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To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.tarot,alt.divination,alt.satanism,talk.religion.misc,alt.magick From: tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (nagasiva) Subject: Conservative Consciousness and the Tarot Date: 28 Feb 1998 19:42:35 -0800 49980105 aa2 Hail Satan! [most omitted, correspondents summarized as per elist policies] re Satan inventing the tarot as a way to snare unsuspecting souls: catching the unsuspecting by their intrigue and surprising obsession with that which is forbidden is one of the most important ways our shadow gets us to pay attention to Hir. re the idea that divination works because Satan makes it work: if divinatory devices weren't facilitated by the shadow then their effects would run right off our minds like water off the back of a duck. re being converted from Christianity with increased exposure to tarot: people who are not in touch with their shadow are much more prone to rely, dependently, upon their society, family, friends, to provide support and resolve their problems. it is a trap which has very liberating qualities, but from the inside it can seem like a very coercive mechanism. of course I think that the process of disillusionment is a boon, so we may differ as to the ultimate value of tarot and divinatory devices generally, and that's fine. re apocalyptic and conservative Christian perspectives: I tend to liken their viewpoints to the nightmarish meditative foci of Eastern Buddhists and other tantrics. I came to understand them as supremely important symbols of potential inner transformation. I felt myself converted to the ways of the Jehovah's Witnesses on this account, though our means of witnessing to the world differs somewhat (I don't go door to door, I go from public forum to public forum and try stick somewhat to the topics. :>). re the increasing trend to counter things arcane and occult: with good reason, I think. tarot has the ability to create very substantial personal growth and can unlock areas of consciousness which can be very frightening for the most conservative. it is a tool which I call (along with other divinatory devices) 'the Invisible Mirror' -- a way of peering into ourselves without, once we are used to the technology, the tool getting in our way (e.g. by reversing the image). through the 70's in the US and the 80's in Europe there was a very intense 'witch-hunt' surrounding condemnatory Satanism (that fabricated on the basis of nightmares and blood libel), and I was pleased to see that the police and legislative bodies eventually unravelled it before it once again became an Inquisitory massacre. I gather it is yet burbling but settling out a little with state studies and the dissemination of reliable information (some of which can be bound at http://www.abyss.com/tokus where I've tried to assemble a wide spectrum of data surrounding the subject of Satanism). I think that the tarot IS a negative tool (not in the sense they mean it) and that those who are ready for such an encounter (with deep, sometimes life-transformative symbols and instructions) are shifted away from our former selves, NEGATING stability for change, security for liberation, and certainty for compassion. it is indeed a catalyst which should be handled carefully by the wary. re changing the perspectives of the conservative: why should they? their view is sufficient for them. I would like to support them in maintaining their views if they need them so badly. of course the problems arise if and when they feel a need to convince OTHERS of their correctness, and then suddenly the only bridge I've found with them is the instructions of their Lord and Savior (about loving one's neighbor, specks and logs, hating the sin and not the sinner, humility, the importance of true repentance rather than a mere semblance of maturity, etc.). this usually calms the interaction somewhat. ...freedom of (and from!) belief is an ideal that I strongly support and I think that its kernel is illustrated beautifully in the way that an INDIVIDUAL is often shown proceeding along the tarotic pathway (whether one sees this as the Fool, the reader seeing the cards, or what- ever). like in Buddhism, there is often a presumed option provided to the person who undertakes to learn about the tool of continuing toward expanded consciousness or to return to a more secure place of safety. forcing anyone is problematic, even if they appear to be very young or fearful, and success appears to result from individual effort. ...how far can we go toward at least respecting the diversity of membership which the internet makes possible for public and provate forums?? the hazard beyond this is maintaining a focus on the ostensible subject matter which has brought us together.... let the conservative of mind and heart come to the tarot and to tarot-l. let the liberal of the same do likewise. how can we help from benefit from a comparison of values and views? we'll surely learn something about how tarot functions in different ways for different people, if nothing else. ;> blessed beast! nagasiva -- tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com (emailed replies may be posted); 408/2-666-SLUG http://www.abyss.com/tokus FUCK http://www.hollyfeld.org/~tyagi
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