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Tarot Talk
Comparing The Magician & The Devil Let’s look at an interesting pairing this month, and compare The Magician with The Devil. Yes, these two Major Arcana cards have differences, but they have similarities, too. First, let’s review some terms. If you’ve read my column before, you can skip the next two paragraphs. There are 22 Major Arcana cards in a Tarot deck, with numbers from 0 to 21; the Majors usually deal with broader and more far-reaching life experience issues, archetypes that are easy for us to identify with and connect with at some point in our lives. An archetype (pronounced “ark eh type”) is a generic, idealized…
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As Above So Below (How the Stars Became Our Hearts)
Christianity: The Regime The main issue with Christianity isn’t it’s present day application. Generally speaking, Christianity is benevolent, and in some cases, even graceful. There are some issues with the doctrine as I discussed in the last installment. Also, I’m not sure if I actually have followers yet, but if I do, you’ll notice I’m speaking from first person, which is not a style I choose often, but I do so with good reason. I am speaking directly to the reader from my own opinion and viewpoint. I feel that’s important as the topics in this article will be a bit touchy. I’ll start by saying, I grew…
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3 Pagans and a Cat Podcast Monthly Feature
Three Paths, One Journey, No Cat In this highly informative & entertaining podcast, three family members embroiled in wildly divergent traditions gather in one room to discuss, debate, and flat-out argue about their magical, mythical, and mundane lives, all for our education and pleasure. While Waiting to Hear This Month’s Casts, Why Not Catch Up on Last Month’s… Episode 109: Celestial Bodies, The Moon – Car, Gwyn, and Ode discuss the science, symbolism, and magic of our planet’s only moon. Episode 110: Celestial Bodies, The Sun – Car. Gwyn, and Ode discuss the sun as an astronomical object and as a deity, how it can be used in…
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Tarot Talk
Comparing 6s & Judgement (image: The Rider-Waite tarot deck) Many Tarot cards can seem similar enough to each other that interpreting them when they both show up in a spread can be challenging. Beginning last month, we started using a new method to understand the cards: comparison. This month we will compare a Minor Arcana card, the 6 of Swords, with a Major Arcana card, Judgement. We will explore similarities between these two cards, and then we will look at the differences. I will be using card images from the Rider Tarot Deck for this analysis. First, the similarities. The basic messages or interpretations of these two cards…
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Book Review – Witchcraft: A Secret History by Michael Streeter
Book Review Witchcraft A Secret History by Michael Streeter 256 pages From Ancient Times until Today, magic has always been an important aspect of human life. Witchcraft: A Secret History explores the relationship between humans and magic, witchcraft and religion throughout the Ages. In Part 1 The Ancient World, Michael Streeter teaches the reader about the origins of witchcraft through stories of Hebrew witches and magicians to the Gods and Goddesses that were revered in ancient civilizations. Discussion is given to how these once revered Pagan entities fell out of favor and were replaced with the new religion of Christianity. Part 2 The Medieval World, explores the growth of…
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Tarot Talk
Ten of Wands (The Ten of Wands card is from the artist Ciro Marchetti http://www.ciromarchetti.com/)** Let’s look at the last of the Tens of the Tarot Minor Arcana, the Ten of Wands. If you haven’t already read the articles on the Ten of Cups, the Ten of Swords and the Ten of Pentacles, now might be a good time to check them out. As always, here is a bit of basic foundational information about the Tarot Minor Arcana. A Tarot deck has 78 cards. There are 22 Major Arcana cards, with numbers from 0 to 21; the Majors usually deal with broader and more far-reaching life experience issues,…
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Beyond Belief: Trees
(Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash) By the time you read this I will have had my first spot on British national radio. Specifically, the Beyond Belief radio show for BBC Radio 4. American readers, you may be able to get this online! The show was about the religious and spiritual significance of trees, from the perspective of different faiths. I was one of three experts recruited to debate and discuss the topic. So, how did this come about? Well, I was lucky enough that one of my esteemed colleagues from the Pagan Federation pointed me in the direction of a particular post on Facebook. It was from the…