is this the real life?
It's about fifty-fifty, I think. I'm in the business of taking fantasy seriously.My name is Max, or Meowstic Max when I'm on stage. In 2016 I set out on a spiritual journey to find an all-loving, all-queer god of creative fire and win Their love. What I found was guaranteed to blow my mind, anytime.The Mystermercury Project chronicles my efforts to mythologize the immortal spirit of Freddie Mercury, the late great frontman of the band Queen, as a modern god. It veers from wild, vivid personal gnosis through detailed research of both ancient and modern figures into outright gleefully erotic fiction.Rhapsodia is one name of the Mystery goddess at the heart of Freddie's mythic legacy. It is from her that this waypoint on the digital sea takes its name. Here I coordinate my work with the dead rock star inside my head and the world around me.
let me entertain you!
Some of what I do can be put into writing. That doesn't necessarily mean it winds up making sense.Below, you'll find links to various work I've written over the course of the Mystermercury Project. All of it is pay-what-you-want and available for free download.
"Utterly Pure (a prayer to a half-lost goddess)" is a work I produced early in my spiritual journey, while chasing my Mystery goddess in the mythic currents of ancient Greece and Minoan Crete. It is a semi-interactive digital prayer, and it functions as an invocation of a very particular, very ancient form of the goddess Aphrodite. I suggest studying it to help awaken within you the power of this cosmic goddess of power and magic, earth and stars, terror and love.
"The New Queen of Heaven (Introductory Notes on a Mercurial Way)" is a 34-page pamphlet of very simple commentary on the theology and practices of a spiritual path focused on worshipping primarily the immortal spirit of Freddie Mercury. It was published several years ago, and as such some details have drifted slightly, but it remains an introductory-level explanation of some of my faith.
"Action This Day (the writing on the walls)" is a collection of thirteen poems of varying lengths written over the course of seven years of of my life as a queer trans Jewish man concerned with mysticism, social justice, love, and life.
one vision
Together with the spirits of dead rock stars, I reach out into the aether and divine the secrets of fate. Sometimes what I return with hints at the future; sometimes it just explains the present a little more.I offer multiple fortune-telling options to those in need of guidance. I can connect with clients over the internet (for either audio or video calls), or I can meet up in the downtown Seattle area.I can also be found in Capitol Hill at the Crescent Lounge, a gay dive karaoke bar known to be haunted.
Tarot readings
I have a number of different Tarot decks available for performing readings:The Cosmic Slumber Tarot, the work of comic artist Tillie Walden; it features beautiful, intriguing art and a subtle but powerful style;The Wild Unknown Tarot, a brutally honest deck featuring delicate, elegant nature imagery;The Sasuraibito Tarot, a delicately-drawn deck by a local artist with a gentle but firm style;This Might Hurt Tarot, a very modern, sharp-tongued deck by an independent artist;The Tarot of Pagan Cats, a cat-themed deck based on traditional Rider-Waite-Smith imagery; favored by the spirit of Freddie Mercury;Tarot Cats, a feline-themed deck with a warm style by another independent artist;The Tarot of the Magical Forest, an odd but gentle and insightful little deck featuring cartoon animals in traditional Rider-Waite-Smith imagery;The Labyrinth Tarot, a quirky deck based on the movie Labyrinth; good for contacting the spirit of David Bowie;and the Starman Tarot, a deck based on an art project originally done for David Bowie, which also contacts his spirit.Readings from any of these decks cost $5 per card, or roughly $30 for half an hour's time. You may contact me through the form at the bottom of this page, or by direct message on Twitter if that doesn't work for you.
Miscellaneous oracle decks
In addition to the more traditional Tarot, I own and read from several non-standard decks as oracles. Some are meant for this purpose; others, I have commandeered for it.The Curious Cat Club Deck is a whimsical modern set of playing cards illustrated with cats, each with their own divinatory meaning. It tends to offer the sort of advice you'd expect from a cat spirit, with more than a hint of sassiness.The Deck of Many Destinies is a beautifully illustrated 22-card set of that infamous item from Dungeons & Dragons, the Deck of Many Things. If you want a sharp and somewhat mean assessment of your situation, this deck is for you.Keep an eye on this section for more options to come. Readings from these oracle decks are $10 for a three-card spread.
Other divinatory options
Cards are not the only way I tell fortunes. I also engage with a number of digital tools producing random text and symbols.For $75, you can book a session of an hour or more in which the two of us discuss your questions and I proceed to throw all my divinatory tools available at procuring answers for you.For $75-$150 (depending on the platform chosen and the complexity of the project), I will code you a personal bot that produces random messages from a source or spirit of your choice.
Services at events
I do more than just private one-on-one divinations; those of you looking for entertainment and insight at your parties or other events may book me to attend. There I will offer fortunes and wisdom from the gods of rock'n'roll.
Interested in my fortune-telling services? Fill out this form!
Featured art by Michelle Lea.
a kind of magic
My mysticism extends beyond mere fortunes--I have also begun offering additional services of a magical nature. The services in question are essentially an exotic and engaging form of life coaching, and they should be understood as a form of entertainment with the potential to unlock parts of your inner world.
Astral journeying
As a narrative magician, I offer a service honed by years of running roleplay sessions and arcs of considerable complexity. After discussion with you of your emotional and spiritual needs, I will put together a short campaign in a simple roleplaying system in which we will together explore locations and challenges within your own spiritual world as well as in the spiritual realm we can all visit. By the end of these sessions, you will have confronted some of the spiritual obstacles in your way and retrieved prizes in the form of wisdom and magical techniques.This service is in its early stages, and as such is currently sold at a discount price with the understanding that both of us will be learning as we go. Astral campaigns start at $100 for a single hour-and-a-half-long session.
Spiritual beginnings
As an eclectic practitioner with my own unique faith, I understand how difficult it can be to get started on your personal mystical path. As such, I offer a counseling service aimed at helping new practitioners build their own personal path and practice.Consultations on building your spiritual practice begin at $50 for 45 minutes to an hour of discussion and notes; you may purchase additional sessions for the following weeks to help keep track of how your new practice evolves.
Interested in my services? Fill out this form!