Money in those cards

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The theme for this Tarot Blog Hop is Tarot and finance. Oh, that dirty, filthy evil lucre.

The wrangler of this Tarot Blog Hop asked some questions to give us inspiration for this post.

"Have you done your taxes yet?" Oh hell no, that is next weekend that the accountant comes over to help me and my wife fill out those dreaded tax forms.

"How do you use the Tarot in relation to matters financial?" I use it as a thinking tool and model (because I am guilty of applying this model to everything).

"Do you make a living from it?" No, not yet. But someday, I do plan on making Tarot an income path for myself (along with all the other projects that I am working on).

"Do you sometimes have a sneaky peek to help you pick lottery numbers or have a flutter on the gee-gees (and have you had any luck)?" I gave up playing the lottery years and years ago. Now, if we are talking about the Writer's Lottery (where one is gambling that one's writing is going to make a buck or two), then why yes, I have used the Tarot to peek at the future success of some of my projects.

"Do you take the risky path of advising others on financial matters or is  a no-go area?" Yes, I have done Tarot reading for people that involve finances: typically, job related questions. And yes, I have charged for these readings...though one must note that on occasion, I have been paid with chickens, cheese, and peanut butter.

"Is it just the Pentacles for money matters or do you associate other less obvious cards with this area?" Uh, the whole deck relates to money...

Just some ideas that I have for a Tarot deck, or two. 

One of the things that I have learned reading the Tarot cards is that the deck (no matter which one you use) becomes all about the subject of the question. Sure, there are those nasty shot-gun readings, where the cards ignore the question and pepper answers about all areas of a person's life, but often that is because the person's life in one big ball of wax and manure where everything needs fixing and one's issues in another areas of life is wrecking one's ability to make money.

A project that I have kicked around doing is a Monetary Tarot deck, a deck where every card is focused on money and finances. And some of those ideas have made their way into previous Tarot Blog Hop posts.

For instance, this version of the five of pentacles from a previous Hop.

One of the reasons that I would like to have a Monetary Tarot in my collection is it would help with cold reading. One of the cold reading techniques I learned is that the client's choice of Tarot deck tends to be related to the question they are asking. I have a Tarot deck with lots of lace and pink in it, and I know that if a client picks that deck, the question is all about relationships and love. I figure a Monetary Tarot would work the same way; if a client picks it, then the question has to be all about money.

Kicking around possible art ideas for such a deck, I have highly considered using money as the background of the cards. The Magician card of this particular post is an example--though I think I am going to re-do it and make the bill yellow instead (for contrast purposes); or maybe find an actual piece of paper money that is yellow for the background (though using Ol' Ben for the Magician card has some appeal to me as a historian). And certain types of money would be better for certain cards than for others---I am thinking of using Chinese Heaven Money for the Hierophant, and Chinese Hell Money for the Devil card. And for the suit of Pentacles, use actual coins to stand in for the pentacles.

Of course, for me, the question would be "Has someone else done this already? And is there an actual market (or need) for a Monetary Tarot deck?" Because I suspect that I would have to drop some monetary resources into completeing such a deck. Then again, occasionally, I do the art just because I want to. In my fantasy world, someday I complete one of my silly Tarot decks and people actually buy them in sufficient numbers that I can smile at my wife, and be able to honestly say that I am making money as a Tarot artist. Yes, I am hoping to find money in them there cards.

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Fourth Western Mystery Conference has been cancelled

Jefferey Lee Contrersas (S.O.M.A.--Society of Magical Artists) announced yesterday that the Fourth Western Mystery Conference has been cancelled.

And I wish that I could say that it was a big surprise; but last month based on things I heard though back channels, I suspected that it was going to have to be cancelled. Quite simply, there were not enough ticket sales to pull it off.

Unfortunately, Contrersas sunk a lot of money into this project, going into debt to try to make it   happen. And he might still be on the hook for even more money---the venue is going to charge him an extra twenty-five percent on top of the deposit that Contrersas had already gave them, if they can't find someone else to rent out the building for that weekend. Every dime that Contrersas took in from ticket sales went towards the non-refundable deposit on the venue. And yes, that means that ticket refunds are going to take some time to occur.

(Plus, a lot of attendees are going to be out hotel deposits and plane ticket fares.)

[Update 2015.10.22: A follow-up post concerning a donation page to help with ticket refunds.]

And now, that I relayed the news, it is time for Mad Uncle Morgan's soapbox.

Please note that I am not talking to those who buy tickets to such events, or who actually buy occult books, or pay lodge dues. I am just talking to the whiners who want to see these things done for free or dirt cheap.

For those people who complain that there are not enough magic and occult conventions, this is why there are so few. You all want them, but a high percentage of you are unwilling to pay for them (and ticket sales is how these events get funded...well, outside of the massive money sunk that the organizers suffer). And yes, it boils my blood when I encounter someone who argues that there should be no cost for attending such events (because that monetary burden should not be dumped on the people who spend their time and energy organizing such events).

It is a lot of work to put on such an event, and it requires a massive budget and bankroll to pull events off.

If you want events, you have to be willing to buy tickets to such events. You also need to spread the word about such events. These events don't just magically happen.

And while I am at it, the same goes for occult books. I just loathe those people who think that occult writers should write and distribute occult books for free. No. No. No. It is an insult to occult writers to expect them to give up time, energy, and personal experience to feed your need for occult books, and to do it all for free. If you want new occult books, you need to accept the fact that writers need to be paid for their hard work.

Same goes for working Orders. Running an occult Order is hard work, robs one of personal and magical time, and is a pain in the ass. Yes, there are a few crooks out there (which some of you have no problem giving money to---is it you paying for the sizzle, and not the steak?). But most Orders are operating at a loss.

Oh, there is no local magical lodge. Are you willing to pay for one to exist? Oh no! That's why there ain't one in your neighborhood.

I don't care how much you do not like it---money makes the wheels go round. Remember that the next time, you want one of the leaders in the occult community to do something for free.

One percent has always existed

Recently, I have started working with the lightning glyphs from Jason Miller's book. And as a side effect, I have had some thoughts about Jupiter, wealth, and the effect of luck on my own little universe.


(And I was thinking about this stuff before the rash blog posts that have occurred in the last couple of days on Jupiter--the blogosphere seems to have a hive mind *wink*.)


First, the one percent has always been with us. In the cave man days, it was the cave that housed the best hunter-gatherer. The Romans had one percent-ers. And the far future will have one percent-ers...unless humanity becomes a communist hive mind.


Second, it is a really great time to be alive. Merit and luck have never been bigger factors in turning people into successes than today. And merit and luck today can consist of the world's dumbest YouTube video.


Third, in my chosen profession (ye old world of writing), I am already pretty lucky. Your average self-published writer only sells nine copies (according to one source), and I am doing way better than that.


And finally, I really do not care about how rich people are. The one percent-ers can remain rich. What actually matters to me is how poor I am, hence my working with the lightning glyphs of Jupiter.


(Yes, I know I should want everyone to be equal in terms of money, but I am not yet enlightened enough to join the communist hive mind yet.)

Get paid to do Great Work

Last night, one of my friends asked if there was any way to get paid to do the Great Work. Is it possible to make your livelihood doing the Great Work? or helping others do the Great Work?

Now, being a Rosicrucian, my answer is based on the Fama Fraternitatis. In this founding document of the Rosicrucian movement (which Golden Dawn and the BIORC may or may not be a part of--depending upon who you ask), we learn the original Brotherhood bound itself by six rules.

First, That none of them should profess any other thing than to cure the sick, and that gratis.

Second, None of the posterity should be constrained to wear one certain kind of habit, but therein to follow the custom of the country.

Third, That every year, upon the day C., they should meet together at the house Sancti Spiritus, or write the cause of his absence.

Fourth, Every Brother should look about for a worthy person who, after his decease, might succeed him.

Fifth, The word R. C. should be their seal, mark, and character.

Sixth, The Fraternity should remain secret one hundred years.

It is the first and second clauses that has the most bearing on this particular question.

Let's start with the second clause, which states that no future generation of the Order will be forced to wear a particular style of clothes, that they will adopt the customs of the country that they are living in. The extension of this clause to this question is the implication that if one normally gets paid for a profession in the country that one is living in, then a Rosicrucian is also entitled to charge for that service or product.

It is the first clause that complicates matters. There are three parts of it that we need to understand, for it applies to all in the Fraternity.

The first part is "profess"--which is not only to claim, but it is also related to the words professor and profession. It also relates to taking the vows of a religious Order. So does this mean that the only profession that a member of the RC can take is that of a doctor? Or that is the only subject that they can teach? Or are they only allowed to join religious Orders and tradtions that are focused on healing? Or something else?

The seond part we need to understand is what is meant by "cure the sick." Is this referring to physical sickness? Or to mental sickness? Or to societial sickness? Or all three?

We do know one thing that it does not refer to---the members of the Brotherhood are not allowed to cheat death. Even though they are allowed to live life free from disease and pain, "they could not live and pass their time appointed by God." Even the most learned of them, the very founder of the Fraternity, Brother R.C. dies. Yet the fact that they live from from illnesses and pain indicates that curing the sick does include the physical. So must the members of the RC be doctors and nurses? or must they be some form of healer which work affects the physical body? Ironically if the latter, it would mean that a member of the RC can work in any profession that provides care and substance to the physical body, or that has a positive effect on the human body---this would include cooks and writers.

The last and third part, we must understand is what is meant by "gratis." This word is related both to grace and to gratuity (aka tips). At the very least, the members of the RC are allowed to take tips for their work. The implication is that a member of the RC is not allowed to withhold their services from those who are unable to pay; but they are also allowed to accept payment, or at least tips, for the work that they are doing.

So given that the members of the Fraternity are allowed to adopt the customs of the country they are living in, the range of activities that could lead to healing, and the fact that the membership is allowed to take tips---yes, you can get paid to do the Great Work; just remember to have a sliding scale on your fee structure.

If you disagree with me, because you speak the original language and I am using an English translation, remember that I am allowed to adopt the customs of the United States of America which is the country I am living in. Also bear in mind that I would like to keep a roof over my head and food on the table without having to resort to robbing banks or begging on the street. Nevertheless, feel free to criticize my reading of the material---you can't possibly disagree with me more than the professors at the University of Colorado do.

Aid to Haiti (Red Cross)

Given the number of requests to get aid to Haiti, both healing energy and monetary, I would like to mention that I feel that the best way to get money and supplies to victims is to do it though the Red Cross.

I have personally dealt with the Red Cross during one of my own emergencies.

The Red Cross actually had fifteen people in Haiti when the disaster happened (they were doing shot clinics), so they had eyes on the ground to help the incoming voluteers get oriented. The Red Cross is also used to dealing with government red tape, and corrupt political systems; they actually know ways to make sure the aid gets to the victims while avoiding lining the pockets of corrupt politicans.

You can learn more about the Red Cross though the Red Cross website.