Insight or New Age Woo-Woo and Unicorns?

"A ritual is the enactment of a myth. And, by participating in the ritual, you are participating in the myth. And since myth is a projection of the depth wisdom of the psyche, by participating in a ritual, participating in the myth, you are being, as it were, put in accord with that wisdom"
~ Joseph Campbell

Over the years I've come to love Tarot more deeply and it fits very well with my creative personality as a visual artist and because I also love to write. Tarot  lends itself to story telling or myth which directly relates to the subject matter of my art work.

There isn't anything I dislike about tarot. I do however find that the misconceptions, skepticism, and deception that surrounds Tarot very frustrating. The Major and Minor Arcana cards of the Tarot are not responsible for this but is attributed to those individuals doing the reading.

I sometimes find myself having to explain just what Tarot reading is, because generally speaking I don't think the average person understands Tarot and what to expect from a reader. I certainly don't mind providing a clear explanation. However it is disconcerting when I meet those who've had negative experiences after having had a reading done.

I've met people that have had unscrupulous readers tell them untruths, half truths or out and out lies. This is both disturbing and hurtful to those entrusting a stranger to supposedly give them some insight,clarity and guidance.

First and foremost a reader's responsibility and the foundation principle of a Tarot reader's philosophy, and what is paramount is to do no harm. For example, to tell someone there is going to be a death, or some other kind of foreboding bad news is not kosher, period! The individual having a reading done should be left with a positive feeling with some insight and clarification of whatever issue they have relating to the question they've asked.

Yes their are those who will present themselves and Tarot as some kind of what I call magical New Age Woo-Woo. But their are those Tarot readers who are principled with great integrity, who hold the Tarot reading as a kind of sacred covenant of ancient wisdom, much like a ritual and consider it a privilege to read the Tarot cards.

Tarot readers with integrity, are very grateful to be given the gift and the opportunity to read for others. They are perceptive and intuitive em-paths, not so-called fortune tellers, and do no harm.

I'm no fan of the description "New Age", because as a Tarot reader, what I do is not new, but very old, very ancient, dating back to the 11th century. I also tend to think the concept of New Age is more confusing than clarifying to the average person.

I'm not implying that there aren't those who have psychic abilities or who are even visionaries, or mystics. What I'm saying is that it's not a prerequisite to being a Tarot reader, but a sense of humour is, along with intuition, perception, having a love and appreciation of humanity, with a good supply of humility are all essential, minus all the Woo-Woo and the unicorns!


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Three of Swords - Lighten Up!

Upon seeing this card initially, of course I have a kind of visceral reaction to it, because well lets face it, the poor dude that has being impaled, is dead in the water, has come to his demise and end of life in a very undignified and gruesome way.

The Three of Swords is the culmination of what went wrong in the Two of Swords, a  kind of paralysis or standstill, dictated by fear, when it comes to making a decision, and moving forward.

This Minor Arcana numbered card, has come to be one of my very favourites, because it isn't about death, it is about life and recovery. It represents the end of a solitary journey of the soul, like Persephone, embodied in the mythic figure of Psyche to descends to the underworld, who has come out the other side transformed, and the healing can now begin. Now the stream of goodness, a new path can be taken, that leads to infinite light, that the individual tries to find a way to share through one's experience, strength, and hope with others.

Though this card may appear dark, and the journey taken may be very daunting, there is an abundance of light to be found at the end of the tunnel.
Humour is the great gift waiting, that we are also given in this transformation. We learn to laugh at ourselves, after having feelings of self-pity, and ego-feeding deceptions. We learn to lighten up, not take ourselves so seriously, and we begin focus on our recovery, and healing.


   “When love is lost, do not bow your head in sadness. Instead, keep your head up high and gaze to heaven for that is where your broken heart has been sent to heal.” ~ Author Unknown.

 Cat Reading Tarot Cards -  B.Kliban

The Celtic Cross

I didn't draw a daily card today. Instead I did that personal reading I have been wanting and needing to do for myself. I have been really wanting clarification on a particular concern and situation.

I thought it might give readers of my blog some insight, as to how I approach Tarot and readings. The way I do a reading for myself is basically the same way I read for my clients.

As a Tarot reader you are continually learning through study, but with each reading comes more insight, and you are constantly honing your skills and intuition, developing a relationship with the cards. This is the reason  why I do a daily card draw, in order to deepen my relationship and understanding of the meanings of each card. Learning to read Tarot involves intuition, study, and skill. Intuition gets better with trusting it and practice, skill you are shown how, you try it, then you practice, and you are always studying and learning.

Memorizing the card meanings is pointless I believe, although this does not mean you don't end up remembering the meanings. But this comes from doing regular readings, more than from memorization. It's a good thing too, because my memorizing ability is like what I think Gerald Ford once said, 'I forgot what it was supposed to remember!' 78 cards to memorize? Forgetaboutit!

Before I do my readings, I say a prayer or invocation. Maybe light a candle. Everyone has their own personal routine or ritual in order to get focused and into a present mindfulness. Here is I think, a beautiful invocation I often say, called The Invocation of The Orchard. I know it is from the Cabala but I have no idea who wrote. it.

Invocation of The Orchard

     
 "I pass through this orchard remembering that what I may learn, and what may pass before my 
eyes will be for the purpose of healing the world, and bringing Unity into this dimension, into the plane of human awareness. This orchard is the transition point between the transcendant and the imminent - the abstract and the concrete.
My personal path can adapt and absorb this forest slowly, and as it sees fit. My basic personhood remains intact, while sampling the myriad forms and concepts in the grove. Drinking from the river of delights of the Creator's house, my own specific root into the infinite is a path of emanation along which I can safely and respectfully traverse.

"All the world is a very narrow bridge - but the point is to be fearless."

Sepher Malchus is the grounding point, where I am centered, and where I will return after contemplating the trees, springs, fragrances, and many-faceted gems in the enclosure. Sepher Malchus is the point of connection and return to my personal concrete reality and viewpoint, to my ideal stability."

*  Sepher Malchhus relates to the Earth.

When I am ready, I ask an open ended question, as opposed to a closed question, which would result in a simple answer, yes or no. I avoid starting the question with Will… When… and Should.

An example of asking an open ended question instead, this starts with What…, How… and Why.

i.e. 1. What has been blocking me in finding a new job and how can I release these blockages?

     2. What can I do to create the love life I truly desire?

And so, I had a general idea of what I wanted to ask, but I needed to get clear, and specific about my question. The more specific the question the more specific the reading.  I turned off the radio, sat down at my kitchen table, created a space,  I got relaxed and quiet. I tried to clarify my question as best I could, and shuffled the cards.

When I drew my 10 cards, and laid them out in the ancient Celtic Cross layout, I did a quick scan. My first thought was, oh frig, this isn't going to give me much information, and I felt a little down. This inner critic pops up every now and again. I ignored my negative inner critic and refocused. I began to further clarify and deconstruct the question. I got down to bare bones of what I was really asking, and I wrote the question  down in my Tarot journal.

The spread I use, the Celtic Cross, I find, enables me to tell the story of what the cards are saying, in depth.  Scanning the overall layout, I made note of the number of Cups, Swords, Wands, and Pentacles, Aces, Pages, Major and Minor Arcana, and made some initial connections between the cards. After looking at the meanings of each card in my mind, figuratively I could past or connect the cards together, like pairing or grouping the cards, i.e.  4 Swords , 3 Pentacles, 2 Pages etc., and relate each one in accordance to the meanings of the position within the Celtic Cross layout, as I've listed below

Position One - Signifcator
Position Two - What Crosses You
Position Three - What Crowns You
Position Four - The Base of the Matter
Position Five - Past Influences
Position  Six - Future Influences
Position Seven - Where You Find Yourself Presently
Position Eight - How Others View You
Position Nine - Hopes and Fears
Position Ten - Final Outcome

 I then began to carefully decipher, interpret, and connect the meaning of each card, one card to another, and as a whole, to tell the story of my reading. Oooo it was an interesting story too! But I dare not tell!


Without going into the details of my reading, because I don't think it is of any interest to any one but me, well  maybe one other person who shall remain nameless. However, I will share these two particular quotes I found, that really resonated with me, and I directly relate them to my reading. I think they will give you a feeling for my overall reading. and I think and hope you will be able to identify with, and relate to each one.

" Until we can receive with an open heart we are never really giving with an an open heart . "
                                                                                 
                                                                                - Brene Brown

" What's difficult in life is to stay centered when somebody does or says some thing that tempts us to close our hearts, because their heart is closed. That is hard. But that is also how we grow, We go through those circumstances in order to evolve into people who can hold on to out loving center no matter what the world throws at us. 
                   
                                                                              - Marianne Williamson

Three of Pentacles - Professionalism

 

I am partial to the number three for a number of spiritually related reasons. Threes also make me think of the three Graces or Muses, and indicates an initial completion, the first bit of a project is done, rather like the basic shell of a structure that has been erected, and now energy is put toward the next needed elements to hopefully follow.

It is a rewarding feeling of satisfaction to have the beginning of project started, but there needs to be a full awareness of the hard work ahead. If I have an inability to know my limits, and do not understand  my character, knowing what I can or cannot handle, this is proportional to my success and lasting rewards.

The Three of Pentacles is a very appropriate card drawn for me today upon commencing my most recent art project, a series of 22 paintings, the Major Arcana cards based on the Mythic Tarot. Once I complete the Major Arcana, I want to complete the remaining 56 cards of the Minor Arcana.
The early beginnings for me is probably the most daunting undertaking, because of the combined fear, ambiguity and excitement that comes with the initial approach to an art project. However, I am sure this will come up again with each painting in varying degrees until the project is done in my efforts to make 'good art'. I do make a concerted effort to crowd out of my mind any negative self-talk or self-doubt in my ability to create, and replace this with positive affirming thoughts.
 I must remain steadfast, positive, realistic and adhere to my professional development.

Two of Pentacles - How Juggling Made Me Feel Balanced

 The Two of Pentacles is about juggling and keeping things balanced, without loosing site of other areas in your life. This requires learning to find ways to reduce your stress, learning how to relax, and to not take on more than you can handle. There is really nothing easy about this, but the more you practice, the easier it becomes, and it eventually gets to be a habit.

Many years ago, I went to study Mime, ( Commedia dell’arte) where among other skills, I took up juggling.
It really became a discipline, a skill I could adapt to my life, as a reminder, to take one day one, one step at a time, and to breath. Juggling requires that you master one task time, before you move on to the next. You have to learn to breath, especially diaphragmatic breathing, which helps you to relax, which is necessary to directly effect your ability to concentrate.

Juggling helped me when I was feeling overwhelmed. It taught me to put first things first, and to break things down in order to lessen my stress, and it helped me to not take on too many things at once. The physical, and psychological benefits enabled me to gain control of my ability to relax, through my breathing, and I could concentrate on the task at had, and go from there, doing what I needed to do next.

Like all of the Twos of the Minor Arcana, our drive for material goals must be grounded and channeled, if we are to master the skills required to achieve our objectives via the flow of creative energy.
We must be flexible, and willing to do whatever is necessary to receive the reward for our efforts made.


Juggling is a truly portable workout.
It makes you smarter.
It sharpens focus & concentration.
Juggling is the ultimate in stress relief.
It’s an exercise that doesn’t ‘feel’ like exercise.
You can juggle where you are, no travel required!
Juggling maintains and increases range of motion in the arms and shoulders.
It is one of the best ways to improve coordination.
Juggling is beneficial for all age groups and body types.
Helps ward off cravings.
Juggling makes exercising with family and friends easy.

Ace of Swords - Success!

Swords represent the intellectual side of life, will and action, where reason prevails over emotion. Swords cuts through muddled thought, and brings clarity. Order and justice rule, leading to abundance and prosperity.
Success in attaining your goals is ahead. An intellectual breakthrough is made. It's an aha moment and there may be a discovery, or even the publication of a book.


Here we see Athene, goddess of Justice, and this Minor Arcana card, like all Aces heralds a burst of raw energy, that gives a new perspective on the world. This new world view and perspective can create conflict. When we change our outlook and behaviour, this often upsets the apple cart where others are concerned, as they may not respond favourably. You may be full of enthusiasm and energy to embrace a new lifestyle, however others may feel their lifestyle, and the old order is going to be affected, and threatened, which creates conflict. Do not loose heart, as there is and can be a resolution with a strong heart, mind and will.

You may have found you want to pursue a change in career, or relationship. Perhaps you are considering moving to a different country, or residence. You might even have decided to return to school at a mature age, but, there may be negative reactions from the very people you love, and that love you.

 One may assume, that you can be confident in thinking, because family and friends love you, and that they would, and should be supportive; this unfortunately is often not the case, in many situations. especially with friends and families. This is the double edged sword, that the Ace of Swords presents, and you better be prepared for some quarrels, and disputes. I will reiterate, success is your's with a strong heart, mind and will.

Seven of Cups - The Creative Dreamer

The Seven of Cups augers an emotional situation that needs to be tempered and balanced with reality. , Here in this Minor Arcana card Aphrodite confronts Psyche with the tasks she must perform to win back Eros and is pointing to the seven golden cups. The number seven is the number of creativity, and represents the creative dreamer.

It is essential that we have realistic dreams. I believe they come for a divine source. Prioritizing, and learning how to fulfill dreams, is often what counts if we really want something badly enough. We can't achieve our goals having fantasies, pipe dreams or illusions. As well, too many possibilities and options can be problematic, and overwhelming. So, we must decide what it is we want, and don't want.

 I know creative visual imagery is an extremely useful tool, in order to actualize our dreams. I do however have to work hard to eventually lessen the existing gap between fantasy and reality, if I want to succeed in making many of my dreams come true. Being distracted by flights of fancy is not something most of us cannot afford.

Often through difficult and hard lessons learned, there are dreams that may never be able to be realized, and we have to accept this fact. Other dreams however can change along the way, and there is satisfaction and fulfillment that can be found in what remains. There are limitations to reality.

It's vital to believe, and have faith in ourselves, along with our ambitions, hopes and forethought, that enable us to reach our goals through commitment to hard work, and to perform the tasks at hand. Patience, faith, and perseverance are necessary to manifest the potentials and capacities, and will give us structure and direction.

Believe that all things are possible.

Page of Wands - Let Your Voice Be Heard!

The Page of Wands in the Minor Arcana makes me think of the old proverb, don't hide your lamp under a bushel.

This card indicates that you should let your voice be heard, don't be shy and speak up! Don't allow others put out your fire, your creativity, ideas, and efforts. Surround yourself with those who nurture, and are supportive of your imagination.

You may find that yourself at odds with some folks, as they could interpret your restlessness and irritability as nothing but notions, when it is simply the fragile beginnings of an emerging creative spirit.

 Pages are messengers and the Suit of Wands ( Rods) symbolize action, energy, growth, ideas, creation and expression of spirit.

The card can represent a young, lively person, full of ideas, who may be an intern or an apprentice. This card shouts the message that good news is on the way, and let your light shine!

Too many of us often have our imagination and creative spirit squelched at a young age and even into our adult life. This not only happens within families, but it happens in our educational system, which makes the world and society a poorer place to live.

We are all born with a creative spirit and imagination. It is a God given gift, and we should all do whatever we can, to develop and nurture it within ourselves, and others, and especially with and for our children.

King of Pentacles - Quality Over Quantity

Among all of the Minor Arcana Court Cards, the King of Pentacles is the " General Manager " of the Universe at least this is the individual's intention. The attitude is to take charge and to be in charge.
The individual is very good at being successful,, putting ahead of anything else, the priorities of material gain, via one's organizational skills, the ability to make money, and climbing the ladder of success.

However, the warning is, that a vulnerability exists, in spite of the person's self-confidence, self-image as being powerful, and in control of their life. The higher one climbs the ladder, the further, and harder the fall.

Shortsightedness in seeing what is truly important in life, such as family life, and relationships, will hurt not only those you love, and those who love you, this will leave only loneliness, discontentment, and ultimately unhappiness, if you do not get your priorities straight. Putting material and monetary gain over relationships, will lead to disappointment, disillusion and heartache.

The warning is, we need to be careful what we wish for. Having a quality of life style, as opposed to having quantity is requires using discernment when it comes to ambition, desire for recognition, and need for material security. Power, money and our ego can corrupt. It's the choice we have to make between what is right and wrong, good and bad.

That's the bad news. The good news is, the King is mature man, at the peak of his career, successful and wealthy in a worldly position and achievement. He is a leader, a devoted husband, has the " Midas Touch ", and the gift of actualizing, and manifesting creative ideas in the world, and everything he touches turns to gold! 

King Midas

Nine of Cups - The Wish Card

The card I pulled this morning from the Minor Arcana, the Nine of Cups is a very appropriate one today after hearing very early of someone I love is very near death. I have a specific wish and a prayer for him and his family.

Commonly referred to as the ' Wish Card '. Usually indicated that the Questioner, or Seeker will be granted their wish, often in the form of a material nature, however it can also indicate the fulfillment of an emotional dream. Like the previous card I drew yesterday, the Ten of Cups signifies, peace, contentment and fulfillment.

Here, the Nine of Cups, Psyche and Eros stand face to face. There is celebration of their restored, honest and the forgiving reunion of love for one another. Aphrodite raises a cup, blessing their union.

This card represents an inner journey toward a validated commitment to, and through one's efforts of being true to values, and beliefs within and outside ourselves, come what may.

We all have wishes and dreams. Dreams are important to have in life, and we must have the firm belief in our selves to realistically actualize, and to achieve them, regardless of the struggles and obstacles, that lay ahead on the road. Some dreams, wishes and even prayers are fulfilled and answered, some are not, and they can change along the way and often have to, when there comes a realization, that we must accept, and let go of certain dreams.

Continued commitment to trust and to be loyal to our own feelings, allows us to still believe in our dreams and wishes and that our prayers will in fact be answered.

The message here is relationships and life are not about living happily ever after, whether it be with our siblings, friends, or significant other.

Life is far from perfect, nor are human beings. We make mistakes, and need to find in our heart of hearts forgiveness, toward ourselves, toward others, and toward life itself, which can seem cruel and very unfair.

We need to forgive for ourselves in order to restore our relationships, with ourselves, with others, and with the God of our understanding, in order to find peace, contentment, fulfillment and happiness.

Ten of Cups - Happiness

The suit of Cups represents feelings and the emotions. Out of all the cards in the Minor Arcana, The Ten of Cups is one of my favourites, as it is a card  of happiness, ongoing peaceful and permanent contentment in a united family, and within the realm of the heart.

Statistically the data is not so positive, reflected in our society, regarding relationships. The majority of folks are single. The divorce rates are very high, and chances of divorce, apparently become even greater, the more times we marry. It is easy to feel somewhat cynical, pessimistic and even jaded about relationships within the existing state of affairs between the sexes.

If the facts are correct, those who are married are supposedly happier than single folk. I then ask, if this is the case, why then are there not more people married?
I digress, but that said, it does not mean we can not achieve a very happy harmonious state, we definitely can, but not without work on ourselves and within our relationships.

Happiness is an inside job. No person, place, or thing makes us happy. We are responsible for our own happiness. Happiness is directly dependent on a daily practice and proportionate to being grateful, and having an attitude of gratitude, choosing to not allow the ego to get in the way. Happiness is a choice.

The Ten of Cups points specifically to a spiritual foundation, and connectedness with the Divine. The couple portrayed in the card has that divine foundation, which includes the God of their own understanding. Upon this firm foundation, they have built a deep love, giving their relationship a sustained, continued contentment, and permanence. The couple are winged, as angels, and like angels, are spiritual beings having a human experience.

 It has been said, that when we open our hearts to another, we can see the reflection of God. We pass through many tests, tribulations, trials and difficulties; life is always full of them. Honesty, humility, and acceptance, can connect us to our own souls and then, deeply to another. 

A very holy man once said, when two individuals choose to love one another, they become like two whole intersected circles, or both join one another, within one circle. This circle should expand to be inclusive and outreaching to others. The circle should not decrease, or become smaller, but should increase in size to include others in our lives, as a reflection and example of God's love.

Gretchen Rubin has a great site,  The Happiness Project that I love. I have posted one of her videos below.

The Knight of Swords - Our Knight In Shining Armour!

The Knight of Swords is a court card in the Minor Arcana. Knights represent young men, usually single or older men, those of us who are young at heart, or emotionally dynamic. He is that knight in shining armor! The skilled warrior charging into battle, and like Sir Lancelot, is the defender of chivalry!

Being the hopeful romantic I am, when I see this card come up, I tend to get a little excited, and my heart does a turn around jump up and down, because I think for one second, oh, maybe there's a good guy on the horizon for this person, for whom I am reading.
This is not the case, but it is a lovely romantic thought nonetheless.
 I don't mean to burst every one's bubble, and I am not saying there aren't any men that are warriors, and our own personal kind of heroes, there certainly are.

This knight has a charming nature, that gives him an ability to get himself out of scrapes, and somehow always appears, just when you need him! However, often he doesn't weigh the consequences, and charges in like the proverbial bull in a china shop. Oh no! Now there's a problem, in spite of his good intentions. He may be good guy generally, but he also may be dangerous, so be forewarned,  proceed with caution. His arrogance and head strong attitude guises as confidence, but don't be fooled, you need to use discernment and good judgement. He could be a Don Juan like, romantic figure, and not the best choice for having an intimate committed relationship with, as he is emotionally immature, and could break a heart or two, or three!

Being of a great mercurial mental energy, which describes the Knight of Swords, often no feelings are taken into account, due to his preoccupation with a particular thought or idea without regard or thought of anyone else, which results in the hurting of another.
The Knight of Swords embodies the impulse of the eternal youth and may have problem growing old gracefully!

The Knight of Swords also heralds a time for the seeker to be prepared for sudden changes, disrupting and upsetting the normal patterns of our lives.

To conclude on a positive note, the gift of the Knight of Swords, is the ability to adapt, and to move with change, and with turbulence can bring forth a clearer vision of life, our horizons are expanded and, when one door closes, another is now opened.