I Am Not A Fortune Teller

One of my favourite things in this world is the Tarot. Now, when you think of the Tarot, what images come to mind? A head-scarf-wearing fortune teller, living in an old, horse-drawn caravan, traveling the land, predicting the future of desperate, gullible people? As much as I appreciate the aesthetic of the fortune teller, this really isn’t an accurate representation of the Tarot; nor is it an accurate representation of the practise of divination at large.

First and foremost, I want to make this known: I am not a fortune teller! I have learned, in my near seven years of reading Tarot cards, that trying to predict the future is, honestly, a bit foolish. The future is not set in stone. Even as a practitioner of Astrology, I do not believe we are fated to anything, not Truly.

I do, however, believe that we are always receiving invitations from the Universe, and that tools like Astrology and Tarot can help us become more aware of these invitations. But whether or not we accept said invitations is up to us. Other factors, beyond the notion of ‘destiny’, come into play: both life circumstances and free will.

Continue reading “I Am Not A Fortune Teller”

Why I Love Magic Mushrooms

Author’s note: This essay was not written with the intention of encouraging anyone to use psilocybin mushrooms. Rather, I wrote this piece with the intention of merely sharing my experience. It really must be stressed that this is my experience, and that each and every individual experience will be just that: individual. While I consider psilocybin to have a positive impact on my life, you may find that the same compound has the effect opposite. Furthermore, if you are struggling with mental illness, please refrain from self-medicating and talk with a doctor.

My Journey With Magic Mushrooms

For a long while, I have wanted to talk about this. But I have been too afraid—afraid of the judgment of those who will disapprove—and afraid I might lead a reader down what could be the wrong path for them.

However, I truly believe that psychedelics are an undervalued tool for introspection and expansion. I envision a future in which psychedelic therapy is normalized and utilized. And I pray that one day it will be more commonplace to trip shrooms than it will be to risk alcohol poisoning.

Continue reading “Why I Love Magic Mushrooms”

Reaching Beyond The Trivial: A Quest For Meaning In A Bullshit-Filled World

A year ago today, I released an essay titled ‘The Good Life’ Is NOT The Four-Hour Work Week. The essay preaches about how happiness—true happiness—is derived, not from fame, money or luxury, but from spending one’s time doing meaningful work. True happiness comes from cultivating a sense of Life Purpose.

The main criticism I received on the essay was that it failed to address the systemic causes of the, as Jon Vervaeke calls it, ‘meaning crisis’. My readers seemed to agree on the notion that the problem is not that us young folk cannot find our purpose because we are too busy pursuing fame, money and luxury. From their perspective, the problem lies in the forty-hour work week; for, if we are to spend at least a third of our lives working, and another third sleeping (ideally), then how are we supposed to find and realize our purpose in the limited time that is leftover?

Upon reading these criticisms, my heart sank. As a writer who currently makes bread by working in the beauty industry, this really is the fight I am up against: Because ‘time is money’, I have a limited amount of time to tell all the stories I want to tell, and a limited amount of time to communicate all the ideas I dub meaningful.

Through all my writing—from my fictional works such as The Sun and Moon Saga to essays like this one—my intention is to help the reader find meaning in an otherwise meaningless world, in a world filled with more and more bullshit each and every day. But is capitalism solely to blame for our meaning crisis?

Continue reading “Reaching Beyond The Trivial: A Quest For Meaning In A Bullshit-Filled World”