Divination

Einstein was wrong, sort of. God does play dice with the world according to the Bible. Or rather, God uses the random, non-causal aspect associated with dice. However, we lost that discernible ability. In other words, we threw the baby out with the bathwater on our journey towards modernity, rationalism, and critical thinking applied to religious exegesis. We no longer have access to the Urim and Thummim, or Lights and Perfection, a device used by the High Priest to ascertain God’s intentions and believed to be kept in the fold of the Breastplate or the ephod, the garment they wore. We lost the knowledge of how they used it. Now, we can only speculate it was similar to randomly casting of lots by throwing stones, or a piece of cloth or sticks with markings that provided a yes or no response to a question presented. God playing with dice, sort of.

Furthermore, we no longer embrace the notion of human-like angelic messengers that visited Abraham to inform him of his aged, barren wife's pregnancy. We no longer take seriously the voice of God as heard by the patriarchs in their dreams and visions of divine directives. Most importantly, we lost the Ark of the Covenant that contained the Ten Commandments, and held in the Tent of Meeting for sacred communications with Moses. There, between the two cherubim, “The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” Exodus 33.11. At the Holy Temples in Jerusalem the High Priest would enter the holy of holies only once a year, onYom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement and we are not sure what he actually did beside fasting, praying and repentance. In addition, we lost a more fuller understanding of the meaning of the biblical symbolism carved, engraved, or stitched into these holy sites, such as calves, cherubim, and other images.

Imitatio Dei, God’s directive to Moses to say to the people “you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am holy”. Leviticus 11.44-45; 19.2; 20.7,26  Kindness and mercy are honored as righteousness when we walk in God's way. However, communication through angelic visitations, dreams, divination, and then prophecy are also God’s way. These methodologies are relatively lost and our understanding speculative or at worst pejorative.

“When I grow up, I want to be a prophet”? Who’s said that ever? I bet no one. Actually, a prophet is divinely chosen, their initiation revealed, then accomplished, and there is a consensus amongst the people of their unique status when prophecies are proclaimed and become true. As individual conduits for God, they are not trumped-up, TV evangelical wannabes with some good intentions but more selfish motives. Most importantly, everyone in their sphere of influence should know the real deal from a charismatic pretender. The people’s acknowledgment is imperative, which enables prophets to do their work. This might involve isolation, but always divination and then speaking on behalf of God. Their sole purpose is to guide profound decisions and lead people to correct and righteous conduct. They are holy messengers of divine dispensations. Divination is an important part of their job description.

In Deuteronomy 18.9-22, the Torah warns the people against belief in false diviners and states God will raise up a prophet who will speak on his behalf. It forbids common folk from the practice of divination for fear of profiteers or subterfuge. Meanwhile, in post deuteronomic times there were many minor prophets, both male and female, plus their disciples. 1Kings 18.2-4. A few prophets are named in the Torah or make appearances in the prophetic books of the Tannakh, or Hebrew Bible. Many Jews recognize Jesus as a great prophet, if not the Messiah. However, today no one is doing this work openly and convincingly. Generally, God made his messengers wealthy so they could not be bribed or need to beg and connive folks for money. Their riches were apparent in the great herds of Abraham or the gold and silver of King Solomon, and not hidden away from public scrutiny with excuses of tax audits. Genesis 13.1; Kings 3.11-13

So where have all the prophets gone? Jewish tradition maintains that in every generation there are Lamed Vav Tzadikim, or the 36 Hidden Righteous Ones who do good works, anonymously and ever so modestly, to keep the world in balance against evil forces. However, they do not necessarily vocalize the words of God. Nor do the spiritual disciplines of the Abrahamic religion’s imams, rabbis, and priests necessarily become diviners. By the way, English must be commended for its attention to sacredness, however so unpretentiously, with the term, “divination” since English does not profess to be a sacred language. However, a quick read through the Merriam-Webster dictionary provides for misunderstanding and a pejorative perspective about the word "divination". Embedded in it are the notions of fortune telling, and the dark arts of sorcery, most of which are outlawed and whose practitioners could face criminal prosecution for perpetrating frauds or even killings.

Moses was a great prophet and his five books make up the Torah, which ends by stating, “Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses - whom the Lord singled out, face to face”. Deuteronomy 34.10. Although not seen as prophets, we hope those who authored, complied, or edited the remaining books in the Tanack or Hebrew Bible, the Talmud and the ancient Kabbalistic texts, and other seminal religious works were inspired by God. Although, I was divinely directed to become a tarot reader, as well as my other professions, I never spoke in terms of destiny or profess to be a holy messenger. That may yet come to be. Rather I talked about the levels of consciousness and propensities. Nevertheless, my readings were spiritually oriented by using the Holy Tree of Life and Central Channel layouts which corresponded to my Kabbalah and Torah studies.

Speaking of which, I am reminded of the tarot card, The Hermit. It is often depicted by an old man wearing a dark hooded cape. He holds a lamp while he stands atop a craggy mountain. Generally, it represents soul-searching, inner wisdom, and a need for solitude. The removal from the distractions of society helps to quiet the mind and then to listen to the inner voice of our intuition. It is this whisper of a voice that can connect us to the divine. You've been called if you pull this card. The question becomes then, are you able to rise to the challenge? If so, once a message is received it is imperative the Hermit comes down from the mountain to be a sacred lamp, a light to guide others in a holy, wholesome way. In Biblical times he became a prophet and was tasked to appoint and inform a king on matters of national significance; or to aid the Sanhedrin, the highest court of justice in ancient Israel; or to help set the strategy for a military commander. All instances of prophetic activity included immediately conveying the divine message to invoke proper actions or decisions.

The Hermit is the 9th card in the suit of Trumps in a traditional tarot deck which is numbered from 0-21. However, I prefer the cards association to the Hebrew alphabet that goes from 1-22. The tenth letter is Yod. It is the smallest letter but with great significance. Symbolically, it means the guiding hand of God, which is an anthropomorphic depiction often frowned upon in rabbinic literature. In other words, “The Yod represents the Creator, the single point from which all of creation emerges, and the Unity within multiplicity. It is the foundation of all foundations, the hidden Divine spark which causes everything to be. It represents the power of the spirit to govern and guide the matter.“ Gabriele Levy.

Currently, we are ostensibly in the midst of a "Holy War" with Israel against Iran. Falsely claimed by the current US Secretary of Defense and the Trump regimes' man of war, it is more clearly a call to arms for purely political purposes. This is apparent when not a single prophet made the proclamation in Israel or the United States. Of course, conmen intent on making a profit, gain a personal advantage, or retain power from this conflict will fabricate a divine message. The Torah was correct to alert folks about following false prophets. This warning is of particularly paramount importance to our times.

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.