Taking A New Direction

Ladies and Gentlemen, please prepare yourself for a paradigm shift.

Something has been brewing. It is pervasive. It has been creeping into every aspect of my life. It’s a restlessness, a dissatisfaction…with my business, my home life, everything. It has also been elusive. I cannot put it into words. My business has been doing well. It is what I am good at and my clients love me. I have a loving, faithful, sexy husband. I have two great dogs, vegetables growing in my yard, a healthy and loyal family…so what’s up? This has been going on for weeks. Something just hasn’t felt quite right.

One night, as I was sitting out in the yard by the fire, with a friend and fellow intuitive, I mentioned how I was feeling. I also mentioned that I thought it had something to do with reading tarot, perhaps professionally. I also mentioned that felt a connection between trusting my intuition, reading tarot and my Celtic roots. Upon hearing this, she asked if I had my cards with me (of course I did), and if I would like to learn the Celtic Cross layout. I immediately said yes. This is the standard Celtic Cross layout:

Here are the meanings of the cards as I was taught and as I prefer, but please understand, there are dozens of ways to read this particular spread. My suggestion is to do a little research and go with the one that feels best to you.

1. The seeker, situation, or the heart of the matter
2. What crosses/covers card 1
3. Above the seeker (potential outcome)
4. Below the seeker (recent influences)
5. The distant past
6. The distant future
7. How the seeker sees themselves
8. How others see the seeker
9. Seeker’s hopes and ideals
10. Best possible outcome

In teaching me, my friend actually did my reading and it was AMAZING. The card in position 1 was The Devil. I laughed right out loud. Since my intention/question was directly regarding me doing tarot, this card was EXACTLY where I was. The pull between how I was raised as a Fundamentalist Christian vs. how I believe now (a mix of Buddhism and the universal energy of the Star Wars ideal of The Force. No I’m not kidding), putting me directly in the role of devil’s advocate if you think about it. Hysterical.

Every card turned spelled out the details of where I had been, where I was going and the choice between my two possible futures, cards 3 and 10. By the end of the reading I was dizzy with awareness and giddy in the knowledge that reading tarot truly is my future. It is the tool I want to use to channel my intuition into coaching, guiding and helping people to get from where they are, feeling stuck…into a future they love, full of choice and freedom. I could barely go to bed that night, I was so jittery with anticipation, despite our reading going well into 2 AM.

As it would happen, the next day was Memorial day, and I was meeting my aunt for breakfast on the same side of town where my favorite metaphysical store is located. My friend and I had been there a week or so earlier discussing tarot with the owner, a proclaimed witch. Her definition of the word being “wise old woman”.

She had offered my friend the opportunity to read tarot at an upcoming street fair, and my friend had decided against it. My intuition told me I should go and ask about reading at the fair. I figured if it was meant to be, and as a confirmation of my reading the night before, her shop would be open and she would have time for a chat. As it happened, that is exactly how things went. When I asked about reading at the fair, she asked me to do a reading for her so I could show off my skills.

I spent over an hour there, reading, discussing, learning, and experiencing the humanity and brilliance of a woman I had only seen from a single perspective before. The more I read, the more she let me in, and the more I felt an energetic connection between me, her and the cards. It was, in short, amazing. She told me I was very intuitive and that my reading was accurate and good, and then agreed to have me read at the fair in June. It was the second in a long line of confirmations about my recent choice.

A week or so later, I met with my health coach (another amazing and intuitive woman in my life), for dinner before our Law of Attraction Meet Up. It was an awesome meet-up, but that’s another story for another post.

Afterward, knowing of my recent quest for tarot enlightenment and encouragement, she asked if we could go for coffee and we could read each other’s cards. We spent hours reading and sharing and I was shocked to discover that I had just given her her very first tarot reading. She is an oracle and angel card reader, but has no experience with tarot. She declared it accurate and intuitive, and asked poignant questions and gave useful tips along the way. She then read my oracle cards. Stunningly accurate. Another confirmation of my choice of path.

Today I filled in at a business networking meeting for my career coach and success partner. I had done this before, without a problem. I stand and do a 30 second ad for his business, and then I get to do a 30 second ad for mine. Up until now, I had my pitch down. I knew what I did and I knew what I could offer other business owners. Today was different. After the meeting, as I networked with the other members, they all conveyed to me how unclear they were on exactly what it is that I do. How funny. That’s exactly the vibe I was putting out, and there they were, innocently mirroring it right back to me.

I did take the time to explain it to one fellow, and I got quite a different response than I expected. He didn’t balk at it. Didn’t even pause. Instead he said, “My sister does that. I should put you two in touch”.

The funny thing is, while I was waiting for the meeting to start, I used my tarot app (Tarot Sampler) on my phone to give me some guidance on how to do my ad. I drew a single card. It was the two of disks or two of pentacles, reversed. In a nutshell, it said, “Split decision. Losing the bet. Bad timing. Perplexity. Awaiting more information.” The longer explanation is pictured below, and what really struck a chord with me:

In the meeting, I chose to represent myself from the old paradigm, and amazingly (sarcasm) got no clients, no referrals, and even had people perplexed at who I am and what I do. Maybe next time I will offer myself as a tarot reader. It is, after all, who I really am.

So, as I am shifting, the blog will shift. No more of this, “this is what the web site says this card means”. From now on, I will go by intuition, and I will blog what I am learning and experiencing as I go. Much less technicality and much more intuition. I hope you enjoy. If you are learning, have comments or questions, please feel free. I am here.

Chakra Wisdom Oracle Deck – Daily Draw 5.03.15

This morning I woke up with a cluster headache. Pain in the neck, jaw, forehead… It really made me sad because the weather outside is gorgeous and I wanted to go on a hike with my hubby and his best friend. Instead, I took an epsom salt bath, vomited, and went back to sleep. I awoke four hours later to find the pain had subsided a bit, but had not left.

As I sat in my living room trying to decide what I could do without increasing the pain, my eyes kept being drawn to my Chakra Wisdom Oracle Deck, sitting on the shelves near my favorite chair. When this happens, I know I need to stop what I am doing and go do a reading. Odd, I know, but it is almost as if the cards have a message for me and are calling me to come and get it.

Chakra Wisdom Oracle Cards: The Complete Spiritual Toolkit for Transforming Your Life

I sat down, too my deck in hand and held them close to my heart chakra. Similar to how my stones react to my energy, I could feel the vibration in the cards, and I took it as confirmation that I was taking the right action.

I shuffled and drew the top three cards:

 

At a glance, without opening the book that came with the deck, I know that the blue border on the first two cards indicates the throat chakra. Unsure what the gray border indicates, I opened the book to see.

“Neutral. Embrace the Spirit of Universal Consciousness
Overall Impression: Neutrality
Key Words: Enlightenment, consciousness, purpose, wisdom, spirituality, unity, expansiveness
Manifesting Intention: In the seventh chakra – the crown chakra – we reach the place of universal consciousness, which is outside the physical body. You may notice that these cards represent some aspect of our collective being. The idea here is that we all vibrate through our seventh chakra and in a powerful way it keeps us connected to our humanity.

The cards of the seventh chakra are neutral in color because Spirit essence is neutral. Here you will receive messages from Spirit that are detached from human worry. These cards indicate the higher-minded thinking that happens when we align with Spirit. The power of holding space can also be seen in the still energy of each card.

Here you will see how conscious choice can bring you spiritual magnetism. These are the cards of mastery.”

ALRIGHTY THEN. Poignant, no? MAJOR headache. Crown chakra. Receiving messages from Spirit that are detached from human worry. Makes sense why I have not been receiving the messages. My life, of late, despite my best efforts, has been fraught with worry. Yeah, okay. So, let’s back up to the first two cards with the blue borders…the throat chakra cards. We will address the cards specifically afterward.

“Blue. Find your way of expressing yourself
Overall Impression: Communication
Key Words: Truth, communication, loyalty, serenity, faith, spirituality, creativity, expression
Manifesting Intention: The cards of the fifth chakra – the throat chakra – reveal at a core level matters of communication; this includes creative focus and your ability to be heard and understood. Being able to communicate the truth you feel in your heart will bring forward all the positive attributes of these cards. When you deny your heart’s knowledge, challenges will present themselves.

Here you will find a definition of personal leadership and redefine beliefs that no longer serve you. Personal responsibility will be brought into play.

The blue cards are a reflection of how you relate to the world. All matters concerning self-expression will be revealed. These include personal forms of expression such as writing, art, speaking, and presentation skills. The resulting experiences in your life are linked to how you communicate with the world around you. In essence this means you will not get what you ask for, but you will get who you are, reflected back to you.”

UGH. FINE. COMMUNICATION RECEIVED. Sheesh. At this point, who needs the card specifics?!? This is one helluva read for me already! But…since we are here to learn, I suppose we should press on.

So, what cards did I draw today? Workaholic, Impatience, and Rejection…sounds promising, doesn’t it? Actually, if you choose to buy and use this oracle deck, please keep in mind that despite the titles of the cards perhaps sounding negative, they are rather balanced, and often do not mean what you think they might mean from first glance. This deck in particular uses stories, color, and imagery to convey meaning. Being an artist and a student of the chakras, it resonated with me the first time I looked at it and touched it.

Workaholic
“While I worked, my life happened.”

Each card in this deck reveals a legend, an inspiration, a personal inquiry, key ideas and keywords. It also includes a meditation at the end of the page to help you get this particular issue back in line. I love that! I am fine having my issues pointed out, if you give me an action I can take to remedy anything I am unhappy with.

For this card, the main theme is balancing career and down time. It encourages you to look and see if you are working too hard, avoiding doing something you know you need to, feeling inadequate or unfulfilled by your work. It suggests that in doing fun things, things that explore your talents and are forms of expression, you will be happier and more fulfilled, thus refreshing your mind to better perform your work.

Extreme self-care. This is a theme that has popped up in my life over and over. I see the benefits, when I actually take the time to do it. So why, then, do I not diligently implement this into my life? Why is it so hard to schedule time to take care of me? Why do I feel bad and guilty and then just continue working in a rapidly flooding river of overwhelm? Point taken, deck. Thank you very much. Next!

Impatience
“If I don’t take care of it, it’ll never happen”

Well, holy shit! Dead-on, once again. <insert grumbling expletives here>

This card talks about scarcity thinking and forcing situations. It encourages success through patience. It indicates that now is not the time to make a rushed decision. Acting in haste may actually block the amazing from happening, or it may block your experience of it because you were so intent on being in control and forcing the issue.

Sadly, this is the story of my life. I have experienced the delicious reward of waiting for the green pepper blossom to become a vegetable, the excitement of seeing the first flower bloom in spring. I would never think of prying open a tulip bud before it is time for it to blossom. And why? Because in my desire to rush things, I would kill that which I desire most.

So why, then, do I so frequently do exactly that? In my rush to succeed, to be understood, to feel belonging, do I jump the gun and force issues only to destroy them in the process? How does this directly play in with your throat chakra and communication? Clearly, I need to have some conversations…

The card encourages the following meditation:

“Imagine something you strongly desire. The electric blue moon appears and begins to cool the heat of your emotions. Write down any communication you receive in the moonlight – it is a message from the Council of Great Spirits.”

Rejection
“They won’t use me”

This card says something very interesting… “Rejection is Spirit’s protection”. I had not really thought of it that way. For instance, in my small business…what if I considered that the client who rejected the price I charge for a service, and therefore did not hire me was actually protecting me from something. Perhaps from the issues that arise from someone not valuing my work, or appreciating my efforts.

Perhaps, referencing the previous card, if I force issues in the desire of seeking approval and support in my business or my relationships, I am actually working against my environment. Perhaps instead, in my seclusion and patience, I can seek personal development, extreme self-care and protect myself and my emotions from unhappiness and feelings of lack.

WOW. Who would have guessed what a powerful reading this would be for me today. So glad that I took the time, and invested in one of the ways I can care for myself. If you are interested in more information on Extreme Self-Care, and the difference it can make in your life, please check out Cheryl Richardson’s book. It has done me a world of good.

 

 

 

April 22, 2015 – Daily Tarot Draw

Today’s drawing included these three cards:

  

The Empress (reversed)
Six of Pentacles
The Hanged Man

Biddy Tarot Interpretation:
The Empress, Six of Pentacles, The Hanged Man

My Interpretation:
Before I begin with my interpretation of the cards, I would like to share the experience I had earlier in the day at my weekly massage. My massage therapist is also trained in energy work, and every week at the end of my massage, I ask her to tell me how my chakras feel to her. Basically asking if she feels that any of them are out of balance and need paying attention to.

This week she took a bit longer than usual, and when she finally spoke, she said, “Well, your sacral chakra…when I focus on it, it makes me feel like crying.” That probably was a weird feeling for her, and it probably sounds even weirder to you, but to me, it made perfect sense.

The sacral chakra is the seat of your creativity, fertility, emotions…

“This chakra houses your creative and sexual energies – your ability to nurture and give birth to the seeds of life. It is considered to be the ‘relationship chakra’ because it represents our ability to relate to other people.

Problems with this chakra arise when there are issues involving creativity and financial and sexual power. For example, concerns relating to childbirth and parenting, financial or sexual inadequacy, or repressed creativity.

The challenge of the sacral chakra is to interact consciously with others and allow the creative flow of life to guide and shape continual change in our lives.”

My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant, so far unsuccessfully, and yet people in my life keep showing up unexpectedly pregnant…people who don’t want children, or people you can’t imagine ever being good parents. So if one of my chakras is going to cry, it’s bound to be that one. So, when The Empress popped up, I was not surprised at all. The Empress (reversed) represents a creative block, and dependence on others.

Finding a healthy balance between work and creative fun has always been difficult for me. I have a tendency to err on the side of working, where perhaps the freedom to create would help me be more balanced, healthier and essentially more productive when I work.

I also struggle with my femininity. I was raised by a tomboy to be a tomboy. I have never been into the foo-foo aspects of being a female, and so when it comes time for me to identify with other women, especially concerning nurturing and that sort of thing…I feel a bit at a loss.

The Empress (reversed) suggests too much time and focus is being put on others and not on self. Introspection is required to find this balance. Without it, relationships and communications could suffer. Self-expression feels stifled, and things that should be communicated are remaining bottled up.

Focusing inward to restore confidence is critical. It is easy to wallow in the negative opinions of others that haunt you from the past.

This part of the Biddy Tarot Interpretation really spoke to me:

“The Empress reversed indicates that you are feeling discontented because something is missing or lacking in your life, or because you want to find something creative, meaningful or fulfilling to do but you do not know what. This card can indicate a creative block. You may find your mood is depressed or negative. Work can feel laborious and mundane. This is not a time to think, act or do. You are already overloaded and mental pursuits will not give you what you need. Further attempts to follow your intellect or reasoning mind will only cause frustration or lead you astray.

The Empress reversed may also indicate issues with pregnancy, whether it is infertility or an unwanted pregnancy.”

The Six of Pentacles (upright) represents generosity, charity, giving, prosperity, and sharing wealth. This is a message I have been wanting for a while, and was thrilled to see it show up. As a relatively new entrepreneur, finances are always a concern, and I have been waiting for the sun to break through the clouds in this arena.

Biddy Tarot says,

“The Six of Pentacles is a card representing being in harmony with your money. The amount that comes in and the amount that flows out are in balance, and you are thankful for what you have without being grasping of it, and happy to share with others in need. This card is also about charity. You may either be the wealthy man in this card, giving away his wealth, or the beggars, gratefully receiving what the man has to offer.”

I took this as encouragement that I am on the right track and all the hard work I have been doing both internally and externally concerning my business, will soon produce fruit.

The Hanged Man (upright) was the last card to show up and it too just fit perfectly with what is going on in my life.

“He represents suspension, restriction, letting go, and sacrifice. This is the card of ultimate surrender, of being suspended in time and of martyrdom and sacrifice to the greater good. This is the archetype to meditate on to help break old patterns of behaviour and bad habits that restrict you.”

I saw clearly that all of the stresses that keep popping up in my life keep calling me to take action, but this is a time to hold off and wait. Moving too quickly could mess up all the hard work I have invested so far, and could create miscommunication, as well as leave me feeling just as stuck as I was before. Seeking internal emotional release is important. Do whatever it takes to go within and release yourself from the feeling of being stuck.

Being willing to sacrifice in order to attain the greater good may come into play. Be willing to do whatever it takes to get to where you are going. It may not look like you want or expect.

April 19, 2015 – Daily Tarot Draw

I have recently signed up for a tutorial with Biddy Tarot to help me learn the cards better, so in addition to my three card (sometimes) daily draws, I will be doing a special blog entry on each card. This will include my impressions of the images and keys to helping me remember what each card represents. I expect those posts will be more in depth, and a bit more educational for you, my readers.

Today I drew these three cards:

  

Death (reversed)
Five of Pentacles (reversed)
Princess/Page of Swords

Biddy Tarot Interpretation:
Death, Five of Pentacles, Princess/Page of Swords

My Interpretation:
Stop resisting change. The time is right to accept the new. Address and resolve all the issues that are blocking this change. Seek balance. Look within for the resolution.

The difficult times are coming to an end. New sources of income/jobs/help are coming. Confidence will be restored. Remember to stay balanced. Don’t let financial concerns outweigh spiritual concerns. Look inside,

Abundance of energy, passion and enthusiasm helps to make for an exciting start. Be sure to maintain this level of enthusiasm all the way through. Encouragement to “go for it” and embrace this change. Align with like-minded people to maintain this pace.

April 9, 2015 – Daily Tarot Draw

My cards for the day include:

  

Five of Wands
King of Cups (reversed)
Queen of Wands

Biddy Tarot Interpretation:
Five of Wands, King of Cups, Queen of Wands

April 3, 2015 – Daily Tarot Draw

Clearly I am not very good at doing the daily reading thing. To be honest, I just have days where I am not certain I want to know what the cards have to say. Other days it just doesn’t occur to me to do a reading, and then there are some days where I simply feel that I MUST do one. It really varies. I am diligently focusing on trusting my gut and my intuition on this. So, as part of that, you may not see real consistency at this stage in my tarot adventure. Perhaps it will change as I progress. Who can say?

Today I pulled the following cards:

  

Judgement
Four of Cups (reversed)
The Moon (reversed)

Biddy Tarot interpretations:
Judgement, Four of Cups, The Moon

April 1, 2015 – Daily Tarot Draw

Today’s draw included:

  

Five of Wands
Ace of Swords
Prince (Knight) of Pentacles (reversed)

I have decided that from this post on, when I have the time, I am going to actually post a link to the Biddy Tarot meaning, and then present what my intuition tells me and how I feel it applies to my life at the present time. Part of the reason for this is to help me better learn the cards, and to be able to identify them and their basic meanings on sight.

Interpretations by Biddy Tarot

Five of Wands, Ace of Swords, Prince (Knight) of Pentacles

For the next few posts, I will not be adding my insight or intuition, since I am adding these to the blog from a written journal and on those busy days, I only wrote down the cards I drew in order to look for patterns. I am interested in seeing how often specifica cards come up for me.

March 29, 2015 – Daily Tarot Draw

Today when drawing my tarot, I drew these three:

  

The Sun (reversed)
The Hermit
Two of Pentacles

The main message, after reading the meanings on Biddy Tarot, and combining them with what my intuition was telling me was to seek balance and remain agile. Clouds are blocking the view of the sun, but this is only temporary. Embrace solitude and take the time to look within for strength, balance and spiritual enlightenment. Focus on maintaining balance between work and home life. Get organized to allow for better relaxation and quality time with family.

March 28, 2015 – Daily Tarot Draw

Every day I choose a deck, shuffle, ask the cards to tell me what I need to know today, and then I choose three cards.

Today’s three were:

Nine of Wands (reversed)
Four of Wands
Nine of Swords (reversed)

The main message I received from this particular draw was:
Remember to seek balance in all things. Let go of that which does not serve you. You are loved. You are accepted. Be encouraged! Regardless of the situation, stay calm, relax, remain positive, and be at peace.

Let go of what you cannot control. Most things are outside of your control.

In other posts, I will spell out the details of the meanings of the individual cards. These posts are intended to track my draws and the patterns in which the cards show up for me.

My Adventures in Tarot

Not too long ago I participated in an Angel Card Reading class that was taught by a client and good friend of mine. I had owned a tarot deck for years, but had only purchased it for the stunning artwork on it. I had no idea how to use it, and frankly, raised in the religious home I was raised in, even mentioning tarot or anything like that was strictly forbidden.

At 41, I feel like this was less an act of rebellion and more an act of self-discovery. I am certain my parents would disagree.

Each tarot, oracle or angel card deck is different, but the basic meanings of the cards and suits are generally the same. There are some exceptions. For instance, I have a deck based on stories that revolve around the seven chakras. It doesn’t follow the standard suits at all.

The original tarot deck, the Rider-Waite deck is generally looked at as the “Bible” of the tarot, since it was the first. Most other decks are based off its images and values.

Angel cards and oracle cards are more loosely based on tarot, if at all. They often come from a more spiritual viewpoint as well. To me, you choose the deck or decks that feel right, or resonate with you.

In my friend’s class I learned how to clear the energy from a deck and how to imprint it with my own energy. We were asked to choose a deck, to clear it, to choose a question or an intention, and then to draw a card. We were to look up the meaning of the card in the accompanying booklet and to apply it to our intention or question. Amazingly, each deck I did this with, the cards seemed to be right on.

In the course of the class, I was informed that the most important part of reading tarot is how in tune you are with your intuition. You can accurately read your own, or someone else’s tarot purely from intuition and the impression you get when you look at the images on a card. This fascinated me. I thought I had to have some magical power or some mystical gift…but the strong levels of intuition that I have, and my ability to read another human being both work amazingly well with the tarot.

After successfully reading a few people, and getting some very interesting (and accurate) readings from others, I just felt like tarot was something I needed to get into more. I ordered my new deck from Amazon before I left the parking lot. The Chakra Oracle deck is not only beautiful, but puts a really creative spin on things. I find that I am drawn to use that particular deck when I am struggling with my creativity or my emotions.

My Cosmic Tarot deck is my standard “go to” deck, but I also have a third deck that I sometimes use. Just like you would use your intuition to choose the cards you draw, I also use my intuition to choose my deck for the reading.

As any beginner might, I chose to look up the meanings of the cards I drew each day online. Partly to confirm what my intuition was telling me as to the meaning of the card, and partly to get to know the standard card meanings better. I found that the best site for me, the one that seemed the most informative, consistent and accurate was Biddy Tarot. As though it was meant to be, not long after I started using this site, I saw their ad for a free 31 day tarot reading program. I signed up immediately!

I started getting emails daily, walking me through learning each card. I was encouraged to keep a journal, and I began with a written one, but decided that blogging would be the best way for me. I am a faster typist, and this way, it is all here online for my quick and easy future reference.

So, if you are joining me on my adventure, welcome. Drop in any time to see what I am learning from the universe about myself, the tarot, and my life journey.

Thanks for coming along!