Using the beautiful Druid Craft deck I asked for guidance for the month of May.

2   3   1

Position 1
Main gift or opportunity this month. Ace of Swords.

Position 2
Main challenge this month.
Sun

Position 3
Advise.
Queen of Swords.

At first glance I would say that May is going to be active and volatile.
Next I would add that there is potential for growth and success, but it will require change and letting go of something.

This May I have the gift of clarity in thoughts and in communication. It is therefore a great time to assert my self and my vision and to clarify any misunderstanding. Writing and advertising is more effective than usual.

The main challenge is represented by the Sun, one of the most positive cards in the deck.
The Sun, Major Arcana 19 . 1+9 = 10  1+0= 1

So we have a one of Air as gift and a one of fire as the challenge.
They are both active and indicative of new beginnings, but the one of the Sun comes through a 10 indicating the end of a cycle. Also, the Ace of sword is about clear detached thinking.
The one of Fire is full of enthusiasm and passion.

The challenge this May could come from success and fast growth which will require adjustments and letting go of something I have outgrown but that I like.
This month may be intense, with lots going on and with some experience out of my comfort zone.

Something else that strikes me is how young, bright, warm and naive the child on the horse looks. Even more when compared to the sword coming out of the water and the stiff queen of swords. She is turned away from him.

The advice to me is to act like the Queen of Swords would. This may mean rising above my emotions . The child in the Sun card is an idealist, but the Queen of air lives in the real world. She is fair and honest, but she is not soft. She will do what she knows is best and practical.

One final thought. This month I may be able to get an important point across with one of my kids. The challenge would be to see the disappointment in his or her eyes, but the advice would be to do it anyway. I guess some kind of sad but important and fair reality check.

I recently purchased the Druid Craft Tarot deck.
I am not a collector. I like to use the decks I own.
This one appealed to me right away. I loved the images and since they loosely follow the R.W.S.  I felt fairly confident I could read with it.
I was a bit hesitant because of the size of this deck. Most Tarot decks have cards considerably bigger then regular playing cards, but the Druid Craft deck is massive!
Consequently the pictures are bigger and so it is easier to notice the details, which is good.
Shuffling them or handling them in general though is much harder, which in my personal experience is bad.

Whenever I buy a new deck I restrict it to my personal use for a while. I want to get familiar with it, develop a bond.

I have come to realize that the Druid Craft deck speaks to me quite differently than other decks. Some of the images in the cards are very different from the R.W.S. and the 7 of Swords is a good example.

The man in the R.W.S.  is walking away from a village in his tippy toes. He carries 5 swords in a way that in real life would most likely cause him some  nasty wounds. His eyes also seem closed to me.
I usually get a message of sneaking around, hiding things because he does not want to face the objections of others to his actions or decisions. This behavior often backfire, as the actions are discovered and the two swords left behind are used against him. Swords are usually about thoughts and communication. Often , the hidden actions are discovered and the person  has to face the angry people who are affected by them and who would not have agreed to the conditions in the first place.

The feeling I get from the image of the 7 of swords in the Druid Craft is totally different.
Here we have an old man, hopefully indicating wisdom, busy writing something.
The expression in his face suggests to me he is not doing it lightly. The fact that it is night makes me think he has been pondering over it for quite some time.

As it happened, this card came up for me yesterday. I had been thinking to address a matter in writing for a couple of days. I had not done it yet, because it was a delicate matter. The Ace of Sword came up in the same reading, telling me in no uncertain words that it was time to speak up.
As I was looking at the image I also noticed the way the swords are resting in an intricate pattern, which made perfect sense to me as it related well to the situation I was dealing with.

To sum it all up, I am finding the Druid Craft deck a very reliable one. The images have a way to reflect well my day to day life. It also confirms my belief that it is a good idea to use several decks, as in this case this card fitted the situation so much better that the same card in the other deck could. I have offered my clients several choices of decks for a while now and after this experience I know it is a practice I want to continue.

Today I decided to take a peek into the first month of 2012.
I went small and used only three cards.

My Question:

“What does January 2012 has in store for me?

Position 2   Position 3   Position 1

Position 1
Main gift 4 of Swords (A)

Position 2
Main challenge 9 of cups (W)

Position 3
Advice or best course of action. Page of swords (A)

The first thought to come to my mind is “May I return the gift?”

I am using the lovely Anna K Tarot deck.

The 4 of Swords
shows two women in a dark bedroom. Through the window we can see snow. The younger woman in bed is clearly sick and distressed. The older lady sits besides her to provide her with any comfort she can. Two swords are behind the head of the sick lady, one is to her right and one barely visible is at the feet of the bed.

This is obviously a dark, sad card. What kind of gift can it represent?

Will I be grateful to have someone at my side in my time of need?
Or
I will be thankful to be able to be there for a loved one when he or she will need me most?

9 of Cups
A jubilant young couple is shown dancing while a crowd of happy, loving people cheer them on.
This is a happy scene, but the card is positioned in the main challenge for the month. It also follows the sad 4 of swords as a gift.
Perhaps it will be very hard for me to be truly happy and  celebrate an important occasion while experiencing sadness at the same time.
Page of Swords
A young person prepares to do battle with some kind of scarecrow armed with a sword and a shield.

I could interpret this card in two different ways.

A) Practice makes perfect. Rehearse my response will help me face the obstacle better when the time will come.

B) Being aggressive and negative all the time is a waste of energy.

How do I sum up this reading?

Perhaps January will bring me joy and sadness at the same time.

Living in the moment may be hard, but the best thing to do. Face the sadness and be there for whoever may need me. Truly be happy and grateful for joy when it makes an appearance.

Being happy is not a betrayal to whoever I am sad for. Life is a wheel constantly turning. Celebrating happiness is even more important when we are aware of how fleeting it can be.

(A) = air, (W) = water, (F) = fire, (E)  = earth.

About a week ago a new client came for a Tarot reading. After a short chat we decided to look into her love life and to use a spread I have come up with and used in the past with success.

As soon as the cards were drawn I knew I would have to work hard to get the guidance the client was seeking.

What happened?
I had in front of me very unusual cards for the questions asked.

What happened next?
I started to explain the first card to my client. A card describing her past experience in love. I knew that Major well, but the meanings that usually apply to that card did not fit her past experience.

How did I respond to that?

First, I felt a bit uncomfortable, as the meaning of the card, as clear as it was to me, did not fit into the client experience.

Second, I thought the client and I had failed to make a connection on an energy level, therefore the best thing to do was to shuffle the cards and try again.

Third, I reflected that more then once in the past I had done that, just to discover that the cards were right after all and wished I could remember them all.

Fourth, I explained to the client what was going on in my head. I then got a different deck and started the reading from scratch. I left the original cards out so that I could refer to them if necessary.

Fifth, instead of letting the client cut the deck I asked her numbers to pick up the cards. I have found in the past that sometimes it is better if I function as a filter between the cards and the client’s energy.

What did I learn?

A lot. The second set of cards were also not what I would have expected for that kind of spread. At first glance they were quite different from the group selected first, but when compared one by one they made a lot of sense.
In essence I did two readings, because I read all the cards from both spreads. I personally decided it was a small price to pay as each card made interpreting the next much easier.

My client had asked for information about her love life. She had no particular partner in mind.
I had therefore suggested a reading that would give us some information on how to improve her love life.

I used a seven cards spread.

Position 1. Where is the client coming from? In other words, past experience.

Position 2. What kind of partner is the client attracted to?

Position 3. What does the client need from a love relationship?

Position 4. What kind of first impression does the client give to potential partners?

Position 5. Where is the strength of the client in attracting the right mate?

Position 6. How does the client sabotage herself in love?

Position 7. Where is the client heading in love within the next six to nine months?

For the first reading the client had picked the R.W.S deck.

The first card was the Hermit.
The second card was the 5 of wands.
The third card was the 10 of swords.
The fourth card was the Queen of cups.
The fifth card was the 10 of wands.
The sixth card was the 8 of swords.
The seventh card was the King of cups.

For the second reading the client picked the Gilded deck.

1ST position. Strength.
2ND position. 5 of Pentacles.
3RD position. Ace of Pentacles.
4TH position. Judgement.
5TH position. Empress.
6Th position. King of cups.
7TH position. 6 of Pentacles and for added clarification 4 of wands.

If you are familiar with Tarot reading I invite you to look at one spread at the time and get a feeling for it. Even read them both if you like.

Since I had a real client in front of me, time was a big factor. After quickly looking at all the cards and attempting to interpret the Hermit without success, I proceeded to read one position at the time confronting the cards from the two decks.

At first I had interpreted the Hermit as the client had either been alone for a length of time, or she was one who had spent considerable time on her own between relationships.
In reality, the client had broken up four to five months prior to the reading.
That relationship had lasted several years and before that she had had a few other relatively long relationships.

I did not go back to the Hermit. I just addressed the Strength. It was only  later, after the client had left, that the  meaning of the Hermit in this contest became very clear and simple.

My interpretation of the Strength was that the client had in the past confidently overcome many challenges in her love life. She was good at understanding her partners and how they felt. She was also flexible and she knew instinctively when it was time to stand up for what was important to her and when just go with the flow.

The second position addressed the kind of partner she was attracted to.
Interestingly we had two five. Wands (fire) with the R.W.S. and Pentacles (earth) with the Gilded.
In the first case I would have thought the client may be attracted to competitive people. After looking at the 5 of Pentacles I decided that she was attracted to a challenge.
The five of pentacles had come up before in other love readings with other clients. Whenever it came up in a position of strength it left me a bit confused, some times more than others. In this particular reading it became clear to me that my client was attracted by guys down on their luck. I asked her if her previous partners had been sort of lost when they came into her life. Without hesitation she said yes. So, I smiled and I asked her if she used to take stray dogs or kittens home. Apparently, she only felt the need to rescue guys.

The third position addressed what the client needed from a relationship.
10 of Swords (air) in the R.W.S. and ace of pentacles in the Gilded.
At first glance the two cards appear like opposites, but from a Numerology point of view 10 is 1+0= 1 therefore we have the same number, just at  a different stage, as ten are endings that lead to new beginnings.

By looking at the two very different pictures I had the gut feeling that my client needed  to find her partner when he was in a vulnerable spot and then guide him to a new and much more productive path where they could go on together.

The fourth position addressed how my client was perceived by her partners.
Queen of cups, water, in the RWS and Judgement, air, in the Gilded.

As the queen of cups she came across as a reserved patient lady. Sensitive, good at reading between the lines, with a good heart, slow to pass judgement or take a position. The Judgement card in my opinion raised the vibration a lot. It made my client appear as someone able to give others a second chance at success, able to lift them from the darkness they may have found them selves in. Again, my client to the rescue.

Fifth position. Strength of my client in attracting her partners.
10 of Wands, fire. Empress, earth.
I found this combo very helpful. The 10 of wands was easy to interpret. My clients tends to relieve her partners of their burdens by taking them on herself. The Empress goes a bit deeper. Perhaps I should clarify here that I was not using reversed cards and therefore when looking at cards I had to consider all range of energies, from the positive to the darkest. The Empress is a nurturer.  She is the great mother and here was in my opinion an important key to happiness and success for my client.
As she is a caring , strong and capable lady she could use her talents to nurture her partner to regain confidence in himself. The key here is to give love and support, but trust the partner to be able to do what is needed. The danger here is to mother her partner, protect him and smother him, not giving him the space to grow and succeed by himself.

Sixth position. How does the client sabotage herself?
8 of swords, air. King of cups, water.
Again, looking at the cards as a combo was  helpful to me. The client restricted herself in the ways that she could help her lovers.

She feels that she needs to rescue them, but she is frustrated when they do not become independent and she has to continue to carry their burdens. She would benefit from attempting new approaches. Give them more space to do on their own. The King of cups reinforced the message for me. I saw the king as my client, always ready to be a good shoulder to cry on and to lean on. Always calm among turmoil, al least on the outside. But as good as a listener this king is, he sucks at sharing what goes on inside him. How are other supposed to know what he needs to be happy if he does not share his own feelings? Remember, the king of cups represents my client.

Seventh position. Where is my client love life heading within the next nine months?
King of cups, water, for the RWS.  Six of pentacles, earth, and four of wands, fire, with the Gilded deck.

With the first spread I would lean to believe a nice lover is on his way for my client. Someone who is sensible, patient, a good listener and a bit reserved, just like my client.
With the second spread the answer perhaps is not as clear ( at least to me).
The six of pentacles indicates that my client will start to be more aware of the exchange of energy between her and her future lovers. She will attempt to have more balanced relationships. She will perhaps try to be generous but also understand why she feels she has to give. The four of wands suggests to me that she will be successful in overcoming the difficult pattern she has been following for so long.

With what I know now the meaning of the Hermit becomes clear. It is just what the picture shows.  In the past my client has had a pattern to go to those who were in a way lost. She offered them hope, help and guidance.

I like and respect Anderson Cooper. I have watched him on TV for years and I have also enjoyed his book “Dispatches from the edge”.

This post is my personal reflection upon watching his show on Psychic scams.

I was a bit disappointed because it seems to me that Anderson did not truly look at the problem deeply as he usually does.

Essentially the show exposed a gypsy psychic being prosecuted for fraud. He also talked to two ladies who had been ripped off by another gypsy psychic and to a lady who was spending way too much money consulting someone.

It was nothing new. People going for a cheap reading being told they had some kind of curse and paying increasingly bigger amount of money to have the curse lifted.

What was new was the huge amount of money that some of this people paid.

I am sorry for the victims, yet I was surprised that two apparently educated ladies could fall for one of the oldest trick out there. Who hasn’t heard about it?

I missed the first fifteen to twenty minutes of the show. I saw a gypsy lady with her lawyer. She had ripped of some people. I don’t know how many or of how much. She didn’t seem truly sorry for what she had done, though she was admitting her guilt. She was risking twenty years of prison. I have to say that did not seem fair to me. Specifically because people who rape and kill get less than that. Even those who commit the most hideous crimes against children get less than that. What is the message here? Is ripping someone of his money worse than taking a life or robbing someone of his/ her innocence, dignity and control over his/her own body and mind?

Something else that bothered me a lot was a lady in the audience. She said she was addicted to readings and that she would call up to ten different readers in a day to find one who would tell her what she wanted to hear. She was the one who called all those different readers, yet we are to blame them?

One of the guest on the show was there with her husband. She was spending stunning amounts of money on guidance, but she was happy with the service, her husband not so much.

Personally I believe there are plenty of good readers out there as well as many charlatans. As in any other business the buyer would be wise to use some common sense.

My suggestions are simple.

1) Find out the fees for the service ahead of time and stick to it.

2) If it is too good to be true be suspicious. In other words, if someone promise you instant wealth or health run the other way.

3) If someone tells you they can make your ex fall in love with you again, walk away.

4) If your life sucks and someone tells you they can lift your bad luck, get up and leave.

5) Moderation. Let some time pass between readings. I would suggest at least 3 to 6 months.

My personal rule of thumb is that I have to work for what I want. If I have a dream I need to do all I can to manifest it in my reality. If my life sucks, I am the one who has to do something to improve it. If I want to find love I will get out of the house and try to find it.

From time to time I get a call from someone unhappy with his/ her life and asking me if I can make it better. My answer is always the same: “I can help you see how you are participating to the problem and perhaps help you find different ways to handle the situation, but you are the only person who can do something about it.”

Guess what? Those callers usually don’t book an appointment. Why? Because they don’t want to assume any responsibility or do any of the work. They would rather pay someone to magically fix it for them or to the very least tell them they have done nothing wrong and no effort on their side is required.

I also think that some people have unreasonable expectations.

When am I going to get married? What is his name? Where and when will I meet him?

I think our future is in the making. We have an idea. We have potential, but we also have free will and so do all the people around us. We are also products of habits and we tend to repeat ourselves. When we look at our past, confront it with our present, it is often easy to see where we are heading. When we don’t like the outcome we can try to understand how we are getting there and hopefully find new strategies to shift somewhat the outcome. I believe good readings can be very helpful in giving people heads up, and more objective views of their situations. They can give hope and a bit more clarity. They can also be fun, but they cannot replace your free will or good judgment.

Just the way I see it. Feel free to disagree.

I am a lucky woman. I have recently bought four Tarot books and found them all fascinating. I am going back and forth between two of them. I plan to write reviews as soon as I am done with them. They are both hands on with lots of interesting exercises.

The one I am going to write about is called “Turning Point exercise 1″. It is on page 49 of “Psychic Tarot” by Mary Antenucci with Melanie Howard.

I tried the exercise this morning and I found it very powerful.

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HOW TO DO IT.

Use only the Major Arcana.

Think back to 15 memorable moments in your life. Experiences or decisions that helped you become who you are now.

Write them down, possibly in chronological order.

Spread all the Major Arcana in front of you.

Choose one card to identify each moment.

You can select the same card as many time as necessary.

When you are finished, look at the cards and see if you notice any pattern.

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I am in my late forties and so it was easy to recall 15 turning moments in my life. If anything, I had to be selective.

To respect my own privacy I will not go into details. Let’s just say that I started with a card to represent the kind of family I grew up with, followed by high and low points in my life. I addressed important decisions I made, as well as experiences that life threw at me and with which I dealt the best way I could at the time.

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HOW THE PROCESS WORKED FOR ME.

As I thought back, cards came to mind. For some events the choice of card was obvious to me, for other not so much. For a few of those memories I had to look at the cards in front of me for inspiration and the cards that answered my call were true surprises. Other times I had a couple of candidates in mind. To narrow the choice I listed all the reason why each card was the best card to express the feelings and the energy of the time. Soon the clear winner would stand out.

I am proud to say that I was able to select a single card for 14 of the special turning point of my life. For one, I had to select two card and I make no apologies for it. It turns out to be one of those moments that starts one way and ends in another, just like a tv episode that has to be continued.

When all was said and done I found the exercise extremely valuable. It showed me how the events were in someway connected. I could also see the ebb and flow of the energy in my life. How a very structured responsible phase of my life had to be followed by a crazy, rebellious one and so on.

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The author of the book suggests to look at each card as a teacher. What were you learning in each pivotal time of your life? I was amazed by all that I learned about each card that way. I had so many Eureka moments. Some came simply by thought process, others were totally visual.

The Moon card has always been a bit of a challenge for me. It turns out I associate it deeply with a very difficult experience in my life. One that I do not normally associate as a meaning of The Moon. Yet, reflecting on the experience. Remembering the feelings, I was able to identify without hesitations all the conflicting emotions and forces at work at the time with the images in the card.

I recommend this exercise to everyone. Personally I will follow it with the BIT method to delve deeper into some of those pivotal times. Great book. I can hardly wait to see what comes next.

This one is a hard for me.

I don’t use reversed cards and I never have consistently. I read using spreads. I often make them as I go along and I include positions for challenges, obstacles or weakness . I tend to interpret the cards in those positions as many would read a reversed card. Yet sometimes I still wonder if I am missing something by not using reversals.

I am a bit of a book worm and so I am always reading. Since I love Tarot is no surprise that many of those books relate to Tarot.

Often I find myself loving the interpretation of some reversed cards and that makes me wonder again if I made the right choice.

I am well familiar with the many views on reversed cards.

Some readers look at them as opposite of the upright meaning.

Others see them as the extreme of the energy expressed.

Nurturing when taken too far, as an example, can become smothering.

Another way to interpret reversed cards is as energy about to enter the situation or leaving it.

Either way the energy of that card is not as strong as when upright. I like this way of thinking, but I think it could be problematic when used it reading for others. I guess you could look at the elements to help you decide if that energy is growing or weakening. It sounds a bit complicated to me, particularly for those who may not be familiar with the elements and how they interact.

Last but not least, there are those who see reversed cards just as a scream for attention, look at me, kind of idea.

Therefore such reader would look at the reversed card carefully or first. He or she would give that card more attention.

I don’t know. I think there are pro and cons to read with reversed as well as to reading without them.

One of the reason I have never really taken to reversals is because I was never sure on how to mix them. Do you take the deck, cut it in half and turn one pile upside down? Would that be too much?

How do you decide? I know that some people suggest to spread the deck around and then move the cards all over the place like you were playing with sand. Personally I am not fussy on it, but it may work for you.

To sum it up. I read cards in the upright position. My meaning for them can change depending on where they are in the spread. I will interpret a card that is in a challenge or negative position as weak, or as an extreme of the energy it represents. As an example the Queen of swords , which I usually see as someone smart, brave, decisive and communicating clearly and directly, may become someone who can come out too critical and whose message can leave people hurt. Even when reading cards in regular positions, therefore as upright, I look at the full spectrum of their energies , from light to dark. I come up with my interpretation considering the overall energies present in the reading. Lots of Wands cards will make my interpretation for them strong and bold, much more let’s say than if a wand card was surrounded by many cups.

What about you?

Do you use reversed cards?

Why? What is your approach? What has been your experience with them?

I would love to hear what you think.

Hello.

I am busy reading a fascinating book called “The Back in Time Tarot Book” by Janet Boyer.

I love it because it provides a fresh look at Tarot.

Essentially she suggests to look at experiences from the past or even fairy tales and put them into a story using Tarot cards.

You can use a few cards or you can use many. You can select them by meaning and associations or by the images depicted on the cards.

The method is supposed to help you develop a stronger connection with the cards and with your intuition and who could not benefit from that?

For one of the exercises Mrs Boyer suggests the following.

“Think of a surprise event where a person or animal surmounted an incredible challenge.”

For this story I have used a total of 12 cards. They are all from the RWS deck.　

Knight of wands/ Chariot / Tower.

Rudy was a young, bold, strong and curious cat.

One evening a few minutes after letting her out I heard the sound of a car hitting the brakes.

When I got out the car was gone. Rudy was hiding, but she could not walk straight and she had no control of her bowels.

9 of swords / Death

What followed was pure anguish. Death was a strong possibility. Even if she lived her spine may have been broken.

4 of swords / king of swords / 5 of pentacles.

Rudy survived but she had to rest for a while to regain strength before she could have the necessary surgery (male vet). What followed was a long period of rest, limited movement, weakness and financial strain for us to pay the vet.

Strength / 6 of swords / Temperance / 9 of cups.

Rudy was at the time a young and vibrant cat. It took a lot of adjustment on her part but eventually she started to get stronger. She healed as much as possible and she went on to have a long happy life just as we had wished and hoped.

Lately the 6 of cups is everywhere. It comes up when I read for my-self. It pops up repeatedly when I read for clients.

I guess it is time for me to take a deeper look at this card.

I am now looking at the 6 of cups from the Rider Waite, the Gilded and The Sacred Rose deck.

In the R.W. we see two children looking warmly at each other, as the older one gives a cup to the younger one. They are in what looks like the court yard of a castle ( safe and sheltered from the outside world). All the flowers in the cups are white (purity of intention).The little girl is wearing white gloves ( she receives/ accepts with innocence).

When I look at this card I think of children, childhood connections, gifts and good intentions.

Moving on to the 6 of Cups from the Gilded Deck.

Here too we have two young children. They are in a grassy field surrounded by six cups full of colorful flowers. The boy is holding a frog, a rabbit sits alert between them and a cat looks out of the card from the bottom right corner.

Looking at this image I think of playfulness, simple good times. I reflect over being grateful for all that is good. Being nostalgic of when life was easier and simple is also a strong possibility.

Things have been good and productive (rabbit). As I look at the cat I get the impression that he/she is looking at me, and the kids are aware of me also. In this context I think the card suggests to behave honestly and kindly, as the children are watching.

In the Sacred Rose deck there is a woman. It looks like she is perched on a white cloud just above the cups lined up to form a triangle. She holds a cup with a rose in one hand and a rose in her other. All the roses are white, again purity.

As I look at this card, the lady seems to be offering me the cup. It looks like a gift or an offer, like she is reaching out.

From an elemental point of view cups represent water, which is all about feelings, imagination, dreams, love. Water is also passive, suggesting observing and reflecting rather than taking action.

6 is about family, harmony and doing what is right.

I recently finished reading  The Spirit Whisperer Chronicles of a medium by John Holland. I found the book quite interesting, but I am not here to write a review.

One of the many things discussed in the books are ADC, after death communication. Mr. Holland, as well as many other mediums whose work I have read , believes anyone can experience ADC.  I happen to agree with him. Here I am going to write a personal experience I had.

I am and I have always been an animal lover. It has been reassuring for me to read that many mediums believe animals have souls and that we can meet them again once we cross over.

A few years ago something terrible happened. I had recently moved in my new home. My 13 years old cat was quite upset by the move. For weeks she didn’t explore the home preferring instead to stick close to the main floor and basement. She ventured to the back yard a few times and only for a few minutes.

At the beginning of May that year we had a beautiful warm day. My kids and I took full advantage of it, and that evening we had dinner in our back yard for the very first time. My cat Nicki being very gregarious ventured out on the steps to watch us eat. After dinner I played on the side of the house with my dog, and later ended up chatting for a while with one of my new neighbours. When I got back inside it was dark, my kids had gone back in before me and I assumed Nicki had also.

The following day was a super busy day I spent almost entirely working on the computer in the loft. It was only that evening that I realized I had not seen my cat all day. Upon reflection I understood she had been missing since the night before.  The following morning I started to search for her. I knocked on neighbours doors. I walked around with her photo and asked anyone I met if they had seen her. I posted posters with two of her photos asking for help in finding her. I contacted vets, Humane Society, you name it. Every day I walked for hours calling her. Everyday my search went wider and so did the posters.

I asked the Tarot for help. The response was that she was alive but very scared. A couple of weeks went by. I was taping yet another poster of my missing cat to a street lamp when something made me jump. It felt like a cat lovingly rubbing herself against my calf. When I looked down all Icould see was some kind of electrical box.

I had goose bumps all over and the horrible feeling that my beloved Nicki had passed away and was telling me to let go, that there was nothing else I could do.

The very same day I went back to the Tarot for help, and the Death card came up in the position of how she was. I started  crying right there. I am the first to say that Death nine times out of ten means transition and not physical death, but in the contest of that spread I had no doubt on the meaning. The cards also told me I would receive information soon and that would unleash a ton of emotions. I also remember looking at the page of sword of the deck I was using and thinking that perhaps she was already buried. Shortly after that I received a phone call. A gentleman walking his dog in the woods not far from me had found her. There wasn’t much left of her. A fox or a coyote had eaten most of her, but her collar and her name tag were still on and he took it. Once at home the gentleman told his wife who had seen one of my fliers. He called me. As grateful as I am to him for his kindness I barely spoke to him. I passed the phone to my husband so that they could make arrangements to go get her and bring her home. The pain I felt was overwhelming and as I write this tears fill up my eyes. We figured out Nicki lasted perhaps ten days out there by herself. Why I didn’t find her in time or why she didn’t find her way back I will never know.

Of something I am sure. She somehow knew how hard I looked for her and that I would not stop searching until I found her.  That day it was her spirit who somehow managed to rub against my legs to let me know she loved me and it was time to let go  and stop looking for her.

Anna

  4

2 1 3

   5

1 My focus/role for the day.

2 My work.

3 In my home.

4 Unexpected news or events I will be dealing with.

5 Outcome. How I will be feeling about the day when it is over.

It is working well for my self, keeping in mind that the positions are quite fluid, and that I work from home.

Sometimes it becomes a longer spread depending on how many clarifications cards I find necessary.

I have two reasons for this daily practice. Curiosity and the desire to understand the cards better and better.

I am finding the time spent on it well worth it. The most important thing is to take the time at the end of the day, or first thing the following morning to compare the cards to the events that actually took place.

I am familiar with the deep meaning of the cards, but I want to be equally knowledgeable about the way they apply to every day life.

It is like a conversation with a good friend. There are times you want to discuss the meaning of life, and others where you just want to have fun and share the small things that make your day.

8 of cups

I have always found this card to show up when someone decides to move on in a new direction, leaving behind something solid like a long lasting relationship or occupation.

Well, this week the card has come up several times. The first time in my home. I knew my son was planning to go to a friend’s house for a sleep over. I wondered if that was it. The card shows someone leaving, but I have always looked at it as something deeper and long lasting.

The following day the card came up again, this time in the unexpected.

It turned out that evening that my daughter and a friend were having so much fun together that she was invited to go for a sleep over at her friend down the street. It was totally unplanned, but it worked.

So, I have now added sleep over to my list of key words for the 8 of cups.

Another day I got the 5 of cups in the outcome position. I didn’t like it so I decided to pull a clarification card, King of Wands. Better, but not clear yet. I pulled another card Hanged Man.

5 Loss or regrets. King Creativity and courage. Hanged Man Changing opinion, new perspective.

So I had an idea of what those cards may mean, but didn’t know how they would have applied in my day.

Later, looking at the events it was easy to see how the cards had played their role. I had been presented again with an opportunity that I had missed before many times. This time I took advantage of the opportunity because I had realized in the meanwhile how I had been sabotaging my self. Regrets, having the courage to try a new approach, changing mind and stand.

It all fit together beautifully.

7 of wands

A man stands alone fighting several wands coming at him.

Normally I read this card as bravely facing opposition. Standing up for your beliefs, taking time to respond to others. I also suggest reflecting on how important those beliefs are and perhaps be a bit more selective, pick your battles. Let some of those wands pass and stop those you really care about.

In my daily life this card has also come to represent me saying no over and over to the same demands from my son. You know the kind when he asks me to take him somewhere and I say no, just to be asked why. I explain why, and he says Please!!!!!!!!!!!!! My answer remains the same, but he definitely wears me out in the process.

The other day I got an ominous combination in my home position

Page of pentacles + Tower + 7 of swords

Young person or message of a sudden loss connected to dishonesty.

Honestly I was a bit worried.

When the day was almost over, I stepped into my daughter’s room and her friend told me that her mom had her purse stolen that day.

I am definitely going to continue with this daily practice.

Anna

Do you believe in coincidence or in synchronicity? Why?

I have always been suspicious of coincidences. Eventually I stopped believing in them.

I am not clear on how synchronicity works, but I am attempting to figure it out.

This morning on my way to Yoga my car broke down. It is at the garage now. As I understand it some cables in the transmission snapped and need to be replaced.

Back at home I reflected on how the last time the car broke down on me, I was also on my way to yoga.

That was a year ago, and my brakes snapped and failed.

It then dawned on me that both times the car broke down I was at a traffic light.

Now, to put things into perspective I drive the car every day, I go to Yoga on average once a week.

So what are the commonalities here?

1)Something in the car snaps and breaks.

2)It happens at a traffic light.

3)I don’t make it to Yoga.

What is the message? Is there one?

I would love to hear what you think about this and coincidence versus synchronicity in general.

Anna

There are a lot of decks out there, some of them are stunningly beautiful.

To begin I would personally use the Rider Waite deck. It is not the most beautiful, but it is the easier one to use while learning.

There are pictures in every card. The symbols are clear. They are not intimidating, and if you carefully look at the cards you will understand the basic message.

I started with the Marseille deck. The minor arcana have no pictures, just 7 swords or 5 disks and so on. It is no surprise that for over a decade I only used the Major Arcana. A whole new world opened up to me when I switched to the R.W. S. deck and instead of 5 disks I had homeless couple walking down a snowy street.

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words!

Also, most Tarot books refer to the Rider Waite deck in their teaching.

I have read a ton of Tarot books over the years. I own most of them. Public libraries unfortunately do not share my passion for Tarot.

A great book to start with is ” Learning the Tarot” by Joan Bunning. My copy is falling to pieces, but I am still holding to it.

You can even try the free Tarot on line course by the same author, and save money.

In my opinion the best way to learn the Tarot is to truly become familiar with the deck. Don’t just memorize the meaning of the cards. Become familiar with the deck. Look at the cards! Every time you do, you will discover something new, a detail will grab your attention. When you study/ read the meaning of a card always keep the card handy and look at it. When you start practicing come up with your own interpretation first, and then compare it to what the book you are reading says.

This is extremely important, or you may, like me, end up dependent on books for years. The longer you use the books as crutches in your interpretation, the harder it becomes to trust your own intuition.

Daily readings are a great way to experience the cards and learn more about them.

Some pick one card a day. Others pick up several.

I believe the number of cards chosen is less important than the reflection over them. When you pick up your cards in the morning it helps to have an intention. You may ask which energy is going to be prevalent during the day.

Or, what is the best way to handle the situations you will encounter that day. Once you have posed your question, draw your card, and write it down. Look at it, and think about what the card may try to tell you. Write it down.

Leave the card out, if at all possible in a spot where your eyes will wonder often.

At the end of the day, or the following morning, go back to what you wrote. See how much was correct and what you missed. If you do not see the correlation between the card and the events of the day, I suggest you write down what happened. It may turn out useful the next time you draw the same card. As you evolve on your path, and you look back to your journal, you may see the connection between the card and the events of the day as clear as light. The journal is a great tool, but only if you write down your thoughts and the events that followed. At least this has been my experience with it.

Finally, the Internet can help you a lot. There are so many great Tarot readers/ writers / teachers out there. So many of them have web sites or blogs full of information. Many post incredibly informative articles. Not only they are all free, but people write comments, questions and the authors answer them.

Some of the people who post comments are also great experts in the field. The Tarot community all over the world is very friendly. If you have the passion and the dedication now days you can progress on your Tarot path faster and cheaper than I did.

I wish you all the best on your quest for knowledge, and please don’t forget to have fun along the way.

Anna

Lately I have been pondering over this.I am a Tarot reader, and like many others, I make no claim of special abilities. In other words, I rely on my hard gained knowledge of the cards to get my interpretation of a reading.

None the less, I have always admitted that each card has a lot of meanings.

The question, and the surrounding cards help me decide which meaning applies to a particular reading.

A couple of weeks ago I was reflecting over how much the use of a deck influence a reading. In other words, the same card in the same combination, may be read differently by me depending on the deck I am using.

Why? I believe the artwork, the symbols, influence my interpretation.

What I know about the card does not change, but the symbols present may lead me to go with one meaning over another.

I believe that is one of the many ways that intuition plays a role in a reading.

I then reflected on how sometimes I notice something in a card that I had not noticed earlier. Let me give you some examples. The river and waterfall in the Empress card. It has always been there, but I only started to notice it lately. Now I ask my-self how I could have missed it before.

Another one is the two of cups. I had never noticed how the man is reaching for the hand of the lady.

In the 7 of swords. Have you noticed how dangerously the sneaky guy is holding the swords by the blades? For years I had not!

Let’s take this a step farther.

Lately I have been wondering why the same symbols in a card will at time suggest something to me and at other times will not.

The 4 of cups.

In one reading I have noticed the 3 cups lined up in front of the man sitting. After a moment it occurred to me that 3 people were involved in the situation. The client confirmed it.

In another reading I noticed the two coins being juggled in the air in the 2 of Pentacles card. It told me the guy had two kids.

Why is it that a symbol will speak loudly one time and stay silent in another occasion? Again, I believe intuition is at work, and at times more than at others.

What do you think?

By the way, in all the examples mentioned above I was using the RWS deck.

At present time I own seven Tarot decks. The three I use regularly are the Radiant RWS, the Gilded, and the Sacred Rose. While using them I could not help but notice that my interpretation of the cards change somewhat depending on the deck I use.

Why is that?

I am well aware that I am not the first reader to notice this. There are after all books about comparative Tarot. None the less my curiosity is engaged now.
I understand the symbols portrayed in the cards are responsible for our shift in perception, and subsequent interpretation. I believe this is the reason why some decks speak to me and others do not.

As I look at the two cards in front of me, the 4 of Pentacles from the RWS, and the same card but from the Sacred Rose deck, I wonder…How much does my cards interpretation change from deck to deck? How much stays the same?

After all a four is a four, meaning foundations, stability and attainment. Yet the picture has a strong influence on me.

The RWS shows a well dressed men sitting comfortably with his back to a city. He hugs a pentacle in a way that shields his heart.

One Pentacle stands on top of his crown, and two are under his feet. The man wears red shoes.

I know that several books explain this card as greed and materialistic. I am sure those meaning can apply in the right contest.

When I look at this card I see a man with a peaceful expression. He seems in control and in no rush. To me he is someone who has worked hard for those Pentacles. He is proud of them and protective. He wants to make sure his money goes as far as it can.

The harsher meanings listed above are in my opinion the extremes of the card.

When I look at the 4 of Pentacles in the Sacred Rose deck I am even less inclined to see the darker meanings.

Here a young person kneels or perhaps stands on top of four Pentacles. He smiles with his hands on his hips in a bold stance. He is on top of the World. I see success, achievement, satisfaction.

I welcome your comments.