of "human factors" (which really meant human strengths and weaknesses as addressed in policies and procedures) on company performance. In tarot terms, the posture we assume in any situation is similarly affected by the "human dynamics" attending … Continue reading A “Human Dynamics” Situational Posture Spread
The Three-Point Pull
One of the perennial beginner's questions is "How do you pull the cards from the deck to populate a spread?" There are many opinions on this: from the top (and occasionally from the bottom), from a splayed "fan," by holding your hand over the cards and taking the ones you intuitively "feel," etc. The old-school … Continue reading The Three-Point Pull
The “Virtual Slots” Multimedia Daily-Draw Spread
Someone on Facebook used the analogy that three randomly drawn cards placed in a line resemble the "windows" of an old-time slot machine that roll up when you pull the lever. This inspired me to create a spread that operates in a similar manner using dice.
A 3-Card “Twist” Example Reading & Walk-through
I tried out this spread by asking "What is the advice for tomorrow?" The first picture below shows how the draw progressed within the overall pattern. I didn't deal all of the face-down cards, just the three face-up ones, but I thought it would be useful to put in placeholders showing the flow of the … Continue reading A 3-Card “Twist” Example Reading & Walk-through
