circularity (poems in the spirit of tarot)

From the foreword by Dr. Pamela Eakins

Welcome to the inspired and inspirational poetry spun into circularity by poet Jennifer Bloom.

I am thrilled to introduce this oeuvre d’art—especially since these poems emerged following prompts in “The Lightning Spiral,” a course I teach through Pacific Mystery School. The class is structured around the Kabbalistic Tree of Life of the Western Mystery Tradition. Throughout the class we refer to the Tarot of the Spirit, the kabbalistic tarot deck created by mother, Joyce Eakins, M.F.T., and me. The tarot is a visual symbolic representation of the One through Ten developmental pattern and step-by-step path of initiation of the Tree of Life. This sequence has been designed to move the student ever deeper into the embodiment of Cosmic Spirit, Cosmic Heart and Soul, and Cosmic Consciousness. Via these teachings, Jennifer Bloom’s circularity blossomed. 

Jennifer was, and is, a brilliant, conscientious, inquisitive and mindful student and teacher of the Mysteries. It was a pleasure to work with her during the years the poetry of circularity was surfacing—revealing itself moment by moment both through the teachings of the Tree of Life and the experiences through which Jennifer walks daily. There is a part of Jennifer that sees in poetry, a part of Jennifer that thinks in poetry, and a part of Jennifer whose highest expression is her poetry: the music of her soul. Through her writing, Jennifer Bloom learns and grows—and the miracle of all this is that, as she offers her poetry to us, we can learn and grow right along with her:

On the first day of this journey, we travel with Jennifer Bloom, transported on a cosmic conveyor belt of primal universal light into an erotic flow of power spirals. Ignited, then, we move through layer after layer into What Is, What Has Been, and What Will Become…

Midway on this Journey, we discover a never-ending stream of happiness. We uncover the desire to love which creates the inspiration that comes with living in the flow of life, being in the right place at the right time, and trusting what is and what will be. The project, thus revealed, is life itself…

Soon, all veils drop as we awaken the “Eye of Truth.” Now, we reach the heart of absolute stillness. Now, we stop keeping score… Now, we realize that we are inside, together, and one with the Mystery—at all times. 

We are earnest humans, longing and loving, and realizing — yet… still… unfinished.

Though we move in circles, we are going Somewhere.

In her poem “Reflection/Revision,” Jennifer writes: 

Each of us is a star in life’s script,

a center of the universe in a universe

with infinite centers, countless stars luminescing

without daring to dim their light

for anyone else.

We are many in the one,

constellations etched in the night sky, 

illuminating stories, the myths we live by.

But draw new lines and reshape

the legends of our time.

I invite you to enter circularity. As you cross over the threshold, you will find yourself inside the house of mystery. With the first breath, you will drop into your heart. With the second breath, you will expand your awareness to every cell of your body. With the third breath, you will enter the heart of the universe—and you will know that the pulse of the cosmos is your very own rhythm. 

And, now, I pass the talking stick to our master poet, Jennifer Bloom. 

May Jennifer invite you in, in her own words—with her enigmatic poem “Shape Shifter:”

I am a kaleidoscope shifter.

Give me the pieces arranged

and ordered and I will create

a subtle enough force to 

shift the formation.

It might look deranged at first,

but if you wait patiently

the components will come back together in ways

you couldn’t have imagined.

I am a sense maker,

pattern illuminator,

dream weaver of a new story.

I gently carve away masks and illusions,

my blade softly carved

with antique silver patina,

more suited to slicing a wedge of brie,

which I will also do because your nourishment

is important to me.

I invite you as my guest

and take you under the wing of my heart.

In that embrace you will notice

a change.

A layer of perception clouding your vision

has lifted, and you take in more light

than you ever have before.

Join us in circularity, and you, yourself, will become the living, embodied, essence of mystery.

This, my friend, is the change we have long since awaited.

Pamela Eakins, Ph.D.
San Francisco, California
September 2025