High Priestess

"The truth may be out there, but the lies are inside your head." - Terry Pratchett.

Most of us have the ability of internal communication. For many people their inner dialogue (ID) aids them in decision making. Whether to plan a vacation, how to fix a plugged sink, or hammer out an essay for school, one's ID is capable of rational thought and forming sentences. It is a valuable gift when used properly. If not, ID can be a constant flow of disparagement, and festering resentment which contributes to bitterness and low self-esteem. Obviously, how we speak to ourselves on a daily basis affects our wellbeing.

Our intuitive voice is another internal way of communicating. Generally speaking, it is an instantaneous knowing. It can be internally heard as a soft whisper, or with the inner bang of an "Ah ha!" moment. The intuitive usually speaks in a word or phrase, perhaps accompanied by an image. Voodoo possession, or a Catholic in the need of an Exorcist is something else entirely. However, intuitive knowledge might start as a feeling. Energetically felt through our body, it's often referred to as a "sixth sense", "gut feeling" or "hunch".

Street Tarot relies on being ruthlessly honest with yourself. A discerning mind recognizes what is helpful or hurtful, and right from wrong. Hopefully, we behave accordingly. Sometimes we go astray, even when we know better. I'm certainly guilty of that. It is imperative to be able to distinguish between the two ways we communicate to ourselves. With our intuitive voice the heart is somehow involved. As a moral compass it can lead us from disrepute towards honorability. Intuition connects us to an aspect of our Neshama, or soul. Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto states that "habitual lying is a spiritual illness. Ultimately, contact with the soul is lost completely."

Rabbi's diagnosis applies to oneself and also to how we respond to others. Jewish ethics understands the dilemma of lying to protect someone from hurtful or harm words and conduct, but self-deception is not excused. Obvious examples of allowances made for lying; when a father lied to the Nazi officer about where he hid his children, or you pretend a prior engagement because a straightforward "no" is a harsh rejection. Certainly, the deeper point the rabbi makes explains Donald Trump's lying with impunity and the formerly grand GOP's soulless support of him. You cannot hide from the truth, or tell made-up stories to take advantage of people, nor steal elections.

The tarot card representative of our inner voice is the High Priestess. The jeweled treasure of mystics is to have a clear channel, a flow of wisdom as if we walk and talk directly with the Divine. The high priestess is in all of us. We just have to listen. Fittingly, the Shema, the foundational prayer of Jewish faith, begins with the word, "Hear". The High Priestess already knows the correct choice to make. Symbolically depicted as a woman who is seated between two distinct black and white pillars. In Kabbalistic terms she is the feminine, indwelling presence of God or Shekhinah, represented as the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden. She renders rewards and punishments. Her heightened wisdom draws from the capacity to keep these opposing forces separate, and able to see a middle way if need be.

Most of us live outside of Eden where we are constantly faced with moral and ethical dilemmas. Here, right and wrong is all mixed up. Almost moment to moment we must make course corrections on the road of life. Societal and religious ethics pulls us towards doing what is the good and right thing to do. Our actions and their consequences follow our decisions. Being ruthlessly honest with oneself is paramount to choosing wisely.

A relevant walking meditation is to watch the light. As you set out clear your mind of ID talk by repeating a phrase or a word such as "Shema". Continue doing the mantra and focus on the light as you go. Notice how it plays off the leaves of trees and plants, or against the shadows on the buildings, sidewalks and streets. The High Priestess is your guide to walk in the light of your authenticity, and in righteousness.

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The Art of Self-Deception

I’ve met guys with the attitude and swagger of Chuck Norris and General Choi Hong-hi tell me they’re martial artists. Then I find out they’ve only trained for a few months. You either have the skills or you don’t. People who practice the art of self-deception fool themselves and then try to fool you. Most deceivers are just insecure, some are wannabe flim-flam artists, and a few are hard-core criminals. So be aware. They'll devise a scheme to rip you off and take a piece of your soul too if you're not careful. Be even more careful to not become one of them. It is easy to do if you are incapable of self-reflection, too scared to face yourself in the mirror.

Masters of the art of self-deception are criminals. Mind you there are degrees of lawbreakers. Some people find themselves in unfortunate circumstances and resort to unlawful means to escape their predicament. These people believe there is no other way out and intend no real harm to anyone. Than there are the malicious, hard-core, gangster types. They often commit wrongdoing in numbers, and go down for armed robberies, corruption, or conspiracies, and murders. The leaders can be extremely charismatic and their followers blinded by greed and the promise of power.

A current master of this dark art is a lying, two-timing womanizer, fake charity and fake university scam artist, twice impeached, twice indicted, coup plotting, loser. This former so-called “President” is leading the pack to occupy the Oval Office in the formerly grand GOP primary. So how can this emperor who wears no clothes be the kingpin of a major political party? One can assume it's members are advanced practitioners of the art of self-deception. Many are either swindlers or weaklings who have a high tolerance for corruption. Even if in their hearts they know what is true and false or right from wrong, they willingly ride on the coattails of an amoral trickster while he takes America down a dim alley towards tyranny.

I get it if sometimes you can be a bit oblivious. One of my favorite things to do is walk along city streets; wearing the right shoes or boots, feeling good as I go, and grounded. Still, I’ve walked right past friends of mine, only to become aware of them when my name is called and I spin around to locate the source. Consumed with stuff in my head, I didn't see them. Perhaps, you’ve experienced the same thing. It mostly occurs when occupied with thoughts and worries about the future, or rehashing arguments and old hurts. Whatever. Meanwhile, you’ve missed almost everything going on around you.

In this vein of oblivion, if you can’t see Trump is a con man then you’re his mark. Watch out for those campaign emails which label you unpatriotic if you do not empty your pockets and donate money to his legal defense fund. He reminds me of the Devil card in the Tarot deck. Basically, it addresses seductive and captivating behavior that brings short term gains, or creativity which goes nowhere except eventually to pull people down or put them in bondage ie bankruptcy, prison, or unemployment. In most instances, this pleasure and power seeking is done "for thy self alone". In Kabbalah, the phrase implies a sense of selfishness and can be synonymous with the evil inclination or yetzer ha'ra.

A good remedy against this vile tendency is to admit you're wrong, which is something masters of this dark art cannot do. Develop a sense of humor. Learn to laugh at yourself when you've made mistakes. A friend told me it's healthy to make a fool out of yourself twice a year. You may be embarrassed but it keeps you humble and can open your heart. Whereas, the masters of the art of self-deception are arrogant, narcissistic, and shameless. Hatred and resentment fester inside when what they've attempted to build with shady tactics and shoddy materials starts to crumble. Inevitably they blame others, and cast them as demons who deserve violence and retribution, albeit on baseless accusations.

To study Kabbalah you have to be ruthlessly honest with yourself. I cannot stress this enough. The same goes for Street Tarot. To gain an understanding of the trajectory of your life and your propensities is not easy or straight forward, and you're bound to not always get it right when resolving issues. Facing your faults and learning from them is critical. You must get sensitive to your feelings and not delude yourself. This is having integrity. To maintain a sense of self respect there is no time for Big Lies. To travel the road of self-discovery is about process and ethics. The destination is your authentic lifestyle, coupled with an expanded awareness and a joyous, giving heart. Spiritual growth is not a Machiavellian endeavor where any means justify the ends. There are no cunning detours or short cuts here.

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Create An Authentic Life

It is meaning to our lives that we look for. We strive to give purpose to the circumstances we find ourselves in from moment to moment. Street Tarot serves as a frame of mind to view the world and glean information about your experiences. Awareness in the everyday waking state can expand if operated with insights arising from meaningful coincidences, our collective unconsciousness and your psyche. Armed with an inventory of traditional symbolic attributions and personal signs and wonders, you can better assess matters and make plans to shape your unique future.

Street Tarot is a mental tool to sharpen your awareness. Its utility relies on your curiosity, to do research, and to pay attention to your dreams and synchronistic occurrences, or those seemingly improbable but highly meaningful coincidences. Also, contemplate symbols which resonate with you, don't feel threatened by the non-ordinary instead learn from it, look deeper into your affinity to fictional or mythic characters, and notice when you well-up with a positive emotion. Permit these types of phenomenon and sensations to come to the forefront and then act on your insights and intuitions. I followed my inner voice of wisdom and symbolic trails to become a hand bookbinder and then master six divine directives. One was to become a lawyer and I fashioned my career as a federal criminal appeals attorney after Sherlock Holmes. If you don't already know, he is the world's first consulting detective and a fiction. Meanwhile, that legal practice of mine laster almost 14-years. So, whether you’re concerned about the next 5-minutes or have a long term plan, it is paramount to put your new found knowledge into operation. Talk to people and share with them about your multi-faceted realms of experience. With details from your archetypical makeup, your dreamscapes, personal heroes, and symbols, you're more able to evaluate and discern the next step to create an authentic lifestyle for yourself.

"You must have self confidence, no matter where you are" is a quote attributed to Ip Man, a Grandmaster Martial Artist and teacher of Bruce Lee. However, it is not easy to be so self assured. Life changes, conflicts occur, there are disappointments, seemingly few rewards, sad times and unfairness in the world. The going can get rough, which makes Street Tarot a continuing endeavor. You may feel you're in a rut or almost defeated without a well worn path to follow. I am fortunate to have a loving and supportive family, but it happens to me too. Not being a pious person, I must develop my faith and the fortitude to stay true to myself. When inclined to abandon my efforts, an affirmation pushes me forward, "The Divine will help me make a way where there seems to be no way. The Divine helps me take the right turn in the road".

A key component to Street Tarot is to acknowledge "the self does not stop at the skin”. I first heard the phrase from Charles Laughlin, an anthropology professor at Carlton University, in Ottawa, Canada, who was integral to my academic and mystical growth. I implicitly understood what his saying meant. As an identical twin there is a seemingly ethereal bond between my sister and me. It extends to all of us and joins us to each other. Because the mind is non-local, we are not completely contained in our brain or by our skin. We are social beings, who do not naturally hibernate or stay alone for long periods of time. For sure, aloneness can reveal us to ourselves. In some instances it is a must. But loneliness is a difficult way to know oneself. Apparently, a more attractive approach is through the “Other’.

Street Tarot relies on this transpersonal connectedness to receive impressions, and then make inferences. Some believe we are thusly joined to all sentient beings. Utilizing Street Tarot's methodology will create compassion for all life forms and forge a moral compass to further guide you. With a proper attitude new non-human associations can "come alive" to aid in the "reading" of a symbol or coincidental event. Although everyone has the capacity to be a tarot card reader, many do not have the time or inclination to do so. You don't need to. Street Tarot is a term of mine. A professional reader for over 40-years, I do suggest getting a good reference book such as; J.C Cooper's 'An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Traditional Symbols'. Along with some research and lots of practice you can develop your own subjective meanings to enhance common interpretations. I'll post some insights at the first of each month here too, or more if current events require a posting. So, please check-in.

A second key element is to be ruthlessly honest with yourself. This means a healthy dose of skepticism is recommended. For Street Tarot to really work learn to trust your intuition. Don't let stupidity run deep and delude yourself about what's meaningful and what is not. The tarot card often associated with delusions is the Moon, which cannot generate it's own light and is either dark or reflective of the sun. In practical terms if your insights are not based on credible grounds than you're in the dark and headed for trouble unless you act discerningly. Here are two examples to illustrate my point: 1) if your ex-boyfriend now suddenly parts his hair on the left, it isn't necessarily a symbolic gesture to get back together after a17-year breakup; and 2) if a person tells you the wind said the 2020 election was stolen because Dominion voting machines were rigged by Venezuelans to favor Joe Biden, you should reconsider them reliable.

Street Tarot engages with the ‘Other’ to learn, grow, and blossom, not to deceive and defraud people. Requisite to forming a relationship with another is to first perceive them, focus on the moment, and then contemplate on whether to integrate them directly or symbolically into your life. In this co-dependent sense of process, we must see each other as having a soul, that spark of divine light. Animals, birds, plants have a soul too, and even the most evil person has a smidgen of one. Most important is to try to honor all beings. In Hebrew this is known as Kavod, which translates directly as weight; as in giving weight or honor, and respect. Kavod is a mysterious word because it also recognizes the glory of God. It implies transcending a personality consumed with self-centeredness to acknowledge the ‘Other’. Of course, to wholesomely honor yourself is a must.

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