Ephemeral’s Comments (group member since Jan 02, 2025)

Ephemeral’s comments from the Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism group.

Remembering that first and foremost this group is meant to be no pressure and asynchronous, here is a suggest study schedule and some maybe, helpful stats:

January = 50 pages
January 1-16
Letter I: The Magician (1-26)
January 17-31
Letter II: The High Priestess (27-51 = 24)

February = 46 pages
February 1-15
Letter III: The Empress (51-75 = 24)
February 16-28/29
Letter IV: The Emperor (75-97 = 22)

March = 48 pages
March 1-15
Letter V: The Pope (97-121 = 24)
March 15-31
Letter VI: The Lover (121-145 = 24)

April = 56 pages
April 1-15
Letter VII: The Chariot (145-171 = 26)
April 16-30
Letter VIII: Justice (171-197 = 26)
If one finishes early this month, please start on May as there are 70 pages that we'd like to read in May.

May = 70
May 1-14
Letter IX: The Hermit (197-231 = 34)
May 15-31 70 pages
Letter X: The Wheel of Fortune (231-267 = 36)
If one finishes early this month, please start on June as there are 72 pages that we'd like to read in June.

June = 72 pages
June 1-15
Letter XI: Force (267-303 = 36)
June 15-30
Letter XII: The Hanged Man (303-339 = 36)

July = 60 pages
July 1-16
Letter XIII: Death (339-371 = 32)
July 17-31
Letter XIV: Temperance (371-399 = 28)

August = 62 pages
August 1-15
Letter XV: The Devil (399-429 = 30)
August 16-31
Letter XVI: The Tower of Destruction (429-461 = 32)

September = 64 pages
September 1-14
Letter XVII: The Star (461-491 = 30)
September 15-30
Letter XVIII: The Moon (491-525 = 34)

October = 62 pages
October 1-14
Letter XIX: The Sun (525-553 = 28)
October 15-31
Letter XX: The Judgement (553-587 = 34)

November = 72 pages
November 1-15
Letter XXI: The Fool (587-623 = 36)
November 16-30
Letter XXII: The World (623-659 = 36)

Letters with more than 30 pages
1. Letter IX The Hermit (34 pages)
2. Letter X The Wheel of Fortune (36 pages)
3. Letter XI Force (36 pages)
4. Letter XII The Hanged Man (36 pages)
5. Letter XIII Death (32 pages)
6. Letter XVI The Tower of Destruction (32 pages)
7. Letter XVIII The Moon (34 pages)
8. Letter XX The Judgement (34 pages)
9. Letter XXI The Fool (36 pages)
10. Letter XXII The World (36 pages)

Average reading statistics for Meditations on the Tarot
Total of 658 pages / 22 Letters = 30 pages average per letter
22/12 months = 2 letters average per month
2 Letters a month times 30 pages average per letter = 60 pages average per month
60/30 days a month average (rounded down from 30.42 in a non-leap year) = 2 pages a day

We are (I am) called Eph. As you will have noticed We tend to use the first person plural when self-referencing. We will strive to capitalize We when it is meant as a personal pronoun. If it is at the beginning of a sentence, We will usually add a parenthetical if We think it may not be clear (example beginning of this paragraph).

We also identify as non-binary and prefer they/them pronouns.

We are an atheist, albeit a spiritual atheist. Before We were an atheist, We were a Roman Catholic seminarian and a Benedictine postulant. Our ordinations as a deacon and eucharistic minister remain active as our bishop refused to annul the orders claiming we are more Christian than most who claim to be Christian. We would beg to differ but that would be semantical.

We were and are very contemplative, reclusive, and autodidactic. Our interests of study are mostly philosophy, psychology, anarchism, quantum physics, and futurism.

Our brand of spiritual atheism comes from our belief in a form of panpsychism that borders on pantheism except the consciousness/mentality that imbues "all that is" is probably more of proto consciousness, the building blocks of consciousness. But it does exhibit some mentality; affectivity/subjectivity. This personal belief (and some experience) is a form of a philosophy of consciousness based on quantum physics called dual-aspect monism. Anyways, as there is so much that is still a "mystery" regarding consciousness phenomenon, We often use spiritual or religious terms when referencing them. Many of which are found in "Meditations on the Tarot." And, We find Tarot cards not only as a great tool for spiritual and psychological development, but we enjoy experimenting using them as a means of contacting and conversing with the hypothetical proto-consciousness; an idea We got from reading Pullman's "His Dark Materials," and Lyra's use of the alethiometer where the tarot cards act as the alethiometer and proto consciousness is Dust.

That said, we have been a student of "Meditations on the Tarot" since the turn of the millennium. We've read it many times in solitary but hope to engage with others on the ideas and concepts this very dense and referenced book contains which keeps us coming back to it again and again. If you, "Dear Unknown Friends," have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Our personal guiding principles are universal compassion, love, and acceptance.