Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Soul Mates and Twin Flames- The Difference?

Tonight on Unearthly Encounters Live! with +Mackenzie Knight was a fascinating show with Dr. Georgina Cannon, whose website is so interesting, too!

My favorite question of the evening, because I love love, and all interactions between people fascinate me, was to explain the difference between Soul Mates and Twin Flames.  In my tarot practice, I spend a lot of time with my clients explaining how I do not believe there is only one soul mate for everyone, that if the person they think is it is not behaving as if they are, that does not mean they have used up all their chances for love, and so on.  These are important questions, and I do not mind answering them over and over, because people need love and if it is important to my clients it is important to me.

Dr. Cannon explained that in her view, a Soul Mate is any person with whom we have a karmic bond, and whom we learn lessons with.  She was clear that not all Soul Mate relationships feel good and not all interactions between soul mates are positive ones.

A Twin Flame, on the other hand, is a Soul that has been split into two and inhabits two bodies.  They are drawn to each other.
Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery- Justice

I am fascinated by this concept, and I want to know what my cards have to say on the matter.  So I asked, because what else would I do?


What is the essence of a Soul Mate relationship?  Justice...  Oh you funny, ironic, cards.  Justice is inextricably bound with karma, reaping what we have sown, an equal and opposite reaction to our actions.  This certainly backs up Dr. Cannon's words, that Soul Mates are here for reapings, lessons, and to play out on a karmic stage.

The creator describes this card as "VIII.  Justice- the Cardinal Virtue- balances the Soul of Reason.  She is impartial, uses her scales to find truth, and is obligated to put truth into action.  She hands her sword to her champion, the knight, who is sworn by the code of chivalry to serve Lady Justice, defend virtue, and the honor of women.  She teaches that might does not make right but that might must serve truth and virtue."

These are qualities that can be found in romantic relationships, but they are not the primary ones most of us are seeking from our partners, on a conscious level at least, so I think the cards are supporting Dr. Cannon's theories.

Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery- Strength
What is the essence of a Twin Flames relationship?  Strength... Again, you funny, ironic cards- Robert M. Place has decided to use European numbering for his Trumps, where Justice occupies Trump VIII and Strength Trump XI.  In most decks we use in America, besides the Thoth based ones, Justice is found at Trump XI and Strength at Trump VIII.  The cards are playing with us a bit here, demonstrating that Justice and Strength are so similar, with similar virtues, and the concepts of Soul Mates and Twin Flames share that similarity.  They seem interchangeable to us at times, and sometimes the distinction is not important.

"XI.  Strength- the Cardinal Virtue- balances the Soul of Will.  She represents discipline and power.  The lion has muscular strength, yet Lady Strength guides him with the touch of her finger, as she guides the other domesticated animals.  Her power comes from self-control, love, and the lemniscate that is beyond time.  She guides the Lion because the Lion loves her.  She is the virtue of the heart."

Now, for a card we are expecting to describe romantic love, we might be looking for the Lovers, the Two of Cups, the Ace of the same suit, and Strength might seem out of place, except for that one symbol, the lemniscate, the symbol for eternity, never ending cycle, over the Lady's head.  This card demonstrates a love that is untouched by time or distance, one that is a mutually compassionate relationship, that each partner grows in and needs to be whole.  Because of the nature of the Strength card, there is no co-dependency here, no needy clingy, just pure, unadulterated love.  And the dogs.  IS there any purer love than a dog for its' master?

Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery- Temperance
What is the difference between Soul Mates and Twin Flames?  Temperance- I am not sure this card is so much explaining the difference, because really, I may have asked a dumb question, so I am getting a dumb answer, which is my fault, but explaining that we need both to function, to thrive, to grow, to become who we are truly meant to be.  Passions and emotions, love, loathing, light, dark- all of it is part of a giant cocktail and all of our lives are made up of each component.  No choices about what exactly we get, but infinite choices about how we mix those core ingredients around.

Because this reading is all Major Arcana, I believe I am working with archetypal energies, things that are certain and true about the Universe, that I may not be able to really change (not that I want to).  I think it is fully possible that Dr. Cannon's words are fresh in my head so I helped draw the cards that would support her theories, but I also think there is strong evidence that the cards are agreeing with her.  I do not know Dr. Cannon's work well, but I do know my cards, and I trust them, which is really trusting the benevolent, loving Source that powers their placement and answers, and I trust my intuition, which is really just trusting my highest self.





These cards are from The Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery, self published by Robert M. Place, available here.

Dr. Georgina Cannon on Unearthly Encounters Live!

Tonight on Unearthly Encounters Live! with +Mackenzie Knight Dr. Georgina Cannon returns to discuss past lives and interlives!  This show will be live at 8pm Eastern, and you can call in with your questions, which should be many as she is a fascinating lady with so many experiences to talk about!  You can listen in archive anytime!  Call in at (805) 285-9770, or listen right on the show page.  Hope to hear from you there!

Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery- Eight of Staffs (Wands)
I use the Eight of Wands from whatever deck I am using for the week on the blog posts I share about Unearthly Encounters Live! with Mackenzie Knight and any other radio show I am blessed to appear on because it is a card that usually means communications to me, and fast ones, like we experience with our amazing technology in this day and age.

In this deck, the creator describes the card as, "The Woodcutter- cutting down a staff, represents cutting down or back, controlling a fire, simplifying, focusing, or building a bonfire."

I find this apt for this show, for while there is no mention of communication, Internet or radio waves, we are talking about cutting through blocks so we can be who we are meant to be, through the power of hypnosis, and one of our guests', Dr. Georgina Cannon, books is in fact called Dump the Junk: A Powerful Workbook For Getting Beyond Stuck

 


This card is from The Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery, self published by Robert M. Place and available at his website.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Monday Luna's Day

Mondays are Moon days for me, as you probably know if you have read for long at all.  I draw The Moon every Monday, and I almost think it is a cosmic joke, or something I am unconsciously doing because I just expect to now.  There are worse things that can happen, so for now I just take it that the Moon has some powerful messages for me that I am sifting through, and that is just all right with me.

Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery- Luna (The Moon)
This is a Moon card that gives me something to hold onto, unlike most Moon cards which are all silvery light, slinking shadows, and ethereal hopes that can be glimpsed, but never really held.

I want to share creator Robert M. Place's thoughts on this card because he is such a good writer, why should I try to explain it better?  "Luna- the Moon- attempts to connect the depths of the sea with the sky.  The sea is the unconscious mind, and the sky is the superconscious mind.  Luna is a mermaid, a figure at home in both water and air.  She is Venus, Diana, and the Soul of Reason.  The lower souls have become her merhounds and she brings them with her.  This card represents the night, rest, retreat, preparation, and dreams."

I think it is staggeringly important to realize that the Soul of Reason, the connection between conscious and unconscious, has brought the lower souls of Appetite and Will with her.  She has not drowned them.  She has taught them to exist in her element, under her rule.  In my mind, this is such an important idea because I believe so strongly that those shadow parts of ourselves, what we want to pretend isn't there, what we are not proud of, are things that need to be loved, integrated, skeletons in the closet that should be taught to dance.

In this rendition, she is both Water and Air, deep emotions and deep clarity about those emotions.  So many times we want to put ourselves into a box- "I'm a thinker" "I'm a feeler" when really we are everything at every moment and our job is to ride the waves wherever they take us and let our expressions flow freely.





This card is from The Tarot of The Sevenfold Mystery self published by Robert M. Place and available here.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Free Tarot Readings on Unearthly Encounters Live!

Today, at 4pm Eastern, my gracious, beautiful, and knowledgeable co-host at Unearthly Encounters Live! +Mackenzie Knight has invited me to offer free tarot readings for you all!  Call in at (805) 285-9770 for your free mini reading, or listen via Skype or on the show page.  You have to be live to get a reading, but you can listen anytime in archive!
Rainbow Travellers Tarot- Eight of Wands

Was your Valentine's Day everything you were hoping for?  My specialty is relationship readings of all kinds, and I can help you make sure your next holidays are exactly the way you want them to be!  Kids giving you fits?  I can relate, and I can read about that, too.  Most of us are worried about money, our jobs, possible school and training.  The cards can offer great insight to all these issues, and I love being able to help people this way!

Please tune in for your reading, or listen later to find out if we might be a good fit to work together in creating the exact future you want to have!





This card is from Rainbow Travellers Tarot, self published by Carmen Waterman and available here.

Sunday Showcase- Rainbow Travellers Tarot

It's been a while since I have done a Showcase post, which is meant to show you a beautiful or unique deck that I love, but may not have time to use for a whole week soon enough for my tastes.  Lately, this has been because my back is giving me more and more issues, and I am facing a spinal fusion surgery soon.  I hope to be blogging regularly again soon, but for now my whole life is a day by day kind of thing.

Today I have chosen the Rainbow Travellers Tarot, self published by +Carmen Waterman, a beautiful deck of fantastical images that is sure to appeal to all lovers of fantasy, beautiful women and men, medieval influences, and tarot collectors and readers who love the whimsy!  My husband and both my 17 year old sons both think the deck is pretty darn cool, and it is making the rounds with me through our gaming nights as well as in my personal readings.

Carmen herself is a very knowledgeable tarotista, and the accompanying booklet offers wonderful insights into each card.  She lives in Canada, I in the US,and this particular deck was a Christmas gift from my handsome, kind, but sometimes procrastinating husband.  Carmen was an absolute doll to deal with, and she made sure the deck arrived quickly, in perfect condition, and in a lovely tie dyed bag that perfectly suits the vibe of the deck.

Here are some images for you to peruse, and I hope you will take a gander at Carmen's website, where she offers the deck, readings, and a fascinating blog of her own!

Rainbow Travellers Tarot- The High Priestess, The Hierophant, Death/Rebirth

Rainbow Travellers Tarot- The Shadows (Devil), The Star, The Sun

Rainbow Travellers Tarot- Nine of Wands, Five of Cups, Ace of Swords

Rainbow Travellers Tarot- Seven of Swords, Five of Pentacles, Mentor of Pentacles






These cards are from Rainbow Travellers Tarot, self published by Carmen Waterman, and available here.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Christopher Penczak on Unearthly Encounters Live! with Mackenzie Knight

Tonight +Mackenzie Knight of Unearthly Encounters Live! and I have a very special guest to welcome- Christopher Penczak, witch, prolific author, magician, and all around very interesting fellow.
Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan- Eight of Wands

Many of you know I do not personally identify myself as a witch, though I find many fascinating components in The Craft.  Even so, I have read many of Christopher Penczak's books as so many of the concepts are universal for people who work in the psychic arts or with energy.  In fact, I consider The Inner Temple of Witchcraft and its' companion cd of meditations important for people who want to develop their psychic skills, and it is on my recommended reading list when people ask me about learning to read the cards.

I am excited for this show, and I hope you will listen live, so you have a chance to ask your questions, at 8pm Eastern tonight, or anytime later in archive.  See ya there!






This card is from the Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan and Mark Evans, published by Llewellyn.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Tarot Foundations by Brigit Esselmont- Day 28

Keep your eyes on this space for an exciting giveaway courtesy of Brigit Esselmont, author of two great tarot eBooks The Ultimate Guide to Tarot Card Meanings and her newest- Tarot Foundations: 31 Days to Read Tarot with Confidence, and the brilliant creator of the Biddy Tarot website.  Click here to visit Biddy Tarot.

I have been working with Tarot Foundations and have found each Lesson and Activity to be useful, easy, and illuminating.  You can catch up on all the happenings with the book here, including a special guest post from my husband, a tarot newbie.  This will be my last example of how to use the book, and next week we will have the ultimate review as well as that giveaway I mentioned.

Today I am using the methods Brigit outlined to tackle one of the most difficult questions any reader will ever be faced with, whether for themselves or others- When?

Day 28: Discover Timing Through the Tarot

In this section of the book, Brigit shares several different methods to use to divine timing through the cards.  The reader is not bound to any method she considers "right" but is encouraged to try them all out and decide for themselves what works and what doesn't work.  Some of the methods explored are using the divinatory meanings, the suits and elements, astrology, and of course, the context of the cards in the reading.

I love to do readings that glimpse possible futures for people, but even more I enjoy using tarot to delve deep into the psyche and see how the cards suggest living the best, most authentic life.  To that end, I intend to use the spread Brigit included in this section, which answers many important questions and should help me make decisions with confidence.

Activity 28.1 Conduct a Timing Tarot Card Reading

The spread is as follows:

The desired event will happen when...

  • Card 1 You realise...
  • Card 2 You accept...
  • Card 3 You acknowledge...
  • Card 4 You do...

For my timing question, I would like to know when I can expect peace in my home.  When I say peace, I mean people outside our home no longer influence it, when kids and pets and schedules and the careful balance between love and money are all in harmony.  That is a tall order, but not impossible, and I expect some great advice from the cards!

For my answers I have this reading-


Card 1: Six of Pentacles- I will have peace in my home when I realize that every thing I am doing is keeping me from doing something else.  There needs to be a balance because when I am spending time doing the dishes I am not creating.  When I am driving kids around I am not with my husband.  When I am zoning out in front of the tv I am not engaged with the kids.  When I am playing games with the kidtauplets I am not doing laundry.  Taking one client means that time is not available to another.  For this reason it is unbelievably important that every way I spend my time is either getting me closer to my goals, enhancing my family, or taking care of myself or others that depend on me.

The imagery of the card with the scales in perfect balance, the figures in different positions, is striking to me. Sometimes I am doling out my resources, and sometimes I am asking for help.  I am not comfortable with asking, and I need to realize that for balance there has to be both giving and taking.

Card 2: Queen of Pentacles- I will have peace in my home when I accept that I just need to be me.  I often see myself as the Queen of Pentacles, so I see this card encouraging me not to try to change my own nature but rather allow myself to grow the way I am so inclined and stop judging it.

On a practical note, because the Queen of Pentacles is ever practical, I will have peace in my home when I accept that I am ultimately responsible for creating that peace, through both attitude and action.  I need to think peacefully, act peacefully, and I need to get my home better organized.  With five kids, everything needs a place and needs to be in its' place.  I also need to organize my time better, and come at every issue with a plan so that I am prepared.

Card 3: The Sun- I will have peace in my home when I acknowledge how precious this time is, and how blessed our lives are.  The imagery of the baby on a horse makes me nostalgic for when I had toddlers instead of teenagers, and it does not seem like all that long ago!  They really do grow fast, and Gretchen Rubin notes in The Happiness Project the days sometimes drag but the years fly by.

Because of the positive connotations The Sun always brings, I feel I am being encouraged to express gratitude because we really have so much, each other being the biggest of those treasures.  I will have peace in my home when I acknowledge that being a positive mother, wife, pet caregiver, and person in general truly has the power to bring peace and joy.  However, I look back to the Queen of Pentacles, and I know that while I need to let myself be light I also have to stay grounded and keep it real, or I will feel inauthentic and despise myself.  This returns to the first card about balance, give and take.

Card 4: Eight of Pentacles- I will have peace in my home when I do the work.  This card has me chuckling, because it so often comes up for me when I should be working, either at my craft, business, or home, and what I am actually doing is procrastinating by watching whatever Bravo! tells me to.  I can meditate, pray, journey through tarot cards, beg, plead, imagine, envision all day long, but I have to back that up with actually doing things that will improve the situation.  As someone who works at home I often have issues with distinguishing between At Work and At Home.  Returning to the first card, I know that I have to strike a balance, and actually do the work for both things but at different times.  I am easily distracted by dishes in the sink, and when I get up to do them I usually have a brilliant (I think anyway) idea that needs to be jotted don right away.  I need time for work, time for home, time for me, time for my family, time for my husband, and I need to distinguish between those times and fully dedicate myself to whichever task is at hand instead of being distracted.

The Shadow Card of this reading is the Two of Pentacles, which is not surprising at all to me.  The Shadow Card, at the bottom of the deck when I lay out a reading, gives me some insight, usually something I am placing as far away from myself as possible.  I struggle with balancing all of life's details, like many people, and I often feel overwhelmed yet terrified of dropping any of the balls I have in the air.

So many Pentacles tell me that this truly is a valid reading about my home, and give practical advice to reach my goal.

I chose to do a spread basically says when I do x, y will happen.  I like the kinds of spreads and questions that put the power in my hands, and I am truthfully not very good at nailing down timing in reading the cards anyway, so I played to my strengths.  However, there are techniques included for divining if not exact, pretty close timing, so you can explore and experiment with those, too.  One of the greatest lessons I ever learned about reading tarot is that each reader should take what works for them and discard the rest.

If you are intrigued by Brigit Esselmont's quick and simple way to learn tarot, I encourage you to Click here to visit Biddy Tarot.







These cards are from Radiant Rider Waite Tarot published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.  The original art was done by Pamela Colman Smith, and mine have been lovingly released from their white borders.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Turquoise Lotus Mother

Yesterday I had to make a choice about some relationships in my life, and even more important to me, the lives of my kids.  It was a difficult choice about trying to continue to pursue healing with a group of people or whether to accept that it just isn't possible.  I believe in unending opportunities and that everyone can change their lives at any given moment.  If they want to.

I didn't sleep last night.  I have been nauseated all day.  I let myself get dragged down into the mud, forgetting that you can't pull someone out of it if they want to be dirty.  Mud is slimy, and your fingers slide right off of them if they are not gripping you just as hard.  Then you stand at the edge, dripping grime, feeling foolish, and wondering why they want to wallow in all that filth.  Sometimes, it stains.  Time passes, and you have to decide whether to turn around and go home, leaving them behind, since you can't drag them out, or stay and keep watching, helpless, ineffective, unable to act.

Since I couldn't save this person, much as I may want to, I have to walk away.  Dirty.  And that is okay.  I know how to get my hands and my soul clean again.  And now I know who cries, "Wolf!" There is value in that.

I also have to face the fact that my giant ego gets me into these scrapes.  I often think I can help and just because I can I believe people should want my help.  My ability does not equal their willingness.  This is important for people who work with energy and healing arts.  I need these reminders so that I can focus my time, energy, and attention on people who fit both criteria- that I am able to help, and who actually want that help.

Kuan Yin Oracle
I was hesitant because I am using the Kuan Yin Oracle by Alana Fairchild and Zeng Hao, published by Blue Angel Publishing, and this deck is full of women.  My family is full of women, most of us broken, only a couple of whom want to be free and whole.  I recognize pieces of myself cut off from the Divine Feminine, a reaction to both the rigid religious structure I could never live up to as a kid, and the broken relationship with my own mother, who should have embodied that for me.  It's not like I am the only person in the world whose mother wasn't in a good place to be one yet, and I forgive her faults.  Who am I to judge anyone?  Yet I am fearful of women.  Women, both purposefully and not, have caused my deepest wounding.

"Please tell me what I need to know about yesterday."
I whispered to the cards as I shuffled.  My nausea calmed, my heart opened, and I felt a spiritual cleansing come over me.  This is why I adore cards.  The ritual, the immediacy, this is where my Goddess comes to meet me.  I am never left alone or in pain when I take the steps to meet the Divine.

From the guidebook- "Turquoise Lotus Mother brings precious healing to you now.  Allow yourself to be lifted out of your struggle, beloved one.  An old pattern is finally in its death throes, something that weighed heavily on you from your past.  This can be one of the most testing times to allow something to go, just when it seems to be so demanding of your time, focus and attention.  Yet, do not doubt, you have actually learned the lessons it required of you and now you are being blessed with an opportunity to receive karmic healing."

Tears blurred my vision, and relief flooded through my whole body.  I can let go.  I have done what was required of me.  I don't have to stay here and keep getting the mud slung at me, nor watch people I love wallow in it.  My lesson is complete, and I can go.  I don't want to leave but I have to recognize when I can no longer be useful.  I'll come back, if I am called, but I will tell you this- next time, I am bringing a pole to test both the depth of the murk and the true willingness of the caller to actually accept the help.

I note in the imagery, most important for cartomancy, that she carries with her a lotus blossom.  Lotus flowers grow in the most disgusting ichor at the bottom of a body of water.  I am walking away, but with a gift.  Whenever the people I have had to leave decide to crawl out of the mud, they can bring a lotus blossom, a gift to carry with them and reminder of their time there, too.  I can't give them mine.  You can only appreciate it when you have plucked it for yourself.





This card is from Kuan Yin Oracle by Alana Fairchild and Zeng Hao, published by Blue Angel Publishing.