 I was reading Tarot at a private party. I approached a table and asked if anyone would like a reading. Two guests replied with an enthusiastic "yes" while the third, looking slightly panicked said "NO! I don't want to get the Death card!"
I've had some interesting conversations over the years about Tarot (Some more lively than others) but one discussion that reoccurs is the meaning of the Death card. So I've decided to do a series of posts on the most misunderstood Tarot cards and invite you to look at them in a new light. Hollywood has never done them justice. One of my favourite decks is the Robin Wood Tarot so I will use the imagery from the deck for this series. Death - the 13 Card: The grim reaper stands swathed in flowing robes of red, faceless, hooded and beckoning the viewer.... That's pretty much where everyone stops and begins getting twitchy. As a Tarot reader I keep looking. The central figure stands in woodland surrounded by birch and greenery. It is a place of vibrancy and life. A yellow butterfly dances under the outstretched arm. I hear my intuition whisper "Transformation". Death holds a banner bedecked with a flower not the customary scythe of reaping. For me it holds a certain balance: A reminder of the cyclical nature of life. Things must give way for something else to enter. Irrevocable change has come. Humans are creatures of comfort. Change, albeit easier for some and harder for others, is not always welcome. Especially when it challenges us to move past what is familiar, routine and well.... comfortable. The Death card shows up when it is time for that which has created stagnation, held us back or has become destructive needs to shift. Sometimes we are in the drivers seat and other times we need to buckle up and hold on for the ride. But if we listen deeply to our gut and intuition we know some signs were there. Can the Death card mean mortal death? In all the years of reading Tarot, 99% of the spreads have reflected the end of something relating to that persons situation. It has not acted as a portent of pending death. Death once showed up to affirm for a client that she was struggling with grief after the loss of her Father. After 25 years I have come to look at the Death card as an ally. Death is not a card of doom but an invitation to move more fully into life. Growing pains are referred to as pains for a reason. Growth is not always comfortable but it is a constant companion. So the next time you see the Death card in a reading, look at it as a friend not a foe. For Death is there to remind you that something must end so something new can be born. 10/27/2016 0 Comments Psychic Sense I went to a talk on psychic ability at the Psychic Eye in LA about 20 years ago. The lecturer covered the four main types of psychic ability:
At the time of the lecture I knew about the first three and was working comfortably with them. When she started explaining Claircognizance as the "Know" I remember thinking, "That's Me!" I had no idea it was "A Thing". This new information changed my relationship to my psychic ability. I knew I was an Empath and Clairsentient dominant. I also was aware of my tendencies towards Clairvoyance. I always knew, I knew, I knew and to have it validated opened up a realm of new possibilities. I learned to listen and trust my knowing more. The affirmation that it was "legitimate" kept me from dismissing it so easy. I started experiencing a richer and more rounded picture of what my intuition was trying to tell me. I believe everyone has a bit of each of the categories above...yes everyone. I think some people's natural baselines differ, but we all have access to each. I often use the analogy of musical instruments to explain psychic ability. We all have the ability to learn an instrument be it a simple recorder or a more complex instrument like the piano. If you want mastery, such as becoming a concert pianist, you first need to learn to play the instrument, then practice until it becomes second nature. Once you have achieved that comfort level you can then begin experimenting with the nuances of phrasing and style to make it your own. By deepening my relationship to my abilities, I have a better awareness of which one is in the driver seat. I find my psychic senses are on rotation. I can "deeply feel" a persons emotions one day and then the next, I gain insight through a vision or dream. I am no longer dependent on that which is my default or comfort zone. It is my core source but not my only source of information. The key is to develop your dominant ability AND spend some time on the secondary abilities. As they say "Practice makes perfect" 10/12/2016 0 Comments The Thinning of the Veil The leaves are starting to change and there is a chill in the air this week. It seems Autumn has arrived. As I was driving today, I noticed the colours of the leaves and was reminded of a documentary about trees. It spoke about how the tree shuts down the production of chlorophyll causing the leaves to turn and fall in preparation for hibernation. It is a little death of sorts.
Death and transition are central topics at the moment. So many people in my social sphere are saying goodbye to loved ones. As I am typing, my Sister's Mother in law is in the ICU transitioning from this life. As we approach Halloween or Samhain (depending on where you are in the world), We see images of spooks, spiders and shadowy things. Cobwebs are in every corner of the house it seems, Spiders have reached full size by Autumn and are more visible. Eight legged beasts sitting in their web is a favourite image associated with haunted houses when in fact it is the turn of the season and the natural order of things. Images of ghosts and the otherworldly decorate retail shelves and greeting cards. This too is the natural order of things. The old ways honour the Wheel of the Year, As the wheel turns we see an opening of a permeable "doorway" around May 1 and October 31. It is believed the veil between the worlds thins, making it easier for beings of all kinds to move between them. May 1st we associate with the land of Fairy and on October 31 the land of the dead and our ancestors. I can't deny the heightening of awareness to presences not seen. Catching things out of the corner of my eye is a regular occurrence of late. Even my sceptic partner has been doing some double takes and saying "I thought I just saw".... I just smile. I have experienced it enough to know it is a truth... for me. I have also noticed over the years, these two periods are often accompanied by announcements of deaths. It is as if the transition is easier because the veil is so thin. The train rolls into the station and everyone hops on. They can cross over into the other realms with greater ease because it is "just there." The beloved dead and ancestors can move into our realm to assist in the crossing of the living to the dead. Is it no wonder this time is associated with spectres and ghosts? My older Sister had a vision of my Uncle the night before our Dad's funeral. Our Uncle died five years prior and they were best friends in life. Our Uncle appeared to my Sister, in clear solid form while our Dad stood behind him transparent. "I've got him" was the message. He was safe on the other side and in familiar, loving hands. So as the wheel turns I am reminded of how precious life is and how the cycles of death and re-birth are all around us. So live well, love fiercely and never underestimate how important you are in this world...and the next. 10/3/2016 0 Comments Stillness in Chaos I have been reading Tarot cards for 20+ years. I've read for private clients, family, friends and at parties. For years I read in a busy and quite famous, Moroccan restaurant in LA up until my move to the UK in 2012.
I was one of the belly dancers that performed weekly and one year it just so happened that my night fell on New Year's Eve. The owner asked if I could read cards on the night to make it a bit more of an event. I began reading weekly not just in between my sets but on other nights as well. It was in this space that I honed my ability to listen deeply. With a room full of delighted customers, loud Arabic music playing overhead, waiters coming and going with platters of food, pouring tea and dancers swirling about, one really has no choice. To do my work I had to be able to find that stillness in chaos and know how to cut through the distraction to hear the messages that needed to be shared. With time it was easy to do. It actually helped my focus and heighten my connection. We can easily find our centre and connect with our intuition in the stillness of our personal space. Can you find it in those loud noisy places where life is blaring and swirling around you? (And yes ....that is me in spinning away in the photo) |
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