WHEN I BEGAN using Tarot cards in July 2021, I followed widespread advice for beginners by opting to use the classic Rider-Waite-Smith version. That iconic deck stands as the cornerstone of modern tarot — the definitive version upon which nearly all contemporary interpretations are based. Its imagery is rich in archaic symbolism and steeped in …
A COUPLE OF weeks ago I wrote a post about my favourite Al Pacino portrayal—that of 'Lefty' Ruggiero in the movie 'Donnie Brasco.' As I wrote that post I realised that I've been hooked on stories such as that one my entire life. There's something captivating about the hugger-mugger mobster underworld with its loyalties, codes, …
Introduction A FEW DAYS ago I joined a dozen or so like-minded souls for a country ramble and litter pick, facilitated by Canoe River Cleaner, Jim Elliott, in partnership with Grimsby Community Organisation, Centre 4. The walk, which started out from Centre 4's hub on Wootton Road took us out onto open fields to the …
A FEW NIGHTS back I finally completed viewing Martin Scorsesi's 'The Irishman.' At over three hours in duration the film was one I'd watched in instalments—my stamina for marathon-length movies not being what it was. I'd been meaning to watch the film for some time. After all, on its release in 2019 it had been …
WRITING ABOUT Master & Commander recently stirred memories of a visit I once made to HMS Victory, lying in her permanent berth at Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard. If ever a ship embodies the spirit of Nelson’s navy, it is this one. HMS Victory at her berth in Portsmouth I remember stepping onto her decks and immediately …
Introduction IF YOU'VE READ my posts 'Fallen Eagle' and 'Lost Souls' you will know that my son Josh was, for several years, a member of one of the UKs premier World War Two re-enactment groups. (Right) Josh portraying a Gefreiter [Lance Corporal] of the German 21st Infanterie Rest time at the field kitchen (Left) Manning …
EVER SINCE my introduction to the genre courtesy of Hammer's 'Curse of the Werewolf' (1961), I've been a fan of horror movies. Since then I've observed a cyclic nature in their popularity. And noted, too, that these phases have tended to rise and fall over the decades, reflecting social anxieties and cultural shifts. Personally, my …
On this Day STANISLAV PETROV was born on September 7, 1939, just days after the outbreak of World War II—a world already teetering on the edge of disaster. Decades later, this modest, unassuming man would make a single, split-second decision, one that is widely acknowledged to have prevented global nuclear catastrophe. (Right) Stanislav Petrov, born …
A FEW WEEKS ago, I met up with some friends for one of our regular get-togethers — a chance to kick back, enjoy a pub lunch, share good company, and have some easy conversation. My chat with one friend in particular, a guy of a similar age and background to me, ended up heading in …
Introduction: Flags, Fear and the Manipulation of Public Behaviour THROUGHOUT HISTORY, populations have been guided, swayed, and at times manipulated by those in positions of authority. The mechanisms of control are not always overt. More often they take the form of subtle nudges—engineered crises, health scares, product shortages, price hikes, media campaigns, symbolic gestures—that channel …
RAVEN MOON 