tarot
How To Do A Fearless Tarot Reading
Each psychic reader has their favorite tools, and what suits one reader does not necessarily work well for another. In all my years as a professional psychic, angel oracle cards have always been my primary divination tool of choice. Nevertheless, I am also well-versed in reading the Tarot. Surprisingly, I have had a few clients over the years who have asked me not to use the Tarot for their readings, often because they feel uncomfortable with, and even fearful of some the occult symbols and imagery found in traditional Tarot decks.
In fact, just recently I had a very worried lady contact me about a Tarot reading she tried to do for herself. She attempted a four-card spread, and three of the cards she pulled now had her very worried: The Devil, Death and The Hanged Man. She was very anxious what this might mean and begged me to help her make sense of it all.
She confessed that she had considered reshuffling the cards and starting over, but I advised her against this. It is not at all wise to try and make a reading ‘fit’ simply because you don’t like the cards you drew. Instead, one needs to look at what the original cards are conveying.
I also explained to her that it is essential to consider the order in which the cards fall in a spread, as it often reveals a narrative or pattern of events. Furthermore, Tarot cards are directive, not simply predictive. The cards point us in the right direction or reveal the best path to take to arrive at a desired destination, and achieve the best possible outcome.
I then helped her to interpret her four-card reading as follows:
How To Work With Oracle Cards
I like to use oracle or angel cards when I do readings, because they provide the client with a visual element. This makes the process of reading seem more tangible, and less intimidating. In fact, these user-friendly cards are so accessible that they can be used by anyone in their daily spiritual practice.
My regular clients know that I use the terms ‘angel cards’ and ‘oracle cards’ interchangeably. They are basically decks of cartomancy cards similar to traditional Tarot, but they tend to have more positive messages, images and symbolism than the Tarot.
The many ways one can use oracle cards in your personal practice are only limited by your imagination. For example, you could pull a card and use it as a journal prompt, and then use freewriting or brainstorming to explore how you’re feeling about a certain topic or issue.
You can also ask a question, hold the cards to your heart, and then select the cards you feel most drawn to for the answer. Once you have selected the cards, I advise clients to truly ‘listen’ to the story the cards are telling you. What thoughts, feelings and intuitions do the images and words evoke? How do they correspond with the other cards you selected? What are the common themes?
If it’s helpful you can place cards in a divination spread, or you could pull just one at a time. A simple oracle spread you can try uses only three cards. The first card indicates the past, the second the present (the anchor card), and the third reveals the future.
Sometimes, when a particular card doesn’t seem to provide an instant, clear answer, take a closer look at the different visual elements of the card. For example, what is the person in the picture wearing? Are there any images in the background that provide additional insight or inspiration?
The Key Elements Of A Successful Psychic Reading
Recently, I was drawn into an interesting conversation about what is required to deliver a successful, accurate psychic reading. First up for discussion was the different psychic abilities, techniques and methods that readers use to obtain and convey information during a reading.
Psychic readers can basically be categorized into two groups: diviners and channelers. Diviners use divination tools and methods, such as Tarot cards, runes, bones, tea leaves, astrology charts, and so on. Channelers, on the other hand, is what I simply refer to as ‘no tools’ psychics. These individuals ‘see, hear, and feel.’
Is one better than the other? I don’t believe there is much difference – not as far as giving the client meaningful and useful information that is intended specifically for them. I personally see the two reading processes as very similar. What really matters in the end is accurate interpretation, as well as the skill and experience of the reader. These are the key elements, not how the information is accessed.
In my view, reading Tarot cards in a spread is no different to interpreting, for example, a stream of visual images ‘seen’ in the mind’s eye. In the same way Tarot readers associate certain symbolic meanings with different cards, ‘no tools’ readers similarly rely on a personal set of psychic symbols, such as visual images, clairaudient sounds, empathic feelings, and so on. It is not how the information is accessed, but how well it is interpreted that matters most.
I find that my personal ‘catalog’ of psychic symbols is constantly expanding and evolving, as I do more and more readings. This has made it increasingly easier for me over the years to interpret and convey psychic information to my clients.
Universal Psychic Symbols Versus Personal Symbology
Meaningful symbolism is everywhere, including in our dreams and subconscious minds. The earliest symbols known to modern man can be traced back to paleolithic caves of the early Stone Age. Spontaneous artwork done by both adults and children in a psychotherapy session often includes many archetypal symbols. Symbols are not only present in mythology, art, religion, and occult practices, but also in chemistry, road signs and even on the product packaging in supermarkets.
Symbols can convey a powerful, instant message and this is why people, often the young and vulnerable individuals, can be easily influenced by the media and the subliminal messages contained in the cleverly encoded symbols in political campaigns and advertising, for example. The everyday subliminal influence of symbolism in our lives is profound. Symbols speak to our mind, body and spirit.
Specific symbols make up a universal language and people with speech disabilities, or those with difficulty in communicating, use symbols and symbolic languages as an alternative method of communication. When doing animal telepathy our pets pick up the images and symbols we project to them, as opposed to words we might try to send them. Hence the need, for example, to send our animals happy images of being reunited with us if they are lost, rather than fearful images of them being lost and alone.
Symbols are the foundation of divination. Every Tarot, Rune or I Ching symbol, for example, has a documented, universal meaning, as well as a personal interpretation for the individual diviner. This is why it is important for a psychic reader to relay any symbol she receives during a reading to the client, because it may just be of great personal significance.
Connecting With Your Pets Energetically
I am the proud pet mama of two cats who could not be more different from one another. Francis is fearless. She’s an agile huntress who is always catching dragonflies and darting around the house. Merlin on the other hand, is slow and lazy. More content to make friends with mice and munch on leaves, he is a cat who just loves to love.
There was a time when Merlin went missing for some time. I was devastated! At first, I simply couldn’t believe it. We had just moved a considerable distance, so he was not at all familiar with the area and his new environment. He is an indoor cat that is afraid of grass and any kind of large moving objects (like boughs of trees moving in the wind). I was terrified for him.
After many days of fruitless, I was beginning to lose hope. I had put the word out with the local animal control and missing pet boards. My partner and I knocked on doors and wandered the neighbourhood nightly, calling out his name, but there was no sign of him at all.
In my heart, I knew Merlin was still out there. As the second week of his absence ended, I just had to try something new. I was willing to try anything at this point!
So, I consulted the Tarot. I asked where I might find him, or when he would come home, but my intensely clouded emotions made a clear, sensible reading impossible. Reading for oneself is generally not a good idea, much less when you are as distraught as I was at the time. The Tarot is also not the ideal psychic tool for these kinds of questions.
Then I began researching energetic methods for finding a lost a pet. This is when I discovered an energy meditation known as the ‘golden thread,’ or the ‘golden cord.’ It is a simple visualization technique for connecting energetically with a pet.
The Art And Science Of Cheirology
Cheirology is no longer a trendy healing modality in modern times, but it has so much to offer in terms of alternative healing and spiritual practice. It is an esoteric art and traditional healing science based on an ancient Chinese Buddhist hand analysis system in combination with Palmistry.
Cheirology is however not fortune-telling, because it is non-predictive. The principle of cheirology is that everything is energy, which cannot be destroyed and simply transforms itself. Thoughts and intentions are aspects of energetic relay, and the lines created in the hand through these thoughts and intentions can change as often as every three months.
Cheirology helps us to view our life from a higher perspective, and gives clarity on our individual personality, purpose and potential. The interpretation process takes into account the lines, ridges, fingers, patterns and segments of the hand, with each segment of the hand representing the elements of earth, wind, fire, water and ether.
Prior to the reading, a handprint is taken of both hands, just like giving fingerprints. The cheirologist I consulted said that much deeper levels of the client can be read by taking a print and analyzing it, as opposed to merely reading the palm in person.
When I had an in-depth cheirology session a few years ago, it revealed that in relation to my personality my nurturing manner and need for security is strong. I have a bow of intuition and the loop of nature, suggesting I should dedicate much time to animals or to the environment (no wonder I keep rescuing dogs and cats).
My ultra sensitivity shown in the reading, was a reminder of the importance of protecting my own energy field at all times, and the need for some quiet time to myself. In relation to my life purpose, the prominent healing stigmata highlighted the desire I’ve always had to give of myself and to be of service to others.
A Beginner’s Guide To Rune Casting
Rune casting is not the most well-known form of divination. Nevertheless, once you start working with it you will discover that it is a potent and fascinating means of divining the future.
The runes are an ancient Nordic alphabet called the Futhark that existed long before the Latin alphabet was adopted in the late Middle Ages. Each of the mystical rune symbols represent a particular phonetic sound.
The history of the runes is as fascinating as the runes themselves. Believed to have been developed in Scandinavia during the time of the birth of Jesus, the runes can be used to write from left to right or from right to left, and the words are based on the sounds they represent. The shape of the runes varied widely from region to region.
It is said that runes must first be activated before it can be used in casting. There are various ways to do this energy charging or intention setting. All good quality rune sets come with an instruction booklet on how to get the most out of their use.
It has become a modern trend for runes to be read in a similar way as tarot cards, by drawing individual runes and laying it out in a formal spread. However, rune casting is traditionally done in a similar fashion as African bone casting. Similar to Tarot and the I Ching it is an intuitive art that is not limited by strict interpretive definitions and pedantic rules.
When you’re new to rune divination, it can helpful to start by choosing one or two runes to focus your intention for the reading on. Then mix all the stones by shaking the bag. When you’re ready to cast, simply drop the runes onto a cloth and randomly spread them out.
Essentially the same rune is never interpreted exactly the same way from reading to reading. Each new interpretation will depend on the traditional symbolism of the particular tune; the original intention or question; the context of the surrounding runes; as well as the reader’s unique intuitive interpretation in that moment.
