I see so many tarot spreads invoking the "What do I need to know/What should I do/What should I avoid doing?" dynamic that I'm beginning to think that, in the eyes of the typical reader, no other paths are worthy of exploration. Certainly such an approach is effective in a utilitarian way, since it's undeniable … Continue reading Pretzel Logic
Psychology
The Psychology of Tarot
I often mention that tarot isn't especially effective for probing the psychology of an individual or a situation, such as occurs when we're trying to penetrate the thoughts and feelings of someone who isn't present at the reading. If Carl Gustav Jung hadn't laid the groundwork with his exploration of archetypes, I doubt the major … Continue reading The Psychology of Tarot
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
The Skeptic’s Confession
It may surprise you to see an admission of skepticism in a post by the author of a divination blog. But in fact I'm doubtful about the legitimacy of much that currently passes for truth in the metaphysical scripture of the unseen. For example, I'm a non-believer in the "Law of Attraction," which as far … Continue reading The Skeptic’s Confession
Saving Tarot from Psychology
During a delightful presentation by Rachel Pollack at a regional tarot meeting on Saturday, the subject of fortune-telling came up. Rachel made the fascinating remark that back when she began reading for others over forty years ago, she was committed to saving tarot from the tarnish of fortune-telling, but now she is more inclined to … Continue reading Saving Tarot from Psychology
Life After Intuition
I'm not a huge fan of purely intuitive tarot reading. There, I said it. It will probably be dismissed as mean-spirited literalism toward what is chiefly an elastic, visionary pursuit, but there is something too fatuously "squishy" about unmitigated intuition for my taste. I think the idea is fed to beginners as "The Way" because … Continue reading Life After Intuition
A Good Question
There is a wide range of opinion and much debate on whether any conceivable request can be brought to the tarot. Some say you can't answer simple "yes-or-no" questions in a straightforward way with it because its answers are too conditional and nuanced. Other believe you should steer well clear of anything that could create … Continue reading A Good Question
Reversals? Why Not?
I'm constantly encountering people who say "That deck has non-reversible backs. You can't do reversals with it." and "That's a Golden-Dawn-based deck, they didn't use reversals so you can't either." My unspoken response is "So? Rules were made to be broken." Another favorite excuse for not learning to use reversals effectively is "I don't need … Continue reading Reversals? Why Not?
The “Great Make-over” Personal Tune-up Spread
Many tarot enthusiasts shy away from divination of the "fortune-telling" sort and instead use the cards for augmenting their personal sense of mental, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. Most of the spreads I've seen for this are usually light on detail, typically no more than five cards. Here I'm offering a more complex spread for … Continue reading The “Great Make-over” Personal Tune-up Spread
Pratchett’s Epiphany
In Hogfather, his amusingly cynical meditation on the nature of truth and belief, satirical fantasy writer Terry Pratchett depicted DEATH, who always spoke ominously IN CAPITAL LETTERS, arguing with his stubborn rationalist granddaughter Susan about the need for children to practice believing life's "little lies" (like the Hogfather - aka Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, … Continue reading Pratchett’s Epiphany
