Healing is a Lifelong Journey

Have you ever wondered why there is so much focus on the concept of ‘healing’ in spiritual and metaphysical communities? And, have you ever wondered how to differentiate between those providing real opportunities to improve wellness and those who are selling banal platitudes, useless remedies and false hope?

From the moment we are born until the moment we die, life is full of pain and trauma, and potential injury to body, mind and spirit. Yet, we humans are fantastically resilient. We are literally built to heal.

For centuries philosophers have wondered about the meaning and purpose of human life on planet earth. I have come to believe that healing is the purpose of the human experience.

I believe that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. I believe that part of the value of that human experience is our ability to find healing and joy amidst difficulty and pain.

It is our nature to seek relief from pain, whether physical or emotion. In that seeking we are in danger of addiction, and vulnerable to fraud.

How can we stay on a true path of healing? We must vet each teacher, each modality, and each practice with logic. We must understand that healing will mean different things for different people. For one person who has lost mobility, for example, healing might be regaining the ability to walk. For another, the greatest healing possible might be acceptance, and learning to live a good life within those limitations.

One way to spot fraudulent healing claims is to take careful note of healers who promise the impossible. Yet, how can we dismiss what has been deemed impossible as fraud, but still leave room for miracles?

I think part of healing great physical difficulty requires a certain balancing act between realism and hope. On one hand we must accept what is, on the other, we must know that sometimes miracles happen. Yet, we must also recognize that any person claiming to be a purveyor of miracles is suspect. Finding the balance between the rational and the spiritual, the logical and the hopeful, is always a tricky part of the healing journey.

Emotional healing can be even trickier. One thing I often say is that every parent gives their kids something to tell a therapist. No matter how lucky we are to have great parents or a privileged childhood, we all spend most of our adult lives recovering from the first twenty years. Those who were not so lucky as children have an even more difficult path.

The way to embrace healing in this case is to be a survivor rather than a victim, and to be a thriver rather than a survivor.

Part of human resilience is our natural ability to heal. Healers, modalities and practices can do nothing more than assist our own natural abilities. In the end, we ourselves are the miracle.

When we understand that our entire existence is, on some level, meant to be a journey of healing, we also understand that we are each our own best healer.

Part of being a good self-healer is seeking out the help we need, finding the tools and modalities that work for us. Along with that, we must be ever mindful to avoid frauds, spiritual bypassing, and falling into the role of victimhood.

Perhaps a first step toward healing is about finding the balance between hope and acceptance, digging deep and staying positive, living in the moment and planning for the future, and faith and logic.

When we can achieve and maintain those balances, the lifelong journey of healing can be a joyful one.

The StaarCorner

As many of you have already heard, we at StaarCon have made the decision for StaarCon 2021 to be online only, due to the continuing health concerns associated with the pandemic. We plan that StaarCon 2022, which will be January 21-23, 2022, will be hybrid event, with opportunities to gather in Palm Beach Gardens for those who can, and opportunities to attend online for those who find that more convenient.

If you have already purchased a ticket for StaarCon 2021, we will be in touch with you shortly. If you have not yet purchased your ticket, we are in the process of updating our website to reflect these changes. If you were not going to be able to travel to attend StaarCon this January, consider how easy it will be to attend this conference from the comfort of your home.

We are working to build an online conference that will be robust and interactive. We will have a virtual exhibition hall and psychic fair, just as we had planned to do in person. We will have a strong lineup of speakers, as you can see on our website.

One of the advantages of the virtual event is that you will have the opportunity to view the presentations you missed live in archive. That is but one way we are working to add value to the StaarCon experience.

We are excited for the StaarCon community we are building, and glad that you are a part of it!

Join us for a Tarot Class on Zoom

Tarot is a book of spiritual wisdom in picture form. With it, we are able to learn about ourselves, communicate with others and understand our world.

The sixteen Court cards of the tarot, that is, the Kings, Queens, Knights, Pages, are some of the most versatile cards in the deck. The Court cards can help us understand ourselves, our talents, our fears, and our motivations. The Court cards can also represent the people around us and help us understand our relationships with them.

On Thursday, November 19, from 7 pm to 9 pm EST, I will be teaching about the Court cards in a class called “Your Journey Through the Tarot Court”.

In this class you will learn a variety of ways to interpret the tarot Court cards when they appear in a reading and find all the possible messages within them.

This class is appropriate for tarot students at all levels of experience and knowledge.

Class fee is $37.50. Register now on Zoom.

Healing with Tarot

There are many ways we can use tarot on our journey toward emotional and spiritual healing.

Perhaps the three most important are contemplation, divination, and manifestation.

Each tarot card contains spiritual lessons and insights. When we study tarot, we learn these spiritual lessons, just as we learn the lessons of any sacred text. These lessons become lifelong partners on our healing journey.

In divination, we can ask questions and use spreads designed to give us insight and healing on our journey. We can work with a competent tarot professional to help find our healing.

In manifestation, we can use the cards to help us visualize our success. We can direct the energy of specific cards to lend support to our healing.

When we work with tarot in this way, we find that the cards are much more than a fortune-telling device. The cards can become a tool for our healing journey.

The Week in Review

This week I shared a review of Gita Rash’s new oracle, The Mahabharata Oracle.

I have a lot of great free meetups and workshops coming up this month on my YouTube channel. Make sure you check out the StaarCast channel as well, it’s our new podcast about all things StaarCon!

I do six live broadcasts a week on Facebook. Four are on my Facebook business page, and two on the StaarCon page.

From Around the Web

Here is an interesting discussion of the benefits and pitfalls of manifesting.

I was thrilled to see this article from NBC about Black women embracing tarot and traditional spiritual practices .

It’s a new month! Here are your horoscopes for November.

Cards for Your Consideration

The Three of Swords is a card that often makes us say “Ouch!” when it appears in a reading. Even for the tarot client who knows nothing of tarot study, this image really says it all.

When we see this card, there is obvious pain, suffering, betrayal and/or heartache.

Yet, something else is inherent in this card that we do well to remember.

In this card is the opportunity for healing and growth.

We can’t sugarcoat pain and grief. We must hold space for the process of suffering. Yet, we must find a balance in knowing that along with pain comes an opportunity for healing that may be even greater than the pain itself.

Upcoming Events and Tours

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 45
November 4, 2020

Keep Trying or Walk Away?

There are many times in life when we have to make a clear decision. Should I keeping trying, or should I walk away?

We might ask this question in regard to a relationship, or to a business venture, or as we try to master a new skill.

There are two pieces of common wisdom about this conundrum which contradict each other. One is something I heard very often as I was growing up. I bet you did, too.

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.

The other is a quote often misattributed to Albert Einstein.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

It’s easy to see the wisdom in both.

What are the factors we need to consider when making this sort of decision?

If what we are working toward is something that is likely to get better with practice, trying again is usually the right thing to do.

If what we are working toward is something that requires teamwork, and other team members aren’t on board, it is probably time to walk away.

If what we are doing is based on a firm ethical stance, we probably need to stay the course.

If what we are doing is based on what someone else thinks we should do, we may not have the commitment needed to succeed.

Over my years as a tarot reader I have seen countless stories of people who have finally found success after trying and failing many times. I have also seen people waste a lot of time and energy on something that had very little potential even from the beginning.

In the end, it seems smart to rely less on common wisdom and more on the logical assessment of each individual situation.

It is also true that we need to look closely at our own motivations. If we know the truth about why we are doing something we will have an easier time deciding if we should indeed continue to try to do that thing.

This is an area of life where divination can be extraordinarily helpful, not to predict what we will do, but to help us weigh  and understand our decision more carefully.

The StaarCorner

Our most recent episode of StaarCast is super-special because it is an interview with Benebell Wen, one of our two headlining presenters.

Benebell will be presenting both Saturday and Sunday. In our interview she shares her topic for her Sunday presentation.

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

Join Me for a Free Library Presentation on Zoom!

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 29 at 6 pm, I am happy to be presenting my program about the art, history and culture of tarot on Zoom, courtesy of the Land O’ Lakes Library.

This is open to anyone who registers. Simply visit the Pasco Library Events Calendar, or their Facebook page.

Keep Trying or Walk Away Tarot Spread

Here is an enlightening tarot spread you can try when you are stuck in this dilemma. Arrange the cards in any pattern that feels right.

Card One: This is what happens if you keep trying without making any changes.

Card Two: This is a change you can try to make your attempts more successful.

Card Three: This is your outcome if you keep trying with the change suggested in Card Two.

Card Four: This is what happens if you walk away.

Card Five: This is your best reason for walking away.

Card Six: This is something you need to consider as you make this decision.

The Week in Review

This week I wrote a blogpost that was inspired by something that came up in a class on the suit of Cups which I taught on YouTube.

Make sure you catch my social media broadcasts, either live or in archive, on my Facebook business page, on the StaarCon page, and on my YouTube channel.

From Around the Web

Some of my blogposts have caught the attention of Italian tarotists Martino Coppola. With my permission, he has been translating his favorites into Italian and publishing them on his website!

My friend Jenna Matlin, who will be presenting at StaarCon, shared an article on Medium about distance readings.

Here are some tarot spreads for Halloween.

Cards for Your Consideration

Our topic this week might cause us to consider cards that speak of three different things. There are cards that speak of the need to make a decision. There are cards that speak of walking away. And, there are cards that speak of tenacity. When we see all three in a reading, we might have a sense that we are facing this question about whether to keep trying or to walk away.

My favorite cards to speak of the need to make a decision are the Two of Swords, the Seven of Cups, and the Lovers.

My favorite cards that can speak of continuing pursuit of the goal are the Nine of Wands, The Knight of Swords, and the Seven of Pentacles.

My favorite cards that can speak of walking away are the Eight of Cups, the Five of Cups, and the Six of Swords.

There are some cards that can express motion, like the Chariot, but won’t, without the context of a specific question, position, or surrounding cards, let us know whether the motion is toward the goal or away from it.

Events and Tours

Thanks to everyone for their birthday wishes!

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 44
October 28, 2020

Little Bites

You may have heard the Chinese proverb that “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step’”.

This week at the tarot table I have talked with so many people who are feeling overwhelmed, for a variety of reasons.

Though their situations were different, the ultimate question was the same.

“How do I handle this?”

While the cards had specific and individual advice for each person, they all each received a similar message as well. That message is a bit of wisdom that is good for all of us to remember.

When facing a daunting task, don’t tackle it all at once. Don’t get ahead of yourself in figuring out how you are going to manage the things that will come in the future. Look at what is on your plate today, right now, and take it in manageable little bites.

Some people call it taking ‘baby steps.’ I don’t love that analogy. Babies take small, wobbly, faltering steps because they don’t know how to walk. Addressing something that feels overwhelming in little bites takes wisdom and mastery.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed when we look at the whole of a thing, whether that thing is starting a business, catching up on piled up work, going through a divorce, or healing from a loss. Yet, when we focus simply on one task at a time, our mission becomes bearable and doable.

It can take some finesse to figure out what the little bites are, and what in what order they must be done. That’s where divination, counseling, or a trusted expert can help.

It’s important to remember this, too. The bigger the task, the better the reward will be when we get through it. When we are suffering, it is hard to consider that there will come a time when we will feel joy once more. When we are overwhelmed, it is hard to know that there will come a time when we will be able to relax. Yet, when we chew through our difficultly in little bites, eventually we will get to the other side of it.

The StaarCorner

I was so excited to interview Gita Rash for this week’s episode of StaarCast. I am working on a review of her new deck, The Mahabharata Oracle. During the interview I was surprised to learn that, years ago, I had an interaction with Gita that helped inspire her to design her deck!

Since StaarCon has a mission to honor our artists, this is a very special episode of StaarCast.

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

Visit the StaarCon website to stay up to date on all things StaarCon!

Tarot Beyond the Veil

On Tuesday, October 27, from 7 pm to 9 pm EDT, I am teaching a very special class on Zoom.

Tarot Beyond the Veil is a class about using tarot to connect with spirit.

In this class we will learn ways to use tarot for mediumship.

In a tarot reading, we can be in direct communication with our angels, guides, and loved ones in spirit. In this class, you will learn a variety of techniques to conduct these deeply spiritual readings for yourself and others.

Class fee is $37.50. Register now on Zoom.

Learning Tarot in Little Bites

One task that can seem daunting is learning the seventy-eight cards of tarot, and then learning the intricate art of seeing how those cards work together in a reading. There is so much to know and remember, even beyond what we must intuit.

Like most daunting tasks, the best way to learn tarot is in little bites. Here are three ways to do that.

Card of the Day (COTD)

Every day, preferably at the same time, draw a card at random. Look up its meaning in numerous sources, look at the image, thing about what the card might mean to you in this current moment, and other ways this card may have spoken to you at other times in your life. Journal about the card. Later on, look back and see how this card was reflected in your day or week in ways you might not have expected.

Tarot in Sections

Learn tarot one section at a time. You can start with the Majors only. Learn these twenty-two cards and do readings with only these cards. Then you can learn the Minors either by suit or by number. When you feel comfortable with a new section, add them in to your readings. Eventually you will be reading with the full deck.

One Card a Week

Put your tarot deck in order. Each week, starting with the Fool and moving forward in order from there, study one card. See how the energy of that card shows up over the course of the week. During the week, read everything you can about that card, and work to form your own understanding of it. After seventy-eight weeks, you will have a very clear understanding of the tarot cards.

The Week in Review

This week I shared a blogpost about why self-reading is important for tarot students.

I do live broadcasts on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays on my Facebook business page, and Tuesdays and Wednesdays on the StaarCon Facebook page.

I also do regular free classes and meetups on my YouTube channel.

From Around the Web

The Llewellyn blog has had some great entries lately. Check out this Third Eye Tarot Exercise from Barbara Moore.

Here is a Simple Tarot Spread for Tackling To Dos from Empath Editor.

From Healers Wanted, here is an article about tarot and anxiety.

Cards for Your Consideration

When confronting overwhelming tasks, the Sevens of tarot offer a great deal of wisdom and insight.

In tarot, I see the number Seven as related to the journey of the individual, and the journey within. These cards each describe something we can do for ourselves that no one else can do for us.

The Seven of Cups reminds us to use our imagination to consider what is available to us and warns us against fearful imaginings.

The Seven of Wands reminds us that we are able to multi-task, and strong enough to stand against multiple attacks and superior odds.

The Seven of Pentacles instructs us to tend our garden tirelessly, knowing that it will one day bear fruit.

The Seven of Swords asks us to be on the alert against treachery, but also remind us to think craftily to solve our problems.

The Chariot affirms that we are the masters of our destiny, and able to bring together what we need to move forward.

Events and Tours

Happy birthday Christiana!
Best wishes from all of us at Card and Craft.

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 43
October 21, 2020

Listening for Truth

How often have you heard someone say that you should always trust your intuition? It is a common adage. The problem is, no one seems to be able to tell you how to hear your intuition!

It is so easy to confuse the voices of fear or hope for the voice of intuition.

Whether you are working to become a more intuitive diviner, or simply trying to tune in to your guidance, it is important to learn how to hear the voice of truth within yourself.

There are many books, classes and meditations you can use to help yourself do it. For all of us, it is an ongoing practice. That is, something that we always have to work to develop.

There are a few things that have helped me in the search for that inner guidance. I will share them with you here.

The first is to remember that the voice of anxiety screams, while the voice of intuition whispers. You have to listen for the little voice.

The next is to remember the importance of the breath. Just as with meditation and yoga, conscious breathing is critical to intuitive development. When you want to listen to your internal truth, focus on your breath, and then see what comes to you.

Another important thing is to work with the chakras. Pay attention to where in your physical body you feel truth. Many people talk about a ‘gut feeling’. This means they feel truth in their solar plexus chakra, or in the sacral chakra. I tend to feel truth in my throat chakra. Many people feel it in their heart center. Play around with discovering where in your body that resonance happens.

Something else to consider is the practice of internally asking the questions. Ask your question, breath, and listen for the answer.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is the practice of compassionate detachment. When you want pure truth from the universe, you can’t be attached to what that truth is. You have to exist in that moment in a state of trust, detached from your own desires, assumptions, and fears.

Try these techniques to help you listen for your truth.

The StaarCorner

This week on StaarCast I interviewed Nancy Hendrickson, author of the forthcoming “Ancestral Tarot”.

I think you will find this conversation enlightening, as you learn that, to Nancy, the world is an oracle and our ancestors are always around us, waiting to help us heal.

Nancy uses tarot and divination as a way to connect with the ancestors, and with universal wisdom.

Nancy has combined her life-long career in genealogy with her life-long study of tarot into the fascinating study and practice of ancestral tarot.

You can view this episode of StaarCast on YouTube or listen to it wherever you get your podcasts.

Visit the StaarCon website to learn more about StaarCon and to register to attend.

Join us for Class Tonight on Zoom

Tonight, Wednesday, October 14, from 7 to 9 pm, join me for a live webinar on Zoom,

Your Journey Through the Minor Arcana: Numbers, Elements and Truth.

In this class tarot enthusiasts of all levels of experience will learn simple-yet-profound techniques to remember, understand and interpret the Minor Arcana cards of the tarot.

This class is appropriate for all tarot enthusiasts. New readers will learn basic skills, while experienced readers will discover new ways to understand and interpret the forty numbered cards of the Minor Arcana.

Class fee is $37.50. Register now on Zoom.

Intuitive Tarot

There are many methods and traditions of tarot reading. “Intuitive Tarot” can simply mean working with tarot cards without learning their traditional meanings, or the artist’s intent for the card meanings. This is a legitimate method of divination, although it can be limiting to not have the historical and traditional knowledge behind each card to help inform your reading.

That said, even the most studied reader can and should use intuition in a tarot reading.

I believe that tarot is uniquely suited to stimulate the intuition, causing a connection with spirit in divination.

Here are a few ways to incorporate intuition into your tarot reading, no matter how studied you may or may not be.

When you lay out the cards, spend a moment breathing with them. See what comes into your mind unbidden.

When you look at a card, what do you see in the image? How do you react to it? How do you see the card relating to your question, or to what is going on?

When you look at two or more cards together, how do you see them interacting?

Take a moment to see and feel what comes to you as you take in the cards. Be aware of your physical responses, the memories that may be evoked, and thoughts that come into your mind.

Then, process all of those responses in the context of the question, or the matter at hand.

When you look at each card, see if you eye is drawn to any small detail in the image. What might that detail communicate to you in this moment?

There is a mental space where liminal experience and conscious mind meet, where you can allow your intuitive mind and your logical mind to communicate, and to find answers. That is the space where intuitive tarot reading happens.

The Week in Review

This week I shared a blogpost about my concerns regarding spiritual bypassing, and how we can most effectively guard against it at the tarot table.

Remember to check out my Live Tarot Webinars Playlist on YouTube. There you will find the links for upcoming tarot meetups and classes for the month, as well as the ability to watch classes and meetups in archive. Make sure you are subscribed to my YouTube channel!

Like and follow my Facebook business page to catch my weekly live broadcasts there, and do the same for the StaarCon page to catch the lives I do there!

From Around the Web

I was surprised to see that the University of Minnesota has shared these amazing exercises for developing intuition in an effort to help their students take charge of their health and well-being.

Here is another trusted source, Psychology Today, with an article on developing intuition.

Emerald Lotus Divination offers a lot of great tarot spreads. Here is one for developing your intuition.

Cards for Your Consideration

One card that speaks very clearly of intuition is Major Arcana 2, the High Priestess. Very often, when this card appears, it is a sign that you need to seek your own truth, and that you must do that by making the journey into your own subconscious.

This card even holds a reference to communication with those who have passed on; finding your truth from the counsel of your ancestors.

The High Priestess can recommend meditation, and urge you to find that space of inner balance and silence which allows you to hear the inner voice of truth.

Upcoming Events and Tours

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 42
October 14, 2020