I’m not sure how much longer this will go on, but my Inbox continues to be sort of a launchpad for unexpected, Tarot-related journeys. The latest starts off with a new issue of The Public Domain Review, highlighting this story.
I introduced the fascinating, invaluable PDR here, just a smidge over two years ago:
And I thought I’d written a previous EP story about Georgiana Houghton—yet no! I do remember being fascinated a while ago by her art, and her story. But I probably decided her association with spiritualism wasn’t enough to create a Tarot connection.
Still . . . just to make sure I hadn’t missed anything, I Googled her name plus Tarot.
And though there really doesn’t seem to be a Houghton/Tarot connection, my search produced this wonderful result, from the fox and the tarot:
If it hadn’t been for her post on this artist, I might not have found Nina Fox Baldwin’s blog, which isn’t on Substack. So I count this as a stroke of luck! Nina’s engaging posts pair a Tarot commentary with the work of a different artist every week—and in a quick browse, I found several I’m very glad to know about.
For example:
And after introducing the artist, Nina showcases their work in “Tarotcasts” that combine astrology and Tarot. For example:
I could have stayed in Nina’s archives all day!
I think you’ll enjoy visiting the fox and the tarot—and while you’re there, read Nina’s Tarot story.
Meantime, here are two more of examples of Houghton’s spirit-inspired art:
If you’re thinking there has been a lot about art in the last few EP posts, that seems true! It wasn’t intentional—but it does reflect the fact that I’ve been sketching out an article about the never-ending creative appeal of Tarot. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, I’ll counter-balance all this artiness with a totally text-y flashback . . .
Notes on a Classic Tarot Anthology
The groundbreaking 1992 anthology Wheel of Tarot, edited by Angeles Arrien and James Wanless, was comprised mainly of articles by authors from various academic or professional disciplines, who wrote about Tarot from those perspectives.
In other words—they were not (specifically) Tarot specialists.
Two contributors, in particular, were well known in circles outside Tarot:
Consciousness researcher Ralph Metzner, Ph.D., became famous—along with Timothy Leary and Ram Dass—for exploring the intersection of psychoactive drugs and sacred traditions. Metzner was also a pioneer in the emerging field of parapsychological research.
Jane English, Ph.D., had begun a career in particle physics, but shifted her focus to photography and Oriental philosophy. In 1985, English collaborated with her husband (Taoist teacher Gia-Fu Feng) on an illustrated translation of the Tao Te Ching that has remained popular ever since.
For context, here’s the whole Wheel of Tarot Table of Contents:
I’d love to reread every article, but there’s never enough time. However, I did go through Cycle I, Section One—”The Science of Divination”—for another reason, so here are the summaries I came up with.
#1 . . . “Synchronicity, Divination, and Psi,” by Ralph Metzner, Ph.D.
A bit dry, and somewhat dated. But Metzner’s attempt to link divination with the concept of synchronicity—and both with research in parapsychology—is still worth reading. He provided this summary at the end:
To summarize, there appear to be two kinds or levels of synchronicity applicable to mantic procedures: the first, in which there is a meaningful connection between cosmic or abstract factors (planets, numbers) and psychic or personal events; the second, in which there is a meaningful connection between certain apparently random arrangements (of cards, coins, sticks, stones, leaves, entrails, flying birds) and psychic or personal events. This second kind of synchronistic phenomenon can usefully be compared with certain kinds of laboratory experiments in [the field of ] parapsychology. The theory of goal-directed, unconscious psi functioning can provide a conceptual bridging between scientific studies of psychic phenomena and the hitherto occult studies of Tarot, astrology, and other divinatory media. C.G. Jung's formulations of the synchronicity principle play a certain role in this kind of conceptual bridging.
If you want to make a deep dive into the topic of synchronicity, there’s a brand-new book by physicist Paul Halpern that explores the concept from many perspectives—and includes a chapter on Jung’s approach. I haven’t read the book yet, but I follow #paulhalpern on Twitter and always find his perspectives interesting. You can get quite a good sense of Synchronicity: The Epic Quest to Understand the Quantum Nature of Cause and Effect by means of Amazon’s “Look Inside” feature.
#2 . . . “A Scientist’s Experience with Tarot,” by Jane English, Ph.D.
English discusses generally the scientific community’s bias against the whole idea of subjective/objective connections, then relates a small experiment she performed with Tarot cards—focusing on whether card choices were random or non-random, with respect to certain pre-determined criteria. The experiment involved three subjects, using cards from (a) the Crowley-Thoth Tarot deck, and (b) a set of blank index cards, numbered 1-78. Her statistical analysis of the results—explained quite clearly in the article—suggested some evidence of non-randomness. English, who is herself a Tarot practitioner, concludes with brief speculations on possible explanations for the results of her experiment, and some reflections on the need to move beyond a perceived inner/outer split, with further research on the Tarot as means of making that connection.
#3 . . . “An Experimental Test of the Basis of Probability Theory,” by Cherie Sutherland McCusker and Brian McCusker, Ph.D.
The McCuskers follow up on Jane English’s Tarot experiment with their own very similar version, and expand the discussion to include more about the scientific perspective. The article includes a section linking their experiments to then-recent experiments in quantum mechanics. Both English and the McCuskers cast their reflections in the framework of traditional/Newtonian physics versus the basic concepts of quantum physics—and by now (2021), that debate may seem a little passé. But these two articles make a good review of the points at which divination may connect with modern science. Better still: the McCuskers provide a set of (fairly) simple instructions for conducting your own Tarot/probability test. Worth a try!
#4 . . . “A Transpersonal Approach to Symbolic Therapy: Dreams, Synchronicity, and Tarot,” by Mary C. Culbertson, Ph.D.
Culbertson carried out a more extensive experiment than those attempted by English and the McCuskers, again finding positive correlations that suggest a non-random correlation between the selection of Tarot cards and certain psychological processes. In some ways it is a bit more “fuzzy,” which reflects in part the slipperiness of anything to do with dreams. But it offers a nice reminder of how various symbol systems (including Tarot) can intersect. It’s noteworthy—in terms of connections that had been solidifying during the 1980s—that Culbertson’s experiment used the Crowley-Thoth deck, and employed a spread worked out by Angeles Arrien.
As always—thanks for reading! C
And PS: If you’re interested in writing, or just curious about what else I’m up to, my new Substack is now officially launched . . .