In which I work through my favourite ‘specific question’ layout, get very personal and see where it takes me, all the while questioning if I should be doing this at all.
Thank for all that!! I love your perspectives. I hear you about Thoth though I think it’s achieved a bit of a life of its own and Frieda Harris’ contribution shouldn’t be overlooked. But it’s a hard deck! I think of it as my “power tool”. “You want the truth? You’re not ready for the truth! What, you think you are? Ok - HERE’S THOTH AND A B29 BOMBER’S LOAD OF TRUTH BOMBS!” 💣
You put your finger on my own unease at general readings. Context is king for a meaningful interpretation, and in consultations, that context makes itself known through the Tarot's rapport with the client. I am up for pushing the Tarot on the basis that what is macro, may like astrological transits, express itself on the micro on a directly personal level for someone. And it is always fascinating to observe when this macro to micro works in real time, as it so frequently does. It is something I am exploring myself, much much later after many years of reading only face to face.
The Thoth deck is visually stunning, artistically sophisticated. Even so, I don't work with it and you have helped me identify why. It is not kindly. It cares nothing. It is up its own you know what. Like Ozymandias, look on my works, ye mighty, and despair. I don't like Crowley. This may not matter, since the oracular mind is a law unto itself, such is the risk in consulting with oracles, and the reader can find the way to supply the kindness. But you are right. It has little kindness in it.
You are essaying a study venture, Gabriel. There is no disrespect to your tarot in essaying a tarot-scope. It is all grist to the mill of the learning, and as always, we might fall flat on our faces, but so it goes. And as for the August ennui, creatures of the seasons as we are, and it is good to be reminded of that, and as for the messages in your reading, yes, I do find them at a slight family remove, timely and relatable. Broad brush but that is still something, and in dealing with others as a reader, we cannot help but deal also with the zeitgeist
Further thought. The zeitgeist - I have a feeling I’m dealing with it via that whole mad grail thing I’ve signed myself up for. I guess I’ll see how it works itself out.
Just writing about the Empress in my Vedic Tarot as we speak, for my next post. Loved Rachel P. and her writings on the H cards. I use similar methods working with ancient alphabets and delving into Vedas. Sometimes the creative mind can be a bind making us overthink situations because we are so used to solving our geometry. I chose Saraswati for the Empress and there is her connection with Brahma in tgat she puts form and order to the creation. Luckily we have seasons in a temperate climate anyway, and every three months things change anyway. Take six cards at random, lay one horizonal as the situation, place one vertically on top as the self in that situation then place one on each side vertically as the balance of that situation and one card above horizontally that is the past influence and one on the bottom vertically as possible outcome. I interlock them like a mandala. It is a simple quick reading with no questions at all, no need to be a querent for the self. Just study the placements. I like your thinking very much. the star to me represents recognition of the soul on path of enlightenment. It may seem distant and cold but it is more reassuring than one would think. And it has luck attached, not just hope. …
I’ll have to look out for that. Of course, working with any of these things means being comfortable with ambiguity and mess. Tarot and I Ching hexagrams are fundamentally incompatible systems. But it’s fun to try! I do agree agree with you about the Star - it’s long been an important card for me and I love the mystery that hovers about Haindl’s take…
I agree. I used to collect yarrow sticks to throw the I-Ching and I think that any system of spiritually or esoteric wisdom can be linked with another. The Star is tge Vyapini, the eighth chakra just above the head known actually as the Soul Star, the eye witness to everything. ..
Thank for all that!! I love your perspectives. I hear you about Thoth though I think it’s achieved a bit of a life of its own and Frieda Harris’ contribution shouldn’t be overlooked. But it’s a hard deck! I think of it as my “power tool”. “You want the truth? You’re not ready for the truth! What, you think you are? Ok - HERE’S THOTH AND A B29 BOMBER’S LOAD OF TRUTH BOMBS!” 💣
Dear Gabriel, Glad you liked my reply about the Star...such a crucial card to come after the Tower. ***
You put your finger on my own unease at general readings. Context is king for a meaningful interpretation, and in consultations, that context makes itself known through the Tarot's rapport with the client. I am up for pushing the Tarot on the basis that what is macro, may like astrological transits, express itself on the micro on a directly personal level for someone. And it is always fascinating to observe when this macro to micro works in real time, as it so frequently does. It is something I am exploring myself, much much later after many years of reading only face to face.
The Thoth deck is visually stunning, artistically sophisticated. Even so, I don't work with it and you have helped me identify why. It is not kindly. It cares nothing. It is up its own you know what. Like Ozymandias, look on my works, ye mighty, and despair. I don't like Crowley. This may not matter, since the oracular mind is a law unto itself, such is the risk in consulting with oracles, and the reader can find the way to supply the kindness. But you are right. It has little kindness in it.
You are essaying a study venture, Gabriel. There is no disrespect to your tarot in essaying a tarot-scope. It is all grist to the mill of the learning, and as always, we might fall flat on our faces, but so it goes. And as for the August ennui, creatures of the seasons as we are, and it is good to be reminded of that, and as for the messages in your reading, yes, I do find them at a slight family remove, timely and relatable. Broad brush but that is still something, and in dealing with others as a reader, we cannot help but deal also with the zeitgeist
Further thought. The zeitgeist - I have a feeling I’m dealing with it via that whole mad grail thing I’ve signed myself up for. I guess I’ll see how it works itself out.
Just writing about the Empress in my Vedic Tarot as we speak, for my next post. Loved Rachel P. and her writings on the H cards. I use similar methods working with ancient alphabets and delving into Vedas. Sometimes the creative mind can be a bind making us overthink situations because we are so used to solving our geometry. I chose Saraswati for the Empress and there is her connection with Brahma in tgat she puts form and order to the creation. Luckily we have seasons in a temperate climate anyway, and every three months things change anyway. Take six cards at random, lay one horizonal as the situation, place one vertically on top as the self in that situation then place one on each side vertically as the balance of that situation and one card above horizontally that is the past influence and one on the bottom vertically as possible outcome. I interlock them like a mandala. It is a simple quick reading with no questions at all, no need to be a querent for the self. Just study the placements. I like your thinking very much. the star to me represents recognition of the soul on path of enlightenment. It may seem distant and cold but it is more reassuring than one would think. And it has luck attached, not just hope. …
I’ll have to look out for that. Of course, working with any of these things means being comfortable with ambiguity and mess. Tarot and I Ching hexagrams are fundamentally incompatible systems. But it’s fun to try! I do agree agree with you about the Star - it’s long been an important card for me and I love the mystery that hovers about Haindl’s take…
I agree. I used to collect yarrow sticks to throw the I-Ching and I think that any system of spiritually or esoteric wisdom can be linked with another. The Star is tge Vyapini, the eighth chakra just above the head known actually as the Soul Star, the eye witness to everything. ..