The Tarot Closet - Coming out to colleagues

So how do you come out to business colleagues without sounding a complete nutter and without them losing complete faith in you and your abilities?

Well I see three groups of colleagues: ~

Those who jump in with – Oh great, can you do mine?

Those who think - What a load of piff-paff - you can try to educate them but may or may not succeed.

Those, the bosses, who think – Maybe we need to start planning an exit strategy to get shot of this person.

Now we all know that there is more to the Tarot than simply learning a few meanings for the cards, Why are some interpretations total different to the book meaning? How do the right card or combination of cards come together when randomly picked from a deck? To what extent do our spirit guides and other forces help and influence the interpretation? and we all have our own ideas on how readings work but do we want to jeopardise our reputations and careers by trying to explain this to our bosses.

So I’ve come up with a little question and answer for them -

Do you know exactly what Tarot is?

No, OK, well Tarot is using the symbology on 78 picture cards as a tool to stimulate your intuition into providing advice, guidance or answers to your own or other people’s life issues, concerns or questions. Tarot cards are not a resource for predicting the future or future events, once the Tarot card reading has been delivered, the person receiving it, through free will, can act either with the reading or against it, thereby changing the circumstances the reading was based on and thereby affecting any likely outcome.

And if they still look dubious –

When we need to make a business decision, we use, reports, graphs, statistics and other resources, but these can’t tell you what to do or guarantee that the decision you make will succeed, you still need to go with your gut feeling, your intuition, your resourses only guide you and that what the tarot does.

OK sounds good, just need the courage to put it into practice.

Me and Wolves

Aren't they just beautiful, they are misunderstood, misinterpreted and given a really bad name in fiction, films, the press and media.

I have always had a love of wolves, during trips to the zoo or safari park you would always find me spell bound by these wonderful creatures.

Now my partner knew I liked wolves and last Christmas bought me an up close and personal encounter with Arctic Wolves at the UK Wolf Conservation Trust http://ukwct.org.uk/  this was a dream come true, an experience I will never forget and I didn't shut up about seeing / being with them, so my partner now knows how deep my feelings are for these creatures.

But there is more to my connection with wolves, I started off, as far as I know, with a Native American Spirit Guide, who is still with me and for a while I had a Chinese guide join him but when I attended a Christian Spiritualist Church I was often told that I had a wolf with me, from time to time he was joined by an eagle and at other times by a bear and other birds of prey but always the wolf was with me and while I thought I knew my Native American Guide was with me, I do know when the wolf is with me, I feel him at my side, I feel him lean against me, I have felt his fur against the back of my hand.

And there is more, although still not great at meditation I am beginning to get better at it to the stage now where when using meditation just to relax, my wolf is there at my side but not only that, I run with him and have at time been a wolf, in my meditations, running with other wolves, seeing my legs and paws stretch out before me, feeling the exhilaration of running with the pack through the wild open spaces.

Do I imagine this, am I nuts or are there just things we don’t fully understand, I don’t know but it feels so real to me, the images are so vivid and I am prepared to believe that wolves are part of my life and part of me.

The lady who runs our circle is, among other things, an experience and gifted medium, she has told me that I am an old spirit and at a recent circle meeting she said that she saw me as a Native American with the Sun casting my shadow in the form of a wolf’s.

I recently came across this and posted it on FB and friends responded that it described me to a tee, they also know that I'm not a mixer, I am happier to stay to the side of a crowd, watch and observe, just like a wolf

Positive or Negative - Right Reading Doubts

Has that doubt hit you, you have just pushed the SEND button and it hits you “Did I do the right reading?”

This week I received a simple question “Will my boy friend propose sometime soon?” Now not being sure on yes / no readings I plumped for a relationship reading.

The Spread, one out of the Biddy Tarot Starter Kit.

What you want from the relationship.

What they want from the relationship.

Where is the relationship heading.

The cards (randomly taken from the pack, not straight from the top).

5 of Coins                            6 of Coins                            Strength

Simple version of my reading (positive)

5 of Coins - She has wants           

6 of Coins - He wants and is able to fulfill her wants, as he wants it to.

Strength - Relationship gets stronger.   

Reading done, happy with it, PRESS SEND, Oh heck - did I get that right or was it all negative

5 of Coins - She has wants           

6 of Coins - He’s a selfish pig wasting all his cash and time on friends etc

Strength - She is going to have to find an inner strength to maintain the relationship or end it.

OR

5 of Coins – She’s a money grabbing cow who wants more and more of everything.

6 of Coins – All he does is supply her with more money, more gifts, more everything

Strength - He is going to have to find an inner strength to maintain the relationship or end it.

And I should think you could come up with your own interpretations.

But on the face of it a simple question and a simple 3 card spread

Was me initial reading right?

I am a fairly positive person, seeing good in most people and things, did this influence my judgement  and reading did I unconsciously want to give a good positive reading?

As you see, there were no cups in this reading, no emotions, relationships, matters of the heart, I took this as we didn't need to touch on this, as their feelings / love for each other are secure OR is it that love is missing from one or both people, was she asking about him proposing to her for reasons other than love?

So you buy a Tarot Card Pack and you learn what each card means, someone asks for a reading, you shuffle the cards, pick the cards, lay out the spread, you look at the cards and explain what they mean, sounds so easy, doesn't it but we know better.

At the time of this reading, what I was getting fitted, felt right and flowed, I am referring to books less and less and not at all for this reading and I am relying on my intuition and instincts more.

So again was my initial reading right, I think so, I believe so, I feel so but as you know I have to wait for the feedback to know so.

A general question

Just had my first non-specific question, just a general reading request, what a whole different feel.

Apart from a date of birth and a name, you have nothing to go on, how nerve racking is that.. They did want it as Past, Present, Future, which is even worse, they know their past, they know whats happening to them now, for us readers it's instant judgement, did we get it right, are we even close, O M G the pressure.

I suppose its just having faith in ourselves, we did our best, we just have to sit and wait for the feedback, please make it soon, I'm on tenter hooks, do these people know what they put us through.

If it's wrong I can't blame the cards, I can only face up to the fact that I misinterpreted the cards and what's that going to do for my confidence???

Well I'll just have to take it on the chin and hope the next reading is better.

And the really silly thing is I haven't got the feedback so am I worrying about nothing, me thinks a bit of P.M.A. is required

Odd Man Out

I attend a monthly spiritual development circle and last month we worked with tarot and angel cards.

This particular evening there were three of us plus Sue the circle leader.

We started with a meditation then took our cards out and shuffled them while Sue explained what we were going to do, easy we were each going to do a reading for each of the other circle members, so we would each get and give readings, OK who's going to start said Sue and being Mr Confident I sat back and suggested that the other two might like to read for each other first and a bit nervously they agreed.

Phew I got out of that a bit nicely, I sat back and watched the other two do their readings, during which I realised that they were at the same stage as me skill wise and Sue interjected with loads of advice and as a group we discussed the readings and learnt so much.

OK said Sue, you can read for me Mark, at which stage the stress hit, read for Sue, oh no, with all her skills, gifts, knowledge, experience, total panic, but after a bit of very gentle persuasion I started.

So I gave Sue my cards, she shuffled them and one fell out, so we put it to one side, splayed out the rest and she picked out three cards. I laid these out and added the fourth to them then explained what I saw and what I thought, except for the fourth card and could I see how that fitted in, no.

Now recently I read a Blog posting that was saying any card can be made to fit into a reading and I remembered this and I looked and looked but still couldn't see it and I didn't feel comfortable about forcing a card to comply with the rest of the reading. If the card feels different and doesn't feel right, if you force it to comply will it adversely affect, corrupt the reading as a whole.

So I put my hands up, "Sorry Sue, I can see where the other cards are going, but I just can't see where this one does" I wasn't surprised when she said she could, she is the master and my teacher but then she explained that the reading wasn't for me it was for her, she could understand the reading and it confirmed a lot that she already suspected and knew and she could clearly see and identify where the odd card fitted in, it was part of the story but from a different aspect and explained why.

So apart from gaining a lot of experience and boosting my confidence level, the biggest lesson of that evening for me was, don't worry about the odd man out, treat the card as any other in the reading, tell the person you are reading for about the card and let them decide if it make sense to them.

First Blood

Having joined Biddy Tarot' free tarot readings I eagerly waited for my first questions, I had hummed and harred  about how many to do and how often, in the end I played it safe - 3 requests on a Friday would give me the weekend to do the readings and give me plenty of time to send them to those requesting the readings.

So there I was Friday eagerly and nervously waiting for my three reading requests to pop up, well one did then an hour or two later the second and then after another wait, almost bedtime, the third.

Well as I said the plan was to do the readings over the weekend but events over the weekend over took me and I didn't do the reading until Tuesday night while my partner was conveniently out.

Three reading, all from ladies, all about relationships, I wasn't that surprised.

So how did it go?

Reading 1] Will we get back together and, and, and.

I had so much come into my head while reading the question and because of that, plus the multifaceted nature of the question I felt a three card spread wouldn't do it, so I went for the Celtic Cross. Now I've done the Celtic Cross a number of times before but in a book, I found a slightly different Celtic Cross spread that also included a very helpful section that listed out the meanings of each card in each position of the spread, so if THE HERMIT was in position 1 it meant X and if it was in position 2 it meant Y.

Was I going to cheat, no, my plan was to do the reading then see how it compared with the book. Now plans are OK if you perfect and prepare them, I did the reading, I picked up the book and oh, the book only worked with the Major Acarna, I had worked with the full deck.

This reading took me over an hour to do and was mentally tiring, Biddy Tarot you had warned us as much in the Starters Kit.

2] After a rest it was time for reading two - Whats going to happen in the next three month, will I get back with my ex or a new partner.

For this reading I stayed away from the Celtic Cross and decided on the three card spread, but wasn't happy it would cover the question fully, so I drew six cards for two spread, one about the people and relationship and one to cover the time scale, one card for each month.

3] The final reading was the hardest, the question was straight forward enough, from a woman with a child, the husband had left for another woman, was other woman still in the picture, would the husband return.

I did a three card spread, which indicated that the marriage was probably over, that even if the other woman was not around anymore the husband had other interests that would keep him away from the family.

The crux was that this lady lives abroad, her husband leaving her and her becoming in effect a single mum, meant that because of the culture she lives in, she was now basically an outcast and not eligible to form another relationship, even if she wanted to.

The hard part of giving the reading was - do you gloss it up to give her hope without giving her false hopes or do you tell it as it is.

Fortunately although I couldn't feel if the husband would return, within two of the cards there was a glimmer of hope that something would pan out for this lady.

The two 3 card readings took about half an hour each and weren't so draining as the first reading. I enjoyed doing them and I learnt a lot, especially about forgetting what the books say and trusting what you feel instead.

It's Friday again and I am just waiting on the next three requests and with a bit better time management I may just get them done over the weekend.

Oh were my readings any good, I'll let you know when I get the feedback back from the ladies

Tarot Closet

OK so getting to grips finally with the Tarot cards, joined a wonderful group called Biddy Tarot whose members have opened my eyes to new aspects of the tarot and shown me I’m not alone with my concerns and that they have similar questions to me.

There was an article posted on the Biddy Tarot web site Tarot coming out, so is it time for me to come out, what has been stopping me.

Firstly confidence I was introduced to the Tarot at 17, wow almost 40 years ago and soon after bought my first pack which I still have. So having bought that first pack I read the little book and started to learn what the cards meant, but oh dear all those minor arcana cards, so I cheated and only did readings with the major cards, well I say readings there were only a few and they were to family and friends. My Aunt was totally surprised and embarrassed by what I picked up and told her, things she had never told anyone and then there was a friend of my sister who was at work a few days after I gave him a reading, that he couldn't relate to,  when suddenly he realised that things I had said were starting to happen and it lead to a bit of business success for him, there were some successful readings for other friends to, but despite all this I still didn't have the confidence to really start getting into doing regular readings.

Not only did my confidence let me down but my parent bought me a book on Tarot which was interesting but confused me more, remember this was 40 years ago and anything tarot seemed to be based on tradition and old school ways of looking at it, there were a number of more attractive more modern cards being issued but for the beginner we were still contending with and being grouped with Gypsy fortune tellers and devil worshipers.

Secondly I work in a corporate environment and have thought that admitting reading tarot cards could be career damaging or leading to ridicule from bosses and colleagues.

So apart from the odd reading for myself I haven’t really done much over those 40 years.

What’s changed?

Well loads of things but mainly me.

Near on 4 years ago my body and mind decided enough was enough and I crashed, work and a stressful family life all became too much, I was signed off work for 7 months and only recovered through having a pretty good Councillor who got me to open up and talk about stuff, personal deep, deep routed stuff from dark deep places. Now not only did this help with the healing process it also help me to start finding myself again, me, someone I had lost years before without realising it; have I fully found myself, no, it’s definitely a work in progress and there is still too much hidden in those deep dark places.

But the major contributor to my recovery was a friend Hazel, who, although she can’t see it is a very special person.

Hazel and I worked at the same place and spent Wednesday evenings on a reception desk talking about all sorts of things but realised that we had a common interested in spiritualism and Hazel asked if I wanted to join her at a spiritualist church she went to, which I did from time to time and from there I was invited to join a circle where the activities included healing, clairvoyance, and meditation; my spiritual path was now ahead of me and my journey started.

So with a combination of my Councillor, meditation and a very good friend I got through the stress, OK it still catches me out from time to time but I know how to recognise it and deal with it now and as I say after 7 months I went back to work, a different role, less stress full and things seemed good but there was still stress, which was beginning to drag me down again and that was family related so on the 5 August 2012 I took one of the hardest discussions of my life and walked out on my wife and son. My son was 17 at the time and it broke his heart and mine but once my niece had talked to him and he understood that it wasn't his fault and he understood I had no choice he was fine, we meet once a week for diner and we probably talk more now than we did then.

So I walked out of my family, where to go. Well Hazel came to the rescue again, her husband had moved on from this life to the next level of spiritual development, she had moved and had space, so I moved in, we are now partners and I am a different person.

I have a stress free job, I have a stress free life, I am with a woman who has shown and taught me what true love is, I am still finding myself mentally and spiritually. I meditate fairly regularly and I have joined another circle with Hazel

Wow I said about coming out, didn't think it would be so involved and  where has this got me with the Tarot, well I've woken up to the tarot, it’s not to be feared, worried or confused about, for me the Tarot is a tool, 78 individual picture cards each with its own meaning and as each version of tarot comes with its own little book explaining what the designers interpretation of the card is so the more books you read the more confused we will be. I now know that I need to understand the pack or packs I use enough to recognise the triggers that each card is giving me to allow my intuition and instincts to come up with scenarios, solutions or advise to put together a message for those who want answers or advise to solve their issues. I have now got my head around the minor arcana even the court cards; oh they were such a struggle.

People in business, medicine, design etc use reports, charts, graphs, visual clues etc to trigger their initiatives and instincts to make their decisions, so what is so different with using tarot cards to trigger ours. I also had my eyes open about business men at a recent village fete where I was surprised about the number of men, who I know are in business, using the services of a card reader, looking at the expressions on their faces this was not a just for fun encounter, there was some serious concentration and listening going on.

I still have confidence issues, it’s not all about looking a pratt if you get it wrong, it’s about letting people down but I recently did 4 readings for friends, 3 were spot on and I didn’t get any feedback on the forth, I have joined Biddy Tarots free tarot reading service and should I have success with that then yes it is my time to come out of the Tarot closet and admit I AM A TAROT READER.