Tarot Rebel Blog Hop time! It's being a while since I participated to this blog hop. It's also being a while since I've blogged on here. But that doesn't mean I've packed away my cards. In fact over the summer my boys and I spent three week in my home town in New Brunswick. I took my cards with me and ended doing dozens of readings. This was the first time my extended family learned that I read tarot cards.
I have read for a lot of people. Most are new acquaintance, and with them it seems easy to be in the role of a tarot reader. When in New Brunswick, with my Catholic family, it was a little more intimidating to say "I am a tarot reader".
There was an uncle who is very deeply involve in the Catholic religion to whom I kept that fact hidden from him. I know he would not understand or accept. Opening yourself to family, puts you in a more vulnerable position then opening to strangers or acquaintances. Deep down we care more about the acceptance of our family members because they will always be our family members.
When she found out I read tarot card, my grand mother said to me "I have never had my cards read, if you want to can read mine". I started with a general three card spread for her. The first card represents "You Now", 2nd "What to embraces", and last card "What to let go". Her cards in the what to let go position was "Mediumship" card. So I looked at her and said: "Mamie, you are very religious." to which she agreed. "Tarot card reading goes against your core beliefs. The cards are telling you, don't get your cards read. It doesn't feel right to you." My grand mother, how I love her, asked for a reading in order to support me regardless of the fact that in her religious beliefs, tarots are wrong. I love the fact that the cards responded to that.
Tarot is something I will always do. I do not believe it is evil or wrong, but I also choose not to push my choice on others. There are people in my life that I know based on their religious belief would not accept me for reading tarot. To those people I don't tell them I read tarot. I do this in respect for their belief choices.
Be sure to take a moment and look at the other post for this blog hop.
I was asked to do a few readings for a lady who has been hearing a male voice call out to her from time to time.
When I do my reading I am normally very cautious about where the reading comes from and the energies surrounding it. That is the reason I always start with a prayer to my angels and guides and ask archangels to protect the reading in white light and to only allow divined message come through. In this case, since the reading is about the message from a visiting soul I did not ask for only divined messages.
I also created a mini crystal grid to help with my reading.
Clear Quartz: Great crystal for energy and healing.
Onyx: Provides support in confusing circumstances centering your energy and aligning it with a higher power, accessing higher guidance. Useful in past life works.
Red Jasper: Brings problems to light and provides insights.
Black Tourmaline: Brings protection during rituals
Turquoise: Enhances communication with the physical and spiritual world.
This was a very interesting reading and it was great to see how communicative the cards where.
Well, Blog Hop time again. For January the rebels have selected The Fool for our topic. The first card of the major arcana, number 0.
Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor. A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool. A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.
Oh, The Fool, what an interesting card to come up in a reading. I have read many tarot books in my studies of the tarot. There is a consensus that The Fool indicates the start of a new path. Starting something new and different. Being guided by the heart, following our passions. One description appealed to me the most because I felt it best described the sentiment of The Fool. It was in the book "The Smart Girl's Guide To Tarot" by Emmi Fredericks (pstt, it's available on Scribd if you have that app) . Here is an exert from the book describing the fool
...This mindset talks you into marrying someone you've known for six weeks. Or quitting a decent job because you feel stifled and must be true to your art. Or dropping out of college to see the world. There's a great YEE-HAW! feeling to it, the exhilaration that comes with saying SCREW IT! I GOTTA BE ME! Your goal is reasonable but are you going about it in a way that will actually achieve that goal...
Isn't it the perfect description of the sentiment for The Fool?
Rider-Waite-Smith
Witches Tarot
Archangel Power Tarot
Guilded Tarot
Green Witch Tarot
Although the traditional name for this card is The Fool some decks have renamed it, but the sentiment is the same. It is normally represented by someone, walking along a cliff with a satchel on a staff, rose in hand and a little dog along for the adventure.
Upright: Trust, Innocence, Open mind, Beginning, Follow your bliss, Adventure, A leap of faith.
Reversed: Foolish, Naive, Reckless, Close minded, Distrust, Irresponsibility, The need to be cautious and plan ahead.
Be sure to read my fellow rebel bloggers posts here.
In business we must be very careful of the decision we make and of the people we do business with, especially when it comes to partners. In fact, as an investor and educator I've preach and being preached that you should select your partners with more care then you select your spouse.
For this particular reading, a business with three partners is coming into some changes as one of the partners wishes to sell their shares in the business. The question was should the other two partners buy those shares or not. So I selected the "Should I, Shouldn't I" spread which is part of the Compilation Of Tarot Reading Handouts. We also modified this spread by adding a timing element to the reading. See below to see how I use the tarot cards for timing purposes.
For this reading I had scented candles and incense burning. I also created a mini crystal grid. When I took pictures of the reading, the burning candle's flame captured quite interestingly. I couldn't resist taking a few close up pictures.
Now, as promised, I am including how I read timing in a tarot spread. I did not create this guideline, It was part of a spread that I came across in my tarot journey I apologize I do not remember the original source.
Wands days
Cups weeks
Pentacles months
Page 11
Knight 12
Queens Wands and Cups 13
Kings Wands and Cups 14
Queens Swords and Pentacles: the oracle
Kings Silence about the point in time
Swords The time, starting now
Major Arcana The hours starting from now (0 = Now)
It all started with a conversation with my sister.
Sister: My friend has been getting Reiki healing.
Me: Oh that's great.
Sister: Yes it's really helping him. I think I should get some too but I looked into the price and it's $90 a session, can't afford that right now.
Me: Well it's a good thing you know someone with their Reiki certificate.
Sister: Really?!? Who?
Me: ME!!
Sister What?!!! Since when.
I promise that I talk to my sister and I am convinced I told her when I got my Reiki certification. I even remember trying to practice on her cat, but that beast is evil so I Reikied her dog instead. So we arrange for a Reiki session at my house with her and an other friend of hers. Made it into a slumber party as well since I live a fair ways away.
To do a proper Reiki session a certain level of peace and quiet helps so we waited until the evening to get started. We set up in my living room and I was pulling out some of my stuff mainly my candles, sage and crystals.
Although the kids where all in the one room for bed, they were not sleeping nor were they getting along so my sister got up to set them straight. She was standing in front of the bedroom door setting down the law when she was patted on the back as if to support her. She turned her head to look at me since she assume that it was me patting her. That is when she saw me, sitting on the couch in the living room. She looked to her other side and saw nothing there either. It took a few seconds but she when realized that nobody was around to have patted her back she screamed, jumped and ran across the house towards my bedroom, still screaming and removing her house coat and sweater in the process.
I didn't understand what she was freaking out about... maybe a spider? but I laughed. I laughed hard. Funniest thing I ever saw. Looked a lot like this.
Eventually she calmed enough to explain the patting on the back.
Me: Wait a minute, I called you yesterday to tell you that I felt someone grab my ankle when no one was around and you told me to suck it up.
Sister: That was different!
Me: How so?
Sister: Because that was happening to you, not me.
Friend: Huh, nobody told me the sleepover was in a haunted house.
Me: It's not haunted, it's visited. There's a difference.
So we proceed to laugh some more, or I did anyways. My sister decided to call our brother and sister-in-law to tell them about her experience. Our sister-in-law also freaked out, I kept laughing. When she hung up, the sage spray and a shell I had set up on a table near her fell to the ground for no apparent reason. Again she jumped up yelling "No! That's it! I don't think so!!" and proceeded to again run to my bedroom. My laughing frenzy started all over again.
She eventually summed up the courage to come back to the living room and called my brother and sister-in-law again to explain to them the latest development in her dilemma. Keep in mind I can only hear her side of the conversation, but my laughter just started again when I heard her say "What?!? No!! Garlic is for vampires!" Really, did he just suggest she gets garlic for protection? Also I only have a jar of minced garlic in the house. I wonder if we need to remove the lid for the benefit of it's protection effect. (we later took a picture with the garlic jar to send to my brother)
Oh my gosh, I am dying of laughter by now, just trying not to pee my pants. This is just getting too funny. I should point out, having been dealing with a child who has been aware and feeling the presence of spirits all around him, that visitation from spirit does not make me uncomfortable or weary. So my sister's reaction is just priceless and I can not help myself from laughing. Her friend is laughing uncontrollably by then also if it's from my sister's reaction or from my own I do not know. Probably a combination of both.
After what was a very long time we where finally calmed enough to proceed with the Reiki session. Both girls are dealing with back issues which we address. For my sister I got to her throat Chakra and she started chocking. So I switched to pendulum healing. A few of her Chakra's where blocked. The Root, Solar Plexus, her Heart Chakra and her Throat Chakra. I was not able to fully clear them and she was feeling a fair amount of discomfort so I will have to do a few extra sessions with her.
After the Reiki is over, I asked her why she was ripping her tops off when she got spooked earlier and she explained that she assumed the tap came from my father-in-law and was worried that it connected to her because she was wearing my house coat.
We decided to ask if it was in fact my father-in-law that was visiting that evening. So I asked using the body compass method. Body compass is a method that resemble a lot to utilizing a pendulum but instead of the pendulum, it's your body that sways.
If you would like to try it, stand tall. take a few deep breath, (just like when card reading I start by asking for support and assistance from my guides, angels, and spiritual team. I also surround in a white light for protection). With your eyes closed ask, "Show me the answer for yes" my yes pushes me backwards. "Show me the answer for no" my no pushes me forward. Finally, "Show me the answer for can't answer and I don't know" for me this is a side to side swaying motion.
So, I asked if it was a spirit visiting that tapped on my sisters back. - YES - Was it my father-in-law.. -No- Was it a relative of mine? -YES- was it my grandfather on my mother's side -NO- Was is my grandfather on my father's side? -YES-
I explained to my sister that it was our grandfather. Her eyes got big and she seemed uncomfortable. I asked
Me: Doesn't that make it better?
Sister: No!! I wanted it to be your father-in-law!
Me: Why?
Sister: Because that way it's connected to you, not me. Our grandfather might follow me to my home!!
Insert more laugh here.
My grandfather, Merel, passed away from a heart attack at the age of 50. I would have been four or five years old, my sister would have been two at the most. She doesn't remember him but the memories I do have of him, he was always teasing and tickling us. I think he would have enjoyed her reaction!
I did a reading for a gentleman today who wanted to inquire about his crush, if there was any hope there.
So I went through my collection of spreads, I've put together a compilation of the spreads I've used the most in a booklet that can be printed and used as a handout for face to face reading or as journaling (click on the image to obtain a copy). That's when I realized I didn't have a new love spread in my compilation. I've being married for 16 years now, so I guess new love simply isn't on my mind.
New Romance Spread was then added to my compilation book.
How interested is she/he?
What does this person think about me?
How will the flow of communication be with this person?
What do I need to know about this romance?
Outcome; Where is this romance headed?
For this particular reading I added a sixth card for timing. This is the timing indication I have been using with the tarot card.
Wands days
Cups weeks
Pentacles months
Page 11
Knight 12
Queens Wands and Cups 13
Kings Wands and Cups 14
Queens Swords and Pentacles: the oracle
Kings Silence about the point in time
Swords The time, starting now
Major Arcana The hours starting from now (0 = Now)
This was an interesting reading. This poor guy has his work cut out for him.
He said this reading really resonated for him. He has hope but know it will take dedication and work on his part to make it happen. Buddy I wish you the best of luck!
Tarot Rebel Blog Hop time! Yay just in time for Christmas. Click on the badge to see the other blogs entered for this hop.
This month the topic is on the Wheel Of Fortune card, the tenth of the Major Arcana cards.
I recently attended a local tarot group, well it was a month or so ago. Recent in the grand scheme of things. We were a group of readers, all gathered together and talking about our tarot readings experiences. That evening we ended up doing a "Fool's Journey" looked at each Major Arcana cards in order and discussed it's meaning.
The Wheel Of Fortune card represents cycle and change. Life is a series of ups and downs and this card indicates that such a change is coming. What was, will be again, and what is will once again come around. Like a wheel, going round and round.
Key words: Inevitability, Luck, Timing, Turning point, Destiny
I think this is a great card for the winter solstice. To me this time of year definitely signifies a change. Our days have been getting shorter and shorter (mostly here in Canada) but the wheel is changing and we are heading toward longer and longer days. It's a time of hopes and dreams.
I came across a Winter Solstice Spread I thought I would share with you. I cannot take credit for this spread as I did not create it. You can find the original link here.
Bodhran's/BodhiSeed's Winter Solstice Spread:
1. The Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year. Sometimes our lives feel so "dark" we forget to look up and see the stars (blessings) in our life. What do I need to be grateful for that I've taken for granted? 2. "Solstice" comes from the Latin "sol" and "sistere" which roughly translates to "sun stands still." If our ancestors stood still, and failed to prepare for the hardest part of winter yet to come, they would die. What do I need to take action on? What plans or preparations do I need to make? 3. Winter, like the other seasons, occurs because of the tilt of the earth. In what direction is my intuition "tilting" or leading me in a situation where a decision needs to be made? 4. After the Winter Solstice, the nights become shorter and the days become longer. What is growing stronger (perhaps something I had given up on) in my life? ***NOTE***You can use an orange stone, a sphere, etc. in the center of the spread so you don't have to take out the Sun card if you prefer.
For my own reading I ended up using an Orange Calcite crystal for the center of my spread. This stone is related to the sacral chakra.
