What is Volo Noscere?

The phrase is Latin for “I wish to know” and the magical motto of George Cecil Jones (1873 – 1960), a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and co-founder of the A∴A∴.

Under this moniker, I’ve provided esoteric services (see Testimonials below) and hosted an occult lodge at various times over the years.

Who are you?

As a student of the Western Mysteries, I was tested and certified in Tarot at a School of Hermetic Science and Magical Arts, where I eventually became a faculty member and on-staff reader.

I taught classes and tutored private students in various aspects of Tarot, Hermetic Qabalah and Ceremonial Magick while performing divinatory services for a more general client base. I wrote more about this on my blog here.

I worked my way through barber school as a wizard for hire, joining that storied barber/occultist lineage stretching from Jean-Baptiste Alliette to Paschal Beverly Randolph.

What is divination?

Whether you believe in the Divine forces invoked or simply believe in the utility of lateral thinking, divination is a process to help guide decision-making.

You can think of it as your Higher Self using me to tell you what you need to hear. You can think of it as a creative exercise to think outside the box.

The process works for people who think either of these things (or any number of other theories) about what’s going on during their Tarot reading.

How you interpret and what you do with whatever information you get is ultimately your responsibility.

What kinds of Tarot readings are available?

I currently offer four spreads for querents to choose from:

Three Cards

This is the layout I use for my personal daily divinations and requires that the querent ask a specific question. The three cards will provide an answer and I will pull additional cards as needed.

Relationship Spread

This is a format I use to examine the querent’s relationship to anything imaginable, whether a friend, a career, a habit, etc. I pull additional cards when necessary.

Pulling for Options

This is a method well-suited to comparing choices and can be adapted to any number of other uses. Some examples include: “Where should I move to?” “Which job should I take?” “What’s really going on with the people in my life?” The querent makes a numbered list (in their head or on paper) and I pull a card for each number. This works even if the querent makes the list without telling me what’s on it.

Full Diagnostic

This layout involves a 12-card past/present/future spread and lasts up to two hours. The diagnostic process is highly interactive and the querent is encouraged to ask questions throughout. I will bring in various techniques from the above-mentioned spreads as needed to paint a full picture for the querent. This option is preferred and booked twice a year by many of my most long-standing clients.

Anything else I should know about divination?

There’s no right or wrong way to get a Tarot reading, but I find that querents get better results when they’re sober and bring pen and paper to write down the things that occur them during and after.

My ethics don’t allow me to use divination as a means to simply tell people what they want to hear, so if you’re uncomfortable with the notion of being told something you might not like, I’m not the reader for you.

I’m not a licensed health care provider and do not offer medical advice. Please take your medical questions to a licensed health care professional.

What is Qabalistic Induction?

A technique involving trained will, imagination and esoteric philosophy to affect change for a client. Based on the work pioneered by Israel Regardie, the technique I call Qabalistic Induction can be used to help find a lost item, prepare for an important meeting, avoid an unsavory person or improve well-being in general, as well as an almost unlimited number of other applications.

Another way to think about it is as the creation of a talisman (see below) in which the talisman is the client.

How does Qabalistic Induction work?

There are many theories as to how or why such a technique might work. One is that the channeling of Divine force into the Qabalistic meridians of the body stimulates positive development, which can lead to a ripple effect achieving far-reaching results.

Another is that the only thing happening during the process is the placebo effect.

For me, either of these theories works as enough of a reason to proceed with the technique. I have clients who can attest they got the results they wanted “like magic” and in most cases, they don’t bother worrying about how the results came about at all.

Does Qabalistic Induction always work?

Yes, but not always in the way intended. When the intended result doesn’t come to pass, the client’s will isn’t in alignment with the will of the universe. It doesn’t mean the technique didn’t work, but that the technique worked and the result wasn’t possible.

Appropriate next steps include divination (see above) and meditation to sort out how to move towards alignment.

What is a talisman?

A talisman is physical anchor for charged consciousness which can assist in bringing about change in accordance with will.

How does a talisman work?

If you have an intention, it can be embedded into a glyph, which is then appended to an object, and the object charged by magical means.

The process of forming your intention, presenting it to a wizard, paying for the service, having the wizard employ techniques to charge the talisman, and then receiving the object, is in itself helpful towards bringing about the desired change.

You can also increase the efficacy of the talisman yourself. This can be done many ways, but the way I recommend is to meditate upon the talisman every morning and night and imagine the intention occurring in mental pictures with the charge from the talisman flowing into the pictures. The more clarity and energy you put into this, the stronger the charge will be.

What else should I know about talismans?

I don’t make talismans for evil purposes. If you’re interested in a talisman to control another person (many, but not all, love spells amount to this), or to otherwise perform unethical workings, you’ll need to find a black magician, so the both of you can sink to the pit of hell together.

A properly charged talisman can be thwarted by actively doing things that challenge the efforts of the talisman. A magical intention must be grounded through aligned action in the mundane world.

When a talisman doesn’t bring about the intended change, the intention is at odds with the machinations of the universe, and this result alone is useful. The client should consider divination (see above) and meditation to ascertain what to do with this information moving forward. However, the talisman remains a beautiful artifact regardless.

If you’re a ceremonial magician, keep the talisman wrapped in silk or linen whenever performing a banishing ritual.

I’d like to learn more about magic(k), the occult, esotericism, etc…

I offer one-on-one consulting for anyone with questions about occultism, struggling with their practice, or looking for a place to start.

What else should I know about your consulting services?

My perspective as a gnostic is that there’s no place for fundamentalism in the Western Mysteries, despite what many teachers, schools and orders would like you to believe.

I’m not interested in building a cult of personality around myself. That’s one reason I chose the symbolic gesture of using photos of someone who isn’t me on this website, for example.

In other words, I’ll never attempt to establish an orthodoxy around anything, I’ll never offer you a group to join, and I’ll not retain you as my student with the goal of keeping you dependent on me. My goal is to help you become your own teacher and outgrow the need for me.

Why are all of your services so expensive?

My services aren’t priced for everyone to afford. I find them amenable to a working class lifestyle, which I’m thoroughly familiar with myself. The prices are set to be unaffordable to people who can’t manage that.

If a person can’t afford these services (which cost less than I paid when I was struggling to make ends meet), they need to get their life in order before looking to a professional wizard. I’m not here to help people become more irresponsible or otherwise run away from themselves.

I still have a question…

Send me an email.

Site Credits:

Photos by me

ATCWhitney

Model: Carlos Sprung

carlossprung.com

Testimonials:

“Whitney's skill is undeniable. He is pulling from a deep well of knowledge from lifelong commitments to both rigorous academic betterment and an intuitive and empathetic curiosity towards others. Tarot scratches the surface of his talents and because of that, you'll struggle to find a reader who can drop into the root of a matter so easily.”

—Ben Flohr

“When my wife and I separated, there were problems between us, our kids, and my new partner, and I went to Whitney for help. He did some sort of spell and all of a sudden, my ex-wife and new partner started getting along, and we were co-parenting like nobody’s business. It’s been five years and everything’s been great ever since. He knows what he’s doing.”

—Jim Rooks

“Whitney is a wise man and his readings ring in my ears for months. He emphasizes how free you are to make your own decisions, and his readings help me remember to make the choices that are in my best interests and keep me on the path I'd like to be on. He empowers you, acting as a conduit, and never takes advantage of the power dynamic that is inherent between the querent and the reader.”

—Taylor Johnson

“Whitney has been reading for me for years and has helped guide me through relationships, career changes and health challenges. His ability to predict the future is scary accurate, down to the smallest detail. I have the receipts in my journals to prove it. I can’t let anyone else read Tarot for me.”

—Janine Friedman

“I took a 9-week Tarot course from another teacher and left feeling confused about how to actually use any of it. I hired Whitney to teach me to understand Tarot in a way that would make sense and give me something to work with. After two sessions, everything clicked and I’ve been reading professionally ever since. Whitney has a gift for explaining difficult concepts and detangling knots to make these complicated subjects actually approachable. I can’t thank you enough.”

—Sandra Fuller

“I came to Whitney stuck in my life and searching for clarity and comfort. Being an older father navigating sobriety and wondering what to do about my career, I asked my questions and he gave me options for the future–jump off the cliff for my passion or remain stuck in the stable job I hated. He pushed me in a direction that has made me a better father, brother, son, and partner. I’m no longer angry at the world. I love you so much, Whitney. You have done wonders and I will always turn to you as one of my best friends and confidants.“

—Justin Bohorquez

“I've been fortunate to have Whitney read my Tarot cards since 2020, and I've even gifted his services to friends and family, all to rave reviews. Meeting with him on my birthday has become an essential practice for me, a way to close out the previous year and set intentions for the next. The accuracy of his readings never stops surprising me. Whitney goes deep. He takes time with the questions that surface in every reading and has an uncanny ability to intuit what's on my mind without any prompting. His perspective is always positive, constructive, and in tune with who I am. I've had my cards read by others, and while some offer insight into a question or broad self-truth, none paint as clear a picture as Whitney does. He's bright, professional, and genuinely a joy to talk to. I've come to rely on his ability to translate the guidance I need from the cards.”

—Geoffrey Law

“Whitney is a truly authentic person who wishes for everyone to be the best version of themselves. Whether you're at a major crossroads, need a compass check, or simply want a little more magic in your life, Whitney is the real deal.”

—Sam Allen