Lovecraft Tarot
As a delightfully hand-held summary of "ways to go insane, HPL-style" there is the H.P. Lovecraft Tarot.
"This second revised edition of the Lovecraft Tarot, published by Mythos Books LLC 2002, 2nd revised edition, contains 78 cards corresponding to the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana of the traditional tarot; the Minor Arcana of The H.P. Lovecraft Tarot consisting of the Suits of Man, Artifacts, Tomes & Sites; the Major Arcana consisting of entities and creatures of H.P. Lovecraft & the Cthulhu Mythos."
You can even get it from Amazon, a sure sign that the Apocalpyse has been leveraged for its commercial value. Or get a free reading here.
In fact, I asked for some help on a story that I've been wrestling with that has Lovecraftian overtones. "How should the Painter solve his problem?" Here's my answer:
The Cross and Triangle spread is a powerful means of understanding complex situations, developed by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This spread is rich in occult and mystical symbolism, and one of our favorites here at Facade. The Lovecraft Tarot is a tribute to the gothic writings of the visionary H.P. Lovecraft. It is the deck of choice for explorers of the macabre, and for posing questions that should never be asked.
The first card, the significator, is placed in the center of the cross. This card represents the prime energy manifest in your life. Page of Tomes (The People of the Monolith): The essence of fire behaving as earth, such as wood or coal: The surprising appearance of a new passion. An adventurer who blazes through life, acting as a catalyst that others may harness. The intense enthusiasm and childlike imagination that fuels any new venture, needing only the application of mind and material to make it a success. Inner fire that can drive away fear and replace it with fury. Can represent a person of some timidity, but whose innate passion can be easily ignited. May indicate the birth of a child.
The second card, placed above the significator, represents Air. It describes your spirit, process of thought, and the influence of reason. Shub Niggurath, when reversed: Stifling matriarchal influence. Unhappiness, selfishness, poverty and disruption of the home or family. Indecision, paranoia, and jealous rage. Sterility.
The third card, placed to the right of the significator, represents Fire. It describes your motivations, creative energies, and the influence of passion. Knight of Tomes (The Ponape Scriptures): The essence of fire, such a great conflagration. One filled with vitality and passion for life. A sexy and exciting person, daring in their actions, cocky in their attitude, and utterly without fear. Absolute sincerity, coupled with violent emotions that swing wildly from one extreme to another. Boundless creativity and lust for a change of both pace and place. The rapid approach, or more likely departure, of something that sets your world ablaze. Often suggests travel or escape.
The fourth card, placed below the significator, represents Water. It describes your emotions, meditations, and the influence of love. Ten of Man (Wizard Edward Hutchinson): Fulfillment and joy in life and love. Feeling peace, tranquility, and contentment in friends and family. Taking delight in one's good fortune.
The fifth card, placed to the left of the significator represents Earth. It describes your physical presence, position in life, and the influence of the material world. Seven of Man (Captain Obed Marsh), when reversed: Daydreams and fantasies brought into realistic focus. The contemplation of many options leading to a conclusive choice. Inner clarity that dissipates illusions and false choices. Remaining connected to reality in the face of intoxication, delirium, or hallucination. Under rare and extreme circumstances, may indicate the failure to recognize a transcendental spiritual truth.
At this point the cross is complete and the triangle is formed. The sixth card, placed on the bottom left of the triangle represents one of two opposing forces. Queen of Man (Harley Warren), when reversed: The dark essence of water, such as a deep and foreboding lake: Discomfort with the worlds of mind and matter, leading to a retreat to the spiritual. The embrace of negative relationships, driven by the desperate fear of being alone. Devotion to fantasies and daydreams, to the exclusion of practical skills or the pursuit of knowledge. Insecurity leading to dishonor, vice, and undue susceptibility to outside influences.
The seventh card, placed on the bottom right of the triangle represents the force that opposes the bottom left card. These forces may be external, but they are frequently one's own inner archetypes in conflict. Two of Artifacts (The Colour Out of Space), when reversed: Indecision due to contradictory characteristics brought together. Tension in the aftermath of a quarrel that has been resolved. Scheming, abuse of trust, and agreements made in bad faith. Allowing the mind to block off the emotions. Self deception as a means of justifying cruel acts.
The eighth card, the reconciler, is placed below the cross in the third vertex of the triangle. This is the force that will resolve the conflict between the bottom left and bottom right cards. By meditating on this force and bringing more of it into your life, you can bring the matter at hand to a swifter conclusion than would naturally occur. Great Race of Yith, when reversed: Detachment based on fear, irresponsibility or naiveté. Self-imposed isolation from friends and loved ones. Listening to the wrong advice or ignoring good counsel. Concealment, disguise, and unreasoned caution.
The ninth and final card, placed in the center bottom of the triangle, represents the final outcome unless you change course. Azathoth: Fearlessness, imagination, open-mindedness, and an adventurous spirit. Freedom from cares and worries. Ideas, thoughts, and impulses coming from a completely unexpected place. Nonchalance at the threshold of gaining all or losing all. Extravagance and intoxication with life. The pure and undifferentiated power of creation itself, where ultimate knowledge and oblivion are unified.
Gardening
I'm turning into a gardner. Well, a neophyte at best. We're done ripping up the backyard which means that it is time to start thinking about what we're going to do with it now that we've cleared off a bunch of the ugly stuff.
I was never very good with colored pencils so this part of the job (the sketching and humming to oneself as we drew pictures of the plants on the page) has always been reluctantly undertaken.
Still, I can crib from places like Monrovia which do a lot of the drawing for you. Yessir, need some garden inspiration. Naturally, Melissa found this link. I'm just bookmarking it here so that I don't forget.
More Misfits
Jody Franklin, our eleventh misfit, has been officially introduced to the world at the Misfit Library website. His autobiographical piece, "Halfway to a Threeway," is a funny little tail of teenage hormones and can be found here. We have our other two misfits actually, making our complement the full thirteen, and they'll be unveiled soon. Meanwhile, we are working on the first volume of the journal. Working like little elves trying to get all the toys done before Christmas.
Book of Soyga
Because I lose these things unless I bookmark them: Book of Soyga, including all the corrected tables as deciphered by Jim Reed in his paper. The Book of Soyga was one of the mysterious and lost manuscripts of John Dee, referenced very urgently in one of his early conversations with Uriel in the shewing glass. It was thought lost until 1994 when it was discovered in his manuscripts under a different name. I've yet to find any good documentation about the document prior to Dee's mention of a copy in the 16th century.
Aldaraia sive Soyga vocor: SYMBOLIC rumination about Soyga.
RSS Change
The site has been redesigned and, as a result, pages have moved around. One of these is the RSS Feed. It is now located here:
http://www.markteppo.com/feed/index.rdf
Plan accordingly.