I set out recently (‘Spinning the Wheel”)to find places where Tarot intersects with serious issues — and the first thing I thought of was an episode from my own past. It struck me as a precursor to the darker recesses of today’s social media . . .

Rabbit Holes

If you haven’t read the “New Revolution” timeline I posted a while back, this would be a great time. And if you have — consider a quick refresher.

I mention that piece because there are a couple of milestones I left off. They weren’t a fit for the theme of positive growth in…

There’s a story behind this makeover, of course. It starts with a practical problem, and culminates with some existential questions.

Here’s the short version.

When I originally started this Medium publication, I intended to use it as a platform for making the text of my two Tarot books available online. I planned to add some color illustrations, update where necessary, and break up the text a bit for easy on-screen reading.

Hmmmm . . .

By the time I finished “revising” just one chapter from History, Mystery, and Lore, I’d found myself going much further. Rewriting, expanding, and even rethinking…

Today, looking through what I have left in the “My Trump Journal” folder, I came across some notes about rage. I wrote them in November of 2019, and came back to them a few times after that, but never found a way forward. The picture wasn’t clear yet.

Now I’ve realized that the January 6 attack on the U. S. Capitol was fueled — purely and simply — by Trumpian rage. The kind of intense anger that doesn’t need a logical connection to its object.

Trumpian rage is like free-floating or generalized anxiety. It’s there all the time, and will…

Pantalone operates on the assumption that everything can be bought and sold, and this turns out to be true, with the exception of loyalty (and love). But he also loves money for its own sake and will therefore only part with it when there is no other option. When things do not go his way he quickly slips into emotional extremes, particularly enraged petty tyranny. He has a long memory and never forgets or forgives the slightest past transgression.

John Rudlin, Commedia Dell’Arte: An Actor’s Handbook

There’s a never-ending stream of interpretation and analysis on the subject of Donald Trump…

Working my way through stacks of saved magazines and newspaper clippings, I reached a 1997 copy of Yoga Journal. It fell open to a centerfold that seemed for a moment like the very essence of serenity.

I had never heard of Charles Belyea, and despite the fact that I know quite a bit about Asian philosophical and religious traditions in general, my knowledge of Taoism was superficial at best.

But my interest was captured when I flipped to the next pair of pages. For whatever reason, my eyes fell on the lower right-hand corner, and this passage immediately stood out:

…

I had a fantastic time writing The Improbable Charm of Carmiña Vacaloura. But it’s been just as fascinating to hear from fans of this unique work.

If you haven’t read my original post — and equally important, watched the video — what follows may seem nonsensical at first. Ideally, though, it will arouse curiosity and send you back to check out the starting point.

If you have read the original post (and didn’t hate it), I’m pretty sure you will appreciate these updates, explanations, and insights.

A Note from Pilar

Up to December of 2020, fewer than a hundred potential readers had viewed The…

No — that’s not a picture of my house. If only!

In fact “my” house is a vintage suburban ranch-style, with plenty of square footage. But as it works out, I can only live in a very small part of it.

Short version — I set out to restore my parents’ somewhat sprawling property, and two years later, I’m still stranded in a cross between Mr. Blandings Builds His Dreamhouse and Groundhog Day.

Both very fine movies, but you wouldn’t want to live in them.

There’s a surprise twist, though. I’ve learned to love my micro-kitchen. On the one hand…

If you become disoriented by the experience of change,
just return to the form.

If you become overwhelmed by the potential scope of change,
just return to the form.

If you become discouraged at the pace of change,
just return to the form.

If you become afraid of the results of change,
just return to the form.

A couple of decades ago, I printed those four sentences on a sheet of marble-patterned paper. …