Posts Tagged ‘tarot reading’

If I Could Talk To The Animals….

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

If you are in my life for any extended period, sooner or later you’ll discover a little secret: my routines are not dictated by me. In fact, my life often marches to the beat of a furry pulse. Or like I prefer to say: “it is ruled by two cats with iron paws”. They are both quite expressive and efficient at letting me know what they want or need at any given moment. I’ve learned to tune in and follow their lead.

My current buddies: TaoZen and Monkey

Many other pet owners can attest to the same connection. Our four legged friends link to our hearts and find ways to communicate with us as effortlessly as we do with fellow humans. (And in some cases, better!)

The tarot can be an effective tool for ferreting out more information about our animal companions and often my clients will come in specifically to ask about them. Questions can range from “will we get a dog” to health concerns or messages from deceased pets. I find that using the tarot in this manner can help the pet owner to make better decisions or to find peace in any situation.

Let me demonstrate a few different examples so that you can see how your tarot reading could shed light on any animal related question.

Sometimes a family may be considering getting a pet for the household. For a simple yes or no, I look for cards that may suggest a “green light” such as the Ace of Cups. This would be a good sign that the time is right for welcoming a pet into the family. If they are needing more details about what kind of pet, I’ll look for the animals present in the cards – such as the dog at the heels of the Fool or the black cat sitting by the Queen of Wands. This may give a clue as to what kind would be best for the family. Court cards can also give an idea of personalities (Page of Swords for example could be a highly intelligent puppy) so the prospective pet owner can be aware of what type of temperament they may encounter. Knowing what you are getting into could prevent issues due to personality conflicts. These creative examples are a great way to help the querent make informed decisions for the best results.

If a client wants to know about a pet’s needs, I read for the pet in the same way I would read for a human. I feel that animals have feelings and needs just like us so I see little difference when I read the cards. Here’s a sample so you can see how this works. I asked tarot “what does my cat, TaoZen, need the most right now?”

The card I pulled was the King of Pentacles. This serious card reflects TaoZen’s stoic and noble personality quite well. I have often considered him to be rather mature and dignified in his mannerisms. TaoZen also likes to be in command of his fiefdom, much like a king. This card suggests to me that he wants to feel “in control” and needs to be treated with a lot of respect. The King of Pentacles is quite well dressed and seems to be living lavishly – an indicator that TaoZen likes the good life so perhaps I need to keep those treats coming and continue to give him praise, comfort and high quality items. Apparently, my cat is a yuppie. Hmmmm……

This same rule of reading tarot as if you are reading for a human can be applied to deceased pets. I believe that spirits can communicate with us. So why not the spirit of a beloved pet? Why should this be limited to humans?

To show you how well this can work, I pulled a card to ask tarot if my dear Sparkle had any messages for me from the other side. The card I picked was the 2 of Cups. This is a beautiful image of two people bringing their cups together as if in a toast. The caduceus symbol sits between them with a winged lion figure above. This card speaks of love and healing. To me, this is a sure sign that Sparkle is sending his love and letting me know that we are still connected in spirit. I always like to say that if there was ever a true soul mate in my life, it was that cat. He understood me like no other and was my fiercest protector. He didn’t like to share me with anyone and we had a bond unlike any I have ever had with any other pet. He’s been gone for 2 years and I still think of him all the time. This was the perfect card to symbolize our relationship.

I hope these creative examples can give you an idea of how you can also use tarot to find out more about your four legged or winged pals. Look beyond the package that we come in and you may see that these animal companions are no different than us. We share the same ability to love, to feel and to understand.

‘It often happens that a man is more humanely related to a cat or dog than to any human being.’  ~Henry David Thoreau

Blessings!
Theresa

I’d love to hear your insights about using tarot to read for animals. Please post your stories in the comments section below!

PS If you’d like to see an example of a reading I did about a horse’s health, please check out this link for more.

My beloved Sparkle

I dedicate this post to my late animal companion and best bud, Sparkle.  Still miss ya, Botz.

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Posted in animals, learning tarot, reading tarot, tarot, tarot cards, tarot reading, tarot readings | 6 Comments »

Questionable Questions

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

During my typical day as a tarot reader, I get a wide variety of questions tossed at me by my clients.  It runs the gamut from typical romantic issues to more complex situations such as connecting with a departed loved one.  I never know what to expect and have always allowed my clients to feel as if they can bring any question to the table.

In some cases a client may ask something that pushes outside my comfort zone. This is not odd as you think as most tarot readers have guidelines about what is an acceptable question to ask and boundaries vary greatly from reader to reader. (For example, some tarot readers do not answer any questions about health while others have no issue with this.)  Each reader finds their own “code of ethics” that suits their needs and the needs of their clients.

I often find myself contemplating about what makes a question “acceptable” or “unethical”.  Are there some questions a reader should refuse to answer?  And if you are not comfortable with a question, is there a way to still help the client find direction? Can we safely have a universal “code of ethics” or should that be left up to the reader?

  1. Most tarot readers are NOT lawyers, doctors, stock brokers or licensed therapists.  We should never take the place of these professionals. That being said, we can answer general questions about these fields but it is still in the best interests of the reader and the client to refer them to a professional.  Doing otherwise puts the reader and the client in a possibly risky and legally compromising position.  I am careful about how I answer these types of questions and I always keep a list of professionals for referrals. An example: rather than give legal advice, I might look and see if the outcome of a case is favorable to a client.  That is still helpful for them but I am not assuming the role of a lawyer.
  2. Some tarot readers will not answer a question about a third party as they see this as “spying”.  I feel differently about this as giving a client insight into another person may pave the way for communication, compassion and understanding.  I encourage follow up questions such as “how can I help” which can empower the client to make better decisions regarding their relationships.  If you are not comfortable answering questions about others, let the client know and see if you can rephrase the question in a manner that still gives the client helpful information.
  3. Criminal activity is a dicey topic and giving advice here could put you in hot water should you be called to testify against a client.  In some situations, you might even be seen as party to a crime (ex: giving information on “how” to get away with an offense).    Yes, do not be surprised – criminals DO come to tarot readers seeking advice!  Typical questions may include  “am I being watched” and “who can I trust”.  But some may ask heavier questions and you may find yourself nervously turning over those cards, wondering if you are putting someone’s life at risk. This is where I have learned to draw the line.  In my opinion, if a person is seeking my services only to become a better criminal rather than a better person, then I need to disconnect.
  4. If you are uncomfortable with any question, it is best to be honest with your client.  See if you can rephrase questions in a way that still helps them get information while maintaining your boundaries.  And do not ever shame your client by saying something such as “that is against my code of ethics”. This makes the client feel judged for wanting the information they feel they need.
  5. A universal code of ethics may be difficult to apply simply because each reader is different and each client is unique. Some tarot organizations have a set of standards that their members agree to abide by.  This is not a bad idea but you may want to  contemplate if these guidelines work for you as a reader and ask if there is room for flexibility.  Do not agree to anyone else’s rules of conduct unless you are absolutely sure that you can stick with it.

Ultimately, this is all a matter of personal preference.  For myself, respect and compassion for my clients is always my number one priority.  I try to serve their needs in any way that I can as I know that sometimes this is the last place they turn to when they  need insight into their problems.  It is not my job to judge what they ask but to find a way to answer their questions with dignity and compassion.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on using the tarot to answer questions.  What do you feel is the best way to handle questionable questions?  Is there a way that you think clients should ask questions?

Blessings!

Theresa

image by Taoxproductions

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Posted in clients, reading tarot, tarot, tarot business, tarot readers, tarot reading | 8 Comments »

Blogging Live From RS10

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

You can’t tell by the photo above but I am in a lovely hotel room in Queens, NY, attending the RS10.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with RS10, it’s the Readers Studio, a tarot conference sponsored by The Tarot School.  For 4 days, tarot readers and fans converge on the Marriot Laguardia to learn new techniques, meet other tarot lovers, take classes with famous tarot authors,  practice reading and more!

I started off this RS10 in a very Mercury retrograde fashion – when I booked my flight, I assumed I checked “morning flight” and forgot about it until I checked it a few days ago and discovered that I was booked for an evening flight!  This meant I would miss the bus ride into Greenwich Village on Wednesday night, much to my chagrin.  I used to live in NY many moons ago and was excited to spend time with old friends.  C’est la vie.  I got in at 11PM and settled in to my room with some chocolate covered strawberries and a glass of wine.  Perhaps I could fit Manhattan in at some other point….

Today was the first day of the conference and before things commenced, I spent the afternoon with my buddy Astrogrrl, a fabulous astrologer and all around cool chick.  We wandered the neighborhood surrounding the hotel and ducked into a Dominican restaurant for a fantastic lunch complete with extra strong mango margaritas.  I am a very food oriented person and my appetite is always demanding exciting fare when I am on vacation – this place did not disappoint.

I checked into the conference and was greeted very warmly by the staff.  Tarot people are friendly folk and there were plenty of smiling faces on hand to point me in the right direction.  Today’s class was a special presentation by Ruth and Wald Amberstone, the people behind the Tarot School and authors of “The Secret Language of Tarot”.

The Amberstones taught the eager group a very interesting class called “Color, Costume and Choreography”.  They presented new ways to get quick and accurate readings by looking at these details.  Tarot is rich in symbols and a reader can add depth to their readings by bringing more awareness to them.  We had time to practice with partners and we were all pretty impressed with the results.

By the time the class ended I was exhausted….between the flight, the margaritas and lateness (I hate eating later than 7PM), I was ready to drop.  Although the cocktail lounge was filled with fellow convention goers, I knew if I was to be any good for tomorrow I would need to call it an early night.  So here I am, blogging after a light dinner and getting ready to tuck in soon.

Tomorrow’s agenda promises to be intriguing.  (And if I am ambitious, I plan on trekking into NY to visit an old friend….we’ll see how lively I am tomorrow!)

Blessings!

Theresa

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Posted in RS10, learning tarot, tarot | No Comments »