Philosophy, Spirituality, and Mysticism
Four of Pentacles Cardinal Earth Sun in Capricorn Keywords: material gain, miserly, gift-giving, safety, uptight, fear Rider-Waite-Smith In this RWS we see a king sitting on a stone square, two pentacles under his feet, a pentacle over his head, and his armed wrapped around a pentacle in his center. His body posture suggests protectiveness like … Read more
The Hanged Man Neptune Water Keywords: tranquility, transcendence, divinity, waiting, patience, self-sacrifice, suspension Rider-Waite-Smith In the Rider-Waite-Smith we see a man calmly hanging upside down with one foot tied to a wooden “T” cross, with greenery on the top beam. Waite calls the cross a “gallows” and “tree of sacrifice,” like the Norse Yggdrasil, or … Read more
A common concern for people interested in learning Tarot is that reading Tarot is difficult, with a steep learning curve. I disagree. I believe the Tarot is extremely easy to learn but difficult to master. And therein lies the key difference. How to get started Once you get over a few common myths surrounding … Read more
Strength Leo Sun Fire Keywords: courage, strength, fortitude, compassion, love, spirituality Reversed: discord, abuse of power, materialism, immorality, carnal A woman robed in white and adorned with red roses stands beside a lion, closing his mouth. She tames the lion, the great beast, not through brute force, but through calm resolve, pacifying his brutish tendencies … Read more
The Hermit Represents Virgo Mercury rules and is exhalted Earth Keywords: wisdom, scholarship, mentorship, helper, attainment, teaching, solitude, enlightenment, spirituality, introspection Reversed: not heeding wise counsel, foolishness Rider-Waite-Smith “He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.” ~ Lao Tzu An old man in grey robes stands on a snowy mountain top, … Read more
Taking Tarot into the 21st Century and Beyond “For Tarot to evolve on any meaningful scale into the 21st century (and beyond) it must have a stronger application emphasis, utility, and accessibility; that is, it must speak compellingly to people’s lives. In this regard clinical usage would seem a natural context for a technique which, … Read more
Tarot and fortune-telling often go hand-and-hand in popular cultural but many Tarot experts like Benebell Wen, author of Holistic Tarot, argue powerfully that Tarot is not in the business of fortune-telling. This post is an analysis of Benebell Wen’s criticism of fortune-telling. First, I want to say I have major respect for Benebell Wen. I think she … Read more
If you haven’t noticed, tarot is a worldwide phenomenon among young people. It has exploded in popularity with hundreds of decks being sold all over the internet and in real life, all bursting with creativity, diversity, and the modern push for inclusivity. Social media is filled with instagram posts and youtube channels dedicated to the tarot. … Read more
In her book Modern Tarot, Michelle Tea writes about how when she was first discovering the Tarot as a teenager she “Didn’t know how the Tarot worked its magic, but I didn’t feel the need to, either. There are many mysteries in the world, and I was thrilled to have a relationship with this one.” (p. 1) … Read more
Neopaganism is an attempt to revive the pagan religions of Old into a modern form that can be actively and meaningfully practiced in the 21st century. A classic example of a neopagan religion is Wicca. Wicca, like many neopagan religions, is often based on a kind of polytheism. Most Wiccans worship the Horned God and … Read more