Alchemy and Mysticism – Myth Crafts

Waterfall Demon Princess: Raising the Bones of the Dead

Imagine this: your father was a powerful Samurai, who led an unsuccessful revolt against the Emperor. And so, in the (Western) year 939 C.E., the Emperor had… Read more “Waterfall Demon Princess: Raising the Bones of the Dead”

If the Major Arcana of the Tarot is mysterious, then the Fool is the Mystery of All Mysteries. For one thing, there’s the assigned number. Remember that… Read more “The Fool: Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost”

This post will serve as a guide to the Splendor Solis, an “illuminated manuscript” of Alchemical knowledge. It also contains a nod towards Jung’s notions of Mandalas;… Read more “The Splendor Solis and the Jungian Mandala: 22 Images of the Soul”

After Lao-tsi’s Dao Teh Ching, perhaps the most important Daoist text is the Zhuangzi. It is mythic, poetic and satiric. And as for its author? Well, his… Read more “The Dao of Dying: Zhuangzi Dreams of Being a Butterfly”

In the past, Zombie possession was typically presented in Western media as a function of sorcery, often tied to Africa or Haiti. While these Zombies were mind… Read more “Touched by a Zombie: the Tibetan Ro-Langs”

Lady’s Mantle is a fairly common plant, with its 300 plus species native throughout the cooler regions of Europe and Asia as well as the mountainous regions… Read more “Alchemical Water: the Magic of Lady’s Mantle”

Let me begin with a significant disclaimer: Kids, don’t try this at home. To be a little more serious about it, today’s topic is demonology; specifically, the… Read more “Deals with the Devil: the Red Dragon’s Demons”

It is very tempting to look at the cards of the Tarot, specifically those of the Major Arcana, as symbolic metaphors, or to put it in Jungian… Read more “Above, the Heavens: Moon, Star and Sun”

In an earlier post I mentioned how A.E. Waite of Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot deck fame created a second deck: the Waite-Trinick deck. However, while I mentioned his interest… Read more “The Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann, and A.E. Waite’s 2nd Tarot”

First, my thanks to Dr. Emily Auger for chairing the Tarot and Divination group at the Pop Culture Association of America conference (here’s a link to her… Read more “A.E. Waite’s Second Tarot: the Waite-Trinick Deck”