Number Theory in Action

Occult number theory - whether Pythagorean or qabalistic - is one of my favorite ways to extract additional information from the cards in a spread. The geometric axioms of Pythagoras evolve from the Monad (the Point, or Number One) to the Decad (the Decahedron, or Number Ten), while the qabalistic approach follows the descending flow …

What’s the Story?

I often field questions from anxious novice readers who have yet to acquire the knack of imaginative story-telling with the cards. Anything beyond the simplest layout puts them into the panicked "Lego-block" mode of interpretation, in which they try to stack up keywords in a way that approximates a smooth narrative but instead resembles a …

“Coin-Flip” Divination

Back when I was employed and had to rise before dawn to get ready for work without waking my wife, I used to judge the promise of the coming day by whether or not I slid my slippers on the right feet on the first try in total darkness. If I got it wrong, I …

“Cheap Shots” #22: Tough Talk

I've written on the topic of tarot professionalism before (see Volume 3 - Issue 2 of The Cartomancer), but recent forum exchanges bring me back to the subject. What might be termed the "journeyman class" of tarot readers- those who have been reading for family and friends for some time - is strongly tempted to …

The Tarot of Dreams Deck Interview

I just received Ciro Marchetti's Tarot of Dreams (the 2015 reissue) today and decided to run it thorough my "personality profile" deck interview spread. This is Ciro's second tarot project, following on the heels of his Gilded Tarot. I consider it a step up in excellence. All images copyright U.S. Games Systems, Inc, Stamford, CT …

“One Star in Sight”

In his masterful poem One Star in Sight, Aleister Crowley tossed out a few hints about the true meaning of the Star. Here is a non-contiguous fragment: "One star can summon them to wake To self; star-souls serene that gleam On life's calm lake. Behold within and not above, One star in sight!" The traditional …

The Trial and the Verdict

Those new to tarot have many symbolic puzzles to solve when confronting the archetypes presented in the Major Arcana, but one that arises promptly is why there are two trump cards that seem to be about the same thing: Justice and Judgement. One of the simplest and most satisfying explanations I've seen is that Justice …

Professional Ethics

The assurance of ethical conduct during tarot readings is a persistent source of anxiety for readers just starting out in professional practice. Government jurisdictions that have anti-fortune-telling laws on the books make it that much more stressful. When I began reading publicly in a professional setting, I crafted a set of ground-rules for myself that …

A Question of Accuracy

I recently participated in a forum discussion involving ways to increase one's accuracy when reading for others. Many readers experience occasional lapses in querent satisfaction after a long string of successful attempts, and are puzzled why this should be the case since nothing has changed in their approach. My thought on this is that they …

The Dark Side of the Sun

A perennial question that arises in tarot circles is "Can the Sun ever be a bad card?" In most of the historical literature, the answer to that is a resounding "No!" The Golden Dawn gave a nod in that direction by saying the the Sun with very bad cards can show "arrogance, display" (which I …