"Relax," said the night man. "We are programmed to receive."- from Hotel California by The Eagles AUTHOR'S NOTE: In Real Magic, his fascinating and - for this metaphysical maverick - highly influential 2018 book, parapsychologist Dean Radin mentions that in common discourse the tenets of psionics (including psychism) are subsumed under the neologism psi (pronounced … Continue reading Programmed to Receive: Psychism and “Blind Faith”
Spirituality
Real Tarot (Not Just “Coping”)
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've just begun reading Dean Radin's Real Magic, and I can already see that it aligns with my own view of rational metaphysics that has evolved over the last fifty years of study and practice, both anecdotally in the public arena and experimentally in private. As I’ve often said, I’m inclined to believe … Continue reading Real Tarot (Not Just “Coping”)
The Tarot Court and the Magician’s Creed
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here and there in the esoteric literature I've encountered what I'm calling the "Magician's Creed," a set of four postulates that every practitioner of the occult arts should adopt and apply diligently: "To Know, To Dare, To Will and To Keep Silent" (Scire, Audere, Velle, Tacere). This morning I recognized that these stipulations … Continue reading The Tarot Court and the Magician’s Creed
Stillness of Mind: An Evolutionary Quest
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I continue to draw inspiration from revisiting James Ricklef's Tarot Reading Explained, and in his description of the mental and emotional attributes of the King of Cups I found a brief mention of the "Zen practitioners whose pursuit of enlightenment values meditation and stillness of mind." I'm not a Buddhist, but that stillness … Continue reading Stillness of Mind: An Evolutionary Quest
Boundaries and Barriers in Psychic Self-Defense
AUTHOR'S NOTE: When it comes to psychic self-defense, the "buzzword-du-jour" is boundaries. The mystical ways to do this are mostly statements of intent: affirmations, invocations, prayers, etc. We are encouraged to set wards against the subliminal intrusion of those who have the ability to harm us, whether intentionally or accidentally, if we allow them unimpeded … Continue reading Boundaries and Barriers in Psychic Self-Defense
Scrubbing Tarot of its Myths, One-by-One
AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the last fifteen years I've been on a quiet crusade to liberate the practice of tarot from the numerous popular myths about what should and shouldn't be done before and during divination with the cards. I last wrote about it at some length in a 2020 essay titled "The Myths of Tarot: … Continue reading Scrubbing Tarot of its Myths, One-by-One
The Reversed Hanged Man: Transcending Forced Idleness
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've just encountered another instance of the reversed Hanged Man in a tarot reading, and decided to revisit my past assumptions about it. There are three ways to approach it: practical, psychological and spiritual. In divination I usually consider its practical implications first and its psychological impact next, while spiritual consequences are not … Continue reading The Reversed Hanged Man: Transcending Forced Idleness
The Left-Hand Path: A Dream Analysis
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As we all know, dreams can be extremely symbolic, especially at their most impressionistic. I had such an episode last night. I set out to attend a mystical retreat on a mountain-top. But there were no roads leading there so I had to bushwhack through thick forest, occasionally scrambling hand-over-hand up the slope. … Continue reading The Left-Hand Path: A Dream Analysis
A Planetary Astro-Tarot Heptad
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This mandala-style layout is another of my attempts to organize the tarot cards around the principles of astrology. I have no particular purpose in mind for its use, although it could be applied as a template on which to deal random cards and then look for convergence between their symbolism and the planetary … Continue reading A Planetary Astro-Tarot Heptad
Anecdotal vs. Empirical: The Rational Diviner’s Dilemma
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was recently engaged in an online conversation with an avowed skeptic who wants to delve into the occult but can't overcome the perception that there is no objective evidence of its legitimacy, while also acknowledging that he hasn't actually made an attempt to prove otherwise to his own satisfaction. This was my … Continue reading Anecdotal vs. Empirical: The Rational Diviner’s Dilemma
