Understanding Crowley’s Book of Thoth Review

By Paul Hughes-Barlow | Published: June 12, 2009

Given the iconic status of the Book of Thoth, it is amazing that it has taken so long for anyone to write a serious commentary. Rumours of the imminent publication of such a book by the O.T.O have been going on for years. Read More »

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Howlings Reborn

By Paul Hughes-Barlow | Published: June 2, 2009

The second edition of Howlings will be published on the 9th of June 2009, and apparently it has been redesigned – the content remains the same. The first edition of 333 copies sold out within days, so here is your chance to get your hands on a rare esoteric book on the Goetia. Numbering starts 334, and there will be 666 printed.

As you may know, I contributed a chapter on my experiences of a visit from Andromalius. Andromalius appeared to me a few days after I was commissioned by Scarlet Imprint to write a chapter.

Howlings II is destined to appear in the Autumn.

Scarlet Imprint are doing lots of interesting work in revitalizing the occult literary scene. I wish I had got to Occulture early enough to have seen their talk.

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Lifting Spirits at Occulture

By Paul Hughes-Barlow | Published: May 24, 2009

After a very long wait of six years Occulture has at last come back. The Solar Event was originally going to run till around 6pm, but an evening Lunar event was added later. I was asked to reprise my talk on the Tarot which I had done in 2003. Immediately I decided to name the talk Tarot Cabaret, which sound great unless you knew that my experience of cabaret is insignificant. Read More »

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King Solomon Reading Cards

By Paul Hughes-Barlow | Published: May 17, 2009

I have just come across King Solomon Reading cards, a set of 36 divination cards representing the 72 Names of God, or shemhamphorash. The website is in Hebrew, but there is a an English version (look along the  top navigation bar). These 72 Names are the basis for the 72 Goetic spirits as described in the Lemegeton of Solomon. Quite what kind of spread you use for divination, I do not know, but it will be interesting to see how it works.

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Tarot Talk at Occulture 2009

By Paul Hughes-Barlow | Published: May 17, 2009

I am going to do a ‘Cabaret Tarot’ at Occulture 2009 in London this Saturday. As well as doing some 3 card readings for the audience, I am going to talk about new directions tarot can take, and some of the projects I am working on at the moment.

Occulture gave me my first talk on the Tarot back in Brighton in 2004, and it was a time when my publisher first contacted me, which resulted in Tarot and the Magus. I also spoke at the Toronto Tarot conference that year.

Talking to an educated audience in magic and esoterica, can be a bit daunting, but I do enjoy the challenge.

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Delving into the magical powers of the Tarot

By Paul Hughes-Barlow | Published: May 9, 2009

My first ever appearance on stage to talk about the tarot was with the help of Jon Tapsell as a precursor to speaking at the Occulture Festival in Brighton a few years ago. As part of my talk, I did some three  card readings for some members of the audience, which was very entertaining (many said it was the best bit).

Jon has kindly asked me to come back to the re-launched Occulture Festival on the 23rd May 2009 in London. This time I am really going to push the boat out, as I explore the powerful spiritual forces associated with the tarot, and how they can benefit or influence your life. The nature of such an enterprise makes it live, immediate, and just a bit scary, as I have no idea who I will be doing the readings for, what cards will turn up, and which spirits will want to make themselves known.

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Tarot Mentoring

By Paul Hughes-Barlow | Published: May 3, 2009

Tarot mentoring is something I have been doing for many years, and to be honest it has been a closely guarded secret. Mentoring involves giving support and encouragement through the ups and downs, sometimes simply by being there. I can also help avoid pitfalls, or confirm that a particular situation or experience is a valid part of learning the Tarot. Read More »

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Review: Sepulchre by Kate Mosse

By Paul Hughes-Barlow | Published: March 2, 2009

In Kate Mosse’s latest book Sepulchre, tarot is central to the plot, so I decided to investigate. At the front of the book eight major arcana are illustrated (in English rather than the French titles for clarity):

  • The Fool
  • The Magus
  • High Priestess
  • The Lovers
  • Strength
  • Justice
  • The Tower
  • The Devil

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Do Tarot cards predict death?

By Paul Hughes-Barlow | Published: February 23, 2009

There is a belief that Tarot readers are not allowed to predict death. There is no law that says they cannot. It is all in the context. Over the years I have found myself making such a prediction, and the prediction comes true.

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How not to read the Tarot

By Paul Hughes-Barlow | Published: February 19, 2009

Nighty Night was a very funny black comedy on the BBC some years ago. In one scene the characters do a tarot reading on the woman’s marriage. Apart from completely misinterpreting the Nine of Wands which is an excellent card for health and success (this shows the pitfalls of using the imagery of the card to come to a conclusion), the punchline about the Devil and Death is brilliant.

So far in my career, I have not had a similar problem mainly because I have laid out the cards before speaking.

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