My apologies for not updating more often. Over these last few months, I have been finalizing my book, Fixed Stars Govern a Life: Decoding Sylvia Plath, volume one; getting my marketing plans together; working on my follow-up volume two, as well as The Magician's Girl, and another book I hadn't planned to do on Plath's early poems. I've also been busy preparing and doing presentations, planning trips, taking trips, and of course, reading tarot cards.
Here's what's on the calendar:
April 26th: a private tarot event at Western Illinois University, and a public campus visit to speak on Plath and FSGL. Write for details.
Weekends in May 17 - June 8: the St. Louis Renaissance Faire. I am the official tarot card reader: $10 readings, $5 for kids and dogs(!). Let me surprise you.
May/June: Release of my book, Fixed Stars Govern a Life: Decoding Sylvia Plath, volume one (Stephen F. Austin State University Press)
June: presentation at the Association for Studies in Esotericism, to take place during the Summer Solstice weekend! Lucky me, I am also invited to participate in the Colgate Writers Conference happening simultaneously. My presentation is called "Sylvia Plath: Madness... or Mysticism?"
June is also the month (I believe) that the next Plath Profiles, volume seven, will be out with my article: "History and a Case for Prescience: Sylvia Plath's 1956 Poems"
July 11-13: Case Western Reserve's "Evil Incarnate: Manifestations of Villains and Villainy" conference. I will be presenting "Self-Villainy in Sylvia Plath's poem, 'The Jailor'"
August: perhaps a trip to the Lilly Library, Indiana University-Bloomington for some more Plath studies. Meet me there?
Fixed Stars Govern a Life's book trailer by Typewriter Tim Jordan was accepted in the Long Beach Indie Digital Edutainment Conference. The segment is called "Digitizing the Occult."
September: Fixed Stars Govern a Life visits the Hawaiian Islands! I am looking to schedule one or more events while I am there. Write for details.
October: in Chicago Illinois cheering on the Chicago Marathon runners, including my son Sam, and that means I'll be available for tarot appointments and possibly a book store appearance in the Windy City. Write for details.
My online class, Sylvia Plath and the Tarot, will begin at Lindenwood University's graduate writing program. The book will use Fixed Stars Govern a Life: Decoding Sylvia Plath, volume one, as the text. Want to take it? Apply here.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Monday, December 9, 2013
The Conjuring, and What We Conjure
My sister recently suggested that I watch the popular movie, The Conjuring, which is supposedly a true story about a property possessed by all sorts of demonic forces. I was game.
I liked the movie, but it didn't scare me in the way that my sister had prepared me for. I told her my feelings, that as Marianne Williamson says, "The Devil is all in your head, and that's the worst place he can be." I told her that this paranormal ghost-busting stuff has largely been a disappoint to me; I have visited and even slept in supposedly haunted buildings and seen nothing (and I was looking!). I get no response from the Ouija board. What has happened to me is information in dreams, premonitions, and flashes of loved ones gone. Blessings with my tarot career and a keen insight that my clients rave over. Good things. I have come to the conclusion that this is because I choose to live in the light.
I told my sister that I thought the Ed Warren demonologist character in The Conjuring was able to do the exorcism because he knew simply that he was a positive force, acting out of love and truth, in the best interest of the people in the home. The Warrens had their moments of being scared, sure. They are human, and occasionally they looked at the darkness. It happens. Occasionally, the floor between the walls did fall out beneath them. But overall they stayed in a place of truth and love and that rode them through it. The Warrens never really felt terror, did they?
I was on Facebook last night. One of my animal rescue friends posted a photo of a dog that had died in the cold weather, frozen and neglected. It was horrible to see, and as can be expected, there was a rash of comments spewing hatred to the neglectful owners, and crying out in helplessness about our terrible world. It is so very easy to go there. To feed the darkness and let it swallow you up.
I want to encourage you not to. If we slip into that dark place of despair, we ARE building that dark force. Call it the Devil or whatever you want to. Last night on Facebook, I chose in that moment to concentrate on what good things I have done personally to make this world a better place. In my lifetime, I have saved a bunch of cats. I have four now, after having just lost a beloved one to cancer. I have given these cats a good life in my little corner of the world. I donate to charities that help animals and people. I help people in need, and I share my blessings as I can. I do my part. That is something, and while it is not healing the world on a grand scale, you can bet it matters to the lives I touch. There is still some goodness and some beauty in the world, if we want to look for it. Every day, it is our decision if we want to turn our head to the news, perhaps, and watch the wars and horror, watch the economy slip down the drain, and mire ourselves in the negative as we feel so utterly powerless and helpless. Or, we can say, "What positive thing can I do today? How can I make my little corner of the world better?"
My sister is facing some hard times, and she said that when she went to bed last night, she heard my voice telling her that I know nothing evil can beat me, because I'm aligned with goodness. And she knew right then and there that this was true for her as well. That any bad-ass problem or person that comes her way is just a thing, and she can focus on that and let it make her miserable, or she can put her energy into correcting what she can. In conjuring love and truth and positivity in the way that she can change the lives of those around her.
I told her that I would put a tarot card down for her, to guide her day today. It was the Nine of Cups, reversed. This card was a gift to me too. It is a card that says not everything is perfect, but there are still some good things to remember. It is a card of gratitude and attitude. It is a card that knows that our outcomes are direct results of what we conjure.
Keep looking to the light, even if we can't always live there in every second.
I liked the movie, but it didn't scare me in the way that my sister had prepared me for. I told her my feelings, that as Marianne Williamson says, "The Devil is all in your head, and that's the worst place he can be." I told her that this paranormal ghost-busting stuff has largely been a disappoint to me; I have visited and even slept in supposedly haunted buildings and seen nothing (and I was looking!). I get no response from the Ouija board. What has happened to me is information in dreams, premonitions, and flashes of loved ones gone. Blessings with my tarot career and a keen insight that my clients rave over. Good things. I have come to the conclusion that this is because I choose to live in the light.
I told my sister that I thought the Ed Warren demonologist character in The Conjuring was able to do the exorcism because he knew simply that he was a positive force, acting out of love and truth, in the best interest of the people in the home. The Warrens had their moments of being scared, sure. They are human, and occasionally they looked at the darkness. It happens. Occasionally, the floor between the walls did fall out beneath them. But overall they stayed in a place of truth and love and that rode them through it. The Warrens never really felt terror, did they?
I was on Facebook last night. One of my animal rescue friends posted a photo of a dog that had died in the cold weather, frozen and neglected. It was horrible to see, and as can be expected, there was a rash of comments spewing hatred to the neglectful owners, and crying out in helplessness about our terrible world. It is so very easy to go there. To feed the darkness and let it swallow you up.
I want to encourage you not to. If we slip into that dark place of despair, we ARE building that dark force. Call it the Devil or whatever you want to. Last night on Facebook, I chose in that moment to concentrate on what good things I have done personally to make this world a better place. In my lifetime, I have saved a bunch of cats. I have four now, after having just lost a beloved one to cancer. I have given these cats a good life in my little corner of the world. I donate to charities that help animals and people. I help people in need, and I share my blessings as I can. I do my part. That is something, and while it is not healing the world on a grand scale, you can bet it matters to the lives I touch. There is still some goodness and some beauty in the world, if we want to look for it. Every day, it is our decision if we want to turn our head to the news, perhaps, and watch the wars and horror, watch the economy slip down the drain, and mire ourselves in the negative as we feel so utterly powerless and helpless. Or, we can say, "What positive thing can I do today? How can I make my little corner of the world better?"
My sister is facing some hard times, and she said that when she went to bed last night, she heard my voice telling her that I know nothing evil can beat me, because I'm aligned with goodness. And she knew right then and there that this was true for her as well. That any bad-ass problem or person that comes her way is just a thing, and she can focus on that and let it make her miserable, or she can put her energy into correcting what she can. In conjuring love and truth and positivity in the way that she can change the lives of those around her.
I told her that I would put a tarot card down for her, to guide her day today. It was the Nine of Cups, reversed. This card was a gift to me too. It is a card that says not everything is perfect, but there are still some good things to remember. It is a card of gratitude and attitude. It is a card that knows that our outcomes are direct results of what we conjure.
Keep looking to the light, even if we can't always live there in every second.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
On the Calendar and Across the Internet
In tarot news, please catch me at Venus Envy this coming weekend (Friday, August 16th and Saturday, August 17th), where I'll be giving tarot readings for just $10 each. We have changed locations, so don't look for us at the Mad Art Gallery any longer: now Venus Envy can be found at 2720 Cherokee, South City. I hope you'll stop by. These events are always breath-taking fire-breathing belly-dancing burlesque-bending fun!
After a great presentation on Plath's "The Courage of Shutting-Up" in Washington DC this past January, two Popular Culture Conferences have asked me to speak again this Fall: October 3-5th I will be in Savannah, Georgia presenting on "Sylvia Plath's Poem, 'The Jailor': an Empathic Journey to the Tower of London" and November 7-9th I will be in Atlantic City, New Jersey re-presenting my work on Plath's "The Detective" (this presentation first given at the University of London, June 2013). I am especially honored after learning that there was a huge number of submissions to present in Atlantic City.
I have had some very interesting comments to my essay, a guest blog on The Plath Diaries website. It is hard to know who is with me and who is against me over there! The academic world remains a largely humorless place. Ha ha.
The book continues to be finalized for its spring publication, and life gets more exciting each day! Thank you for your interest in my work. I sincerely appreciate it.
After a great presentation on Plath's "The Courage of Shutting-Up" in Washington DC this past January, two Popular Culture Conferences have asked me to speak again this Fall: October 3-5th I will be in Savannah, Georgia presenting on "Sylvia Plath's Poem, 'The Jailor': an Empathic Journey to the Tower of London" and November 7-9th I will be in Atlantic City, New Jersey re-presenting my work on Plath's "The Detective" (this presentation first given at the University of London, June 2013). I am especially honored after learning that there was a huge number of submissions to present in Atlantic City.
I have had some very interesting comments to my essay, a guest blog on The Plath Diaries website. It is hard to know who is with me and who is against me over there! The academic world remains a largely humorless place. Ha ha.
The book continues to be finalized for its spring publication, and life gets more exciting each day! Thank you for your interest in my work. I sincerely appreciate it.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
The Trayvon Martin Case, as seen through Hermeticism
Hermeticism teaches "As above, so below; as inside, so outside." Hermeticism empowers the self. It says that the world is a reflection of what is inside of us.
Whatever your stance on the outcome of the Trayvon Martin case, one thing is clear: world peace is impossible if we can't even get along with ourselves in our own country. National peace is impossible if we can't get along within our own families. And family peace is impossible if we dislike ourselves, finding lack, fear, hatred, and whatever other ugliness we believe is there (and we are probably wrong about that, by the way).
All we have is ourselves to work with, friends. As long as we blame outside ourselves, whether you blame a race, or a jury, or whatever, it's never going to work. Take responsibility for your little corner of the world. I have said this before and I'll say it again: When Gandhi said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world," he did not mean, "Be a model citizen." He meant that if we see war out there in the world, fix the war within. Collectively, we all might actually be able to do something that way.
Whatever your stance on the outcome of the Trayvon Martin case, one thing is clear: world peace is impossible if we can't even get along with ourselves in our own country. National peace is impossible if we can't get along within our own families. And family peace is impossible if we dislike ourselves, finding lack, fear, hatred, and whatever other ugliness we believe is there (and we are probably wrong about that, by the way).
All we have is ourselves to work with, friends. As long as we blame outside ourselves, whether you blame a race, or a jury, or whatever, it's never going to work. Take responsibility for your little corner of the world. I have said this before and I'll say it again: When Gandhi said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world," he did not mean, "Be a model citizen." He meant that if we see war out there in the world, fix the war within. Collectively, we all might actually be able to do something that way.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Publishing Update
The release for Fixed Stars Govern a Life: Decoding Sylvia Plath [Stephen F. Austin State University Press] is now Spring 2014. I am quite excited about this because the book will have more time to be promoted, it will be a star for my publisher at the annual publisher's conference in New York, and it gives me time to get everything as close to perfect as possible. Hang tight and I will share book cover art, websites, and more as it is designed and goes live.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Fixed Stars Govern a Life: Decoding Sylvia Plath
Hi again, Friends:
As the release of my book, Fixed Stars Govern a Life: Decoding Sylvia Plath draws near (yes, the subtitle has been changed from "Sylvia Plath's Qabalah Code," but the content remains the same), I am looking into doing a little bit of early marketing...and I could use your help!
I do not have the release date or the artwork yet to set up pre-orders on Amazon.com and all the rest, but I assure you that will come ASAP. In the meantime, please know the following:
1.) I would love to have your name and email address, if you are interested in an opt-in mailing to receive updates and news about me, book tours, major events, etc. I give you my word that you will not be spammed, receive too many notices, or have your information sold to any other parties. You may email your information to me privately at jgordonbramer[at]gmail.com.
2.) If you're an English professor or administrator interested in having me visit your school in person, or to speak to classes via Skype or conference call, please email me! If you're a member of a spiritual center (I'm especially interested in groups focusing on Alchemy, Tarot, Qabalah, Creativity Work, Mythology, the work of Carl Jung, etc.), if you run a bookstore, or if you are affiliated with literary workshops and presentations, I also want to hear from you! I will be doing some small tours over the next year and may be able to plan your location into the mix.
3.) If you believe that I would be a good fit as speaker/presenter at your conference/symposium/seminar/workshop/retreat, I'd love to hear more about it. Maybe we can make it happen.
About the book:
Fixed Stars Govern a Life: Decoding Sylvia Plath volume one, will be out in 2013 (release date TBA) by Stephen F. Austin State University Press. The book is ALREADY generating controversy, and if you're in the media, please give me a call or email and I would love to tell you about it. This book will change the way we look at Sylvia Plath's poems, and demolishes her fifty-year-long reputation of being merely a depressive poet/author and tragic suicide. Readers will see that Sylvia Plath was a genius like no other, and on top of that, Plath gives the gift of showing a blueprint for Qabalah--a divine order to the universe.
If you're a Plath fan, or new to Plath and just wanting to understand what the hubbub is about, this book will change your life. Don't care for poetry? You'll still be astounded by the historical, mythological, astrological, astronomical, alchemical, and artistic correlations.
You will never view the world in the same way again.
Cover art will be designed by the incomparable Amy Bautz.
Some early blurbs: [more coming soon]
"With clarity and erudition, Ms. Gordon-Bramer illuminates how Plath's masterpiece Ariel reflects a clear and intentional alignment with the Tarot and the Qabalah's Tree of Life. With each poem, and the collection as a whole, Gordon-Bramer weaves the esoteric mysteries with historical interpretation in a fascinating scholarly analysis that is original, provocative, magical. Fixed Stars Govern a Life is an incantation of great resonance and power, and its publication will be a sensation."
-- Susan L. Woods, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Women's Studies, Eastern Illinois University
"Lucid and intriguing... Fixed Stars Govern a Life is a great source study with commentary on what Plath read, and what was happening at the time of the poem." -- Carl Rollyson, author of American Isis: The Life and Art of Sylvia Plath [St. Martin's Press]
Have an idea for me and/or my book? Reach out to me at jgordonbramer[at]gmail.com, or call: 314.517.0158.
As the release of my book, Fixed Stars Govern a Life: Decoding Sylvia Plath draws near (yes, the subtitle has been changed from "Sylvia Plath's Qabalah Code," but the content remains the same), I am looking into doing a little bit of early marketing...and I could use your help!
I do not have the release date or the artwork yet to set up pre-orders on Amazon.com and all the rest, but I assure you that will come ASAP. In the meantime, please know the following:
1.) I would love to have your name and email address, if you are interested in an opt-in mailing to receive updates and news about me, book tours, major events, etc. I give you my word that you will not be spammed, receive too many notices, or have your information sold to any other parties. You may email your information to me privately at jgordonbramer[at]gmail.com.
2.) If you're an English professor or administrator interested in having me visit your school in person, or to speak to classes via Skype or conference call, please email me! If you're a member of a spiritual center (I'm especially interested in groups focusing on Alchemy, Tarot, Qabalah, Creativity Work, Mythology, the work of Carl Jung, etc.), if you run a bookstore, or if you are affiliated with literary workshops and presentations, I also want to hear from you! I will be doing some small tours over the next year and may be able to plan your location into the mix.
3.) If you believe that I would be a good fit as speaker/presenter at your conference/symposium/seminar/workshop/retreat, I'd love to hear more about it. Maybe we can make it happen.
About the book:
Fixed Stars Govern a Life: Decoding Sylvia Plath volume one, will be out in 2013 (release date TBA) by Stephen F. Austin State University Press. The book is ALREADY generating controversy, and if you're in the media, please give me a call or email and I would love to tell you about it. This book will change the way we look at Sylvia Plath's poems, and demolishes her fifty-year-long reputation of being merely a depressive poet/author and tragic suicide. Readers will see that Sylvia Plath was a genius like no other, and on top of that, Plath gives the gift of showing a blueprint for Qabalah--a divine order to the universe.
If you're a Plath fan, or new to Plath and just wanting to understand what the hubbub is about, this book will change your life. Don't care for poetry? You'll still be astounded by the historical, mythological, astrological, astronomical, alchemical, and artistic correlations.
You will never view the world in the same way again.
Cover art will be designed by the incomparable Amy Bautz.
Some early blurbs: [more coming soon]
"With clarity and erudition, Ms. Gordon-Bramer illuminates how Plath's masterpiece Ariel reflects a clear and intentional alignment with the Tarot and the Qabalah's Tree of Life. With each poem, and the collection as a whole, Gordon-Bramer weaves the esoteric mysteries with historical interpretation in a fascinating scholarly analysis that is original, provocative, magical. Fixed Stars Govern a Life is an incantation of great resonance and power, and its publication will be a sensation."
-- Susan L. Woods, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Women's Studies, Eastern Illinois University
"Lucid and intriguing... Fixed Stars Govern a Life is a great source study with commentary on what Plath read, and what was happening at the time of the poem." -- Carl Rollyson, author of American Isis: The Life and Art of Sylvia Plath [St. Martin's Press]
Have an idea for me and/or my book? Reach out to me at jgordonbramer[at]gmail.com, or call: 314.517.0158.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Spells, Curses, Black & Chaos Arts, and Free Will
Doing the Renaissance Faire has brought me face-to-face with some interesting characters. This whole Fantasy crowd are usually quite intelligent, they do a lot of reading, and pride themselves on their wild imaginations and even wilder outfits. They grew up on Dungeons & Dragons and H.P. Lovecraft, and I usually don't have to explain any references to Greek mythology or Qabalah to these guys (and girls). I am getting used to people telling me off-handedly that they are Wiccan, or are "doing some energy work with Isis," that they're struggling with a blocked chakra, or have been practicing their mediumship abilities. It's all cool. Whatever you're into. Some of them I take quite seriously (and sometimes their cards will echo psychic abilities), and others I smile and shrug off as residue from playing with too many Magic: The Gathering cards. However, I have yet to get used to someone sitting down in front of me and requesting a spell or a curse. I get requests for people on the phone for these too. All the time.
Gypsy legend has it (and hey, I just discovered that my Bohemian roots probably do qualify me for having a trace of real Gypsy blood way back down the line) that whatever you put out there toward somebody, for good or for evil, will come back to you three times. This is actually very much in line with Qabalists, Taoists, and pagan beliefs too. It amounts to this: What goes around comes around. Good brings good and bad brings bad. It's quite simple.
The Qabalists say: "As above so below; as inside, so outside." What happens in the God-mind happens in the body. What happens in the body happens outside the body. Everything is a mirror.
Some people ask about sacred objects: talismans, voodoo dolls, lucky t-shirts, and such. I do believe that there is power to these things if we believe it and give the object power. The ancient Chinese have been doing the same sort of energy work with positioning objects through Feng Shui. Use symbols to clear energy and keep a healthy, good flow.
But let's talk about negative energy for a minute:
We have all been in the situation where we have been so angry with someone that we want revenge. Sometimes we feel so justified in it that we're willing to suffer ourselves. But I ask you: are you willing to suffer three times greater? That's an awful lot of energy you are giving to your enemy, and to your own demise, when you could be building yourself up. Think of the attention you give a person you're angry with, and then think of how that translates into wasted time.
Somewhere along the line, we have all felt unrequited love too. After angry curses, love spells are what I get the most requests for. And to those people I ask: would you really want to make someone love you? That's not true love, and the energy is bad. Get someone to notice you, sure. I can even teach you to put your own energy toward doing just that. But force is never a good thing, even in matters of the heart.
My husband has a motto: the use of force against another is never acceptable, under any circumstances except in self-defense. This principle applies to every area of his life, and I tend to agree with it.
At the Renaissance Faire, I have had people casually state to me that they are Black magicians. I think that they believe, since I am a tarot card reader, that I am either one myself, or that I tacitly approve. Black magicians practice Black Magic, or some call it "Chaos magic." Black and Chaos magic are essentially screwing with the systems of life. They do not respect ideas such as individuality and free will, and some go as far as not to respect life and death. I do not support Black Magic, curses, or negativity in any form. I have had some experience with it in the past and I am not interested in ever going there again. Black magicians, unsurprisingly, usually deal with a lot of depression, emotional, financial, physical, and professional problems. You will almost never meet a Black magician who you would say is successful in life. They are getting their Gypsy three-times-back, and then some.
I may have written this aphorism before, but it bears repeating: "The Devil is all in your head, and that is the worst place he could be" (Marianne Williamson).
So, you know where I stand as far as practicing Black Magic. Do I believe that I could be a victim of Black Magic and Chaos Magic? To a point, yes. I believe that if I think I'm a victim of it, if I believe that I'm weak and a sucker to it, then I just might be. But I also know that I am a part of this great system of life energy, which I call God. That makes me entirely powerful to live and behave as I want. I choose to live in the light, and since I first made this conscious choice, absolutely everything has opened up to me.
I had a conversation with someone close to me about protective spells recently. I believe protective spells are neutral--neither good or bad energy. Like Aikido or Tai Chi, they are the deflection of forceful attack against you, and while you are prepared, you are never first to strike. They are the reaction to the offensive reaction. There is a lot we can do to protect ourselves, simply by looking inward and seeing what we are attracting with our own belief systems. There are outward symbols of protection you can do too. If you're interested in a tarot card reading to explore this, or any issue, please email me at tarot[at]nighttimes.com, or call 314.517.0158.
Gypsy legend has it (and hey, I just discovered that my Bohemian roots probably do qualify me for having a trace of real Gypsy blood way back down the line) that whatever you put out there toward somebody, for good or for evil, will come back to you three times. This is actually very much in line with Qabalists, Taoists, and pagan beliefs too. It amounts to this: What goes around comes around. Good brings good and bad brings bad. It's quite simple.
The Qabalists say: "As above so below; as inside, so outside." What happens in the God-mind happens in the body. What happens in the body happens outside the body. Everything is a mirror.
Some people ask about sacred objects: talismans, voodoo dolls, lucky t-shirts, and such. I do believe that there is power to these things if we believe it and give the object power. The ancient Chinese have been doing the same sort of energy work with positioning objects through Feng Shui. Use symbols to clear energy and keep a healthy, good flow.
But let's talk about negative energy for a minute:
We have all been in the situation where we have been so angry with someone that we want revenge. Sometimes we feel so justified in it that we're willing to suffer ourselves. But I ask you: are you willing to suffer three times greater? That's an awful lot of energy you are giving to your enemy, and to your own demise, when you could be building yourself up. Think of the attention you give a person you're angry with, and then think of how that translates into wasted time.
Somewhere along the line, we have all felt unrequited love too. After angry curses, love spells are what I get the most requests for. And to those people I ask: would you really want to make someone love you? That's not true love, and the energy is bad. Get someone to notice you, sure. I can even teach you to put your own energy toward doing just that. But force is never a good thing, even in matters of the heart.
My husband has a motto: the use of force against another is never acceptable, under any circumstances except in self-defense. This principle applies to every area of his life, and I tend to agree with it.
At the Renaissance Faire, I have had people casually state to me that they are Black magicians. I think that they believe, since I am a tarot card reader, that I am either one myself, or that I tacitly approve. Black magicians practice Black Magic, or some call it "Chaos magic." Black and Chaos magic are essentially screwing with the systems of life. They do not respect ideas such as individuality and free will, and some go as far as not to respect life and death. I do not support Black Magic, curses, or negativity in any form. I have had some experience with it in the past and I am not interested in ever going there again. Black magicians, unsurprisingly, usually deal with a lot of depression, emotional, financial, physical, and professional problems. You will almost never meet a Black magician who you would say is successful in life. They are getting their Gypsy three-times-back, and then some.
I may have written this aphorism before, but it bears repeating: "The Devil is all in your head, and that is the worst place he could be" (Marianne Williamson).
So, you know where I stand as far as practicing Black Magic. Do I believe that I could be a victim of Black Magic and Chaos Magic? To a point, yes. I believe that if I think I'm a victim of it, if I believe that I'm weak and a sucker to it, then I just might be. But I also know that I am a part of this great system of life energy, which I call God. That makes me entirely powerful to live and behave as I want. I choose to live in the light, and since I first made this conscious choice, absolutely everything has opened up to me.
I had a conversation with someone close to me about protective spells recently. I believe protective spells are neutral--neither good or bad energy. Like Aikido or Tai Chi, they are the deflection of forceful attack against you, and while you are prepared, you are never first to strike. They are the reaction to the offensive reaction. There is a lot we can do to protect ourselves, simply by looking inward and seeing what we are attracting with our own belief systems. There are outward symbols of protection you can do too. If you're interested in a tarot card reading to explore this, or any issue, please email me at tarot[at]nighttimes.com, or call 314.517.0158.
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