The Predictive “Coddiwomple”*
*To travel purposely toward an as-yet unknown destination.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: I’m indebted to my online friend Dianne DeMarco for this bit of whimsy.
I can’t think of a more accurate (or more peculiar) way to describe the act of diligently pursuing the advice of a tarot reading for the purpose of unlocking its uncertain promise. Even Don Quixote and Candide had vague notions about what they thought they were looking for, but the recipient of a tarot prediction — at least before he or she embarks on the “coddiwomple” — may be completely adrift without the level of comforting familiarity inspired by semi-conscious foreknowledge. I often think of divination as a “crap-shoot:” we never know what we’re going to roll, we only have a subliminal awareness of the boundaries attached to the situational landscape displayed in the 78 cards and their several million possible permutations. Talk about “needles and haystacks!” It’s a wonder that we ever come up with insights that are relevant to the situation. That we manage to do so is a true testament to the reader’s skill and the legitimacy of the art itself.
I’ve mentioned in the past that divination is best used to aid in plotting and navigating a proposed route, while spying the destination is mainly a byproduct of that initiative. The latter may be what the querent wants from me, but it’s not what motivates me to help them. To the extent that I’m able to effectively leverage the process, they will get their answer and I will have the satisfaction of seeing the technique work as intended. I don’t view myself as a “prediction mill” churning out omens and auguries, but rather as a clinician dedicated to separating the “likely” from the “unlikely” using the oracular tools of prognostication. I’ve called myself “half mad-scientist and half mystic,” which is as good a way as any to characterize my methods. They’re a form of metaphysical transmutation that turns generic images into context-specific observations that, at their most penetrating, have a powerful bearing on the understanding of future events and circumstances. At some point, with careful shaping of the narrative, mere premonitory hunches can become full-blown prescience.
Another moniker I’ve awarded myself is “hedge mystic” in recognition of the fact that I’m not a card-carrying psychic but I also don’t aspire to the role of intuitive artiste since I’ve seen far too much “woo-ful” (and by definition woeful) grandstanding by those opportunistic readers who bring nothing more profound to the table than their charisma and a fertile imagination. Any coddiwomple that emerges from that source is likely to be only a phantasmagorical “snipe hunt.” I want to stay as far away as possible from that crowd, so I’ll just sit here behind my hedge and rusticate.
Back in 2020 I wrote the following essay on the subject, the gist of which is “the things you learn along the way are often more valuable than what you find at the end of the road.”
https://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com/2020/06/06/the-thrill-of-the-chase/
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on January 2, 2024.
