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RELATOS IMAGINADOS: todo pasa, todo queda
IMAGINED STORIES: everything passes, everything remains
Por Antonio Pippo
Al levantar la vista, el hombre viejo ve la calle gris que debería ponerse negra con la noche, pero la llovizna con las luces amarillentas, ligeramente balanceadas por el viento, la hacen destellar como si llorase una pena irreal o una pena muy antigua. Pasa el ómnibus cansino, lo toma y se sienta al fondo con el frío todavía recorriéndole el cuerpo por debajo del sobretodo gastado. Al fin del viaje llega a la humilde casita, sólo esperando descansar y que su mujer tenga la comida caliente. Ha sido una jornada dura; ya la voz se le va gastando y le cuesta mucho conseguir boliches que le paguen dignamente para cantar tangos con un solo compañero, un bandoneonista joven, recién formado. Claro, no es, en estos tiempos, una yunta que pueda hacer más dinero que para sobrevivir en la humildad o trabajar “a la gorra” en una esquina de la parte vieja de la ciudad. Todo empezó a caerse cuando a su compañero de los inicios, el Chiche, aquel violinista virtuoso que elevaba el nivel del “producto”.
Looking up, the old man sees the gray street that should turn black with nightfall, but the drizzle, along with the yellowish lights, swayed slightly by the wind, makes it shimmer as if weeping an unreal or ancient sorrow. The sluggish bus passes, he boards it, and sits in the back, the cold still seeping through his worn overcoat. At the end of the journey, he arrives at the humble little house, hoping only to rest and that his wife has a hot meal. It has been a hard day; his voice is fading, and it’s difficult to find bars that will pay him a decent wage to sing tangos with just one partner, a young, recently trained bandoneon player. Of course, these days, it’s not a partnership that can earn more than enough to survive in poverty or work for tips on a street corner in the old part of town. Everything started to fall apart when his original partner, Chiche, that virtuoso violinist who elevated the quality of their performance, passed away.
El Chiche… unos pocos años juntos hasta aquella fatídica noche en que no apareció porque lo había tragado la dictadura, que siempre lo tenía en la mira por su condición de afiliado al Partido Comunista. Lo buscó por todos lados; nunca supo en qué lugar estaba y en qué condiciones. Lo amarró una angustia que, con el tiempo, afectó la calidad de su trabajo: reiterados problemas con la voz, que le fue agrietando, dificultados para conseguir otro Chiche o alguien que se le pareciera, hasta hoy, que había tenido una mediocre actuación en un modesto boliche de barrio. Y, al cabo, lo agarró aquella angustia, lo invadieron los recuerdos tristes y llegó a la casa presa de una depresión que no quería soltarlo.
Chiche… a few years together until that fateful night when he didn’t appear because he’d been swallowed up by the dictatorship, which always had him in its sights because of his affiliation with the Communist Party. He searched everywhere for him; he never knew where he was or what condition he was in. He was gripped by an anguish that, over time, affected the quality of his work: recurring problems with his voice, which gradually cracked, difficulty finding another Chiche or someone who resembled him, until today, when he’d given a mediocre performance in a modest neighborhood bar. And, finally, that anguish took hold of him, sad memories flooded in, and he arrived home trapped in a depression that refused to let go
-¿Qué tal, amor? – le preguntó la mujer.
«How are you, love?» the woman asked.
-Y… no te voy a mentir. Cada vez peor… No sé lo que voy a hacer…
«Well… I’m not going to lie to you. It’s getting worse and worse… I don’t know what I’m going to do…»
-Mirá, te llegó una carta. La dejó un muchacho joven que pasó en un carro…
«Look, you got a letter. A young man who drove by left it…»
Tomó la carta sin mayor interés, pensando que quizás era alguna otra deuda que saltara. Fue a echarse a la cama a leerla y, al abrir el sobre, vio que, en realidad, había dos notas. Tomó la primera, de una sola página:
He took the letter without much interest, thinking it might be another debt that had surfaced. He went to lie down on the bed to read it, and upon opening the envelope, he saw that there were actually two notes. He took the first one, a single page long:
–Troesma: perdone que lo llame así pero me acostumbre con mi padre y sé que le gusta…
«Troesma: forgive me for calling you that, but I got used to it with my father, and I know you like it…»
Se sentó de golpe, buscó los lentes para ver mejor… ¡una parte del hijo del Chiche!
He sat up abruptly, searching for his glasses to see better… a part of Chiche’s son!
-…Es una pena que nos ha pegado fuerte, se imaginará. Primero, nos enteramos de que mi viejo apareció muerto y enterrado en un cuartel. No hemos podido ver el cuerpo siquiera… Quería contarle porque aunque nunca hablamos, sé cuánto usted lo quería y cuánto lo buscó. Además, sé que se admiraban mutuamente. Lamento la noticia porque sé que usted ha seguido el trillo, le va manos o menos y esto lo va a entristecer más.
«…it’s a shame that this has hit us hard, as you can imagine. First, we found out that my father was found dead and buried in a barracks. We haven’t even been able to see the body… I wanted to tell you because, although we never spoke, I know how much you loved him and how much you searched for him. Besides, I know that you admired each other. I’m sorry to hear the news because I know you’ve followed in his footsteps, whether you like it or not, and this will sadden you even more.»
Yo quedo a la orden y ahí abajo le escribo la dirección actual, por si quiere venir… Abrazo.
I’m at your service, and I’ve written my current address below, in case you’d like to come… Hugs.
El viejo tiró a un lado la primera nota y fue a la segunda. Lo sabía: era como la despedida -presentida- por el admirado amigo, presintiendo el final.
The old man tossed aside the first note and went to the second. He knew it: it was like the farewell—foreseen by his admired friend—a sensing of the end.
–Querido Troesma: No te he olvidado ni he olvidado lo que compartimos con nuestra querida música popular. Si no te he escrito antes adjudícalo a dónde y cómo estaré. Aunque tantas veces tú llamaste “exagerada concentración” o “laconismo patológico”, sólo para incomodarme con una humorada.
-Dear Troesma: I haven’t forgotten you, nor have I forgotten what we shared through our beloved popular music. If I haven’t written to you before, attribute it to where and how I’ve been. Although you so often called it «exaggerated concentration» or «pathological laconicism,» just to annoy me with a joke.
Mi memoria está cálidamente poblada de recuerdos amables, queridos, de aquellos años compartimos con ansiedad. Sé que has seguido cantando… si, ya sé… no es lo mismo. Te agradezco esa forma de recuerdo.
My memory is warmly filled with kind, cherished memories of those anxious years we shared. I know you’ve continued singing… yes, I know… it’s not the same. I appreciate that way of remembering you.
Y hablando de recuerdos, que me pegan en la memoria y en la emoción… ¿sabés que es lo primero que quiero decirte? Que no me vas a ver es un hecho, je, je… No, no. Pienso en los pibes, mi hijo, tu hijo, la juventud que ya se viene, está ahí, y, peor, los que se empiezan a formar. ¿Cómo se enseña en la escuela desde la más tierna edad? ¿Cómo se influye dando enseñanza pero también valores morales a los que van creciendo? Formamos loritos repetidores y cuanto mejor repiten lo memorizado, mejor. ¡Vos sabés! Si ocurre hasta con los que les da por la música… Acá adentro siento que la sociedad es una selva, todos contra todos, y cuanto más ignorantes o fanáticos, fenómeno para los que manejan el poder. En fin… no quiero alargar con filosofía barata esta carta… Vos sabés lo que pienso y lo que me gustaría esperar para un futuro que no veré… Pero nuestros hijos. Y los hijos de los demás… Todo lo que viene, tan tierno y tan en péligro.
And speaking of memories, which hit me hard in my mind and heart… you know what the first thing I want to tell you is? That you won’t see me is a fact, ha, ha… No, no. I think about the kids, my son, your son, the youth that’s already coming up, they’re right there, and, even worse, those who are just starting to grow up. How do you teach in school from the earliest age? How do you influence those who are growing up by giving them an education but also moral values? We create parrots who repeat what they’ve memorized, and the better they repeat it, the better. You know! It even happens with those who are into music… Inside, I feel that society is a jungle, everyone against everyone else, and the more ignorant or fanatical people are, the better for those in power. Anyway… I don’t want to drag out this letter with cheap philosophy… You know what I think and what I would like to hope for in a future I won’t see… But our children. And other people’s children… All that’s coming, so tender and so endangered.
Bueno… aquí estoy, en esta especie de anticipo del final… A vos no tengo reproche alguno para hacerte, sólo sentimientos nobles y admiración. Seguí luchando viejo. Si quiero permanecer en tu mente es como estímulo…
Well… here I am, in this sort of preview of the end… I have no reproaches to make of you, only noble feelings and admiration. Keep fighting, old friend. If I want to remain in your mind, it’s as an inspiration…
Amigo, Troesma, gran parte de esta vida que termina… ¡un enorme abrazo”.
El Chiche
El viejo se derrumba sobre la cama. El mundo se le ha dado vuela otra vez. Llora lentamente, mientras cortos suspiros le van quitando pesoa su corazón.
The old man collapses onto the bed. The world has taken flight once more. He weeps slowly, while short sighs gradually ease the weight from his heart.
Recuerda, no sabe por qué, la frase final de “La jornada de un interventor electoral”, de Ítalo Calvino, que repetían con su amigo:
He remembers, he doesn’t know why, the final line of «A Day in the Life of an Election Observer» by Italo Calvino, which he and his friend used to repeat:
-“Hasta la última ciudad de la imperfección tiene su hora perfecta, la hora, el instante, en que en cada ciudad hay la Ciudad”.
«Even the most imperfect city has its perfect hour, the hour, the instant, when in every city there is the City.»
#ANTONIOPIPPOPEDRAGOSA2024 #COLUMNA #LITERATURA #losmasvistos #MUNDO #RELATOSIMAGINADOS #TODOQUEDA #URUGUAY -
Article Flair 58Gallery Flair 58 Espresso Machine Flair Powered Grouphead Power Brick Flair 58 Espresso Machine Flair 58 Plunger Valve Assembling Flair 58 Flair 58's Lever Arm Updated Wiring Portafilter and screen Screw Base into Lever Stand Instructions Hex Wrenches and Nuts Screw Base into Lever Stand Two baskets The Hook Inserting Pressure Gauge Piston Portafilter, Baskets, Screen and Tamper Flair 58 Assembled Power Brick Not Lined Up The Locking Assembly Hook Assembly The Flair 58 in Daily Use Flair58Addl-8 Flair 58 Pressure Gauge Flair Handle Detail Flair 58 Control Box Flair 58 Espresso Machine Flair on the Table Flair 58 with Handle Midway Magic Maker Main Parts Inserting Grouphead Grippy Feet Whereto Buy Manufacturer Website Buy from Supplier NotableFeatures-
Actively heated reservoir with three temperature settings provides a stable brewing environment.
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A lot of this machine is extremely well built and looks good on the counter (except for the big power brick).
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58mm portafilter a game changer in the manual, “unpowered” espresso machine marketplace.
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Unlike most manual unpowered espresso machines, you can bang out shot after shot with the Flair 58.
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Gauge for pressure is well positioned and easy to read while pulling shots.
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New flow-through valve eases the entire workflow entirely when filling the reservoir with pre-heated water.
want to reach a global specialty coffee audience? advertise with us. Outof the BoxThe Flair 58 (as of October 2022) comes disassembled and includes a lot in the box.
I love that Flair is going much more recycling friendly with their packaging. The 58 is shipped in plain cardboard, and the forms and protection inside the box are cardboard as well. They still use plastic for protecting the machine’s parts during travel, but this is still much better than many manufacturers. I would like to see Flair go 100% enviro friendly, by changing from plastic bags to compostable bags in the future.
There’s the main parts of the espresso machine: the base, main frame and lever assembly, the heated grouphead reservoir, already-installed valve plunger, the pressure gauge attachment valve, the portafilter and the preheat electrical parts, including a giant power brick. You’ll also find a single filter basket Flair calls the “low flow” 18g basket (you can get a “high flow” straight wall basket as well for the machine), a puck screen (a lot more on that below), a tamper, a silicone drip tray, a preheat silicone cap (in case you want to run the machine without power), and the product manual.
The plain cardboard box with no colour used, to ship the Flair 58. Kudos! The Flair 58 Box opened reveals the company uses cardboard forms to protect the machine. The power brick really is massive. The Flair 58 silicone drip tray and spare filter baskets. More companies need to do this. The main parts of the Flair 58 espresso machine, wrapped in protective plastic. Compostable bags would be better. This is an absolute crucial tool for your espresso adventures - the pressure gauge. The Flair 58 portafilter with the puck screen enclosed.The grouphead assembly is wrapped in a textured silicone sleeve to prevent any possible burns or contact with hot surfaces. It has a texture and moulding to it, including two ribbed side grips.
The Flair 58 has to be assembled before use, and it can be a bit daunting to some, and tricky for others. When I first put it together, I did not have the lever aligned properly with the base, which is an absolute no-no. It was taken apart and I tried again, this time really paying attention the alignment. I could detail the steps here, but why re-invent the wheel: Flair has a good video tutorial of the process.
As you can see, even in that video Andrew had an issue with the lever handle being perfectly level. It’s easy to correct and fix, but I feel this is a slight engineering miscue on Flair’s part: they should design the mounting with tighter tolerances so it’s absolutely foolproof when assembling. A minor issue though.
Next is the placement of the water reservoir / grouphead onto the main frame of the Flair 58. This is secured by a single hex screw located towards the front of the main frame. Once in place, the pressure gauge valve assembly is placed into the pre-installed valve plunger by inserting it with the tabs lined up, then rotating the valve plunger so the gauge is facing forward. This “locks” the pressure gauge valve into the valve plunger.
The silicone sheathed grouphead reservoir of the Flair 58 The Flair 58 lost one of its wire connections last year: now the grouphead is permanently wired to the control box. It's a pretty good portafilter design. I'd rate it as near-premium. The Flair 58 ships with either one basket (low-flow), or two if you pay $16 more (high flow). All you need to put the Flair 58 together. The lever arm and grouphead mount is already assembled. The Instruction manual for the Flair 58. NB, Flair updates this often so check online for the latest version. The base has lots of grippy rubberized foot pads, keeping the unit secure on the table. To assemble the Flair 58, it's best to lay the grouphead holder upside down on a table with the lever extended. Screw the base into the lever arm assembly, switching between each two nuts as you tighten down. I didn't get perfect alignment of the Lever handle the first time I tried to assemble everything. After an adjustment, my eyeball said the lever was perfectly lined up.There’s still one more tricky bit to do, and it took me some time to get it done properly. The lever arm has a hook that seats onto the pressure gauge plunger, and there’s a hook you have to seat properly behind the assembly to keep it secure. I have pretty fat hands (yep, both pretty, and fat), and it took some time to get that hook in place to secure the assembly. You have to angle things in a weird way for it all to fit right.
Flair did post a video showing how to attach this hook properly. It definitely helps as a guide.
The video definitely helps.
That said, I feel this is the engineers taking the simple route in design, giving the end user a slightly more difficult assembly experience. It could be better thought out and designed for no-fuss assembly. The good news is, you only have to do this once, unless you plan on taking this machine apart for travel often.
The locking hook assembly you have to fiddle with to get the lever attached to the pressure gauge piston. The grouphead has tabs which have to be inserted a certain way. Rotate the grouphead after inserted into its holder, to align it properly and lock it down. The pre-seated flow through valve has tab cutouts at the 12 and 6 o-clock position (this can move though). Line up the gauge when inserting, then rotate it into proper position. The removable "permanent" placement hook to keep the lever attached to the Pressure gauge piston. It's a bit tricky to fit into place, but once you do, the lever is more or less permanently attached to the pressure gauge piston.With the grouphead and lever and gauge system all assembled, the Flair 58 is for most purposes now a permanent “home” machine. That said, you could easily break everything down in about 5 minutes to flat pack it for travel. It’s no where near as travel friendly as the Flair Classic, Signature, Neo, or Pro models are, but it remains an option.
The next step is plugging in the power brick to the grouphead. The original Flair 58 required three connection points for the power, and they had to be done in a certain order, otherwise you could short out the electrics. Flair simplified this by removing one connection point (it’s now hard wired between the grouphead and control panel buttons).
Regardless of the improvement recently done to the machine, the entire power system is the biggest negative of the Flair 58. It’s massive, ugly, and feels extremely cheap. The worst thing is the humongous power brick. I mean, it’s only driving about 80W, yet it’s the size of a notebook computer power adapter from the early 1990s. I’ll have a lot more to say about this later in the review.
The power transformer brick for the Flair 58 is big and an eyesore on the kitchen counter.The power bits do take away from what is otherwise quite an elegant, slightly “steampunk” machine. The mostly black frame, lever arm, and grouphead assembly all look serious. The wood accents give a premium flair (get it) to the machine. Even the way the drip tray sits in situ looks nifty. Wether the lever arm is down or fully up, the Flair 58 is what I call “stark gorgeous”, as long as you don’t look at the power brick, or control.
The Flair 58 looks good from almost any angle if you don't have the power brick in the picture.The portafilter that ships with the machine is a chopped 58mm model, and it reminds me of the more ‘premium” aliexpress chopped portafilters. I have a bunch in the Lab that we ordered from Aliexpress over the years, and some feel extremely cheap, some super premium. I’d place the Flair 58 model in the bordering on premium category.
The straight wall filter basket I got (the “high flow” model) had the filter holes off centre; Flair assured me this was a miss in their earliest shipping models, and they inspect every basket before it goes out with machines since then. The low flow basket I got was perfect to the eye. You can, of course, use any after market basket in these machines, including VST and Precision baskets.
The portafilter, tamper, puck screen and filter baskets with the Flair 58; nb the larger basket has defective offset holes. This is a one off, according to Flair.The drip tray is interesting. Works fine for single and double cups, but it only fits two small scales I have here in the lab: the crazy expensive Acaia Lunar, and the Timemore Nano. Again, I feel Flair could have designed this to accommodate a few more budget mini scales. My time tested SKG-2000 is only 5mm too long back to front, to fit.
The tamper included with the machine is nice in that, you get a weighted, all metal 58mm tamper in the box. Otherwise, the design is not ergonomically friendly and doesn’t suit my own tamping style (I like to use my thumb and forefinger to check the level as I tamp – I can’t do it with this tamper). I am on the fence complaining about this, as I always encourage espresso machine makers to include a tamper.
My suggestion for Flair down the road is just include a traditional 58mm tamper; don’t try to redesign what works ergonomically. Or perhaps a nice levelling tamper (piston style), one that sits on the filter basket in perfect level. Even better, one of those distribution / tamper dual devices. I bought one for Breville 54mm machines for $18, and I love it.
The included all metal tamper with the Flair 58. Unique looking, nice weight, not suited to my tamping style however. The Flair 58 drip tray is better than other flair models in that it can contain liquid. Fits only a few scales though. Connect with us on Social Media MastodonFacebook-fInstagramYoutube SearchSearch coffeegeek advertisers make this website possible.
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want to reach a global specialty coffee audience? advertise with us. Lever EspressoA CommentBefore we get into the meat of this review, I want to touch on the concept and execution of lever espresso just a bit. When I was introduced to a friend’s La Pavoni Europicola machine in 1997, I had a bit of an epiphany moment: I was more a part of the espresso making process than any time in my life up to that point. Because I was the pump. Not cocking a spring like I did on an Gaggia commercial machine a few years prior, but I was controlling the pressure directly.
Fast forward to six years later, and I had another epiphany moment. Constant playing in 2003 with an Elektra Micro Casa a Leva machine – a spring piston lever machine – delivered what I knew was the best espresso shot I had ever tasted in my life. To this day, it remains one of those true “god shots” of espresso I can count on one hand. I achieved that by playing around with the water temperatures, including hacks like wrapping a cold cloth around the grouphead, turning the boiler off at a certain point, and flushing out the grouphead before pulling shots.
Spring piston levers pressure profile too, in a way pump driven machines cannot. They decline pressure during the shot pull in a linear downward slope. They can peak at 135psi pressure under full load, and finish at 50psi or less at the end of the shot. It’s been long argued that this helps reduce the bitters extracted towards the end of an espresso shot, when the coffee is spent.
Kees van der Westen recognized the ability of spring piston lever machines, and tried to reinvent how they work with machines like the Speedster and Spirit machines, with their active preinfusion chambers (which includes a rising piston showing pressure build up), and the two stage shot delivery system with active or passive pump.
La Marzocco and Decent espresso approached pressure profiling via expensive and complicated systems with flow and needle valves and varying pump pressures. Because they realise the power and ability lever espresso machines can bring via pressure adjustments during the shot pull. They didn’t slap levers onto their machines (well, actually, La Marzocco did, but not the one I’m talking about); they just wanted their semi-automatic and fully automatic commercial and high end home espresso machines to mimic pressure tricks that levers could already do.
Manual, direct levers take pressure profiling to an entirely new level. They have no cocked spring to drive water pressure. Your hand is the pump. In the past, you had to go by feel on the pressure delivery because most machines didn’t have an active pressure gauge to show you how much PSI you were delivering in real time. Believe it or not, this was a good thing, as it trained the serious home barista operating a direct lever to recognize flow rates, how much pressure is applied, and in tasting the results, how to make adjustments.
Today, we have several manual, direct lever machines that have active flow rate pressure gauges built in. Most of the Flair models now ship with it. The Cafelat Robot ships with it. The forthcoming Odyssey Espresso Machine has pressure gauges. And the Flair 58 has it as well.
A vital tool on the Flair 58.I cannot stress enough the ability levers have on crafting better espresso in the hands of an experienced, trained (either self or professionally), and sensory-capable barista. Simply put, levers give them an additional tool for crafting that other baristas, using traditional pump driven espresso machines simply do not have.
I’m a firm believer that both pressure profiling and temperature profiling lead to better espresso. Staring shots at low pressure gives a full saturation effect before bringing things up to the traditional 135psi / 9BAR of pressure. Slowly lowering the pressure as extraction continues means you’re torturing the spent coffee less, and extracting less bitters towards the end of the shot, compared to full 9BAR pump machines. Water temperature plays a crucial role here too: the higher the temperature, the more unsavory flavour components get extracted towards the end of the shot.
As to which is more important in improving espresso – temperature profiling or pressure profiling – I’m still on the fence on that. But the truth is this: lever machines give you one of those two tools that your average home barista with a $1,500 machine doesn’t have.
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want to reach a global specialty coffee audience? advertise with us. Flair 58First UseSo I think we’ve established I love espresso machines and the set of tools they deliver to me as a barista. With that enthusiasm, I dived right into using the Flair 58.
I have not used the first iteration of this machine, which required you to remove the pressure gauge valve assembly each time you wanted to fill the reservoir. Instead, the current Flair 58 has a one way flow through valve that allows you to fill the reservoir with the entire assembly pressed down and in place. This is a game changer over any and all Flair machines. To be sure, it’s a way better workflow than even the Cafelat Robot, which I previously gave top marks for being easy to use (as compared to the Flair Pro or the ROK Espresso machine).
The second big game changer in the Flair 58 is the standard 58mm portafilter. No more assembling and disassembling the brewing group, like you have to do with the other Flair models and other portable, manual espresso machines. The foremost thing I have to remember is placing the Flair 58’s puck screen on top of the compacted coffee. The first few times I used the machine I forgot, and it makes a serious mess with coffee grinds and grit everywhere.
The use of a standard (chopped) 58mm Portafilter really changes the game in this category of manual lever espresso machines. Must always remember to use this when brewing with a Flair 58. You'll have a mess to clean up if you forget.The third impressive game changer is the pre-heated grouphead reservoir. If you own an unpowered, manual espresso machine, temperature management is always a concern. We go to extremes, including steam baths for grouphead assemblies, running flushing shots… the works. This is not an issue at all with the Flair 58.
This big chunk of actively heated metal means temperature management is a non issue.Three game changers in one machine. And I haven’t even gotten to the actual lever arm yet. Which is in itself a minor game changer. I’ve struggled at times to get to 9+BAR on the Cafelat Robot and older Flair models because of the short lever arms and the amount of force they require. Because the Flair 58 uses a much bigger filter basket than those machines, Flair designed it around a much larger lever, with a (mini) double handled grip. In use, it works extremely well, and the entire machine’s overall balance is suited and designed to this new handle size and length. The exertion is minimal, and pretty much worry free.
Let’s get to the work flow. It’s pretty straightforward. Power up the ugly control box, and press the button three times to get it to max heat (95C). Live the lever arm so the piston is sitting up near the top of the grouphead (Flair recommends this for better heat up). Wait a good 10 minutes for things to fully heat up (though if you’re in a hurry there is a cheat for this). Fire up your kettle to full boil.
At 10 minutes, lower the lever and remove your portafilter. Grind your standard espresso grind of 18g or so. Do your usual stuff (WDT, distribute the grinds, load the portafilter, tamp it down, etc). Place the metal distribution puck on top, and lock it into the machine. Make sure the portafilter is cranked over to between the 3 and 4 o’clock position.
Start pouring water into the reservoir. You’ll note some of it will flash to steam, because the metal is so hot. You want this. Fill it to near the rim, then start lifting the lever. You’ll note some water evacuates down to the portafilter at this point, so you might want to top off the reservoir as you continue lifting the lever. Once it is fully in the up position, it’s time to pull the shot, as it is already pre-infusing with your off-the-boil water.
Confidently grip the lever handle, and start pulling down. If your grind and dose are spot on, you should start seeing some expresso dribbling out at around 3 or 4 BAR on the gauge. Ramp up slowly to a full 9BAR pressure by 10 seconds in. Hold at 9BAR for the next 10 seconds or so, or the first 20g of espresso pouring out.
Next, loosen on your pressure slightly to lower it over the next 10 seconds of the shot, down to around 5BAR. Aim for 40-45G of output total, and aim to be at around 2BAR by the time you hit 45g. Then stop pulling the shot, lift the lever to cut off the flow.
Your shot is done and ready to drink. But you’re not done with the machine yet. The next step is to put another cup under the portafilter and flush out the rest of the brewing water by pressing down completely on the lever arm. Once done, remove the portafilter, remove the puck screen, and dump the spent puck. Give everything a good rinse (esp. the puck screen) and the machine is ready for the next shot pull.
That’s it. No take this apart, unscrew that, lift that lid, remove that top part, wedge this bottom off. The workflow is simple, quick and efficient with the Flair 58.
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want to reach a global specialty coffee audience? advertise with us. Flair 58Continued UseWhen you come to the Flair 58 from other manual, unpowered lever machines, or even the other Flair models, you realise you’ve reached a different level of performance, ability, usability and output quality..
The older Flair models are all excellent shot output devices, and have the added bonus of being extremely packable and travel friendly (for most forms of vacation or business travel; they aren’t especially backpack friendly). The tradeoff with those machines is that the workflow of the machines required a lot of finicky back and forth, dealing with those machines’ proprietary grouphead / portafilter assemblies. Also add in the absolute need for temperature management with those machines, and they fit entirely in a niche category of “espresso anywhere” devices that you have to babysit.
The Flair 58 breaks that paradigm. The addition of the heated reservoir takes away the need for temperature management. The 58mm portafilter simplifies the workflow greatly. The updated flow valve plunger design Flair brought to this machine only months after it was launched also greatly improves the workflow of the machine.
Where the Flair 58 loses out on its “portability” (it still is sort of portable); it gains 10 fold in workflow. It also gains in shot quality by a good amount, thanks to the larger puck sizes and the nearly perfect water temperatures.
Ease of Use
The Flair 58 is a very easy machine to use, maintain and get repeatable results from. Count on about 10 minutes heat up time for the reservoir before you add off-the-boil water. There is a simple way to speed this up if you want a shot as soon as you wake up. Turn the machine’s heating element on, and boil water. Fill the reservoir with water and run it through an empty portafliter. Repeat. The machine should be fully up to temperature for your real first double of the day.
The lever arm’s added length and big grippy handle make pulling shots an easy affair that even my neighbour’s 9 year old child was able to do several times.
Cleaning everything is pretty easy too, except for one element. The grouphead / reservoir is probably the trickiest thing to clean manually, but since it kind of self cleans everytime you use it (the gaskets and one way valves clear everything out of it), it’s not something to worry about. The portafilter and filter baskets are also just as easy to clean and maintain as any you would find on traditional espresso machines.
The only slightly difficult part for cleaning is the puck screen, which takes the place of a traditional machine’s dispersion screen.
Flair 58 Puck Screen
Puck screens made their debut a few years back with the B Plus screen. The idea behind them is an additional water diffuser that evenly soaked the bed of coffee in a portafilter. Initially designed to sit in between an espresso machines’ normal dispersion screen (located in their groupheads) and the bed of compressed ground coffee, Flair made the decision to entirely replace their dispersion screens with a puck screen.
Puck screens really do a fantastic job of distributing water over the entirety of a bed of coffee in a filter basket. They also prevent some coffee expansion from water, which some have argued leads to better overall extraction (jury’s still out on that, IMO). When used in conjunction with a standard espresso machine they have the benefit of keeping a grouphead much cleaner as well.
Because the Flair 58 doesn’t have a dispersion screen, some of the benefits of these puck screens might be lessened a bit, but all the things I’ve noticed using screens on traditional machines carried over here. You need to grind a bit coarser because the compression and flow rate change will slow down shot pulls. There’s virtually no channeling or pitting on any shots I pull with the Flair 58 because of this screen. Overall, I think it is a good solution, but not perfect.
The downside to puck screens is they get dirty. Manufacturers of them, like B Plus or Weber Groups, recommend an immediate rinse, and an ‘occasional steam wand flush” (which you cannot do if all you own is a Flair 58). Weber suggests using a Cafiza bath (a Urnex cleaner) to give it a thorough clean.
I’m not convinced. And videos and pictures like this back this up. The former shows supposedly clean puck screens put in an ultrasonic bath. The latter photo shows the murky water after an ultrasonic cleaning.
Coffee grit can get stuck in the most impossible places, and all those 150 micron width baffles in an espresso puck is the ideal place. To test this a bit, I had two puck screens on hand – one that’s never been used (but was soaked in boiling water once) and the Flair 58 disk that was used and cleaned for a month. We did a massive steam and cafiza cleaning of it, rinsed it, put it in boiling water and rinsed it again.
My partner, who has a way better olfactory system than I did, did a simple smell test on both. She could detect no odor at all from the unused puck. She did pick up an odor from the Flair 58 disk, and while faint, she said it was not a pleasing smell. I wish I had a better test to do to back this up, but I don’t have the capability.
Bottom line though, these disks need a good regular cleaning way beyond just rinsing them under hot water. Boiling them would help. Long soaks in espresso machine cleaner, ditto. You may also want to consider buying an ultrasonic bath cleaner to really get the dirt out.
I’d like to see Flair include a few of these disks with the machine down the road. This would allow you to rotate them and give a disk a good long clean while you’re using the other one.
The benefits from the puck screen, in my testing, outweigh any concerns about cleanliness. Just keep on top of it.
Flair 58 Durability
The Flair 58 has been mainly maintenance free in the six months of testing it got, Everything remains tight and solid on the machine. A few bits show wear and tear, but the machine has really stood up to pulling about 450 espresso shots so far and counting.
I’ve seen another reviewer complain about the lever arm squeaking under use. My guess is they haven’t assembled the machine properly or checked the hex nuts are tight because our test machine is as silent as the day it was first used.
All this said, there’s a few parts on the Flair 58 that will see long term wear and tear. It’s all the gaskets on the machine. I would have liked to see them include at least one set of spares in the box, for the flow through valve gaskets and the grouphead gasket (the gasket the filter basket mates up to).
Temperature Tests
Towards the end of my six month tests with the Flair 58, with the machine well broken in, I ran a series of temperature tests using a Scace device. I wanted to see what the water temperature was based on start up times of the machine and using just-off-the-boil water. I set the machine to the highest temperature setting (Flair says its 95C), and set about data logging the results.
I ran three tests in all, one after the machine was on for 5 minutes, the second after the machine was on for 10 minutes, and the third after it was on for 20 minutes. All three were tested from a cold start. Here’s the range of grouphead water temperatures these tests. All temperatures (Y Axis) are in Celsius.
All in all, extremely impressive, but I noted that temperature climbed a bit during the simulated shot, when ideally, you want it to drop a bit towards the end.
There is a hack for this. Fire up the machine and preheat it for 10 minutes. Fill the reservoir with off-the-boil water, as normal. Turn the power off to the grouphead just before you pull your shot. When I did it this way, I was registering a decline down to about 88C towards the end of the shot pulls, but still seeing temperatures in the 92 range at the start.
About the Power Brick
Unless you have something huge (like a toaster over) to hide it behind, that brick is going to be an eyesore on your kitchen counter. Even the control box with the power button and three LED lights for different heat levels looks budget. It also doesn’t even seat well on the table from the machine (the cord from grouphead to the control box isn’t long enough).
This is definitely another area where the engineers of this machine took the easiest, most “off the shelf” approach to the power unit, when they should have been thinking elegant, refined, and invisible. Almost all the points Flair lost in this review are based on that power brick and the power design.
They really need to address this the next time they do a major update to the Flair 58, or come out with the Flair 58 2.0 model. I have some suggestions.
First and foremost, the brick has to go. Find another solution for driving the wattage. It has to be invisible. At worst, the machine should have a cord coming out of the grouphead to a control, and a cord from that control to the wall outlet.
Even better would be controls self-contained in the grouphead or lever frame design. Preferably with a digital readout. And just a simple, standard plug line coming out of the machine and plugged into your wall outlet. If this solution adds $100 to the Flair 58 price, so be it.
If I can be frank, that power brick and design actually angers me. It angers me because this otherwise excellent machine is besmirched by that afterthought of a power system.
Focus Group Comments
I organized a multiple-products focus group late last fall and the Flair 58 was one of the machines discussed. I set up a scenario where they first got to admire and use a Cafelat Robot, and then moved onto the Flair 58. Reactions and comments were recorded.
The universal consensus was that the workflow and output from the Flair 58 was superior. One tester said it was the best shot of espresso he had ever tasted.
Opinion was more mixed on looks and which machine each person would purchase if they were in the market. Two of the group picked the Cafelat Robot for its smaller size, unique look and shape. One picked the Flair 58; incidentally, it was the same person who said it produced the best shot of espresso he had ever had.
There was one more universal consensus: the power brick is horrible.
“The Robot has a more unique shape and I love that it takes up so little room on the counter” – Jason
“The Flair 58 is really easy to use. I like that it works just like a regular espresso machine and filling the reservoir is dead simple.” – Jason
“That was definitely the best espresso I think I have ever had in my life. I cannot believe I made that shot. It puts my Lelit machine to shame.” – Robert
“I like how easy the Flair 58 is in the act of actually pulling the shot. This lever is very easy to use. The Robot makes me think I might break something or send it flying across the table with the pressure and angle I have to exert on the two arms.” – Robert
“I’m gravitating towards the Robot because it’s elegant, unique and small. I really don’t like that ugly power brick on the Flair 58 and that would be the main reason I wouldn’t buy one.” – Elise
“I couldn’t see myself using a lever espresso machine. I like pushing buttons on our home machine. So I’m surprised at how fun it is, even though it does take both my hands to control the lever with any confidence. As you said, being hands on with the process makes it more special and personal.” – Elise
“I could see us buying the Flair for our cottage. It would be luxurious and as you said, you don’t need to run it with power if you don’t want to. I like having options like that!” – Elise
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want to reach a global specialty coffee audience? advertise with us. Flair 58Compared ToWe put the Flair 58 up against the Cafelat Robot with our small focus group. I also ran some direct comparison and usage tests against the ROK Espresso maker and the Flair Pro. For taste tests, the machine was put up against our standard Lab machine, a Breville Dual Boiler.
Cafelat Robot
Out of all the manual machines, the Cafelat Robot is probably the closest in terms of ease of use, but it’s still not a fair comparison. I have to do a lot of temperature management with the Robot. It involves presoaking the main portafilter in a cup of boiling water, loading it with ground coffee, tamping it, putting the dispersion screen on top, and filling the portafilter chamber with boiling water. Then I dump that initial water quickly and refill it before it gets placed into the machine. Doing this results in shot temperatures of around 90C, which is acceptable.
Before getting the Flair 58, I thought this routine with the Cafelat Robot was really easy and pain free. Now I see it as a chore, because the Flair 58’s workflow is infinitely better.
Banging out shot after shot is also much faster with the Flair 58. The Cafelat requires a bit more hands on, cleaning and re-heating between shots. It’s not horrible, but it cannot keep up with the efficiency and ease of use of the Flair 58.
The act of pulling a shot with the Flair 58 is also much easier thanks to the long lever arm. The Robot’s short double arms require more force and more care in using the machine; I’ve sent it flying across the counter more than once in the past. I’ve never worried about this with the Flair 58.
Where the Cafelat Robot trumps the Flair 58 is in the more refined elegance of the package and its tinier footprint. It also requires no power to work (other than the power you use to heat water in a kettle, which can be done over a fire).
As for shot quality, I have to give the nod overall to the Flair 58.
Flair Pro
I won’t get into too much detail here as we are working on a Flair Pro review, but though the machines are both lever machines and from the same company, they really are in two different classes. I think of the Flair Pro (and Neo, and Classic, and Signature) as travel, niche, everywhere espresso machine devices that have sacrifices for that portability.
When you want a shot of espresso from the Flair Pro, you have to think “assembly required” for every shot pull. It’s not a bad thing per se, and not a hardship by any means, but it does take time and it becomes a ritual. They simply cannot compete with the Flair 58 in terms of ease of use.
I take the Flair Pro with me on vacation all the time (and took the Signature model previous to the Pro model). It can produce a fantastic espresso with proper temperature management and care to details. I even had two complete group assemblies for the Flair Signature so I could pull two shots back to back.
I won’t be taking the Flair 58 on vacation. But I probably would set it up as my permanent espresso machine at my office. Because it’s that darn good.
ROK Espresso
The ROK espresso machine can be looked at as the first generation, first of its kind manual lever espresso machine for the 2000s. It was introduced as the “Presso” in 2004, and we wrote a review for it on CoffeeGeek in 2006. Here’s the BBC talking about the Presso in 2004.
The biggest problems with the device back then was temperature management (I could not get it above 88C in the shot basket) and blown gaskets. Since then, the Presso changed into the ROK brewer and had some incremental improvements, In 2017, the machine got the biggest upgrade yet, to the GC model. We do not have one at CoffeeGeek; only the 2015 era ROK and this is the one I used to compare to the Flair 58.
On one hand, the ROK is easier to use than Flair’s other lever machines. The ROK relies on a 50mm portafilter for its workflow. This compares well to the Flair 58. On the other hand, I have found it nearly impossible to get the ROK up to 92C brewing temperatures, the “sweet spot” needed for optimal espresso extraction. I’ve also been through several gasket replacements as they seem to wear down quickly.
Head to head, the workflow and shot output of the Flair are in their own league when compared to the ROK. The ROK can produce an acceptable espresso shot, but it will not be the best you can produce. I also find its smaller dosing size means you have to adjust your output volumes accordingly. It is however less than half the price of the Flair 58 and is a lot more portable.
Breville Dual Boiler
A $1,500, double boiler machine up against a direct lever system for $500. Who’s going to win.
On pure taste, it goes to the Flair 58, if you are really in tune with the brewing process. I did 5 blind taste tests of shots pulled by my friend Sebastien on both machines back in September. Seb’s a serious espresso nerd, and runs a Lelit machine with a Niche Zero grinder at home. I gave him a full tutorial and run through on the Flair 58, and he has experience on a La Pavoni lever machine from a decade ago.
It was close. I scored 2 of the Flair shots higher; 2 shot pulls were a tie, and the Breville was the winner for one shot pull. This, from a guy who only had an hour or so training time on the Flair 58.
We flipped the scenario and I pulled three sets of shots for Seb. In his blind taste tests, he gave the nod twice ot the Flair 58, and declared the third a tie.
Of course, a full featured automatic espresso machine like the Dual Boiler offer a lot of other benefits. No temperature management at all; constant, instant on steaming ability; hot water delivery; automated one button press shot pulls. You can bang out shot after shot after shot with the Dual Boiler, and steam milk at the same time.
But the Breville Dual Boiler isn’t portable or travel friendly at all (the Flair 58 can be broken down for travel, and can be used without electrical power).
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want to reach a global specialty coffee audience? advertise with us. Flair 58ConclusionIf you like lever espresso machines and manually pulling shots, the Flair 58 might just be the perfect machine for you. This isn’t to say the machine is perfect by any stretch. But you’ll be hard pressed to find a better manual lever shot puller on the market right now.
The workflow is night and day different from any of its competitors on the market. Temperature management is of zero concern, and the reliance on a standard 58mm portafilter and the flow through valve design of the reservoir mean you can confidently deliver shot after shot out of the machine.
I cannot stress enough how wonderful the playground is with the ability to control pressure to minute levels during the entire shot pull process. This takes espresso making to its own level, and makes you a vital part of the resulting shot quality. The Flair 58’s pressure gauge is well positioned, easy to read and very accurate. Compare that to the tiny gauge the Cafelat Robot comes with, and it’s hard to read angle when you’re operating the machine.
During our long six months of testing, I had several people claim it produced the best shot of espresso they had ever had. Frankly, that’s both amazing and telling.
The biggest drawback to the machine is its entire electrics setup: especially the big honkin’ power brick. It really takes away from what is otherwise an elegant and mostly well engineered product, and this drops our rating score by at least 5 points. The control interface is also janky and seems very cheap, which drops it another couple of points.
I couldn’t help but think they could engineer the grouphead reservoir and power system so it gets up to heat a lot quicker (150W? 200W?) and create a nicely engineered electrical system that keeps the machine’s lines and shape sleek and elegant. Maybe the Flair 58 2.0.
The other big concern is the puck screen and specifically cleanliness of it. I ordered an ultrasonic cleaner but it will not arrive before this review is published; as such, I’ll post an update here in this review covering the puck screen and more ways to clean it, in a few weeks. The puck screens have obvious as well as debated benefits. I do feel the benefits outweigh the sanitary issues.
At $500 (on sale as of this review), I feel this is the best direct lever machine you can get today. It’s easier to operate than a La Pavoni traditional machine (and doesn’t overheat like Pavonis do), and is ⅓ the price. The engineering advances on workflow and being built around that 58mm portafilter make the Flair 58 the best in class manual lever espresso machine. Highly recommended.
Flair 58Final Ratings- 8.5 Design Except for the power brick a very well thought out design.
- 9.0 Usability It still requires some effort to finely control the lever when pulling a shot; some people find it hard to do.
- 8.5 Features Three game changers would score a 10, but the electrics package steals some points away.
- 9.5 Performance Overall performance is really good, but I feel the grouphead could be better desgined to heat up quicker.
- 10.0 Value vs. Cost Fantastic value for what it delivers. Pressure profiling and excellent workflow.
- 9.0 Quality of Build This should be 10pts, but electrics take it down a point.
- 9.0 Service / Warranty Flair really backs up this product, and tries to make upgrades backwards compatible.
- 8.5 Included in the Box Lots of good stuff in the box, including the tamper, upgraded basket, and the puck screens.
- 9.5 Resale Value You should have no problems selling this for around 75% or higher the purchase price.
- 9.5 Overall Scores took such a hit from the electrics, that we’re giving 3 points back.
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Connect with us on Social Media MastodonFacebook-fInstagramYoutube SearchSearchhttps://coffeegeek.com/reviews/fullreview/flair-58-lever-espresso-machine/
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Breaking free from Big Tech isn't just about swapping tools, but really a movement toward collective digital freedom 🌱.
https://internet.exchangepoint.tech/rise-against-big-tech-a-movement-for-collective-digital-freedom/Worth a read if you're thinking about how your organization can reclaim digital autonomy.
By @FabRider with input from the #RABT Coalition. -
Breaking free from Big Tech isn't just about swapping tools, but really a movement toward collective digital freedom 🌱.
https://internet.exchangepoint.tech/rise-against-big-tech-a-movement-for-collective-digital-freedom/Worth a read if you're thinking about how your organization can reclaim digital autonomy.
By @FabRider with input from the #RABT Coalition. -
Breaking free from Big Tech isn't just about swapping tools, but really a movement toward collective digital freedom 🌱.
https://internet.exchangepoint.tech/rise-against-big-tech-a-movement-for-collective-digital-freedom/Worth a read if you're thinking about how your organization can reclaim digital autonomy.
By @FabRider with input from the #RABT Coalition. -
Breaking free from Big Tech isn't just about swapping tools, but really a movement toward collective digital freedom 🌱.
https://internet.exchangepoint.tech/rise-against-big-tech-a-movement-for-collective-digital-freedom/Worth a read if you're thinking about how your organization can reclaim digital autonomy.
By @FabRider with input from the #RABT Coalition. -
I dislike #LLMs for a number of reasons.
Their appropriation of the term "AI" (there is nothing even resembling intelligence there, and never will be).
The squandering of energy, water and other resources.
The #deceptiveDesign patterns used to bait and hook users into thinking they are conversing with a conscious thing (they are not) causing immense harms.
The wholesale theft of basically everything they could find anywhere on the internet, irrespective of the creators' licences.
-
I dislike #LLMs for a number of reasons.
Their appropriation of the term "AI" (there is nothing even resembling intelligence there, and never will be).
The squandering of energy, water and other resources.
The #deceptiveDesign patterns used to bait and hook users into thinking they are conversing with a conscious thing (they are not) causing immense harms.
The wholesale theft of basically everything they could find anywhere on the internet, irrespective of the creators' licences.
-
I dislike #LLMs for a number of reasons.
Their appropriation of the term "AI" (there is nothing even resembling intelligence there, and never will be).
The squandering of energy, water and other resources.
The #deceptiveDesign patterns used to bait and hook users into thinking they are conversing with a conscious thing (they are not) causing immense harms.
The wholesale theft of basically everything they could find anywhere on the internet, irrespective of the creators' licences.
-
I dislike #LLMs for a number of reasons.
Their appropriation of the term "AI" (there is nothing even resembling intelligence there, and never will be).
The squandering of energy, water and other resources.
The #deceptiveDesign patterns used to bait and hook users into thinking they are conversing with a conscious thing (they are not) causing immense harms.
The wholesale theft of basically everything they could find anywhere on the internet, irrespective of the creators' licences.
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Muotoiluajattelu. Tuttu sana PowerPointin kalvosulkeisista ja konsulttien höpinöistä?
Mutta mitä se oikeasti tarkoittaa – ja mitä tekemistä sillä on verkkosivujen suunnittelun kanssa?
https://www.dude.fi/muotoiluajattelu-eli-design-thinking
#DesignThinking #muotoiluajattelu #verkkosivut #digitoimistoDude
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Muotoiluajattelu. Tuttu sana PowerPointin kalvosulkeisista ja konsulttien höpinöistä?
Mutta mitä se oikeasti tarkoittaa – ja mitä tekemistä sillä on verkkosivujen suunnittelun kanssa?
https://www.dude.fi/muotoiluajattelu-eli-design-thinking
#DesignThinking #muotoiluajattelu #verkkosivut #digitoimistoDude
-
Muotoiluajattelu. Tuttu sana PowerPointin kalvosulkeisista ja konsulttien höpinöistä?
Mutta mitä se oikeasti tarkoittaa – ja mitä tekemistä sillä on verkkosivujen suunnittelun kanssa?
https://www.dude.fi/muotoiluajattelu-eli-design-thinking
#DesignThinking #muotoiluajattelu #verkkosivut #digitoimistoDude
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Följ med Dannii Minogue och Autone ut på dansgolvet tillsammans med nya singeln Thinking 'bout us.
#Dance #Pop #Musik #DanniiMinogue
https://popmuzik.se/167833/dannii-minogue-autone-thinking-bout-us/
-
Följ med Dannii Minogue och Autone ut på dansgolvet tillsammans med nya singeln Thinking 'bout us.
#Dance #Pop #Musik #DanniiMinogue
https://popmuzik.se/167833/dannii-minogue-autone-thinking-bout-us/
-
Följ med Dannii Minogue och Autone ut på dansgolvet tillsammans med nya singeln Thinking 'bout us.
#Dance #Pop #Musik #DanniiMinogue
https://popmuzik.se/167833/dannii-minogue-autone-thinking-bout-us/
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Divination: Playlist Scrying (Shufflemancy)
Did you know that you can divine with music? Well… you can. It can be done rather simply, but may require some out-of-the-box thinking.
And for those of you who may try to dismiss this offhand, let me remind you that bibliomancy is a pretty universally accepted form of divination, probably stretching all the way back to ancient times. And with this particular method, you just grab a book and go to a random page.
Fun Fact: When I was a kid in church, people would often tell me that I could find answers or inspiration from the Holy Spirit by grabbing my Bible, opening it up randomly, pointing somewhere on the page, and reading the verse that my finger touched. I would love to go back in time and explain to those folks that this process is witchcraft.
Uh oh…
If that is divination, then anything can be divination. Including music.
All the Many Mancies
You may have noticed that many forms of divination have a “proper name” that ends in the suffix -mancy. This comes from a Greek word, manteia, which means divination or prophecy. When attached to a root word, it helps specify the particular method or medium of divination. For example, the bibliomancy I mentioned a moment ago combines it with the word “biblion,” meaning book, to indicate a method of divination that uses books.
Different -mancies. Some weird. Some hilarious. Yes. Phallomancy.
We combine words pretty often. And we can change the meaning completely by keeping the same root and swapping the suffix. Bibliophile? A person who loves books. Bibliography? The study of books. Bibliomane? Someone obsessed with books. Bibliophobia? The fear of books. I would hate to be a bibliomane who suffered from bibliophobia… it would certainly make bibliomancy rather difficult. The study of language is fascinating isn’t it? But I digress.
We have a couple of these -mancy words that are specific to music:
- Canticumancy – A form of divination where practitioners listen to music to receive guidance and insight or predict future events.
- Shufflemancy – A form of divination where practitioners create a playlist, focus on a specific question, and then shuffle the playlist ro receive guidance and insight from the melodies, song titles, and lyrics that appear
If you were curious, canticum is Latin for song. I guess things always sound fancier when you use ancient languages. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like either the Ancient Romans or the Ancient Greeks had ever conceptualized a shuffled Spotify playlist, so when it comes to shufflemancy, we’re obviously building off of a modern term.
Of course, you could also call all of this “technomancy,” which is a broader term that encompasses using modern technology to perform divination.
So what is scrying?
Google says that scrying means to “foretell the future using a crystal ball or other reflective object or surface.” Unfortunately, that’s too narrow of a view. It’s only partially correct. Let me update the definition.
Scrying is just when you observe something long enough to arrive at a divinatory result. That could be a shiny crystal ball, yes, but it could also be a rock, a puff of smoke, or a dancing flame. Or you could just close your eyes, sit quietly in the woods, and listen to the sounds of nature around you. Those are all forms of scrying in my book.
And the divinatory result? That could be signs of the future, a message from the spirit world, knowledge of a past life, personal insight, or just meditative reflection. It takes many forms!
Random
Divination methods often use a random element in order to ensure that results are varied and to help combat personal bias. In Tarot, for instance, you shuffle the deck before you draw a card. In some schools of geomancy, you perform a series of random dice rolls.
With playlist scrying, you introduce the element of random by clicking the shuffle and skip buttons.
How it works
Once you’ve determined what playlist to use, there are two options for proceeding — one will give you an instant result and the other will take place over a deeper and longer session.
- Quick Method: Hit the skip button repeatedly. Once you stop skipping, play close attention to the song that is playing — this contains your message.
- Meditative Method: Press play on your music. Meditate and reflect on your situation or whatever is causing you to seek guidance. Try to achieve a state of mind where you are not paying attention to the music for at least 5 – 10 minutes. At some point, one of the songs will inevitably grab your focus — your message is there.
Always have shuffle turned on! Bonus points if you skip enough songs to leave your playlist and wind up in “discover” territory.
Whatever option you choose, the overall divinatory result may require some deep thinking. Be sure to pay attention to every detail: the title of the song and album, the name of the band or performer, the lyrics, and even the exact time stamp of the track. Furthermore, you can ask yourself a series of questions. What do you hear? What do you feel? Does the melody seem to convey a particular emotion? Does the rhythm have a message? Answers can be hidden anywhere.
Step by Step
Here’s a breakdown of the process:
- Formulate a question or at least set your intention to receive general guidance
- Clear your mind and enter a meditative state
- Press play on a shuffled playlist
- Listen for a while and see what grabs your focus; or press skip a random number of times
- Pay close attention to the music, lyrics, titles, etc.
You may wish to start this whole session with a prayer or some sort of general declaration to the universe or your spirit guides. “Hi, guys. I’m here and I am listening.” Even such a simple statement is enough.
Try not to be discouraged if nothing happens the first time. Maybe none of your spirit guides have anything to say at that moment. Just try again later.
Playlists
The method is simple, but one of the most difficult things is choosing songs for a playlist. What type of music should you use? Should you use spacey, meditative music? I think something with easily understood lyrics is more important here rather than subtle tones that aid in the meditation process, but your mileage may vary. Either way, it’s usually pretty hard to find songs that check both boxes (lyrics and meditative qualities).
The good news is that you can really use anything.
Or you could just go with either of these two playlists that I threw together for your enjoyment. They’re mostly filled with rock and pop songs.
PLAYLIST SCRYING – YES OR NO ANSWERS
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7BJ6Fb6hevgGciPbATHnHE
PLAYLIST SCRYING – GENERAL QUERIES
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0E1I2PlTfDZZdEHyLERnsf
As the names would imply, the first playlist is only good if you have a simple question that can be answered with “yes” or “no.” You’ll find that the lyrics and song titles are FILLED with those words. It should be pretty straight to the point. The second playlist is for general inquiries or more opened-ended questions. Have fun!
Don’t miss out. Here’s what’s coming up…
More InfoAn Accidental Example
Many years ago, and possibly in another life entirely, I didn’t have a car. I did, however, have a 50cc scooter, which I rode across vast distances. I would often just put a short Spotify playlist on shuffle and then let the gods of random queue up whatever suggested songs they wanted to introduce me to — I found a lot of new music that way.
On one fine, sunny day, I was riding merrily along, when I suddenly became aware of the fact that the words “run for cover” were playing over my headphones. It was different. They seemed to be warning me of something.
Of course, I ignored it.
And before the song ended, I got stuck in a torrential downpour.
Was I inadvertently engaging in playlist scrying? Or was it just a coincidence? You be the judge.
Signs and Messages
I don’t really see this as a way of telling the future, per se, but then again, I view most divination tools as methods of self reflection. Playlist Scrying is a little different. For me, it’s kind of like giving the spirits around me a medium to communicate. They might have a message… then again, they might not.
We all accept signs and symbols in our life in unique ways. What I ascribe meaning to, you may not see or agree with. The dragonfly that hovers for a moment has meaning to me. Equally so with the squirrel barking in a tree. Others, of course, may see something in a flock of birds or the shape of a cloud. The universe is constantly speaking to us — it’s up to us how we interpret.
Lyrics carry so much intention. It can pretty much be a direct form of communication from the spirit world… that is… as long as you allow it to be.
#canticumancy #divination #magick #music #occult #playlistScrying #scrying #shuffle #shufflemancy #spirituality #spotify #technology #technomancy #witchcraft
-
Divination: Playlist Scrying (Shufflemancy)
Did you know that you can divine with music? Well… you can. It can be done rather simply, but may require some out-of-the-box thinking.
And for those of you who may try to dismiss this offhand, let me remind you that bibliomancy is a pretty universally accepted form of divination, probably stretching all the way back to ancient times. And with this particular method, you just grab a book and go to a random page.
Fun Fact: When I was a kid in church, people would often tell me that I could find answers or inspiration from the Holy Spirit by grabbing my Bible, opening it up randomly, pointing somewhere on the page, and reading the verse that my finger touched. I would love to go back in time and explain to those folks that this process is witchcraft.
Uh oh…
If that is divination, then anything can be divination. Including music.
All the Many Mancies
You may have noticed that many forms of divination have a “proper name” that ends in the suffix -mancy. This comes from a Greek word, manteia, which means divination or prophecy. When attached to a root word, it helps specify the particular method or medium of divination. For example, the bibliomancy I mentioned a moment ago combines it with the word “biblion,” meaning book, to indicate a method of divination that uses books.
Different -mancies. Some weird. Some hilarious. Yes. Phallomancy.
We combine words pretty often. And we can change the meaning completely by keeping the same root and swapping the suffix. Bibliophile? A person who loves books. Bibliography? The study of books. Bibliomane? Someone obsessed with books. Bibliophobia? The fear of books. I would hate to be a bibliomane who suffered from bibliophobia… it would certainly make bibliomancy rather difficult. The study of language is fascinating isn’t it? But I digress.
We have a couple of these -mancy words that are specific to music:
- Canticumancy – A form of divination where practitioners listen to music to receive guidance and insight or predict future events.
- Shufflemancy – A form of divination where practitioners create a playlist, focus on a specific question, and then shuffle the playlist ro receive guidance and insight from the melodies, song titles, and lyrics that appear
If you were curious, canticum is Latin for song. I guess things always sound fancier when you use ancient languages. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like either the Ancient Romans or the Ancient Greeks had ever conceptualized a shuffled Spotify playlist, so when it comes to shufflemancy, we’re obviously building off of a modern term.
Of course, you could also call all of this “technomancy,” which is a broader term that encompasses using modern technology to perform divination.
So what is scrying?
Google says that scrying means to “foretell the future using a crystal ball or other reflective object or surface.” Unfortunately, that’s too narrow of a view. It’s only partially correct. Let me update the definition.
Scrying is just when you observe something long enough to arrive at a divinatory result. That could be a shiny crystal ball, yes, but it could also be a rock, a puff of smoke, or a dancing flame. Or you could just close your eyes, sit quietly in the woods, and listen to the sounds of nature around you. Those are all forms of scrying in my book.
And the divinatory result? That could be signs of the future, a message from the spirit world, knowledge of a past life, personal insight, or just meditative reflection. It takes many forms!
Random
Divination methods often use a random element in order to ensure that results are varied and to help combat personal bias. In Tarot, for instance, you shuffle the deck before you draw a card. In some schools of geomancy, you perform a series of random dice rolls.
With playlist scrying, you introduce the element of random by clicking the shuffle and skip buttons.
How it works
Once you’ve determined what playlist to use, there are two options for proceeding — one will give you an instant result and the other will take place over a deeper and longer session.
- Quick Method: Hit the skip button repeatedly. Once you stop skipping, play close attention to the song that is playing — this contains your message.
- Meditative Method: Press play on your music. Meditate and reflect on your situation or whatever is causing you to seek guidance. Try to achieve a state of mind where you are not paying attention to the music for at least 5 – 10 minutes. At some point, one of the songs will inevitably grab your focus — your message is there.
Always have shuffle turned on! Bonus points if you skip enough songs to leave your playlist and wind up in “discover” territory.
Whatever option you choose, the overall divinatory result may require some deep thinking. Be sure to pay attention to every detail: the title of the song and album, the name of the band or performer, the lyrics, and even the exact time stamp of the track. Furthermore, you can ask yourself a series of questions. What do you hear? What do you feel? Does the melody seem to convey a particular emotion? Does the rhythm have a message? Answers can be hidden anywhere.
Step by Step
Here’s a breakdown of the process:
- Formulate a question or at least set your intention to receive general guidance
- Clear your mind and enter a meditative state
- Press play on a shuffled playlist
- Listen for a while and see what grabs your focus; or press skip a random number of times
- Pay close attention to the music, lyrics, titles, etc.
You may wish to start this whole session with a prayer or some sort of general declaration to the universe or your spirit guides. “Hi, guys. I’m here and I am listening.” Even such a simple statement is enough.
Try not to be discouraged if nothing happens the first time. Maybe none of your spirit guides have anything to say at that moment. Just try again later.
Playlists
The method is simple, but one of the most difficult things is choosing songs for a playlist. What type of music should you use? Should you use spacey, meditative music? I think something with easily understood lyrics is more important here rather than subtle tones that aid in the meditation process, but your mileage may vary. Either way, it’s usually pretty hard to find songs that check both boxes (lyrics and meditative qualities).
The good news is that you can really use anything.
Or you could just go with either of these two playlists that I threw together for your enjoyment. They’re mostly filled with rock and pop songs.
PLAYLIST SCRYING – YES OR NO ANSWERS
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7BJ6Fb6hevgGciPbATHnHE
PLAYLIST SCRYING – GENERAL QUERIES
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0E1I2PlTfDZZdEHyLERnsf
As the names would imply, the first playlist is only good if you have a simple question that can be answered with “yes” or “no.” You’ll find that the lyrics and song titles are FILLED with those words. It should be pretty straight to the point. The second playlist is for general inquiries or more opened-ended questions. Have fun!
Don’t miss out. Here’s what’s coming up…
More InfoAn Accidental Example
Many years ago, and possibly in another life entirely, I didn’t have a car. I did, however, have a 50cc scooter, which I rode across vast distances. I would often just put a short Spotify playlist on shuffle and then let the gods of random queue up whatever suggested songs they wanted to introduce me to — I found a lot of new music that way.
On one fine, sunny day, I was riding merrily along, when I suddenly became aware of the fact that the words “run for cover” were playing over my headphones. It was different. They seemed to be warning me of something.
Of course, I ignored it.
And before the song ended, I got stuck in a torrential downpour.
Was I inadvertently engaging in playlist scrying? Or was it just a coincidence? You be the judge.
Signs and Messages
I don’t really see this as a way of telling the future, per se, but then again, I view most divination tools as methods of self reflection. Playlist Scrying is a little different. For me, it’s kind of like giving the spirits around me a medium to communicate. They might have a message… then again, they might not.
We all accept signs and symbols in our life in unique ways. What I ascribe meaning to, you may not see or agree with. The dragonfly that hovers for a moment has meaning to me. Equally so with the squirrel barking in a tree. Others, of course, may see something in a flock of birds or the shape of a cloud. The universe is constantly speaking to us — it’s up to us how we interpret.
Lyrics carry so much intention. It can pretty much be a direct form of communication from the spirit world… that is… as long as you allow it to be.
#canticumancy #divination #magick #music #occult #playlistScrying #scrying #shuffle #shufflemancy #spirituality #spotify #technology #technomancy #witchcraft
-
Divination: Playlist Scrying (Shufflemancy)
Did you know that you can divine with music? Well… you can. It can be done rather simply, but may require some out-of-the-box thinking.
And for those of you who may try to dismiss this offhand, let me remind you that bibliomancy is a pretty universally accepted form of divination, probably stretching all the way back to ancient times. And with this particular method, you just grab a book and go to a random page.
Fun Fact: When I was a kid in church, people would often tell me that I could find answers or inspiration from the Holy Spirit by grabbing my Bible, opening it up randomly, pointing somewhere on the page, and reading the verse that my finger touched. I would love to go back in time and explain to those folks that this process is witchcraft.
Uh oh…
If that is divination, then anything can be divination. Including music.
All the Many Mancies
You may have noticed that many forms of divination have a “proper name” that ends in the suffix -mancy. This comes from a Greek word, manteia, which means divination or prophecy. When attached to a root word, it helps specify the particular method or medium of divination. For example, the bibliomancy I mentioned a moment ago combines it with the word “biblion,” meaning book, to indicate a method of divination that uses books.
Different -mancies. Some weird. Some hilarious. Yes. Phallomancy.
We combine words pretty often. And we can change the meaning completely by keeping the same root and swapping the suffix. Bibliophile? A person who loves books. Bibliography? The study of books. Bibliomane? Someone obsessed with books. Bibliophobia? The fear of books. I would hate to be a bibliomane who suffered from bibliophobia… it would certainly make bibliomancy rather difficult. The study of language is fascinating isn’t it? But I digress.
We have a couple of these -mancy words that are specific to music:
- Canticumancy – A form of divination where practitioners listen to music to receive guidance and insight or predict future events.
- Shufflemancy – A form of divination where practitioners create a playlist, focus on a specific question, and then shuffle the playlist ro receive guidance and insight from the melodies, song titles, and lyrics that appear
If you were curious, canticum is Latin for song. I guess things always sound fancier when you use ancient languages. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like either the Ancient Romans or the Ancient Greeks had ever conceptualized a shuffled Spotify playlist, so when it comes to shufflemancy, we’re obviously building off of a modern term.
Of course, you could also call all of this “technomancy,” which is a broader term that encompasses using modern technology to perform divination.
So what is scrying?
Google says that scrying means to “foretell the future using a crystal ball or other reflective object or surface.” Unfortunately, that’s too narrow of a view. It’s only partially correct. Let me update the definition.
Scrying is just when you observe something long enough to arrive at a divinatory result. That could be a shiny crystal ball, yes, but it could also be a rock, a puff of smoke, or a dancing flame. Or you could just close your eyes, sit quietly in the woods, and listen to the sounds of nature around you. Those are all forms of scrying in my book.
And the divinatory result? That could be signs of the future, a message from the spirit world, knowledge of a past life, personal insight, or just meditative reflection. It takes many forms!
Random
Divination methods often use a random element in order to ensure that results are varied and to help combat personal bias. In Tarot, for instance, you shuffle the deck before you draw a card. In some schools of geomancy, you perform a series of random dice rolls.
With playlist scrying, you introduce the element of random by clicking the shuffle and skip buttons.
How it works
Once you’ve determined what playlist to use, there are two options for proceeding — one will give you an instant result and the other will take place over a deeper and longer session.
- Quick Method: Hit the skip button repeatedly. Once you stop skipping, play close attention to the song that is playing — this contains your message.
- Meditative Method: Press play on your music. Meditate and reflect on your situation or whatever is causing you to seek guidance. Try to achieve a state of mind where you are not paying attention to the music for at least 5 – 10 minutes. At some point, one of the songs will inevitably grab your focus — your message is there.
Always have shuffle turned on! Bonus points if you skip enough songs to leave your playlist and wind up in “discover” territory.
Whatever option you choose, the overall divinatory result may require some deep thinking. Be sure to pay attention to every detail: the title of the song and album, the name of the band or performer, the lyrics, and even the exact time stamp of the track. Furthermore, you can ask yourself a series of questions. What do you hear? What do you feel? Does the melody seem to convey a particular emotion? Does the rhythm have a message? Answers can be hidden anywhere.
Step by Step
Here’s a breakdown of the process:
- Formulate a question or at least set your intention to receive general guidance
- Clear your mind and enter a meditative state
- Press play on a shuffled playlist
- Listen for a while and see what grabs your focus; or press skip a random number of times
- Pay close attention to the music, lyrics, titles, etc.
You may wish to start this whole session with a prayer or some sort of general declaration to the universe or your spirit guides. “Hi, guys. I’m here and I am listening.” Even such a simple statement is enough.
Try not to be discouraged if nothing happens the first time. Maybe none of your spirit guides have anything to say at that moment. Just try again later.
Playlists
The method is simple, but one of the most difficult things is choosing songs for a playlist. What type of music should you use? Should you use spacey, meditative music? I think something with easily understood lyrics is more important here rather than subtle tones that aid in the meditation process, but your mileage may vary. Either way, it’s usually pretty hard to find songs that check both boxes (lyrics and meditative qualities).
The good news is that you can really use anything.
Or you could just go with either of these two playlists that I threw together for your enjoyment. They’re mostly filled with rock and pop songs.
PLAYLIST SCRYING – YES OR NO ANSWERS
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7BJ6Fb6hevgGciPbATHnHE
PLAYLIST SCRYING – GENERAL QUERIES
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0E1I2PlTfDZZdEHyLERnsf
As the names would imply, the first playlist is only good if you have a simple question that can be answered with “yes” or “no.” You’ll find that the lyrics and song titles are FILLED with those words. It should be pretty straight to the point. The second playlist is for general inquiries or more opened-ended questions. Have fun!
Don’t miss out. Here’s what’s coming up…
More InfoAn Accidental Example
Many years ago, and possibly in another life entirely, I didn’t have a car. I did, however, have a 50cc scooter, which I rode across vast distances. I would often just put a short Spotify playlist on shuffle and then let the gods of random queue up whatever suggested songs they wanted to introduce me to — I found a lot of new music that way.
On one fine, sunny day, I was riding merrily along, when I suddenly became aware of the fact that the words “run for cover” were playing over my headphones. It was different. They seemed to be warning me of something.
Of course, I ignored it.
And before the song ended, I got stuck in a torrential downpour.
Was I inadvertently engaging in playlist scrying? Or was it just a coincidence? You be the judge.
Signs and Messages
I don’t really see this as a way of telling the future, per se, but then again, I view most divination tools as methods of self reflection. Playlist Scrying is a little different. For me, it’s kind of like giving the spirits around me a medium to communicate. They might have a message… then again, they might not.
We all accept signs and symbols in our life in unique ways. What I ascribe meaning to, you may not see or agree with. The dragonfly that hovers for a moment has meaning to me. Equally so with the squirrel barking in a tree. Others, of course, may see something in a flock of birds or the shape of a cloud. The universe is constantly speaking to us — it’s up to us how we interpret.
Lyrics carry so much intention. It can pretty much be a direct form of communication from the spirit world… that is… as long as you allow it to be.
#canticumancy #divination #magick #music #occult #playlistScrying #scrying #shuffle #shufflemancy #spirituality #spotify #technology #technomancy #witchcraft
-
Divination: Playlist Scrying (Shufflemancy)
Did you know that you can divine with music? Well… you can. It can be done rather simply, but may require some out-of-the-box thinking.
And for those of you who may try to dismiss this offhand, let me remind you that bibliomancy is a pretty universally accepted form of divination, probably stretching all the way back to ancient times. And with this particular method, you just grab a book and go to a random page.
Fun Fact: When I was a kid in church, people would often tell me that I could find answers or inspiration from the Holy Spirit by grabbing my Bible, opening it up randomly, pointing somewhere on the page, and reading the verse that my finger touched. I would love to go back in time and explain to those folks that this process is witchcraft.
Uh oh…
If that is divination, then anything can be divination. Including music.
All the Many Mancies
You may have noticed that many forms of divination have a “proper name” that ends in the suffix -mancy. This comes from a Greek word, manteia, which means divination or prophecy. When attached to a root word, it helps specify the particular method or medium of divination. For example, the bibliomancy I mentioned a moment ago combines it with the word “biblion,” meaning book, to indicate a method of divination that uses books.
Different -mancies. Some weird. Some hilarious. Yes. Phallomancy.
We combine words pretty often. And we can change the meaning completely by keeping the same root and swapping the suffix. Bibliophile? A person who loves books. Bibliography? The study of books. Bibliomane? Someone obsessed with books. Bibliophobia? The fear of books. I would hate to be a bibliomane who suffered from bibliophobia… it would certainly make bibliomancy rather difficult. The study of language is fascinating isn’t it? But I digress.
We have a couple of these -mancy words that are specific to music:
- Canticumancy – A form of divination where practitioners listen to music to receive guidance and insight or predict future events.
- Shufflemancy – A form of divination where practitioners create a playlist, focus on a specific question, and then shuffle the playlist ro receive guidance and insight from the melodies, song titles, and lyrics that appear
If you were curious, canticum is Latin for song. I guess things always sound fancier when you use ancient languages. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like either the Ancient Romans or the Ancient Greeks had ever conceptualized a shuffled Spotify playlist, so when it comes to shufflemancy, we’re obviously building off of a modern term.
Of course, you could also call all of this “technomancy,” which is a broader term that encompasses using modern technology to perform divination.
So what is scrying?
Google says that scrying means to “foretell the future using a crystal ball or other reflective object or surface.” Unfortunately, that’s too narrow of a view. It’s only partially correct. Let me update the definition.
Scrying is just when you observe something long enough to arrive at a divinatory result. That could be a shiny crystal ball, yes, but it could also be a rock, a puff of smoke, or a dancing flame. Or you could just close your eyes, sit quietly in the woods, and listen to the sounds of nature around you. Those are all forms of scrying in my book.
And the divinatory result? That could be signs of the future, a message from the spirit world, knowledge of a past life, personal insight, or just meditative reflection. It takes many forms!
Random
Divination methods often use a random element in order to ensure that results are varied and to help combat personal bias. In Tarot, for instance, you shuffle the deck before you draw a card. In some schools of geomancy, you perform a series of random dice rolls.
With playlist scrying, you introduce the element of random by clicking the shuffle and skip buttons.
How it works
Once you’ve determined what playlist to use, there are two options for proceeding — one will give you an instant result and the other will take place over a deeper and longer session.
- Quick Method: Hit the skip button repeatedly. Once you stop skipping, play close attention to the song that is playing — this contains your message.
- Meditative Method: Press play on your music. Meditate and reflect on your situation or whatever is causing you to seek guidance. Try to achieve a state of mind where you are not paying attention to the music for at least 5 – 10 minutes. At some point, one of the songs will inevitably grab your focus — your message is there.
Always have shuffle turned on! Bonus points if you skip enough songs to leave your playlist and wind up in “discover” territory.
Whatever option you choose, the overall divinatory result may require some deep thinking. Be sure to pay attention to every detail: the title of the song and album, the name of the band or performer, the lyrics, and even the exact time stamp of the track. Furthermore, you can ask yourself a series of questions. What do you hear? What do you feel? Does the melody seem to convey a particular emotion? Does the rhythm have a message? Answers can be hidden anywhere.
Step by Step
Here’s a breakdown of the process:
- Formulate a question or at least set your intention to receive general guidance
- Clear your mind and enter a meditative state
- Press play on a shuffled playlist
- Listen for a while and see what grabs your focus; or press skip a random number of times
- Pay close attention to the music, lyrics, titles, etc.
You may wish to start this whole session with a prayer or some sort of general declaration to the universe or your spirit guides. “Hi, guys. I’m here and I am listening.” Even such a simple statement is enough.
Try not to be discouraged if nothing happens the first time. Maybe none of your spirit guides have anything to say at that moment. Just try again later.
Playlists
The method is simple, but one of the most difficult things is choosing songs for a playlist. What type of music should you use? Should you use spacey, meditative music? I think something with easily understood lyrics is more important here rather than subtle tones that aid in the meditation process, but your mileage may vary. Either way, it’s usually pretty hard to find songs that check both boxes (lyrics and meditative qualities).
The good news is that you can really use anything.
Or you could just go with either of these two playlists that I threw together for your enjoyment. They’re mostly filled with rock and pop songs.
PLAYLIST SCRYING – YES OR NO ANSWERS
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7BJ6Fb6hevgGciPbATHnHE
PLAYLIST SCRYING – GENERAL QUERIES
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0E1I2PlTfDZZdEHyLERnsf
As the names would imply, the first playlist is only good if you have a simple question that can be answered with “yes” or “no.” You’ll find that the lyrics and song titles are FILLED with those words. It should be pretty straight to the point. The second playlist is for general inquiries or more opened-ended questions. Have fun!
Don’t miss out. Here’s what’s coming up…
More InfoAn Accidental Example
Many years ago, and possibly in another life entirely, I didn’t have a car. I did, however, have a 50cc scooter, which I rode across vast distances. I would often just put a short Spotify playlist on shuffle and then let the gods of random queue up whatever suggested songs they wanted to introduce me to — I found a lot of new music that way.
On one fine, sunny day, I was riding merrily along, when I suddenly became aware of the fact that the words “run for cover” were playing over my headphones. It was different. They seemed to be warning me of something.
Of course, I ignored it.
And before the song ended, I got stuck in a torrential downpour.
Was I inadvertently engaging in playlist scrying? Or was it just a coincidence? You be the judge.
Signs and Messages
I don’t really see this as a way of telling the future, per se, but then again, I view most divination tools as methods of self reflection. Playlist Scrying is a little different. For me, it’s kind of like giving the spirits around me a medium to communicate. They might have a message… then again, they might not.
We all accept signs and symbols in our life in unique ways. What I ascribe meaning to, you may not see or agree with. The dragonfly that hovers for a moment has meaning to me. Equally so with the squirrel barking in a tree. Others, of course, may see something in a flock of birds or the shape of a cloud. The universe is constantly speaking to us — it’s up to us how we interpret.
Lyrics carry so much intention. It can pretty much be a direct form of communication from the spirit world… that is… as long as you allow it to be.
#canticumancy #divination #magick #music #occult #playlistScrying #scrying #shuffle #shufflemancy #spirituality #spotify #technology #technomancy #witchcraft
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Impeachment is STILL an option.Maybe not over the tariffs [1] per se. But absolutely because the insane stink of this may be the smelling salts some GOP holdouts need to stop looking the other way on the felon's MANY impeachable crimes, not wanting the smell to rub off.
Plus the outcomes of the Wisconsin and Florida votes [2] could give them hope a primary threat can be beat. And they might FINALLY feel their greatest security is not as Friends of The Felon. Even though Dems lost the special elections, it was not by much. The GOP needs to read the room.
And the Dems need to throw them a lifeline if they try to act sanely. It would be terrible to lose democracy over a gripe about a few individuals who took way too long to see reason but finally did, and angry Dems thinking it was more important to see that injustice righted than Democracy saved. Politics is messy, and right now it matters to save the Constitution.
Well, not that I think impeaching the felon would put the Constitution in the clear. Vance is still a VERY dangerous guy [3] who wants an empire, not a republic. But one problem at a time.
It's really time for an impeachment.
Or even use of the 25th amendment, though on different grounds. The fact that he launched a trade war with penguins is one. [4] The biz about tariffs on smuggled fentanyl is another. [5]
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Keywords#politics #USPolitics #impeachment #25thAmendment #tariffs #economy #penguins #fentanyl #crash #recession #depression #BlueWave #resist #WisconsinSupremeCourt #democracy
Notes
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g2xpev2l3o
[3] https://netsettlement.blogspot.com/2024/10/vance-notice.html
[5] https://bsky.app/profile/reichlinmelnick.bsky.social/post/3lltfuf5pgk2y
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Impeachment is STILL an option.Maybe not over the tariffs [1] per se. But absolutely because the insane stink of this may be the smelling salts some GOP holdouts need to stop looking the other way on the felon's MANY impeachable crimes, not wanting the smell to rub off.
Plus the outcomes of the Wisconsin and Florida votes [2] could give them hope a primary threat can be beat. And they might FINALLY feel their greatest security is not as Friends of The Felon. Even though Dems lost the special elections, it was not by much. The GOP needs to read the room.
And the Dems need to throw them a lifeline if they try to act sanely. It would be terrible to lose democracy over a gripe about a few individuals who took way too long to see reason but finally did, and angry Dems thinking it was more important to see that injustice righted than Democracy saved. Politics is messy, and right now it matters to save the Constitution.
Well, not that I think impeaching the felon would put the Constitution in the clear. Vance is still a VERY dangerous guy [3] who wants an empire, not a republic. But one problem at a time.
It's really time for an impeachment.
Or even use of the 25th amendment, though on different grounds. The fact that he launched a trade war with penguins is one. [4] The biz about tariffs on smuggled fentanyl is another. [5]
- - - - - - - - - -
Keywords#politics #USPolitics #impeachment #25thAmendment #tariffs #economy #penguins #fentanyl #crash #recession #depression #BlueWave #resist #WisconsinSupremeCourt #democracy
Notes
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g2xpev2l3o
[3] https://netsettlement.blogspot.com/2024/10/vance-notice.html
[5] https://bsky.app/profile/reichlinmelnick.bsky.social/post/3lltfuf5pgk2y
-
- - - - - REMINDER - - - - -
Impeachment is STILL an option.Maybe not over the tariffs [1] per se. But absolutely because the insane stink of this may be the smelling salts some GOP holdouts need to stop looking the other way on the felon's MANY impeachable crimes, not wanting the smell to rub off.
Plus the outcomes of the Wisconsin and Florida votes [2] could give them hope a primary threat can be beat. And they might FINALLY feel their greatest security is not as Friends of The Felon. Even though Dems lost the special elections, it was not by much. The GOP needs to read the room.
And the Dems need to throw them a lifeline if they try to act sanely. It would be terrible to lose democracy over a gripe about a few individuals who took way too long to see reason but finally did, and angry Dems thinking it was more important to see that injustice righted than Democracy saved. Politics is messy, and right now it matters to save the Constitution.
Well, not that I think impeaching the felon would put the Constitution in the clear. Vance is still a VERY dangerous guy [3] who wants an empire, not a republic. But one problem at a time.
It's really time for an impeachment.
Or even use of the 25th amendment, though on different grounds. The fact that he launched a trade war with penguins is one. [4] The biz about tariffs on smuggled fentanyl is another. [5]
- - - - - - - - - -
Keywords#politics #USPolitics #impeachment #25thAmendment #tariffs #economy #penguins #fentanyl #crash #recession #depression #BlueWave #resist #WisconsinSupremeCourt #democracy
Notes
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g2xpev2l3o
[3] https://netsettlement.blogspot.com/2024/10/vance-notice.html
[5] https://bsky.app/profile/reichlinmelnick.bsky.social/post/3lltfuf5pgk2y
-
- - - - - REMINDER - - - - -
Impeachment is STILL an option.Maybe not over the tariffs [1] per se. But absolutely because the insane stink of this may be the smelling salts some GOP holdouts need to stop looking the other way on the felon's MANY impeachable crimes, not wanting the smell to rub off.
Plus the outcomes of the Wisconsin and Florida votes [2] could give them hope a primary threat can be beat. And they might FINALLY feel their greatest security is not as Friends of The Felon. Even though Dems lost the special elections, it was not by much. The GOP needs to read the room.
And the Dems need to throw them a lifeline if they try to act sanely. It would be terrible to lose democracy over a gripe about a few individuals who took way too long to see reason but finally did, and angry Dems thinking it was more important to see that injustice righted than Democracy saved. Politics is messy, and right now it matters to save the Constitution.
Well, not that I think impeaching the felon would put the Constitution in the clear. Vance is still a VERY dangerous guy [3] who wants an empire, not a republic. But one problem at a time.
It's really time for an impeachment.
Or even use of the 25th amendment, though on different grounds. The fact that he launched a trade war with penguins is one. [4] The biz about tariffs on smuggled fentanyl is another. [5]
- - - - - - - - - -
Keywords#politics #USPolitics #impeachment #25thAmendment #tariffs #economy #penguins #fentanyl #crash #recession #depression #BlueWave #resist #WisconsinSupremeCourt #democracy
Notes
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g2xpev2l3o
[3] https://netsettlement.blogspot.com/2024/10/vance-notice.html
[5] https://bsky.app/profile/reichlinmelnick.bsky.social/post/3lltfuf5pgk2y
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My generation (or at least those around me) grew up thinking "Take Me to the River" was a song by the Talking Heads.
But it was written by Al Green and Teenie Hodges for Green's 1974 album, Al Green Explores Your Mind, recorded in Memphis, Tennessee
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=E1uqsE-jCPQ&feature=shareGreen began the recording with a dedication to blues singer and songwriter Junior Parker
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_Parker
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#song #music #history #AlGreen #JuniorParker -
My generation (or at least those around me) grew up thinking "Take Me to the River" was a song by the Talking Heads.
But it was written by Al Green and Teenie Hodges for Green's 1974 album, Al Green Explores Your Mind, recorded in Memphis, Tennessee
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=E1uqsE-jCPQ&feature=shareGreen began the recording with a dedication to blues singer and songwriter Junior Parker
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_Parker
--
#song #music #history #AlGreen #JuniorParker -
My generation (or at least those around me) grew up thinking "Take Me to the River" was a song by the Talking Heads.
But it was written by Al Green and Teenie Hodges for Green's 1974 album, Al Green Explores Your Mind, recorded in Memphis, Tennessee
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=E1uqsE-jCPQ&feature=shareGreen began the recording with a dedication to blues singer and songwriter Junior Parker
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_Parker
--
#song #music #history #AlGreen #JuniorParker -
My generation (or at least those around me) grew up thinking "Take Me to the River" was a song by the Talking Heads.
But it was written by Al Green and Teenie Hodges for Green's 1974 album, Al Green Explores Your Mind, recorded in Memphis, Tennessee
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=E1uqsE-jCPQ&feature=shareGreen began the recording with a dedication to blues singer and songwriter Junior Parker
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_Parker
--
#song #music #history #AlGreen #JuniorParker
