Invoking Inspiration

When ancient storytellers would get ready to spin a tale, they would begin with an invocation, asking their muses for inspiration. Inspiration can feel like an otherworldly thing, and perhaps it is. We often think of works of art and literature as being divinely inspired. I don’t believe that divine inspiration is only the domain of the extremely talented, however. I think that we are all able to ask our ancestors, our Higher Power, or our guides and guardians to inspire us. We all have access to the muses of inspiration.

Inspiration can be helpful in many different ways and circumstances. Inspiration may help us create a great work of art, but it may also simply help us get through the day. Inspiration may give us a practical solution to a problem or move us forward on a career path. Inspiration may help us achieve a difficult goal.

Sometimes we need to be inspired, and sometimes we provide inspiration for others. Even if we think of inspiration as something spiritual, it may also be something that we ourselves provide for others. We know that Higher Power can work through us to help others in all sorts of ways.

It’s also true that things borne of inspiration may serve to inspire others, making inspiration something that keeps on going and keeps on giving.

The next time you need to feel inspired in a general way that gives you enthusiasm for life, or in a specific way that solves a problem or allows you to create a masterpiece, simply ask for it. As the storytellers of old did, ask inspiration to move through you, and to guide you.

Along with that prayer, ask that you might be an inspiration to others. In difficult times, we all need to feel touched by something great than ourselves, and we all need to feel capable of doing great things.

Sometimes a great feat is simply getting through the day or surviving a difficult challenge. Sometimes it is doing something to help another person, and sometimes it is about creating a thing of beauty. Whatever we need or want to do, it is important to know that we are all capable of being inspired, and we are all capable of inspiring others.

The StaarCorner

The most recent episode of StaarCast features an interview with V. We are so excited to have “Your Tarot BFF” as a presenter at StaarCon.

My conversation with V. was fun and enlightening. If you are interested it what it takes to become a full-time tarot professional, or why someone might leave a respected career in order to take on full-time tarot, V. has the answers.

V. also shares with us the exciting topic for her StaarCon presentation!

You can watch the video on YouTube, or listen to it wherever you get your podcasts.

Tarot Classes on Zoom in October

I hope you will join me on Zoom this month for an exciting tarot class or two.

On Wednesday, October 14, from 7 to 9 pm EDT I am teaching “Your Journey Through the Minor Arcana: Numbers, Elements and Truth”. This class will help tarot beginners get a handle on the forty numbered cards of the Minor Arcana. Experienced readers will find new insights and perspectives to help them on their tarot journey. You can register for this class now.

As we get closer to Halloween, on Tuesday, October 27 from 7 to 9 pm EDT, I have a special seasonal class for you. “Tarot Beyond the Veil” will teach practical techniques for using tarot to communicate with loved ones in spirit, angels, guides and guardians. Register now to reserve your seat for this insightful class.

Class fee for each class is $37.50.

Inspiration Tarot Spread

Here is a tarot spread to help you find your inspiration. Arrange the cards in any pattern that feels right.

Card One: In what area of my life do I most need inspiration?

Card Two: What is the best way for me to invoke that inspiration?

Card Three: What will be the result of being more inspired?

Card Four: In what way might I inspire others?

The Week in Review

This week I taught a class on YouTube about the suit of Cups. In turn, that class inspired a blog post.

You can catch me live on YouTube five times a month, and on Facebook four times a week.

From Around the Web

Check out this tarot spread for Seeking Inspiration from Emerald Lotus Divination.

I was thrilled to find this article from Theresa Reed on The Girl Who Knows. Check out Theresa’s ideas on how to create your own oracle.

Jean Minuchin of World and Eye is teaching a mask-making and performance workshop on Zoom this month. Check it out for some great creative inspiration.

Cards for Your Consideration

While every tarot card can inspire something, there are two cards in the deck that I most often think of as being about inspiration. Those two cards have a great deal in common with one another. They are the Ace of Swords and the Ace of Wands. As Aces, they can both be about new beginnings. As the two masculine elements, they can both be about action.

How can they each reference inspiration? The Ace of Wands is the beginning, seed, and essence of Fire. Fire is the element of creativity, passion, and spirituality. It is in that seed and essence of Fire that we find inspiration. It might be inspiration to create something, inspiration that helps us understand something on a higher level, or inspiration that motivates us to action.

The Ace of Swords is the beginning, seed, and essence of Air. Air is the element of the powers of mind. That is, thoughts, ideas, communication, and integrity. The Ace of Swords can be a brilliant new idea, or a new way of thinking. The Ace of Swords can be the swift and brilliant solution to a troublesome problem.  Every inspiration originates as a thought, or an idea, which is the domain of Air, and of Swords.

The next time you see either of these cards in a reading, think about how inspiration may be playing a significant role in your life.

Events and Tours

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 41
October 7, 2020

What is a Win?

From the time we are very young, we are trained to see things we do in life as resulting in wins and losses.

In many ways, this is training for adult life, where we fight to win acceptance, affection, bonuses, contracts, and elections. We even describe the journey of health issues as a battle, where, if the disease wins, it means that we have lost.

In our recreation and exercise, from childhood and through adulthood, we compete in games and sports. There is nothing wrong with any of this. Competition is healthy and can encourage us to push ourselves forward towards success.

Yet, all the focus on winning can have some unintended negative consequences. Usually, when a competition has a designated winner, it also means there are designated losers. This dynamic can discourage us from developing cooperative structures where everyone wins.

Sometimes we fail to see the things we win along the way. Sometimes learning, growth and experience is a win, even if we didn’t take home the trophy. Sometimes we achieve a personal victory in completing a task, even if we didn’t do it in a way that wins awards.

In our society, the word ‘loser’ is one of the worst things we can call another person. Sadly, if we perceive we aren’t a winner, the only other things to be, by default, is a loser.

Part of the work I do with my clients is to help them figure out how to win; that is, how to succeed at achieving their goals. On the other hand, it is also part of my job to help people find the personal wins that are buried in their perceived losses. Sometimes, it is that perspective that means the most. 

When we feel we have lost at something, we have a hard time setting ourselves up for the next win. When we can find the wins in every journey, we have what it takes to move forward with gratitude and confidence.

The StaarCorner

As we prepare for January 2021, I am happy to announce my participation in a well-respected tarot conference held every year in England, the UK Tarot Conference.

This year the UK Tarot Conference will be held online only. That means you don’t need a plane ticket to participate.

I am speaking on Friday, October 9th. The conference is October 9-10. Check out the website and get your ticket!

Then, make sure you are subscribed to the StaarCon newsletter, StaarCast on YouTube, and following StaarCon on Facebook! Let the UK Conference inspire you to make plans to attend StaarCon!

Being part of the international tarot community is a wonderful thing for all of us, especially in these unusual times.

See You in Class Tonight!

If you are new to tarot or looking for a new perspective on your old friends, the Major Arcana class I am teaching tonight on Zoom is perfect for you.

We will focus on the lessons and interpretations of the twenty-two Major Arcana cards in ways that will make these cards relatable and easy to understand.

Class starts at 7 pm EDT. Visit the event listing on my website to learn more and get your ticket.

Reframing Perspective with Tarot

Tarot is great for helping us find ways to win. It is also great for helping us find the wins in our losses. Reframing our perspective on things that have happened is healing and enlightening. This process also helps us find our way forward.

The trick to this process is in the questions we ask of the cards. When you have been through something that felt like a loss, try asking your cards the following questions.

What did I learn from this experience?

What might I have done differently?

What is the win here?

How will this experience help me in the future?

Very often, the answers you receive to these questions, and questions like these, will give you a helpful new perspective. This will allow you to move forward. It will help you know that wins can come in many forms.

The Week in Review

This week I was excited to review the new book from Theresa Reed, “Tarot No Questions Asked”. This is one of the best tarot books I have read in a long time. Read my review, watch the video, and get the book!

Check out the playlist of Live Tarot Webinars on my YouTube channel to see what is coming up in October, and to watch anything you may have missed.

Remember to like and follow my business page on Facebook so you will be notified for the scheduled live broadcasts I do each week.

From Around the Web

It’s a new month. Here are some horoscopes and tarotscopes for October for you.

Tarot.com gives a great overview of the month, and then forecasts for each sun sign.

Here’s your tarotscopes for October by Starcana.

Nicholas Ashbaugh has your video tarotscopes.

Cards for Your Consideration

The card that is most often associated with victory, and with victory after battle, is the Six of Wands. In a reading the Six of Wands can predict success. When this card appears, we might see athletic or academic competition, or a competitive attitude.

Sometimes when this card appears reversed, we might be feeling like a loser, or dealing with a situation where we feel we will have no success.

Very often, however, the reversed Six of Wands does not predict failure, rather, it suggests that we must continue trying until we succeed.

The Six of Wands, either upright or reversed, can suggest that a solution can be found if we have the right mindset.

Upcoming Events and Tours

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 40
September 30, 2020

The Time of the Season

A new season has arrived. As the weather changes, many of us turn our attention to the passage of time. There are so many songs, poems and references to time in art and literature. Time is something we all experience, and all have in common. None of us lives outside of time. No one can avoid aging. No one has been able to avoid the anxiety that there may not be enough time to accomplish a goal.

Time brings us both change and wisdom.

One of my favorite quotations about time is from James Taylor’s song, Secret O’ Life. He says, “The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time”. This can be easier said than done, of course. Yet, I think it is true.

How we perceive time changes based on our age, and on what we are doing. Part of the secret of meditation is to take our focus away from the time that is passing.

We live in a society that puts a high premium on time. Time is money, and the busier we are the more productive we seem. Yet, many of us creative types need to seemingly waste a certain amount of time. We require a great deal of time to think. That is, time when we look like we are doing nothing, but are really processing, planning, dreaming and manifesting.

Each new season brings with it different requirements for our time, and different ways to mark its passage. As summer turns to autumn, we see the amount of daylight diminish. This may naturally cause us to feel that we have less time for some things, but more time for others.

At the beginning of a season I always like to set some goals for how I will spend my time. I have a trick for goalsetting, though. I have learned to congratulate myself for the goals I achieve without feeling guilty for the ones I miss. This is for a very specific reason. We can always anticipate how we want to spend our time. However, no matter how psychic we may be, there will always be surprises, or things we didn’t anticipate, for which we need to create time.

How we spend our time very often reflects our needs, our responsibilities, and our priorities.

In the final analysis, life is only a series of passing moments. The more we learn to enjoy those moments, the better life becomes.

The StaarCorner

I am thrilled to announce Episode # 3 of StaarCast, Art and Intuition with Kristine Gorman.

Kristine Gorman paints in oils. In normal times, she reads tarot and makes art from a tattoo studio she owns with her husband in Sonoma, California. That should be enough information to tell you that this is a very interesting interview.

In this episode, Kristine shares her vision for the tarot deck she is creating, and her joy at making Rachel Pollack the World card. You may have gotten a peek at this image when it graced the cover of a recent issue of The Cartomancer magazine.

I enjoyed my conversation with Kristine Gorman very much. I think you will, too.

You can find this episode wherever you get your podcasts. Check out StaarCast on Anchor.fm to find some links or watch the video on YouTube.

See You in Class!

Join me tomorrow, Thursday, September 24, from 7 pm to 9 pm EDT, for The Meaning and Magic of Tarot Reversals, a live webinar on Zoom.

Whether or not your tarot practice includes reading reversed cards, this is a great class to help you understand the spectrum of meaning within each tarot card.

You will also learn how to work with the energy of each card to mitigate difficult situations, and to manifest healing and change.

This class will empower you to find nuanced meanings in your tarot readings, and to use your tarot cards to easily create positive change in your life.

Class fee is $37.50. Register now on Zoom.

Then, on Wednesday, September 30, 7 pm to 9 pm EDT, join me for A Journey Through the Major Arcana of Tarot.

This is a beginner/review level tarot class! In this class you will learn about the Major Arcana, the twenty-two most important cards in the tarot deck. You will learn the spiritual lessons these cards teach us and how to interpret them in a reading.

This is a perfect class for tarot beginners, and those wishing to gain a new perspective on these important cards.

Class fee is $37.50. Register now on Zoom.

Tarot Timing

Of all the types of readings we can do with tarot, it seems that, while there are many techniques to try, the predicting of timing can be a tricky business.

Maybe that is because the future is always in flux. Maybe it is because the Universe sees the passage of time differently than we do.

I’ve found that different readers have success with different methods. So, if you are learning to predict timing, the key is to try different techniques until you see what works. The trick is, you will have to wait the amount of time you’ve predicted to see if what you thought would happen has come to pass in the time frame you suggested. It’s a good idea to get feedback on a number of predictions, rather than assume that one good prediction means that each prediction will equally successful.

The fact that it can take years to nail down a somewhat-reliable method for predicting timing is one of the reasons that taking your time and garnering experience is an important part of learning to be a good tarot reader. Clearly, it is a process that can’t be rushed.

Some of the methods you can try to predict timing are as follows.

Find the astrological sign associated with the card you drew. Whatever the corresponding time is, that is when your event will happen. The trick here is to figure out which year the event may happen.

Assign seasons to each of the four suits, and allow the card drawn to predict the season in which the event will take place. Again, predicting further out than a year becomes difficult with this method.

Assign increments of time to each suit, that is, days, weeks, months and years. Let the number of the card be the number of days, weeks, months or years it will take for the event to come to pass.

Look at the numbers that appear frequently in a spread and assign them to the most likely time increment.

Look at the numbers that appear and assign them to months. For example, a plethora of Ones suggest the event will occur in January.

Look at the images in the cards to predict the weather and use that to predict the season.

It may be that you will develop your own method, based on trial and error. As with all things in tarot learning, be patient and take your time.

The Week in Review

This week I taught a class on YouTube called Finding the Balance in Tarot. I was also happy to be interviewed on the new Ancient Wisdom YouTube channel.

My blogpost this week is about using oracle cards in psychic development.

Join me on my Facebook business page on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and on the StaarCon page on Tuesday and Thursday for live broadcasts.

From Around the Web

Nancy Hendrickson’s new book on Ancestral Tarot will be available soon. Check out her interview with Theresa Reed on the podcast Tarot Bytes.

Here’s a tarot spread for the autumnal equinox.

Are you interested in learning to predict the timing of events with tarot and astrology? Here is a great guide.

Cards for Your Consideration

Time is a keyword for a few Major Arcana cards. In the Minor Arcana, several cards can speak about a quality of time. That is, things being either slow or fast.

Both the Hermit and Temperance are, in part, about time. Because of that, both cards can caution us to be patient. The Hermit’s lamp was once an hourglass. We often call him ‘Father Time’.

Temperance uses time as one of the aspects of the perfect recipe. After all, how long you bake the cake is just as important as the temperature and the ingredients.

Another Major Arcana card that can speak of time, but in a different way, is the Wheel of Fortune. Here we see the cycles of time, and the circle of the seasons.

Three cards in the Minor Arcana that speak of time qualities are the Knight of Swords, the Eight of Wands and the Knight of Pentacles.

The Knight of Pentacles can suggest that things will or should move slowly. The Knight of Swords and the Eight of Wands suggest the opposite. These two cards predict and suggest quick action!

Upcoming Events and Tours

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 39
September 23, 2020

I Wonder What That Means

This week I had an experience that left me wondering about my tendency to wonder.

I will tell you what I mean.

On one particular day, we had two occasions to gently escort wildlife from our home. First it was a spider. Later in the day, it was a tree frog. This was the first time we had to evict visitors from our home in quite some time.

I found myself wondering about this on a spiritual level. What might it mean to be visited first by a spider, then by a tree frog?

Of course, there is a logical explanation. There was construction happening on a building close by. That could have disturbed small creatures, causing them to look for shelter. Still, I wondered. Just because something has a mundane explanation might not make it less of an omen.

I know I am not the only person who thinks about these things. Many of us look for omens in nature, and in the things that happen around us.

Sometimes we need to remember that not everything has a spiritual meaning. The fact that you saw a fox this morning might simply mean that there was a fox in your yard, and nothing more.

Yet, many of us believe that the universe sends us messages. This can happen in mundane occurrences, in animal visitors, in what we see in clouds, and in our dreams.

Sometimes it makes sense to do a formal reading to see if we can receive a larger message. Sometimes it feels like the message is coming directly from a loved one in spirit or is offering a specific solution to a current problem.

Sometimes we need to cogitate some before the meaning becomes clear.

The next time you notice something unusual take a moment to wonder if it might be a message, or if it might have a deeper meaning.

Try these steps.

Think about what you have seen, and what has happened. Breathe with it. Ask your higher self what it might mean and see if you get an answer.

Research common associations with what you have seen or experienced and see if you find anything that resonates.

Do a reading, or seek a reading, on the topic.

Allow the question to marinate for a while and see if you think of anything over time.

Not everything that happens has a deeper meaning. Yet, it feels like many things do. The universe, our Higher Power, and our loved ones in spirit find many ways to make themselves known to us.

The StaarCorner

The second episode of StaarCast features an interview with Ciro Marchetti. This is not to be missed! I had so much fun talking with the man who has helped to make modern tarot and cartomancy what it is today.

You can watch the interview on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Make sure you sign up for the StaarCon newsletter, so you never missed the latest news about StaarCon, and StaarCast.

Two Zoom Tarot Classes in September

This month I am offering two different tarot classes on Zoom. Feel free to take one or both.

On Thursday, September 24 at 7 pm EDT, join us for The Meaning and Magic of Tarot Reversals. Whether or not you typically use reversals in your readings, this class will be helpful for two reasons. First, it will help you understand the spectrum of meanings within each card. Second, it will teach you ways to add active manifestation work to your tarot readings.

On Wednesday, September 30 at 7 pm EDT, join us for a beginner-level tarot class about the Major Arcana. Journey Through the Major Arcana will introduce you to the twenty-two most important cards of the tarot deck. You will learn ways to interpret them in a tarot reading, ways to do a reading with just the Major Arcana, and the spiritual lessons these cards teach us.

Sign up now for one or both of these great classes! Class fee is $37.50 each.

Understand Your Omens with Tarot

Perhaps you have had a dream you want to interpret. Or maybe, like me, you are wondering about the spiritual significance of a frog and a spider in your home. Tarot offers us easy opportunities to find some deeper answers.

Generally, the best way to do this is to create a specific spread or have a dialogue with the cards.

Here’s an example, using my question.

Q. Is there a deeper meaning to the fact that these creatures were in my home?

A. Five of Swords Rx

My interpretation here is that there isn’t a huge omen here, but there might be some messages worth hearing.

Q. What is the message of the spider?

A. Six of Pentacles Rx

My interpretation here is that I used to be very afraid of spiders and would not have been comfortable rescuing one. That I was charitable to this spider shows my growth.

Q. What is the message of the frog?

A. The Chariot

This feels like a deeper message. Frogs hop. Perhaps I need to stay flexible, being willing to hop from one thing to another in order to achieve my goals in difficult times.

Try this technique the next time you are wondering what something means!

The Week in Review

This week we had two tarot meetups on YouTube Live. I also did three live broadcasts on the StaarCon Facebook page, and four on my Facebook business page. The ability to livestream video on social media is really amazing and helpful.

I wrote a blogpost of interest to professional readers, called Tarot Stamina.

From Around the Web

Mars is in retrograde for the next couple of months. Here’s what that could mean to you, based on your sun sign.

Here are some thoughts on the Mars retrograde from Starcana.

The Tarot Lady addresses the Mars retrograde in The Hit List.

Cards for Your Consideration

The tarot deck, and any deck of cartomancy, can be a great tool for helping us decipher the messages that appear around us. But are there specific tarot cards that might suggest that something we witnessed does indeed have a deeper message?

The card that most clear speaks to me of this is Major Arcana 18, the Moon.

While the Moon can have many different interpretations, very often it seems to tell us to look deeper.

The Moon may ask us to contemplate something more fully. The Moon may suggest that we look for a hidden meaning, or a message from spirit.

The Moon offers us a path that is not easy to follow. Yet, when we do, we may solve a mystery.

Events and Tours

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 38
September 16, 2020