AUTHOR'S NOTE: My long-time followers know that I'm skeptical of remote tarot reading because the querent has no direct contact with the cards for the purpose of subconscious induction, my fundamental understanding of "how tarot works." But with a little tweaking of the parameters, that attitude may be shifting. Recently, while reading about experiments in … Continue reading Distant Intention: An Alternative Approach to Remote Divination
Spirituality
Spirit Guides and “Astral Mischief”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I admit to being tired of hearing mystics emote about the benevolent "spirit guides" who will unerringly steer them straight and therefore deserve their unquestioning trust. This assumption is tossed off casually as if everyone agrees that it's the most natural thing in the world: "My guides told me . . ." I've … Continue reading Spirit Guides and “Astral Mischief”
The Fortune-Teller As “Percipient”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: While reading Dr. Dean Radin's book on yoga (Supernormal) I added a new word to my divination vocabulary: percipient. The specific reference was to scientific experiments conducted by Princeton University in which the subjects who were tested for precognition were called "percipients" (those who perceive the future). Even when it isn't deliberately fraudulent, … Continue reading The Fortune-Teller As “Percipient”
Seizing the Power of “Empowerment”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: "Empowerment" is one of the most common personal-growth buzzwords enlisted in the performance of divination. Nobody dares offer a prediction without at least mentioning it for fear of being branded a "fortune-teller." We nearly do back-flips trying to erase any hint of predestination from our readings (you know the shtick: the future isn't … Continue reading Seizing the Power of “Empowerment”
Believing is Seeing: The Power of Suggestion vs. Confirmation Bias in Divination
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was just reading a passage in Dean Radin's book Supernormal, in which he described a controlled "psi" experiment where subjects who believed strongly in extrasensory perception (ESP) scored significantly higher than non-believers on a blind symbol-recognition test conducted at a distance. Although Radin didn't use the term, I'm wondering whether "auto-suggestion" on … Continue reading Believing is Seeing: The Power of Suggestion vs. Confirmation Bias in Divination
The Story of a Life: Past-Life Reading with the Tarot
AUTHOR'S NOTE: A question occasionally arises in the online divination community regarding whether anyone has attempted to explore past lives with the tarot cards. I have a couple of existing spreads for this purpose, but I'm currently reading parapsychologist Dean Radin's book on yoga, Supernormal, in which he makes a case for reincarnation and past-life … Continue reading The Story of a Life: Past-Life Reading with the Tarot
“Enlightened” vs. “Renegade” Skepticism in Metaphysics
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was more than a little surprised at the intensity of religious fervor in the r/occult reddit community when the subject of Christianity came up in the form of trying to "awaken" someone from its less-credible mystical assertions. I didn't originate the thread, only observed it, so I didn't dare say a word … Continue reading “Enlightened” vs. “Renegade” Skepticism in Metaphysics
Immodest Claims: The Cult of “Thems That Think They Knows”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In their debut recording Bert and I . . . and Other Stories from Down East, rustic Maine humorists Robert Bryan and Marshall Dodge referred slyly to "thems that knows" in one of the monologues. I recall this quip whenever I encounter the tarot community's online ranks of zealous Jungian partisans who are … Continue reading Immodest Claims: The Cult of “Thems That Think They Knows”
My Life with the Qabalistic Tarot: A Field Guide
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've been following a lengthy academic debate in the online occult community about whether non-Jews should be "allowed" to engage in esoteric practices based on the Hebraic body of Kabbalistic knowledge as filtered though the Hermetic working model. Little mention is made of the fact that the Kabbalah itself was heavily influenced by … Continue reading My Life with the Qabalistic Tarot: A Field Guide
The Diviner as Middleman – Sharing the Burden of Proof
Ted Striker (Robert Hayes): "Surely you can't be serious."Dr. Rumack (Leslie Nielsen): "I am serious . . . and don't call me Shirley."- from the movie Airplane! AUTHOR'S NOTE: After many years away from it, I'm now re-reading The Kybalion, a learned text on esoteric philosophy. In one of the early lessons the author insists … Continue reading The Diviner as Middleman – Sharing the Burden of Proof
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 