Investigative Prospects for the Harmony Montgomery Case

AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I write this, the search effort at the last know location of the missing girl has been concluded and no further information has been provided to the public. The implication is that nothing remarkable has been found or they would be crowing about their success; however, the FBI is involved and they …

Trump’s Dilemma: A “Passing the Monkey” Example Reading

Subtitle: Avoiding Prosecution in the "January 6th Riot" Investigation To test my new "Passing the Monkey" problem-solving spread, I asked what would be the best way for Donald Trump to approach the risk of Congressional prosecution for his alleged role in the "January 6th Riot" in Washington, DC. Although Trump may now be "old news" …

A “Three-Part Cacophony” Run-Through: What Happened to Reeves?

Here is an example run-through of my "Three-Part Cacophony" reading method. I posted photos of both the "master" layout (for reference) and the cards I pulled. I've been working on a missing-person "cold case" in NH that has remained unsolved since 1983. Reeves Johnson went missing after picking up a hitch-hiker on his way back …

The “Three-Part Cacophony” Reading Method: One Part Melody, Two Parts Counterpoint

Here's one from "way out in left field;" I chose "Cacophony" because "harmony" is never a foregone conclusion in a tarot reading. This layout has some similarities to the Celtic Cross (CC) in the way it is read, but the structure differs, the number of "developmental" cards is flexible and there are fewer fixed position …

The “12 Modes of Consciousness” Spread

Although I'm no fan of using tarot for psychological profiling (which is better served by natal astrology), preferring instead a more action-and-event-oriented approach, here is a spread that adopts a creative spin on the four cognitive functions  of Carl Jung. Reversals may be used to show a further elaboration of the inner landscape.

The Virtue of Simplicity

As time goes on I find myself drawn more and more to working with only the 56 Minor Arcana cards in divination. Granted, the 22 Major Arcana are where most of the philosophical "meat" lies in the tarot, but very few of my readings rise to that level of metaphysical complexity and intensity. Most of …

“My Way, Your Way or the Highway” Conflict-Resolution Spread

We've all heard of the expression "It's my way or the highway!" as the take-it-or-leave-it crowing of someone who holds the upper hand in a disagreement and is rubbing the other person's nose in it. I decided to use that concept in a conflict-resolution spread in which dice and cards are consulted to indicate whether …

“Pleasure with Pain for Leaven:” Blended Satisfaction

I've often pondered what Macgregor Mathers intended by the description "blended pleasure" as a pejorative for the emotional state shown in the 4 of Cups. I had to stop and think "Blended with what, and to what end?" The purpose of blending two things is usually to improve the quality of one or both of …

The “One-Act Play” Example Reading: A Three-Way Conflict

I decided to test this spread on a hypothetical scenario in which three individuals are engaged in a disagreement. To do this I randomly pulled three court cards for the middle position instead of one. I used the magnificent Golden Art Nouveau Tarot with reversals. The situation assumes that two junior individuals are up against …

The “Life’s One-Act Play” Situational Awareness Spread

A long time ago there was a song by British blues band Savoy Brown titled "Life's One-Act Play." It struck my as a perfect idea for a small spread that shows the outcome of a single "act" or "scene" in the life of the seeker. It is a three-carder at heart, with an additional summary …