It may surprise you to see an admission of skepticism in a post by the author of a divination blog. But in fact I'm doubtful about the legitimacy of much that currently passes for truth in the metaphysical scripture of the unseen. For example, I'm a non-believer in the "Law of Attraction," which as far … Continue reading The Skeptic’s Confession
Tarot
The “Hamlet Defense”
In my previously constrained magical life, which persisted for many years after we moved to rural New Hampshire in 1979 and our early attempts to start astrology and Qabala groups came to nothing, I never encountered scoffers and skeptics. Eventually, my only public exposure in the esoteric field was to the like-minded people at the local … Continue reading The “Hamlet Defense”
So You’re a Professional Tarot Reader?
In a local "commerce-and-culture" magazine, I came across an interview with a professional "Certified Life Coach" and began pondering how I would respond to such questions if they are ever presented to me as a tarot reader. Here is my version of a hypothetical interview that aligns more closely with the practice of divination. What is … Continue reading So You’re a Professional Tarot Reader?
The Doctor Is Out
. . . but the curmudgeon is always in! I'm inclined to approach a tarot session as I would a surgical emergency room rather than as an updated 19th Century parlor pastime: "We're going to perform a little triage here, not just exchange polite pleasantries. It could get bloody!" But I'm suspicious that many newcomers … Continue reading The Doctor Is Out
The Sitter’s Intent
In his abbreviated commentary on the Major Arcana at the end of The Book of Thoth, Aleister Crowley observed that the Wheel of Fortune describes "Change of fortune. (This generally means good fortune because the fact of consultation implies anxiety or discontent.)" His point is that people who seek the advice of a diviner usually … Continue reading The Sitter’s Intent
The “Ivory Gambit” Spread
Lately I've become fascinated with using dice and tarot in combination to produce unique forms of divination. Here the gambit (opening move) is provided by rolling dice to identify four trump cards to serve as the basis for the reading. Those trump cards are then used to extract four sets of "reading" cards from which … Continue reading The “Ivory Gambit” Spread
Turn of the Tide
It's probably obvious that I really love the tarot. It's been a faithful companion on my life's journey since I first discovered it around 1970; it brings out my contemplative side in the same way that philosophy does, thanks mainly to the writing of Aleister Crowley, whom I admire as a thinker and scholar if … Continue reading Turn of the Tide
The Butterfly, the Bear and the Albatross
As I see it, one of the goals of affirmation is to lighten our psychological load, shifting our attention away from the drag of burdensome past misfortunes and freeing us to take wing toward a brighter future, like a butterfly to a blossom. I think of it as "fortified wish-fulfillment." For years my wife had a post-it note … Continue reading The Butterfly, the Bear and the Albatross
Foreverquest
Back in the early "aughts," when I was still playing Everquest Online relentlessly (what can I say, I'm a throwback), my wife dubbed it "Foreverquest" (that was before her own fling with World of Warcraft). That epithet reminds me of the situation I find myself in whenever I decide it's time to chase down a … Continue reading Foreverquest
Big Words
Peter Gabriel said it best in his ironic song "Big Time:" I've been stretching my mouth To let those big words come right out I love word-craft and clever language, but sometimes that fascination can get the best of me. Those big words are my nemesis because they can spell death for any hope of creating good writing. … Continue reading Big Words
