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.

While in Florence I had the opportunity to do a few Tarot readings as well as a Reiki treatment. I traveled with two decks, the Legacy and my latest purchase, Anna K. Tarot. I am getting to know this deck by looking at it, reading the companion book and using it for personal use. It is a nice little deck. I find it fresh and happy even though the bright colors still give an overall dark result. It follows the RWS but some cards deviate from it a lot and I will have to wait and see how I will end up reading them.

While in Italy the kids and I took a lot of pictures. One of them turned out to be a beautiful display of The Strength card in every day life.

We were visiting some relatives of mine in the country side. The photo shows my daughter in a tender moment with a loving German shepherd named Nerone. Take a look at the photo and see for yourself.

ISBN 978-1-4019-1755-5

Hay House

Since reading this book I look at people differently.

Face reading can provide a lot of information.

The author explains what certain features mean. The ears tell about childhood, the hairline about adolescence, the forehead has information about our 20s, the eyes are about our 30s, the nose is about our 40s, the mouth our 50s, the chin our 60s , the jaw our 70s and the sides of the face are about the 80s and 90s.

The author also explains about the 5 elements: water, wood, fire, earth and metal. Each element has certain characteristics and dominant features. Most people are a combination of elements, with one or two dominant over the others.

By looking at the dominant features in a person you can determine what elements are more strongly represented.

As an example large ears are a water feature which also tells of endurance and the ability to take risks. Large earlobes indicate you are good with money. A strong chin equals strong will.

Thick, bushy eyebrows belong to the wood element and they indicate drive, confidence and ambition. A small space between eyebrows is a sign of a person who works best independently.

Curly or red hair, light in the eyes = fire element

A pointed tip of the nose tells of a curious nature, while a rounded tip speaks of enjoyment of the pleasure and comfort of life.

A round face, a big mouth, full lips are all consistent with the element of earth.

A large mouth indicates a generous person who treasure friendships. Vertical lines above the upper lips reveal disappointment, resentment.

A large nose, prominent upper cheeks, concave or lined lower cheeks are all signs of metal.

A perfect nose = idealist.

A bump just below the bridge of the nose indicates a need to be in charge.

Prominent cheeks show you can hold positions of authority and can handle giving orders.

Flat cheeks on the other hand suggest you prefer to work on your own and do not like to be supervised.

I personally find reading specific features or wrinkles easy. What I find challenging is identifying the predominant elements in a person. I guess that will come with time and practice. I can hardly wait as I believe that to be the most revealing part of this ancient practice.

As an example, to know that someone has a lot of water will tell you that:

he feels things deeply, will cry easily, needs a lot of time to make a decision, will have courage, determination and tenacity to spare. Water people love to lie down, walk and speak slowly, tend to be late often. They like to stay up late and sleep late. They like to wake up slowly from their fascinating and vivid dreams and they need a lot of alone quiet time. Water people wear soft clothes that tend to flow, the hair is often long, the footwear is the kind they can kick off easily. They like to live near water, they prefer open plan houses.

Fire people on the other hand are exuberant, joyful, yearn intimacy, are passionate, love change and new experiences. They laugh a lot, joke, talk and walk fast, they are great at multitasking. They love to flirt. They create drama, have a tendency to exaggerate. They like to be noticed.

They like to have fun with clothes, dramatic combinations, high heels, sexy styles. In the home cutting edge design, unusual architecture and design, collections. Fire people often work in marketing, public relations, sales or are performers.

To sum it up The wisdom of your face is a book that will make you look at people in a totally different way. It is funny, direct, compassionate and very informative. I highly recommend it.

Psychic Tarot, by Nancy Antenucci with Melanie Howard .

Published in 2011 by Llewellyn

ISBN 978-0-7387-1975-7

Paperback, 203 pages.

In my opinion this small, unpretentious, reasonably priced book has a lot to offer.

What I like most about it, is how it breaks down the reading process in a way that is easy to understand.

The book does not spend much time on the meaning of the individual cards.

The Minor Arcana are presented together as The First Family, followed by the Court Cards as The Second Family and finally the Major Arcana as The Third Family. Each group is presented briefly but effectively. The elements associations are clearly explained.

For the Major Arcana The Fool’s journey is presented in a concise but effective way. There are exercises and spreads to try for each family.

The experience of reading is broken down is six principles.

Grounding.

Intent.

Form.

Synchronicity.

Closure.

Integration.

Each step is explained in details.

The author also talks about energies, responsibilities, boundaries.

Example of Tarot readings using more or less intuition and psychic abilities are presented.

There is a chapter called Reading Tarot with the Sight.

It gives different examples of how to read .

1) A Tarot reading.

2 A tarot reading with a hint of the Sight.

3) A Tarot and Psychic reading.

4) A Psychic Reading with a hint of Tarot.

5) A Psychic reading.

Psychic Tarot is generous with exercises designed to help the reader understand the cards better . The book also provides a lot of spreads, big and small . I have only tried a few so far and I was truly impressed.

I loved the Turning Point Exercise 1 on page 49.

All in all Psychic Tarot is a great book, full of information delivered in an easy, direct way. It helps the reader trust her senses , question his or her beliefs and learn seeing the unseen.

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.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

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.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

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.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

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.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

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.

I have read a lot of Tarot books and I have found this one refreshing.

Why do I like it so much?

Several reasons.

1) This book is not about memorizing meanings for the cards.

2) It is a system that helps the reader experience the cards and come up with new associations for them.

3) It is fun.

4) The exercises expand the personal associations with the cards while providing insights into the experiences explored.

5) Once you understand the system you can use it for everything.

How does BIT work?

The system asks you to think back to an experience that you had or that you witnessed. Break it down into snapshots. Select cards to represent those images. Write down why you selected those cards.

Once you get familiar with the system you can use it to retell songs, movies, books, dreams. To find associations with places, holidays and so on.

You can use the BIT method with any deck you like. You can use it if you are new to Tarot as well as if you have been at it for decades.

Someone new to Tarot will likely select the cards mostly because of the images on them. As an example someone using the RWS deck may choose the Sun to depict the first time he rode a horse as a young child.

Someone who already knows the meaning of the cards may use the Sun to express a moment of pure joy as a young person or as an adult.

Something else I found interesting was a comment the author of the book made. Janet Boyer wrote that sometimes experienced Tarot readers can gain deep insight from figuring out why they did not choose a card that would be “expected” to represent a particular situation.

I also like the BIT system because it is very creative. Like in writing a story with words you can go straight to the point and use only a few cards or be quite descriptive and use as many as you like.

The Back in Time Tarot Book is reasonably priced. It is well written and a pleasure to read. It offers a fresh way to experience Tarot and the readings resulting from the exercises can be very revealing.

I would recommend the book to anyone interested in Tarot.

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

Echo Bodine is a well known psychic, spiritual healer and teacher. She has written several other books, but I haven’t read them yet. She is also the older sister of Michael Bodine, author of “Growing up Psychic”.

The gift is designed to help people understand and develop their psychic abilities.

175 pages long, the book explains in clear, easy to understand language what psychic abilities are, the different kinds that exist and the risks and responsibilities that go with using them.

Echo tries to dispel misconceptions about psychics and what they can and cannot do.

She devotes a chapter to debunk the belief that the Bible teaches psychic abilities to be the work of the Devil. She actually works hard to prove that psychic abilities are gifts from God, and that Jesus expected people to do great work with them.

Most of the book is designed to teach how to develop our gifts, how to interpret the information we get, and how to do so in a kind and ethical manner.

The book contains guided visualizations to facilitate opening up psychically, way to protect ourselves by grounding and clearing energies, as well as specific exercises.

I particularly enjoyed how Echo explains the way she receives information, as pieces of a puzzle that she needs to put together. She describes the process she uses to verify the information that she gets. She gives examples where she interpreted the information correctly, as well as instances where she made mistakes and why. I found the explanation of the process she uses very helpful.

The last chapter covers short interviews of five professional psychics. The aim I believe is to show that psychics come in different shapes and sizes, with different interests, talents and philosophies just like in any other field.

I have read the book in a week end. That is how I am, when I start reading I don’t want to stop.

I found the story of Michael very interesting.

Essentially, when Michael was about eight or nine years old a ghost made his presence known in the family home.

Michael’s mother need to understand what was happening in her house started her on a path of learning anything she could on the paranormal.

She was very open about this new found passion, and soon the house was filled with all sort of psychics and ghosts.

Michael and his two sisters, as well as a male cousin who lived with them did their best to adjust to their new reality.

Michael was quite scared by the ghosts.  He had a hard time living with them, and adjusting to the way his family life was quickly changing.  Michael lost his bearings for a while as alcohol and drugs took over his life at an extremely young age.

Eventually he cleaned out his act. Life was tough for quite some time and Michael did his best to avoid using his psychic abilities, but as he was surrounded by psychics he eventually accepted his gift.

Michael writes his story dispassionately. He doesn’t seem to make many excuses for himself. As I read the book I felt like I was there with him experiencing the good and the bad. His friends and his family felt very real to me. I admire how non judgmental he tried to be.

He is funny, and I could not help but smile even when I was reading about some of his lowest times.

All in all this is a good book. Michael has had a very interesting life, and he has been surrounded by very interesting characters.

The paranormal experiences he writes about are varied and I think the reader needs to keep an open mind.

This is not a book on how to develop your psychic abilities, it may even discourage you from trying.

This is a book about a young child growing up in a very unusual home and doing his best to come to term with it. It is also about family, friends, and trying to figure out what life is all about.

  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