My favorite way to greet a friend via text is “Hiiiiiiii!” where the number of “i”s varies. To me, this stylized version of a traditional greeting has a sing-song fondness and gentle excitement to it. Imagine the word starting at a higher pitch than your normal speaking voice, then dropping a whole note. Really sweet hello, isn’t it?
I’m feeling good today, and I hope the same is true for you. The nice UPS man delivered a pair of beautiful, red Moxi skates today, which I’ve been waiting for since August. Also, Pickled Pig, a very good deli-style restaurant in Cincinnati, is serving Cubanos tomorrow, with which I am obsessed. Between those two treats and the prospect of a bath tonight, it feels like I have a lot to look forward to.
Seeking signs
Recently my friend Rae told me that her tinnitus rings at a specific note, and I imagined a world where people would seek information about themselves based on the note that rings in their ear, just as we might do with our birthdates or the lines on our hands.
Wikipedia has a huge, alphabetized list of types of divination, and I’m wary of looking too closely because I’m prone to believing in things (according to personal experience, and information about my Pisces rising sign). I did a quick scan to confirm that there isn’t already a tinnitus divination, and to pick some honorable mentions. Brontomancy is divination by thunder; carromancy is divination by dripping hot wax into water and making meaning of the shapes; nephomancy is divination by clouds; onomancy is divination by the letters in a name. The list goes on, suggesting that people have looked for signs, guidance, and meaning in just about every corner of existence.
I would never base major decisions solely on a horoscope or a strange dream, but these sorts of things do add something to my life. Sometimes things can feel some mundane and tedious — especially lately — and looking for the mystical gives life a feeling of depth and curiosity that I need. When life lacks enthusiasm, I will take a synchronicity with great, solemn excitement. I cherish a chance to perceive a little connection with the universe when I’m feeling off. Maybe magic is in the eye of the beholder.
I don’t believe in one single thing with conviction, but I do find sacredness all around. I can understand why people would believe that the sun was god. It brings hope and comfort, it gives us life, and we, as a planet, are constantly under its control. All the celestial bodies seem spiritually significant, if only because of the way their presence can put us in our place and remind us that we’re an infinitely small part of something much bigger.
I think it would be nice if astrology was a definite and true resource, but instead it might just be one of those things that can make you think from a fresh angle when you need it. This is the thing about common types of divination that I genuinely value. Say what you will about the legitimacy of their message, they still spark intrigue, curiosity, and even an introspection that I think can be helpful.
Sometimes I like to use a tarot card or a birth chart reading in the same way I might use a card from the Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt Oblique Strategies deck — just to get the juices flowing.
How about a tarot card pull for demonstration!
I’m looking ahead at the weekend, which will include some much needed downtime, as well as some work that matters to me. Whatever I pull from this Thoth tarot deck I’ll take as insight for the next few days.
*shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, cut*
Prince of Disks. I’ll be honest with you, I don’t like this card’s vibe. Its rusty, earthy colors are not as pretty as I’d like them to be, and there’s a bull staring out at me with a slightly aggressive stance. He’s pulling a naked orange man who is holding a staff and a sphere, and riding on a big, iron looking wagon of sorts.
Angelpaths.com — whose slogan is “Walk the paths of angels, tread the road of dreams” — tells me that the Prince of Disks sometimes indicates a person learning to take responsibility in every day life, which checks out, as I’ve been focused on establishing a routine sleeping schedule this week. This peaceful man and and his charging bull also seem to represent working towards goals, and being impatient with people who don’t believe in them.
From this I could take away the idea that I need to stay focused on my projects this weekend. Does that mean I’m not going to put my metaphorical bull in the pen and enjoy some time of rest too? No, it does not. Was I going to work on the projects anyway? Yeah, I was.
Hmm… another card for argument’s sake.
Princess of Swords looks like an edgy tinker bell atop a throne of smoke, waving her sword at the weather. I’m told she can be stern, aggressive, and revengeful. Taking these adjectives into consideration, as well as the image of her elegantly battling the heavens, could inspire me to carry an awareness of my self-doubt and negative self-talk with me into the weekend. The card doesn’t tell me my future, but it gives me something to think about.
A song for you
Because it has the word “tarot”in it, and because it’s been stuck in my head all week, I present this track by Canadian shoegaze band No Joy.
Gonna go scoot around on my new skates now.
xo
Katya