Author Archives: drdeepdish

Maranda and I were sharing tarot spread strategies last night as she lit candles for me and Lelly the Lionhearted; this morning we shared our one-card draw for the day. Hers: The Magician. Oh hell yes! She exclaimed over text. I’ll take it! Sweeeeeeet! I said. Here’s mine! … I drew: the Empress. Huh? MarandaContinue reading “The Empress in Minneapolis”

One of the quarantine activities I picked up was Zooming a Monday a month with the Universal Co-Masons about various and sundry interesting topics. You don’t have to be a Mason of any type to attend and, well, it’s more smart and dedicated people to talk to so I can keep my pointy head pointy.Continue reading “Monday Night with the Masons”

The Eye of Horus Metaphysical shop is right smack in the middle of the Lake Street neighborhood in Minneapolis that took the brunt of the riots and burning last year when George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin. Somehow – magically? – it sustained no damage then. Chauvin is on trial right now here; overContinue reading “Notes From Paganistan: 1”

Takeaways from the Upper Midwest Regional American Academy of Religion/Society for Biblical Literature Conference April 9-11 2021… When I was a grad student, this region and its conference supported and promoted my research on Paganism when many conferences of religious studies would not. I presented frequently in their Religions in North America session, which IContinue reading “Occultum Literarum and All That Stuff”

In my book, Paganistan, I document the magical biography of Harley Joe, one of our elders: “I went to the store, bought a book, a rock, and a candle, went home, sat down and went, “Now what the hell do I do?” I think it’s the best magical biography ever. In a subculture where peopleContinue reading “The Magical Biography (Pt. 1)”

 The Fool card and I go way back. And it’s still my card. I know what you’re thinking — but you are so smart and knowledgeable! You’ve been a teacher! Blah yadda blah! … yeah … But one should always be ready to learn, no matter how learned they already are. One should always beContinue reading “The Fool Doesn’t Look Down”

Maranda read tarot for me. When you’re deep in your misery, it’s good to have another reader slap you out of it. She even used her gigantic deck. The one that “yells at you”. I needed a yelling at. She drew the High Priestess. The High Priestess sits at the entrance to the Temple, theContinue reading “The High Priestess Wears Blue”

Alchemical refinement is not a permanent state. As you live your life, you are walking through a world of lead, and subject to endless dross that is hurled on you, that you are forced to carry on your shoulders, that fills your shoes like sloppy rainwater you have to walk in, that makes your goldenContinue reading “Dross”

If you are practicing Western ceremonial magick, Wicca, hoodoo, even Chaos magick, you owe a huge debt to the historical Jewish folk magic tradition. Apparently, in Jewish magical lore, demons have bird feet — unlike other trads where they have cloven hooves or claws. They’re also really little. If you sprinkle ash or dust underContinue reading “Ten Takeaways from the Temple of Miriam’s Jewish Magic Festival”