Rune Soup

This week we have a very timely discussion with writer, teacher and activist, Lasara Firefox Allen about identity, justice, culture and self-limitation. Also biodomes, growing up weird in California and feminist spirituality. Good times. Good discussion. Enjoy! Show Notes Lasara's website The book, Jailbreaking the Goddess Lasara on Twitter Lasara on Facebook

This week we speak to hoodoo and shamanic practitioner, speaker, teacher and activist, Khi Armand. Naturally, we discuss the evolution of hoodoo, the impact of place and context on spirit work, the culture that is America, the role that shamanism and the spirits can play in uncovering your life's purpose and a whole lot more. A splendid chat! Show Notes Impact Shamanism Impact Shamanism Facebook Page Greenwood Conjure Greenwood Conjure Facebook Page

This week we speak to Julio Cesar Ody. Julio is a native of Brazil and has many years experience with spirit work. He is also a writer and a blogger and, conveniently for me, happens to also live on the east coast of Australia. No time zones for once! We talk spiritism, grimoires, childhood séances, magical Brazil, and the general state of the magical Internet. Good chat. Good times. Enjoy! Show notes Julio’s blog Julio’s other blog (you may have heard of it) Julio on twitter Julio on Facebook

This week we chat to novelist and Fortean researcher, Michael M. Hughes, about one of my absolute favourite subjects -the tarot. We also chat about a few other favourite topics, too -including UFO encounters and quality weird fiction. It's a splendid, splendid chat. Show Notes Michael's website and blog Michael on twitter Michael's book and deck recommendations: This week's guest has been gracious enough to share some suggestions and pointers for the listeners, which you can find below:   The Way of Tarot: The Spiritual Teacher in the Cards 
 by Alejandro Jodorowsky One of the best books about Tarot ever written. Deep, philosophical, yet incredibly practical teachings from a true visionary. Jodo’s “rebuilt” deck that he produced with Phillipe Camoin includes details that are iffy (the Papesse’s “egg” being a prime example), but those are minor points in an otherwise essential text. Jodo’s numerology system is brilliant and the one I use for working with the minor arcana. Favorite quote: “To comprehend the Arcana, we have to enter inside them stripped of words. Better, we should allow ourselves to be possessed by them.”   Meditations on the Tarot by Anonymous (Valentin Tomberg) A profoundly spiritual work that uses the Tarot as introduction to esoteric Christian Hermeticism filtered via an unorthodox Roman Catholic lens. Definitely not for everyone, but if the description piques your interest, pick it up—its insights are revelatory. There is an intriguing photo that shows this book on Pope John Paul II’s desk. http://corjesusacratissimum.org/2013/12/meditations-on-the-tarot-and-the-vatican/   The Inner Guide Meditation: A Spiritual Technology for the 21st Century by Edwin C. Steinbrecher A carefully constructed program to contact and work with one’s inner guide (HGA, daemon, genius) via the tarot archetypes, Jungian active imagination, and astrology. Israel Regardie called this book “One of the most significant contributions to occult history in modern times” and he was not exaggerating. This is true tarot magic, and, if you follow the program, the results may astound you.   Tarot—The Open Reading by Yoav-Ben Dov Another must-have if you decide to explore the Tarot de Marseille, it is especially useful for free-form spreads and readings “outside the box” with any deck. Ben Dov’s “open reading” style, an elaboration of methods he learned while studying with Jodorowsky, is very similar to the process I teach.   The Magical World of the Tarot: Fourfold Mirror of the Universe by Gareth Knight All of Knight’s books on the tarot are worth reading, but this is my favorite. It teaches you to approach the cards as spiritual beings through meditations and visualizations. If your interests lie in the magical use of Tarot and using the cards as a spiritual practice, grab everything Gareth Knight writes.   Tarot Magic: The Treasure House of Images (Second Edition) by Gareth Knight Another superb book by Knight. It complements The Magical World of Tarot and elaborate on his Fourfold Structure of the major arcana that is well worth studying in depth. The book also includes pathworkings as well as a number of rituals.   Recommended Decks  CBD Tarot de Marseille This is a high quality reproduction of the traditional Tarot de Marseille published by Nicholas Conver in 1760, with the expressions on the faces of the characters somewhat softened. The creator and artist is Yoav Ben-Dov, who wrote an excellent book on reading the TdM, Tarot – The Open Reading. Ben-Dov has also released the images of the cards under a Creative Commons license for personal use. It’s a great first TdM.   TdMs from Tarot of Marseilles Heritage Yves Reynaud and Wilfried Houdin are master card designers who produce stunning facsimiles of historical decks that contain all the ink smudges, color mismatches, and paper imperfections of the originals. The decks include TdMs by Pierre Madenie (1709), François Chosson (1736), François Heri (1718), and Claude Burdel (1751). You can’t go wrong with any of them, and it feels like you are holding a historic relic in your hands. They come in a solid, telescoping box with a reproduction of the original packing sheet and are printed on very sturdy stock.   Tarot de Marseille de Jean Noblet The oldest known Marseille tarot (c. 1650), restored and reproduced by Jean-Claude Flornoy, and one of my favorites. It is weirdly phallocentric, with the Fool’s fully exposed genitalia about to be shredded by the dog/cat/lynx and the Magician’s forefinger transformed into a penis. The cards are sturdy but smaller than average and easy to shuffle. This deck has a unique, iconoclastic charm and remains a favorite among many TdM loyalists.   Ancient Italian Tarot (also known as Soprafino) A traditional Marseille design embellished in the 19th century with luxurious, richly detailed art. Hands-down one of the most beautiful tarots ever, with my favorite Star card of any deck. It has a warm, inviting feel and is one of my go-to decks for professional readings as well as personal use. Il Meneghello has a typically well-produced Soprafino that is essentially the same as the Lo Scarabeo version but on heavier stock and fancier packaging.   Minchiate Florentine Not a traditional tarot, as it has 97 cards, with 41 major arcana cards instead of the usual 22. This facsimile deck from 19th century Florence has special relevance for magicians as it contains cards for each of the four elements and signs of the zodiac, which I find much more useful than the shoehorned Golden Dawn and Thelemic astrological correspondences. The gorgeous, limited printing of 1500 is available from Il Meneghello, and comes in a handcrafted box with a wax seal. http://www.arnellart.com/osvaldo/taro-no-minchiate-fl.htm   Mantegna Tarot A fifty-card deck from the middle of the 15th century, based upon a series of engraved prints by an unknown Italian artist. This deck is essentially a treatise on late Medieval/early Renaissance society and spirituality, and is decidedly Neoplatonic, with the nine muses and Apollo, seven traditional planets, fixed stars, the Primum Mobile, and Prima Causa. Another non-traditional deck, like the Minchiate, that can be put to specific magical purposes, especially for those working with Hermetic and Neoplatonic systems. The Lo Scarabeo edition is embossed with silver foil and looks truly magical in candlelight.   The Alchemical Tarot: Renewed 4th Edition One of the only modern decks I use with my clients. Robert M. Place is a tarot scholar and artist, and this deck is based in the alchemical tradition, with art drawn from historical manuscripts and integrated into the traditional tarot (with some similarities, especially among the minors, with the Rider-Waite-Smith, making it an easy transition deck for RWS aficionados). Place’s artistic style is appropriately ancient, and this deck feels and performs like an object out of time. This is a deck you can read with right of the box, and if you’re drawn to alchemy, it’s a must-have.   Sola-Busca Tarot The Sola-Busca is the oldest complete tarot, and the first to use scenic art on the pip (minor) cards. The imagery is grotesque and oddly modern, at times resembling the work of the surrealists and H. R. Giger. It is a symbolically elusive deck and I have yet to crack its mysteries, but with the upcoming book by Scarlet Imprint, there is sure to be renewed interest in its enigmatic (and allegedly alchemical) imagery. The only available deck I am aware of is the lovely (but pricey) limited edition version printed by Wolfgang Mayer in 1998 and distributed by Giordano Berti. https://solabuscatarot1998mayer.wordpress.com

This week the one and only Gary Lachman returns to the show to talk about Colin Wilson, existentialism, phenomenology and the twentieth century counter-culture. A fantastic chat. Enjoy! Show Notes Gary's latest book, Beyond The Robot: The Life and Work of Colin Wilson Gary's website and blog

For Uncle Al's birthday week, we speak to Cath Thompson about her recently released The Magickal Language of the Book of the Law: An English Qaballa Primer. EQ is an alphanumeric system derived from Liber Al that allows for the examination of any other text or concept within the context of a Book of the Law worldview. We also talk art, magical misadventures and school séances. Good times. Show Notes The Magickal Language of the Book of the Law: An English Qaballa Primer Cath's blog, and some details on the EQ system

This week we speak to the one and only Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold about his latest book, Ifá: Forest of Mystery. We also discuss troll mountains, Quimbanda, fallen angels, spirits of the left hand and loads more. Excellent times. Show Notes Nicholaj's blog The book itself Nicholaj on Facebook A primer video on Ifá 

This week we speak to the editors of Rubedo Press's latest publication, Cypriana: Old World, about all things Cyprian and Justina. Specifically that is Dr Al Cummins, Jesse Hathaway Diaz and Dr Jenn Zahrt. We discuss St Cyprian's hagiography, the differences between his Northern expression and his Iberian one, Cyprianic grimoire magic, his cross-cultural and gender implications and a boatload more (including actual boats). A splendid, splendid chat. Show Notes Get the book The Rubedo Press blog Jesse’s Store Jesse’s Blog Dr Al’s site Dr Al’s grimoire tumblr    

This week we speak to one of my very favourite UFO researchers, Dr Ardy Sixkiller-Clarke. Ardy has been collating contemporary UFO encounters within an indigenous American context for many years, as well as experiencing a few of her own along the way. These adventures are written up in three books (so far!) that you will find linked up in the show notes. Enjoy! Show Notes Ardy Sixkiller-Clarke's website Encounters with Star People: Untold Stories of American Indians Sky People: Untold Stories of Alien Encounters in Mesoamerica More Encounters With Star People: Urban American Indians Tell Their Stories

This week we speak to Senior Reseach Fellow of the Ngai Tahu Researcher Centre at Canterbury University, Dr John Reid. Dr Reid is a specialist in economic and social development within an indigenous context with a particular emphasis on New Zealand and Polynesian experiences. Topics covered include the origins of animism as a term, why it is still useful today, how a river can be your ancestor, what animism looks like today and what it might look like tomorrow. Show Notes Dr Reid's TEDx talk on the Power of Animism Dr Reid's recommendations for further study: Tim Ingold An interview with Tim Ingold Rane Willerslev An article by Rane Willerslev