Buddhism, Christianity, and an Experimental Model of Spirituality

Statue of Jesus

I continue to have doubts about any complete disavowal of Christianity. As soon as I discard the institutional or metaphysical trappings of Christianity, I begin to feel drawn to Jesus the human as an awakened being, just as the Buddha was also just an ordinary human being who came to be enlightened. Both were extraordinary … Read more

Why I Read The Bible After Deconstruction

The Bible

“The Bible.” Just that phrase is enough to invoke an involuntary gag on my part, slightly disgusted at all the baggage it inherits from the particularly noxious American (and Southern) brand of toxic, evangelical Christianity I grew up with. There are two basic approaches to “The Bible”: one is faith-based, the other is…more critical, for … Read more

101 Daily Tarot Spreads for Your Daily Practice

Tarot card

Most experienced Tarot readers agree: developing a daily habit of reading the Tarot is not only the best way to learn the Tarot but also a fantastic way of turning your Tarot practice into a spiritual practice. Even if you take a secular approach to the Tarot, a daily Tarot ritual is so important for … Read more

Should You Cleanse Your Tarot Cards?

Cloud of smoke surrounding man

Often you will see Tarot readers knocking on their Tarot cards. Or bathing them under the light of a full moon. Or letting some kind of herbal smoke pass over them. These are all techniques for “cleansing” your Tarot cards. But that begs the question: should you cleanse your Tarot cards? Is it even necessary? In this … Read more

Christianity vs Spirituality: An Occult Perspective

I grew up in a fundamentalist Southern Baptist church. In high school, I deconverted and became a staunch atheist and materialist. That persisted throughout my twenties until I reached my early thirties and discovered a new interest in the occult and other esoteric topics, with a particular interest in the Tarot. I then discovered gnostic … Read more