DR. TORPOR'S BLOG
Mentalizing is a skill with two parts. One part is the ability to see yourself from the outside. This means accurately recognizing how others may see you in an interaction. The other part is the capacity to see others from the inside. This means to have a good sense of why someone is acting the way they do in an interaction. For example, if you are able to accurately figure out that a person may be feeling defensive for whatever reason, then you are in a much better position to help the discussion move in a positive direction with good feelings. Developing a strong mentalizing skill is a life long project. We have to be willing to recognize when we are wrong and learn from our mistakes. Just like a sport, it takes a lot of deliberate work to get good at mentalizing.
Whenever I go to court something weird happens.
While talking with another person, if you can have
– compassion
– allowing
– spaciousness
– openness
– acceptance
– patience
– gentleness
You will be creating an environment where both you and the other person can relax, feel valued, and be truly as you are in that moment.
“A dream which is not explained is like a letter which has not been read.” The Talmud
They can be. The more open you are with me the more helpful I can be. Some querents prefer a “cold” reading. Meaning they prefer to provide no information or feedback at all. I don’t mind this. It’s a fun challenge. And I enjoy doing the best I can with whatever unconscious information I am able to pick up. It’s always a pleasure when the querent finds my reading accurate under these circumstances.
When I first began studying the tarot, I was often troubled by how The Fool was defined. I found myself feeling offended by the meanings frequently given to that card. They seemed to equate naïvete and innocence with foolishness. There was also the implication that these states of childlike wonder were inherently dangerous. This is conveyed by The Fool being ready to step off a cliff. The idea that this is the starting point of a journey felt harsh to me.
I was relieved when I found that some tarot historians believe The Fool is actually the endpoint of the journey. The Fool is a wise person, an enlightened person who because of their wisdom may seem crazy to others. The Fool is courageous and unphased by danger and their own human frailty. The Fool occupies a realm where compassion is all. With their hard-earned wisdom, The Fool is a powerful force. If The Fool is on your side you are fortunate.
While shifting about through different astral trains, I notice a recipe for “fudgy with prunes.” This disturbed me.
Three rounds of MMA against Cerberus!
But Cerberus has four fists and three heads! Dr. Torpor’s manager is filing an objection with the Hades athletic commission.
A new Christmas song.
Tucked inside John Hurt,
His blood really red,
The chestburster alien,
Stuck out his sweet head…