Weird Shit not Bullshit is a phrase I developed to express a particular attitude and approach towards esoteric and occult subjects like the Tarot, spirituality, magic and so on. I had become frustrated by the woolly thinking, and impracticality which seemed common in these areas of study and I have therefore tried to introduce a more pragmatic, common sense, and clear thinking approach to all these things.

Weird Shit was the term I adopted to describe the things I had become interested in which did not fit into the general pattern of ‘normal life’. I found none of the existing terms felt right, or they were too loaded with associations I was uncomfortable with. The supernatural, the occult, magic, psychic phenomena – either they were too restrictive, in that they excluded things I was interested in, or they were too broad in that they included things I thought were clearly ridiculous.

So Weird Shit was the term I adopted. It basically means all those things that are a little beyond the normal – strange events, peculiar goings on, odd abilities. It sums up all the things I’ve become interested in, but without suggesting they are all necessary the same kind of thing. Pleasingly, it also suggests one shouldn’t take them entirely seriously.

As for the Bullshit – well, as soon as you become in the least bit interested in the weird shit, the bullshit turns out to be all around you. I was slow to express my interest in WS for exactly that reason. So much utter twaddle has been written and spoken about the occult, magic, psychic events, and so on. It is a field that attracts nutters, frauds, the self deluded, escapists, no to mention those with a Messiah complex, or their own pet ‘one explanation fits all’ theory. So bad was the bullshit I found it incredibly hard to stand up and say “I’m interested in this”. In fact, if I ever did say that I had to immediately follow it with, “But that doesn’t mean what you think it does, and I don’t believe in all the things you think I do.”

But Weird Shit has remained too fascinating to ignore, and amongst the crap there have always been some people who have given me hope - consistently showing insight, intelligence, and a sense of humour. If they could remain sane, and say something worthwhile, why couldn’t I?

So I have created Weird Shit, not Bullshit – dedicated to revealing and exploring the strange and weird things that are around us, attempting to draw sensible conclusions about what is found, and making use of skills and techniques, like the Tarot, which fall outside what is generally thought of as being ‘normal life’.

Weird Shit, not Bullshit, will attempt to discuss theories and ideas, share information and experiences, and cut away some of the crap which surrounds some ideas which, at their heart, are very beautiful, and very important. Weird Shit, not Bullshit also offers various services like Tarot reading, seminars, and counselling, as a way of making use of the techniques and philosophy that have been developed.

Above all, anything done in the name of Weird Shit, not Bullshit, will adhered to the following principles which underlie this whole philosophy:

• Offer practical, useful, advice free from obscurity and needless complication. Weird Shit, not Bullshit draws from diverse philosophies and spiritual paths including the Tarot, Taoism, Kabbalah, and Zen Buddhism, but finds fresh ways to express them so that everyone can benefit from their insight in their day to day lives
• Have a no nonsense approach that avoids dogmatic beliefs and airy-fairy hand-waving
• Have an open minded approach to the existence of Weird Shit in all its forms, along with a broad ambition to understand it, and explain what we already know
• Be determined to help by explaining clearly what is possible, and what can be done, whilst always admitting the limits of skill and knowledge
• Be totally honest when talking about weird shit. This means clearly saying what is known, what is theory, what is speculation and what is guess work
• Remain practical, helpful, and maintain a sense of humour

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