AtDTDA: (8) 222 The Psychical Dective

[mikebailey at speakeasy.net]

Ya Sam 
> Maybe it's my personal inattention or whatever, but after re-reading that 
> part it still puzzles me (as must puzzle Lew too) what exactly the 
> responsibilities of a psychic detective are. Nookshaft mentions 'entering 
> further condition', he also points to the fact that 'detective' he means is 
> different from the American one. We learn that Lew's frame of reference 
> would include the 22 human Tarot cards, but what should he do with them? 
> Spy 
> on them? Ensure their security? No specific instructions are given as far as 
> I can see. Help me with this.
> 

hmmm, not to push AtD into the realm of allegory, but,
maybe there isn't any sense to what Lew is asked to do --

ie, Crowley, Golden Dawn, Tarot divination etc...
some readers might see Pynchon as parodying these things;
and of showing how occultism allowed scoundrels (the guy was stealing
with those railroad schemes, come on!) to consider themselves
spiritual seekers, and encouraged misrule

of course, there's more than one image to be seen...