So ... this thread is about finding the
useful stuff buried in the occult field while ridding ourselves of the mysticism and delusion. Great intent!
To that end, I'd like to submit a link to the opening chapter of the Art of Memetics:
http://artofmemetics.com/memetics/page7.htmlOver the years, most of the ideas that were once confined to magical theory and practice have been isolated and reformulated in different fields of study. Magicians are left guarding only a few nuggets of practical application that remain unique to magic.... Even these few ideations are being carted away into other disciplines. So why not just study those other disciplines?
the rest of the chapter illustrates how all jobs that wizards supposedly performed still exist today.. most of them are just under the banner of marketing and entertainment. The ability to wage war using symbols, influence a populace using words and gestures, and make oneself more powerful and spectacular are all well-established marketing techniques.
and on another note,
I don't believe in anything Tarot, astrology, etc etc...
but a few years ago, my girlfriend's roommate was trying to teach herself about Tarot, and she asked if she could give me a reading. Of course she could! And while nothing mystical took place, her reading did give me some fresh insight on my situation. It's like LHX mentions in the OP - stuff like tarot is able to draw a portrait of an analogous universe, and show you yourself inside that analogy. And this gives you the third-person perspective you often need to work through some of your challenges.