Heads up! Blog recommendation

I have just discovered a wonderful blog: The Uncrossed Path

If you're into capital-F capital-T Fortune Telling, this blog is for you!

Here's a couple of my favourite observations so far (I'm working my way back through their posts), to give you a feel -

"... [G]eneral readings can be useful, but only up to a point. They provide a landscape, not a verdict. You’ll see where the ground might shift, where something may knock at your door - but you won’t get far if you don’t know what you’re actually looking for... If someone sits in front of a fortuneteller expecting Delphic proclamations without knowing what they want, or without the courage to ask, well, good luck with that."

"Social media 'experts'... constantly reassure us not to fear the Death card: 'Don’t worry, it means change is coming…' And that’s when I die a little inside. Yes, my dears, it means change is coming—if by 'change' you mean the transition from living to no longer living... What might come after is a separate matter entirely..."

This, and their post about card meanings and common sense, reminds me of one of my favourite quotes from Andy Boroveshengra - "The cards are never something else before they are themselves."

But How?

My previous post, Why I Read For Other People, was prompted by a ‘chat group’ conversation among fellow card readers. It made me stop to consider how I actually operate as a reader. And out of that grew the post.

That post then prompted someone to ask me how I knew when I was supposed to read for someone.

In my attempt to answer that question fully and coherently it basically became a whole ‘nother post in its own right. 😏

“May I ask how this was, and continues to be, revealed to you?”

“Revealed” is too strong a word for the process. It’s nothing as mystical or powerful as that.

My upbringing and my personality made the idea of being able to communicate with spirit an obvious possibility. I just embraced that possibility. 🙂

Basically, we “talk". I don’t get audible words back (except very, very rarely) but more a kind of immediate “awareness”. 

For context, I should explain that I no longer do paid readings. I hang out in various free reading groups, mainly on Facebook, and occasionally people will contact me directly as well.

Here’s an example, from just the other day, of how I “knew" when to read for someone. It’s a somewhat atypical example, but it gives a sense of how it feels for me.

I’m scrolling through one of those free reading groups. I look at each post... nope, no connection, scroll on.

Nope, 
scroll, 
nope, 
scroll, 
nope, 
scroll,
.
.
.

Then I get to one that I have no more personal interest in than all the others I’ve just scrolled past. But as soon as I lay eyes on it I know the answer to their question is Yes. 

Ah. 

I guess I’d better tell them. 

Because I’ve already been told it’s Yes there’s no need for an actual reading this time, so I pull one card just to confirm and support the answer and I tell them what I get about their situation. End of.

It’s a bit like that. Generally, I just get a “spirit nudge” when I’m supposed to read for someone. Nothing, nothing, nothing, 'That one'.

The vast majority of the time I haven't got a clue ahead of time what the answer is going to be. I’m not a capital “P” Psychic. I just somehow know that I’m meant to pass on a message to this particular person. That’s where the reading comes in. Spirit then gives me that message through the language of the cards.

Those people who contact me directly are a bit more problematic. In those cases, unless there’s some clear reason not to read for them (like they’re rude, you’d be surprised how often, or it’s obviously a dodgy account) I just trust that they were “sent”.

Why did spirit direct me to this person and not that one? I don’t know. Ask them. 

Actually, until I typed this just now I’d honestly never given it a thought. I guess I’ve always figured it was none of my business.

Why I Read For Other People

The Spiritual Path I have taken through life has led me to be a card reader (and witch).

Not a yoga instructor, not a medium, not a reiki practitioner. 

A card reader. 

Therefore, to honour my Path, I must read cards.

I’m compelled by Spirit to read for others. But I’m not going to read for every person who knocks at my metaphorical door. 

Some people are led to me by Spirit. Some just find me. I’m shown which is which and I’ll read for the former. Some readers may define it differently, but this is what I mean when I say I’m “drawn" to read for someone.

I think it’s fair to say that I don’t see this as a personal “service to mankind”. I am not a Light Worker. It’s not my show.

I read because it’s my Spiritual Calling and I go where Spirit sends me.

Why Demystify Tarot - Abigail Vasquez (YouTube)

This 

👇

Yes, there is mystery and magick. But cards are not so "otherworldly" or "sacrosanct" as to be unapproachable. Serious readers need to get the word out.

Clarifiers. Don't.

There seems to be a lot of discussion lately about the use of clarifiers in readings. Here's my two-penn'orth.

Let's start with a definition. Collins says "To clarify something means to make it easier to understand, usually by explaining it in more detail."

So when you pull a clarifier card for a card you don't quite understand, the idea is that this card will make the first card clearer by providing more detail. 

Fair enough. If you have some sense of what the first card might be trying to say, having it put another way by the clarifier could help firm up your interpretation, or at least make you aware you were barking up the wrong tree and need to rethink that interpretation.

But too often I see people say things like "The card didn't make sense in this position/context so I pulled XYZ as a clarifier" (or worse, clarifierS). 

They're starting from a position of no understanding of the first card. The clarifier, in theory, will give them more details about that card, but how will more details about something that doesn't make sense be helpful? Now you have twice as much nonsense to deal with.

My advice - that's what you're here for, right? 😉 - is Do the Work. 

Throw everything you know - book meanings, past insights, elements of the image, the other cards in the spread, spatial relationships within the spread, good old intuition - at the 'problem' card. Think outside the box. What could this card possibly indicate in this context? Spend some time on it. Don't just throw up your hands at the first hurdle and say "It makes no sense!"

And when you do finally form an idea of why this particular card appeared in your reading, if you still feel the need for a bit of reassurance, then ask for a clarifier in the form of a direct question - "Is this card saying {insert best guess insight here}?". 

A clarifier needs something to clarify.

John Beckett: Tarot - Standard Meanings or Intuitive Interpretations? (Patheos) - link

John Beckett: Tarot - Standard Meanings or Intuitive Interpretations? (Patheos)

 

Twitter has been arguing about standard meanings vs. intuitive readings in Tarot readings.
Rather than deconstructing the “debate”
I’d rather start with a clean sheet…

SPOILER ALERT: It's both.

Tom Benjamin (YouTube) - The Best Beginners Deck & Other Tips For New Readers

One of my favourite traditional Quaker phrases (or QuakerSpeak, as it's teasingly referred to) is "That Friend speaks my mind". It conveys a much deeper sense of connection with what someone has just said than simply agreeing with it.

On that basis - This friend speaks my mind!

Tom Benjamin (YouTube) - Lessons I Wish I'd Learned Sooner

Amen! Hallelujah!

This video will save me a lot of time in the future...

"Oh, you want my take on xyz aspect of tarot?"

copy | paste

WYSIWYG for Card Readers

I was forcefully reminded today of one of my "Fundamentals of Fortune Telling":

You can't make a positive reading out of negative cards

Well, you can – I almost did – but you shouldn't.

I pulled cards today for someone who had never had a reading before. Naturally, I wanted it to be a nice experience for her. So when I turned one neutral card sandwiched between two negative cards, I unconsciously went into sugar-coating mode.

Mercifully, we were doing this online, and before I started telling her what I saw, she happened to comment that she had a feeling her reading would be a bit on the negative side.

It was like being poked sharply in the ribs.

I looked at the cards again, realised I didn't really like what I saw, and turned the bottom card for confirmation. It was another doozy. So I took a deep breath and interpreted the spread accordingly.

It was a general reading, so it didn't present as "bad news". It was more a heads-up about something to be prepared to deal with. I'm pleased to say she took it well and believed she knew what it was about. And I hope, as a result, she avoids any potential unpleasantness.

Bottom card - I was misled and potentially misleading my sitter

Many readers will tell you there's no such thing as "good" or "bad" cards. That all cards have positive and negative aspects depending on the situation being read for. And this is true, particularly if you use fixed positions, where the focus of the position calibrates the meaning of the card occupying it.

Nevertheless, we can all go through a Tarot deck and divide it into essentially good, bad, and neutral cards.

And I don't often use fixed positions. I lay down a line of cards and take them, initially*, at face value. With 78 cards at their disposal, if the answer is positive, there's no shortage of "good" cards that could appear in the spread. So if I'm given several negative cards, I should accept that they're trying to tell me something.


(*The overall combination of cards and their relationships to each other will temper their meanings. Fundamental #2 - One bad card doesn't ruin an overall positive reading, but likewise, one good card can't save a negative one.)

Keeping my hand in

Discussion prompt on Facebook*:

Post your divination tips.

Yours truly:

• Once you're familiar with your cards and their basic meanings, trust your intuition!
• Ask a clear question and read the cards to answer THAT question; if a card doesn't seem to make sense, consider how it makes you feel and/or think outside the box.
• The cards interact - they tell the whole story *together*.
• Many cards have similar meanings, so ask yourself why you got that particular card and not another; how does it relate to the rest of the spread?
• Did I mention trust your intuition? 😏

Most of my tarot/divination interaction takes place on Facebook and reddit. Not a lot goes on here, apart from my occasional readings and re-shares. I really should work on that. 


*Facebook group: Arcana.Cards

Creative Cartomancy

“When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.” (and variants thereof)

There’s a divinatory corollary –
When you’re a card reader, every pack of cards looks like a fortune teller. 😏

Which is why, when I saw this on eBay, I knew I had to buy it.

Cheers and Tear game cards, published by Waddingtons, © 1963.

It consists of 52 cards – 18 pairs of Cheers cards: “the things you like to do”, and 18 opposing Tears cards: “the things that stop you”.

Does that not sound like the makings of a great will I/won’t I, should I/shouldn’t I deck?!

My first thought was, “Should I remove the duplicate Cheers cards in order to have a 50/50 balance?” It seemed sensible but I was concerned that in practice the results would end up being too Teary.

I know, let’s ask the cards!

This first triplet is for “Leave in all the cards”, and it uses all the cards.

Two Cheers – I’ve happily created a new concept with this adorable deck I’ve just gotten. One Tears – Even with twice the “happy” cards, it’s still got a kick to it.

This line is for “Strip out the duplicates”, and has them removed.

And we have the same distribution – two Cheers and one Tears, and in the same order. This way is more challenging but sheds more light, just don’t overuse it. And in this line I’ve got the happy counterpart to the unhappy card which ended the previous triplet. This makes me view the previous line in more of a “You’re smiling now, but it’ll blow up in your face” sort of way.

On balance, stripping out the duplicates appears to be the way to go. I think I'm going to have fun with this. Not too much, though. 😉

Lisa Boswell tells it like it is 😎

Earlier today, Lisa Boswell of Divination and Fortune-Telling shared a link to an article she'd posted back in December. I had read and enjoyed it at the time, and reminded of it today, I happily read it again. It's worth sharing.

What Your Tarot Reader Wants to Say (But Doesn't) 🙄😏

Do spirits know everything?

I was reading an article by Lisa Boswell on working with the spirits of your ancestors to improve your Tarot reading abilities and predictive skills.

I was getting along fine with it until I ran smack into this statement -

"... The spirits of your ancestors can tell you everything you need to know about the past, present, and future of your clients. Once they're on the other side, spirits know everything." [emphasis mine]

Everything?!

My take on that idea up to now has been "Nope". If they weren't psychic before they died, how/why would they psychic now?

On consideration, though, since I believe everything is connected in a spiritual/cosmic sense, it could be argued that once my ancestors are freed from the limitations of a physical existence, they gain unfettered access to "everything".

Buuut...

The only thing to do was ask my ancestors. So I pulled out my Skat cards (gotta use the ancestral method) and started pulling three cards at a time, trying to pin down an answer - "Do you guys know everything?"

I'm not going to share the actual readings because a) the process was too organic, with one question leading to another, leading to another..., and b) it was private conversation. 😏

What I can report, however, is that all the (somewhat guarded) responses boiled down, in the end, to "We can tell you everything you need to know."

Which I guess is all I really need to know.

The Tarot Lady talks "Tarot and Prediction" with Lisa Boswell

As a predictive reader myself, I had to share this podcast. So much good sense and good advice. And some good laughs, too.

Episode 99: Tarot and Prediction with Lisa Boswell

Theresa, aka The Tarot Lady's, introduction -

Recently, I had someone ask me if "divination was out." Apparently, there were some well-meaning folks that wanted to spread that message because they wanted to push their own "law-of-attraction" brand of tarot reading style. I... thought it might be an interesting topic for Tarot Bytes. The only person I considered for this hot topic was Lisa Boswell, of Divination and Fortune-Telling. I knew she’d have a lot of great thoughts on this controversial topic. 

In this... episode, Lisa and I discuss skeptics, tarot readers who object to fortune-telling, the truth about accuracy, and how to sharpen your predictive skills. 

For those who claim that fortune-telling is over, Lisa Boswell busts that myth. Prediction is alive and well – and thriving.

A post shared by Judy K (@weirdeye) on Jul 21, 2018 at 4:54am PDT

I promised this deck I would always keep it with me (because reasons), so it lives in my handbag. But today I briefly considered taking it out of my bag to make room for another deck. Naturally, I asked for its reaction -
"Happiness destroyed, left out in the cold."
Okay, okay, you'll stay.
[turned deck over to see postscript] - Wish fulfilled.

This is why I read cards.

#thisshitisreal #ilovemycards #zernerfarbertarot #zernerfarber #tarot #tarotreadersofinstagram #cardreadersofinstagram #tarotcommunity

The Frustrated Fortune Teller

Tarot challenges.
Instagram, YouTube, Facebook…

Every time a new one comes along I get all excited and think, “Yay, another reason to play with my lovely cards. Let’s do this!”

And about three days in I’m like, “Judy, how many times? 🙄 You know you don’t get on with these challenges.”

The problem is, I don’t like reading cards without a reason.

Prompts or no prompts, it amounts to the same thing. I’m either pulling cards just to see what shows up, or I’m tackling prompts that most of the time I’m not invested in. And if I were, I wouldn’t necessarily want to be sharing the results with all and sundry.

This is why I don’t do daily draws either. They’re just too vague. There’s no “Need” involved. (Check out Balthazar's video - NEED is The Fuel for The Engine of Divination)

And yes, this does extend to my weekly Colour Focus readings. I work through my discomfort by reminding myself that I’m doing these readings for others; that my intention is to get a message meant for someone out there.

Here I am, surrounded by enough cards to choke a small herd of horses, and I’ve got no one to read for and only rarely do I have anything I want to read on for myself. It’s nuts!

And so I gravitate towards the challenges because mucking about with my cards is better than not using them at all, right? Mmm, not so much. It just ends up feeling empty and slightly exhibitionist.

I really need to find a way to read for other people.

My recent freebie offer was as much a toe-dipping exercise as it was a way of finding out if anyone’s listening.

The problem with free readings is that very often people are attracted more to the “free” than the “reading”. They don’t really have a need either. They’re just taking advantage of getting something for nothing. Who wouldn’t?

So I’d like to charge a small fee. If someone’s willing to part with a couple of quid, they’re more likely to have a real question they’d appreciate an answer to.

Of course, all this would have to be online, via email or snail mail - Hello! 👋 Dyed-in-the-wool introvert here, with strong reclusive tendencies.

That said, I’ve been kicking this idea around for about a year and still I have no idea where to start. I suppose the motivation for this post was to get my thoughts down in writing to see if that might get the ball rolling.

Card reading is fun. Having loads of different decks at my disposal is fun! I’m not about to stop working with them any time soon. But I know I could be doing something useful and it seems such a waste to just be mucking about.

Fortune Telling - It's a thing

Last night, just before bed, I placed my highest bid, £50, on an out-of-print (OOP) tarot deck on eBay. Then I drew a couple of cards to see how I'd get on.

I interpreted this as "Come the morning, it will have gone for £60".

I was close. It went for £6 more than I'd bid.

Damn.

But hooray for divination. No one can tell me it doesn't work. 😎

Black and White Divination Cards - Collette Star

In lieu of a Colour Focus this week - Balthazar! 😉

I'm "away from my desk" this week, and I didn't want to try to squeeze in a Colour Focus reading before I went, so instead, here's another gem from the incomparable Balthazar of Balthazar's Conjure.

I say "another" because he got a lot of airtime on my old blog. And I imagine you'll continue to see quite a bit of him here, too.

I scheduled this post to go live while I'm away, so fingers-crossed a) it's actually happened and b) the formatting is right, 'coz I don't have access to a computer to fix it if it isn't. 😝