Mind the Gap: Meditations on Magical Realism | EsoterX

From one of my favorite esoteric, Fortean-anomalous-mystical type minded blogs, where the writing is always excellent and the topics varied and unique, is the following on his relationship with knowing tarot -- what to do, how to do it, and much more, such as "truth"… this from ExoterX:

Mind the Gap: Meditations on Magical Realism | EsoterX: So, I put the question to him. Do tarot cards work? After all, he had dabbled in the occult, explored the world of sympathetic magic, altered his own consciousness in myriad ways, and most importantly to the question at hand, given tarot card readings professionally. After I endured a brief diatribe largely summed up by “Who cares?”, and surrounding the poverty of my genetic inheritance and the abysmal greyness of my grey matter, he became more thoughtful, and gave an answer that has long stuck with me as a remarkably sane and fruitful perspective on all things anomalous or esoteric. He said, “Tarot, or frankly any kind of oracle, doesn’t tell you anything you don’t already know”. Then he took a smoke break. (Esoterx blog)

Fortean Card: Spring Heeled Jack; Steampunk Tarot

Unexpected birthday gift: Steampunk Tarot: Wisdom from the Gods of the Machine, designed by John and Caitlin Matthews. I haven't explored this deck yet, but this card did get my attention: Springheeled Jack. As any Fortean knows, Spring-Heeled Jack is a mysterious -- and quite steampunkian -- figure. Spring-Heeled Jack was a real person, or entity, (we don't know if he was human or not) that terrorized London in the 1800s:

In January 1838, the Lord Mayor, Sir John Cowan, drew public attention to a letter he had received from a resident of Peckham giving details of an attack by the so-called "Spring-Heeled Jack." This public acknowledgement of the rumors by the Lord Mayor immediately led to a flood of letters from individuals who had been too frightened and embarrassed to report their own encounters previously.
        On a February night of the same year, Jane Alsop, who lived with her father and two sisters, was assaulted by a devilish -- some say alien -- being who spat blue and white flames at her and scratched and tore at her with iron claws, only to leap away into the darkness when one of her sisters called for help. Less than a month later, Lucy Scales and her sister met Jack as they walked home through Green Dragon Alley in Limehouse. A tall, cloaked figure leaped from the shadows and belched blue flames into Lucy’s face, blinding her and causing her to collapse. As her sister attempted to help, the cloaked figure walked quietly away. (From Anomaly Info.com)

Sightings continued for decades afterwards. There is an interesting related phenomea that occurred in the U.S. in the 1940s: The Mad Gasser of Mattoon, Illinois:

The oft told tale of the Mad Gasser of Mattoon — also known as the “Mad Anesthetic” — began (aptly enough) in the small town of Mattoon, Illinois in 1944. Between the dates of August 31st and September 13th, a thin, black clad assailant would spread a reign of terror with a series of unprovoked and invasive “gas attacks.” Although police and FBI agents attempted to dismiss the whole thing as a classic case of mass hysteria, the evidence supports the reality that during those weeks in 1944, an unidentified person (or persons) managed to infiltrate the homes of local citizenry with an unknown gaseous substance, which rendered — through means as yet unidentified — the occupants incapacitated or violently ill. (Rob Morphy, Mysterious Universe)

The Spring -Heeled Jack card in this deck is the Major Arcana "Death" card. Not representing literal death but transformations, changes. Although at first glance this could also represent the Devil card, however, I haven't seen the Devil card in this deck yet.

As to the usefulness of this deck, to each their own. I have no opinion yet since I haven't worked with the deck. I'm engaged in a debate with my dear one concerning "being arbitrary" and "playing around with symbols." That's a whole other issue though! What do we think of creating new decks with new symbols to stand in for more traditional ones, new contexts and designs, etc? More on this in a future post.

Rabbit: Supernatural, Synchronicity and Strange

On my blog Animal Forteana, a new post about rabbit synchronicity. Last night's episode of Ghost Adventures explored the Bell Witch haunting, which includes the supernatural apparition of a hybrid entity that has the head of a rabbit and body of a dog. Bunny coincidences ensued. . . 

(By the way, just how many blogs do you have Regan, one might ask? About a dozen, I'd say. Check back for an updated blog list.)

In the context of card oracles, what messages does Rabbit bring? Depends on the system:

RABBITFertility and New LifeThe Rabbit is known for its ability to procreate, its fleetness, and its movement is by leaps.People with this totem may find that their endeavors go in leaps and bounds also.If a Rabbit totem has appeared in your life, it may indicate a need for more planning or to check those plans already set in motion.Do not box yourself in a corner.This totem may also bring a need to examine the kinds of foods you eat.Perhaps a vegetarian diet, if only for a short time, can help you strengthen and heal.Rabbit is associated with Eostra, the Celtic goddess of Spring, and therefore associated with Ostara (or Easter).This is the reason we celebrate with Easter eggs.Rabbit is also sacred to the moon goddess Andraste, the Norse goddess Freya, and the Greek god Hermes.The Hare is associated with the moon in many cultures including Native American, Hindi, and China. (from Medicine Card Meanings/Golden Mousedeer)

Medicine Cards tells us that Rabbit signifies FEAR:

The keynote here is: what you resist will persist! What you fear most is what you will become.
Here is the lesson. If you pulled Rabbit, stop talking about horrible things happening and get rid of "what it" in your vocabulary. This card may signal a time of worry about the future or of trying to exercise your control over that which is not yet in form - the future. Stop now! Write your fears down and be willing to feel them. Breathe into them, and feel them running through your body into Mother Earth as a give-away. (Medicine Cards,David Carson, Jamie Sams.) 

Medicine Cards oracle, David Carson and Jamie Sams

Medium Chip Coffey on Mothman - and a Strange Pull

(cross posted at my blog Orange Orb Tarot)

A few years ago, television's Paranormal State aired a Mothman episode. Medium Chip Coffey was a part of that investigation. One moment in that episode I found very interesting; just before Coffey uttered his comments on what he thought Mothman was, I felt a weird electrical feeling. I also knew what Coffey was going to say; that Mothman was an intelligence, a true and non-human presence.

The other night Coffey was on Coast to Coast, and when asked what he thought was his strangest paranormal experience, he said it during the Paranormal State Mothman episode. That he felt Mothman was "superior." Not negative, or evil, just "superior." Very interesting word to describe this entity.

Which suggests to me that, one, Mothman is not human. Nor a barn owl. (The popular debunk theory to explain away Mothman.) Quite obviously an "other" and paranormal, or more accurately, supernatural entity.

I myself have never seen Mothman or been to Pt. Pleasant. But like so many unexplained and mysterious things, I have not only a fascination, but sometimes, as the case with Mothman, some type of pull, something that calls and tugs between me and it. A sort of anomalous mediumship or communication.

Related links:
Host of Paranormal State Ryan Buell on the Mothman episode, and his odd experience involving a tape recorder. 

The UFO Tarot

There are tarot decks for just about any genre, including UFOs. The UFO Tarot, created by Bepi Vigna and Arturo Picca. 

The Magician: UFO Tarot

I haven’t seen this deck yet in person -- haven’t held it or worked with it -- and, while I am of course, all about UFOs, aliens/entities and all that goes with the phenomena, I’m not sure about using this deck. More specifically, I don’t know what I think about using this deck to directly address one’s UFO/entity/abduction/missing time experience. That might sound contradictory, I realize. But, I haven’t actually handled this deck -- it’s just the overall impression I have. It seems to me too trite and too easy. An interesting artistic deck, but to use in a serious way to get at these experiences?  Not sure. 

The Hanged Man: UFO Tarot

I find the idea of using tarot and oracles to access memories and insight into one’s UFO experiences fascinating. It’s just that I’m not sure about using such an overt collection of UFO themed -- which are, by definition, subjective and even more so in this context  -- to get to that information.

Here are links to a few reviews of the deck:

On Aeclectic

On Amazon

More UFO themed decks on Aeclectic

YouTube

Llewellyn