In Tarot, you might describe the 2 of Cups as new love, falling in love, love at first sight, and/or infatuation.
It’s all about that wonderful feeling of being absolutely smitten by someone, wanting to gaze into their eyes, and fall deep into their soul, a soul you’re sure is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.
But what does science have to say about this 2 of Cups type state, and is it real?
Take a listen to Bill Nye in the Big Think video below as he tackles that very issue … What is the Evolutionary Benefit of Infatuation?
In his description of the famed composer, Gardiner reminds us that one need not be an angel to channel the divine.
As I was listening, it made me think of one of my own favourite rebels – Aleister Crowley.
Though I don’t believe he was as wicked as he liked his reputation to be, there were definitely elements of his personality that would have been very difficult to deal with.
Despite that, the Thoth Tarot he created with artist Lady Frieda Harris is still my very favourite Tarot deck ever. It’s simply brilliant.
I think Crowley did somehow manage to channel something divine, though like Bach, there’s no doubt he himself was a bit of a devil.
If Tarot’s Fool were a philosopher, I think he might be something like experimental philosopher and conceptual artist Jonathon Keats.
Like the Fool, Keats recommends opening your mind and taking a leap. You might not know where you’re going to land, but that’s just part of the adventure, and part of what keeps the universal conversation fresh and ongoing.
Watch the Big Think video below to see what Keats has to say about philosophy, curiosity, and the importance of amateurs asking their own questions.
Though experiments in Quantum Physics have turned up remarkable, and sometimes seemingly magical events on the quantum level, Horowitz cautions New Agers and Occultists from jumping to conclusions.
Phenomena like entanglement and the uncertainty principle are exciting. But they don’t prove telepathy, clairvoyance, or the power of positive thinking.
They can and should, however, get us to pay attention and start a conversation. Something interesting is going on. We just don’t understand it yet.
Take a look at this video of Mitch Horowitz talking about the emergence of liberalism, occultism and the feminist movement in the United States. It’s part of the Big Think series.
In it, he argues that it’s no surprise these movements grew together, as all three were rooted in radical ideologies of democracy, equality and personal empowerment.
The book chronicles the history of spiritualism and the occult in the US starting in the 1770s, and focusing on the Burned-over District in Upstate New York.
This video is a quick overview of some of the main themes in the book.
Take a look, and if you get chance, read the book. It’s fascinating.
