Black Mirror Alchemy: The Path of the Digital Hermit

Welcome Back, Dear Readers In this week's blog post, we are diving deeper into the Four Kings Method and beginning our exploration of the different aspects of masculine development portrayed in the tarot. As I mentioned last week, the four kings of the tarot represent mastery of each of their elements and serve as models for us, as men, to begin working through and developing expertise in each domain of our lives. Regarding the element of fire, represented by the wands, we’ll be exploring the emotional, sexual, and creative aspects of our lives. When we zoom out, there are several ways society tries to control and suppress the fire of men. First, cultural norms limit the kinds of emotions men are allowed to express. Secondly, social mechanisms control male sexuality, turning it into a resource for value extraction. Lastly, the structure of work and commodified leisure ensnares the creative energy of m...

The Age of Aquarius: Navigating a New Era The Age of Aquarius: Navigating a New Era Today, I want to expand on some observations about the current Aeon in which we live. As you might have heard, the Age of Aquarius is upon us—or it already is here—or it won't be here for another 100 years! The arrival of this notorious astrological age has been highly sought after and debated for the last century, by everyone from astrologers and astronomers to cultists and occultists. It anticipates a great leap forward for humanity and the world—a coming age of neo-enlightenment, progress, and fulfillment of the realized, individualized self. From Pisces to Aquarius: The Shifting Paradigm The Age of Aquarius follows what is known as the Age of Pisces, which was primarily marked by the rise and fall of Christianity across the globe. The Piscean age prioritized the element of water. Deep feelings and explorations of consciousness were key themes. Con...

 Welcome back to the Hermit's Journey!  In today's post, we will explore the theoretical underpinnings of tarot cards to understand how they might work and why your readings tend to be correct.  When I first started to explore tarot cards, I immediately began to notice that my readings tended to be more accurate than not. While this was incredibly affirming to me and helped keep me motivated to learn more about the tarot, it did cause me to question the forces that were at work which made these readings so spot on. Was Satan himself picking the cards out of the deck for me? Was this an elaborate game of self-fulfilling prophesy? Or was there something more mechanistic in the architecture of the deck at work here?  In the past ten years I've tried to answers these questions and find my footing with regards to tarot. Over my life I have found myself in a particularly awkward position where I was raised southern Baptist with all the dogma and superstitions which come al...

Welcome back to the Hermit's Journey series.  Today, we will discuss the Major Arcana cards in your tarot deck in a little more depth. The Major Arcana cards can be thought of as cornerstones in a reading as they take precedence and influence all of the Minor Arcana cards. I liken the Major Arcana to waves in the ocean. They are forces of nature that we cannot control, but we do have the choice of how we deal with them. Will they toss us into the tide and drag us out to sea, or will we choose to ride the wave and see where it takes us? Either way, the Major Arcana will be taking us to our destination, willing or not.  As mentioned briefly in the first Hermit's Journey, there are a few ways to interpret the Major Arcana cards. In this post, we will explore deeper into two of the three methods: archetypes and astrology. However, these methods are not mutually exclusive. In my readings, I often layer the meanings on top of each other to provide a more comprehensive interpretation...

Introduction to the Major Arcana Now that we have an understanding of tarot as a whole, let's take a closer look at the Major Arcana. As mentioned in the previous post, the Major Arcana cards are trump cards. When these cards appear in a reading, they signify the major themes from which you draw your interpretation. Initially, it can be helpful to use key words for each Major Arcana card and approach them similarly to the Minor Arcana. However, as you progress, you'll need to adapt your strategies to enhance your interpretations. With this in mind, let's explore each of the cards that make up the Major Arcana. I will provide you with some basic key words to support your learning. Towards the end of the post, we will discuss three different methods you can use to contemplate and elevate your understanding of tarot. Additionally, I will share the first spread you can start using today.  Major Arcana Key Words The Fool (0) New beginnings, naiv...