spirituality

I just finished "Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey Into Christian Hermeticism". This was one of the most challenging but rewarding books I've read, it took me almost a year of intermittent reading to finish it. It is very dense but also very interesting. The author works through the major arcana of the tarot, treating them as symbols and analogs for lessons or challenges on the spiritual path. The book therefore has nothing really to do with the act of reading tarot or cartomancy but rather uses the cards as a medium to explore esoteric ideals contained within. At the same time he draws parallels between the teachings of saints and sages of the Christian faith, the Jewish Kabbalah, as well as exploring ties with many eastern concepts from Buddhism or Hinduism. Absorbing these thoughts and concepts in the way they are presented here often lead to a sort of intuitive awareness of the ideas which felt altogether revelatory - a sort of aha! moment which occurs over and over throughout, allowing a gentle refinement of perspective to the point that by the end of the book I feel genuinely refreshed and appreciative of religion and spirituality in a new way. While at times the author does place the Catholic church in the highest esteem, as a non-Catholic I can nonetheless both admire his love for his faith and also recognize that the wisdom contained here transcends the need for a particular religious perspective aside from the love of truth and submission to divine experience.

I often listen to Alan Watts' lectures. I know that's not exactly reading a book, but his lectures are very similar to his books, which I've read. They are the only way I can sleep a lot of the time. He really had a brilliant way with words.