Metaphor and allegory have long been used to demonstrate moral lessons, and philosophical theories. Whether the lesson comes from the “Holy Bible” or “The little train that could”, the metaphor can relay a message in a personal way, that provides more impact than a rule or law. Teaching life lessons in an encoded way, that goes beyond information only, providing a relatable experience we can identify with, helps to humanize the lesson.

I have wanted to convey this message that “perception is reality”, and that this knowledge can be developed into tools that can serve you in any endeavor, and use a magic lesson as an allegory for a more real magic of power and control that can only be seen by those who want to see it.

I was watching a documentary on Freemasonry and I became interested in the symbolic moral meanings of the masonic tools the compass, square and plum line. Just the idea of tools of a trade being used as symbols, intrigued me. I immediately thought maybe I could use the tools of my own occupation as symbols for the lessons I wished to share. I began brainstorming the tools associated with a magician. First thing that came to my mind was the magic wand, then cups and balls, rabbit and hat, coins (which are not only pulled out of your ear, but represent money and resources a major tool of the magician), at this point my mind snapped to the suits of the tarot cards. I didn’t remember all the suits of the tarot but thought of wands and coins, so I looked it up and what I found was that the suits were the wands, cups, swords, and coins. Not only that, those tools in the tarot, are the tools of the Magician. My idea of using the tools of the magician as symbols for lessons of life had been stolen from me a few hundred years before. This bit of serendipity lead me to a deep study of the tarot, freemasons, symbols, secret societies, and the occult in general. Within the first few days of intense studying the tarot symbols I had a dream about the four tools, only in an ancient archetypal setting. The dream showed the value of each of the tools from the perspective of an ancient “everyman”, and how the tools can be combined to better accomplish a task. The dream was clear and direct with the symbolic meanings, the interpretations, clearly defined within the dream. The insights I gained from this dream is the primary reason I include it.

I learned there are two basic approaches to the reading of tarot cards, symbolic and divinatory or psychic. Any one who has studied the tarot cards in depth begins to understand that the symbolic interpretations of the cards are used as a way for the quadrant to reflect on his or her own situation. By comparing the meanings of the cards to the specific parts of the question a neutral resolution can be reflected on. Often this reflection is helpful in dissolving an unwanted issue, or bringing a more clear perspective to the quadrant. In this way the tarot can have real value. This is no more supernatural than a friend or bartender giving you advice that you begin to contemplate and practice and that advice may eventually help resolve your issue, or not, either way it gets you thinking in a new direction. By using the cards as a sounding board in this way, they can be used as a self help tool. The bible and other texts can be used the same way. In this way any superstitious folly such as horoscopes, or palm reading can be helpful sometimes, but believing in the supernatural is not.

I mentioned that I began to examine my own belief structures and ask myself why I believed the things I did. As a child we only occasionally visited church. I sometimes felt as if I was missing out on “magic of Jesus” when my schoolmates would tell me of the miraculous things he could do. They would also repeat the warnings they were told at church that if I didn’t become baptized and turn over my life to Jesus I was destined to burn in hell. Around 12 or 13 years of age I started going church more often, a Methodist church, then around 16 a Baptist church. I thought of myself as a Christian but began to question the churches motives and even the doctrine. I stopped going to church at 18 still believing myself a Christian. For the next few years I was focused on my magic shows and lost faith to the point that I really didn’t identify myself as a Christian. During religious discussions I would sometimes take a “devils advocate” position that certain parts of the bible were not literally true, allegory at best. Then when I was around 21, I began to study the bible with some Jehovah’s Witnesses and became convinced that the bible is the true word of God and Jesus Christ was indeed the savior. The Jehovah’s Witnesses recognized the same flaws and with mainstream religion that I saw. During this period I believed, but always questioned, because I began to notice that so many others believed and never questioned. I believed that I was in studying of a truer interpretation of the Word than an ordinary Christian. Eventually I saw that the things that bothered me about main stream Christianity, were present in the Witnesses as well. Intolerance and conformity, plus the fact that I had a problem with “faith”. I would ask a hard question and get an answer like; “that is where faith comes in”. I have never been able to believe something just because others believe it. Eventually I felt that the men who wrote the bible were just that, men, and just like today they let consensus and superstition contaminate their rational minds. During my late 20's and early 30's I slipped into an agnostic view though I didn’t identify myself as one. Eventually I began to examine the things I truly believed and why, were modern interpretations of the bible enough fact to actually believe in the “magic “of Jesus and Moses and the other miraculous events, documented in the bible? I know, because of my profession that people are easily able to accept a paranormal solution when confronted with a situation where the true solution is not apparent. Could I be one of those people? I am human, all of my information comes into my head through one or more of my flawed senses, the answer was, of course, yes. I was de-programming. I became an atheist, and began to completely purge any belief that was irrational or based in superstition, any belief that needed faith to believe. Calling myself atheist was an eye opening experience, not only did I feel free to explore the religions of the world without fear, but realized the hold Christianity had on the United States. If I told a Christian I was atheist, most of the time they would respond as if I just told them I was a devil worshiper. Just because I stripped out the faith didn’t mean I was through with my spiritual journey, in fact it was this abandonment of all beliefs that truly set the corner stone in place to begin building a belief system I could embrace. I could truly identify with the humanist philosophy, yet some of the militant atheists left no place for future discovery, and never acknowledge the “mystery” of it all. I see science as an evolution, hints pointing to more profound hints, but the answers aren’t all in yet. After many personal paradigm shifts, philosophically, I currently embrace an agnostic viewpoint. I think Christian dogma is a myth.

I tell you this personal history to illustrate the point that, what we call "reality" itself is an ever changing perspective of your own world view. I realize for some the change is slower because the person identifies him or herself with a certain world view or belief system. When our personal world view changes the things that are important to each of us change as well.

The purpose of this writing is to give more awareness to the idea that people want desperately to believe in things beyond the natural world, this can be superstitious, yet if we limit ourselves to what we know to be true where is the place for innovation and invention. Possibility is the starting point for creativity. I try to believe little, I try not to associate myself with a particular paradigm, but always create the possibility of that paradigm. So in a sentence, "I try to believe nothing, but embrace a possibility of anything and everything". Enjoy without believing. The problem I have with identifying with a belief is because when the belief system or world view is attacked it is as if a part of you has been attacked. You personally represent your world view after all you could have any world view, so the fact that you chose to believe these things is defendable.
I realize of coarse being a fence sitting, agnostic, who looks for the lessons in all religions, and philosophies, but realizes these come from the same place that these papers I am writing now, the flawed perception and preconceived perspective of the human mind, is also a world view. True, but remember the value lies in the awareness that your world view is not who you are. I choose to take value in the lessons and the allegory and view the rest just like any other work, as a story. Even our history and science books are full of fiction and our theorys in these subjects evolve and change over time. So I view both the occult and religions the same, symbolically.

Art of Illusion continue to Symbolism