The Uncrossed Path Blog
Welcome to The Uncrossed Path Blog, where each post delves into the art and practice of cartomancy, focusing on traditional approaches to tarot, playing cards, and Lenormand, grounded no-nonsense divination. Here, you’ll find explorations of cartomantic techniques, interpretations grounded in cultural and philosophical insight, and discussions that emphasize clarity over mystique. Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or a discerning seeker, these articles offer a rigorous approach to understanding the cards, with an eye on truth rather than trend.
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The Gifts of Great Aunt Marija
What does it mean to inherit magic? Is it about traditions passed down, or is it something we must create for ourselves? Reflecting on the life and craft of my Great-Aunt Marija, this piece explores the balance between honoring ancestral legacies and forging a unique path in magic. Through her story, I delve into the power of resilience, the lessons of the cards, and the sovereignty we claim as magicians.
The Ancestral Transmission
In Serbian folk religion, Saturdays are reserved for the dead. It is the day we pay our respects to the dearly departed. For the very same reason, it is believed that people born on Saturday can peer into the Otherworld. Because of this, I pay special attention to Saturdays and my bond with my ancestors and celebrate it with simple offerings: a beeswax candle, a cup of coffee, and some incense. The very same way they respected their ancestors whenever they visited their graves.
The Magic of a Bell
Bells have a special place in my memories. Most of them relate to one of my favorite childhood holidays: The Lazarus Saturday, otherwise known as “Vrbica” (loosely translated as “The Little Willow” or “Willow Day”) in Serbian folklore. It is a holiday for which children need to don their best apparel and go to the church adorned with willow wreaths and little bells hung around their necks. As the holiday marks the resurrection of Lazarus, the willow branches are given out by a priest (in lieu of palm branches in Central Europe) to represent children greeting Jesus with palm branches, and the bells are supposed to represent the overpowering of death.
A Quest For Power
Many of us would like to leave some sort of lasting mark on this world. This can, of course, take many forms. But what strikes me in the occult niche is that everyone is trying to ‘reinvent’ something which always turns out to be there already. Somehow we still believe that we can bring something ‘unique’, and ‘authentic’, against all odds and common sense. And not only that: we want to both bring it and dominate the damn room with it.
On Justice and Brilliance
On Friday, enveloped in the smoke of rose incense, we raise a glass for Lady Venus, our creative efforts, and all the beauty that ensues.