



MENTAL DISORDERS ARE NOT DISEASES by
Thomas S. Szasz, M.D.
Psychiatrists and their allies have succeeded in persuading the
scientific community, courts, media, and general public that mental
illnesses are phenomena independent of human motivation or will.
THE
CORE CONCEPT of mental illness--to which the vast majority of
psychiatrists and the public adhere--is that diseases of the mind are
diseases of the brain. The equation of the mind with the brain and of
mental disease with brain disease, supported by the authority of a
large body of neuroscience literature, is used to render rational the
drug treatment of mental illness and justify the demand for parity in
insurance coverage for medical and mental disorders.
Reflecting
the influence of these ideas, on Sept. 26, 1997, Pres. Clinton signed
the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996, which took effect on Jan. 1,
1998. "This landmark law," according to the National Alliance for the
Mentally Ill, "begins the process of ending the long-held practice of
providing less insurance coverage for mental illnesses, or brain
disorders, than is provided for equally serious physical disorders."
Contrary to these views, I maintain that the mind is not the brain,
that mental functions are not reducible to brain functions, and that
mental diseases are not brain diseases--indeed, that mental diseases
are not diseases at all.
When
I assert the latter, I do not imply that distressing personal
experiences and deviant behaviors do not exist. Anxiety, depression,
and conflict do exist--in fact, are intrinsic to the human
condition--but they are not diseases in the pathological sense.
According
to the Oxford English Dictionary, disease is "a condition of the body,
or of some part or organ of the body, in which its functions are
disturbed or deranged; a morbid physical condition." Diagnosis, in
turn, is "the determination of the nature of a diseased condition ...
also, the opinion (formally stated) resulting from such investigation."
The
core medical concept of disease is a bodily abnormality. Literally, the
term "disease" denotes a demonstrable lesion of cells, tissues, or
organs. Metaphorically, it may be used to denote any kind of
malfunctioning of individuals, groups, economies, etc. (substance
abuse, violence, unemployment, et al.).
The
psychiatric concept of disease rests on a radical alteration of the
medical definition. The mind is not a material object; hence, it can be
diseased only in a metaphorical sense. In his classic, Lectures on
Clinical Psychiatry, Emil Kraepelin--the founder of modern
psychiatry--wrote: "The subject of the following course of lectures
will be the Science of Psychiatry, which, as its name implies, is that
of the treatment of mental disease. It is true that, in the strictest
terms, we cannot speak of the mind as becoming diseased."
If
we accept the idea that the diagnoses of mental illnesses refer to real
diseases, we are compelled to accept them as diagnoses on a par with
those of bodily diseases, albeit the criterion for what counts as a
mental disease is completely different from what counts as a bodily
disease. For instance, in Psychiatric Diagnosis, Donald Goodwin and
Samuel B. Guze, two of the most respected psychiatrists in the U.S.,
state: "When the term `disease' is used, this is what is meant: A
disease is a cluster of symptoms and/or signs with a more or less
predictable course. Symptoms are what patients tell you; signs are what
you see. The cluster may be associated with physical abnormality or may
not. The essential point is that it results in consultation with a
physician." According to these authorities, disease is not an
observable phenomenon, but a social relationship.
In
contrast to Goodwin and Guze's assertion that mental illness need not
be associated with physical abnormality, Allen Frances, the chief
architect of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual, DSM-IV, states: "The special features of DSM-IV are
... elimination of the term `organic mental disorder' because it
incorrectly implied that other psychiatric disorders did not have a
biological contribution."
Linguistic
considerations help to illuminate the differences between bodily and
mental disease, as well as between disease and diagnosis. We do not
attribute motives to a person for having leukemia, do not say that a
person has reasons for having glaucoma, and would be uttering nonsense
if we asserted that diabetes has caused a person to shoot the
President. However, we can and do say all of these things about a
person with a mental illness. One of the most important
philosophical-political features of the concept of mental illness is
that, at one fell swoop, it removes motivation from action, adds it to
illness, and thus destroys the very possibility of separating disease
from non-disease and disease from diagnosis.
Diseases
are physico-chemical phenomena or processes--for example, the abnormal
metabolism of glucose (diabetes). Mental diseases are patterns of
personal conduct, unwanted by the self or others. Psychopathology is
diagnosed by finding behavioral, not physical, abnormalities in bodies.
Disease qua psychopathology cannot be asymptomatic. Changing the
official classification of mental diseases can transform non-disease
into psychopathology and psychopathology into nondisease (i.e., smoking
from a behavioral habit into "nicotine dependence"). In short, medical
diseases are discovered and then given a name, such as acquired immune
deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Mental diseases are invented and then given
a name, such as attention deficit disorder.
Nowadays,
names routinely are given not only to somatic pathology (real or bodily
diseases), but to behavioral pathology (psychopathology or mental
diseases). Indeed, if we propose to treat misbehavior as a disease
instead of a matter of law or social policy, we name it accordingly
(for instance, "substance abuse"). Not surprisingly, we diagnose mental
illnesses by finding abnormalities (unwanted behaviors) in persons, not
abnormalities (lesions) in bodies. That is why forensic psychiatrists
"interview" criminals called "patients" (who often do not regard
themselves as patients), whereas forensic pathologists examine body
fluids. In the case of bodily illness, the clinical diagnosis is a
hypothesis, typically confirmed or disconfirmed through an autopsy. It
is not possible to die of a mental illness or to find evidence of it in
organs, tissues, cells, or body fluids during an autopsy.
To
summarize, anthrax is a disease that is biologically constructed and
can, and does, kill its host. Attention deficit disorder, on the other
hand, is socially constructed and cannot kill the patient.
If
we fail or refuse to distinguish between literal and metaphorical
diseases, we confuse and deceive ourselves and others not only about
the differences between treatments influencing the body and those
influencing the person, but about the differences between medical
treatments (such as performing an appendectomy for acute appendicitis)
and medical interventions (performing an abortion terminating a
healthy, but unwanted pregnancy). To be sure, there is something to be
gained by not distinguishing between diseases and diagnoses, complaints
and lesions, and/or treatments and interventions. It permits creation
of a therapeutic utopia--a medical fairyland with "miracle cures" not
only for diseases, but for non-diseases as well.
Mental diseases are behaviors
No
one believes that love sickness is a disease, but nearly everyone
believes that mental sickness is, and virtually no one realizes that,
if this were true, it would prove the nonexistence of mental illness.
If mental illnesses are brain diseases (like Parkinsonism), then they
are diseases of the body, not the mind. A screwdriver may be a drink or
a tool, but it would be foolish to do research in the hope of
discovering that some cases of orange juice and vodka are hitherto
unrecognized instances of carpenters' implements. contemporary American
is so thoroughly psychiatrized that it is quite useless to demonstrate
the logical-linguistic misconceptions inherent in the claim that
"mental illness is like any other illness." Unless people are prepared
to defy the combined forces of the state, science, medicine, law, and
popular opinion, they must believe--or at least pretend to
believe--that mental illnesses are brain diseases; scientists have
identified the somatic lesions that cause such illnesses; and
psychiatrists possess effective treatments for them. Conventional
wisdom as well as political correctness preclude entertaining the
possibility that mental illness, like spring fever, is a metaphor.
In
short, psychiatrists and their allies have succeeded in persuading the
scientific community, courts, media, and general public that the
conditions they call mental disorders are diseases--that is, phenomena
independent of human motivation or will. Because there is no empirical
evidence to back this claim (indeed, there can be none), the
psychiatric profession relies on supporting it with periodically
revised versions of its pseudo-scientific bible, the American
Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders.
The
official view is that these manuals list the various "mental disorders"
that afflict "patients." My view is that they are rosters of officially
accredited psychiatric diagnoses, constructed by task forces appointed
by officers of the American Psychiatric Association. Psychiatrists thus
have constructed diagnoses, pretended that the terms they coined were
morally neutral descriptions of brain diseases, and few in political
power have challenged their pretensions.
My
argument may be put another way: The existence of John Smith's bodily
disease--say, astrocytoma, a nerve tissue tumor--is discovered and
empirically verified. Radiologists identify the tumor; neurosurgeons
verify its presence by observing the lesion with their naked eyes; and
pathologists confirm the diagnosis by examination of the tissues. In
contrast, the existence of John Smith's mental disease--say,
schizophrenia--is declared and socially verified. His alleged illness
is identified by psychiatrists, who diagnose his behavior as
schizophrenia; other psychiatrists verify its presence by committing
him to a mental hospital, where he acquires the right to refuse
treatment, which he exercises; and a judge confirms the diagnosis by
declaring him mentally incompetent to refuse treatment.
Because
the idea of mental illness combines a mistaken conceptualization (of
nondisease as disease) with an immoral justification (of coercion as
cure), the effect is two-pronged--it corrupts language and curtails
freedom and responsibility. Because psychiatrists have power over
persons denominated as patients, their descriptive statements typically
function as covert prescriptions. For instance, psychiatrists may
describe a man who asserts that he hears God's voice telling him to
kill his wife as schizophrenic. This "diagnosis" functions as a
prescription--for example, to hospitalize the patient involuntarily
(lest he kill his wife) or, after he has killed her, to acquit him as
not guilty by reason of insanity and again hospitalize him against his
will. This coercive-tactical feature of psychiatric diagnosis is best
appreciated by contrasting medical with psychiatric diagnosis.
Diagnosis of bodily illness is the operative word that justifies a
physician to admit to a hospital a patient who wants to be so admitted.
Diagnosis of mental illness is the operative word that justifies a
judge to incarcerate in a mental hospital a sex criminal who has
completed his prison sentence.
So
long as there are no objective, physico-chemical observations shown to
be causally related to depression and schizophrenia, the claim that
they are brain diseases is unsubstantiated. In the absence of such
evidence, psychiatrists rest their claim that these major mental
diseases are brain diseases largely on the contention that drugs keep
the disease processes "under control." The absurdity of this claim lies
in its own consequences.
Diabetes
is kept under control by insulin. When patients stop taking their
medication, the disease process flares up and kills them. Lupus is kept
under control by steroids. When patients stop taking their medication,
the disease process flares up and kills them.
This
is not what happens when patients with serious mental diseases stop
taking their medication. Depression is kept under control by
antidepressants. When patients stop taking their medication, the
disease process flares up, but the disease does not kill them. They
kill themselves, an act psychiatrists attribute to their so-called
mental illness. Schizophrenia is kept under control by anti-psychotic
drugs. When patients stop taking their medication, the disease process
flares up, but the disease does not kill them. They kill someone else,
an act psychiatrists attribute to their supposed illness.
If
we restrict the concept of treatment to a voluntary relationship
between a medical practitioner and a competent client, then a coerced
medical intervention imposed on persons not legally incompetent is, by
definition, assault and battery, not treatment. Psychiatry is thus a
systematic violation of this legal-political principle, one that is
especially odious because most persons treated against their will by
psychiatrists are defined as legally competent--they can vote, marry
and divorce, etc. It is important to keep in mind that, in a free
society, the physician's "right" to treat a person rests not on the
diagnosis, but on the subject's consent to treatment.
Regardless
of psychiatric diagnosis, the typical mental patient is entitled to
liberty, unless convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment. If
that patient breaks the law and is convicted, then he or she ought to
be punished for it as prescribed by the criminal law. In a free
society, a person ought not to profit from psychiatric excuses or
suffer from psychiatric coercions.
Thomas Szasz is professor of psychiatry emeritus, State University of New York Health Science Center, Syracuse.



Once upon a triangulation, there came a lonely old man, full of self hate and deprecation. He had no life of his own, and his liver had deteriorated from years of drug addiction, and the cirrhosis that accompanies. His mind remained polluted from high ammonia levels in his blood, and his thinking was skewed on a good day.
She leaned up against the wall. Her head cast downward, as if in shame. The wall held her up in the darkly shaded alley. She had gone beyond fatigue and seemed so tired. Tired beyond exhaustion.


|
![]() |
Long-term Potential
![]() |
|||||||||||||||
![]() |
Advice
![]() |
||||||||||||||||
![]() |
Significant Other
![]() |
||||||||||||||||
|
Blocks & Inhibitions
|
THIS DEALS WITH MARIA, CHRISTINA, T, D, P, JEANNIE(whom I will never see again, whew!), AND SOME OTHERS BUT NOT V(Cb whom I never loved as a woman loves a man, romantically...)
| Your Interpretations |
Love & Me: Seven of Wands
|
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING
A positive attitude and strong potential prime you to achieve something exceptional in the relationship arena.
The card in the Love & Me position touches on an aspect of how you perceive yourself right now.
The
Seven of Wands in this position points to a personal breakthrough or a
moment of triumph. You have done a lot of work on your ability to
relate to others and are at the peak of your potential.
You are a winner even if the proof hasn't manfested just yet. With such
a positive attitude and strong potentials so carefully cultivated, you
are bound to make a strong showing with regard to the relationship
itself or something that involves you and the other person.
GENERAL MEANING
This
suit, most often called "Wands" and sometimes called "Rods" or
"Staves," represents initiative, ambition, drive and desire. This is
the suit of enterprise and risk-taking.
The Seven of this suit
generally shows a person who is nearly always successful in working her
or his will in the world. This is a person who is truly gifted,
standing head and shoulders above the rest, a standard-setter and
exemplar that exceeds previous conceptions of what is possible.
In
historical Tarot, this person would most likely be portrayed as an
admired and feared warrior who has vanquished his adversaries against
all odds, but nowadays such an outstanding feat could just as easily
apply to the world of the media, politics or business.
Beware
of creeping smugness that can be hinted at by this card. Being
successful does not make you invincible, and it does not protect you
against errors! Enjoy your "fifteen minutes of fame" and then get back
to your tasks, or your head will swell, to the detriment of your
ability to succeed again.
MEANING of POSITION
The card in the Love & Me position touches on an aspect of how you perceive yourself right now.
The
Love & Me position represents your personal identity in the Now,
your only real point of power. It's not about you in an objective
sense, but rather a reflection of how you perceive yourself. It points
to an aspect of your self-image, outside of how others might see you.
Consider the meaning of the card that lands here in light of
your inner experience, your personal perspective about yourself and the
issues you bring to this reading. Who are you? What kind of attitude or
energies are affecting you right now? What do you want? It's not always
easy to know yourself. Clarity about values and roles is essential for
skillful behavior. Values evolve, but don't be too attached to roles --
they can change.
Your attitude is of primary importance here because, more than
anything, it supports a capacity for happiness, success and love. How
are you contending with fears that arise? What aspect of yourself is in
need of development here? Is there any attitude that may be in need of
change?
The way you perceive yourself may prove to be accurate or inadequate as
the reading unfolds. You may want to take a second look at this
position at the end of the spread.
Love Situation: Eight of Wands
|
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING
Your relationship is caught in a vortex of intensifying demands. There may well be a lot of fires to put out right now!
The
card that lands in the Love Situation position refers to social or
circumstantial factors which could be affecting your relationship at
this time.
The Eight of Wands in this position indicates that
you are running to keep up with rapidly multiplying developments that
seem to be taking on a life of their own. Perhaps both you and your
love interest believe the challenge is beyond your capabilities. Being
proactive may be difficult because stimulating events may demand too
much of your attention.
This may not be the result of any serious weakness within the
relationship, however. Perhaps you are simply treading water in a high
tide of escalating consequences. This can also be an exciting, if
exhausting, time in which you could be tested at every level. As your
heart's desires are realized, know it takes courage to cope with the
confusion of chaotic changes.
GENERAL MEANING
This
suit, most often called "Wands" and sometimes called "Rods" or
"Staves," represents initiative, ambition, drive and desire. This is
the suit of enterprise and risk-taking.
The Eight of this suit
often shows a flight of spears or staffs moving through the air in
formation, as if a hidden group of archers had let fly all at once.
This can refer to swiftly unfolding events, whether of intentional
design or unpremeditated. There are also versions that emphasize the
agricultural cycle, paralleling the yearly crop cycle with the swift
growth of children into adults with children of their own.
In
each case, the emphasis is on the necessity of change and the challenge
of keeping up with it. With the turning of the seasons we are
constantly being forced to deal with change, and there is no remedy but
to live with that in mind. So, get busy -- there is no time to waste!
MEANING of POSITION
The
card that lands in the Love Situation position refers to social or
circumstantial factors which could be affecting your relationship at
this time.
The Love Situation position provides a general
context for your question -- the set and setting, the politics,
whatever is going on around you that might be impacting the situation
or issue you are consulting the Tarot about. This card could apply to a
specific drama or dilemma that you are now confronted with.
Consider this card in light of the issues, people, and forces
shaping your environment, your current circumstances. This position
also refers to that which is true from the start -- i.e. the hand you
were dealt.
Consider the set of influences that surround you and affect your
personal life. Take a look at how you have been wandering down your
chosen path. Our experience is naturally affected by external factors
and cycles, the ups and downs of the times. This card can offer clues
as to skillful adjustments you might make.
Love Challenges: Three of Cups
|
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING
Give attention to what is clearly positive in your relationship.
The card that lands in the Love Challenges position refers to ways that you can turn obstacles into stepping stones.
With
the Three of Cups in this position, you may have an opportunity to
support the best of what is happening around you, so leave the rest
alone. Shine a warm and loving light on what is positive in your
relationship. Don't waste time and energy -- emotionally or mentally --
on the negative.
Appreciate that you and the one you care
about have so much to be glad for, to capitalize upon, and to build on
from your shared talents, interests, and abilities. Your role is to
become an effective cheerleader so that mutual morale supports the
potential. You may then see some wonderful and well-deserved results.
GENERAL MEANING
The
Three of this suit is often entitled Consent, or simply Yes. This card
resonates with a spirit of agreement, mutual support, encouragement and
teamwork.
Often pictured as three women celebrating their
connectedness in a dance with lifted cups, it could also be called
"sisterhood," a real mutual admiration society. It points to all the
benefits of harmonious relationship.
MEANING of POSITION
The card that lands in the Love Challenges position refers to ways that you can turn obstacles into stepping stones.
The
Love Challenges position helps you get the best out of your situation.
It reflects the cutting edge in the situation, the learning curve
whereby you can turn adversity into accomplishment -- using creativity
and a positive attitude.
This card can point to recurring themes in the challenges you have
faced in your life -- and to opportunities that may yet present
themselves. Can you think of any patterns which are returning to affect
you now? If so, try to recall how you have reacted in the past. Perhaps
you can see new potentials, while noticing the hidden pitfalls too. Can
you imagine a different way of responding to the situation this time
around?
The wisdom of this card can help you turn surprises into
strengths, blind spots into windows of opportunity. Bring creativity
and flexibility to the way you go about your way in the world. Your
expanding capacity wll become an asset and source of inspiration to all.
Foundation: Seven of Swords
|
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING
You have proven your talents. You now have the choice between collecting your accolades or getting back in the game.
The card in the Foundation position points to influences from your personal history, your roots and background.
The
Seven of Swords in this position suggests that you have proven in the
past that you have what it takes to overcome all competition. Because
you've done it before, you are full of confidence. You have shown
yourself to be ahead of the others; you may even be considered a past
master. In this circumstance it is not necessary to indulge in further
heroics.
It may even be appropriate to step back and let
someone who is new to the game prove him or herself. Only if you are
concerned that the outcome could affect those you love or your own
long-term interests might you feel tempted to make a move. Otherwise,
simply enjoy your freedom in this circumstance. It's up to you whether
to respond or simply rest on your laurels.
GENERAL MEANING
The
Seven of this suit typically refers to mental preparedness, acquired
through the use of imagination, including the rehearsing and
visualizing of desired results. This card represents the positive
mental habits of a natural winner. The image most often associated with
this card is that of a canny warrior who has infiltrated into the enemy
camp on the eve of a fateful battle, checking out their preparations
and stealing their swords. Such a move is guaranteed to demoralize the
enemy and undermine their performance in the upcoming confrontation.
Putting
it in modern terms, one who draws this card needs to work smarter, not
harder. Think long and deep, study all the angles and put yourself in
the shoes of your competition. As a result, you will have such a
thorough grasp of the whole situation that there will be no surprises
-- and no excuses for anything but success. Skillful preparation
justifies the optimism of the natural winner.
MEANING of POSITION
The card in the Foundation position points to influences from your personal history, your roots and background.
The
Foundation position points to influences from your personal history,
your roots and background -- factors which are important for you to
reconnect with or examine. This is the storehouse of memory and belief
systems which you inherited.
There can be limiting beliefs, but there can also be much value in
collective knowledge and other forms of wealth which get passed down.
A review of how things have evolved to the present will help
you gain clarity and perspective. In any lineage, there are assumptions
about roles, identity and authority that can govern its structure for
years.
Sometimes these dynamics are functional and healthy, supporting and
encouraging both individual and group development. Sometimes these
structures are constrictive to the point of becoming deadening and cry
out for change. Let this card inspire you to view the present from a
historical perspective. A new way of looking at things may result.
Recent Past: Knight of Cups
|
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING
Let your longing for peace draw you into a search for deeper meaning.
The
card in the Recent Past position refers to events and relationships
that are just departing, recently influential but now diminishing in
power.
The King of Cups in this position indicates that you have
crossed paths with and been touched by a mentor well versed in the art
of living. That person's energy field taught you, perhaps without
words, to perceive and develop intuition and generosity.
You
have had an inspiring model of emotional stability you can now begin to
reproduce in your own life. Don't let this memory slip away without
contemplating and replaying it over and over again. Cultivate a desire
for that state of being and surrender to it, so that you will be moved
to make yourself and the world better.
GENERAL MEANING
Traditionally,
representing the energy of a King, this card usually portrays a watery
background, with a man seated on a throne, holding the Cup of Mystery
in his hand. Occasionally, his cup is fulminating like the mouth of a
volcano, emanating light, but never boiling over.
The man on
this card doesn't need to speak to communicate strength, passion and
commitment. Sometimes he is robed like a priest or shaman. Intense and
intuitive, he is a force to be reckoned with.
MEANING of POSITION
The
card in the Recent Past position refers to events and relationships
that are just departing, recently influential but now diminishing in
power.
The Recent Past position refers to events and
relationships that are just departing, recently influential but now
diminishing in power. Like it or not, what's done is done -- what has
happened cannot be changed or deleted.
Often what appears here is the precipitating event or realization that
brought you to the situation you are seeking guidance about now. Look
to this card to provide a little perspective on factors that brought
you into the present situation.
Higher Power: Nine of Cups
|
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING
You know there is a benevolent presence in the universe that blesses you and your relationship with another.
The
card in the Higher Power position reflects the broader perspective and
influence of your conscience, Guardian Angel, inner wisdom.
The
Nine of Cups in this position points to great blessings and emotional
abundance. Because your ego has remained pliant and teachable, your
Higher Self has arranged fulfilling rewards for you and your
relationship. Although you are clever and creative, in your heart of
hearts you know that divine providence and synchronicity have had a lot
to do with whatever success you have achieved.
Show your
gratitude to a Higher Power; acknowledge that you never could have
accomplished anything worthwhile without its backing. Other awakenings
may come as well: that you are not alone, that you are being protected,
that the Greater Whole supports your endeavors in a relationship. When
you want what is best for everyone, spiritual forces arrange what is
best for your union. That may seem illogical to some, but when you have
experienced it, a tremendous amount of fearful anxiety goes away. You
can directly acknowledge the light that shines upon you from on high.
The evidence lies right here in this experience.
GENERAL MEANING
The
Nine of this suit is sometimes titled Happiness, but it is also known
as Victory. The image on several versions of this card often shows an
innkeeper doing a brisk business and feeling very happy about it all.
The
rewards of high achievement are not all monetary, however. This
happiness also refers to the feelings of fulfillment that come from
good service to the community and support of one's family, as well as
gratitude for all the blessings in one's life.
MEANING of POSITION
The
card in the Higher Power position reflects the broader perspective and
influence of your conscience, Guardian Angel, inner wisdom.
The
Higher Power position points to your larger Self -- beyond personality
and roles -- which knows and holds your best intentions, your hopes and
aspirations. This position gives you a soaring bird's eye view, serving
as a reminder of the essential meaning of your life -- your
relationship with your Soul.
Enjoy this moment to savor the larger view of your struggles
and their value toward your growing ability to give and receive love
freely.
The card in this position is a mirror of your conscience, the
part of you that needs to see you living up to what you know is right,
and holding others to that as well. This is the influence of your
better nature, your inner wisdom -- call it "the Oversoul" or "Guardian
Angel," if you like.Your self-respect depends upon keeping a good
relationship with this Mature Self, the Witness Who Is Not Fooled.
In general, this card is trying to stimulate a broader perspective on
your life adventure -- by referencing the spiritual, or karmic, aspects.
Near Future: Nine of Disks
|
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING
An opportunity for serenity and a more comfortable life is on its way.
The
card in the Near Future position indicates which way the wind is
blowing with regard to your situation. If you follow the Advice card,
however, you can improve on or neutralize tendencies.
With the
Nine of Coins in this position it appears as if you will soon have an
opportunity to be well supported and get some relief from the survival
struggles that affect most human beings. The value you provide to
others through your relationships has earned you the right to this
amazing opportunity.
Loved ones and admirers will make sure that
your time and energy belong to you for a while, to spend on whatever
you please. Do not doubt that your contribution justifies the
investment that will be made in you. Allow yourself to receive this
benefit and step into the ease and security you so richly deserve.
GENERAL MEANING
The
Nine of this suit points to a person who is financially secure enough
to live comfortably. This is about someone supported by her own
business, inheritance or property. This is one person in a thousand.
This
fortunate individual has turned a historical accident into a personal
opportunity. This is one who has the vision and strength of character
to hold onto gains against all odds. Do not be fooled at the apparent
ease displayed on this card -- the person pictured is at the tail end
of a long and stressful process of winning the right to be taken
seriously. All of this grace has been paid for several times over.
MEANING of POSITION
The
card in the Near Future position indicates which way the wind is
blowing with regard to your situation. If you follow the Advice card,
however, you can improve on or neutralize tendencies.
The Near
Future position points ahead to the natural consequences of actions you
are now or will soon be taking. This card can give you a sense of which
direction the wind is blowing. It may refer to the whole situation or
merely to one aspect that is front and center for you right now. This
is the card of impending events but remember -- you still have power to
shape the way things turn out!
This is about what could happen soon -- following the dynamics
of your attitude and natural temperament. This is not cast in stone,
however. If you follow the Advice card you can improve on or neutralize
difficult probabilities that may be indicated.
Blocks & Inhibitions: Queen of Cups
|
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING
Don't procrastinate; express your heartfelt truth to your beloved today.
The
card in the Blocks position points to self-undermining tendencies,
areas where you could be in denial, where you could get stuck -- unless
you examine yourself and make some corrections.
When the Queen
of Cups comes up in this position, you may be distracting yourself too
much. If so, this will keep you from hearing the still, small voice of
your intuition and its deep wisdom. It may seem easier to just deny the
pain or distress in your life, but in the long run it only compounds
things to your detriment.
Be realistic about how long
indulging in distraction can really work. At some point the emotional
truth -- the truth of the heart --will have to be reckoned with. Call
up your courage so that the moment of truth might come sooner. Putting
off for tomorrow what should be addressed today will only increase your
overall distress.
GENERAL MEANING
Traditionally,
representing the energy of a Queen, this card traditionally portrays a
sensitive, vulnerable, omniscient woman who offers unconditional love.
She is supremely empathic -- sometimes to a fault. Her caring nature
exposes her to everybody else's emotions and needs.
This
person sometimes has difficulty identifying her own best interests in
the midst of her responsiveness to others. As a result, she sometimes
appears slightly unfocused or perhaps overwhelmed, filled as she is
with "spirits". She represents the Grail Queen, as well as the Goddess
of the Family.
MEANING of POSITION
The
card in the Blocks position points to self-undermining tendencies,
areas where you could be in denial, where you could get stuck -- unless
you examine yourself and make some corrections.
The Blocks and
Inhibitions position helps you be aware of the tapes you play in your
head that may be perpetuating obstacles to your success. What kinds of
negative messages, self-doubt or paranoid fantasies descend upon you
from time to time?
Don't let them undermine your ability to be who you are and to
contribute. Examine them and give them a name, and identify them as
separate from you (imagining them as little demons can help). This will
increase your dominion over them.
This card may point to self-undermining tendencies, areas
where you could be in denial, where you can get stuck, where you might
get in your own way unless you examine yourself and make the necessary
corrections. It easy to blame other people for frustrations that we
really have with limitations we have put on ourselves.
Significant Other: Three of Disks
|
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING
There is a lot of demand on a loved one's time and talents right now. How can you most creatively accommodate this reality?
The
card in the Significant Other position refers to someone you are
currently involved with -- or it may point to an archetypal energy
source within yourself, which supports your ability to experience a
deeper love.
The Three of Coins in this position suggests that
someone you are involved with has achieved some acclaim. If so, this
can create an artificial imbalance between you. Look for ways to be
together that serve his or her larger identity so that your forthcoming
relationship does not compete with his success in the world.
Professionally
and economically, the situation is great. However, as far as spending
time alone together is concerned, things might be a little tight right
now. In order for you to support a partner who is successful, you might
look for ways to join in the engaging yet time-consuming things that
occupies his or her time. Is there a role you can play that is somehow
related to your partner's work? There is absolutely no purpose served
by keeping your success domains totally separate - and everything to
gain by learning to support each other even better than you do now.
GENERAL MEANING
This
suit, most often named "Coins" or "Pentacles", is a symbol for a
magical talisman that represented wealth or potential. This suit
represents something supportive that is available to you -- whether it
be health, some kind of talent, a material or financial resource.
The
Three is traditionally the card of genius. Here we usually see a master
craftsman conferring with his masons on the installation of a beautiful
stained-glass window in the cathedral. This designer is often likened
to Leonardo da Vinci or Michelangelo, a multi-talented visionary who
has no peers in talent or productivity.
The masterwork is
being proudly showcased for future generations, as an object of
personal and collective pride. On some cards, the genius is portrayed
at his studio, alone and burning the midnight oil, in a creative
ferment -- driven to draw, paint, invent, or whatever work genius wants
to bring into creation. As a subtext to the rewards of genius are the
days and weeks of intense concentration it takes to solve the problems
that great works entail.
MEANING of POSITION
The
card in the Significant Other position refers to someone you are
currently involved with -- or it may point to an archetypal energy
source within yourself, which supports your ability to experience a
deeper love.
The Significant Other position gives you a glimpse
into some aspect of a potential mate or partner. No matter what either
of you or the relationship is going through, the other person has his
or her own inner experience to deal with. When you try to see through
the eyes of the other, you will find that connecting becomes easier --
and more pleasurable!
This refers to the primary other person you are thinking about
with regard to this reading. This card provides a window on your
perception of this person -- it is not meant to be a literal or
objective description of the other. This card points to some aspect of
the other person's possible meaning in your life.
Advice: Prince of Swords
|
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING
Hone
communication and conflict-resolution skills. If childhood family
patterns were abrasive, make an effort to alter that pattern for the
sake of your intimate relationships.
The card in the Advice position suggests a course of action which will harmonize what you want with what is currently possible.
The
Knight of Swords (in some decks, a Prince) in this position advises you
to work at accepting and integrating your partner's different view of
the world. To support this relationship, adversarial tendencies may
need to be harnessed wisely. This knight knows he is effective when
testing ideas in a debate. However, when he forgets to keep it
lighthearted, he may inflict considerable damage that is difficult to
repair later on.
At his best, he is open-minded and curious.
He remembers how to keep the conversation impersonal and humorous so no
hurt feelings are provoked. Having a clear understanding about
communication styles with your partner could help motivate greater
control over impulsive comments. Quiet the urge to negate your loved
one in order to be 'right.'
GENERAL MEANING
This
card is traditionally entitled the Knight, but in some modern decks
appears as the Prince. Traditionally, this card portrays the restless
mind, aroused by thoughts of offense and defense, storming around
searching for a target to pounce on. He often feels slighted, has a
chip on his shoulder and bristles with a hostile attitude. His usual
method is to look for someone to blame for his irritation.
Furthermore,
in an attitude of righteousness, he may assign himself the job of
correcting the offender. Jumping easily to conclusions, he shoots
first, asks questions later and is therefore often guilty of overkill.
This is not to say that he does not have his heroic side; a
single-minded combativeness can have its value. However, even when he
is doing the right thing, he is likely to be doing it for the wrong
reasons. Apt advice for this card is to deeply question your motives
for what you are thinking about doing. Forethought will assist you in
discriminating between righteous and unrighteous causes. Control any
traces of impulsive judgement!
Occasionally you will notice in
the detail on the card, that the person can be a woman rather than the
expected man. There is some evidence that the tradition of knighthood
included a certain number of "anonymous knights" who took mythic names
and veiled their true identities. Living on the road with few or no
servants, they served as free-lance defenders of travelers, champions
of the little people against the exploitation of both highway robbers
and the wealthy classes. Odds are that some of these knights-errant
were camouflaged women, and that idea is preserved with the traditional
representation of the Sword Knight.
MEANING of POSITION
The card in the Advice position suggests a course of action which will harmonize what you want with what is currently possible.
The
Advice position may present a new option or direction, based on a
different perspective on what could be helpful to you at this time.
There may be a resource you have not accessed or a new point of view
that opens your eyes to a solution or remedy you hadn't considered
before. Or this card may simply reaffirm something you are already
doing or planning on doing. It could even reframe the "problem" in a
different manner altogether!
There may be one particular aspect of your life that needs
attention. This could be an attitude, an unconscious habit, or some
element of the environment that is impacting the way you take care of
your relationships.
By adjusting your next move to take the message of this card into
consideration, you are more likely to achieve better results. Yet there
are times when even the concept of "doing" is too much. Contemplate
this card from the viewpoint of possible avenues for action, if any.
Then just let yourself flow gently along those lines.
Long-term Potential: Ten of Disks
|
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING
The
energy used to create worry and stress can be channeled in a new, more
beneficial method of long-term relationship fulfillment.
The card in the Long-term Potential position points to unknowns still taking shape. It is the "wild card" yet to be played.
The
Ten of Coins in this position generally indicates a long-term potential
and opportunity in a relationship. Contributing positive effort and
energy may be able to bring enough security and fulfillment that
there's some to spare. Rest assured that you and yours will be taken
care of.
Ask yourself some important questions. Does negative
energy really serve you and the one you care about most? What will you
do with the energy you no longer squander in fear, worry or stress?
What new kind of power does it bring you to have a feeling of security?
Share with others how you are doing it. Express your passion in an
abundant and caring way. By operating out of positive energies, you may
discover a greater sense of peace and fulfillment in your relationship.
GENERAL MEANING
The
Ten of this suit represents the final result of cumulative efforts --
perhaps after generations of effort -- resulting in such abundance that
it directly and indirectly supports a lot of people. One layer of
meaning refers to the pride of supporting your own lineage of
well-loved souls.
Imagine a flow of resources so abundant that
you are filled not only with pride but also self-respect and gratitude.
Such bounty can impact the destiny of many families and generations.
Nobility obligates its possessors, and the obligation must be passed
down from generation to generation along with the abundance and freedom.
MEANING of POSITION
The card in the Long-term Potential position points to unknowns still taking shape. It is the "wild card" yet to be played.
The
card in the Long-term Potential position reveals probabilities and
possible long-term results of the path you are going down. Because this
card reflects the far future, you have time to consider if this is
really the outcome you want to cultivate.
The deep future contains unknown factors still taking shape.
This card can give clues as to the nature of these factors and the
long-term result of this relationship. It can also reveal a "wild card"
still to be played before all is said and done.
THIS DEALS WITH MARIA, CHRISTINA, T, D, P, JEANNIE, AND SOME OTHERS BUT NOT V(C
whom I never loved-there's nothing there to love...
Let me say that I still love all these women and that I do not fall in love. That foolishness is for children and people who are stupid. Love is practical and positive and not based in addiction, like so much of it is today. Just because I am not with any of these women does not mean that I don't still love them and it doesn't mean that I long for them-I don't.






WEH NOTE: EQUINOX I, 6 has "...the might..."
might have been ten thousandfold the human; but that which floodeth him is the infinite mercy of the Genitor-Genitrix of the Universe, whereof he is the Vessel.
WEH NOTE: EQUINOX I, 6 has "Now..."
shalt thou adore me who am the Eye and the Tooth, the Goat of the Spirit, the Lord of Creation. I am the Eye in the Triangle, the Silver Star that ye adore.
WEH NOTE: EQUINOX I, 6 makes this sentence the first of the following paragraph.
Hold thyself in as I am master to accomplish. At the end, be the end far distant as the stars that lie in the navel of Nuit, do thou slay thyself as I at the end am slain, in the death that is life, in the peace that is mother of war, in the darkness that holds light in his hand, as an harlot that plucks a jewel from her nostrils.

In our misanthropy, we have learned that pleasantry gets us everywhere. We still pet people's dogs. We don't let them lick us. Dogs seem drawn to us. We can catch and bridle or halter horses that others can not approach because they know we won't harm them. In business, some of our consultation has no price to pay-we do this as a courtesy.

Disconnected,
defiant in the lust for life,
quieted in the desolation
of those who believe the pervasive
lies.
Disconsolate,
free from the deprivation,
errant in the musing of their
self deprecations.
No dying gods, no resurrected sons,
no proforma salvation,
only salivations and perturbations,
Indulgences ten score from desire.
The desire which does not beget suffering,
the desire that warms and heals and satisfies,
the desire I have in my mourning
resurrection,
bereft without sorrows,
We don't need a God to save us,
We create and eat our Demons,
We ride this fractal, this rollercoaster,
this hammock nap on the beach,
this repose on a mountainside meadow
before tundra and treelessness.
Eyes roll back in our ecstatic heads,
the intentions internalized,
our collective will seems a priori,
We kiss
again and again in softness,
in affection,
in lust,
toward the cuddling slumbers...