Tarot Strategies for Life Change

How to Use Tarot, Astrology, Meditation and Other Tools to Access Your Intuition, Connect With Your Spiritual Core to Live a Rich, Full, and Wonderful Life

My name is Ellen Zucker and I am an artist. I have also worked with Tarot and Astrology for over 30 years. Through my study and observations, I've come to appreciate the power we have when we are connected to our spiritual core.

There are many ways to make that connection. Tarot, meditation, yoga, dreams, painting, listening to music--anything that uses so-called right brain processes that either quiet the mind or engage the imagination.

This is a place where I will share tips and observations with you and I invite you to share yours with me.

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How to Use Tarot to Access Your Intuition

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Tarot and the Subject's Mindset

There is an uncanny link between mindset and the success of intuition. 

Dr. Judith Orloff and others point out that it is very difficult to tap into your intuition when you are tense or highly stressed. And if you the kind of person that is reluctant to trust impressions that are difficult to confirm on the spot, you will have little success getting useful information from your intuition. 

A relaxed open mind is the first step to accessing intuition. It is also the first step in tuning in to your spirit guides and working with the Tarot.

Even the most highly skilled psychics and mediums will tell you that they cannot access a person who chooses to block himself.

So it is highly ironic that the very people who try so hard to 'test' the reader, or who flaunt their skepticism find it so easy to find evidence to back to support their skepticism. And those who come to a reader with an attitude of sincerity enjoy a rich and valuable experience.

It is as if the Tarot cards were to be offended by the querent's lack of respect. And each subject has an experience that reinforces their perception.

There is a certain logic to this, but it makes it hard on the reader who has to handle a skeptic in a situation such as a party where they are expected to read everyone who sits at the table.  

In many ways, the cards that pop up in a Tarot spread reflect the mindset of the person being read. If the querent is focused, the cards will be, too. If the querent's mind is scattered, so too, will be the reading.

Tarot is a tool to access intuition. Like all tools that work primarily by using the 'right-brain,' Tarot's processes defy logic.

The right-brain is the realm of the imagination and it speaks through the language of symbol. It is through the right brain that you are able to access your intuition.

Unlike beginning readers who tend to rely on book definitions, more confident and experienced readers will use their knowledge of book meanings as a starting point and them allow their intuition full reign.

But to do that, they need to be able to tap into the energy of the querent. Each reader has his/her style of working. Some readers that use an interactive approach need the active participation of the querent to stimulate their intuition. Others are able to tune in psychically.

But no matter the style of reading, every Tarot reader needs the active cooperation of the querent to deliver a successful reading.

Mars Or Uranus - Who Really Rules The Tower Card?

Going back to the days of Aleister Crowley and others who submerged themselves into the occult, the individual Major Arcana cards have been assigned to specific planets.

As a student of astrology and the Tarot, I do not always subscribe to the traditional correspondences. For example, to me, the energy of Uranus is a much better fit to The Tower than Mars. 

The argument for making Mars The Tower’s ‘ruler’ is that The Tower’s edifice, described as some as the Tower of Babel, represents man’s hubris and a structure of lies.   

The Tower image shows lightning striking the crown on the top of the tower edifice, the crown being false materialism and the lightening bolt, the flash of truth striking down the edifice and violently displacing the crown. 

Mars represents ego well. Mars is dignified in Capricorn where its ambition is transformed into concrete structure. And the flames emanating from the tumbling structure is consistent with the symbolism of Mars and its sign, Aries.

Lastly, Wald Amberstone, co-founder of The Tarot School, likens the card’s image as a representation of a phallic symbol at the time of climax. 

Certainly this is Mars. 

But the lightning, the sudden flash of awareness, the crack as the structure tumbles, are hallmarks of Uranus. 

Arthur Edward Waite in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot describes the preceding card, The Devil, as “the fall into the material and animal state, while the other (The Tower) signifies destruction on the other side.” 

Uranus’ energy is depersonalized. It is completely a product of the intellect and the lightning bolt is its hallmark. 

The sudden bolt of lightning describes the operation of Uranus as anyone who has experienced a transit of Uranus can testify. 

Uranus is the first planet discovered that is too far away to be seen by the unaided human eye. For centuries, astronomers assumed that no planet extended beyond Saturn, hence that planet’s association with limits and boundaries. 

Then in 1781, astronomer William Herschel discovered Uranus with the result that the prevailing world-view of the Universe was upended much in the same way that Uranus transits result in upset and breakthrough on a societal and personal level.

Uranian energy is a bolt out of the blue, coming from somewhere outside of our individual selves like the bolt of lightning from above that upends The Tower and its crown. 

In my view, Mars is a good descriptor of the actual Tower in the card, but Uranus better describes the Querent's reality when the card is drawn in an actual reading.

Thoughts?

Tarot Magic

I never fail to be amazed at the synchronicity of the Tarot and the matter at hand. I have read Tarot cards for many people, primarily in a party setting. Yet even some of the people who come to my table see Tarot as no more than as a parlor trick, are able to receive valuable insight.

I can't offer any logical explanation why the random choice of cards from a shuffled deck should have any more relationship with the client or even party guest than the price of tea in China, but it does.

Time after time an insight that speaks directly to the client's issue pops out. This is the magic of the Tarot and it is truly magic.

I've come to realize that the cards that appear are exactly the right cards. The complicated part is figuring out why. 

That is because no selection of cards that make sense unless we know the question and the life context of the client.

Often the client's actual question is not the spoken question. Then the spoken question is not the Tarot answers. 

Then the skill of the reader is necessary to tease the underlying question from the client. 

This is one reason readers who read for themselves sometimes run into difficulty; they are too close to their situation to know exactly what they want to know or what they need to hear.

But readers who read for themselves have a huge advantage of knowing more than anyone else about their life context. 

After all, Tarot images are an elaborate system of symbols. And each symbol has a whole set of meanings. It is not possible to know which is applicable to the client until it can be plugged into context.

The best way to understand this is by example. The Universal Waite 4 of Cups, a card showing a seated figure under a tree with his arms akimbo with 3 cups in front of him and a fourth offered by a hand from a cloud, appeared in one reading for a woman contemplating whether she should have a fourth child.

Yet, for another client, the 4 of Cups, this time reversed or upside down, symbolized additional responsibilities she did not want to take on.

Same card, two different clients, two very different interpretations. And neither interpretation is a traditional book definition of the card’s meaning.

My personal style is that of an interactive reader. That is the exchange of words and energy between the client and myself helps me to hone in on the cards’ message.

It also helps when both reader and client are relaxed and open with each other.

But when the ingredients come together, the results are indeed magical.

The Fool, the New Year, and a Fresh Start

So we indulged in that ritual in which we celebrate the throwing out of our calendars, more commonly known as New Year's. 

It is a fresh start. Beginning on January 1st, we begin a new tax year, we go back to zero on our insurance deductibles, and we have an opportunity to begin again.

This January 1 begins a new decade--the reviews of the passing year in news periodicals were intensified by ruminations of a decade that many saw come happily to a close.

This has certainly been a tumultuous time.

This would be a good time to adopt the spirit of the Tarot card, The Fool. He blithely steps out to heed the call to adventure even if he doesn't know where he is headed. 

The truth of the matter, much of life is a journey into the unknown. Perhaps this is why so many rely on all manner of oracles, be they meteorologists to tell us whether to carry an umbrella, stock market gurus, economists, actuaries, you name it.

Travel light and be nimble. We are in for exciting times.

The Hermit, The Magician and the Move

Tarot readers are known to read for themselves, and I admit to doing so on occasion.

Sometimes I like to get a bird's eye view of a situation or get a heads up. Sometimes, I'll do it just for fun.

Last week, I hired a man with a truck to help me move items out of my storage unit. I was curious to see what the cards would tell me. I just picked cards quickly--this was not intended to be a formal exercise.

The Hermit represented me and The Magician represented him. 

How perfect. 

I had been looking for someone who could help me move the furniture at a reasonable price. The Hermit represented me perfectly--someone searching. The Magician represented him perfectly. He had the tools and expertise to make it happen (it was truly amazing how well he packed everything and got so much into his small vehicle).

It also turns out that he is adept at repairing things, too. So, like the Magician, he is versatile and skillful.

So even for this casual exercise, the Tarot can shed light.

Americans More Accepting of New Age and Eastern Beliefs

The results of a survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life are out and it appears that more Americans are open to New Age and Eastern beliefs than ever. 

Some of the more interesting findings are that 49% of respondents have had a religious or mystical experience, defined as a "moment of sudden religious insight or awakening."--for the first time exceeding the percentage who have not. 

24% of the public overall and 22% of Christians say they believe in reincarnation and 25% of the public overall, 23% of Christians believe in astrology and approximately one-in-four believe in spiritual energy located in physical things such as mountains, trees or crystals. 

Nearly three-in-ten Americans say they have felt in touch with someone who has already died, almost one-in-five say they have seen or been in the presence of ghosts, and 15% have consulted a fortuneteller or a psychic.

Buddhism and Ruminations Upon Cleaning Out The Storage Unit

Today my project was sorting through the junk that has been sitting in the storage unit. 

When I moved into my current space, it was supposed to be temporary. But temporary turned out to be permanent and the stuff in storage has sat all the while.

I didn't want to sort through old stuff placed willy nilly in the stuffed unit. The years, not to mention changes in dampness and temperature, had taken their toll. 

Records and memorabilia that had great meaning at the time, were no longer relevant. Of course, many items stood the test of time very well. And poring through the treasures brought back all kinds of memories.

I came across some items that were artifacts of my life in corporate America. Records, a favorite mug, a desk clock, a pile of old business cards, hooks for the drop  ceiling that held my hanging spider plants were mute testimony of a chapter long ended.

The list of members of an industry networking group now defunct once held great importance. It is safe to say that the vast majority were names of people who were long gone from the industry, not to mention from their employers. And most of their employers no longer exist--they have either been pushed out or merged into oblivion.

In the end, the Buddhists have it right. The material world is impermanent and ultimately an illusion. It is when we can recognize that the essence of a thing is the meaning that we attach to it, that our perspective widens and that the essence of ourselves is spirit that we are free.

Life change, Pluto, Caregiving

Change is funny. 

I mean the kind of change that occurs when people undergo a mental or an emotional shift. 

People, especially if they are at all like me, do not embrace change easily... regardless of what we say. 

In my experience, deep change, the kind that results in wisdom and compassion... the kind associated with the transits of Pluto, seems to occur when my back is against the wall and I have surrender to the inevitable.

Here is another example was caring for my father in his last days. 

We had shared the same house. Little by little I fell into the role of primary caregiver as he became more frail. I struggled to hold on to the life that I had. But as I took over more and more of the day-to-day and he needed more care and supervision, I had less and less energy and time to devote to my own needs.

Finally I just had to let go. I realized we were at a point that I had to put my focus front and center to caring for him. 

Once I made that decision to surrender, the entire energy shifted. The day-to-day was still very difficult, but we were blessed by a kind of grace. 

As for my father, he fought death, the ultimate change, tooth and nail to the bitter end. But after being in pain, he let go, he relaxed... and crossed over. And as his spirit was released from his body, his pain disappeared along with his infirmities. And he was filled with joy and love.

Honor Your Body, Honor Your Spirit

Some of us who are spiritual seekers dwell on the otherworldly. But if you are here reading this blog post, you, like me, are firmly planted on the Earth plane. And that means we have to take care of all of the physical requirements our bodies require. 

So if you want to honor your spirit, an excellent way to begin is to honor your physical body. 

I was thinking about that when I was completing my daily walk. There is an abundance of literature exhorting us to exercise regularly. That spending as little as 30 minutes a day in a brisk walk 4 or 5 times a week can have a huge impact in preventing the onsite of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension. 

And since I am not getting any younger, and walking 30 minutes a day isn't going to kill me, I decided to give the regimen a try. 

At times, it is difficult to squeeze 30 minutes out of the daylight hours, but I've come to look forward these daily walks. 

Normally I walk late in the afternoon or early evening, but knowing that rain was coming, I decided to get my walk out of the way in the morning.

Aside from the timing, today's walk was like many others. It gives me a chance to explore the neighborhood. You see many more things on foot than you do from the windshield of a car, especially when you are driving.

So, I noticed the sign on the window of a local thrift shop saying that they will come to pick up donated items--an increasingly rare service in these parts. And I watch the progress of the new Walgreen's that is being built.

I observe the landscaping and the flowers of my neighbors whose houses are built similar to mine. I see neighbors with their kids on their stoops and patios. And I watch out for kids who ride their bikes on sidewalks designed for pedestrians.

This downtime, so to speak, is also a time to allow thoughts percolate. I let my mind wander, unforced. Often a stray thought comes up which contains the seeds to the solution of a problem.

And when I return, I feel more energetic, balanced, and connected. 

Opening a Bank Vault and Cleaning out the Garage

It's a funny thing about bank vaults.

Bank vaults open very easily at the right time; the time the bank programs them to give access. With the right combination, the heavy doors open with the push of a finger. Try to do the same thing at 3 am, and you'll need heavy explosives.

Life change is like that.

For months I had been dreading the necessary de-cluttering to reshape my house to serve my needs. The clutter depressed me and made it hard to be productive. Its sheer emotional weight and physical presence seemed insurmountable. 

Finally, I did what people eventually find themselves doing when sufficiently pressured by Pluto. I surrendered. I hired an organizational consultant.

Thus far, the bank vault analogy is working. We cleaned out a garage in 4 hours whose floor hadn't seen the light of day in 40 years. And the Gods were with me in helping me clear out one particularly large and heavy, but no longer useful, item taking up valuable space in the basement. 

A neighbor saw me hauling out an old, ratty mattress and inquired about it. He had just moved in and was sleeping on the floor. I didn't think anyone could want it, but you never know until you put it out for trash. He took it.

I told him about the basement item and asked if he would want it also. He agreed to move it out. By the time we were underway, his brother joined to help. We got it out after removing the door. By then they decided they didn't want it anyway. 

So it sat with the other trash. 

After returning from Thanksgiving dinner I looked out of my window. The item was gone. 

The gods were with me.