Tuesday, May 25, 2010

The Tarot and Photography

The ajna chakra, that swirling center of energy just above the eyebrows, is my third eye. 

The camera's viewfinder is my fourth. 

However different they are, in my own experience I feel that a psychic and a photographer works in the same manner: they leave their normal everyday consciousness for a while, and then see the world in a different perspective. The psychic gains insight. The photographer comes up with art.

The tarot has been invaluable for me as a tool for self-divination, path-working and skrying. Now it has also become a source of artistic inspiration. I remember that when I got my first tarot deck (a Rider-Waite), I kept staring at the artwork of each card, like miniature Magrittes.

That's probably why I came up with these curious photos. All of these were taken at the spur of the moment. In that split-second instant where I have to think of composition, the beautiful and arcane imageries of the mystical tarot have resurfaced themselves in my subconscious.



 
The Five of Cups, and Glenish wearing her hooded jacket with the view of the mountains of Baguio under bleak skies.



The Two of Wands, and Carla flanked between two small trees while looking over a river somewhere in the province of Bataan.



 
The Fool, and a little girl taking her puppy for a walk on the road in Binangonan, Rizal.



 
The Eight of Wands, and a boy sitting among leaning trees in a forest in Quezon province.



 
The Queen of Swords, and Ms. Liza, our "queen", preparing work plans in her laptop while Mr. Owen, our "king", prepares sandwiches in the kitchen. Taken during our company trip in Fontana, Pampanga.



 
The Ten of Cups, and Julius standing on a pillar - at the center of earth, sea and sky. 


There have been many metatheses of the word TAROT with their own mystical meaning - ROTA (wheel), TROA (gate), ATOR (hathor), TORA (law); but one stands out as my favorite: O, ART.


Bathala Nawa!





Sunday, May 23, 2010

Finding Fortune



A horseshoe on my front door.

Because we need all the luck we can get.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Enochian Fire Wand

I purchased a dignum wand during a visit to Mt. Banahaw as a souvenir but I wasn't really able to use it at first since it looked like something security guards use to inspect bags with. It was perfect however as a base for a fire wand because of its shape. Eventually I was able to turn this meager stick into a holy symbol of the magician's burning will with enough acrylic paints. 

On its sides are inscribed the words EDLPRNAA, BITOM, and the Hebrew ADNI (Adonai) - all relating to fire. The four red nodes represent the four fires of alchemy. I use this wand to touch the Enochian letters on the Holy Table while vocalizing their names to 'activate' (ignite) them. It is also used in the usual way when invoking the angels themselves or reciting the calls.


Christeos Pir!

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The Divine Table



My old and trusty Enochian Holy Table, used in communing with angelic forces. I think it's function might be to condense and filter telluric currents that may affect the images that "come forth" from the skrying sphere that is placed upon it. Preliminary to the main Watchtower ritual, I vocalize the names of the Enochian letters inscribed on it to put me into an Enochian-flavored alpha-state. The table was fairly easy to make: I just used a felt-tip marker with silver ink to write the on a small tea-table which can easily be bought in department stores.

The beaded green and yellow necklace is associated with Orunmila, Yoruban god of visions and divination. As an orisha worshipper, I call upon his powers occasionally in the hopes of receiving more vivid and meaningful image in my skrying sessions.

Basbasan Nawa!

 
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