#I hope some random nerd finds this and answers my prayers

[stardynamite]

NOBODY IS GONNA ANSWER THIS BUT I’LL ASK ANYWAY

IS THIS FOR REAL??? DID THAT ACTUALLY HAPPEN??? WHAT THE HELL

[arcanalogue]

Obligatory ‘Meet Your Diviner’ Q&A

Okay, stepping out from behind my little screen for a moment! A lot of people following here nowadays may not know anything about me, or the background of this blog. You may not even remember following me in the first place! I can relate.

It occurred to me that some people MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW CERTAIN THINGS. And since I’m looking to build up my roster of Patreon clients (who likes monthly readings, or tarot lessons, or random tarot insights? You do!) it seems a bit of disclosure may be in order. If I do it honestly and entertainingly enough, some of you old friends might actually enjoy re-learning these things too!

So, below is a brief introduction — dagger points instead of bullets, because I’m old-school like that. Inbox me if there’s more you’d like to know!

🗡 Who are you, anyway? Hi, my name is Tom, I currently live in Los Angeles with my my extremely tolerant boyfriend. I grew up in rural Arizona and then ran off to New York at a formative age. Queer non-binary human, accepting all pronouns! I’m a dingbat Aries who frequently craves validation, but can’t accept a compliment. 

Pastimes include retreating from the world so I can grumble about everything, and wearing too much perfume. I go to thrift stores almost every day, and have amassed too many vintage hat-pins. I keep a giant doll house in the kitchen. 

Who wouldn’t want advice from a creature such as this?

🗡 Can I get a reading in person? Yes, but know that I’m shy about it. When I first started out in New York City, it was all about reading at parties and posting Craigslist ads to meet new clients. However, when you shine a light out in the world like that, you can never be sure who it will attract. In my case, it brought lots of interesting people into my life; some were a little too interesting. 

For the most part, I prefer working from behind the veil of this little site, or via email. I’m at my best when I have an extra moment to divine deeply and then gather my thoughts; also, there are benefits to receiving readings that you can revisit as words on a page.  

Ask me truly anything, I will do my best to respond!

🗡 Are you psychic? Sorry, but I’m not that person, nor am I an astrologer. I have a rigorous spiritual practice that I keep relatively private. However, I’m happy to share whatever inspiration I glean from it.

Originally it was important for me to understand tarot cards through a truly secular lens: archetypes, synchronicity, the whole Jung starter pack. I wanted to combat popular misconceptions about what the tarot is, how it functions, what it can do, and what it can’t. 

That’s all very useful stuff, mainly so a reader can interact meaningfully with people from all walks of life, and all kinds of faith (or none at all). But tarot is NOT a secular or purely intellectual practice, and here’s why: no one knows where the “responses” are coming from. 

Despite starting out as a skeptic, after many years of practice, I can no longer personally accept nowhere as an answer to that question, or consider the results of a reading to be purely random or meaningless. If you don’t believe the answers really mean anything, then why are you asking? 

(If you’re asking purely to amuse yourself, I have great news: you can do that at home, yourself, for free.)

🗡 Why ‘Arcanalogue’? For about a decade, I have branded my site and services with this name, a mangling of Latin/Greek words that essentially refers to a “conversation with the unknown.”  

Embracing the arcanalogue nature of divination (instead of demanding to know who/what is speaking) has challenged my beliefs in ways I couldn’t have expected, gradually rekindling my faith.

🗡 Wait, faith? So are you like... a Christian? Ha ha no. HA HA HA. No! But so much of the iconography in the tarot deck stems from early Christianity, I have learned more about this history and symbolism from studying divination than I ever learned in church. 

Sorry baby goths — ya think it’s gonna be all demonic Crowleyisms and spooky #witchvibes and jacking off over sigils, but the history of everything is completely intermingled. You might still end up having to say the Lord’s Prayer. You might find that you actually really enjoy saying the Lord’s Prayer. Life is strange! And witch-life is the strangest of all. 

You CAN just buy the Crowley and/or various #witchvibes tarot decks, but if that’s all you ever learn, you’ll only scratch the surface of the deck’s mysteries, which are a major source of its power. And if you hate Christian symbolism with a burning passion (who could blame you?) and you’re looking for a purely non-denominational form of divination, you could always just flip a coin! Or grab one of those oracle decks. 

And even then, the goddess Fortuna may want a word with you...

🗡 What book do you recommend for beginners? This one: The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination, by Robert M. Place (who has also created many brilliant decks, such as The Alchemical Tarot). 

There are so many books geared toward beginners, very few of which really dig into the concept of divination itself, or how the cards really work. As a historian, Place can show you why certain cards have ended up meaning certain things, instead of just providing a list of meanings for you to memorize. He also teaches divination as a storytelling technique, so you don’t end up just  regurgitating those meanings straight from the page. 

🗡 Why isn’t this blog more active? Ouch, you really came for me with that one. I’d really like it to be! I work full time, and I love my work. The more people support me on Patreon, the more space I’ll be able to carve out for this project in my schedule. *hides*

🗡 Do you have any special rituals that you do when you’re giving a reading? I spent so many years actively combating the kind of superstitions that cling to the tarot like barnacles. If you don’t feel like your practice is “right” or “authentic” without including these, then by all means, do what you’ve gotta! 

Just remember, you’re bringing all that with you into an experience where you’re supposed to be alone and vulnerable with your thoughts, opening yourself up to the unknown. Whatever gets you there!

Nowadays, I consider everything I do when I read to be a gift given to myself, in hopes of enhancing that effect. I’ve found over the years that when I cut the deck, I like to cut almost all the way down, not just halfway. To me, this is symbolic of casting a bucket deep down into the well of my unconscious. There’s something satisfying to me about a very deep cut! 

The most personal rituals are the ones that mean the most. There’s value in sharing these with others, but dictating them as protocol is shabby teaching. 

 🗡 How do you know if reading tarot cards is right for you? If you feel any calling whatsoever, then I think you should answer that calling. That’s why I first started my blog, it helped me organize my thoughts and keep track of what I learned, what I’d read. Before then it had all been very scattered and vague, and my progress was much more difficult to track. And believe it or not, I’d already begun teaching lessons by that point! It’s humbling to look back on now.

There’s a lot of self-consciousness and social anxiety wrapped up in the idea of trying to read someone else’s cards, or presenting yourself as a reader. Hello, I share these exact anxieties! 

But this is a state you must overcome at the beginning of almost any journey. Go be a big ol’ nerd and show the world where it can stick its judgment. I’m happy to help in any way I can! My “Learn” page links to some stripped down tutorials on a few basic subjects.

Back to an earlier point, if you feel called to take on a more-than-casual study of tarot, I urge you to learn the old ways as you contribute to new ones. Feeling connected to a tradition can be a tremendous support in times when you’re really not sure WTF you are doing. There are SO many new decks being made which are aesthetically beautiful but are very thin in terms of supporting a deeper connection to the tarot mysteries. An experienced user will be able to fill in the gaps easily. A newcomer? Perhaps not so much.

For those reasons, I recommend learning with the classic Rider Waite-Smith deck, or else one that closely reproduces its meanings. 

The unknown speaks to us in so many ways. It always has. The process of learning how to listen, and how to help others hear it too, is cumulative. Others stand to benefit from whatever you learn while seeking. 

🗡 You seem great! How can I keep tabs on you or interact with you more? I don’t mind if people follow me on Instagram (personal follows are fine also). I’m really boring on Twitter but there it is. I don’t really understand how the Tumblr chat works, so I don’t always see these until hilariously long afterward.

🗡 You suck, this was a waste of time and I want my four minutes back. 

[m0onbean]

Splish Splash

category: FLOOF

pairing: eunwoo X reader

note: sounds a lot like weightlifting fairy (aka one of my fav kdramas)

Your school was extremely competitive. Mainly in sports. Mainly in swimming.

Therefore, whoever was in the swim team was automatically considered popular and cool. Every student who attended your highschool could name all the members of the swim team without even trying to forget even ONE person. It wasn't because they WANTED to, it was because there was never a conversation excluding them at any where or time in class, therefore forcing them to know all of the names by heart.

Naturally, you were instantly considered a "nerd" due to your lack of skillful swimming. It wasn't a HUGE problem anyways and it didn't bother you. Sure, sometimes you were really shy and awkward, but who cares anyways? You were in high school because your parents required it, not to become super cool.

With that being said, you were probably the least interested person in the swim team. Sure, some of the boys in the team were pretty cute, but literally the whole school is onto them and is getting at any chance to get in their pants. Other than that, you never really found anything peculiar or fascinating about them.

As you sat alone in the library at an isolated table studying for your history test, your eyes focused on the words of the textbook. In the middle of flipping a page, a splash of water whipped across your face, dampening your face. You blinked slowly, frozen in your seat.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" an unfamiliar voice apologized frantically from above you.

"Fantastic," you replied and wiped the water droplets off your cheek. When you looked up, you were met with a strikingly handsome face. You noticed that his gym bag was completely soaked, water dripping onto the carpet floor.

He looked really concerned and panicked, fumbling with his belongings.. After digging through his gym bag, he reached a dry towel out and handed it to you. "Here, dry yourself with this."

You accepted the rag (which you noted was wet) and patted your face with it quickly, not trusting the suspicious towel.

"Are you okay...?" the cute boy lowly asked while looking over you cautiously.

"Yeah. Don't worry about it." you failed to show any real emotion and tossed the towel back to him which he managed to catch with one hand. His other hand was slung over his gym bag and his hair was damp with water and slicked back.

Deciding the conversation had died out, you looked back down to your textbook and tried to refocus your attention to your studies.

"So..." the boy suddenly spoke again. "Don't you... uh... recognize me?"

Turning your head back up again, you fully examined the boy's face more carefilly. His eyes were hopeful as he quietly awaited your response.

"Uh... are you part of the swim team or something?" you assumed from his wet gym bag and damp hair.

The boy's eyes widened and jaw dropped.

"No?" you carefully asked again while cocking your head.

"N-No... you're right but... you don't know my name?!"

You tried to stifle laughter, "Sorry bud. I'm not into the swim team."

Offended, the boy ran his hands through his hair which looked really attractive. "Wow. You're like the only person in the school who can't recognize me. My pride is H U R T." He pounded his chest dramatically.

A small, shy giggle escaped your lips. Although he confirmed that he was indeed a member of the school's swim team, that didn't change your view of him. You continued to try to study again, dismissing his presence. Again, he was offended.

"Y-You DON'T EVEN CARE! Don't you want to know my name at least? Or..." he looked straight in your eyes and held a hand to his chest at where his heart was. "...isn't your heart pouding wildly currently?"

Shaking your head in sorrow, you watched him close his eyes and huff violently.

"I can try to guess who you are?" you offered and proceeded when he gave you a small nod. "Are you... Moonbin?"

The potential Moonbin only groaned louder and held onto the nearest chair for support.

"Um... Sanha?"

The boy picked up a random book laying on the desk and smashed it over his head. "NO." He then slammed the book on the floor dramatically, "I'm the most popular member in the team, Cha Eunwoo!!"

"Oh."

Eunwoo kicked a hole through a bookshelf.

The next day, you didn't expect to find Eunwoo patiently standing outside of your last class of the day. People crowded around him immediately upon seeing him and tried making conversation. He only gave short responses and didn't really seem to pay attention despite the obvious way the girls were twirling their hair and clawing at his arm.

When his eye caught a glimpse of you stepping out the door, he shoved past the crowd and stood in front of you. You abruptly halted and looked up to see the same handsome face from the day before.

"What's my name?" he cut you off quickly before you could question him.

"Cha Eunwoo?"

A satisfied smile spread across his face and he marched away triumphantly.

You laughed to yourself at how dorky he was acting and continued to head home.

The day afterwards, you were shocked to find him waiting for you again afterschool. You approached him, "What are you-"

"What's my name?"

You sighed, "Cha Eunwoo."

Again, his face lit up and he headed the other direction with his chest held up high. You prayed this wouldn't become a regular routine. God didn't answer your prayers though.

Everyday after school the same handsome boy would wait for you no matter how much you tried to insist you didn't have the memory of a goldfish. Despite your efforts to make him leave (which was quiet unexpected because I mean, he's a freaking swim team member), Eunwoo never failed to catch you leaving the class.

One day, you decided to have fun with him. When you opened the door to leave, you scanned the wall where Eunwoo would always lean back on and wait. As expected, he was there, whistling and doing his best to ignore the squealing girls.

His eyes met yours and you didn't hesitate to walk up to him. "What's my name?" he asked with his eyes crinkled up in amusement.

"Uh..." you performed your best acting. "Sorry... I don't remember."

Shock wiped over Eunwoo's face as he stood there, blinking several times. "W-What?"

He continued, "But I like... asked you everyday so you could remember it until the day you die..." he was genuinenly confused but mostly hurt.

Feeling guilty, you smacked his chest nervously. "I'm just joking! I could practically chant your name in my sleep."

Relieved, Eunwoo closed his eyes and sighed loudly. You found how much he cared about being known humorous. When he finally opened his eyes again, he gazed directly into yours with an unreadable look.

Scared that he would be mad at you, you awkwardly shifted away and rubbed your arm.

"You're quite different from other girls." he suddenly said a little too casually.

You almost choked at his words.

"I mean... you haven't even told me your name yet unlike others who beg me to remember their names and date them." Eunwoo examined your face and stepped closer to you.

Intimidated, you diverted your gaze from his. "What are you trying to imply?"

"Nothing, I just find you different. And I like it."

Your cheeks burned under his intense stare, making you feel vulnerable and small. The people crowding around you two were leaning in, trying to hear what he was confessing and why in the world his eyes were shooting hearts at you.

And with that, he winked at you and strolled away, a crowd of people trailing right behind him like ducklings.

[gretascully]

Okay here we go!!! 3, 5, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 29, 32, 35

Omg thanks so much for this! I really didn’t think anyone would ask me stuff ;)

3. If you read fic, what is your favorite txf fanfic trope?

I am such a sucker for first time fics. hehe

5. Who do you think started having romantic thoughts about the other first, Mulder, or Scully?

My gut is telling me Mulder.  I think they both had an initial attraction almost right away but tried to suppress it because you know they were work partners.  But I do think Mulder was the first to fail and give in fully to his romantic thoughts and feelings for Scully.

11. What is the first episode of the show you ever watched?

The pilot.  I didn’t really get it but kept watching for some reason.  Maybe because of the two beautiful leads and their ridiculous chemistry.

13. Be honest, how many X-Files t-shirts do you have?

Zero. But I do have an I Want to Believe poster, I Want to Believe necklace, I Want to Believe baseball cap and a Scully prayer candle. #nerd

14. If you could change the outcome of any episode, how would you rewrite it?

Requiem.  Scully convinces Mulder to stay and they find out she’s pregnant together.

15. Favourite episode, and why?

I mean I love how hilarious and clever Bad Blood is but I would probably say Pusher because it is just so classic x files to me.  Some great MSR moments and I think mind control is creepy af.

16. Tell me a fond txf-related memory.

When some random follower messaged me on tumblr once asking for a link to Gillian in Streetcar.  We started talking about anything and everything but especially our shared love of x files.  We even watched the pilot together once and listened to an epic MSR playlist that she had made.  Good times.  I hope that random follower is doing well! ;)

17. Favourite season Scully hair/aesthetic?

So hard to choose but maybe IWTB even though its not a “season” lol.

18. Favourite season Mulder looks?

Ugh these are the two hardest questions, I swear! For some reason baby Mulder in season 1 stands out to me, so I’ll say that.

29. Many people can’t stand IWTB while some don’t mind it. What are your thoughts?

Great MSR moments and there are some really pretty shots but I find the overall plot weak, weird, and boring.

32. Tell me how you think a date night would go for Mulder and Scully.

I just imagine the vast majority of their dates were their quiet nights together at one of their apartments.  Ordering take-out, sipping on beers, watching a movie, lots of cuddling, and some great sex.

35. Tell me a favourite quote from any episode at all.

I've often felt that dreams are answers to questions we haven't yet figured out how to ask.