Saturday Posts

Are Angel Cards Wimpy?

38 Comments / April 2013, Saturday Posts / /

The other day I was perusing a Tarot forum and I came across a lot of negative comments regarding Angel Cards and Oracle decks that are totally positive and uplifting.

The problem that many of the forum commenters had was that all-positive decks do not accurately reflect the reality of life, which is a balance of light and dark.

angel tarot doreen virtueTo quote one commenter: “I’m not into the totally light and fluffy stuff. Life is both darkness and light–both are useful and both have their places. Denying one or the other is cutting oneself off from a whole realm of human existence.”

Another commenter was a bit harsher – unfortunately I couldn’t find the original quote, as the comment thread for this topic was huge – but he thought that Angel Cards appeal to people who don’t want to think and that these types of decks were dumbing people down.

While I LOVE gentle and uplifting decks with Angels and Fairies and cheery phrases, I thought these commenters had an interesting point.

Personally, I have quite a range of Tarot decks in my collection, although I have noticed I tend to gravitate toward the more uplifting decks, like the Crystal Visions Tarot.

Since I read with both “edgy” Tarot cards and Angel Oracle cards, I can honestly say that I don’t really find one to be superior to the other when it comes to getting insight and guidance. But I prefer the happy, sunshiny decks.

I do think that reading Oracle cards that have a full message written right on the card is way easier than reading Tarot cards that may just have a number and picture. But you know what? Who cares? There is enough things in life that are hard, doing readings doesn’t have to be struggle.

healing with the angels oracle cards
Healing with the Fairies Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue

I think people are attracted to all-positive decks like Fairy Oracle cards and Angel Tarot because there is enough disturbing shit in the world and people don’t necessarily want to feel disturbed when they turn over The Devil or Ten of Swords. And that’s okay!

Studying Tarot is wonderful if you want a challenge and there is real value in understanding the “scary” Tarot cards, simply because once you shine a light on them they are no longer scary (a topic for another blog post!). But if simply getting higher guidance and comfort is what you want, Angel cards do the job amazingly well.

Tarot and Oracle cards are simply cards with pictures and words on them. They are designed to trigger our intuition, imagination and creativity. Go with the method that works best for you.

What do YOU think? Do you prefer Tarot cards or gentle Oracle decks? Or both? And do you worry that the all-positive decks are turning people into morons? Are Fairy and Angel decks too fluffy or do they have their place?

Join this juicy discussion in the comment section below! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

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Tarot and Timing: How to Predict When Something Will Happen

31 Comments / March 2013, Saturday Posts, Uncategorized / /

When will my finances improve? When will I meet my soul-mate? When will I get a better job? When will I know my life-purpose?

These are the questions many people, including myself, ask when they approach the Tarot cards. Everyone wants to know when!

But can our Tarot cards even give us this kind of information?

Yes and No. Let me explain…

Because the future is not set in stone, determining when something will happen is tricky. We create our lives and the world around us by our thoughts, feelings and actions which gives each of us an immense amount of power!

Sometimes we get scared of our own creative power and revert to the belief that the future is already pre-determined and we have no real effect on what happens.

When we take this view, we get to absolve all responsibility for our lives. Life just becomes this thing that happens to us – and our only real power is in knowing when certain things will occur, so we can either relax or plan ahead.

I firmly believe that the idea of a pre-determined destiny is a load of crap!

Therefore, I do not believe the Tarot is a tool that can be used to accurately predict the timing of events (I know many readers will disagree with me here), but rather a tool to help you understand how you can manifest what you desire.

If you want to know when you will meet the right romantic partner, a Tarot reading can suggest how to meet this person and what could possibly be standing in your way. However, the reading probably won’t reveal the the month or day that you will find true love.

Let me show you what this theory looks like in action:

3 card tarot reading
Hanson-Roberts Tarot

These are the Tarot cards that came up when I asked for insight into when I would find the right house to buy.

I think most of us have asked our Tarot cards when something will happen, only to get a confusing answer. But here is a little secret:

If you just slightly change the wording of your question, you can gain a wealth of clarity and insight!

Instead of asking when will _______ happen? 

ask

what do I need to do in order to make _______ happen?

or 

how can I manifest ________ more quickly?

So going back to the Tarot cards above, If I were to ask how can I find the right home quickly and easily? The Six of Rods would suggest that I focus on moving forward and visualize success, while the Ace of Wands encourages me to prepare for a new beginning. The Two of Cups emphasizes the importance of keeping my relationship strong and being on the same page with my partner when it comes to home-hunting.

So now I have a wealth of helpful information at my fingertips! The Tarot is wonderful for showing us the steps on our path toward a particular event of goal, but not so great at providing specific time-frames of when that event/goal will materialize.

However, there are some exceptions…

♥ Aces almost always suggest that positive change will happen very soon.

♥ Notice if the cards suggest a particular season. For example, Nine of Pentacles seems very summery, as does the Three of Cups. This can suggest that what you are asking about will likely come to pass during the Summer months.

♥ The number on the card can also indicate the number of days, weeks or months that will pass before something occurs. This is especially true if you get more than one card with the same number on it.

Now its your turn! I want you to ask your Tarot cards about the timing of something, using the suggested questions above and share your insights in the comments below. How did re-phrasing your question help you get deeper understanding?

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What’s Missing in your Tarot Reading?

26 Comments / March 2013, Saturday Posts, Tarot Tips / /

Today I want to talk about the “missing cards” in a Tarot reading – the cards that are conspicuously absent.

For example, lets say you are doing the Celtic Cross Spread and you have some Pentacles, Swords, Cups and a Major Arcana card or two….but absolutely NO Wands. What does this mean?

Usually, if a reading is void of Wands it can mean there is a lack of passion. So if you were asking about a business idea, the above reading example might indicate that you’ve thought things through (Swords), made practical plans (Pentacles) and your heart is in it (Cups) but you don’t really want to do it – there is no real passion there.

the sun tarot card
The Paulina Tarot

An absence of Cups can mean this situation needs more love, emotion or feeling. No Swords show that more rational thought and clear communication is needed. Few or no Pentacles can indicate that your ideas are not grounded in reality and practicality.

Tarot Tip: The cards that are absent from a reading are just as important as the ones staring back at you.

A really cool thing you can do right now is go through your favorite Tarot deck (the one you most often use) and look at each card. You will notice right away the ones that almost never come up for you in a reading. They will jump right out at you!

Ask yourself if these “no show” cards represent something that’s missing from your life, or do they simply not relate to your situation right now? Sometimes, its the Tarot cards we want the most that never seem to show up for us!

What cards are mysteriously absent for YOU? And what do you think it means? Tell me all about it in the comment section below…

 

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One Little Thing that will Transform Your Tarot Readings Forever

12 Comments / Creating Sacred Space, February 2013, Saturday Posts / /

The other night I woke at 3am, full of anxiety about an issue that was on my mind. I felt full of uncertainty and I really just wanted answers, guidance and comfort. Whenever I feel sick to my stomach with worry, I reach for my Crystal Visions Tarot and my Angel cards.

But I knew that if I did a reading for myself in this state of confusion and fear, it would end up being a jumbled, nonsensical reading.

So I made an extra effort to ground myself and clear the energy in the room – clearing the decks for a great reading to take place.

Once sacred space and clear intention had been created, I felt so calm and grounded and ready to read the cards. The reading I did for myself was amazing – it was clear and accurate and left me feeling totally connected to my angels and guides, like they were right in the room with me! However, I know it would not have been so crystal clear and uplifting had I not taken the steps the I did before the reading.

Here is my personal formula for creating sacred space and clearing my energy:

buddha
Take a moment to chill out before a reading, no matter how stressed you are

1) Light some candles, turn down the lights and put on some relaxing music

2) Sage my aura – I do this by lighting a bundle of dried sage and wafting the smoke around me, with the intention of clearing my energy field of any fear or anxiety

3) Clear my reading space by wafting the sage smoke around my reading table
Sit calmly and “ground” my energy by taking slow, even breaths and visualizing any negative energy or worry draining out through my feet and into the floor. I make a conscious effort to connect my energy to the earth’s energy

4) Connect with my deck by holding it in my hands, closing my eyes and asking my Angels, spirit guides and higher self for help and guidance with my particular issue

5) Begin the reading with absolute trust that the cards that I choose are the ones I need to see at this time
I cannot tell you the countless times I have not taken these steps and instead did a rushed, panicky reading in a frantic attempt to get the answers I was looking for. It never worked out when I did it that way!

Creating sacred space makes your reading special and sends a message to the universe that you take this seriously – so expect to get outstanding results when you try this. Doing this one thing will change the quality of your readings in profound ways.

Perhaps you have your own ritual or steps for creating sacred space and clearing your energy before a reading? If you do, I would love to hear about them in the reply section below!!!

 

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How to Make Your Own Tarot Journal… and Ignite Your Passion for Tarot!

January 2013, Saturday Posts / /

You may have noticed that many “How to Read Tarot” books recommend keeping a Tarot Journal. And you may be thinking Why Bother?!

I thought this too, when I was first learning how to read Tarot cards. A few times I started a Tarot Journal, then forgot about it. Sound familiar?

I used to think the whole process of keeping a Tarot Journal was boring, slow and pointlessly time consuming! I felt same way about regular journaling, too.

But when I discovered the work of SARK and Leonie Dawson, my idea of journaling changed dramatically. While simply writing about myself on a blank page bored me to tears, I noticed that when I had a specific question or topic to write about, journaling was a blast!

Continue reading….

 

 

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