Black Mirror Alchemy: The Path of the Digital Hermit

Welcome Back, Readers! Today marks the beginning of a new series on Black Mirror Alchemy ! Over the course of five posts, we will explore the theme of masculinity in the tarot and how men can—and should—start integrating this spiritual practice into their lives. In our current historical moment, tarot occupies a curious position in Western culture. On one hand, it's often shunned as something "of Satan," a remnant of the 1980s Satanic Panic and the waning influence of Evangelical Christianity. On the other hand, tarot has experienced a significant resurgence. A diverse array of practitioners, artists, and metaphysical businesses have emerged to meet the growing consumer demand for this once-obscure deck of cards. Tarot also carries a gendered dimension, primarily associated with women and femininity. The stereotypical image of a tarot reader is a woman dressed like Stevie Nicks, clacking her long nails against her dec...

Using Psychology in Tarot Readings: The King of Swords Welcome back, dear readers! We did it! We are at the end of our series about using psychology in your tarot readings for others! In our past three posts, we explored the details of cognition with the Page of Swords, systems of motivation and emotion with the Knight of Swords, and understanding personality with the Queen of Wands. Now we turn our attention to the King of Swords. In tarot, kings are invested in the superstructure of their suits. While queens foster growth, kings organize that energy into systems of meaning. From a bird's eye view, the King of Swords sees patterns and draws understanding. For tarot readers, the King of Swords challenges us to consider larger systems of meaning, not just individual differences. One powerful way to achieve this is through Social Identity Theory. Social Identity Theory Humans have a drive for high sel...