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Skeptics, Mentalists and Tarot Readers: Part 1
For purposes of this article let us assume that there is no paranormal or spiritual aspect to tarot readings. Let’s pretend, for the moment, that all tarot readings have a rational basis in easily explained normal human skills. Skeptics and mentalists reduce tarot reading to just this level. Mentalists utilize skills to make money in…...
Stephen Hawking on Prediction and Astrology
“Watch out for wormholes: you never know what may come out of them.” — Stephen Hawking One of the first things people want to know about Tarot is how it works. Most seasoned practitioners will admit they haven’t a clue but have considered a few possibilities including: Carl Jung’s theory of synchronicity (not really a…...
Origins of Cartomancy – Part Two: the 17th and 18th Century
The 17th Century 1620 – Henry Cuffe and the Three Knaves In 1620 John Melton recorded the following story in Astrologaster, or, The Figure Caster. It was repeated by William Rowland, in Judiciall astrologie, judicially condemned (London, 1652) and tells of Henry Cuffe, (1563-1601), secretary to the Earl of Essex, whose death was foretold by cards twenty years before…...
Origins of Cartomancy (Playing Card Divination) – Part One: the 15th and 16th Century
The 15th Century 1414 Barcelona – Joch de nayps moreschs Two Barcelona inventories have entries for “joch de nayps (or ‘nahyps’) moreschs”. The Instituto Municipal de Historia in Barcelona formerly held several sheets of uncut woodblock cards of the Moorish design from around this period. Their similarity to the late 15th or early 16th century Mamluk…...
Position 9 in the Celtic Cross Spread
While everyone who regularly uses the Celtic Cross Spread adapts it to their own understanding, I am going to reveal the underlying richness of the traditional “Hopes and Fears” or 9th position* of this classic spread. *I’m not counting the Significator. “An Ancient Celtic Method” in Waite’s Pictorial Key to the Tarot Both/And Early in my…...
The Thoth Universe Tarot Card Creation Story
The Crowley-Harris Thoth card was renamed The Universe giving us both an ancient and very modern scientific perspective on the card formerly called The World that focused on Earth as the center of the Universe. The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn emphasized this fact by its correspondence with the planet Saturn, related on the…...
Tarot Flow
One of the geniuses of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck is the story-telling qualities of the Minor Arcana. Each card can tell a story, but a sometimes overlooked factor is that the suits tell stories as you move from card to card. In classes I encourage students to write a tale based on each suit so that…...
The Numbering of Strength and Justice in Tarot
The original 15th and 16th century Italian Tarocchi decks featured a variety of numberings. In most cases the 3 virtues (Strength, Justice and Temperance) were placed together or Justice appeared between Judgment and the World. By the 17th century the so-called Marseilles (French) numbering had become standard with Justice as 8, etc. When the Golden…...
