Dec 11, 2025

Museletter ⟠ Succinctly Syncretic

A brief bricolage of recent musings.

I sometimes wonder: is the epistolary form going out of fashion? Do we even write letters to each other any more? Or is it all just an exchange of memes and pithy advice? And what of musing? Is there a place for musing, in this time betwixt worlds? (He muses). Does the world still value the evergreen question, thinking-in-draft, and notions hazarded in good faith? Or is it better to peddle in mere fact?

Am I out of touch?*

* No.

These are the questions your wizard ponders at this frenetic time of year.

Meanwhile—behold!
I have a museletter for thee.

Let thy curiosity eclipse thy conviction.

May it be so, of us all.*

* Most of the time.

You’re reading the museletter of foxwizard (aka Dr. Fox).

The museletter is an epistolary soliloquy, oft replete with many links. Open this one up at foxwizard.com/syncretic-museletter if you like, and take your time. If a friend forwarded this to you, you can subscribe at foxwizard.com ❦

Imma keep this one peppy, as I know that ‘tis the season to be inundated with emails and ads and offerings. Speaking of offerings:

News on “The Rogue Wizard Academy” (aka The School of Fox Wizardry) 9-month liminal (thought) leadership development program is... still coming.
I’m not ready to share of this just yet because I think I’m still reeling from when, 6 years ago, I launched The ‘Choose One Word’ Ritual of Becoming (a program, loved by many, that will have you attend to your own unfurling and step into a new chapter of being). The launching of this triggered a cascade of calamitous events—bushfires, a pandemic, and worse things besides. I also found myself unable to do the hustle of promoting it, particularly during solstices time when, really, we all ought be off and away from our screens. Still, over a thousand fine folk have undertaken The Ritual (and many revisit it year on year). You can, too.
Finally, I must occasionally remind folks that, as an award-winning speaker and leadership advisor (with many happy clients)—who works particularly well with smart and sceptical audiences who’ve “seen it all before”—I am available to work with leaders seeking to have 2026 be a year of meaningful progress. This year will also be the 10-year anniversary How to Lead a Quest, and I am particularly keen to work with warm-hearted and bright-minded folk willing to venture beyond the default. As ever, simply reach out to kim@drjasonfox.com and we can tee up a call.

And now, here are a few things I have written since my last museletter to you. I’ll present each link, along with a wee snippet.

I wrote this one for the times when folk seek solutions to complex challenges.

“You’ve got to find ways in which people notice anomalies very quickly, so that they can repurpose,” Dave Snowden explains in conversation with Rachel Donald.

In other words—you’ve got to keep your wits about you.

Also:

“How are we cultivating ways in which to widen the aperture of our ways of seeing? I particularly like this frame because, to widen the aperture of seeing means to let in more light. This has two effects: on the one side the bright shining obvious will become painful to look at (too bright, too obvious), whereas on the other hand we will tend to notice more of what glimmers in the penumbra.”

This was me attempting to convince myself I can write shorter posts, more frequently. But even this post blossomed so many tangents I wanted to explore with you. Here’s a sample, out of context.

“This is different from shining. Shining is about reflection—it requires an external source of light. Performers shine from the attention they receive. We shine when there is brightness. Luminescence, on the other hand, is emanation. The light comes from within. A glow is softer, steadier, and more enduring than shine. It doesn’t require polish.”

At this point I realised: I can’t do short daily posts. And even when I do, it feels weird to then go and share them on social media. But I fell in love with the notion of creating my own glossary. In this post I share a list of a few hundred words I intend to capture. I’ve got four words done so far—only infinite more to go.

Here’s a snippet that alludes to the word allusion.

“Allusion is a very important component in much of my magic. Particularly when complex and thorny issues cannot be tackled directly. Or when cognitive defences are too strong for wisdoms to be delivered with straightspeak.”

Kindred Spirits has been such fun. My co-host John Anthony is one of the very few people I know who lives and leads with a hermetic disposition. As ever, this one goes deep.

“[...] this episode was as marvellous as ever. Yes there’s a fake ad snuck into the mix (JA never misses!) and you’ll also be pleased to know that the whisky opening has evolved from a mere ‘pop’ to a full blown ‘twist and pop and slosh’.”

I’m quietly quite chuffed with this piece, but I suspect it’ll hold true to one of the definitions of hermetic. That being: “difficult to understand because intended for a small number of people with specialised knowledge.” So be it!

A sample:

“Last week, when in the initial exuberance of being a guest on my friend Kelly Butler’s new podcast—A Language of Suffering—I waxed loquaciously about ‘the hermetic disposition’, with much gesticulation and flutter. My friend (and the podcast’s co-host) Matthew Stillman* asked me to elucidate for listeners who might not be familiar with the term. And in hindsight, I think my response would still baffle most. And so, here I manifest on my quiet blog to succinctly articulate wtf hermeticism.”

* Matthew’s poetry course Committed To Heart, Committed To Memory is happening next month, and I’ll be attending in the second group. If you’re inclined to cultivate poetic sensibilities, I highly, highly recommend this to you.

Here I undo my good work of articulating hermeticism in written form by doing that thing where men try to explain things. Bah. I’m not supremely happy with the way I do my solo podcasts; new changes afoot for 2026. Watch this space.

“So! I recently wrote a piece on what I call A Hermetic Disposition. You’ll note I don’t say the hermetic disposition; what I propose is largely syncretic. A personal bricolage-assemblage masquerading as vaguely hermetic. I recorded the latest podcast episode whilst 70% of my way through this piece. Both the recording, and the text itself, were attempts to elucidate, though I fear I may have mostly befuddled. Who’s to say? Anyhoo, I made mention of a few texts, so here now be the ‘show notes’.”

If you were to open just one of these links, I suspect you’ll enjoy the show notes from the vaguely hermetic musing.

I’m still personally considering a refreshed approach to the way I want to dance in 2026. The dark forest chapter was not a fun chapter—but it was a necessary one. Now that I’m in the clear, I wonder what this new horizon might bring. This is part of my own The Ritual of Becoming.

I suspect I’ll write to you one more time this year.

With warmth,
Jason

a world more curious & kind

I write a museletter for friends; an epistle offering wit, wisdom & wiles to help you as you quest.