Tarot Strategies for Life Change

Tarot and Intuition - Priming the Pump

To get the most out of your intuition, it helps to prime the pump, so to speak.

When you give the unconscious a task, it goes right to work and often gives its answer as a flash of intuition. 

But first you have to give it some fuel. This can be done in a number of ways. 

One way is to engage the logical brain through old fashioned research and digging. There is the apocryphal story of German chemist Friedrich August Kekulé who fruitlessly labored over the puzzle of the structure of Benzene. Until, one night he had a dream of six monkeys holding on to each other forming a large circle. He realized if you substitute a carbon atom for each monkey you have the formation of a benzene molecule.

Although some now doubt the truth of the story--a New York Times article suggests that Kekule's dream was a way to quash competing claims by other scientists of the discovery--still most of us can resonate with the experience of working very, very hard consciously on a problem while seeming to make little headway. 

And then, out of the blue, voila! a dream, or a flash of intuition, and here is your solution-all nice and neatly packaged.

If you are using divination tools such as Tarot, you begin by asking a question. Even readings that are 'general' have an underlying question which might go something like, 'what is the best advice for me now?'

The question, in a Tarot reading, is what primes the pump, or directs the intuition.

Laura Day uses an example to illustrate the importance of phrasing your question carefully.

She recounts the example a question put to the Oracle at Delphi by a ruler in Ancient Greece. He wanted to know if a great battle would be won. The Oracle replied that it would indeed be won. Indeed it was... by his opponent...

To be continued...

Tarot - When the Answer is Obvious

It is too easy to get mired in the complexity of the Tarot's symbols and the sheer amount of different images in the deck. So newbies, and sometimes, not-so-newbies, get confused when attempting to read the cards.

The good news is sometimes the answer is glaringly obvious. 

Consider this answer to the question "has this person put my check in the mail?"

What do you think?

 

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 open, relaxed attitude enjoy a rich and valuable experience.

It is as if the Tarot cards were offended by the skeptical querent's lack of respect. The upshot is that 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 comes to their 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 subject to deliver a successful reading.

Meditation and Its Role in Psychic Development and Mediumship

Do you want to open up your intuitive and psychic abilities and connect with spirit? Nearly every teacher of psychic development will advise you to set up a regular meditation practice. 

In order to connect with spirit you have to raise your vibration and become a clear channel. Mediation over a sustained period of time will help you do that.

First, set aside a regular time every day to meditate. If you can only muster 20 minutes, that will do. There are various techniques and various preferences. It's best to be seated in a comfortable position with your back supported and upright. But your eyes can be open or shut. You can choose to listen to music, a guided meditation tape, or enjoy silence. You can focus on an object such as a burning candle, a favorite Tarot card, a crystal. You can choose to burn incense if you like. 

But, what these teachers will tell you, is that a regular meditation practice, silences the mind and allows you to focus on the stillness within so you can hear the quiet voice of spirit.

If possible, it is good to meditate at the same time every day. Setting aside a special time for mediation ties it into your routine and sends a signal to spirit that you are open to receiving. You will also learn that you are not the endless mind chatter that you will hear when you do try to still yourself.

When you do hear mind chatter, don't let it bother you. Just gently brush it away and go back to meditating.

Some teachers will advise you to follow the rhythm of your breathing. Breathing is a natural function and the very essence of life. By focusing on your breaths, you are grounding yourself and demonstrating to yourself in a concrete way, that the essence of you are much more than your random thoughts.

Intuition or Fear?

Dr. Judith Orloff writes in her book Emotional Freedom of the difference between fear and intuition. Her points are well taken because fear undermines you while intuition supports you. And depending on the situation, being able to tell the difference can make all the difference.

These are her signs that you are receiving reliable intuition:
• Conveys information neutrally, unemotionally
• Feels right in your gut
• Has a compassionate, affirming tone
• Gives crisp, clear impressions that are “seen” first, then felt
• Conveys a detached sensation, like you’re in a theater watching a movie

And when it feels like this, it is irrational fear:
• Is highly emotionally charged
• Has cruel, demeaning, or delusional content
• Conveys no gut-centered confirmation or on-target feeling
• Reflects past psychological wounds
• Diminishes centeredness and perspective

You have probably felt both at one time or another. But in my opinion, the key difference is that your intuitive voice is speaking in your best interests while the voice of fear does exactly the opposite.

Intuition, Memories, and The Right Brain

Did you know that the random memories that pop into your mind are another source of information from your intuition? My thanks to Laura Day for this.

Everything, but everything associated with the right-brain connects you to your intuition.

Even, or especially, day dreams and memories.

Your right brain processes information in a non-linear way. It relies  on impressions that can come through any of our five (or six) senses. Because its connections are non-linear, it is often not clear to our conscious brain. And that makes it easy to dismiss seemingly random associations. 

A song brings on a reverie. An image brings back a memory. Why that memory? Why now? What question are you thinking about that is illuminated by that memory?

The answer may be blindingly obvious, or not obvious at all. 

But there are two things of which you can be certain. The memory is coming from within. And your intuition is often aware of things before your conscious mind. 

Laura Day suggests keeping a journal or notebook to record such musings. And even better, making an audio recording especially if you are consciously searching for the answer to a question.

Seemingly random memories, daydreams, and the dreams we experience in sleep are ephemeral--gone in a flash.

But these offer important clues to unlock the voice of your intuition.

Intuition: Using Nap-time for Problem Solving

Calling all slackers, I have a great announcement. 

By taking naps you aren't being lazy or slacking off. You are, in your deceptively quiet state, actively problem solving. 

Try that one on the boss.

But its true. The intuition works when the mind is quiet. And it doesn't get any quieter than snooze-time. Assuming you have been actively priming the pump in your waking hours, your unconscious mind will work when you are asleep. 

It has been said that Thomas Alva Edison often interspersed his day with catnaps (so does my cat). He did it to give his intuition a crack at working out problems. Given his track record, he was doing something right. 

As someone who like the softness and warmth of my bed as much as the cat, I am attracted to the idea. 

And I have to tell you that I frequently do this and it does work. Upon awakening, pieces of a puzzle come together meshed in a very agreeable whole. 

But the key to working the intuition is that you do have to prime the pump during waking hours. That means you can't slack off all the time.

Lying Fallow

When smart farmers farm the land, they don't plant the same crops on the same plot year in and year out. Periodically, the allow the land to lie fallow. 

Lying fallow allows the land to take a breath and time for nature to do reparative work. 

A friend of mine who is holding down two jobs and planning the seeds of a new business described how she became sick and was forced to take a couple days off. 

She described how good it felt to rest. Then thoughts began to float into her consciousness. Her intuition had the quiet and the space to make itself heard. 

Given her schedule and the necessity to bring in a sufficient income to pay her bills, she probably would not have taken the time-out any other way.

But finding a way to build in periodic rest and relaxation will ultimately make you more productive and more in tune with your intuition.

Intuition at Work

During sleep my active mind quiets so my intuition is free to solve problems. The product of its work are the thoughts floating around just as I awaken. One must grab onto them immediately. Once you start moving around or get distracted, the thoughts disappear. 

Suggestion? Keep a notepad and pen by your bedside. 

Another suggestion? You can prime the pump the night before by thinking or writing about the subject to which you want to direct your efforts.