YouandTheTarot

  "I might never work again." Too often that lack of hope comes up in tarot readings. It is symbolized by The Nine of Wands card. But what that despair usually really means is that former knowledge workers will probably never again earn income from a white-collar job or professional-class contract gigs. And hope has arrived from Home Depot. At least for those open to change. Home Depot has introduced Path to Pro program. Learn more about it here and apply. The initiative kicked off earlier this year. It's free training and certifications. Both for newbies and those wanting to upgrade skills. Online and in-person. In English and Spanish. And providing actual certifications.  The media reports: " ... [It] has already trained thousands nationwide ... covering essentials like general construction, electrical work, HVAC systems, plumbing, painting, and more. [That includes] the basics of jobsite safety, tool handling, material management, and even soft skills like team ...

  Her suffering. much like Silda Spitzer's, had been palpable as she remained loyal in broadcasts to her political spouse.  Joan Bennett Kennedy was no rebel. Actually, she was a member of the Silent Generation. In many ways she represented the gender values of that era. Kennedy, like the mothers of us Boomers, was restricted to limited roles.  Bestseller "The Feminine Mystique" by Betty Friedan eventually outed their frustration. When she finally did seek out her own identity after parting ways with Kennedy dynasty icon Ted it was a quiet embrace of music and self-care. But the pain didn't end. Her daughter Kara died. Son Patrick struggled with excess drinking. Son Ted Jr. would never get back the leg he lost to cancer. Now finally Joan, at age 89, has entered the dimension we hope rewards good human beings with peace. 

Interacting with AI simulations of humans is becoming standard. Those include encounters of the erotic kind. The Institute for Family Studies  found that 20% of adults have already tried out AI relationships. Among teenage boys that 33% and among teenage females 25%. And before you put the knock on this because it involves fantasy, know that, overall, experts in human behavior salute the positive role of fantasy . That alternate form of consciousness can generate everything from clarifying what you want/need to a safe release of anti-social impulses. Businesses involved in this niche have been busy - and imaginative. For example, at fantasy.ai an option facilitates your building your own erotic companion. Much like the fun of Build-a-Bear.  At fantasy.ai click on information about that feature and the scoop is that the service is a: " ... go-to platform for creating and connecting with the virtual companion of your fantasies. Powered by advanced AI, you can fully custom...

After its founding in 1935, twelve-step program Alcoholics Anonymous eventually realized that using the term "god" could block problem drinkers from joining. So, it substituted "higher power." That usually did the trick.  Essentially that concept involved surrendering to the reality that there were things humans couldn't control. Trying to do just that - control that which can't be changed - could trigger the return to addictive drinking. Many outside AA know of that idea as radical acceptance . I use that frequently in tarot readings and intuitive coaching.  Now, "in the rooms," as meetings are called, there's less of a backing away from the original term "god."  That could be a sign of the growing popularity of Christian evangelism. Meanwhile, Christopher Hitchens who was on the front lines of mocking the belief in "god" per se would, had he lived, been the one mocked. Or much worse.  In 2007, Hitchens achieved unusual lit...

During 1969, in the university towns of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan there was a suspected serial killer preying on young women. So? I was there as doctoral student. Unlike the intense fanfare on former broadcast hit "Criminal Minds" and the current supposed hysteria in Houston, Texas  (never believe media), I wasn't freaked. And neither were those in the large number of circles I traveled in. They consisted of myriad generations, not just trusting 20-somethings. When you're there. at least back then, you could be enveloped in the assumption of being somehow special. Surely those in this dimension and other dimensions (I was already exploring mysticism) got it that I had much to accomplish yet on planet earth. No way could I, so purpose-driven, wind up dead at age 24.  In addition to the Ph.D. (I was first-generation college so such as wow for the family) and a long future career enlightening minds about the renaissance ideas embedded in the dramas of William Sha...

  This year we get the film version of the 2018 Paradise, California wildfire, the worst in the state's history. That's "The Lost Bus."   Almost 100 people died. But none of them are the elementary-school children and the teacher on Kevin McKay's school bus. Or, the driver McKay.  In doing what it took to save them, McKay saves himself. It's the age-old spiritual saga of getting out of yourself to find yourself. That dates way back to the Prayer for Peace of St. Francis of Assisi and to the more recent Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Since his teenage years when he couldn't sort out his relationship with his father, McKay has "gone lost." His marriage breaks up. He and his own teenage son can't connect. He can barely survive financially on driving a school bus. And he isn't doing all that great in the job. A tipping point in his despair is that he has to put down his cancer-ridden dog.  Then the fire in the Paradise area breaks out ...