19 January 1596: Walter Hay, a goldsmith, brought up on charges per the Elgin Kirk sessions for playing bowls and golf (obviously an athletic enthusiast) on a Sunday when he should have been attending to the sermons in the kirk. Five pounds and a promise never to do it again. The eldership of the church…
Tag: tarot
TABI Tarot MidWinter Conference
Excitement builds for the TABI Midwinter Tarot Conference: what a great line-up of speakers — and I’m not just saying that because I’m one of them! I’m looking forward to seeing a lot of different approaches to the cards and the theories behind them, as well as having a chance to talk about an overlooked…
Featured at TABI
Over at the TABI blog I’m featured in a series they’re calling ‘My Tarot Journey’ — all about how you got into tarot and where it’s taken you so far. You don’t have to join to read this one! Of course I’m going to encourage you to do so anyway because it’s a real bargain…
TABI Midwinter Conference
I’m delighted to announce that I’ll be talking about my translation The Art of Drawing Cards and The Tarot at the TABI Midwinter Conference 24-5 January. I’m just one of a dozen speakers that weekend so what a great opportunity for TABI members. What’s TABI? The Tarot Association of British and International members. While it…
Johanna Dumet: Fool for a Lifetime
Circling around all the things that went on in Berlin: so much! So many glories to experience. Art everywhere and have I gone on at length about the sheer wonder of a modern city with affordable, convenient 24/7 public transportation? Well, I will at the drop of a hat. Drop a hat and see! Johanna…
Occulture
How to describe the phantasmagoria of experiences that was Occulture? It may take a couple posts. Long story short: I’m really glad I went. I was very happy with the responses to my talk and met lots of people who were excited to talk all things Leonora Carrington. And yes, the good news is my…
L’Étoile
Now in the shop: L’Étoile! Do you see the Star? Egyptomania was rampant in occult circles of the 18th and 19th centuries. This Star Card is adapted from Les XXII Lames Hermètiques du Tarot Divinatoire (1896) by R. Falconnier, illustrated by M.O. Wegener, son of the Swedish-born French photographer, Otto Wegener. Now that the Tower…
CFP: Divination, Witchcraft, and The Occult
Call for PresentationsDivination, Witchcraft & the Occult *SPECIAL TOPIC*Popular Culture Association Conference8-11 April 2026Atlanta, GA, US The broad interest in divination, witchcraft, and the occult has been part of popular culture for centuries. Scholars’ discomfort with the topic is often palpable: they tend to focus on intersections that feel more legitimate, e.g. legal ramifications (laws…
Irreverent Tarot 13: Flip Through
Irreverent Tarot, the podcast, returns with a flip-through video of The Art of Drawing Cards and The Tarot. By popular demand of the Tarot History group, who want a proper nosy before they commit to buying anything even if they do get a thanks in the postscript! Take a look through yourself. Find out the…
Out Now: The Art of Drawing Cards and The Tarot
The Art of Drawing Cards and The Tarot Aldegonde Perenna, The Polish Sibyl There’s nothing quite like this tarot book. The editors of this curious 1826 volume threw in every method they could find for reading and playing cards. Cartomancy in nineteenth century France was not a world without rules, but one with too many!…