Garbage In, Garbage Out

This is likely to be a controversial subject. There is an old tenet from computer science that goes: "Garbage in, garbage out (GIGO) is the concept that flawed, or nonsense input data produces nonsense output or 'garbage.' The principle also applies more generally to all analysis and logic, in that arguments are unsound if their …

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 …

“Thinking Man’s Tarot”

If you listen carefully, you might hear John Wayne saying "Those're fightin' words, pilgrim!" But I'm not attacking anyone here; consider this an op-ed with a curmudgeonly observation or two (or six). Take it as you will. It goes without saying that I'm generally at odds with those who believe tarot reading  thrives only on …

“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 …

Think Once, Then Stop Thinking

There seems to be endless online debate over the proper methodology for laying out the cards. It ranges from "Just do it!" with no planned sequence to carefully orchestrating the pull for maximum coherence. To those who profess to using no prescribed technique, I would ask "Not even self-prescribed?" I would argue that "no method" …

Medicine Man or Wizard?

Why do people seek out a tarot reader? Arguably, a minority are those who are merely curious about something they may have heard from friends and who have the time and money to spend on indulging themselves; or they might happen upon a street reader and impulsively decide to "take the plunge." Among them are …

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 …