Divination and tarot

This week I wanted to discuss the act of divination and in particular the use of tarot cards as a divinatory tool. For starters it would help to understand what the word divination means.

Basically, divination means to reveal the hidden, or to reveal the future through supernatural or magical means. Using a tool such as tarot, someone could get a sense of what lies ahead if they continue along a current path. There are many opinions on what the cards actually reveal and how to work with that information. While it is common to believe that the cards reveal a future set in stone, unchangeable, this is to forget that we have free will. We have the power to choose something different if we dislike the future that is revealed.

Almost everyone has at least heard of the tarot, even if what they have heard is mistaken. The media generally portrays the tarot as revealing a characters impending doom, or some other negative revelation. This paints a picture of the tarot that is highly unlike the way it is actually used.

A typical tarot deck consists of 78 cards divided into 2 large groups: 22 Major Arcana and 56 Minor Arcana cards. The Minor Arcana is nearly identical to the playing cards we use today, consisting of 4 suits with Ace-10 and 4 (instead of 3) court cards. It is generally believed that tarot originated as a card came. At the most basic level, the Major Arcana represents the big issues and themes that are universal in life. The Minor Arcana, on the other hand, represents the little things, the ups and downs, that happen during life.

The two most well-recognized tarot decks are the Rider-Waite and Crowley's Thoth Tarot. Both decks are steeped in occult correspondences and symbology; however, Crowley is generally recommended for more advanced searchers as the symbols are overwhelming in this deck. These are far from being the only tarot decks though; indeed, there are many, many more. Not all decks are full of symbols, but it is up to the individual which deck they use. There is really only one rule for determining a deck to use: if it works for you and you work well with it, if the readings you get feel accurate to you, then it's a deck for you.

I have a fairly sizeable collection of tarot decks, but I definitely don't use them all. The main one I'm using now is The Quest Tarot. Other decks that I will use occasionally are: the Sacred Circle Tarot, the Voyager Tarot, and the Haindl Tarot.

For the most part, I have only read for myself as a way of self-analysis and method of self-discovery. I'm a bit anxious about reading for others because as a reader, you have an ethical code to keep in mind, and that means you be as honest as possible. I just don't feel so comfortable at reading that I feel I could do justice to others in reading for them. But I might start because practice does help.

I'd be interested in continuing this topic, but I want to know what issues or aspects readers would like to know about. If I don't know I'll gladly try and find an answer.

Teaching through fiction & The power of words

I got a comment on last week's post about what my thoughts were on The DaVinci Code, and the correlations that Dan Brown draws between Christianity and Paganism. I have not read that book yet, though I have read his first book, Angels & Demons. While these books are fictional, I do believe that valuable information can be transmitted in fictional form. Fables, allegories, metaphors, all these are ways that information can be passed down in a way that is easy to remember. I feel that some people would want to discredit Brown on the grounds that his information is in the form of a novel. But, does this make it any less pertinant? I don't believe so.

None of the religious literature that we derive inspiration from is "true" as in "literal." But does this mean that they have nothing to teach us? That they have no power to inspire us? No. Words have always had power, and always will. In the Judeo-Christian mythos, God called the universe into being with words. In Kabbalah, God used the letters of the Hebrew alphabet to map out his plan of creation on the Tree of Life. In the Pagan practice, words are used to focus energy towards a desired end.

In today's world, we are largely unaware of the power of words because we have been inundated with images and noise that distract us from the innate power of the word (written or spoken). I believe that this has happened, and allowed those in power to maintain enormous control over words and their use. By inundating us with images and background noise, our government has silenced our voice and made the first amendment rights almost completely unexercised.

My Story and Info on the Pentacle

Well, this post has snuck up on me. This week has been so busy with classes and work. But, with this week’s post I wanted to talk a little about what Paganism means to me before going on to explore what others consider Paganism to be. This is important for me because I feel that it is critical for my readers to understand where I come from and what my background is.

For me, magic has always been a part of my life. In childhood, magic was present in the games my sister and I would play outside in the yard and the woods around our house. It has been just recently (within the past 2-3 years) that I have been guided to Paganism as a form of spiritual expression.

I had reached a point in my life where things were just short of hellish. School was stressing me to no end, love was keeping its distance; I was quite disillusioned with my life. One night came where I just fell back onto the bed and just tried to let go of all my stress.

Out of nowhere I felt this warm feeling embrace me, and a voice in my head said “It’s ok now, just calm down, you’ve found what you were looking for.” I noticed a few things about this presence: it was old, knowing, and distinctly feminine. This event sparked in me a new desire to explore this path that before I had only explored half-heartedly.

This past October, for Samhain (Halloween), I was at Walmart looking at the costumes and noticed a Devil kit that included a necklace that had a pentacle (5-pointed star pointed up inscribed within a circle). To those unfamiliar with Paganism, the pentacle represents the 5 elements: earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. Inverted, this then becomes the symbol used by Satanists (representing the goat-headed Baphomet). As a member of the Pagan community, I felt that this error in representation should be remedied.

I sent and email to the customer service department of Walmart and explained the error in the product, and requested that they remove the product from their shelves. Within two weeks I heard back with an email saying that they were happy to do so.
It has always been an aim of mine in life, and with this blog, to do what I can to help reverse the negative image society has of the Pagan community. In a world as networked and connected as the one we live in, we cannot afford to harbor ill feelings towards others based on differences such as religious beliefs, sexuality, politics, etc. We need to work harder to get past these divisions and acknowledge that just because someone doesn’t agree with us, that doesn’t mean that we should wish ill of them or harbor hatred in our hearts.

About the Pentacle
The Witches Pentacle
The Witches Pentacle (Part II)

Welcome to Raven's Cry

Hi! First off I would like to welcome you to my blog. I want to use this first posting to give you an idea about who I am and give you an idea of what to expect in the weeks to come. While this is a class project, I wanted to pick something that would keep my interest going throughout the semester and (hopefully) beyond.

I am a junior in college studying for a B.A. in English. I’ve been a reader for most of my life, a writer for another good portion of that, but always, I’ve been a seeker. I have been a seeker of knowledge both of the world around me and of myself.
In this blog I would like to impart some of the knowledge that I have gained, and continue to gain about my spiritual tradition, Neopaganism.

The spiritual path that I identify as Neopagan, has been referred to under various guises: Witchcraft, Wicca, Paganism, to name a few. Historically, this path has been the scapegoat and victim of hate, fear, bigotry, and misunderstanding.

My goal for this blog is to do my part to dispel these rumors and bring a glimmer of understanding to those who may not be familiar with this beautiful spiritual path. Along the way, I may include other information that resonates with the values held by a good portion of those in the Neopagan tradition.

As a way of getting those who may read this thinking about this area, I would like to direct them to an online quiz from Beliefnet.com that gives you an idea of which faith you share the most beliefs with (link). My highest results were Neopagan (100%) and Unitarian Universalism (90%).

I would also like to open this up to questions and comments. I am still learning more and more about Neopaganism, and I would like to make sure that the information I provide is as accurate as possible. I would also be interested in trying to help answer questions that I may neglect to answer, and I would be more than open to answering those questions to the best of my ability.

Blessed be!