Magic du Jour

I recently came across a discussion in the "r/occult" Reddit feed about something called "Gallery of Magic," which is apparently a series of books (reported by detractors to be dumbed-down grimoires full of angelic names in modern Hebrew) that purport to demystify (I would instead say "denature") ceremonial magic for today's instant-gratification crowd. As a …

“Co-divination” – Parallel Paths and Diminishing Returns

A common complaint of professional diviners is the persistent and occasionally aggressive client who asks the same question repeatedly, often without allowing the previous answer a decent chance to unfold, and expects a more agreeable outcome. The most annoying of these is the person who visits multiple readers with the same intent, and who isn't …

Cards of Joy and Sorrow

I believe I've reached a tipping point in my growing desire to begin working with playing cards in cartomancy. I've accumulated a number of online sources for reference material (most notably that of Kapherus and "Auntie Tarot"), and I also have a few names to explore (Regina Russell, Cecily Kent, Sepharial) although I own none …

The “Tip of the Iceberg” Mixed-Media Problem-Solving Spread

I've been meaning for some time to try my hand at creating spreads that use both cards and dominoes in developing the reading layout. Here is my first attempt focused on problem-solving scenarios. It is essentially a doubled five-card path from an opening "current situation" perspective to a closing  "future consequences" projection that has a …

Taking the Trumps for a Spin

I'm always looking for new learning approaches to improve my grasp of tarot card combinations. With a couple of million possible permutations of ten cards out of a total of 78, my regular use of the Celtic Cross isn't going to cover all of them any time soon, and working through them methodically from beginning-to-end …

“Mixed-Media” Reading

"Mixed-media" technique is a concept usually limited to the visual arts; a good example would be combining paste-up photo-collage and manual deposition of some kind (brush, pen, pencil, crayon, stick, etc.) to create an integrated and aesthetically pleasing image. (Before anyone asks, presentation technology often relies on "multi-media" delivery, a different animal.) I'll get to …

Mild Spring? A Geomantic Example Reading

For my first geomantic "return engagement," I decided to ask whether we will have a milder-then-usual Spring season here in my local area (and no, I didn't consider the "groundhog factor"). I used my bowl of carefully-gathered stones, even though they came from our previous "home ground" and are more regional than local. I'm rusty …

Easing Back into Geomancy: Tools of the Trade

As promised, I'm moving toward exploring forms of divination beyond cartomancy and horary astrology. Several years ago I spent a good deal of time pursuing the art of geomancy but let it lapse as my tarot practice grew. I found it to be quite accurate in its predictions about practical affairs and accumulated a small …

By Guess or By Golly

UPDATE: The birth occurred early in the morning on January 9th, which was within slightly more than 24 hours of the predicted date. I seem to be giving my younger readers an ongoing education in idioms from a bygone era. This one seems particularly appropriate to the situation. We have an informal family lottery going …

Edging Up to the Runes

I've decided to take on the challenge of familiarizing myself with the Nordic runes to the point that I can successfully divine with them, at least in a non-professional way.  I bought Lisa Chamberlain's introductory book on the subject and have elected to pursue the more traditional approach of Edred Thorsson and Nigel Pennick and …