The very first time I came across the Tarot, Rider Waite Deck, I was 16 and the cards belonged to the man that would be my husband 5 years down the road. The very first time I saw the Tarot, I had no clue that I would one day learn about the cards and activate many levels of intuitive awareness along the way.
The very next time the Tarot entered my life, I was 27 and this time I had a very strong pull to learn about them and eventually read professionally and teach how to work with the cards.
When I began doing Tarot readings professionally, I would work with the Celtic cross layout and although I used this layout, I allowed my intuition and my empathic sense to guide me, for what was needed for my client in the moment. There were many times, while doing a reading, I would try to go back to the format of my book learning, however, found that being empathic, with high intuition, I had to allow my intuition to guide me, to reading, at a deeper level for each person.
While conducting a reading, my approach was a bit different, almost untraditional to the standard way for reading the Tarot. I noticed that when reversed cards came up in the reading for, or other cards like "Death, Devil and the Tower", panic would set in and it was then, that while conducting my reading, I found myself being guided to teach my client about the cards that came up in their layout, in a sense, assisting them, to tuning into their own inner knowing.
There are times in our lives, where life changes began to call us and at first, when these changes call for our attention, it is possible to experience fear and confusion about the changes. Having a reading conducted, to address these life changes, begin to sort through the confusion and bring much needed information to the process.
It has been 25 years and 1000's of readings, that I would eventually discover, that a reading is a two way exchange. It is my job and responsibility to be clear, open and receptive and present the information that will assist and guide each individual to trust in themselves and to share much needed insight for the clients life changes.
One of the many things that I discovered in the years working with the Tarot, is that our intuition and inner knowing, evolve and grow, to accommodate the life changes taking place on the planet, for each individual. In the past, when reversed cards were present in a reading, the reversed position was viewed as a negative. As my abilities grew and evolved, I began to notice that when reversed cards were present, I was taught and guided, to go deeper, to understanding the true purpose of what the reversed card wanted to convey.
Today, when conducting a reading for a client and a reversed card(s) is present, I now understand that the reversed card represents the shifting emotions, that the client is experiencing while in the middle of their life changes.
It is now, that I understand how to tap into and present new tools, to approach our shifting emotions, that become present in our life changes. It is now, through my own life experiences, when at times, I believed that change was a negative, however, when going deeper under the surface, for a more informed understanding, that the negative, was the possiblity to learn what was necessary and how to transform the negative to a new level of awareness. It is now, after my own life experiences, that when a client wants to understand why there are so many negatives, that I can present new tools, that transform the negatives, into new opportunities for growth.
Back in the day, at the beginning of my journey, reading professionally, although predictions were not a part of my reading, the readings were general. It is because of my life experiences and utilizing the Tarot, during intense emotional shifts, that the Tarot would become my guide and teacher, in bringing new understanding to evolving our emotions.
Conducting a reading ~ whether for life changes or shifting emotions, is an excellent way, to step out of the fear and confusion and learn how to go beyond, what we think we perceive on the surface of our life.
Conducting a Tarot reading today, is about bringing insight, understanding and awareness, to the deeper levels of our life.
A Tarot reading, when utilized with the deepest of respect, brings to each of us, the greatest gifts of insight on our journey.
Happy Journey.
Books You Might Enjoy:
Wouter Hanegraaff - Dictionary Of Gnosis And Western Esotericism
John Dee - Table From Liber Loagaeth French Version
Tuesday Lobsang Rampa - The Saffron Robe
Robert Wang - The Qabalistic Tarot
John Dee - La Tabula Sancta French Version
