Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

“Happiness does not depend on outward things, but on the way we see them.” — Tolstoy Good things are going on, but don’t expect to see that reflected in newspaper headlines! Our minds, adapted to a hazardous existence, nervously scan our world for signs of impending disaster. We often overlook the far greater signs of…

Moods are as real and ever-shifting as weather patterns. It is all too easy to allow yourself to be ruled by moods, to go with the high of over confident euphoria, to get lost in the miasma of dark moods. Dark moods come with human incarnation. Moods need to be acknowledged and accepted. They cannot…

Cooperation and interdependence are emphasized here. American culture tends to emphasize rugged individualism in a way that is often absurd. For example, the “Army of One” ad campaign for the U.S. Army or the Marlboro man riding alone through the prairie with only his horse and his trusty cigarettes for companionship. But we are social…

Be wary of absorbing toxins of any kind. The positive aspect is that this is a propitious time to work on detoxification. “I can resist anything except temptation.” — Oscar Wilde Temptations are very, very tempting and that is probably why they are called temptations. It is foolish to underestimate their power. Before you reach…

“There will be time, there will be time To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;” — T.S. Eliot You are not your persona or social self. We all put on social masks and in some circumstances they are quite necessary. But they are not who you are. If some old masks…

Be wary of those who approach with hollow intentions. Choose your companions with infinite care. Know the difference between an acquaintance and a friend or spiritual ally. Are you hanging out with people with whom you would trust your life? Life is too short to spend in hollow company when it could be lived with…

Cooperation and interdependence are emphasized here. American culture tends to emphasize rugged individualism in a way that is often absurd. For example, the “Army of One” ad campaign for the U.S. Army or the Marlboro man riding alone through the prairie with only his horse and his trusty cigarettes for companionship. But we are social…

Many people don’t feel entirely comfortable with the present era. Some long for a simpler, greener realm or otherwise feel out place in the Babylon Matrix. In A Splinter in your Mind I wrote, “We also have a part of our intuition that registers a general wrongness about this world. Hamlet says, “This time is…

I Stood Upon a High Place I stood upon a high place, And saw, below, many devils Running, leaping, and carousing in sin. One looked up, grinning, And said, “Comrade! Brother!” — Stephen Crane (1871-1900) The brighter the light, the darker the shadow. Everything has a shadow side. If you don’t see the shadow of…

The occurrence of this card may mean that your inner child is lonely, unhappy ,malnourished and neglected. Your inner child is peering through all the surface distractions of your life. How does he or she feel about what you have wrought in your adult life? The occurrence of this card indicates a need to locate…