There are times in life when doing a Tarot reading may be inconvenient or impossible.
For example, you’re on a camping trip with your uber-religious family who shuns Tarot and all other fun things. Or you’re bored shitless waiting in the dentist’s office but you don’t have your deck with you. Or you’re just totally pissed off at your Tarot deck and don’t want to consult it today….
Here are some fun and inventive ways to flex your intuitive reading muscleswithout your usual deck of Tarot cards:
Step One: Think of a big, important question you want answered like “what is the meaning of my life?” or “how can I get more boys to notice me?”
Step Two: Now, randomly pick a book off your shelf. It could be The Bible or Having the Cowboy’s Baby. It doesn’t matter!
This book may contain all the answers to your biggest dilemmas!
Step Three: Let the book fall open to any page and let your gaze come to rest on a random sentence. Read that sentence out loud. That is your answer!
Sometimes this exercise produces profound results. Other times it’s just good for a laugh. But either way, it’s worth a try.
2. Read your current environment as if it were a Tarot card
Step One: Think of a specific question or just ask “what do I need to know right now?”
Step Two: Take a good look around you. Your environment is like a Tarot card – rich with symbols and secret messages just waiting to be discovered!
What do you notice first? What stands out? What symbols are present? What color is most prevalent? What is going on?
What is on your left hand side? This is the side of intuition and creativity.
What is on your right? This is the side of action and power!
Step Three: If there is a message for you in your environment (and trust me, there is!) what would it be? What are your surroundings trying to tell you?
I did this exercise last Spring when I was walking along the beach. I asked “what do I need to focus on right now?” and the first thing I noticed was a family of geese, which were flying along. I watched them land in the water, floating gracefully and then diving under the surface. It suddenly struck me how amazing it is that geese get to traverse the world of sky, land and water. I was reminded of the three worlds in Shamanism – the upper, lower and middle earth. At the time I was reading several books on Shamanism and I took this as a clear message that I was to keep on reading this stuff. Also, not to be afraid to dive deep into the unconscious world of dreams and meditative journeys.
3. Doodle!
You know how when your listening to someone on the phone you sometimes scribble little drawings without realizing it?
These scribbles can be a goldmine for illustrating what’s going on in your subconscious mind!
Something I drew while listening to someone boring
Try this!
You can do this exercise by yourself or with a friend.
Step One: Get out a piece of paper and some crayons (or a pencil if the idea of crayons gives you the creeps). Put on some nice music and sit at your table and just draw some stuff. Don’t think too hard, just let your mind wander. Don’t try to draw something “good”. Just doodle!
Step Two: If you’re doing this with a friend, you can trade drawings and then proceed to “read” each others pictures in the same way you would read a Tarot card.
If you are doing this alone, then you would just “read” your own picture.
Pay attention to what you are drawn to. What color stands out? What symbols speak to you? What is the general feel of the picture? Does it seem to be saying something specific?
Often, the pictures we draw illustrate what is going on for us in our inner and outer lives.
I first did this exercise years ago in a workshop called Exploring Your Psychic Self. The woman who I was partnered with swore she had no psychic abilities whatsoever, yet she was able to spell out my deepest wishes and desires just by looking at my drawing. A drawing that looked like it was drawn by a five year old on acid.
So there you have it! Three totally new ways to have fun with your intuition. No Tarot cards required!
In the comments below, tell me which exercise your going to try today :)…..
Do you wish you had your own personal life coach? Well guess what? If you have a deck of Tarot cards you kind of already do have a life coach. Let me explain…
Think of your Tarot deck as a mediator between you and your Higher Self (or Inner Self, Unconscious, Inner Wisdom, Inner Guru, whatever).
Here’s my easy peasy formula for gleaning important info and guidance into your life via your Tarot cards:
If you would like to do this exercise along with me, the video version is below. Otherwise, read on!
1. Identify your “issue” or problem that you would like some guidance around.
When I did this exercise last night, I chose my “issue” of not finding the right house to buy. I have been searching for over a year and haven’t found the right place yet.
2. Ask “what do I need to know about (issue) ?”
For example, what do I need to know about finding the right home (and why I haven’t yet)?
3. Draw ONE card.
The card I got was The Moon.
Anna K Tarot
4. Which suit is that card from? This will indicate the area of your life in which your “issue” is based.
Major Arcana = spiritual, life path, major life lesson
Wands = energetic, creative, career
Cups = emotional, relationships
Swords = mental, thoughts, communication
Pentacles = body/health, money, material stuff
Court card = A particular person or personality trait
Keep an open mind here. The area of your life that your issue is based in may surprise you. For example, your health problems could be connected to your relationships (Cups) or your relationship issue could be rooted in your money issues (Pentacles).
Because I got The Moon, a Major Arcana card, I know my issue of not finding a house has to do with my life path and is acting as a major spiritual lesson right now.
5. Now, lets take a closer look at the card. We know the area that it relates to, but what is it trying to tell you? Jot down the traditional meaning of your card.
The Moon Tarot card has to do with the subconscious, dreams and that which is hidden. Sometimes it can indicate deception or not being fully aware of something.
6. How does the traditional meaning (or keywords) apply to your specific issue and/or the area of your life in which this issue is based.
Here is where you are really getting into the nooks and crannies of your issue. This is a chance to look at your issue/problem in a way that you probably haven’t yet.
When I did my reading I felt that The Moon applied to my life in that I have been having lots of dreams lately about going down into basements to view disturbing things (which I suspect is a symbol for exploring the unconscious). This could indicate that subconscious issues are holding me back from finding a house.
7. What advice does my chosen card have for me? What should be your next step?
Now you are switching the lens through which you see this card. You are asking a different question, but there is no need to draw a different card. You only need to look at this card in a different light.
When I gaze at The Moon, the advice that jumps out at me is this: study your dreams and explore the scaryness and ugliness that lies beneath the surface. The frightening things you find in the basement of your dreams may represent thoughts, fears and feelings that you have repressed because you’ve deemed the unacceptable or too scary to face.
8. Set a goal. Write it down. Give yourself a timeline. Take action.
This is where the life-coachy part comes in! The impact of a really insightful Tarot reading can vanish like a fart in the wind if you don’t write it down and do something about it.
I set the goal to consult some dream books and take a closer look at the symbols in my dreams and do some journalling around this. I aim to do this over the next 7 days.
9. Bonus question: what message does my Inner Self have for me in regards to this issue?
If you still feel a little unsatisfied with your reading, this can be a nice way to wrap things up. Spend some time gazing at your card, noticing the symbols and general vibe of the card. Can you decipher a comforting or encouraging message there?
When I gazed at The Moon, I noticed that it wasn’t a full moon – it was only a crescent moon. When I pondered this for a bit I heard the phrase “the moon is not yet full” meaning that the time has not yet come, but it will. In other words, now is not the right time for me to find a house. So I can just relax.
Was it good for you? Let me know what you think!
In the comments below feel free to share your own experience with this Tarot exercise 🙂
Q:I am having trouble learning the Tarot card meanings. It’s a boring process and I can never remember the meanings. Do I really need to learn them? Or can I just learn to read “intuitively”?
A: Reading Tarot “intuitively” without first learning the structure of Tarot and the card meanings is kind of like visiting a foreign country without learning the language.
Sure you will be able to get by with charades style communication and drawing pictures, but things won’t be smooth and you will feel like a total moron! Even learning a few key words and phrases can make a world of difference.
This is what I have found to be true….
1. Tarot is like a language – its a way for you to communicate with spirit and with your Inner Self.
2. Sometimes there is real value in tossing the “traditional” Tarot meanings aside to explore the cards more deeply and engage my intuition as I interact with the card figures, symbols, etc.
But…
3.The traditional card meaning always acts as a trigger or a doorway into my inner, intuitive landscape.
So while you don’t need to learn the Tarot card meanings in order to get guidance from your Tarot cards, your readings will take on a richer, more grounded quality when you do.
But if learning the Tarot card meanings feels boring to you, I suggest you vamp up the way you study your Tarot cards.
One of the techniques I love to teach is the “creating a story/character” approach.
Here’s how it works:
Step one: Choose a Tarot card that features a person.
Any court card will work good for this, as will Major arcana cards like The Magician or The Empress.
For this exercise I am going to be working with the Knight of Pentacles from the Crystal Visions Tarot.
Step two: Consider the traditional meaning of this card.
The Crystal Visions companion book describes the Knight of Pentacles as being “cautious, thoughtful and hardworking” with an “all work and no play” attitude.
Step three: flesh out the character by imagining other details and quirks.
I bet this Knight is the kind of guy who loves to read non-fiction and will spout off “facts” about things at dinner parties.
But I also think he would make a mean apple pie and is particularly talented when it comes to making curries and casseroles and stuff like that. Yum!
Step four: Imagine a backstory & create a history for your character.
When I imagine the Knight of Pentacles as a real person, I see him working in a “safe”, repetitive job – like a factory or office.
His home life growing up was average and uninteresting, but then he met the love of his life and suddenly everything changed. He had never been happier.
But he was slow in proposing to her and she ended up running off with a rich playboy on a yacht in the Bahamas. That was years ago, but his heart still aches, so he wears a thick layer of emotional armor….etc, etc…I could go on all day.
What’s the point of all this? you may be wondering…
When we craft our own stories about the Tarot cards, we are adding our own creative spice to our studies.
Not only will you now have an easier time remembering the meaning of The Knight of Pentacles, or whatever card you chose to do this exercise with, but you will feel like you know this dude and he’s no longer a stranger on a Tarot card.
In the comments below, tell me….
What card did you pick for this exercise and what sordid personality quirks did you uncover? I can’t wait to read your response 🙂
Today’s post is all about the four Tarot topics I most often get asked about!
Predicting the timing of events, reading Tarot reversals, making sense of repeating Tarot cards and how to store your Tarot deck when your not using it.
So I have rounded up the four articles that I wrote on these topics and squeezed them all into ONE handy dandy blog post – enjoy 🙂
Do you ever wonder what your “higher self” is trying to tell you?
Well guess what? Messing around with your Tarot cards is one of the best ways to find out!
But before I get to the real juice, I just want to say this – I really, really despise the term“higher self”. It sounds so snooty!
Whenever I hear that term, I get this picture of a much snobbier version of myself, reclining on a cloud, turning my nose up.
So from here on out, I will instead refer to the“Inner Self”. I like that phrase better, as it doesn’t sound so hierarchical and holier than thou. Plus, it just sounds more intimate and mysterious – like a deeper, truer part of myself.
Okay, so back to Tarot!
Our Inner Self communicates to us through symbols. We encounter symbols all the time – in dreams, waking life and of course in Tarot cards.
If we actively engage with those symbols, we can discover some fascinating things about ourselves.
Now what if you were to think of your next Tarot reading as a letter from your Inner Self to you?
A letter that is direct, to the point and maybe even a little bitchy!
Here’s an example of what I mean…
Me:“Inner Self, what lovely message do you have for me today?”
Inner Self:“OMG! I’m so glad you asked! You need to ____________ and __________ and for God’s sakes, stop __________________!”
When I did this exercise last night, this is what I got:
I felt the message was pretty clear: “You need to make a decision and embrace being an outsider and for God’s sakes stop pretending to be helpless!”
I found this Tarot exercise worked best when I limited my interpretation to one statement/sentence per card. This forced me to really feel for the essenceof the card, rather than get all brainy and over-thinky about it.
Now, it’s your turn!
Shuffle your Tarot deck and as you lay out three cards, do so knowing that this is a letter from your Inner Self. As you turn your cards over, see if you can fill in the blanks:
“You need to _________ and _________ and for God’s sakes stop __________!”
Tip: Forget about the traditional card meanings and pay attention to the symbols that show up, the body language of the figures and of course, the overall feeling essence of the cards.
In the comments below, feel free to share your cards and your interpretation – I can’t wait to read it!!!
The Knights are my FAVORITE court cards to hop into bed with!
Why? Because they are essentially alpha males in training. They have all the vigor and sexual energy required of a hero in a steamy romance novel, but lack the overbearing bossiness of the Kings.
Even better, the Knights are naturally adventurous and are (quite literally) going places.
The Knight of Cups
Robin Wood Tarot
Suit qualities: emotions, feelings, relationships
Personality traits: Spontaneous, disarmingly romantic and earth shatteringly sensual, the Knight of Cups knows how to show you a good time.
This Knight looooves grand, public displays of affection. He’s the kind of guy who will propose to you at a football game or in a restaurant – not because he wants to marry you – but because the theatrics of it give him thrills.
In bed he is very creative and has a gift for making unconventional sexual practices – like threesomes and crossdressing – seem deliciously romantic.
He is a true sexual adventurer, learning all kinds of Tantric sex tricks! Books like Extended Massive Orgasm and the Kama Sutra are permanent fixtures on his nightstand.
Since he is of the water suit, his sexuality is quite free-flowing. He is quite likely to be bi-sexual or at the very least fascinated with expressing his feminine side by dressing as a woman (in the bedroom).
And here you thought his dressing up as Britney Spears every Halloween was to make people laugh. It’s not.
Secret fantasy: Cross dressing in your lacy lingerie!
Personality traits: This dude is full of bravado, fiery pizzaz and get up and go – they don’t call him the Knight of Rods for nothing! Tee-hee-hee 😉
Every inch a manly man, this Knight makes an outstanding lover, but will manage to surprise you by penning steamy, erotic fiction (just for you!) and cooking you a gourmet dinner.
Because the Knight of Wands is driven by passion, he’s unwilling to settle for anything less than explosive, fire-work sex.
Which seems really exciting at first, but can get kind of tiring. Sometimes you just want mediocre, lacklustre sex – you know, the kind where you leave your socks on and write tomorrow’s grocery list in your head. The Knight of Wands just doesn’t understand this.
Secret fantasy:This man does not have any “secret” fantasies. He makes his fantasies known and then takes action!
The Knight of Pentacles
Druidcraft Tarot
Suit qualities: money, health, home, the body
Personality traits: This knight is the most cautious of them all. In bed, he’s obsessed with safe sex.
He’s the kind of guy who will say “I think we should wait” or “are you sure your ready?” – even though your both 42.
The Knight of Pentacles is stable, yet emotionally guarded. He won’t open up easily and he doesn’t show emotion well. Saying “I love you” is a very rare event, indeed.
Once you get him between the sheets he can be a bit….dull. Sex toys? better not go there. Swinging? Never! Light bondage? Don’t even think about it. His sexual repertoire consists of the missionary position and um….the missionary position.
On the bright side, he likes to workout and is a bit obsessive about maintaining his hot, chiseled body. So its not all bad with this fellow – and he’s not a bad choice if your rebounding from a tiring stint with the Knight of Wands.
Secret fantasy: Don’t ask. Because he won’t tell. And even if you did ask he would simply say “I don’t have any fantasies!” in a stilted, wooden voice.
The Knight of Swords
Rider Waite Smith Tarot Deck
Suit qualities: intellect, thoughts, mind, communication
Personality traits: Well, just looking at this guy you kind of already know how he’ll be in the sack.
The Knight of Swords loves to rush forward and plunge himself into things with ferocious speed – literally and figuratively.
Here’s a guy who doesn’t waste any time ripping your clothes off and throwing you down on the bed. But be forewarned: he wastes no time in jumping up and dashing out before you even know what hit you!
Afterglow? After-go!
Despite being a swords card, this wham-bam-thank-you-maam Knight isn’t all that thoughtful. He’s good at focusing his mind on getting what he wants, but he never really thinks things through to figure out why he wants it.
Secret fantasy: Because this Knight is of the Swords realm, he is very mind oriented and loves over-analyze things. Or should I say over-analize? Say no more!
To Sum Things Up…
Looking at the Tarot Court Cards in a whole new way brings them to life!
The Tarot Court Cards are multidimensional characters and while most descriptions of them can be pretty yawn-worthy and forgettable, I guarantee you won’t soon forget the filth you just read here.
Add Your Two Cents!
In the comments below, tell me which Tarot Knight you think would make the most captivating lover and why?
This week, I am unveiling my brand new e-course The Art of Tarot: How to Read a Negative Card in a Positive Light.
Today I want to share my favorite part of this course with you – reading the negative cards as secret desires.
When a “negative” Tarot card (like the 3 of Swords or The Tower) appears in a reading, it can often represent a secret wish or unconscious desire. A desire so dark and so shocking, that our conscious selves just can’t handle it!
Let me show you what I mean:
Let’s say I’m giving myself a Tarot reading and I ask “how can I make my life more adventurous?”
And one of the cards that appears is the 8 of Swords.
Druidcraft Tarot
Ding, ding, ding! Secret desire alert!
Now, there are many different ways I could look at this card, but today I am choosing to see the negative cards as representing my secret desires.
So what dark, undisclosed desire could the 8 of swords represent? And how on earth does it relate to my question?
Here are some possibilities…
1) the desire to be “rescued”
2) the desire to be tied up and blindfolded (very literal!)
3) the desire to remain “in the dark” (blindfold) and powerless (and therefore not responsible for anything)
Out of all these possible “secret desires”, the desire to be rescued feels most likely.
My Interpretation:Perhaps I want my life to be more adventurous, but secretly, deep down, I really want someone to swoop in and rescue me from boredom, whisking me away to be entertained and enchanted. As long as I sit around waiting, my life will never truly be an adventure. I need to acknowledge this desire and then take matters into my own hands.
Now it’s your turn!
Just for fun, let’s pretend your deepest, undercover desire is…..
THE DEVIL!
Universal Waite Tarot Deck
In the comments below, tell me what “secret desire” of yours this Tarot Card might represent. (Can’t wait to read this!!!)
Last week, I posed a “Tarot Challenge“, where I asked you to interpret this reading in a positive, empowering way.
First of all, I’ve been LOVING all the comments! I waited until I had written my own interpretation to read everyone’s responses, because I knew it would influence how I saw the cards.
And before I get into my own take on the cards, I just want to say…
Thank you!!!
Big hugs to everyone who participated in this “Tarot Challenge” – it was so much fun to read through your take on the cards. Honestly, I am blown away by the insights and wisdom in all the responses and I feel somewhat intimidated, but also very very lucky to have such brilliant Tarot readers reading my blog!
I think I may do a “Tarot Challenge” each month from now on, as I think its an awesome way to practice and learn 🙂
As promised, here is my own interpretation of these cards:
Universal Waite Tarot
Just to refresh your memory, I am doing this reading for Xavier (a sexy, make believe person) and his issue is this:“my life is not going anywhere. I have been stuck in the same crappy job for the past 6 years, living in my parents basement and have been single for 3 years. I can’t seem to meet the right person, no matter what I do. It feels like I am not progressing in life and I have no idea why or what I can do to change things. Help!”
I ended up reading these cards in a past/present/future framework because that is what seemed to work best for me.
The Ten of Swords
My attention is immediately drawn to the center card and it kind of makes me chuckle that for someone who complains of being “stuck”, the guy in the Ten of Swords is quite literally stuck – with ten swords!
For the most part, I feel that the Ten of Swords is simply illustrating how you feel right now.
But number 10 cards often symbolize an ending of a phase and this shows that, although it may not feel like it now, things will be on the upswing sooner than you expect.
The Tower
The Tower has shown up in the past position, which suggests you had some kind of shock a few years back that has caused you to feel a bit fearful about taking risks and moving forward.
Perhaps this card refers to the end of a relationship, loss of a job or even some kind of upheaval within your family. But whatever it was it made you appreciate and yearn for safety and comfort.
This desire for comfort and safety has often kept you stuck and you may catch yourself thinking things like “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know.”
The sooner you can let go of that mindset, the quicker you will move forward with things and create change. Do you have a thirst for adventure? For taking the odd risk? For trying new things?
Try changing just one habit you have or doing just one new thing a week. For example, go indoor rock climbing or to see a movie by yourself – anything as long as its something different from your normal routine. This will help shake things up energetically and get things moving in a new direction.
I suspect there is something you have been wanting to do for a while now, but you keep hesitating and holding back. Now is the time to do that thing!
Also, using the affirmation “it is safe for me to create change in my life” will be very helpful to you as you move forward.
If you can, write those words down on an index card and tape it up somewhere you can see it everyday, like your bathroom mirror. Yes, I know that sounds really lame and self-helpy, but try it!
Death
Death shows up in the “future” position and thank God for that!
Death ultimately means change. The end of something which will always precedes a new beginning. Nothing is meant to last forever. And really, what a relief that is!
So big change is on the horizon for you, but in order for those changes to happen, you really need to let go of many things.
You will most likely need to release old thinking patterns, limiting self-beliefs, the fear of change (which we all have to some degree) and embrace a new way of thinking and being in the world.
This sounds like an enormous task, but don’t let it overwhelm you. What are a couple of things you could do this week that would help you get on the track to changing your thoughts and feelings?
[If Xavier can’t think of anything, then I might suggest a meditation technique, a book or journaling exercise. I find it’s more powerful if he comes up with something on his own, because often we know deep down what things we need to do in order to create change.]
The “Big Picture” view
When I look at all these cards together, I notice that movement is the theme that really stands out. Let me explain.
In The Tower, we have downward movement (the figures are falling) showing a feeling of loss of control. This lead you to feeling stuck, which is shown by the Ten of Swords where there is no movement happening at all. Then, with Death, forward motion is finally happening! And of course, the sun is rising in the distance. It is the dawn of a new day in your life and today is the turning point.
Xavier, what you do today will determine what happens tomorrow, so embrace your own power to create change in your life. Don’t wait around for something to happen. Get out there and do stuff!
A tip for interpreting “negative” Tarot cards
See if you can come up with at least one or two action steps – this adds that empowering element to a reading.
For example, in this reading I used the Death card to come up with some things Xavier could do (journalling, meditation or reading a book) that would help him change his mindset.
Your client (or you, if your reading for yourself) will come away from the reading feeling like they have something they can actually do about things, rather than feel helpless and powerless.
*If you enjoyed this topic, I will be unveiling my brand new e-course The Art of Tarot: How to Read a Negative Card in a Positive Light this month. It will be chalk-full of tips like this, as well as videos, audio lessons, fun worksheets and more!
Okay, so let’s say your giving a reading to a close friend (lets call him Xavier, because that’s a pretty sexy name).
He moans “my life is not going anywhere. I have been stuck in the same crappy job for the past 6 years, living in my parents basement and have been single for 3 years. I can’t seem to meet the right person, no matter what I do. It feels like I am not progressing in life and I have no idea why or what I can do to change things. Help!”
You shuffle the deck and this is what comes up:
Now, how would YOU interpret these cards?
But here’s the “challenge”: How would you interpret these cards in a way that is uplifting and empowering, without being sugarcoated?
*Please note that I am not using any particular spread, so you can interpret these cards any way you like.
What advice would you give Xavier?
Feel free to share your interpretation in the comments below – I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
In one week, I will post my own interpretation here. But remember there are many, many ways to interpret this reading – there is no one “right” way. So put on your Tarot reading glasses and go to town!
