I have not forgotten about this blog.

Dear Reader,

I have been struggling with trying to come up with content. It's been hard to find the time to focus on it when there has been a morning full of distance learning, an evening full of chores, and weekends filled with familial duties. I am mildly depressed right now, which does not contribute anything good towards creative work of any kind.

I appreciate your patience and your tolerance of my struggles to get back to writing on here. In the spiritual sense, my life is interesting in ways that I don't find pleasant. I have had to boost my wards and defensive measures about my home. The spirits of the restless dead have become more present as more people die in my region. There are many who were not shepherded into death and they find their way to me (and I'm sure other necromancers who are like me) to be pointed in the direction of their afterlife. The constant psychic pressure on the borders of my home makes it hard for me to sleep or focus.

I just go blank and feel almost claustrophobic. And that's before you get into the empathic effects. So much agony and grief echoing through out the world, it makes it really hard to be a ray of sunshine. It just rolls over you in waves and you feel like your drowning even though you're on dry land. Again, this stuff is why I boosted my wards and defensive measures. It is part of the reason why I have been more focused on the 'mundane' side of life.

When you open up that special bit of your soul that touches the other side of the veil and it's chaos there, it gets hard to seek out insight. Something that Flame-hair told me was that I shouldn't push myself too hard and just learn to go with the ebb and flow of it all. He says that I will find a rhythm that will propel me back into a working headspace. I hope so. Because right now it is all grind away at the whetstone.

Divination: Tarot Tour - No. 21 The World

Image from Wikipedia

This week we conclude our tour of the Major Arcana of the Tarot with The World card. This week's image comes also from the Rider-Waite deck as depicted on Wikipedia. This is a card of ultimate blessings and happiness. It is a card of completions and happy endings. And that's just in general. In the direct orientation, the World speaks of prosperity, good health, happiness, and contentment. 

In the reversed orientation, the World tells us about satisfactory endings, getting what is due in all manner of things (including finances and respect), and reaching a place of stability where everything is in correct order. It is not as big and flashy of a happy ending as the direct orientation, but it is still a card of good things. There are times, however, that the World in a reversed orientation will tell us of hard times that can be endured with courage. It will speak of failed projects that lead the way to future success. It remains a card of hope in times of difficulty.

In the Fool's Journey, this card is the Fool arriving at their destination. It is their completion of the task they set out to do in the beginning. It is also a transitional card of the ending of one major cycle in life and the beginning of the next. For the Fool is both the first and the last card of the Major Arcana. As such, the Fool's journey and quest for wisdom never ends.

Egregores vs. Deities: An experience. (part 3/3)

Part one of this series discussed the difference in the nature of egregores and deities. Part two of this series discussed the importance of discernment and gave some ideas on how to test the situation. In part three, I want to share with you my experience of the difference between an egregore that was supposed to be like a deity and the deity themself. As someone who is intimately involved with Loki, I tend to expect things to get weird with him. What I did not expect was for the egregore of Marvel!Loki to pop up on my spiritual radar.

At first, I thought it was Myth!Loki showing up under that guise to poke fun at it all. Marvel!Loki is a sassy and snarky character. That is something that is in common with Myth!Loki, to some extent. When Marvel!Loki refused to present as Myth!Loki typically does because it was distracting, I got suspicious. I pointedly asked Marvel!Loki what the name was given where we first met. Marvel!Loki attempted to tell me it didn't matter. Then Marvel!Loki began to tell me that I was a bad worshiper for questioning him. That sealed the deal, I knew it wasn't Myth!Loki that I was dealing with.

I banished the egregore and sealed my home against its return. Marvel!Loki is like a poltergeist and can cause things to get glitchy. That was the last thing I needed that day. Not too long after I did this, Myth!Loki showed up and asked me how I liked his counterpart. I informed Myth!Loki that Marvel!Loki was a dick, just like him. Where Marvel!Loki would have been outraged and threatened me for that blunt assessment, Myth!Loki laughed and asked if I meant Freyr with that comment.

Myth!Loki makes things glitchy to get your attention but Marvel!Loki just creates glitches where ever it goes. It's one of the defining traits of that egregore. Marvel!Loki is scripted in its responses. Myth!Loki is definitely not scripted. Marvel!Loki has the appearance of the character. Myth!Loki appears in so many different ways it's just this side of impossible to describe. Marvel!Loki is reported to be a shape shifter but never does so because the thought-form that generated Marvel!Loki is so heavily based in the iconic image portrayed in the movies that it is incapable of shifting form. Clothing may change, but face, build, and such don't.

Divination: Tarot Tour - No. 20 Judgement

Image from Wikipedia

This week's featured card is Judgement. The card pictured comes from the Rider-Waite deck. (Which was illustrated by Pamela Coleman-Smith, whose artwork laid the foundation of modern tarot iconography.) Judgment is a tricky card to interpret depending on where it falls in a reading.

Generally, it speaks of the ultimate ending of a situation to make way for a renewal. It can be considered a card of karmic events and of second chances. The Christian iconography of this card leaves some uncertainty as to which Angel is blowing the trumpet, Gabriel or Metatron. The image of this card is a reference to the book of Revelations and St. Paul's Letter to the Corinthians. It is supposed to depict the dead being resurrected.

In the Fool's Journey, the card Judgment speaks of the Fool's renewal as a wiser and more learned individual. It speaks of the Fool experiencing the natural consequences of their previous actions through the lens of wisdom and experience.

Divination: Tarot Tour - No. 19 The Sun

Image from Wikipedia

This week's card is The Sun. The card pictured comes from the Rider-Waite deck (as featured on Wikipedia). After the long sojourn through the darkness of life's challenges, The Sun shines forth to bring hope and prosperity. This is a card that is almost always positively aspected. Different decks will depict two children meeting before a wall with the brilliant Sun above them. This variation in iconography does not change the meanings behind this card (but does make for an interesting variety of artwork to look for).

In the direct orientation, the Sun speaks of hope and prosperity, as I mentioned earlier. It is also a card indicative of healthy relationships and pure joy. In the reversed orientation, the Sun still speaks of these things happening but the joy is not complete, the relationship needs extra attention, and the prosperity has not fully arrived yet. Hope, however, springs eternal.

In the Fool's Journey, the Fool is coming to a place of renewal. They have grown wiser from their journey and have learned to appreciate and live in the moment.