I’ve spent the last week or so going through my collection of books. It is part of my plan to reduce the amount of books on my poor, groaning bookshelf, and so far I’ve made a pretty good dent in my collection. Choosing which fiction books to get rid of was pretty easy. It more or less came down to whether or not I thought I would read the book again. For a majority of my books the answer is yes, but for a few the answer was a big no. I am also rather proud of myself for being…
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Going through my Tarot deck yesterday, I got to thinking about the change that occurs as we move from The Chariot (7) to Strength (8). It is like a point of no return; we have left our innocence behind for good. With the Chariot we first discover our dark, or shadow, side, but it is a mild encounter and we are easily able to restore the balance using what we have learned previously (The Magician through The Lovers). But when we reach Strength, our self confidence has been shaken. We need to learn to trust ourselves again. We can still…
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Last Friday I bought myself a swan broach. This week I spotted a cute plush swan in a catalog at work. Apollo, the Greek god of divination and prophecy and the cultivated arts, has made numerous appearances in my life over the past year, for nearly as long as swans have ben haunting my dreams. I now know that there is a connection between swans and Apollo. It feels as though He has been calling me subtly, testing me to see if I could discover who he was. Now that I have realized that Apollo is calling to me, I…
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I’ve started reading The Science of the Craft by William H. Keith, which is a look at how quantum physics relates to magic and so-called “occult phenomena”. The review of elementary physics was very interesting, and helped to remind me just how much I enjoyed physics in school. But the weirdness of light being both a particle and wave, and reality being changed through the act of being observed, and the possibility of multiple realities just plain makes my head spin. Of course, I don’t even think that electricity should work and planes certainly shouldn’t be able to fly. So…
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I have been neglecting my Tarot studies almost completely over the past several months. One project that I was very excited about hasn’t progressed beyond the first page, and even that is still undone. Two weeks ago, though, I picked up the Medieval Enchantment Tarot (previously The Nigel Jackson Tarot) and it has rekindled my interest in the esoteric aspects of the Tarot. I find myself being seduced by the Tarot’s mystery all over again. This deck seems very ethereal to me, making me want to learn all of its secrets. In some respects I feel a little silly falling…
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Be the change you want to see in the world. ~ Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) I found this quote in a little gift book we are selling at work. I find it very relevant and inspiring with regards to how I have been feeling lately. First, a little bit of background. For several years, I have been quite exasperated with people who use the fact that they are Pagan as an excuse for outlandish appearance and foolish actions. Lately, I have become almost totally fed up. I can’t even count the number of giant pentagrams I’ve seen people on the subway…
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Why is that when you think you are starting to figure out life, something comes along that causes you to question everything? I’ve recently started reading The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd. Even though I have rarely felt overwhelmed by the masculine world, there is something about this book that is touching me deeply in my soul. It is starting something that I can’t quite put into words yet. Part of the reason I became Wiccan was in order to find a religion that offered a more equal world view. And yet, I wonder if I…
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I’m very surprised with the way my Tarot collection has changed over the past couple of years. Back when I first started reading Tarot, nearly fourteen years ago, I had only one deck. I bought another deck, but quickly sold it off to a used bookstore. After using my single deck for about two years, I moved on to my next deck. It kept me happy for many years, all through high school in fact. I eventually tried branching out and bought a couple of other decks, after losing interest in my old decks and their symbolism and (in one…
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I found this on Nina Lee Braden’s website. * Favorite Stone or Crystal: Moonstone * Favorite Incense: Nag Champa * Favorite Essential Oil: Isis oil * Favorite Herb: St. John’s Wort * Favorite Alternative Healing Modality: massage therapy * Favorite Inspirational Author: Thomas Moore * Favorite Affirmation: I honour my truth. * First Tarot Deck: Robin Wood Tarot * Favorite Tarot Card: The High Priestess * Favorite Sign to spend a Saturday afternoon with: no preference, really * Favorite Form of Divination: Tarot * Favorite Movie with a Metaphysical or Psychic Theme: I can’t think of one * Favorite Alternative…
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I’ve recently started to re-read Lon Milo Duquette The Chicken Qabalah. It is an excellent introduction to all the things a dilettante needs to know about the mystical Qabalah, and it has really got me thinking. I’m starting to wonder how the path that a cards sits on on the Tree of Life affects its meaning, and what happens to that card’s meaning if one uses a different arrangement of paths (as there are more then one). And what about the card’s meaning in each of the four Qabalistic worlds? How does it change, or does it change at all?…