Tarot Tips: Insight, Intuition & Instinct
Published: Sat, 08/01/15
There are several terms used in spiritual and occult topics... You're receiving this email because you expressed interest in The Tarot School. PLEASE DON'T MARK IT AS SPAM. You can unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of this page. If you have trouble reading this issue of Tarot Tips, you may see it and other back issues at http://tarotschool.com/Newsletter.html
![]() Newsletter of The Tarot School
http://TarotSchool.com ISSN: 1529-0565 Vol. 7 #7 / August 1, 2015
In this Issue: - Welcome
- Tarot Tip: Insight, Intuition & Instinct
- Tarot School Aphorism
- What's Gnu?
- PsychWise: Ask Dr. G. – Repeat Business: The Art of Giving a Useful Tarot Reading - Tarot Card Showcase: 7 of Swords
- Best Practices: Are Online Star-Rated Review Sites
Helpful or Harmful to Readers? - Cool Tarot Product
- Upcoming Events
Welcome to a new issue of Tarot Tips!
And a special welcome to our new subscribers.
There are several terms used in spiritual and occult
topics that are often interchanged or loosely associated to mean something specific. What are the differences between insight, intuition and instinct? It is believed that the continued use of tarot helps build strong intuition. This issue offers developmental tips for doing so. Honest feedback and praise have become the norm for online consumers. Nothing aggravates professional practitioners more than users who leave negative or dishonest comments. ‘Best Practices’ weighs in on the virtues, or lack thereof, of online review sites. The Seven of Swords is showcased this issue, and our own Dr. G offers an interesting perspective on why clients and repeat business are relevant to therapists and readers alike, and suggests strategies to maintain a thriving practice. And one more thing...
Would you like to feel balanced, whole, and supported in every way? ![]() is a FREE multi-speaker event that will show you how to bring the magic of the Divine Feminine Presence into every area of your life. Our colleague, Kim Wilborn is bringing 20 wonderful teachers together for a series of one-hour calls. Each call is like a mini-class devoted to a different Goddess, complete with guided meditations! You'll be able to listen to live calls online, by phone, or via skype, and 48-hour replays will allow you to listen at your convenience. The event runs Monday, August 3 through Friday, August 14
with two or three 1-hour calls every weekday. Yours truly on the tarot journey,
Ruth Ann, Wald & Gina
Tarot Tips is here to help you with the practical side of your Tarot journey. In order to take the greatest
advantage of this newsletter, please send us your
questions regarding any aspect of your tarot study
or practice and we'll do our best to answer them
in an upcoming issue.
Spread the experience of tarot - share this newsletter with other Tarot Enthusiasts! Tarot Tip
INSIGHT, INTUITION and INSTINCT
![]() Good instincts are natural to everyone, but sharpening our intuition and keeping it keen could be said to be of utmost importance for our role as readers, and as students of systems that lead to psychic attunement. A well-developed intuition is commonly associated with mystical interests or psychic phenomena. Some assume that intuition and psychic ability fall under the same general umbrella as mystic “seership,” while others view intuition as the “inner knowing” of self or something outside of self. Intuition is regarded as instinctive understanding rather than logically thought out conclusions. Developing your intuition has the benefit of helping you to understand the nature of your world, and can elevate your experience into the unimaginable. Seers, mystics and oracles of years gone by dedicated their lives to accessing knowledge of higher realities. The ability to use your intuition to reveal important information or wisdom is a skill that can be developed, much like any other natural talent. Intuitive impressions connect to your soul as well as your mind by opening your heart to the highest possible wisdom, inspired by sources beyond what’s in front of you. Objects or sacred tools like tarot can be utilized to discover your own intuitive “signature” and help to validate the messages you receive. Each tarot card contains a composite of scenes, symbols or imagery that can prove useful in exercising your intuitive muscle. These symbols are points of departure that allow the intuitive imagination to take flight. Novice tarot enthusiasts come to realize that the cards come to mean different things in different circumstances. It's your intuition that makes the connection between your subconscious and card interpretation. So how do we work in developing this “sixth sense” with the cards? It is not very different from working with other objects, but has the advantage of pictorial glyphs. 1. Start with relaxing your body and your mind. Most people find some sort of meditation is great for this as it helps to bring serenity to the moment and increases awareness of your surroundings and sensitivity to the spirit realm. 2. Cultivate spontaneity. Intuitive impressions are best left uncensored. At first, it may be useful to write down any first impressions you get with the cards. If you find that you’re aware of your thoughts and feelings, move onto the next card. 3. Notice where impressions originate. The way your intuitive skill communicates with you may not be the same as it is for another person. Did you see the impression in your mind’s eye? Did you hear a voice, or have a physical sensation? In addition to noting what impression you got from a tarot card or symbol, also notice what sent these signals, and from where in you they originated. 4. Lay out the cards in a spread of your choice and walk away. Do not look for interpretations in a book or try to find a story line. Simply glance at each card and walk away. You can go for a walk outside or make a nice cup of tea. The idea is to take your conscious thinking off of the images, allowing them to roam around your subconscious for a bit. Walk back to the spread and then jot down any impressions that come to you. If you normally use upright cards, then reverse them all. Don't think in terms of pros and cons or upright versus ill-dignified meanings. Try to get a sense of the inclinations your intuition is offering in the moment. 5. Give attention to what you don’t “see.” Are you getting mental images that have nothing to do with what is actually depicted on the card? Pay attention to your environment and be keen to notice anything that is not normal to your surroundings, or a pain or ache that is not the norm for your body. 6. Let all these impressions speak to you, and only interpret the cards at the end and if you must. Tarot School Aphorism
![]() ![]() READERS STUDIO FIRST-TIMER VIDEO!
As we mentioned in the last issue, one of the
things we love most about Readers Studio is the collaborative energy the tarot community puts into making it consistently fresh and interesting. Angelo Nasios took it upon himself to video a number of RS15 first-timers at the end of the conference to find out what they liked best about the event. He then edited the clips together and posted the video on his YouTube channel. The result is a fun, energetic look at the Readers Studio experience. Kudos and thanks, Angelo! https://youtu.be/qJ4JbhTesgE RS16 HOTEL RESERVATIONS PORTAL Our dedicated Readers Studio hotel reservations portal is live! It has everything you need to know about your room -- and so much more. You'll be guaranteed to get the group rate, and won't have to deal with a person who doesn't know what RS or The Tarot School is. It couldn't be easier! Remember, you don't have to pay anything until you check out *after* the event is over, so there's no reason not to BOOK YOUR ROOM NOW! Click Here to see how cool it is! PsychWise – Tarot & Psychology Q & A
with Elinor Greenberg, PhD, CGP, CPTR REPEAT BUSINESS: THE ART OF GIVING A USEFUL TAROT READING Dear Dr. G:
I am an experienced Tarot reader but other readers seem to get more repeat business than I do. What can I do to increase the chance that querents will return to me for additional readings? ANSWER: When I reflected on this question, I realized that Tarot readers and psychotherapists often have similar experiences. The equivalent psychotherapy question is: “Why don’t my past clients ever refer anyone to me?” In both cases, I think the answer generally boils down to the issue of usefulness. In my opinion, the least useful form of psychotherapy involves the therapist who simply listens sympathetically as the client complains week after week, never challenges the client’s perceptions, or teaches the person any new skills. Clients generally leave this type of session somewhat relieved to have expressed their feelings and pleased by their therapist’s interest, but no wiser about what to do in their day-to-day life than when they walked into the room. The equivalent type of Tarot reading is so bland, general, and reassuring that it makes little or no impact on the querent. We all have had that type of reading. We ask our question, the Tarot reader lays out a spread, and then proceeds to tell us very little that actually applies to our situation; or conversely, tells us so much that we leave confused. I had been getting readings like this for years before I became a Tarot reader myself. However, my experience changed for the better once I learned to read Tarot and began to go to the Tarot School’s “Readers Studio” conferences. There I had access to some of the best Tarot readers in the world and I discovered that a different type of reading was possible, one that actually helped me make important decisions and get useful insight into my life. When I analyzed what made those Tarot readings so memorable that I sought out those same readers again and again, some general principles jumped out at me. 1. Stay focused on the querent’s specific question. This may seem obvious, but when I go for a reading, I generally want specific guidance about a particular issue that is troubling me, or a decision that I have to make. My favorite readers stay focused on my question and I leave the reading with some very specific guidance. An example: One of my most useful readings was by James Ricklef at a Readers Studio conference. At that time, I was trying to decide whether to focus my energies on writing and publishing papers (something easy for me to do) or go back to work and finish one of the three books that I was writing (something that felt hard). James’ reading was very definitive and it definitely suggested that for now, I should focus my energies on my papers and leave the books for another time. I left happy and very clear about my next step. This reading contrasts with many readings that I have received over the years that either never answered my question at all or simply gave me vague reassurances that all would be well no matter what I chose to do. 2. Don’t do long and complicated readings with lots of cards. I find that I have a limited ability to take in information. If the important points are scattered among multiple cards and I am given lots of information, I start to lose focus and tend not to remember what has been said. If it is hard for me, a Tarot expert, to take in so many different points, it is nearly impossible for the average querent. If you do insist on using a favorite spread with over a dozen different positions, please be sure to sum up your findings at the end in a way that answers your querent’s specific concerns. An example: I once got a long and complicated reading from Robert Place with his beautiful Alchemical Tarot deck. Just when I was beginning to feel lost and overwhelmed by the amount of information that I was receiving, he stepped back and pointed to one card in the spread: Key 3 The Empress. In this deck she is naked and leaning seductively against a tree. Bob artfully used this card to sum up the entire reading and said: “Right now, you are the seductive Empress. You do not have to chase after what you want. You can relax and be your beautiful and alluring self, and what you are now seeking will come find you.” I left that reading very satisfied because everything that I really wanted to know right then was contained in Bob’s summation of that card. 3. Avoid being overly reassuring and glossing over the “bad” cards. Some of the most boring and useless readings that I have ever received involved readers who became uncomfortable when some of the so-called “bad cards” showed up in my reading, such Key 16 The Tower or the 10 of Swords. Instead of simply reading the cards as best as they could and giving me a coherent and accurate reading, these readers twisted and turned in order to find alternative meanings for these cards that might make them seem more hopeful. Or, if they didn’t know that I knew Tarot, they simply skipped them entirely and gave a positive reading that the cards themselves did not support. Nobody likes to be the bearer of bad news, but sometimes the truth is exactly what the querent needs to hear. An example: In retrospect, one of the most enlightening readings that I ever received was from a reader named Cassandra who was giving free readings at a new store in my neighborhood. I had my very bored and restless eight-year-old daughter with me. We waited in line for ten minutes, which must have seemed forever to my daughter. Finally it was my turn. Cassandra read with two sets of Major Arcana cards and no minors. Key 16 The Tower showed up in a prominent place in my reading. Just as Cassandra was explaining to me that this card could mean, among other things, a sudden insight that shakes one’s foundation or a fall from heights, my daughter suddenly slipped and fell and started crying. I had a sudden and unforgettable “Aha!” experience. Here I was hoping that a Tarot reading would give me insight about how to be a better person, yet I was totally ignoring my daughter. That was definitely a “Tower” moment for me. The synchronicity between Cassandra’s explanation and my daughter’s fall taught me an important lesson about my self-centeredness. 4. Leave room for doubt. I have no patience with Tarot readers who are totally certain that whatever insight they have about the cards must be correct. I was once at a Tarot conference when an experienced reader who believed in the infallibility of her psychic powers did a reading for a new and impressionable Tarot student. I was only half listening to the reading, when I heard the reader suddenly and loudly say, “Oh no! Your sister is going to die!” Needless to say, the querent became very upset and immediately left to call her sister, who turned out to be fine. Nonetheless, the seed of doubt had been firmly planted and the querent could not enjoy the rest of the conference because she continued to worry about her sister’s health. I ran into the woman two weeks later and asked her about the prediction. She said that it had ruined the conference for her and the only person in her family who had turned out to be at all ill was a distant cousin. The reader was simply wrong. 5. End your reading on a positive note, ideally with something that your querent can do or think about that relates to their specific situation. I am recommending the obvious, that you do not end a session by telling the querent that someone important to her is likely to die soon or any other dire news. We will all experience terrible, painful things in our lives that we cannot avoid. Simply telling us about them in advance is of little use to us (even if the Tarot reader is correct in her prediction unlike the one I described above). However, although we may not be able to change these events, we do have some leeway in how we choose to deal with them. One of the things that I like to do when a reading appears to be about to end on a bad note is to keep laying out additional cards until a clearly positive card turns up. The number of cards between the negative card and the next positive card gives me some useful information about how long the challenging situation is likely to last and how seriously the querent should take it. Let me give two examples using the same outcome card: the 5 of Pentacles from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. This card depicts what appear to be two poor people trudging through the snow, with the smaller figure on crutches with a bandaged leg. They are passing a building with a stained glass window that has a pattern of five pentacles arranged like the first five sephiroth on the Kabbalistic diagram of The Tree of Life. This card is often associated with poverty, financial and physical challenges, or homelessness. Querent 1: Outcome card is the 5 of Pentacles and the next card is the Ace of Pentacles (A ‘good’ card immediately follows the ‘bad’ card). Querent 2: Outcome card is the 5 of Pentacles, then a reversed Key 10 The Wheel of Fortune, an 8 of Swords, and finally Key 17 The Star (In essence, there are two more ‘bad’ cards before a ‘good’ card finally shows up). In the first case, with Querent 1, I was able to reassure her that although she might briefly feel poor and hopeless, a new opportunity was going to quickly come her way that would improve her situation. With Querent 2, I told her that some patience would be required of her. She might begin to feel as if luck was against her, but just when she started to really feel worried and trapped, everything would turn around and end up going in a very positive direction after all. I then picked up the final card, Key 17 The Star, and asked her to look at it closely. Like most people, she said that she liked this card and it made her feel relaxed and hopeful. I suggested that she picture this card whenever she needed a reminder that her future held good things and that the world would be generous with her. Summary If you want to increase the likelihood that querents will return for additional readings and recommend you to their friends, be sure your readings are clear and to the point, sufficiently exciting that the reading keeps their interest, and that you end with something positive that they can think about afterwards. A good Tarot reading, like good psychotherapy, reveals what has been hidden, shines light on the path ahead, and suggest which attitudes and actions are likely to prove productive. The best Tarot readers, like the best psychotherapists, end the session in a way that dramatically highlights what is most useful and important for the querent to remember, as both James Ricklef and Robert Place did for me. ![]() is an internationally renowned Gestalt therapy trainer who specializes in teaching the diagnosis and treatment of Borderline, Narcissistic, and Schizoid adaptations. She has been studying tarot since 1995 and is psychology consultant to The Tarot School, where she earned a Third Degree in Tarot. She is a member of B.O.T.A. (Builders of the Adytum) and has been certified as a professional tarot reader by the American Tarot Association. Tarot Card Showcase
In this section we will feature tidbits on a specific tarot card. While there are many systems and decks to choose from in
the world of tarot, here we use the Universal Waite Tarot
images and symbols.
Copyright 1992 U.S Games.
![]() 7 OF SWORDS
Attributions:
Astrological Attribution:
Moon in Aquarius
Qabalistic Attribution:
Victory in the World of Formation
Element: Air
Esoteric Title: Lord of Unstable Effort
Traditional Meanings:
Daring, impulsive, alone. Crafty, indirect, insolent, slippery. A master of tactics, he avoids confrontation. Shameless, fearless and cheerful, no respecter of the Establishment or its rights or property, he has a light touch in heavy matters. Sometimes he steals things or ideas, sometimes he plants them. The hidden critical factor, he can precipitate or defuse a volatile situation. Effective in the short term, he is a monkey wrench in the works, a lubricant in sticky situations, and the bubble-gum that holds things together. James Bond. Spy, hypocrite, deceiver, manipulator, researcher, thief. Taking action; hidden motives; indirection and misdirection; gathering evidence; close shave; coup. Imagery: Figure in Foreground: The element of surprise; an unexpected turn of events Red Hat and Boots: Symbols of action and energy Fur Trim: Symbol of the shapeshifter, master of the lunar powers of change and disguise Figures in Background: Refer to the Aquarian predilection for causes and communal action Tents: Temporary dwellings, symbols of the fast-changing phases of the Moon — the designs on the tent flaps (circles and wavy lines) refer to the Moon in Aquarius. Excerpted from The Tarot School Correspondence Course
http://tarotschool.com/Course.html You've found the back door to the
2016 Readers Studio! Enter now to get a 7-month payment plan! ReadersStudio.com Best Practices for Professional Readers
ARE ONLINE STAR-RATED REVIEW SITES
HELPFUL OR HARMFUL TO READERS? By Gina Thies
The Internet has essentially changed how readers and
querents find each other. It has become easier for consumers to find a diviner who has an online presence, but not so easy to decide if they actually will meet a particular need. Many people research services or products to make informed buying decisions, and online reviews and testimonials are becoming essential to the buyers' decision-making process. Or are they? It is all too easy for a disgruntled client to make their dissatisfaction known to the public by leaving a less than praiseworthy comment about the type of reading they’ve received. And it is a hassle to have negative reviews removed. Many e-commerce sites use a system that authenticates reviews by verifying genuine sales or membership. Sites that are “crowdsourced-based” rely on algorithms to weed out untrustworthy reviews and those that violate their policies or guidelines. In a recent article on Fortune.com by Colleen Kane, she mentioned, “one source estimated that 30% of consumer reviews are fake” (http://fortune.com/2015/05/06/yelp-alternatives-reviews/). Untrustworthy reviews were such a problem on a site frequently used by readers that many displeased merchants filed lawsuits. On the other hand, when a client is dissatisfied and gives negative feedback, the reader often reaches for the “I didn’t tell them what they wanted to hear” excuse and is being unreasonable, rather than understanding or acknowledging that a reader has some level of responsibility for the quality of the reading. But that is a whole other talk show, as they say. As to whether the sites that offer reviews are beneficial to any business, many people recommend that reviews be taken with a grain of salt. I once was told that people are more likely to talk about the bad service they’ve received rather than give recommendations or talk about their satisfaction with a service. Why? Negative events overall have more of an impact on one's psychological state than positive ones. We have to be aware that writers of these reviews may or may not be equipped to write well-considered critiques. Most reviews are laced with skewed perceptions, both positive and negative, and whether reviews overall contribute positively to the consumer experience remains a question. The usefulness of reviews in any individual situation remains a personal matter for the consumer, and as always, caveat emptor. But online product and service reviews are a fact of life. For me this all goes back to being of service as a reader and making sure you actually take care of your customer. Have a conversation with them before you flip cards to find out their expectations and explain what they can expect from a reading with you. After the session is over, don't let your querent leave without getting their feedback. Very often, before they walk away or hang up, you can get a sense of their satisfaction. In my experience, when customers spend their hard-earned dollars and aren't happy, they will say so. That's the time to see if there's any way you can give them some satisfaction. (Keep in mind, that's not always possible.) I think it is just good customer service to contain an issue before it escalates in the form of a public negative review. Cool Tarot Product
TAROT T-SHIRTS
Anyone who has known us for awhile will think it's
hilarious that we'd tell you about Tarot T-Shirts, as it's the one venture we attempted since starting The Tarot School that was a definite mistake. If you'd like to know the gory details, you can read about them on our website here: http://tarotschool.com/OurStory.html To be fair, we attempted to make a go of it before the advent of CafePress, Zazzle, etc. so perhaps you can grant us a pass. :) On the other hand, the folks at German-based Tarot T-Shirts started a venture putting some edgy (and frankly provocative) original tarot designs from independent artists and designers from around the world on T-Shirts, mugs, posters and more. They're just getting started so not all the cards are available yet, but what they have so far is pretty cool. http://tarot-tshirts.com Tarot Salon
Forest Hills, New York
August 3, 10, 17, 24 and 29 Our popular Monday night Salons are the
hottest thing in tarot instruction!
August 23, 2015
Come hang out with us on the phone at our monthly informal get-together.
It's a great chance to catch up with each
other and brainstorm new ideas.
http://tarotschool.com/RSTC.html
![]() San Francisco Bay Area Tarot Symposium August 15 – 16, 2015 DoubleTree Hotel San Jose, California http://dodivination.com/ Join our 7,200+ fans and join the fun!
Up to the minute news, mini lessons and more...
Do you have a question or comment on anything tarot?
Suggestions for future topics?
Contact [email protected]
For information on tarot classes, courses,
events and more, go to TarotSchool.com
![]() © Copyright 2015 The Tarot School - All Rights Reserved
Directors: Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone
|