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
Culture
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
Divinatory Revisionism
Yesterday I was reading an article that equated geomancy with "earth healing" - that is healing of or through the Earth. This stopped me in my tracks because not only does this usage have absolutely nothing to do with the suffix "mancy," which derives from the ancient Greek word "manteia," meaning divination, it is at odds with … Continue reading Divinatory Revisionism
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
When “Bad Is Bad”
Although I'm a newly-minted traditionalist in the Lenormand system of divination, having been involved only since 2012, it strikes me that the tradition has been undergoing a gradual degenerative decline (or maybe an insidious "dilution" is a more apt word for it) that probably isn't entirely reversible. Converts from the more fluid/squishy realm of tarot wander in and set about rearranging … Continue reading When “Bad Is Bad”
2019 Super Bowl: Rams vs. Patriots
UPDATE #1: The Rams won the toss, so even though they deferred possession until the start of the second half, I'll stick with my model and predict a win for Los Angeles. UPDATE #2: The anemic scoring envisioned for the first half proved to be prophetic, and the half-time score was even lower than predicted. … Continue reading 2019 Super Bowl: Rams vs. Patriots
A Guilty Pleasure
I admit to watching almost no television (in fact, nearly zero most of the time). I became offended by its growing insipidity (not to mention cultural and moral bankruptcy) back in the early '80s and pretty much weaned myself off it. The occasional HBO or Netflix fantasy series may still capture my attention (Game of Thrones, Westworld, … Continue reading A Guilty Pleasure
Craft, Career or Calling?
I sometimes wonder how many people actually make a living wage in the field of divination, much less a handsome income. There are notable exceptions, of course, mostly respected authors, teachers, lecturers, artists, publishers and the occasional shop owner (although those are rapidly disappearing or diversifying in the face of crushing online sales). But I would venture to … Continue reading Craft, Career or Calling?
National Football Conference Championship: Saints vs. Rams
Update: The NFC championship game is over and the Rams won. The two things about this reading that were accurate were that the decision did come down to the final seconds, and the Rams did reassert themselves at the 11th hour by forcing a sudden-death overtime. Interestingly, my prediction for the Chiefs-Patriots game hints that … Continue reading National Football Conference Championship: Saints vs. Rams
American Football Conference Championship: Chiefs vs. Patriots
Update: Well, now, as sportscaster Howard Cosell used to say in his trademark nasal whine, "How about that!" It turns out that Death reversed did in fact signify a sudden-death overtime, and the Chief's Hierophant reversed did mean they "didn't have a prayer." My scoring projection was on the low side but the overall complexion … Continue reading American Football Conference Championship: Chiefs vs. Patriots
