Rider-Waite-SMITH!

  Everyone who is even peripherally aware of the Tarot is likely familiar with the Rider-Waite deck, but a lot of folks don't know that this is properly called the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. Why is that, and who is this Smith person?

  The deck, which was originally published in 1909, was designed by A.E.Waite, who also wrote the book that goes with the deck. It was the first deck to give fully illustrated symbology to the entire Minor Arcana, and also the first deck to have a book dedicated specifically to it rather than using books about the Tarot in general. The deck was subsequently published by the Rider Publishing Company, hence the well known name "The Rider-Waite Tarot".

   But the illustrations for the deck, all of the beautiful images for both the Major and Minor Arcana, were drawn by a woman named Pamela Coleman Smith. It was her artistic vision that brought A.E. Waite's ideas to fantastic life, and her images have become the de facto standard for most all 'traditional' Tarot decks that followed.

  For such an important role in history, Pamela was left out of the original naming and crediting for the deck simply because it was not popular at the time to credit a woman for such work. Nowadays people are coming to understand the depth of her contribution to our art and giving her the rightful credit she deserves. So please, when you speak of this most marvelous of decks, remember to credit Pamela Smith. Our craft is better for her work!

Break In at Arcanus!

We hadn't reported this earlier, but the Arcanus Tarot Parlor was broken into about a week ago! The thieves knocked out a panel in the wooden door to the parlor and let themselves in. The thing is though, that once they were inside, they didn't take anything! There was evidence that they spent some time and looked around the place, but we believe that the Spirits of Arcanus were watching over the place and spooked them out! Thank you to our guardian angels!

This Just In! From the SBWIRE . . .

Psychics Pardon Pope

No hard feelings toward the Vatican.

Longmont, CO -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/06/2013 -- Preaching at morning Mass at the Domus Sanctae Marthae in Rome in April, Pope Francis said: “In order to solve their problems many people resort to fortune tellers and tarot cards.” He went on to warn the faithful about the dangers of such practices and their sure downfall should they continue.

Dennis Perez, along with David MacKenzie, operates the Arcanus Tarot Parlor in Longmont, Colorado. “While we certainly respect the Pope’s right to an opinion,” says Dennis, “we don’t necessarily agree with him.” The folks at Arcanus believe that there are many different paths to the truth, and that the Pope’s way is but one. “We never dissuade people from their religious views,” Dennis continues, “and we believe that religion and magik can coexist peacefully in this world. As a matter of fact, the world needs more magik these days. For this reason, we pardon the Pope for not understanding.”

Dennis and David sent a letter to the Pope in late April offering their pardon and inviting a conversation around their difference of opinion. The Pope has not yet responded.

The Spirits Return!

Last night we held another seance at the Arcanus Tarot Parlor in Longmont, and the spirits once again made a strong appearance! The people in attendance were a terrific group of  people with varied levels of previous psychic experience, and none had ever attended a seance before.

We eased into the evening with some experiments to test the level of psychic development of the attendees, with great results! After that we went on a grand ghost hunt around the old office building that houses Arcanus. This building has quite a history dating back some fifty years or more and we almost always detect levels of ghostly activity using an EMF meter and other scientific techniques.

After that we were back in the parlor to try to make serious contact. With the use of an old fashion talking board (pre-Ouija), the group made contact with a male spirit who tried to identify himself by name, but the letters that came through were a mystery. as we began the actual seance circle almost everyone in the room experienced a physical touch by the spirits!

Acting as our medium, David McKenzie was able to channel the spirit that was in the room with us.It was indeed a male, and indicated that he had been attached to the building for many many years. There was a good Q&A session with the spirit, but just as things were getting underway something spooked him and he fled the room, knocking over a heavy urn as he sped away.

All in all it was a successful, and safe, evening of contact, and everyone involved was treated to something truly special. If you have never experienced a seance, please come join us for one of our future sessions! You can always catch the details at www.arcanusmagickus.com!

Spirits of Arcanus

Recently, we conducted a seance at Arcanus and it has inspired me to write a bit about the experience and spirits in general. Over the years I have performed many "callings" of those departed and those that never were corporeal and have always come away with a deeper understanding of the worlds around us and how everything is connected in one way or another.

Arcanus, our tarot parlor, is also my temple and I commune with entities and the dead on a regular basis and therefore we thought it would be perfect for a seance operation. With many spirits already present in the building it would be somewhat easier to get a manifestation. We were right on that count. The spirits did appear and gave us a bit of a show. Quite a good time it was.

But exactly what did we call in? I, acting as the medium, made contact with a being that appears to have been corporeal, or alive, at one time. She had the look of someone of impoverished surroundings and disease. Along with her came another being. One of non-corporeal origin. This being was of a different sort in that it was not of a kind nature. Almost malicious. It gave me a bit of a problem, but with the use of a spirit trap we were able to contain it for a short while.

So these things that were called were of seemingly different natures, but still spirits. We think of the dead as happily floating ghosts that haunt old hotels and the like, but are they more? And what influence can they have upon us? In many traditions throughout the world many give offerings to the ancestors in order to glean some blessings, good luck, healing, and much much more. So it would seem they can touch us with their power. This is all well and good if they are helping us in some way, but what if they are not of the kindhearted and benevolent Casper kin? Then you could be in for quite a night.

Both I and my associate Dennis have encountered entities and spirits that were of the latter disposition and they were none too happy about desisting there mischief and need to be forcibly ejected and the place cleaned. This is always a consideration when dealing the "things from the other side". There is always some level of danger which must be taken into consideration. However, if one is careful and observes the rules, then it can be quite an enlightening experience.

So what is the difference between spirits and entities? Well, it is a mixed bag really. Spirits can be the remnants of a corporeal being, such as your dearly departed, or they can be beings that are of a higher vibration that have never lived as you and I do. There is an HP Lovecraft story that speaks of a lad that manufactured a device which could allow us to see these beings that were all around us but were of such a vibrational nature that we couldn't perceive them. These, in my own mind, are similar to the beings we call up in ritual. Instead of using some device, we use meditation and ritual to raise our vibrational rate in order to commune with them.

Of course in the Lovecraft story it didn't turn out so well. Much like the story of Icarus who flew too high and was dashed by the sun to the earth below. The lesson fly too high too fast and you are in for one perilous ride back down. This is a consideration when dealing with anything in the occult. Spirits can help, but they can also harm if one doesn't have their wits about them.

Luckily Arcanus has been utilized as a temple and consecrated to such so there are many safeguards in place, however there are those that wish to dabble and end up with a bunch of nasties slogging around in the dark places of their home. My advice to those who wish to touch the other side is this. Read, study, learn, and practice. Observe precautions. Leave out nothing in preparation. Respect the power and delve into the nightside. Come in, the water is quite warm.

Skrying - Mirrors and More

Skrying is one of the oldest forms of foretelling. The image of the Gypsy gazing deeply into a crystal ball is what usually comes to mind, but skrying is so much more. Through the ages sorcerers and psychics have utilized everything from ink to black mirrors to fire to gain entry to the mysteries. I, myself, utilize a black mirror specially prepared at the Arcanus Tarot Parlor. Peering into the lands of spirits and worlds that exist paralel to our own, I have brought back to this plane information to fortell the future, find lost objects, or receive instruction on practices to ply my will upon the world. I have conducted rituals utilizing this tool to commune with entities at Arcanus and the possibilies are endless.

With the ready availability of tarot cards, this tradition has practically faded into the past. There are some books on the subject, but they are severely lacking. Only instructing on the use of an empty surface, but they leave out the other uses. Such as opening gateways to spirits and other planes by skrying sigils, or magick squares. One can even use the same techniques to combine skrying and psychometry to gain information from ordinary objects. I use this in my practice quite often. I've even skried clients during sittings to gain a better image of the energies surrounding them.

Though steeped in the mysteries of the past, the practice is actually quite simple. It is merely getting into a relaxed state and when looking at your object, square, etc, you let your sight move out of focus and allow visions to come. Sometimes these are third eye impressions, and sometimes they are visual. It depends on the skill of the individual.

If you wish to try skrying for yourself, it is quite easy. First get something to use for skrying. I would recommend a black surface to start and then once you are capable with this move onto other objects. In a pinch you can use the turned off monitor of a computer. Or, if you are a bit more crafty, you can make a mirror from an old picture frame with the glass intact. There are more advanced ways to make one using condensors made from oils, herbs, and other mystical substances, which I make and sell at Arcanus, but that is beyond the scope of this particular article.

Once you have obtained your mirror, in a darkened room place it on a table where you can easily look into it. Place two candles on each side and slightly behind and begin your gazing. Let yourself relax and look into the blackness. Before long you will notice a mist appearing. This will eventually clear and your visions will come.
Practice this for a few weeks until it is second nature to you and then expand your abilities by skrying a magick square. I think you may be amazed at the information that you can obtain by this simple bit of sorcery.

That is it for now. Until next time.

Tarot, Tools of Sorcery

Many are familiar with Tarot for psychic divination, but few have delved into the wider, deeper world that is assailable via the mystical cards. For centuries readers have told of past, present, and future things displayed before them, but only those of a more commanding nature have utilized the Tarot or magick, or, as some have termed it, sorcery. The cards are a book of occult knowledge and great power. As you lay the cards in a reading you see before you the secrets surrounding your querent, but consider this. What if you could choose cards representing your desired future and laid them out in such a way as to bring that desire to fruition? The Tarot can be used to that end very effectively. At the Arcanus Tarot Parlor I have performed healings, cursings, prosperity magick, and a host of other workings with naught but the familiar deck of cards.
Lets go down that road for a moment. Think of a spread that displays your future, or the energies surrounding you. Choose the cards that contain the energies you wish to bring into your life, or those you wish to banish, and upon an altar, just a table out of the way of normal traffic, lay out that spread. Light a candle, incense, and take a few minutes to call upon the spirits to witness and assist in this spell. If you are Christian, you can call upon God, or whomever in your faith to assist.
Take a moment to follow the story you have lain and then extinguish the candle and let the incense burn out as an offering to the powers called.
Repeat over three days or nights and watch the energies manifest.
That is how simple a Tarot spell can be. One doesn't need an elaborate setup, nor a large number of tools. Just a deck of cards, a candle, and incense and away you go. Granted you can make the ritual into a large drawn out play, but sorcery is about spontaneity so none of the normal trappings are necessary.
Give it a go and see what magicks you can enliven in your life with your trusty book of ancient knowledge. If you would like more knowledge on this subject, give us a call at the tarot parlor in Longmont, Co. I think you may be surprised at just how much you can do with so simple a tool.
Until next time........

Arcanus Tarot Parlor - Longmont, CO (720) 253-9050

Divination. It's not just for Tarot.

I've been practicing tarot divination for over 30 years and have been witness to some extraordinary things. From forecasting ones marriage, to determining if a legal issue would resolve favorably. The act of laying ones life out in a tableau of cards can be quite cathartic.
However, over those many years, I have practiced other forms of divination that gave as accurate an account as the beloved paste boards.
Many forget that the mechanics of divination can be applied to most anything. All one needs is focus and intent.
As an example, one can take an old key and in a circle divided by an X and ascribing each section to the 4 compass directions can get quite an accurate reading by casting the key three times upon the circle and see which way the business end of the key points.
I do bone casting which includes various bones and other objects to which I have associated meanings and a casting cloth upon which I cast and accurately read ones past, present, and future. The same technique that I use for Tarot, I use for the bones. I focus upon the meanings of the bones and how the fall and the energy of the client. Then I interpret the meanings in relation to all.
Once one has the basics of divination a whole world opens up and you will never be left unawares if you are caught without your beloved deck.

So try to construct a simple reading method utilizing something from around the house, or in your pocket. I think you will be amazed how something ordinary can be turned into the extraordinary just by your focus and intent.