Tarot Tuesday 3-17-09

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to one and all! How ironic that we’re having a Tarot Tuesday on St. Paddy’s Day. Given his feelings about the Pagan cultures in Ireland, who were natural intuitives and believed strongly in divination, I’m not sure St. Patrick would approve. As you can see in the image above, he supposedly banned all the snakes from Ireland–a practice thought to be a metaphor for his conversion/suppression of the Druids and other Pagan believers, since Ireland didn’t actually have any real snakes.

Well, be that as it may…everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, or so they say. So let’s raise a green beer and look at some Tarot cards!

The Londa deck seemed to call to me as I contemplated which deck to use for our reading today. The Londa is an unusual deck, populated by dramatic and androgynous characters who seem to rule their own world. You can see an example of some of the cards below:

For many years, I used the Londa Tarot exclusively in my readings for clients, so it’s like reacquainting myself with a long-lost friend.

The question we’ll answer with today’s reading comes from Heather, who writes:

“I want to know which is most important for me to focus on now… if I should continue practicing the reiki & readings? writing the book(s)? teaching? caregiving for the children?”

To perform this reading, I shuffled the cards as I normally do, cut them into 3 piles, and then stacked the cards back up into 1 pile in the way that felt best to me. All the while, I concentrated on Heather’s question about direction for herself at this time. I then dealt out 5 cards, starting with 1 card that seemed to jump out of the deck. From left to right, these are the cards that came up for Heather:

Ten of Swords

Five of Swords

King of Wands

Seven of Swords

Ace of Swords

Just look at all of those Swords in Heather’s reading! The suit of Swords can represent several things: conflict, health issues, and decisions, but, most importantly, Swords signify the way we think about things. Seeing all these Swords together in Heather’s reading really indicates to me that she’s doing a lot of thinking about her life and her choices, but she hasn’t taken much action. My first impression is to tell her not to over-think her situation–it may be wise to trust in Spirit and her own intuition instead of over-analyzing every small occurrence in her life. Let’s look at the individual cards and see what insight they shed into Heather’s situation.

The Ten of Swords is probably the most violent card in the Tarot, usually depicting a body pierced by ten swords, and the image in the Londa deck is no different. The Ten of Swords indicates that Heather has become so wrapped up in fearful thoughts that she’s succumbed to confusion and inertia in her life. The Ten cautions us to remember that the only thing in life that can truly hurt us as Divine Beings are our negative thoughts, which can paralyze us and keep us from attaining our dreams and goals. I also feel strongly that someone in Heather’s life may have been physically ill in the past, which may be draining the family finances, symbolized by both the Ten of Swords and its neighboring card, the Five of Swords. It’s important for Heather to watch her funds now, especially if there are still outstanding bills to be paid for medical expenses. Someone may not be very helpful to her in this regard, and she needs to take matters firmly into hand. There is also an indication here not to allow money worries to impeded forward progress.

The King of Wands sits proud and stately on a boulder in the middle of this reading, and I feel a lot of Heather’s energy revolves around the man in her life, either husband or partner, who is represented by this card. There is strength and endurance here, and although he is still resting, I feel this card is an indication of Heather’s husband having more and more control over his future and his life. There will be a new opportunity for him to use his skills in a business or career setting soon, but it’s important for him to stay focused and not to become distracted, especially by past set-backs. He can be moody and perhaps a bit dreamy, so it will be important for Heather to be encouraging to him as he gains his “sea legs” again.

The next card, the 7 of Swords, can be a card of deception. Someone close to Heather may show his or her true stripes in the next few months, and it’s important for Heather to trust her own instincts about who she can and cannot take into her confidences. There seems to be someone close to her that pretends to be a good listener and an advisor, but who actually either gossips or doesn’t hold their relationship in very high regard. The message here is for Heather to be careful of who she trusts; they may say nice things and tell Heather what they think she wants to hear, but they may not be completely sincere. 

The Ace of Swords indicates a new idea, and thus a new opportunity, coming into Heather’s life very soon. My feeling here is that this is connected in some way to the healing work Heather does, and there may be another man involved in this. The Ace symbolizes a fresh start, a new way of thinking, and reminds Heather that positive thoughts and goals garner positive results. There is a definite indication throughout this whole reading that Heather most needs to work on her negative thought patterns, which seem to be at the core of her set-backs. She needs to affirm her own Divinity and trust that all is in Divine Order. She has learned a great deal, and she’s trying hard to assimilate all of this knowledge into a cohesive whole. It will make sense, but the Universe reminds her that it won’t happen overnight. There isn’t anything wrong with going slowly and allowing experience to teach its own set of lessons. Positive things are on the horizon, especially in the field of healing. Heather is asked to release her fears about the future and know that the Universe will provide.

Heather, I hope this reading makes some sense to you and in some way answers your question. Thank you for submitting, and thank you for allowing me to serve between the worlds for you!

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And thank you to all of the Tarot Tuesday readers. Keep sending in those questions! I’m always happy to receive them and hope that this feature continues to grow. Please tell your friends about the blog. I’d love to welcome them here, too.

I’ll leave you on this St. Patrick’s Day with a traditional Irish blessing:

“May the leprechauns be near you 

To spread luck along your way.

And may all the Irish angels 

Smile upon you on St. Patrick’s Day.”

Peace, love, and green beer!

Religion in America

Since we’re going to talk a bit today about religion, I thought I’d use a pretty picture here of what my good friend Melissa calls “Biblical clouds”:

link to an article in USA TODAY, knowing I’d be keen to read it. You should probably read it, too. Go ahead…I’ll wait for you.

I love how the article describes people as exploring “spiritual frontiers.” To me, this is an incredibly apt descriptor, and I see it all the time as a minister at my own church. Folks often come to a Spiritualist church because they’re curious about mediumship and spirit messages, and they want to see if the wacky psychics on the platform during the service will be able to connect with them. Hopefully, by the time they leave, they have a little more respect for and understanding of what we believe as Spiritualists. But over the last 9 years as a minister in a church, I’ve seen more and more turnover, and more people really just “trying on” a spiritual practice to see if it works for them.

And you know what I think of this? I think it’s great.

This attitude would, of course, get me into a lot of trouble with more traditional pastors and ministers. Spiritualism is, by definition, a less-than-mainstream religion, one that some denominations don’t even take seriously as a legitimate religion. I’m not here today to argue the validity of my religion or to criticize people who don’t believe in it. What I find interesting is that, according to this article, more and more Americans are searching for a spiritual practice that fits into their lifestyle and their way of thinking. And I really support this because I don’t necessarily believe that Americans are looking for new religions, per se.

I think what Americans are seeking is a personal relationship with God, and they’re not finding it in the mainstream churches.

To many traditional ministers serving churches and congregations, this may appear to be a reflection of the decline of American values, the hedonism and selfishness of Americans, etc., etc. I would say in response: you’re wrong. I believe that more and more Americans really want to develop a personal relationship with Creator that is not contingent on how many times they attend church services or how much money they drop in the collection plate. Throughout our history, Americans have always been an intelligent, inventive bunch. Because of our inherent nature, we ask questions, and we strive to learn more. I believe the churches that survive into the future will be those that honor the personal struggles to connect with God that their members express. They’ll be the communities that support these individual searches for communion with God, and the ones that help those seeking Creator’s divine presence to understand how to keep that channel open and viable. They’ll be the ones that encourage their members to ask questions of God and to expect to receive answers. They’ll teach the members of their community that Creator is a real presence, not a story in a book or an intervention that happened thousands of years ago. These communities will help others to see that God is right here with us every day, and He manifests within each and every one of us. He is us.

Some critics would equate the decline in religiousness to laziness or a lack of dedication. I would argue, though, that to be a spiritual being, we must be dedicated and responsible. Just because we don’t go to church doesn’t mean that we live our lives without purpose and integrity. We don’t need to go to church every week to recognize the inner divinity of every living creature and to honor that divinity in our words, deeds, and thoughts about that part of creation. We don’t necessarily need our minister or pastor to read stories and explain to us what they mean. We can do this on our own and possibly draw even deeper, richer meaning from them. We need to stop relying on other people to tell us how to live our lives and get in touch with the hidden Source of all life within us, which will lead us in the right direction. We can certainly look to other great spiritual leaders and scripture writings to give us direction, but our ultimate guidance must come from within, which is how we are connected to God in the first place.

Having said that: church is about community. Belonging to a group of like-minded individuals is imperative to some of us, especially during times of trial, pain, grief, and other heavy emotions. It is within these communities that we can truly show all sides of ourselves and share support with others. If we want these communities to grow stronger, we need to help each other connect to Inner Divinity as well as teach all to recognize and respect this beautiful quality in every person. Being a true part of a community takes time, effort, and sincere commitment. But these help us to grow as spiritual individuals, and as we utilize these attributes, we understand how important they are to us as evolving beings.

So…I’d be interested to hear your thoughts. Do you think that religion has a chance to continue in this country? How do you feel about religion or churches/communities in your own life? Do you need this? Feel free to leave a comment.

I bid you all Namaste on this lovely Friday: the Divine within me honors the Divine within you.

Thoughts After A Funeral

Funerals are strange events. They are about community and family and memory and shared grief, and they always leave me feeling wrung out, exhausted, and pensive. This funeral was no exception.

It was for the father of a close friend from high school. I met T. on the first day of 9th grade, scared and feeling alone in a new school filled with talking, laughing, confident girls wearing navy blue uniform skirts and lugging backpacks crammed with textbooks. We hit it off instantly, and soon we were spending after-school and weekend hours together at her house or mine. She always wanted to come to my house because we had cable television, and MTV had dawned not too long before, back when they still played music videos. I, on the other hand, preferred to go to her place because her parents were so, so cool. Her mom, so young and beautiful, always smiling, and her dad, handsome and perpetually happy, made me feel glad to be alive, especially in the throes of my teenage angst. My parents, so much older and so overbearing (that was, of course, how I saw them then) were everything T.’s parents weren’t. Going to their home was liberating and special. They even took me (and T., of course) to my first rock concert, something I could never expect my parents to do. As an adopted child, I’d always dreamed of what my biological parents had been like. I imagined them being just like S. and J.

T. and I stayed close through high school, and I always considered S. and J. dear to my heart. When we graduated and went to separate colleges, T. and I tried to keep in touch, but phone calls and get-togethers were fewer and farther between. We attended each other’s weddings, though, and I was thrilled to see her and her folks again. Now, with her living in another city, we’ve kept in touch via Facebook and e-mail, and we sat and chatted animatedly at our high school reunion a few years back. Her mom said to us once, “You two will always be friends. You’ll always re-connect, even if you lose touch.” She was certainly right.

When I opened T.’s e-mail the other day, I wasn’t expecting to read the news that J. had passed. He was only 60 years old, and for as long as I could remember, he’d been a runner and a bicycle rider, in excellent physical shape. But apparently his heart betrayed him as he ran on the treadmill, and he passed away just that quick. I couldn’t help thinking of my own mother when I learned how he’d died; my mom had suffered a massive heart attack and died instantly while mowing the lawn. Of course, she was 11 years older when she’d passed, but an unexpected death always leaves you reeling, no matter the age of your loved one. I knew exactly how T. must’ve felt because I’d stood in her very shoes not too long before.

So my husband and I attended the evening visitation, and I went to the funeral service yesterday morning. I didn’t know anyone there except for T., her mother, and their very close family members, but a huge crowd turned out. Three gentlemen, a friend, a co-worker, and a brother, gave lovely eulogies about J., and the montage of photographs set to “You’ve Got a Friend,” among other songs, were highlights of the service. And yes, I cried, the feeling of loss sitting heavy in my chest like a stone gargoyle on a church facade. I hadn’t seen T.’s dad for years, but I cried anyway, remembering J.’s smile, the way he’d make us laugh when we had a sleepover in high school, how proud he’d looked on T.’s wedding day when he danced with her at the reception. The men who spoke from the pulpit all talked about his love of family, his ability to listen, his passion for staying healthy, and his easy-going manner. I remember all of these qualities, too, and I cried for their losses, each of those men that spoke, and for the family that would miss J. most of all.

As I followed the long line of cars in the funeral procession, I thought about all of the things people had said about T.’s dad, and I couldn’t help wondering what people might say about me if I were to die tomorrow. Would folks call me giving, a good listener, a special friend? Would I be remembered as a loving spouse, a gentle and compassionate parent, a supportive ally, a role model, an accomplished professional? What mark am I leaving on the world and on those around me? Is it anything like J.’s indelible one, one that people will always recall with a respectful sigh and a smile? I wonder.

My friend’s dad inspired a lot of people, and I am among them. If half of the good memories and happy times spoken of at that funeral are recalled at mine, I think I’ll have done OK in this mortal existence. 

Thank you, J., for the gifts you gave to me in your lifetime, and for the lessons you’re still teaching me now that you’ve made your transition. I’ll never forget you, and I hope I can live my life in a way similar to the way you lived yours.

Tarot Tuesday 3-10-09

It’s time again for Tarot Tuesday! I’m going to jump right into the questions today, using my old stand-by deck, the Rider-Waite. Here is an image of the cards:

This is a classic Tarot deck, and many people, whether they’re readers or not, are familiar with its imagery. It’s the very first deck I ever bought, and I still use it a great deal when I do readings because the symbolism speaks volumes. I highly recommend this deck, especially to beginning Tarot students.

I am going to do a very simply 3-card spread for both of our readings today. This is a more intuitive spread that ties all of the cards together in a symbolic meaning and should forecast answers to the querents’ questions for a period of 3-6 months from now. I also read reversed cards when I read with the Rider-Waite deck, which means that some of the cards may appear upside down when dealt out. I’ll explain the meanings of the reversed cards as I do with any cards as we go along.

Our first question comes from Lisa:

 “My question regards my career path. I am thinking of returning to school and I am very confused about which direction would best for me to take with it as I feel very pulled in many directions none of which are sticking out to me at the moment… Thank you! Lisa”

I shuffled the cards while keeping Lisa’s question foremost in my mind. I then knocked on the cards, cut the deck into 3 piles, and then piled the cards up in the way that felt best to me. From left to right, here are the cards that I dealt out for Lisa:

Card 1: Ten of Wands, reversed

Card 2: Queen of Swords

Card 3: Major Arcana The Hermit

The reversed 10 of Wands here indicates a lot of hard work, and possibly the feeling that nothing is being accomplished. Frustration usually accompanies this card, heightened by the fact that it’s reversed in this reading. Whatever Lisa is currently doing as a profession, she may feel that it’s going nowhere–which may account for her interest in changing direction and going back to school.

The Queen of Swords symbolizes Lisa herself in this reading and what she needs to concentrate on in order to succeed as she moves forward. This card is an indication that thought and decisive action are needed. In this reading, the Queen has turned her back on the struggle of the first card, implying that this situation will not be given her full attention as she looks into the distance toward the future. The Queen raises her hand as if to beckon understanding and clarity forward to visit her. Swords are symbolic of the element of Air, often indicating our thought processes and the way we make decisions. The best course of action for Lisa at this time is to set her intention to find the clarity of purpose and thought that she needs. 

The last card, Major Arcana card The Hermit, reinforces the energy that The Queen of Swords implied. Through The Hermit, the Universe advises a time of solitary contemplation to make the right decision. The Universe won’t tell any of us which way is the “right” way, because this would negate our free will, the greatest gift we have. The Hermit reminds us, however, that we have a direct link to Creator and to our divine purpose within us. In order for clarity to come to us, we must sit quietly and open ourselves to the messages that will be conveyed. If we block this process by worrying or by trying to rush through it, it will only take longer. We will receive the information and the understanding that we need to make the right choice–but we will receive it in Divine Time. The cards are indicating that Lisa needs to ask for clarity and then spend quiet time in meditation, setting the singular intention that her path be revealed to her. The Universe reminds her to listen to her intuition, repetitive thoughts, signals from her body, and all of these subtle ways that information will be brought to her. When she is settled, calm, and focused, she’ll receive the answers that she needs.

Lisa, I hope this helps you in some way. Thank you for submitting a question, and best wishes as you continue on your journey!

*****

Our second question today is from Candy, who asks:

“what direction is my life headed? I feel like im settling (which does not seem so bad, im doing great in school, am closer then ever with my family and i have an amazing boyfriend) but I dont want to give up on my dreams. I miss dancing and performing. Is it over? I just hope im on the right path”

Using the same method of shuffling, cutting, and dealing while concentrating on Candy’s question, here are the cards that appear for her:

Card 1: 2 of Cups

Card 2: 10 of Wands, reversed

Card 3: 4 of Cups

Candy’s question really seems to revolve around her feelings and emotions about her life. Although things mostly seem good, there is a feeling of unfulfillment and longing signified by the reversed 10 of Wands and the 4 of Cups. Cups are the suit of emotion as well as the suit of love, and Candy’s cards indicate energy in both of these areas of her life. The 2 of Cups, depicting lovers facing each other and exchanging goblets as well as meaningful glances, indicates that a great deal of Candy’s energy will be placed in her relationship over the next few months. This relationship is a loving one, and there are many good things about it. This card is a very positive indicator of where the energy of the relationship currently is and where it will continue going as the months progress. The 10 of Wands reversed, however, indicates the emotional emptiness Candy feels concerning her life path and missing her creative outlet. This card also seems to say that, although performing may have made her happy on an emotional level, the hard work of it wasn’t paying off and may have left Candy frustrated. The message here is in balancing those emotions with the ones that long for attention and the spotlight again. Can Candy be satisfied to have a fulfilling relationship, or is performing an outlet that she can’t live without? The 4 of Cups indicates that she may receive an opportunity to have another stab at a creative endeavor, but she needs to decide if she wants to take advantage of it or not. It’s important to weight its impact on all areas of her life, especially how it will affect the love relationship she’s currently in. My sense is that she can perform again, but a sacrifice somewhere may need to be made, and it may not turn out to be worthwhile. I don’t think Spirit is advising giving up on a dream, but instead weighing its worth in the grand scheme of Candy’s life.

Candy, I hope this will give you some insight into what to do as you move forward. Good luck, and thank you for allowing me to serve!

*****

Thank you all for being a part of Tarot Tuesday! Please send in your questions for next week’s blog, and stay tuned later this week for thoughts on religion in America.

Blessings and love to all!

Drive-By Monday

I’m hard at work on my new manuscript, SPIRIT FAQ, but I wanted to take a moment to post a few items today.

*****

I’m thrilled to be the featured “Mommy Blogger” on Michelle Brownlow’s blog, MY SEMBLANCE OF SANITY. To check out the interview, go here:

http://michellekemperbrownlowwrites4kids.blogspot.com/

Much appreciation to Michelle for allowing me to babble on and on about myself on her blog!

*****

Some things to write on your calendar:

I’ll be chatting again with Jamie on Paravision Radio on Friday, March 20 at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. We’ll further discuss my book SO YOU WANT TO BE A MEDIUM? as well as other assorted fun, metaphysical topics. I hope you can join us:

http://www.para-x.com/paravision.html

I’ll also appear on Tarot Talk on Sunday, March 22 at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Raven hosts a wonderful, interesting show every week, and we’ll be taking calls on the air for questions and readings. Go here to tune in:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/matarotwellness

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My office partner, Joanne Franchina, and I are very excited to welcome international medium, speaker, and author Sharon Klingler back to the Cincinnati area. Read on for all of the information concerning a weekend of terrific events featuring Sharon:

Download a Flier for this Special Event

Download the Registration Form for this Special Event

Download a Flier for this Special Event

Download the Registration Form for this Special Event

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Don’t forget that tomorrow is Tarot Tuesday here on the blog! I’ll be answering as many questions as I can using the art of Tarot divination, so please check back to see if your question is answered. And if you haven’t submitted one yet, what are you waiting for? Send your question via the comments section or to me directly at info@vandeneynden.biz

Love and light to you all on this beautiful Monday.