MAGIC

Not those who use sleight of hand, or the conjurer, the escape artist, and illusionists types. Although I admire their skills, what intrigues me is the authentic kind; Moses and the Pharaoh’s magicians, who matched the first two of the Hebrew’s nine plagues. For centuries biblical teachings from the churches to the synagogues took their feats of manifesting snakes, and then frogs, and bloody waters, to Moses’ solo ability to bring forth the remaining plagues as fantastical and fantasy. We dismiss their seemingly supernatural powers in favor of logical and rational thinking. Consequently mankind’s progress into modernity is industrial, technological, and computer oriented, with positive developments in the medical, and sanitation fields. Perhaps this is good. Perhaps, however, we threw out the baby with bath water, as the cliche goes. Perhaps, we should have inquired more into the magic of the Bible. The Torah does not reveal the curriculums. Our modern-day notion of a Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a fiction from the Harry Potter books.

History tells us that during the Middle Ages many royal courts did retain and house Kabbalists, including family members, because of their magical and mystical expertise, along with other abilities and achievements. Here we see magic imbued with a spiritual aspect in contrast to what is known as demonic, black magic. Practitioners of the dark arts rely on sorcery, curses, and hexes to cause harm or gain control over another person. Some folks have labeled Donald Trump, the Magician-in-Chief for his ability to manipulate the stock markets, or use misdirection and spectacles to distract the media and his voters’ attention from his crimes, similar to the skills of an illusionist. However, when Trump is motivated by revenge, intent on harming others, he is moving into darker realms. If you watch his speeches and sound-bites with the volume off you can clearly see the venomous facial expressions as he spits out his poisonous words.

By distinction, Kabbalists use magical formulas, incantations, head movements, and visualization techniques that revolve around the sacred Hebrew alphabet. In one vein, Jewish folklore maintains this methodology is attributed to creating a Golem, “an artificial, human-shaped figure made of mud or clay and brought to life through sacred mystical practices, primarily stemming from the Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism)”. - Yehuda Altein’s article in Chabad.org. Furthermore, “The theoretical blueprint for creating a golem relies on the Sefer Yetzirah (one of the oldest existing texts on Jewish esotericism). This ancient text posits that God created the universe through the manipulation of the Hebrew alphabet and divine utterances. Kabbalists believed that by properly permuting these holy letters and speaking specific incantations, they could channel the formative energies of creation into inanimate matter”. - Rabbi Jay Michelson article for My Jewish Learning. The purpose of the golem was to protect communities and people from harm.

It seems authentic magic relies on the sacredness embedded in the letters of our speech. Is it just coincidental that the English word “alphabet” is derived from the the first two letters of the holy Hebrew alphabet, “Aleph” and “Bet”? Certainly, the use of the word “magic” or synonymous terms is ubiquitous in our culture to the point of meaninglessness. According to Starbucks’ new TV ad their coffee is magic. Lexus makes the same claim about a car in their latest TV commercial. In a PSA for Utah’s Greater Zion Film Commission, Kevin Costner expounds on the magic of shooting a movie in that State. These promotional pieces emphasis the non-ordinary and serendipitous experiences we associate with romanticism and the magical. In distinction, the aim of Moses and the Pharaoh’s magicians was to manifest something profound. The Hebrew, as well as his Egyptians counterparts were grounded in strong beliefs in their gods and received spiritual guidance. The Hebrew’s would eventually be refined into legal and moral covenants at Mt. Sinai. A quantum leap in consciousness occurred for mankind when the Ten Commandments were engraved in tablets by the “finger of God” and given to the people of Israel. (Exodus 31:18)

I am reminded of the Magician card in the tarot’s higher arcana, or suit of Trumps. It represents manifestation by divine inspiration and communication. As above, so below. This card specifically addresses the inherent ability to channel spiritual power from the heavenly divine and transform our earth and our everyday work-world through precise language to manipulate the elements; fire, air, water, and earth. In Kabbalah and in tarot these four correspond to the spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical realms which must be in balance to perform the Magician’s tasks. He or she are not tricksters, unlike Donald Trump. Remember, God created the world through nine expressed, utterances, “God said, ‘Let there be light’. . . Kabbalists infer the 10th emanated from God’s Will, as the divine impulse that initiated the desire to create our Universe. (Genesis, chapter 1:1-31).

Well, the sacred Hebrew alphabet makes an appearance in the tarot cards too. The suit of Trumps, or higher arcana, are traditionally numbered from 0-21, with The Magician being numeral 1. However, I prefer the tarot's connection to the Hebrew alphabet which goes from 1-22. Each letter has spiritual, and inherent magical properties of a highly technical nature. The Magician card aligns with the 2nd Hebrew letter, Bet, which is symbolic for house or home as well as creation, “Bet is numerically equal to 2. In Jewish tradition (Kabbalah), this represents duality, creation, and the blessing of multiplicity”. - Hebrew for Christians. “Bet is the very first letter of the Torah and the Hebrew Bible. The word Bereshit ("In the beginning") starts with this letter, symbolizing that life is a cosmic vessel meant to serve as a home for the Divine.” - Chabad. The infamous Aleister Crowely, creator of The Thoth tarot deck, incorporated the Hebrew letters into his cards. He based his philosophy and practice of “Magick” on the tenets,  “Do what though wilt shall be the whole of the law. Love is the law. Love under will.” He defines his Magik as, “the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with one's will.”

Mastery of communication is a skill that is key to unlocking a magician’s power, which is beyond my present capabilities. However, I do work with language and words, and know it is imperative to recognize what we say to each other and to ourselves are impactful, physical entities. They are the building blocks in the process of bringing something into being. The steps in this methodology mirrors the four elements; fire as spiritual, or emanating; air as intellectual, or creating, water as emotional, or forming, and earth as the physical, or making. All four worlds must be in sync; from the initial impulse, to the idea, to the emotional commitment, to finally making something and bring it to reality. We can use words constructively or be overly critical and tear things or someone down, including ourselves. “Scholars who support the Hebrew etymology say the incantation "abracadabra" is a corruption of the Hebrew, ebrah k’dabri, meaning 'I will create as I speak,' ie that the act of speech will magically create new realities" (Rabbi Julian Sinclair's article in The Jewish Chronicle, 2018).

By the way, the four suits of the tarot deck are built upon the same elements; fire, air, water, and earth that correspond to wands, swords, cups and disks, respectively. You see, it is all of a piece. As above, so below is the teaching of The Magician. One’s spiritual beliefs is the internal engine to shape and transform the reality of your everyday work-world. It begins with the practice of proper alignment, proper conduct, and proper speech.

Signs of the Divine?

You might not believe me. On this particular matter, I don’t really care. My mystical and spiritual experiences are personal and always transformative. No one can deny me that. However, I do need to share this particular story. A few days before Easter, friends were visiting and I recounted the time when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the telling, I had tremendous compassion for him. He knew he would suffer the horrible form of capital punishment through crucifixion and, as usual, I cried. That Sunday, I felt compelled to attend the Calvary Chapel’s open air Easter service held at the Santa Barbara Courthouse’s Sunken Gardens. It’s a gorgeous landscaped setting of exotic flowers, redwoods, palm tress, and a huge grass lawn nestled against the Spanish-Colonial style architecture of the three-storied, 97-year old courthouse.

“He is Risen” was written on the banner stretched across the church's makeshift dais. For some reason, those words struck me. The phraseology inferred Jesus’ resurrection is a constant event. “Can anyone believe that” I thought. Studies from my undergraduate degree in anthropology surfaced to remind me of a number of cultures that believed their chief or king would resurrect upon death, such as, the ancient Cannanite religion of Baal, the Greek’s Osiris and the Jewish Messianic Age when all will be reborn to live anew. So, who am I to doubt this reoccurring resurrection of Jesus. In fact, after being attacked and left for dead, I was reborn and wrote about it in my award-winning memoir, My Random Death.  

The morning after Easter, I woke up in a state of shock. I tend to sleep on my side, with one hand under my ear. When it moved over my forehead, I felt big ridges across it. This scared me. Was it a disease? I jumped out of bed to look in the mirror and saw long red gashes. I checked under my fingernails for blood, and then the bed sheets and pillowcases. Nothing. My persuasion for the rational spurred me to continue my investigate of logical sources; the rims of my straw hats, my headbands, and steel comb. Again nothing. A famous quote from one of my heroes, Sherlock Holmes, came to mind. “When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth”. From Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes story The Sign of the Four, it describes a logical method of deduction where invaliding all impossible scenarios leaves only the correct solution, regardless of how unlikely it may seem. “It’s stigmata”, I said to myself. An odd but most likely answer considering the circumstances.

Tears then welled up in my eyes and rolled down my cheek. Unlike Trump, I do not equate myself with Jesus or a doctor. I am not in competition with the Pope, nor do I present myself as a savior or saint, although I do help the poor. I was an appointed federal criminal appeals attorney on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal’s indigent panel for over 12-years handling complex and extended cases. I regularly make donations, help out people when I can, and never walk around town without handing a homeless person some cash. As a Jewish woman, I recognize Jesus as a great prophet who taught in the temples. Torah and bible studies still call to me and have done so since a little girl in Hebrew school. I am a seeker of more faith, of more answers, and to feel fully accepted into God’s kingdom here on Earth. Unlike Mr. Trump, I am not interested in kicking Jesus out and taking over in his place, as if he is a squatter to be usurped.

My stigmata did not immediately disappear but lingered, ever so faintly, for over 30-days, even though lots of moisturizer and balm of Giliad was applied to the area. My stigmata is symbolic of my own journey into faith. Another sign I am welcomed by God, and not feel like an outsider. If you have a humble nature, this acceptance may be hard to own. I’ve had other signs and wrote about them in my memoir. Jesus has previously appeared in my dreams and meditations, but when I feel blue, devolve into my usual self criticisms and rejection, I forget about all those wonders in my life. Now, this new one may help to reinforce my spiritual strength. And then to fully own it. My woes and worries come into balance. No big deal, comparatively speaking. My stigmata puts me right-side up. And it is a proclamation of and a deepening of my faith in the divine.

I am reminded of the tarot card, The Hanged Man. He is usually depicted dressed in the finery of a prince and not a pauper. Hung upside down, he is tied to a tree by a rope coiled around one foot, the other is crossed over it to form the shape of the numeral 4, which is also upside down. This number is a symbol for the rational, logical mind and being upside means the opposite; delusional, and irrational. However, even with his head pointed towards the earth the man appears cheerful and oblivious to his position. That is the key. This card is about a certain kind of spiritual and world view. It addresses one's awareness of false gods and their self-serving teachings. It is okay to be suspicious of one’s faith. We must ask questions and be situationally aware. Do not remain oblivious. The truth is you might be duped and fooling yourself if you’re involved in cults lead by conmen. Ask yourself, if you’re accepted into the group will it be hard to get out without being vilified? Can you get straight answers about your dear leader, and ask were the money you’re donating is actually going. Is there proof to backup dear leader’s say so?

This situation is no more apparent than with Trump, his MAGA movement, and his claim to be Jesus, the healer and their savior. Social media and news outlets widely published the AI image of him as Christ. It was purely a propaganda campaign to deceive voters and to con them out of their money. Recently, he was at it again with his verbal attacks against the Pope, and challenging the pontiff’s understanding of the Bible. The Hanged Man specifically addresses one’s personal cosmology and beliefs. The primary teaching of this tarot card is to recognize when you are looking at things upside down, and wrong. How will you know this? Wisdom is the opposite of self-deception. Don’t be afraid to look in the mirror. You must. Evaluate your spiritual principles and everyday priorities. Examine what your inner dialogue and thoughts are filled with, and how you occupy your mind. Become ruthlessly honest with yourself about these matters, as I did and continue to do. Don’t go back into old, worn out life patterns, which is easy to do, as I well know.

The Hanged Man is the 12th card in the tarot's higher arcana or suit of Trumps. They are numbered from 0-21, however, I prefer the cards' association with the Hebrew alphabet which goes from 1-22. The 13th Hebrew Letter is Mem or water, which is symbolic for wisdom that rises from our collective unconscious, and the depths of ourselves. What water also implies is our connectedness, and hence the requirement of compassion towards others. “Love thy neighbor as thy self.” (Matthew 22:39). Realize the self does not stop at the skin.

In a recent speech, Melania Trump praised her husband for his compassionate nature and the audience broke out in laughter at the untruthful statement. A wise person does not need public relations tricks. Trump never exhibits a sense of shame coming from a now wiser, more compassionate and upright man. Do not mirror him. He is a hard-core criminal and the upside down, Hanged Man. Ever the swindler, it appears his foot is tied to a fantastically fruited branch. Even though his soul is poor, money seems to grow on trees for him. Don't remain delusional. Right yourself, and stop giving Trump your money.

More Joy

“Seeing, Hearing, Smelling, Talking, Eating, Sex, Action or Work, Movement, Sleep, Excitement or Anger, Play or Laughter, and Contemplation or Thought,” are the twelve foundational elements of the human experience mentioned in the ancient Kabbalistic text, The Sefer Yetzirah or The Book of Creation. The English translation of biblical Hebrew might be somewhat different depending on the interpreter, therefore, I have included more than one rendition for some words. Anyway, it is quite a list! Did you notice sadness is not on it? The absence of laughter does not necessarily imply someone is unhappy or they lack love in their life if angry. Feeling sad can start as a construct of the mind and then your contemplations or ruminations worm their way into your heart. We feel black and blue, bruised on the inside. This is why control of your thoughts, what you tend to focus on and say to yourself, is imperative to your emotional wellbeing.

When you allow yourself to replay the past, a perceived hurt over and over again, coupled with the mind’s ability to envision details onto an internal mental landscape, it contributes to profound emotional instability and can be debilitating. I’ve been there. For months, I’ve festered over something a family member or friend did, or didn’t do, or say. Thankfully, now I am more or less on the sunny side of the road, laughing at my stupid waste of time. For sure, life is difficult. Breakups happen, loss, trauma, and tragedy can be expected. How we handle these terrible circumstances is up to each of us.

Generally speaking, control your mind and diminish the amount of sadness you’ll endure. Of course it might be more difficult these days. The world appears to be on the edge of a major war that no one can properly explain. The news reports are horrible, we can feel it in our pocketbooks, and many also in our hearts. The dire situation contributes to a state of malaise, which seems like a constant. Nevertheless, we have to counter it. Let’s try to replace this collective despair and declare now is the time for joy. More joy for everyone, even for our so-called enemies. The clear implication is it’s time for peace. A grand peace and not a shaky ceasefire. And we need lots of free stuff too; more swag, gallons of gasoline, grocery giveaways, and party prizes for all. Call it wanting to get lucky, or my over active imagination because present day circumstances do seem bleak.

Primarily our current state of affairs is due to Trump deceiving Americans into a war of losses in the Middle East, while his masked thugs arrest and traumatize everyone except the violent criminals illegally in the United States, as he promised. Famous author and former French politician, Victor Hugo wrote, "Love is like a tree: it grows by itself, roots itself deeply in our being and continues to flourish over a heart in ruin." Trump is incapable of sprouting love. He appeals to the bullies and psychopaths who can't hold down regular jobs, and to those who have a high tolerance for mean people. Too many “deplorables” voted for him, and now these bad guys are employed and were handed permission slips like lollypops by a dubious man who thinks he's above the law and uses his pardon powers like a mafia boss granting favors with strings attached. Without clear answers as to “why and for how long” his masked paramilitary, under the auspices of ICE, terrorize folks in America, while his Iran War of Choice kills and injures US troops abroad, as well as hundreds of civilians. The so-called President of the United States has put our wellbeing and national security at risk.

Yes, it is sad times. However some hope is brewing within the hard-right, manosphere crowd. "Sadly, the Trump we all knew and loved no longer exists”, said the infamous, InfoWars podcaster, prior Trump fan-boy, and fellow defamation-ist, Alex Jones. In a March 31st Instagram post of his podcast, he continued

his message that it’s time to move on "now that it's extremely clear that President Trump has a serious cognitive problem or has been seriously compromised". Probably both are good reasons to dump Trump. Even his former fan-girls are speaking out against him ie Ann Coulter and Marjorie Taylor Green. Let’s be smart. Vote for more joy. Neuter his effectiveness, and then demand he and his crowd of criminals are held accountable in a court of law. Let's make sure our collective sadness doesn't become despair over the loss of our democracy.

I am reminded of the tarot card, Three in the Suit of Swords. It is one of the four suits in the lower arcana. Swords traditionally represent the realm of air, ideas, the intellect, and the mind that gives voice to the petty, inner critic and the whisper of the internal sage. To help us understand and make our way in life each of us must learn to disregard those unhelpful, unfavorable, self-induced “opinions” and nourish more positive ones. I know it’s hard to do and easier to write about. In Alister Crowely's Thoth tarot deck the three of swords is titled, Sorrow. The artwork for the deck was painted by Lady Frieda Harris, who depicted it as three swords penetrate a lotus blossom to its core, as it’s riped apart. The symbolism specifically teaches the need for mental realizations about suffering.

What mostly pierces the heart is when we constantly berate ourselves over minor missteps with the same fervor as failed major endeavors, or whatever it is that brought you to anguish. The worst thing you can do is to rework hurtful past scenarios in your mind and then act out in retribution or self-loathing behavior. Instead, the heart and mind must be properly linked to create more joy in your life, more peace in the world, and to do so quickly. Repeating affirmations and prayers said with intention and comes from the depths of you are useful tools to transform consciousness and one’s ways. While writing this article, I came upon an anonymous saying which is also instructive:

“The biggest skill you can develop is the ability to reset fast. Bad conversation? Move on. Bad day? Start fresh tomorrow. Missed workout? Hit it the next day. Poor decision? Learn and adjust? You can't control what happens to you, but you control how long you let it affect you.”