"Not only is the universe stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine." - Sir Arthur Eddington.
I was raised Catholic, but turned away from the misogyny and narrow-mindedness of the formal teachings about the time I graduated from college. A liberal arts degree may not have a great deal of practical application (Will that be here or to go?), but it did teach me to question, research and think.
My quest for answers -- and sometimes for questions -- led me to a lifelong study of the occult and arcane. This page is a reflection of some of that search; links to sites that provide a starting ground for learning more. I am still not entirely sure what form my belief takes, but I do know that I want to believe.
OuijaOuija gives you entertainment you have never experienced. It draws the two people using it into close companionship and weaves about them a feeling of mysterious isolation. Unquestionably the most fascinating entertainment for modern people and modern life. Weird and mysterious. Surpasses in its unique results, mind reading, clairvoyance, and second sight. It furnishes never failing amusement and recreation for the entire family. As unexplainable as Hindu magic - more intense and absorbingly interesting than a mystery story.
There is a fair amount of controversy as to whether the "Witchboard" is a toy, a dangerous portal to the spirit world or something in between. There's an excellent description of theory at the Museum of Talking Boards.
I-ChingI Ching readings are a form of Stichomancy: Three coins are cast, or, the yarrow sticks are divided, and the result is referenced in the I Ching or "Book of Changes", one of Confucianism's Five Classics. The selected passages convey information and philosophy that pertains to the life of the questioner.
TarotThe Tarot is a psychological and philosophical system
consisting of 78 cards divided into the Major Arcana (22 cards),
and the Minor Arcana with four Suits, each containing four Court
cards and ten Number cards. While references to playing cards
appear in Europe from the mid-1300s, one of the oldest Tarot
decks, the hand-painted Visconti-Sforza deck of Milan, Italy (c. 1450),
may have been based on allegorial parades called Trionfi. In 1781
Court de Gibelin claimed that the symbols on the cards had ancient
sacred and magical meanings. Soon they began being used for
fortune-telling. A modern reading consists of shuffling the deck,
drawing cards, arranging them in a pattern or spread, and interpreting
the symbols in relation to a question or current life influences.
Quoted from Mary Greer's old Tarot site, which has, alas, departed
the Internet. You can find it
here, though, courtesy of the
Internet Archive.
WiccaWicca, sometimes called "The Craft" or "The Craft of the Wise" is one of many earth-based religion. The religion which is closest to Wicca in America is probably Native American spirituality. Traditional Wicca was founded by Gerald Gardner, a British civil servant, who wrote a series of books on the religion in the 1940's. It contains references to Celtic deities, symbols, seasonal days of celebration, etc. Added to this were components of ceremonial magic and practices of the Masonic Order. A more recent form is eclectic Wicca which involves a combination of Wiccan beliefs and practices, combined with other Pagan and non-Pagan elements. The various traditions of Wicca are part of the Pagan or Neopagan group of earth-based religions. Quoted from Religious Tolerance.org
Voudon (Voodoo)Voudon is marked primarily by a belief in the loa, the gods that form the voudon pantheon. Devotees of voudon believe that all things serve the loa and so by definition are expressions and extensions of deity. The loa are very active in the world and often literally "possess" devotees during ritual. Rituals are practiced primarily to make offerings to, or "feed," the loa and to entreat the loa for aid or fortune. Quoted from: The Voudon Temple of Justin Crowe
Chaos Magick, Discordianism, Satanism and Thelema are often confused and intermingled. Certainly one thing they have in common is the focus on the self as the center. I encourage you to read and form your own opinions.
Chaos Magick is a meta-belief, or you could say beyond belief. Its not about understanding how things work, but understanding that it does in fact work. Belief in chaos magick is considered a tool to get results. Its all about creating your own path. quoted from Nick's Chaos Magick Site
There are probably dozens of different religious belief systems and practices that have been called "Satanism." Depending upon the precise meaning given to the word, the total number of Satanists in the world can be anything from a few thousand to four billion individuals. Dialog on the topic is almost impossible because there is such variability in the meaning of "Satanism" and "Satanist." Quoted from ReligiousTolerance.org
Thelema is a belief system inspired by the writings and life of Aleister Crowley. Crowley himself was quite a character, and his life and thoughts make for interesting reading. Google and learn...