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Tarot As Blunt Instrument
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I’m presently immersed in the study of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras as explained by parapsychologist Dean Radin in his book Supernormal, which I’m relating to my practice of divination in a series of essays. One of the first things that impressed me was that – without resorting to complex magical rituals or metaphysical “props” such as cards,…...
Spirit Guides and “Astral Mischief”
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I admit to being tired of hearing mystics emote about the benevolent “spirit guides” who will unerringly steer them straight and therefore deserve their unquestioning trust. This assumption is tossed off casually as if everyone agrees that it’s the most natural thing in the world: “My guides told me . . .” I’ve…...
The Major Arcana as “Dining Experience”
AUTHOR’S NOTE: In 2022, I satirized Douglas Adams’ already-satirical novel, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (see the link below), in which a talking cow (aptly named “Dish of the Day”) offers up choice cuts of itself to discerning diners, carved from its living flesh “on the hoof” as it were. My own satire…...
Thoughts on Risky Predictions
Is “Might” Safer Than “Must?” – Thoughts on Risky Predictions “. . . does precognition perceive the actual future, the one that must occur, or does it perceive a probable future, a future that might occur? And how can we tell which is a better explanation?” – from Real Magic by Dean Radin AUTHOR’S NOTE: When I read the cards for another…...
The Pros, The Cons and The Reality: An Opportunity and Challenge Spread
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Here is a another “best-case/worst-case” decision-making spread that includes a “reality check” card intended to mediate between the two and serve as the resolution of the matter. The “A” cards represent the “Opportunity” arc in three phases, while the “B”cards show the “Challenge” arc, also in three phases. These cards are to be…...
The Approximate Tarot Reader
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Those tarot readers who use decks with non-scenic or semi-scenic minor cards are already masters of approximation since they aren’t being steered by someone else’s vision. They had to come up with a personal set of definitions that is not dependent on prosaic scenes, so their divination is often fresher, more extemporaneous and…...
Public Figures and Personal Privacy in Divination
AUTHOR’S NOTE: In his book Tarot Reading Explained, James Ricklef mentioned that, when he began practicing tarot divination on prominent public figures in support of his American Tarot Association column, he chose not to read about those who were still living, under the assumption that it would constitute an invasion of privacy and could result in…...
“Excess Importance” and Zero-Sum Tarot Reading
AUTHOR’S NOTE: While following an r/occult sub-reddit thread, I came across the concept of “excess importance.” Here is the technical definition: “Excess importance is a concept from Vadim Zeland’s Reality Transurfing that refers to overvaluing a person, object, or goal, which creates ‘excess potential’ (unbalanced energy). It manifests as desperation, fear, or obsession, often leading to the…...
Anecdotal vs. Empirical: The Rational Diviner’s Dilemma
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I was recently engaged in an online conversation with an avowed skeptic who wants to delve into the occult but can’t overcome the perception that there is no objective evidence of its legitimacy, while also acknowledging that he hasn’t actually made an attempt to prove otherwise to his own satisfaction. This was my…...
Where is Nancy? A Horary Post
AUTHOR’S NOTE: To complete my divinatory exploration of the current whereabouts and physical condition of Nancy Guthrie, I generated a horary astrology chart. Although in this type of horoscope I usually give the Ascendant to the missing person as the “Querent,” this time I decided that, since Nancy’s daughter Savannah Guthrie has been requesting public…...