YouTube - Balthazar's Conjure: When the cards are just plain WRONG and the magic of the significator card

I've watched this video a few minutes ago now, and I'm still sitting here shaking my head, and experiencing a profound DUH! moment.



I've never been one to use personal significators within tarot because a) it takes that card out of play - you won't get the benefit of its influence/ meaning within the spread, and b) I never saw the point. And up until now, no one has ever presented me with a good enough reason to change my mind.

But if you add magick into the mix, and its power to attract the "right" cards - now I'm listening! This puts a whole new spin on things.

(So, yeah, yet another Balthazar video. I can't help it. I just click with his ideas. #sorrynotsorry )

YouTube - Balthazar's Conjure: Accurate Predictive Tarot and How NOT to Use Tarot to Hide From Life

Bloody hell. This blog is in danger of turning into the Balthazar Channel 📺. But I love his take on tarot, and this video is another winner.



Predictive tarot is a thing. Sure, I use tarot for "spiritual counselling" as well, but when I'm fortune telling I read the cards much like I would playing cards.

If you're using a deck that you've developed a deep intuitive connection with and you find you're having trouble reining in your interpretations, try using a completely different deck for predictive readings. I'd recommend a Marseille deck, or even a bog standard RWS if you don't use one already.

You could even limit yourself to just the trumps. 😱  Keep it simple, keep it clear.

I've been thinking, and having thunk...

(This relates back to my previous post, where I began to look at why I don't read with my cards more...)

... One thing that struck me is that I love my cards. Really love them. All of them.

I love to touch them, look at them, aimlessly shuffle them. I've arranged my personal space so that I am virtually surrounded by all of them. They make me feel happy and cosy and safe. Sacred space.

They all have individual voices, and one or another calls to me from time to time. And then I want to take it from its resting place and sit with it, talk to it, look into its "eyes". Do I want to do a reading with it? Not necessarily. Sometimes my hands will pull a few cards without my conscious direction. Other times I'll just commune with its essence for a while.

I'm trying make sense of this by relating it to relationships I might have with other inanimate objects. The only thing that's similar is my connection with crystals and stones.

Sometime I'll deliberately work with a specific crystal, applying its particular energies to a situation. But very often I'll just get the seemingly random urge to put one somewhere in my space or wear one or hold one in my hand for a while. They also sit near me, and are dotted here and there on the decks I have out, not to enhance or protect them, although I'm sure they do, but simply because they called to each other.

Maybe I don't read as much as I think I "should" because my connection with cards is less about divination and more about magick. My decks are sacred objects, talismans, spiritual companions.

And I think that's where I need to start...

YouTube - The Art of Lenormand Reading: The Context

"Lenormand Extraordinaire" Alexandre Musruck explains why context is everything in a reading, and how to apply context successfully.



Magnifique, Alexandre!

And this goes for all types cartomancy, not just Lenormand.

In praise of the Grand Tableau (again)

This is my favourite way to read playing cards.

Skatkarten, Französisches bild - ASS Altenburger

Ok, it's easier for me because I only use 32 cards, but you can count cards to get just 32 or 36* for a spread.

And I don't attempt to read every single card. I just home in on the interesting stuff. Laying all the cards out gives your deck the opportunity to hit you with some really juicy clusters and juxtapositions.

For instance, I've clearly left it too long to do a spread like this for myself because I'm sitting - Queen of Hearts - right at the bottom of the spread with all sorts of “stuff” going on over my head. And look at that line of three Aces with me staring intently at the bottom one. In fact, you could see that whole column as a situation “between” me and my Significant Other - King of Hearts – at the top of the spread. Who are those two Kings in the middle of the spread and what is their interest in the 8 of Spades? Perhaps the cards above can tell me more about them. And if you place a special significance on the first three cards of the spread, what might two 9s plus an 8 of Diamonds tell you?

There’s so much potential in a Grand Tableau – it’s entirely up to you how much time and energy you want to put into it.


*For 36 cards - take a 52-card deck and count by 3s through the deck, discarding cards 1 and 2, and placing #3 to the side. Repeat until the deck is exhausted (you'll have one card left over, discard it, and a pile of 17 cards). Take the discards and repeat the process - now you'll have two extras and 28 cards selected. Repeat one more time, so 3 times in all (the magickal 3 x 3 effect) and you'll end up with 36 cards and no leftovers - a nice symmetry.

YouTube - Dmitry Korolev: Les Fiancées (The Fortune-Telling Game of Patience)

Dmitry Korolev presents Les Fiancées - "The classic French fortune-telling game for probing the difficult relationships - along with some history chatter!"



I have a real soft spot for these "everyman" spreads. I think many of us, especially in the UK and North America, think we're somehow special, perhaps even spiritually advanced because we Consult The Cards™. But in other parts of the world, many people spread the cards for themselves quite ordinarily and unpretentiously. It does my heart good. 🙂

YouTube: How 'Nandora Tarot' uses her Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling cards

This is so cool!

A lot of people struggle to use Gypsy Witch cards because the deck combines elements of Lenormand plus additional symbols, a full set of playing cards, and Near and Far placement meanings (like the method found in the "Philippe LeNormand" instruction sheets that came with early Lennie decks). They don't know which way to jump first!

I love that Naomi has taken this "disadvantage" and created a magical method all her own.

Instagram - Intuitive Interview Project for October @hobosafecamp

A photo posted by Judy K (@weirdeye) on Sep 27, 2016 at 10:08am PDT

#regram
#hobosafecamp "It's not so much a #tarotchallenge as it is an attempt to focus our combined energies to raise the global #frequency to a more loving tone. Use #tarot cards, #runes, #freewriting, #photography, or any form of artistic #divination. Get creative!"

I think I could get into this. I'm not entirely sure if this is intended to be a divinatory exercise or a tarot-based art project, but I'm going with divinatory - using random card to universally "answer" the interview questions. This "universal" aspect is more clearly stated in Papa Hobo's explanatory video.

Find me on Instagram.

Tell me anything

Client: I’d like a reading, please.
Reader: Wonderful. That will be £xx, please…
        Thank you. So, what is your question?
Client: Oh. I don’t have a question.
Reader: No question?…
Client: I’d just like to know what the cards have to
        tell me.
Reader: …
Reader: Is there an area of your life you’d like some
        insight into?
Client: Not really. [smiles encouragingly]

Okay, this is not insurmountable. The reader could use a spread that would help to define an area of enquiry, giving the reading some context. Or they could take the client at their word and just throw a few cards and see what comes up. And of course, if they happen to be psychic, pfft, piece of cake.

But…

You the client have just sat down (virtually, if it’s by email) and handed over your hard-earned cash to someone you probably don’t really know… and you don’t have anything in particular you’d like to know about? You’re willing to pay good money for a random message from the universe? Surely the reason you’ve approached a card reader is because there’s something that you’d like the universe to address.

What if the universe tells you to call your mother more often? Or that your next pair of shoes will be blue? Are you going to be happy that you spent £xx for that?

And how do you feel about the message itself? Do you believe it came from The Beyond?

If you have a question and the reading then addresses that question in some sensible fashion, you can feel fairly confident that the information came from Source. If you've posed no question, you have no point of reference, and no way of satisfying yourself that it is indeed a message from Spirit and not just from the imagination of the reader. Still, it may 'feel' right to you, and if so, all well and good.

Mind you, if you really have nothing better to do with your time and your money than to get a reading just for the craic, why not spend them learning how to read cards yourself. You’ll get more out of it, I promise you. 

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How’s this for synchronicity? I was ready to post this when I took a break to check my emails, and there was one from Carrie Mallon offering her “Serving of Synchronicity Reading”:

If you are yearning to receive meaningful messages but don't have a specific "focus area" in mind for a tarot reading, this option is perfect. You will not be asked to provide any notes or context for this reading. Instead, we'll trust synchronicity. I'll ask to be guided to the cards and insights that will be most useful to you, and your reading will be a serving of random (but oh so magical) support.

See? We do try to cater for everyone. 
Find it here --> http://www.carriemallon.com/readings/ 

Repost - Art of Cartomancy: Accuracy in a Cartomancy Reading

The incomparable Kapherus says Keep it focused and keep it simple.
Accuracy in a Cartomancy Reading

Repost - Card Reader/Angelo: Fortune telling and Magic

For me, it's essential. For me, it's how it works.

Just relying on the cards is not enough. At least to my opinion. It is like using half of your abilities... Fortune telling and Magic

Divining the Dentist's Decision

I’ve had a tooth that has been giving me all sorts of trouble, frankly for years, but particularly for the past 6 months. This week my husband and I were due for our regular dental check-ups and I’d made up my mind to tell the dentist I wanted that tooth pulled!

Would he agree? Would he do it today or would I have to wait and come back another day?...

The closer we got to the clinic, the more these questions nagged at me. Eventually I thought I’d try a bit of bird augury. If the next bird I see flying across the road is heading right, the dentist will pull the tooth today. If it’s flying to the left, he won’t .

So I sat there, looking up into the sky expectantly (hubby was driving). And I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Not a single bird flew across the road in either direction for what felt like ages. It didn’t seem feasible that no birds would be flying anywhere in the vicinity during all that time.

And then finally I spotted him. One lone seagull, fairly high up, flying to the right. Tooth out today, then.

As I lowered my gaze, my eyes fell upon a street sign. Of the road my dentist is in.

Ah, that would explain it. Nice touch, guys.

Was the augury correct? Let me put it this way –

The worst part of having a tooth pulled is the crunching sound.