11/2/12—Demystifying Tarot Readings

Today's Draw: The Ten of Air from the Book of Shadows Tarot. Have you ever been to a tarot reader? Have you ever wondered what to expect? Want to know how much it's going to cost you?

The Book of Shadows Tarot is relatively new and, based on some of the images I saw online, I thought it might be too Wiccan themed for me in the artwork. And while it IS Wiccan themed, I found myself liking the images they don't show in the promotional stuff you see online. So if you were feeling the same way I was, you might want to give it a second consideration. I'm glad I got it.

That said, the Air suit in the Book of Shadows tarot is different than most Air suits in that it focuses on different forms of divination—runes, dream interpretation, meditation, etc.. And the Ten of Air is Tarot.

Last weekend I gave readings at a Halloween party and pretty much everyone who came in to get a reading had never had one before, nor did they know what to expect, so they didn't know what to ask. Of course there's always that fear of the Death card (which doesn't mean physical death, but the death of some idea or pattern or whatever in your life that has outlived its usefulness.) But beyond that, people were more expecting to have fun than to hear something that could change their lives.

Back in my early 20s I had a friend who was Wiccan and I remember her pulling out her cards, not knowing what they were. I asked her for a reading and, even though she was reading straight from the book, I was surprised at the insights that came. See, I've always been someone who was fascinated with what the future held. And that's what tarot seemed to offer me at that time...a peek into the future.

But it turns out I had it all wrong. Tarot can the probable future that will come if nothing changes between now and then in regard to the course your life is on. But you always have free will. Don't like your outcome in a tarot reading? Change something about what you're doing.

For me, more than predicting a probable future, however, tarot is about exploring the countless facets of issues you're going through right now, giving you insight as to how to solve your problems or make changes that can make a difference. What's going on behind your back? Tarot will tell you. What are you in denial about? Tarot knows. How can you improve your love life? Tarot has the answers. A lot of divination tools, like pendulums or muscle testing, can tell you the "yes" and "no" answers. Tarot is a tool that, in my opinion, serves "what", "why" and "how" questions best. It's even good at telling you "who".

And, sure, it can answer "yes" and "no" questions, too. In my practice, though, I don't encourage those types of questions. And the reason why is that is that "yes" or "no" questions put you at the mercy of outside forces. For example, "does he like me?" is either a yes or a no and is all contingent on "him". But "what aspects of my personality are most attractive to him?" puts the ball in your court, empowering you put your best foot forward and create your own outcome.

A lot of people feel uncomfortable around the tarot, some of whom even read this blog. The reasons may range from them not thinking it's on the up-and-up or doubting its ability to do what it does, to the concern that there are somehow dark energies involved with tarot decks. To address the first two concerns, I'd say I'm more skeptical than you would think, even though its proven itself to me thousands of times over the past 25 years. It still amazes me at how accurate it can be. If you're curious, give it a try, because it could really blow your mind. 

As to the latter point, the energy isn't in the cards, it's in the reader. I call upon my higher self/soul and spirit guides to help me out. How do I know they're not the devil in disguise, just trolling for a gullible fool like me to spread his darkness throughout mankind? The same way others know they're praying to God at night and not to a devil who will take their very soul in answer to their prayers. In 25 years, I've never delivered anything but a healing reading to another person. If their future shows difficulty, which some futures do, I provide them with a way to change that or lessen its impact. All you need to do is look over the more 500 posts I've created on this blog to determine what energy is behind it. 

I work in the light and the vast number of readers I know work in the light as well. But yes, there are readers out there that will take advantage of you, just as there are members of every profession looking for a quick buck. A good way to spot them is if they have neon signs placed in their storefront offering $10 "special readings". And if they tell you you have a curse, walk away as fast as you can. I don't know any legitimate tarot readers that advertise in neon or have storefronts on busy highways. Most operate out of their homes or metaphysical stores or understated office spaces. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. I'm a fan of neon and have often considered getting a sign like that just for the kitsch of it.

So, if any of you were wondering any of this stuff, here you go. Are tarot readers always right? No. But just as often as we're wrong, we'll come across a client who's in denial and insists we're wrong when we're right. For most of us, there is a deep reverence for the art/skill. We feel called to it as a means of helping/serving others. The vast majority of us are people who consider themselves quite spiritual, if not religious, and on a path of self improvement. We have devoted significant amounts of our lives to the study of it. We take it very seriously and do not take our responsibility lightly.

Finally, I live in a big city and here we customarily charge $2 per minute or more. You can find competent tarot readers that charge less online (if you know someone who has gotten readings before, ask for a recommendation). In fact, the cost of a reader is not a reflection of the quality of the reading you'll get, as much as it's a reflection on the market they work in. Yes, phone readings work, as do email readings, so I wouldn't hesitate to give it a try. I bring up cost because people will sometimes balk at $120/hour in the same city they gladly get $100 monthly massages in and $150 coloring jobs and $80 mani/pedis, all while paying their psychotherapist $180/hour.

When you consider that you may only go to a tarot reader once or twice a year and that a good reading can change your life at least as much as a good coloring job, I say "stop your whining". The way I see it, if you're going to a tarot reader for fun or to be a skeptic, then it doesn't matter who you go to. But if you really want to dig into some aspect of your life and gain insight on how to change, a good tarot reader, while not a psychiatrist or life coach, can often have the same effect on your life for a heck of lot less of an investment in time and money.

3/22/12—Feeding What's Eating at You

Today's Draw: Four of Sword from the Steampunk Tarot by Barbara Moore and Aly Fell. Are you overly focused on a problem or issue right now? Do you often find yourself playing things over and over again in your mind, even when you have no control over what happens? Do you tend to feed the very thing that's eating at you?

The Four of Swords is usually a card of rest. And that's how it is in this card, too. But there's an added nuance in this card—the contraption holding the swords above the man's head suggests that some inevitability is coming to pass and it's not likely a good one. Circumstances have been set in motion and it's only just a matter of time.

At first glance, it may seem like he's sleeping when he ought to be racking his brain for ways around the issue. But sometimes taking a break from all the stress of a situation is exactly what you need to come up with a brilliant solution. 

You know how it goes when faced with an unpalatable situation. You start imagining worst-case scenarios. Your fears start coming up. And your brain tenses around all of this as you desperately try to figure out a solution. And while chewing it over can often help, the more stress you put behind trying to figure out how everything is going to turn out, the more you close your head to hearing divine inspiration. 

Right now I'm all worried about my boy dog who has to go in for surgery tomorrow. It's a situation in which I'm powerless and imagining all manner of outcomes. But really what is that getting me? What's going to happen is what's going to happen. And any fears I call up are just going to put fearful energy behind the situation. I don't want that. So I may as well just still the mind and go that place where I know everything happens the way it's meant to. Even if there were a problem I could solve in all of this, worrying won't get me anywhere. 

So if you've got a heavy problem to solve or a worry on your mind, take a nap. Meditate. Read a book. Or do any manner of things to take a break from the situation. You may just find that the second you stop thinking about it is when the universe steps in with its wisdom.

3/6/12—Letting Your Energy Flow

Today's Draw: The Four of Pentacles from the Steampunk Tarot by Barbara Moore and Aly Fell. What energy have you inadvertently cut the flow of in your life? What parts of yourself do you cling too tightly to, lest anyone ever see them? And how awesome am I that I already have a deck that's not even slated to be released until May?!?!

One of the world's tarot's goddesses is a woman named Barbara Moore. A quick glance at Amazon lists more than a dozen titles—from books to decks—bearing her name. Beyond that, she's the tarot acquisitions editor for Llewellyn, so whatever she doesn't create herself, she's instrumental in bringing to the world. And then there's at least one deck I know of she authored under a pen name. If you're a tarot reader and don't know who she is, check your bookshelves. 

So how AWESOME must I be to have, in my greedy little hands, her most recent and hotly anticipated deck and book—The Steampunk Tarot?!! This one is all Barbara. She directed the art and wrote book. If I'm not the only person outside her who has the complete kit, I'm one of the very few. I'm not even a reviewer! And she signed my book, too! Gah! No, wait....double gah!

Four of Swords, with a macabre twist.

*catching my breath, letting heartbeat return to normal* 

I would be remiss with all this fawning over the great Ms. Moore if I didn't mention that Babs is also a friend of mine and this was a very sweet and generous offering for my birthday week (the big day is Saturday). For a tarot person, it's like being friends with Oprah. :D

Anyway....

The Four of Pentacles is a card about holding on too tight to resources. The card shows a mechanical contraption that grabs and locks away every coin. A penny saved is a penny earned. Or is it? In the book, Barbara points out that too strict a diet with your resources stops the flow of energy. If that buck stops here and stays here, then how does the flow continue in the universe? Holding on too tightly can cause stagnation. And stagnation leads to rot.

We all want to feel safe and secure. Nobody's suggesting you don't save money. But holding on too tightly does two things: it sets up an energy of not having enough. If you focus on lack, the universe gives more of a feeling of lack. And it also cuts the flow of energy from moving through you to others, then back around to you again. You may accumulate more money. But what is your spirit losing in the process when you're counting every cent?

We've talked about poverty mentality just recently, so I'll move away from the whole money aspect and broaden the conversation to love, creativity, friendship and even God. Anything you hold on to too tightly, cuts off a flow and causes stagnation. We all know when we hold on too tightly to another person, they slip away. We've seen this.

The High Priestess

But the same is true about our ideas and ideals. Locking things inside of the curio cabinets within doesn't make them safer or stronger. They're more vulnerable because there's so much import placed around them...and so much energy of worry and fear of loss. While their hold over you strengthens, they weaken you if they never have the chance to come out and play and be tested in the real world. Even our beliefs need to come out for fresh air now and again to see if they're still viable. 

The parts of ourselves that we lock away from others—whether out of greed, spite or shame—are lost potential. They're areas ripe for growth and healing. And they don't just help us grow and heal when we trot them out, they help others, too. Plus they have the added benefit of facilitating intimacy and depth in relationships. 

Six of Swords

What happens when we routinely lock these things inside is that we become an automaton, like the clever bank in the card. Our monsters thrive in the dark, growing larger in our perception and increase their control over our lives, limiting our full expression. We like to stare and point at the Hoarders we see on the TV show. But it's no less soul sucking when we hoard the valuables within. It's just less visible. Those that appear most perfect are often the ones with the most toxic issues—and genuine gifts—locked within.

I think I've shared this analogy before, but I'll share it again. Picture everything outside you and everything within as a wet bar of soap in the shower. What happens when you hold on too tightly? What happens when you don't hold on tight enough? In both cases, the soap will slip from your hands. The key is to find that range of strength where your grasp is firm, yet fluid enough to keep the soap moving and doing its job.