The Sovereign Heretic

Reclaiming the Art of Choice

Welcome to the threshold. You did not end up here by accident. You are likely here because you suspect that the map you were handed by society does not lead where you want to go.

I’m Des, and I founded Heretic's Codex on a simple, ancient premise. The word "heretic" originally meant "one who chooses." My work is dedicated to restoring that power of choice to you. I am here to help you stop following the external narrative and start authoring your own.

The Origin: Survival as Heresy

My journey into the esoteric was not born of idle curiosity. It was a survival strategy.

Raised in a strict evangelical tradition, I learned early on that the map I was given was antithetical to who I was. As a queer kid, I was forced to navigate the trauma of conversion therapy at only fifteen. I was told I was broken. I was told I was irredeemable.

But in the depths of that suppression, I found a different truth. I realized that the exoteric systems of my upbringing were insufficient to hold the fullness of a human being. I chose to seek out systems that did not demand I shrink, but acknowledged me as complete and actively becoming. My heresy was the act of saving my own life.

The Tools: A Language for the Interior

I treat this work as a disciplined, scholarly pursuit because I know what happens when we lack guardrails for our transformation.

My relationship with the Tarot began in secret, reading playing cards as a kid because it was what I could get away with. I remember watching Bela Lugosi in The Wolf Man, seeing the cards laid out, and feeling a strike of lightning—a sense of "I want to do that." I would come to realize in time that Tarot is one of the few languages precise enough to describe human interiority. It is a simulacrum that decodes the human experience.

I later turned to Alchemy because I needed a manual for my own transformation. Introduced to me by a mentor when I was in desperate need of structure, Alchemy provided the framework to understand how base experiences are transmuted into gold.

The Approach: The Lantern and the Cup

As a Cancer, I am naturally inclined to hold space. But I do not believe in spiritual bypassing. Compassion is not about telling you what you want to hear or diluting the message to make you comfortable. That is a disservice to your growth.

I operate with both the Lantern and the Cup. I provide the vessel to hold your experience safely, but I also shine the light on the truth, however stark it may be. I serve as a reminder that you are not in it alone, but I will challenge you to stand in your own sovereignty.

Beyond the Veil

When I am not reading the cards or studying religious philosophy, I am usually found exploring the intersection of art, mathematics, and spirit.

I spent years as a professional marching musician and choreographer, a discipline that taught me that true magic requires rigorous timing and structure. This background has led me to craft novel magickal operations, including a method of musically representing natal charts by fusing Agrippan astrology with Pythagorean music theory.

Whether I am woodworking, drinking kava, or meditating, my life is a single-pointed focus on exploration. I have given up the "normal" life to walk this path because I sincerely believe that understanding the architecture of our reality is the only thing that matters.

Choose Your Path of Inquiry

This is spiritual consultation for the person who values intellect as much as intuition. How you choose to engage with this work is entirely up to you. You can enter the archives to explore these concepts freely, or you can step directly into the work with me. The choice is yours, and I look forward to what awaits!