The upcoming theme for this year’s Lunatics Magazine is rituals (submissions are open through August 29th 2021 BTW).
As I’ve been thinking over rituals means to me and how I want to represent that through art, some thoughts have manifested. I have never been religious. But I have always felt what I call spiritual. Which I think can be a vague and somewhat annoying term to some. What I mean by spiritual is not that I am necessarily aligned with a deity (though I am having a lot of fun learning about Paganism and the Goddesses and Gods that cultures long extinct have worshiped), but rather a connection to myself.
I find it very hard for my frantic brain to have a moment of silence or self reflection. Even when I intentionally try to set aside time to meditate or “relax” it’s almost impossible for me to do so. My natural state is busy. Even sitting on the couch watching a movie can be hard.
In the past the one thing that’s provided an entry point to relaxation/introspection for me is spirituality through the occult. Which is sort of a dramatic thing to say, but I am sticking with it. I'm fascinated with the occult and my personal ancestor's history with it.
What that really means is that Tarot (among other practices) has been a great gateway tool for me to connect with myself.
This is a good time to explain my views on Tarot. Unlike other tarot enthusiasts, I don't necessarily believe that the cards are being controlled by a divine being. I don’t think that they are a message from a higher power. I do, however, think that every single time I’ve read cards for someone they came to that reading with a specific issue in mind. Even if it was in the back of their mind, no matter which card I pulled, they were going to connect it to that specific topic.
Through this I learned that tarot and oracle cards are actually wonderful little lenses to self reflect through. They are little thought starters to examine your life. Prompts to look at your life through a new perspective.
I find, especially in a community setting, it can often be the motivation that a dear friend needs to open up about something that’s been bothering them. Maybe something that they didn't feel really comfortable talking about, but through the ritual of a tarot reading, they feel confident and safe to explore.
Just some random thoughts for you.
All my love,
Abby