Tuesday, January 16, 2007
From the Mailbag
PK writes--
Dear Ginny,
It's hard to phrase my question. I know there's a huge positive forward push inside me emotionally, but The Hanged Man has nothing on me! I'm sooo hung up, clinging to old stuff even as I'm trying to let go, to "walk my talk" into the new life I've been envisioning and begun to build. Any advice or comments from The Tarot?
Dear PK:
As I asked the cards what might "unstick" you I was suprised to see this guy pop up. Two's are not exactly forward movement cards! However, as I looked at this card I realized that what is holding you back are two things:
1. You are allowing the emotional waves to pull you under. This guy has his back to the emotional turbulance and isn't worrying about things he cannot control. He is focused only on what is in his hands.
2. He is enjoying his tasks. He is dancing! While his face shows some concern, it looks like he is more concerned with keeping things balanced and in control than with his surroundings. He doesn't want to drop either pentacle.
So, tarot's advice to you at this moment is to focus more on the present moment. Realize that what you are doing right now is what is important. Not what happened in the past, not what might or might not happen in the future, but right now find the joy in even the mundane tasks you have on your plate, give your focus to being fully here now, and tell your internal critic and emotional pulls and sways to shut up for now. Meditation on being right here, right now, doing what you are doing, and finding and feeling the joy of that moment is key for you. Dance. Listen to music. Live in the only time we truly have: Now.
LS writes--
Dear Ginny,
I have been recently enjoying your blog. Here's my question-How can I best support my youngest son in order to help him develop in a positive way? Thanks.
Dear LS:
The Ten of Pentacles speaks of inheritence and family and all the resources one gains from those connections. First, you recognize that your younger son is who he is in part because of the hereditary factors he was born with. The security of family is essential for him, to feel connected to a group in which he feels he belongs. You, too, need to rely on the wisdom and resources of your extended family and community, there is much wealth to be had. See the boy in the card? His hand is on a dog. Does your son have a connection with animals? I would look into this and I wonder if having a pet, especially a dog, or if working with dogs might be helpful. Maybe he could somehow become involved with therapy dogs in some fashion?
BJ writes--
My wife and I are at a juncture where we are going to be moving residence and have two very different and far apart locations in mind. We have a couple months during which to make this choice yet are feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of it, as it will have a very significant effect on our lives. What do we need to focus on in making this decision?
Dear BJ:
As this is a pentacles card and you are considering a very material decision, it is apt. The woman is benefitting from the work of her own hands. She is stable, secure, and comfortable. The financial aspect of this move is to be primary, I think, to make sure that whichever location you decide upon will not unduly strain your standard of living. You weren't considering a move to Napa Valley, were you? Hehe. The environment, wherever you go, should be able to support growth, both naturally and financially. Were you planning to have children? (Or more children?) The type of growth indicated by the card could mean that or simply personal expansion, creation of wealth and security. The nine of pentacles is one of the few tarot pip cards that predominantly features a woman as the sole figure. This tells me you need to consider where your wife feels and believes she would be happier and feel more comfortable and stable. What will enhance her life, career, and quality of life? Which way is she leaning? That might give you both a clue.
Dear Ginny,
It's hard to phrase my question. I know there's a huge positive forward push inside me emotionally, but The Hanged Man has nothing on me! I'm sooo hung up, clinging to old stuff even as I'm trying to let go, to "walk my talk" into the new life I've been envisioning and begun to build. Any advice or comments from The Tarot?
Dear PK:
As I asked the cards what might "unstick" you I was suprised to see this guy pop up. Two's are not exactly forward movement cards! However, as I looked at this card I realized that what is holding you back are two things:
1. You are allowing the emotional waves to pull you under. This guy has his back to the emotional turbulance and isn't worrying about things he cannot control. He is focused only on what is in his hands.
2. He is enjoying his tasks. He is dancing! While his face shows some concern, it looks like he is more concerned with keeping things balanced and in control than with his surroundings. He doesn't want to drop either pentacle.
So, tarot's advice to you at this moment is to focus more on the present moment. Realize that what you are doing right now is what is important. Not what happened in the past, not what might or might not happen in the future, but right now find the joy in even the mundane tasks you have on your plate, give your focus to being fully here now, and tell your internal critic and emotional pulls and sways to shut up for now. Meditation on being right here, right now, doing what you are doing, and finding and feeling the joy of that moment is key for you. Dance. Listen to music. Live in the only time we truly have: Now.
LS writes--
Dear Ginny,
I have been recently enjoying your blog. Here's my question-How can I best support my youngest son in order to help him develop in a positive way? Thanks.
Dear LS:
The Ten of Pentacles speaks of inheritence and family and all the resources one gains from those connections. First, you recognize that your younger son is who he is in part because of the hereditary factors he was born with. The security of family is essential for him, to feel connected to a group in which he feels he belongs. You, too, need to rely on the wisdom and resources of your extended family and community, there is much wealth to be had. See the boy in the card? His hand is on a dog. Does your son have a connection with animals? I would look into this and I wonder if having a pet, especially a dog, or if working with dogs might be helpful. Maybe he could somehow become involved with therapy dogs in some fashion?
BJ writes--
My wife and I are at a juncture where we are going to be moving residence and have two very different and far apart locations in mind. We have a couple months during which to make this choice yet are feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of it, as it will have a very significant effect on our lives. What do we need to focus on in making this decision?
Dear BJ:
As this is a pentacles card and you are considering a very material decision, it is apt. The woman is benefitting from the work of her own hands. She is stable, secure, and comfortable. The financial aspect of this move is to be primary, I think, to make sure that whichever location you decide upon will not unduly strain your standard of living. You weren't considering a move to Napa Valley, were you? Hehe. The environment, wherever you go, should be able to support growth, both naturally and financially. Were you planning to have children? (Or more children?) The type of growth indicated by the card could mean that or simply personal expansion, creation of wealth and security. The nine of pentacles is one of the few tarot pip cards that predominantly features a woman as the sole figure. This tells me you need to consider where your wife feels and believes she would be happier and feel more comfortable and stable. What will enhance her life, career, and quality of life? Which way is she leaning? That might give you both a clue.
Monday, January 15, 2007
One Card Readings
Amazon Heart wrote--
"OK, here's one but it's a really big subject. I'll put it like this. Will I prevail?"
Dear Amazon,
You received the Three of Cups in answer to your question. It is a celebratory scene, so the quick, cursory answer to your question appears to be Yes. The ground is laden with harvest, the grapes, the pumpkin and other produce suggest in the fall you will have reason to celebrate. This appears to be a "first victory" in that it is a three and three's suggest a time of seeing something bear fruit, finally, and yet also suggest there will be challenges yet ahead. I see, also, that you will prevail with the support of others joining with you in spirit and in love. More than anything you need to feel positive about your situation and supported emotionally.
AA wrote--
Dear Ginny:
What advice can you give me as to what my next step in life should be.
Thank you
Dear AA:
I pulled the Ten of Wands for your question and the first thing that came to mind is that your next step cannot be made until you finish what you have taken on first. Obviously this card gives a sense of burden and a feeling that you may be unable to finish what you have on your shoulders at the present time, so the advice of this card is to seriously consider if there are other ways to complete the task at hand or should you just press on? The figure's face buried in the ten wands also suggests he is not looking at options but has a rather tunnel vision view of what he needs to do. Ten's are a transition number. They come up at a time between the completion of the nine and the new beginning of the Ace. This tells me that there are loose ends to wrap up before you are ready to move in a different or new direction. Also, being of the wands suit this card suggests actions rather than thought or feelings, so you would be better off not allowing your mind to take you in fifty different directions, but just take care of what lies immediately in front of you and an opportunity will present itself through those actions
NS writes--
Dear Ginny:I'd like to know if my current job is the right kind of job for me (because then I'd take further education in it - and if it isn't I'll try to find a way how to work from home as some sort of therapist).
Blessings
Dear NS:
The King of Cups comes to you with advice, and his advice always comes from the heart. He asks you to both feel and think your way through your dilemma, but with a leaning into your heart. We are always best suited to jobs that we love. He, being a King, also suggests that you may be better off being your own boss, managing things yourself. If furthering your education in your present occupation is something that fulfills you on an emotional level, then yes, gain mastery in that profession. But if therapy is your heart's true desire, and being in control of your time and being on your own is more appealing to your true nature, then that is the path for you. My sense it is the latter, but you fear that option as it is less stable and secure. The King of Cups air element combined with his water element means you would think through the possibilities and be very mindful about what is actually needed for each option before making your decision. It's not exactly a leap of the heart, but a rational decision made because your heart needs fulfillment in your work.
"OK, here's one but it's a really big subject. I'll put it like this. Will I prevail?"
Dear Amazon,
You received the Three of Cups in answer to your question. It is a celebratory scene, so the quick, cursory answer to your question appears to be Yes. The ground is laden with harvest, the grapes, the pumpkin and other produce suggest in the fall you will have reason to celebrate. This appears to be a "first victory" in that it is a three and three's suggest a time of seeing something bear fruit, finally, and yet also suggest there will be challenges yet ahead. I see, also, that you will prevail with the support of others joining with you in spirit and in love. More than anything you need to feel positive about your situation and supported emotionally.
AA wrote--
Dear Ginny:
What advice can you give me as to what my next step in life should be.
Thank you
Dear AA:
I pulled the Ten of Wands for your question and the first thing that came to mind is that your next step cannot be made until you finish what you have taken on first. Obviously this card gives a sense of burden and a feeling that you may be unable to finish what you have on your shoulders at the present time, so the advice of this card is to seriously consider if there are other ways to complete the task at hand or should you just press on? The figure's face buried in the ten wands also suggests he is not looking at options but has a rather tunnel vision view of what he needs to do. Ten's are a transition number. They come up at a time between the completion of the nine and the new beginning of the Ace. This tells me that there are loose ends to wrap up before you are ready to move in a different or new direction. Also, being of the wands suit this card suggests actions rather than thought or feelings, so you would be better off not allowing your mind to take you in fifty different directions, but just take care of what lies immediately in front of you and an opportunity will present itself through those actions
NS writes--
Dear Ginny:I'd like to know if my current job is the right kind of job for me (because then I'd take further education in it - and if it isn't I'll try to find a way how to work from home as some sort of therapist).
Blessings
Dear NS:
The King of Cups comes to you with advice, and his advice always comes from the heart. He asks you to both feel and think your way through your dilemma, but with a leaning into your heart. We are always best suited to jobs that we love. He, being a King, also suggests that you may be better off being your own boss, managing things yourself. If furthering your education in your present occupation is something that fulfills you on an emotional level, then yes, gain mastery in that profession. But if therapy is your heart's true desire, and being in control of your time and being on your own is more appealing to your true nature, then that is the path for you. My sense it is the latter, but you fear that option as it is less stable and secure. The King of Cups air element combined with his water element means you would think through the possibilities and be very mindful about what is actually needed for each option before making your decision. It's not exactly a leap of the heart, but a rational decision made because your heart needs fulfillment in your work.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Why, Oh Why Can't I?
No sooner had I finished posting about depression yesterday when I was shown a ray of light. It was like a hand reaching out from the Universe and holding me up just enough so I could keep my head above water. It came by way of email, not even a personal email, and after fiddling with my computer so I could watch the videos smoothly, I enjoyed a two-part episode of Larry King Live called "Beyond the Power of Positive Thinking." The guests on the show, many of them, were involved with the movie The Secret, which I have also seen. Have you? Now, I don't know about all the claims made in the movie or in the program I watched, but I do know one thing they say is true: your thinking impacts your life in a tremendous way.
Much of what they say does make sense. Our conscious mind is but a small portion of our brain and that is the ten or so percent that we are aware of and use on a daily basis. However, most of our actions and reactions are governed by that whole other part: the subconscious. The goal, then, is to reprogram that part, the hidden part. It isn't easy, but it isn't difficult either. It's a process. I've seen what happens when I tap into that part while reading tarot. It's amazing, honestly. When I first looked at a deck of tarot cards, the pictures hardly meant anything to me. Sure, I could see that the Sun looked like a happy card and Death seemed a bit frightening, but it wasn't until I trained my subconscious mind to associate these images with meaning, feeling, experience and began listening to what bubbled up from beneath that the cards actually revealed more than pretty pictures to me.
While I won't go into the theories and teachings here, you can watch the videos for yourself if you're interested, the very first step all the panel members agreed is crucial is to spend time each day reflecting on what you are grateful for in your life, truly appreciating with heartfelt emotion the things that bless you. Tell that to someone in the throes of depression. There are some days that just being alive is not so thrilling. So I began by saying I was grateful for my bed. Yes, my comfy bed which is situated in a nice home with electricity through which I was able to access the internet. And my dog, Sophie, who has been my best friend and comfort and who makes me laugh with her silliness. I then felt grateful that my kids were healthy and safe. On it went until I filled half a page in my journal, prose style, with things I was truly grateful for when at first I could think of nothing.
Much of what they say does make sense. Our conscious mind is but a small portion of our brain and that is the ten or so percent that we are aware of and use on a daily basis. However, most of our actions and reactions are governed by that whole other part: the subconscious. The goal, then, is to reprogram that part, the hidden part. It isn't easy, but it isn't difficult either. It's a process. I've seen what happens when I tap into that part while reading tarot. It's amazing, honestly. When I first looked at a deck of tarot cards, the pictures hardly meant anything to me. Sure, I could see that the Sun looked like a happy card and Death seemed a bit frightening, but it wasn't until I trained my subconscious mind to associate these images with meaning, feeling, experience and began listening to what bubbled up from beneath that the cards actually revealed more than pretty pictures to me.
While I won't go into the theories and teachings here, you can watch the videos for yourself if you're interested, the very first step all the panel members agreed is crucial is to spend time each day reflecting on what you are grateful for in your life, truly appreciating with heartfelt emotion the things that bless you. Tell that to someone in the throes of depression. There are some days that just being alive is not so thrilling. So I began by saying I was grateful for my bed. Yes, my comfy bed which is situated in a nice home with electricity through which I was able to access the internet. And my dog, Sophie, who has been my best friend and comfort and who makes me laugh with her silliness. I then felt grateful that my kids were healthy and safe. On it went until I filled half a page in my journal, prose style, with things I was truly grateful for when at first I could think of nothing.
And then I went to the thought of rainbows. Illusory refractions of light through prisms of water that delight us with their beauty. They seem so magical. It was with a rainbow that God, in the Biblical book of Genesis, showed Noah his promise that he would never again deluge the entire planet with water. The rains were over and now light breaks through. Rainbows tell us there's something to look forward to.
My mind then filled with a song. And you know how that is, you have to hear it if only to stop it from playing on repeat in your head. So I hurried over to YouTube to find it and I found a montage version that someone had created that lifted me up, for just a moment anyway, to that truly happy ten of cups place. The song is Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's medley of Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World. You've no doubt heard this song as it has been featured on several movies, television commercials and shows. I 've heard it many times but for some reason I sorely needed to hear it last night.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow
Blue birds fly
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Dreams really do come true
Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops that's where you'll find me oh
Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly
And the dream that you dare to, why, oh why can't I?
Well I see trees of green and
Red roses too,
I'll watch them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Well I see skies of blue and I see clouds of white
And the brightness of day
I like the dark
My mind then filled with a song. And you know how that is, you have to hear it if only to stop it from playing on repeat in your head. So I hurried over to YouTube to find it and I found a montage version that someone had created that lifted me up, for just a moment anyway, to that truly happy ten of cups place. The song is Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's medley of Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World. You've no doubt heard this song as it has been featured on several movies, television commercials and shows. I 've heard it many times but for some reason I sorely needed to hear it last night.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow
Blue birds fly
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Dreams really do come true
Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops that's where you'll find me oh
Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly
And the dream that you dare to, why, oh why can't I?
Well I see trees of green and
Red roses too,
I'll watch them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Well I see skies of blue and I see clouds of white
And the brightness of day
I like the dark
and I think to myself
What a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people passing by
I see friends shaking hands
Saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying, I...I love you
I hear babies cry and I watch them grow,
They'll learn much more
Than we'll know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Someday I'll wish upon a star,
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney top that's where you'll find me
Oh, Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
And the dream that you dare to, why, oh why can't I?
What a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people passing by
I see friends shaking hands
Saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying, I...I love you
I hear babies cry and I watch them grow,
They'll learn much more
Than we'll know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Someday I'll wish upon a star,
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney top that's where you'll find me
Oh, Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
And the dream that you dare to, why, oh why can't I?
Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World medley by Harold Arlen, E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, George David Weiss, Artist: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole Album: Facing Future 1993 Mountain Apple Music.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Depression Hurts
Ugh. It's January and just like clockwork I find myself dragged under the suffocating waves of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Cute that its acronym is SAD. I have a mood disorder. Depression. I don't take meds for it because when I did I didn't like myself or others very much. And the auditory hallucinations, stomach cramps, head crawling and other unsavory side effects upon weaning myself off them were enough to scare me off them entirely. I know, I know, I should try another, a different kind, and maybe one day I will. I've dealt with recurring bouts of depression all my life and sometimes they get scary, but usually it just means I hole up in my bedroom and refuse to join the human race. Which suits this hermit-y muse just fine, except for the crying. That part sucks.Very few people know how to talk to a depressed person who is bent on seeing nothing in life worth doing, including breathing. I do. Because I have lived in that dark, sad place. I can't and don't try to cheer them up, that ain't gonna happen. Well, although I can usually get one friend of mine laughing until she cries (in a good way). That is, unless our depressions coincide and then, well, we just better avoid talking until it has subsided in at least one of us.
I can't always tell if my depression is situational or chemical, or both (probably both). Right now I have a lot going on in my life that would depress anyone. And it's January, my annual depression month. But what I try to remember, and you can believe there are many big chunks of time I can't remember this, is the image of the Fey Tarot Nine of Swords. I find it interesting the artist chose to color this fey red rather than blue. She's in agony, and her aching tears are not reserved. She hurts so much, her arms wrapped around her chest in that universal pose of grief and pain. She's feeling alright. Feeling too much. The sword is poised between her wings, one of which is tattered. She cannot fly. Her head bowed, she cannot see the doorway in front of her which leads to a star-laden sky. Hope shines up those steps, but with only one functioning wing, how will she get up into that starry night? The sword, however, is tethered. It cannot reach her. She is afraid, so very afraid, but it is her fear and pain that paralyze her, not the sword. As real and scary as that sword may be, it isn't touching her. She is free to walk, though maybe not fly, from the perceived danger.
I found it interesting that both the Fey 9 of Swords and the Cosmic Tarot's 9 of Swords both depict a sword either aimed at or piercing the figure's back. In the Cosmic, the sword has actually pierced the young man's back through his chest, through his heart. He is also pictured as lame, just as the fey's one wing is tattered and torn, his leg is pierced with another sword. While the other swords in the air reach their mark or not, he is obviously hurt, in serious pain, and well, totally freaking out. You know that commercial on television, the one that says, "Depression hurts?" Yes, it does. Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, socially, it hurts. Swords represent mental activity, communication, and conflict, so these swords are not genuine blades of steel. So often the 9 of Swords is said to represent someone inflicting mental pain on oneself, that the swords are all in his mind, not real. It can represent worry, guilt, anxiety, depression, and all the mental stresses that can plague us. True enough. However, even in the Rider Waite depiction of this card, the swords that are lined up on the wall beside the bed of the upset figure do touch her, at least a few of them do. This tells me that there is good reason for the pain and anguish. That, even though these are not physical wounds, they are actual injuries. It's not all in your head. The suffering is real from real hurts. One can hardly say the guy in the Cosmic is freaking out over nothing.They say it's not a good time to make major decisions, when you're depressed. And in the Cosmic image the snake, which usually symbolizes wisdom and healing, is baring its fangs. It's as if all conventional wisdom has become hostile and dangerous. That which maybe was meant to heal has hurt. It could be, but I cannot quite tell, that the snake has likewise been pierced by the sword and the anxious, depressed thoughts have nullified wisdom. It's a common symptom of depression to feel a deep, pervading sense of pessimism. When suggestions are made to bring healing, the depressed one will say, "Yeah, I know, I've tried that. It doesn't work." or "I can't." And she isn't lying. She can't. Not now.
This card can represent anything from migraines to PMS to insomnia to depression. Once, a woman asked me when a good time would be for her to approach a very sensitive topic with her boyfriend. The 9 of Swords was in a placement in the spread which indicated the week ahead. I advised her that, due to hormonal upsets along the lines of PMS, she would be better off waiting a week and approaching him when she was more even-keel. Apart from her awe that I was able to tell when her period was due, she agreed that the next week would be a better time. So, this card isn't always indicative of a debilitating condition. It could be you ate too many chalupas and you spend the night battling one-horned devil dachsands in your dreams. So just because I happen to suffer from intermittent and recurring bouts of depression doesn't mean that's what this card always represents. As a reader, I need to keep my own demons out of the reading.
Yet, if I do sense that this card is pointing out depression, I don't hesitate to say so. Depression can really skew our perceptions and sometimes we don't even notice that we are depressed, especially if it's mild or chronic. So I suggest that maybe the person in question may be depressed which could be affecting their behavior as well as their ability to see the situation clearly. Through dialogue, if the person acknowledges the depression, I also don't hesitate to suggest an appointment with their physician and/or therapist. Tarot's great, but it's not treatment. (And don't anyone go wagging their pointy fingers at me and say, "Physician, heal thyself," ok?)
Anyway, so you might find this card showing up a bit more in the winter months, whether that be January for those of you in the Northern Hemisphere or July in the Southern. Seasonal Affective Disorder is common and can be alleviated by full spectrum light, vitamin therapy, exercise, and good food. I can do those things. It's the other causes I'm having trouble with. Meanwhile, just hand me the tissues and chocolate. I might climb out of my bedroom come spring.
The Fey Tarot Written by Riccardo Minetti, Artwork by Mara Aghem Published by Lo Scarabeo and distributed by Llewellyn Worldwide
The Cosmic Tarot by Norbert Losche Published by Published by US Games 1986
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
New Year Perspective
So, it's a New Year is it? Ok, so life is pretty much the same and those twenty-four hours between December 31 and January 1 don't make a whole lot of difference usually. Alright, let's dispense with the resolutions, ok? How many do we actually succeed in keeping anyway? Ok, a couple maybe. Because life has a way of unfolding a day at a time, why don't we try living in the present a bit and see what happens. I have an idea: how about some New Year Affirmations instead? Instead of saying, "I want to lose 50 pounds this year," say, "I accept myself just as I am and desire to create health in my body and treat it kindly and with respect."
Because we know that how we phrase a question in tarot makes all the difference between a really beneficial reading and one that kinda sucks, the same is true for how we approach our daily lives and goals. Just as a tarot question works better when it is firmly planted in what the querant can do today in order to impact tomorrow, so it is with a positive approach to life. It works, honest it does. I once agonized over losing weight, tried dieting, exercise and not one pound would budge. Disgusted, I threw in the towel. I gave up. I decided life was too damn short to hate my body every day. I shifted my perspective and decided to treat this physical part of myself with kindness and respect. After all, it took me from Point A to Point B every day. It gave me pleasure. It served me well even if I felt there was a bit too much of it hanging around. So I focused on treating it well. I fed it good food, not low fat diet food, but really good food that tasted good, that was prepared with fresh ingredients, that would be most beneficial for the operations that needed to occur inside. I took my body out for walks and stretched its muscles and basically let it enjoy itself. I rid my closet of all the clothes that were too small and which daily accused me of a size I wasn't. I bought myself new lingerie that fit and felt and looked good. I eased my larger frame into new clothes that fit and looked attractive. I nurtured my body and it liked it. Very soon I noticed those new clothes didn't fit anymore. They were too big. I had to buy smaller ones. And I felt lighter and could run again. I enjoyed playing on a playground with my young daughter. I started showing muscles and I liked the way they felt and looked. Over about 3 years time I lost all the weight I had gained and returned to my natural adult weight practically effortlessly.
I say practically effortlessly because it was at times a challenge to direct my thoughts back to the present rather than the future. I became impatient and started focusing on the body size I wanted to be instead of appreciating the body I had right then. Whenever my mind shifted to that kind of thinking, inevitably my weight loss stalled and I sometimes considered doing some very unkind things to my body, like take diet pills for example, or I starved it a little. Frustration would peak and then I would smack my head a couple times and say, "Self, you're being an idiot. Knock it off." And I would, and my body liked it, and I liked my body more and more.
So, why can't we apply the same principles to all other areas of life, too? The more we rail against a condition or circumstance, the less likely it will change for the better. The more we accept and nourish a particular issue or goal or desire, the more likely we will see positive change. See, I have a few challenges in front of me at present and thus far I have seen no progress and I think maybe it's due in part to my attitude. Instead of appreciating and nurturing the good, I have been frustrated and moaning about it, seeing only the hopelessness of it. I'm not quite sure how to feed this issue in a nurturing way, but I know this way isn't working. See, I need a job. A good job. I want to write and I want to get paid for it. I don't have an English or Journalism degree, but I have written for publication before and been paid for it. I get consistently high marks on my English courses and papers. I'm good at it, but I don't have the cred. I also don't want to wait five years before I get that degree. Meanwhile, I still have three kids that need me nearby. They are getting older and as many mothers will agree, the older ones need supervision almost more than younger ones. At this point, my ten year old is more mature than my fifteen year old and exhibits more common sense. I need to pay my bills and I need to raise my kids and I need work that is satisfying. Sure, I could work as an administrative assistant, I've done that in the past, but...well...at this stage in my life, with my accumulated life experience and skills, I was hoping for more. This is a common dilemma for women who have sidetracked their educational goals and career aspirations in order to devote themselves to raising children and creating a nourishing environment for a family. The years tick by and when it's time to get back out there, we find we're underqualified, overage, and decidedly not appreciated for what we have learned and accomplished over the years.
So here I am. It's the New Year. I need to shift my focus, stop complaining, and nurture and nourish my creative writer self in order to see things happen. That's what I'm doing here. But this doesn't pay the bills so I need to ... hmmm... do something.
Because we know that how we phrase a question in tarot makes all the difference between a really beneficial reading and one that kinda sucks, the same is true for how we approach our daily lives and goals. Just as a tarot question works better when it is firmly planted in what the querant can do today in order to impact tomorrow, so it is with a positive approach to life. It works, honest it does. I once agonized over losing weight, tried dieting, exercise and not one pound would budge. Disgusted, I threw in the towel. I gave up. I decided life was too damn short to hate my body every day. I shifted my perspective and decided to treat this physical part of myself with kindness and respect. After all, it took me from Point A to Point B every day. It gave me pleasure. It served me well even if I felt there was a bit too much of it hanging around. So I focused on treating it well. I fed it good food, not low fat diet food, but really good food that tasted good, that was prepared with fresh ingredients, that would be most beneficial for the operations that needed to occur inside. I took my body out for walks and stretched its muscles and basically let it enjoy itself. I rid my closet of all the clothes that were too small and which daily accused me of a size I wasn't. I bought myself new lingerie that fit and felt and looked good. I eased my larger frame into new clothes that fit and looked attractive. I nurtured my body and it liked it. Very soon I noticed those new clothes didn't fit anymore. They were too big. I had to buy smaller ones. And I felt lighter and could run again. I enjoyed playing on a playground with my young daughter. I started showing muscles and I liked the way they felt and looked. Over about 3 years time I lost all the weight I had gained and returned to my natural adult weight practically effortlessly.
I say practically effortlessly because it was at times a challenge to direct my thoughts back to the present rather than the future. I became impatient and started focusing on the body size I wanted to be instead of appreciating the body I had right then. Whenever my mind shifted to that kind of thinking, inevitably my weight loss stalled and I sometimes considered doing some very unkind things to my body, like take diet pills for example, or I starved it a little. Frustration would peak and then I would smack my head a couple times and say, "Self, you're being an idiot. Knock it off." And I would, and my body liked it, and I liked my body more and more.
So, why can't we apply the same principles to all other areas of life, too? The more we rail against a condition or circumstance, the less likely it will change for the better. The more we accept and nourish a particular issue or goal or desire, the more likely we will see positive change. See, I have a few challenges in front of me at present and thus far I have seen no progress and I think maybe it's due in part to my attitude. Instead of appreciating and nurturing the good, I have been frustrated and moaning about it, seeing only the hopelessness of it. I'm not quite sure how to feed this issue in a nurturing way, but I know this way isn't working. See, I need a job. A good job. I want to write and I want to get paid for it. I don't have an English or Journalism degree, but I have written for publication before and been paid for it. I get consistently high marks on my English courses and papers. I'm good at it, but I don't have the cred. I also don't want to wait five years before I get that degree. Meanwhile, I still have three kids that need me nearby. They are getting older and as many mothers will agree, the older ones need supervision almost more than younger ones. At this point, my ten year old is more mature than my fifteen year old and exhibits more common sense. I need to pay my bills and I need to raise my kids and I need work that is satisfying. Sure, I could work as an administrative assistant, I've done that in the past, but...well...at this stage in my life, with my accumulated life experience and skills, I was hoping for more. This is a common dilemma for women who have sidetracked their educational goals and career aspirations in order to devote themselves to raising children and creating a nourishing environment for a family. The years tick by and when it's time to get back out there, we find we're underqualified, overage, and decidedly not appreciated for what we have learned and accomplished over the years.
So here I am. It's the New Year. I need to shift my focus, stop complaining, and nurture and nourish my creative writer self in order to see things happen. That's what I'm doing here. But this doesn't pay the bills so I need to ... hmmm... do something.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
And Justice For All
When we think of what is "just" we often equate it with what is "fair." However, what seems fair to one person is often not how another would envision it. Enter, Justice. She is the embodiment of the moral virtue that would not be swayed by personal interest, nor an individual sense of fairness, but an overarching global, cosmic sense of what is "right" because in the end of it all it is just and fair.
No idea in Western civilization has been more consistently linked to ethics and morality than the idea of justice. From The Republic, written by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, to A Theory of Justice, written by the late Harvard philosopher John Rawls, every major work on ethics has held that justice is part of the central core of morality. So where does the concept originate? Social justice is likely as old as the first humans as they structured their communities and fought among themselves for their own conflicting interests. Without the cooperation and equity justice provides, we would quickly extinguish our own species. Egyptians knew her as Maat, the one who weighed the hearts of men. Greeks knew her as Themis, goddess of order and oracle at Delphi who was the mother of Dike, goddess of justice. Romans knew her as Justitia. It wasn't until the 16th century that images of justice showed her blindfolded to represent impartiality, but the sword and scales have shown up in her various incarnations over the ages.
She is one of the four cardinal virtues in Christianity (borrowed from Plato anyway), representing the need for individuals themselves to cultivate justice as a spiritual and moral quality in order that society itself be just for all. Divine virtues are intended to reflect the divine nature of God in humans, and as such she reveals God as perfectly just. Therefore, from her earliest incarnations as Maat, she represents the concept of divine justice. Karma. What goes around comes around. If you don't get your comeuppance in this life, you'll be sure to get it in the afterlife or the next life or something.
Traditionally, Justice's number is eight and Strength is eleven, but Waite changed the order to better reflect the astrological correspondences developed by the Order of the Golden Dawn. There are still hard feelings about this. But the Golden Dawn's Kabbalistic reasoning is not without merit. Justice corresponds with Libra and Libra is the cardinal sign starting Autumn. The Hebraic month of Tishrei corresponds to Libra, and sees the celebration of the Jewish New Year, followed by Yom Kippur, the prayer of atonement to divine Justice. Also, in the Hebrew alphabet, prior to the letter Lamed, there are exactly 11 letters, since Lamed begins the second half of the alphabet, leading the next 11 letters. The problem with doing this was that it screwed up all the other cards' associations and so the Golden Dawn folks practically rewrote the Tree of Life to fit with their ordering sequence. Ok, well. Historians and tarot purists will argue this ad infinitum with good cause, but suffice it to say that a century of misalignment has resulted in a new ordering system which is now considered legitimate. This is why in most Rider-Waite-based decks Justice is eleven and Marseille-based decks have Justice as eight and deck designers of all kinds get to pick and choose according to their own preference. Personally, I don't have a preference. Numerologically speaking, both numbers have good associations with divine virtues in general and attributions that can be applied to both Strength and Justice.
We can understand the need for divine, individual and social justice, but when the Justice card shows up in a tarot reading, her meaning can seem too broad, too vague, and difficult to understand in the context of a reading that hardly involves anything to do with the Supreme Court or the Final Judgement of your soul. Divinatory meanings pare things down to manageable size somewhat. Justice can represent a legal matter in a querant's life, a divorce, any kind of legal document or contract. She bodes well for such things and assures the seeker that things will likely shake out in your favor, or at least fairly. She can tell you you're in the process of making a Big Decision in your life. As a Major Arcana, she represents matters of destiny, big choices that impact the course of your life. As advice she urges you to consider all the evidence, weigh it, and above all: Be Fair! Sometimes you may need to cut something out of your life in the process of balancing those scales or add something in order to find that equilibrium. Her sword, just like all the swords in tarot, represents wisdom and communication, but it also stands for just punishment for wrongdoers. Be careful where you point that thing.
We can understand the need for divine, individual and social justice, but when the Justice card shows up in a tarot reading, her meaning can seem too broad, too vague, and difficult to understand in the context of a reading that hardly involves anything to do with the Supreme Court or the Final Judgement of your soul. Divinatory meanings pare things down to manageable size somewhat. Justice can represent a legal matter in a querant's life, a divorce, any kind of legal document or contract. She bodes well for such things and assures the seeker that things will likely shake out in your favor, or at least fairly. She can tell you you're in the process of making a Big Decision in your life. As a Major Arcana, she represents matters of destiny, big choices that impact the course of your life. As advice she urges you to consider all the evidence, weigh it, and above all: Be Fair! Sometimes you may need to cut something out of your life in the process of balancing those scales or add something in order to find that equilibrium. Her sword, just like all the swords in tarot, represents wisdom and communication, but it also stands for just punishment for wrongdoers. Be careful where you point that thing.
More often than not, as a Major it represents a decision that will impact you rather than one you have to make. It can point to events occurring through which divine justice will be evidenced, karmic balance. There's no need to fear Justice's sword unless you've been racking up check marks in the naughty column. Even so, you will know that when it comes down you deserved it. Above all, she is fair and there isn't any railing against her, even though you might be kicking your own backside up the street.
Image source: Edwin Austin Abbey, Royal Academician, The Record of His Life and Work, by E.V. Lucas, 1921, London: Methuen and Company Limited, New York: Charles Scribner's Son.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Keeping It Real
Bonnie said something about my podcast segments over at The Tarot Connection that made me laugh but got me thinking, too. She said, "You certainly have a flair for taking the Tarot out of the ethers and placing it squarely into real life!" It got me thinking about those different approaches to tarot. Certainly there is value in each approach and it is not my intent to proclaim one above another. However, it is definitely my style to bring these cards and their meanings and use into the nitty gritty of the daily grind, don't you think? I wondered why some of us are more drawn to the "ethers," as Bonnie put it, and others are more interested in "keeping it real." They're not exclusive, of course, and one can certainly explore the esoteric aspects of tarot while also mooring it in the practical and mundane.I have a habit of doing this kind of thing with spiritual stuff. It can ruffle certain folks' feathers sometimes if they happen to think esoterica is a sacred cow that must never be messed with. You should see what I can do paraphrasing the words of Jesus. King James English, it's not. I have him rolling his eyes at the Pharisees and calling the disciples retards. That's because I got so tired of the super-spiritualized, sanitized Jesus. In the Bible, he's chilling with the riff-raff, so it stands to reason he's heard a cuss word or two. For some reason I can't wrap my mind around the untouchable divine Jesus and find the idea silly when I try to envision a scenario of him being all super guru-like among plain old folk. I've done my time in the ivory towers of high minded spiritualism, and I've paid my dues, so once I understand the theories, I want to find out where that rubber meets this road. I don't want to be so heavenly minded that I'm of no earthly good. I've been that before. I have been so insulated in spiritual pursuits that I became too detached from the real lives of people around me. I do have the leanings of the Hermit, the High Priestess and the Fool. So, it's not that I'm not attracted to the more esoteric, spiritual side of tarot, I am. It's just that I have a need to find another use for what I learn other than my own spiritual enlightenment.
Spiritual enlightenment is cool. It has its perks. Peace is one primary benefit. A better ability to go with the flow of life and the universe is another. There comes understanding and compassion for oneself and others and a sense of connectedness to everything. That connectedness thing is particularly amazing. I try to take that understanding, compassion, and connectedness and do something with it and I end up seeing the images in tarot as real people, real emotions, real bodily functions. Isn't that just so pentacles-ish of me?
Honestly, one of the cards that disturbs me the most is not the Ten of Swords, nor the Tower, but the Seven of Cups. Oh, I know, it's a creative card, wonderful for brainstorming and imagining the possibilities. It feels good to indulge in fantasy and daydreams, sure. One cannot hope to reach a future goal if one cannot even envision it, so the card certainly has its promising side. I sometimes hear the words, "Just imagine!" when I see that card. Who among us has not pondered what we might do if we won the lottery, even if we never play? It's the "What if?" card and it's full of potential and possibility. But all that building castles in the clouds makes me want to take up residence there. And while I have no doubt whatsoever that the spiritual realm is every bit if not more real than the physical, living there while I'm still incarnated here tends to be a bit problematic. Otherwise the card can indicate someone caught up in delusions and operating from that place. You know, the one who is always talking about starting his own business and even has great ideas about how to do it but somehow years go by and he never manages to put his ideas and dreams into play. The minute you look at him sideways with skepticism, he's mortally wounded, deeply offended that you don't see how real his imaginary world is. There are those of us who cling to dreams despite reality slapping us in the face saying, "It's NOT gonna happen!" Well, at least not the way we envision it. We do have limitations, we do live within restrictions of time and material resources, and the actions of other people often impact our plans in significant ways. That's why the advice of this card is to choose one option and focus on that in order to manifest it into reality. Basically it's saying, "Get real."
Some truly have difficulty grasping the ethereal concepts of the intangible spiritual world of tarot. I know I've had my own struggles with the more esoteric side myself. Delving too much into Kabbalistic, Golden Dawn, and Hermetic associations with tarot can be at times too thick and deep for me to navigate. Give it to me in smaller portions and when I'm in a more spiritual mind space, ok. The High Priestess embodies that esoteric aspect to tarot, but without the Magus/Magician to put the lessons of the spirit realm into action and manifest them into reality, we may find her deep knowledge engulfing and even smothering. She can also be paired with the Hierophant who translates the intangible into tangible rituals and practice that ground us in the here and now and move us along the physical realm in our spiritual paths. So maybe because I get tired now and then slogging through the woo-woo that is so prevalent in the study of tarot, I seek out solid ground.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Some Ramblings
Damn that Murphy. It never fails that I can sit for hours randomly surfing the internet logged on to Kasamba hoping to catch some readings because it's how I pay my bills, and nothing. Nothing. I log off and attend to other things like laundry or going to the bathroom and I come back later to find five or six emails demanding to know when I'll be online for readings. *SIGH*
I don't know why that is. Well, I kinda do. See, I don't have "regular office hours." Some readers will sign on for shifts and let their clients know their schedule. That's pretty smart. I don't do that. One of the beauties of reading online is the flexibility and with three kids, two dogs, a houseplant (only one that my black thumb of death has not yet killed), my university classes and my mood swings, I appreciate being able to take down my shingle so I can pick up a vomiting child at school or any other random responsibility the day throws my way. But consistent it isn't. That's my life, though. It isn't consistent. It isn't even consistently stressful. Sometimes it's so boring I bore myself. Personally, I'll take boredom over frenetic, stressful happenings any day, but because my life is filled with random younger people who need me, I don't get to choose which I'll get on any given day. So, I don't have a reading schedule. Sorry.
Here's another benefit to reading online, and actually this would apply to anyone who works from home -- a bed tray, coffee in a thermos because I'm too lazy to take refill trips downstairs, a laptop with a wireless connection on my bed and me, dressed in what I slept in last night and bedhead laying out cards on my bed for readings. I do make the bed at least. I need a smooth surface. If I could manage to turn this gig into something that could actually pay ALL my bills instead of just a few, it would be the perfect setup.
An old friend called the other night. At around midnight. I didn't recognize the number, so I answered. I don't usually do that, but sometimes random friends call from various phones at odd hours because they don't own phones and are borrowing one. This time it was my old high school boyfriend. I say old because he's a year older than me. I hadn't talked to him in maybe six months or so, so when I heard his voice on the phone I didn't immediately recognize it. Doesn't matter that I've known him since I was fifteen, I get amnesia when I don't talk to someone in a while. So, somewhere in the subsequent four-hour getting all caught up on each other's lives conversation, he asks what I'm doing and I tell him I'm reading tarot professionally. He was taken aback.
"You? You read tarot? You? For money?"
"Uh huh. It's great. I really enjoy it."
"Ginny. I've known you a long time, and I've always thought you were an intelligent, rational person. Are you going to tell me that you really think that you can tell what is going to happen with a deck of cards?"
This from a guy who swears he can make it rain at will and change red lights to green, except when it doesn't work. You wouldn't believe the metaphysical bullshit that comes out of this guy's mind and mouth when sober, nevermind when he's high. I think he forgot, I've known him a long time, too.
"I am intelligent and yes, the cards are amazing, or rather I am amazing. The cards are tools, after all, just pictures on paper. They're archetypal images, and if you don't know what that means it's basically that they are images that portray emotions, situations, and so forth that are universal and common to the human experience. Everyone has a brain they only use a tenth of and when I read the cards I try to exercise that underused part of the brain, you know...where all the powerful, woo-woo stuff comes from."
"Alright, I hear you. So what kind of stuff can you see in a reading?"
"All kinds of stuff. But mainly what seems to happen is a situation, a course of events, has a history of energy, momentum behind it. If you want to know why you are where you are now, you just have to look at your past actions. If you want to know where you are going, look at your present actions. It's not that hard."
"So how do the cards tell you that?"
"There is a whole range of skill to tarot reading, it's not just pulling stuff out of your underwear. Well, sometimes it is just that. Wait, never mind. It's hard to explain."
"Try?"
"Well, I don't really know how it works or why, and sometimes it doesn't work. But when it does, which is usually, I will describe what I am seeing in a card that comes up in a past position in a reading. Even though I've seen this card a million times before, it tells me something a little different each time, just for the person I'm reading for. I listen for clues and watch for details in the cards, hearing phrases in my head I write them down. I also know the historical meanings of the cards and the numerological associations, some astrological associations, some symbolism, too. It all comes into the mix. And I move through the cards like that, linking what happened in the past, to the present and seeing the flow you can see where it's likely to go. I dialogue with my client and I make sure what I'm hearing/seeing/processing is making sense to them, to their life. But sometimes I can't do that, such as with an email reading, I just have to spill all that I am seeing onto the page and hope I hit the mark and offer something meaningful. My goal is to help people gain perspective on their dilemmas and recognize what their own intuition is telling them. To help them focus on something they know, but have lost sight of or can't quite nail down until the reading brings it into clear sight."
"Sounds like psychology to me."
"Well, there is some of that. I do draw on my experience as a counselor during my readings, as well as my own life experience and understanding. But that's not all. Sometimes there just isn't any explanation for how I could see what I see in a reading. It's not like I know the person usually. Often, they are anonymous and I might only know their first name. I have picked up on the hour and minute someone would call, the fact that a woman was experiencing PMS and would get her period the next week, that a client's ex would act a specific way and say a specific thing the next time they spoke, that someone's friend was in jail (verified later to be the case) and there just isn't any way I could logically pull any of that from my own subconscious. Are there invisible bands of energy that connect all of us and I somehow intuitively tap into those? I don't know. I have no idea. These cards never fail to amaze me and the mystery and magic is a big part of why I love this so much."
"Alright, alright, I get it. I see what you mean. Will you do me a reading?"
And so I did. And it was good. So good that he called me the next day and left a message saying it really hit the spot. Effin' naysayer. Somehow, saying all that stuff to him felt really good. I really don't like having to defend what I do, but it comes with the territory. So when I went through the explanations, I realized as I was talking that I sounded intelligent and sane. That's always a good thing because there are definitely moments I question the same things. Even though I am a tarot reader, it doesn't mean I check my brains at the door. Quite the contrary. And I sometimes wonder if maybe I'm just good at putting the meanings together in a way that is generalized and able to be fit to any circumstance? Maybe I'm a sham and I don't know it? And then something happens when I read that does not fit so neatly into how things are, it defies rational explanation, it goes way beyond me picking up cues and clues from the seeker (because I don't get any) and beyond my own life knowledge and experience. And I am amazed once again.
So bring it. Let me read for you. I may or may not knock your socks off, no promises there. But I'm good at this, and that is worth something.
I don't know why that is. Well, I kinda do. See, I don't have "regular office hours." Some readers will sign on for shifts and let their clients know their schedule. That's pretty smart. I don't do that. One of the beauties of reading online is the flexibility and with three kids, two dogs, a houseplant (only one that my black thumb of death has not yet killed), my university classes and my mood swings, I appreciate being able to take down my shingle so I can pick up a vomiting child at school or any other random responsibility the day throws my way. But consistent it isn't. That's my life, though. It isn't consistent. It isn't even consistently stressful. Sometimes it's so boring I bore myself. Personally, I'll take boredom over frenetic, stressful happenings any day, but because my life is filled with random younger people who need me, I don't get to choose which I'll get on any given day. So, I don't have a reading schedule. Sorry.
Here's another benefit to reading online, and actually this would apply to anyone who works from home -- a bed tray, coffee in a thermos because I'm too lazy to take refill trips downstairs, a laptop with a wireless connection on my bed and me, dressed in what I slept in last night and bedhead laying out cards on my bed for readings. I do make the bed at least. I need a smooth surface. If I could manage to turn this gig into something that could actually pay ALL my bills instead of just a few, it would be the perfect setup.
An old friend called the other night. At around midnight. I didn't recognize the number, so I answered. I don't usually do that, but sometimes random friends call from various phones at odd hours because they don't own phones and are borrowing one. This time it was my old high school boyfriend. I say old because he's a year older than me. I hadn't talked to him in maybe six months or so, so when I heard his voice on the phone I didn't immediately recognize it. Doesn't matter that I've known him since I was fifteen, I get amnesia when I don't talk to someone in a while. So, somewhere in the subsequent four-hour getting all caught up on each other's lives conversation, he asks what I'm doing and I tell him I'm reading tarot professionally. He was taken aback.
"You? You read tarot? You? For money?"
"Uh huh. It's great. I really enjoy it."
"Ginny. I've known you a long time, and I've always thought you were an intelligent, rational person. Are you going to tell me that you really think that you can tell what is going to happen with a deck of cards?"
This from a guy who swears he can make it rain at will and change red lights to green, except when it doesn't work. You wouldn't believe the metaphysical bullshit that comes out of this guy's mind and mouth when sober, nevermind when he's high. I think he forgot, I've known him a long time, too.
"I am intelligent and yes, the cards are amazing, or rather I am amazing. The cards are tools, after all, just pictures on paper. They're archetypal images, and if you don't know what that means it's basically that they are images that portray emotions, situations, and so forth that are universal and common to the human experience. Everyone has a brain they only use a tenth of and when I read the cards I try to exercise that underused part of the brain, you know...where all the powerful, woo-woo stuff comes from."
"Alright, I hear you. So what kind of stuff can you see in a reading?"
"All kinds of stuff. But mainly what seems to happen is a situation, a course of events, has a history of energy, momentum behind it. If you want to know why you are where you are now, you just have to look at your past actions. If you want to know where you are going, look at your present actions. It's not that hard."
"So how do the cards tell you that?"
"There is a whole range of skill to tarot reading, it's not just pulling stuff out of your underwear. Well, sometimes it is just that. Wait, never mind. It's hard to explain."
"Try?"
"Well, I don't really know how it works or why, and sometimes it doesn't work. But when it does, which is usually, I will describe what I am seeing in a card that comes up in a past position in a reading. Even though I've seen this card a million times before, it tells me something a little different each time, just for the person I'm reading for. I listen for clues and watch for details in the cards, hearing phrases in my head I write them down. I also know the historical meanings of the cards and the numerological associations, some astrological associations, some symbolism, too. It all comes into the mix. And I move through the cards like that, linking what happened in the past, to the present and seeing the flow you can see where it's likely to go. I dialogue with my client and I make sure what I'm hearing/seeing/processing is making sense to them, to their life. But sometimes I can't do that, such as with an email reading, I just have to spill all that I am seeing onto the page and hope I hit the mark and offer something meaningful. My goal is to help people gain perspective on their dilemmas and recognize what their own intuition is telling them. To help them focus on something they know, but have lost sight of or can't quite nail down until the reading brings it into clear sight."
"Sounds like psychology to me."
"Well, there is some of that. I do draw on my experience as a counselor during my readings, as well as my own life experience and understanding. But that's not all. Sometimes there just isn't any explanation for how I could see what I see in a reading. It's not like I know the person usually. Often, they are anonymous and I might only know their first name. I have picked up on the hour and minute someone would call, the fact that a woman was experiencing PMS and would get her period the next week, that a client's ex would act a specific way and say a specific thing the next time they spoke, that someone's friend was in jail (verified later to be the case) and there just isn't any way I could logically pull any of that from my own subconscious. Are there invisible bands of energy that connect all of us and I somehow intuitively tap into those? I don't know. I have no idea. These cards never fail to amaze me and the mystery and magic is a big part of why I love this so much."
"Alright, alright, I get it. I see what you mean. Will you do me a reading?"
And so I did. And it was good. So good that he called me the next day and left a message saying it really hit the spot. Effin' naysayer. Somehow, saying all that stuff to him felt really good. I really don't like having to defend what I do, but it comes with the territory. So when I went through the explanations, I realized as I was talking that I sounded intelligent and sane. That's always a good thing because there are definitely moments I question the same things. Even though I am a tarot reader, it doesn't mean I check my brains at the door. Quite the contrary. And I sometimes wonder if maybe I'm just good at putting the meanings together in a way that is generalized and able to be fit to any circumstance? Maybe I'm a sham and I don't know it? And then something happens when I read that does not fit so neatly into how things are, it defies rational explanation, it goes way beyond me picking up cues and clues from the seeker (because I don't get any) and beyond my own life knowledge and experience. And I am amazed once again.
So bring it. Let me read for you. I may or may not knock your socks off, no promises there. But I'm good at this, and that is worth something.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Yes or No?
In the comments section of my Confessions post, Roswila brought up yet another controversial topic in tarot: Yes/No Readings. Should we even do them? Some say that tarot just isn't the right tool for the job, that the cards are not suited to simple, flat answers like Yes or No. They are archetypes and tell stories and dig up subconscious mysteries, so asking them a simple Yes/No question usually ends up with the cards giving you all kinds of information then leaving it up to you to decide yes or no. Still others say that the oracle is fine for asking Yes/No questions of and it can and will yield an answer and even tell you why it's so.
Another objection to doing Yes/No readings is that they tend to, once again, place the seeker's power in the hands of a final judgement of Fate rather than in their own hands. Instead of passively asking if an event you want to happen will indeed occur, why not ask the cards what you can do to create the event you want? If the event is truly out of your hands, you might ask the cards what productive attitude or action you can be taking in the meantime. Yet, there's nothing to say you can't ask both kinds of questions. Throwing a Yes/No spread about a job offer might then lead to another spread which can give you more options. For example, if I ask, "Will I get the job I interviewed for on Monday?" and the cards give me a No answer, I can then proceed to asking what I might do to improve my chances? Should I call the employer and follow up? What might I do to find a job that will best suit my skills? See, even a Yes/No doesn't have to be definitive and final. There may be things one can do to change that outcome. On the other hand, if the reason you won't get the job is because the employer intended all along to give it to his nephew and went through the interviewing process so as not to be accused of nepotism, it's best to research other options and not waste any more time waiting by the phone.
All too often a seeker will come to a tarot reading with nothing but Yes/No questions. Will I get married? Will I move? Does Maryann love me? You could hand them a quarter and tell them to flip it, heads mean yes, tails mean no. You don't think that would go over too well? That's because they really aren't merely looking for a Yes/No answer, it's just that most people don't take the time to really ask themselves what they really want to know about a situation. Will I get married might best be rephrased to, "What can I do to create the kind of relationships in my life that would most likely lead to a loving, committed marriage?" Essentially, you take the "Will I....?" and change it to, "What can I do...?" or "What do I need to know...?" Even after exploring these questions, the seeker may still want to hear, bottom line, if thus and so happen. At that point a Yes/No spread might be just the right thing, but usually you can glean the answer from the reading you've done.
There are many Yes/No spreads, often involving reversed versus upright cards, where the reversed means no and upright means yes. The method I use, because I tend not to use reversals, involves three stacks of cards and the Aces. I shuffle and cut the cards as usual, asking the question in my mind as I shuffle. Then, I begin dealing the cards from the top of the deck into a pile, stopping at the thirteenth card or at an Ace if it appears. I then begin a second pile, counting to thirteen unless another Ace appears, then stop. I do this a third and final time. If all three piles reveal an Ace, the answer is definitively Yes. The Aces themselves can give you more information, depending on their suits, so pay attention to that as well. If two out of three piles reveal Aces, the answer is "Probably yes, but..." with the third card revealing what might be an obstacle or reason. If only one Ace appears the answer is, "Probably not, because..." with the other two cards revealing the reason. If no Aces appear the answer is "No" with the top three cards revealing why. I like this spread because it tends to yield more information than simply Yes or No. Also, it allows for maybe's and possibilities and in studying the cards revealed you can understand more about why the situation may be leaning more in one direction than the other.
For example: If I ask the question, "Will I be hired for the job?" and got this result:
I can see immediately the answer is, "Probably not...because..." First off, the probability of the event occurring is lessened the longer it takes to yield an Ace. As no Aces showed in the first pile, nor the second, the chances of it happening dwindle. The Ace that finally did appear is of the Wands suit, so the action that I have taken was not quite enough to yield a positive result. While I may have sparked the employers interest, there are other reasons I probably won't get hired. One is Strength. I may have come across a bit less enthusiastic than I should have, reserved and restrained. The employer is probably looking elsewhere, as shown by the King of Wands. That King can also be advising me to look elsewhere and focus my actions on a different idea. So the cards show a bit more than a simple yes or no, and that's the kind of Yes/No reading I can appreciate.
Whatever method you choose, pick one and stick with it. Like timing methods or seasonal and astrological attributions, a Yes/No system works best when you have it deeply embedded in your subconscious. And don't rely too much on them, please. They work best when used as an adjunct to deeper readings that get more to the heart of what you need to know.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Confessions
I am a naughty tarot reader. I break the rules. Oh, I know, there are no real tarot rules. Technically. However, there are some rather strong suggestions regarding tarot usage and I am here to say I've disregarded those, too. I say this with neither shame nor pride, but simply to say we each must forge our own way with this tarot reading thing and whatever works for you, both functionally and ethically, is what is best.I'm a rulebreaker by nature. My own mother can attest to that. Some of her earlier memories of me involve me with hands on hips snapping to some adult or other, "I don't hafta listen to YOU!" It's good I am a Libra, so I only go off the rails part time. So it may not come as any surprise that where tarot is concerned, while I soak up everyone's opinions, ideas, and suggestions like a sponge, I don't set limits on what the cards can and can't do or what they should or shouldn't be used for. That, my dear, is up to you. As The Rebel, Arcana 4, from the Osho Zen Tarot depicts, according to Osho:
"People are afraid, very much afraid of those who know themselves. They have a certain power, a certain aura and a certain magnetism, a charisma that can take out alive, young people from the traditional imprisonment...The enlightened man cannot be enslaved - that is the difficulty - and he cannot be imprisoned...Every genius who has known something of the inner is bound to be a little difficult to be absorbed, he is going to be an upsetting force. "
So yeah, sometimes the rule breaking upsets people, but hey, they're my cards and I can do what I want with them. I have my own way of reading and so do you. I don't care if you read while standing on your head in the lotus position.
Broken Rule #1: Thou shalt not do multiple readings on the same question unless or until something in the situation has changed. Right. Ok, there is good reason for this rule. Often, too many readings on the same question, given the random nature of the cards, will only serve to confuse and befuddle the reader. Maybe it's a case of too much information, or not being able to accurately interpret the initial reading, but it is true that too many readings on one thing can leave you frazzled and no closer to an answer. However! (You knew there would be a "However," didn't you?) The primary benefit I have found from doing multiple readings on the same question is confirmation. The cards, over the years I have worked with them, have proven themselves to be amazingly consistent. Just last night I was doing a reading for a friend and the first throw didn't seem "right" to me. I second-guessed my own state of mind while throwing the cards and so I offered to do another throw right after I interpreted the first one. Lo and behold, the second throw, while different cards appeared, was very, very similar in meaning and message as the first. So it served to confirm that the first reading indeed had been on target. Personally, I really appreciate getting this kind of reassurance from the cards. Another version of reading on the same question is by using different spreads but asking the same question. I think that's okay, too, as different spreads often reveal different aspects of the situation and are different in their approach and nuance. I think each individual reader knows when to quit. When you've gotten your answer. Though you may still have doubts, you know the cards have spoken and even though you try again, they still say the same general thing. Or, the cards will start throwing out random things, nonsensical and obviously not pertaining to the issue at hand. One reader shared with me that when she does this, her cards will start throwing court card after court card as if to say, "No more information for YOU!" Other readers have said they will start getting all reversed cards. Now, there's a result that just screams, "BLOCKED!" So, you kind of know when your deck is giving you the finger. So stop already.
Broken Rule #2: Thou shalt not use clarifiers unless absolutely necessary. Whatever! I use them when I need to. Clarifying cards are cards drawn and laid onto an existing card to further illuminate the meaning of the first card. Many readers use clarifiers with court cards, especially when they appear as outcome cards in spreads. I will often use one on the Majors as well, especially a card like Death to see what is ending or transforming and what will it change into. They're helpful with the Tower to see how the Tower will affect the querant. Sometimes they act as confirming cards when I'm not quite sure which aspect of the original card is to be taken, such as the 2 of Wands where a decision is being considered I might ask what the decision is about. However (there's that word again), the reason this practice is cautioned against is because, again, too many cards can create the kind of confusion resulting from too much information. It can also make for a kind of "lazy reading." Coaxing the meaning out of a card isn't always quick or easy, so sometimes clarifiers can be used as a sort of crutch, allowing the reader to quickly cut to the chase without spending a long time on the first card. The problem lies when the clarifier does NOT clarify but confuses instead. Also, one has to be pretty adept at reading card combinations with this method. You have to understand your cards very well and comprehend how they interact and whose energy is stronger and so on. For the novice, clarifiers just might be too much, too soon.
Broken Rule #3: Thou shalt not read for third parties, that is someone not immediately connected to the querant's situation, as it is akin to snooping and spying on someone without their permission. Well.....hmmmm...here we run into ethics and that gets messy. So much about this issue depends on how a reader believes and thinks about how the cards work. It also depends on the level of psychic intuitiveness a reader has. I have done third party readings, of course I have, and they have been more or less accurate. Many times there is no way to confirm the information you might receive in such a reading, thereby possibly acting on something you have no way of knowing is true or false. If a reader is very psychically inclined, she may feel opposed to "tuning in" to someone else in this way as she, knowing her own abilities, has learned that it is, for her, very much like spying. She may become privy to information that others with less psychic giftedness are not. In this one must trust the reader when she says, "I won't do that, it's against my ethics." What bugs me is when other readers attempt to impose their ethics on all readers and proclaim for all that third-party readings are violations of others' privacy and as such should never be done. Wait a minute. Some of us believe in a kind of universal filter that allows us to glean only that information that we need to know. Many readers, while doing third-party readings, have never uncovered anything intimate or private, and as such see no reason not to continue doing them. My main reservation regarding them is that they rarely yield useful information for the seeker. What is going on in someone else's life that is only indirectly connected to yours might or might not have ripple effects into your life, but in any case there's not a thing you can do about it. I would much prefer to offer a seeker choices and options that will impact their life, that give them power to change things in their immediate environment, not to sit by passively waiting for others to act. So while I don't place any restrictions on what or whom I should or shouldn't read about, I am reluctant to do third party readings for that reason. Often, there just isn't much point to them.
So there are my confessions. Come on, you know you do it, too.
Osho Zen Tarot by Ma Deva Padma Publisher: St. Martins Press, USA
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