Four Suits of Tarot

When learning the Tarot, i found the best way to understanding all the meanings to each card is to first get to know what the four suits represent. If you know astrology then you will find it to be a bit easier.

The four suits consist of:
Wands
Cups
Swords
Pentacles

Wands represent the element of fire and the astrologic signs are: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. Wands are very passionate and full of energy. They can be intense and very creative.  Ideas come into play through creativity, take action.

Cups represent the element of water and their astrologic signs are: Cancer,Pisces, and Scorpio.
Cups represent emotions, relationships, love. They have to do with the ups and downs of love and friendships. Unions of people,  celebration,  weddings.

Swords represent the element of air. The astrological signs are: Libra, Aquarius, and Gemini.  Swords are all about communication,  thoughts and thought patterns.

Pentacles are the element of Earth.  The astrological signs are: Taurus, Virgo,  and Capricorn.  They consist of money,  finances,  practicality and career.

This is a quick overview of what each suit represents. I will write about each meaning starting with the wands first in my next blog. It’s easier to split the suits up when trying to learn 78 cards.

Look at each card and get a feel for them. The best way to learn is to go through the cards as much as possible.

Choosing Tarot Decks

When picking out which tarot deck you are going to use,  it can get somewhat confusing. There are so many decks to choose from,  and a lot of them have different ways of reading them.  The deck I fell in love with was the Rider Waite deck,  which is the most popular deck in the U. S.. Since it is so popular it is the most accessible to find meanings and read about.  That is what I have found to be true.  My tarot deck that I use all the time was left to me after a break up.  I cleansed them and set them under my pillow for about a week so they were energetically  mine.  I have a few other decks that I only use once in awhile, but I feel a deep connection with the Rider Waite. 
Anyway,  when choosing your own deck make sure you feel connected to it,  you will just know if the energy between the cards and yourself is the right one. Pick up the box that the cards are in and see how you feel with them.  Which ever one you feel drawn to is the one for you.  it’s almost like its calling you. Close your eyes(it will only take minute,  and don’t worry you won’t look foolish.  If anything you will look serious about it) ask for guidance with choosing the right deck for you.  Open your eyes and whichever one feels like its calling you that’s the one!  It’s that simple.  Don’t make it difficult, it is all meant to be loving and easy.  When you get home with your new deck of Tarot cards make sure to cleanse them before use.  There are a number of ways to do this:

*Clear any and all energy by using sage or incense.  As your waving the smoke from either say out loud, “Archangel Michael please clear away any and all energies that have attached themselves to this deck and place a loving and cleansing light on them.  Send only positivity to my new cards. Thank you” 

* sleep with them under your pillow wrapped in a silky or clean cloth, for about a week.

*sit with each card, put it to your heart chakra and ask that this card be cleared and cleansed with only good intentions for your highest good.

* always keep them wrapped in a cloth of your choosing and near you or with you throughout  the day.  Place a crystal on top of the deck, either crystal quartz or amythest. Put your intention into the Crystal to keep your cards protected, cleared and positive.

*don’t forget to get a journal ready for your practice spreads,  meanings and so forth.  You can even start writing as soon as you get them home.  The date of purchase, type of cleansing ritual and so forth… It’s your choice if you want to begin that way with your journal,  but overall a journal is very important.

Good luck with purchasing your first deck!
Next blog will be on the meanings of the cards:)

Tarot Cards

I have for the past six months now,  embarked on the joy of learning the Tarot.  Although I tried learning the tarot years ago off and on,  this was the time to really get to it and open myself up to a whole new pathway on my spiritual journey.  Not only has tarot opened my eyes to things I never took the time to realize before,  it’s helped me through my walk in this life.  It is far from bad or evil, it is what you intend it to be and help in whatever area you need help with in your life.  Be it relationships,  career, finances,  etc.
Learning 78 cards, upright and reversed,  symbol meanings and numbers,  can be quite a task and a bit overwhelming. I have found so many helpful resources through different sites and people on the internet and many books that focus on the tarot,  that it’s not as overwhelming as one might think.  Like anything else in life take one step at a time and one day at a time.  With anything that you have a love for, learning can be fun and absorbing the information is even easier then you one would imagine. 
I will post links to sites that I feel have helped me most at the end of this post.
Working with intuition is one factor you need to consider while doing your readings.  There is no wrong way in reading the cards as long as you are honest with yourself and treat the cards with respect. Using your intuitive abilities,  which we all posses, makes your readings a lot more relaxing for you and the energy your putting towards it. Now of course you need to know what each card represents,  but you do not have to go crazy with each and every meaning that you come across. Each card has its own meaning,  usually it is represented by one word so it’s not so daunting trying to memorize an entire paragraph.  That’s where your intuition comes into play.  I will get into this subject more in another blog.  Overall just enjoy learning and giving readings to others.
If you enjoy helping and being supportive in other peoples situations,  you won’t have any problems with going about learning the Tarot. 
Here are some of the sites I have found to be of great assistance to me:
http://Www.dailytarotgirl.com, http://www.learntarot.com, http://www.aeclectic.net, http://www.psychic-revelation.com.
That is just to name a few.  I hope you have a wonderful experience with learning the tarot:)

The Legendary Power of Medicine Stones

I found a piece of paper today with all different stone meanings on it. It is very interesting and I thought I would share it with you.

Agate – Guide to Mother Earth, Strong Protector

Amethyst – Stimulates Psychic abilities .  Protects against witchcraft

Apache Tear – Reflects flaws and aids in behavior change

Bloodstone – Reduces stress and enhances creativity

Carnelian – Protects against envy, fear and urge. Banishes sorrow

Citrine – Guards against negative influence. Promotes sunny and cheerful attitude

Crystal – Promotes patience and perseverance.  Aids meditation and spiritual growth

Hematite – Concentrates energy and emotions for balance between mind, body, and spirit

Jasper – Reduces fear and guilt.  Protects from the unseen hazards of the night

Malachite – Aids against depression and gives a sense of well being.  Reveals fear of change

Moonstone – Stimulates the senses and aids in self-analysts

Obsidian – Dispels negativity.  Protection for the supersensitive

Petrified Wood – Restores energy and protects against injury and infections

Pyrite – Protection from enemies.  Aids in problems with addictions

Rose Quartz – Helps clear anger and hurt.  Builds self-image

Tigers Eye – Promotes clear thinking.  Brings back luck

Turquoise – Stone of love.  Protection for travelers

Pendulum Dowsing – Channeled through my Guides

Steps to take before pendulum Dowsing.  I was given this information through one of my guides one night while I was using my pendulum.  This is the way it was described to me, if you do it differently and it works for you then please continue.  It never hurts to try new ways.

Pendulum Dowsing

• Choose a quiet place to begin dowsing with your pendulum and talking board. let people know that you would like some time to yourself and to give you privacy.
• Light candles and choose whichever color candle you would like according to whom you are trying to contact.  A plain whit candle works just fine.
• Wash your hands to rid of any bacteria.  Being clean and in light clothing is always good.
• Always do a grounding meditation before you begin.  The best way I was taught was to picture yourself growing roots down through you spine to your feet and into the earth.  Then picture a white light coming from the universe and going down into your crown chakra. 
• Ask Archangel Michael to shield you with a white light and to be with you throughout your dowsing session. 
• Use sage to clear any energies that may be in your room.
• Shut all talking devices off, have complete silence or light soothing music if it doesn’t distract you.
• Clear your mind of any stresses from the day and have a positive attitude.  Please let there be absolutely no negativity during your session within yourself, and keep your mind still.
• Trust in God and in yourself and never underestimate your power within.  If you see visions during your dowsing session they are there for a reason.  

Before I begin asking any questions, I always ask if my guides or angels are with me and are ready to dowse.  I also, which is extremely important, ask if they are from the light, and if they love the holy spirit. 

Always ask if the answers you are receiving are for your highest good. 

Love and Light

Orbs in flight

I haven’t written in a while on this blog, I love the new blog page that Leslee has put together: Spirit Train Chronicles, please check it out!

I was hiking with my husband about a month or so ago. It was a beautiful day out, this winter has been very strange any good day we get we are out in nature.  I feel that we all thought about having no snow this winter since we got slammed in October, yes October and we lost lights for a week and Halloween was actually canceled.  It was unreal the damage that the snow caused, oh my goodness there were trees down on power lines, in the middle of roads, Fema was here in little old New Fairfield giving out water and food..

Anyway, I tell people that we were all so against snow (even though i do love it) that our thoughts pretty much made it not snow….you never know it could happen.

So back to the story…….we were hiking at Terrywille Park in a town close to ours that is known for its beauty, big fields, water and hiking, and has about 722 acres of land for the public to enjoy. It’s a pretty historic spot in town.  There is a mansion that was built by a Dr. William C. Wile in the late 1800’s and a castle, that is a bit farther away  (the castle is in very bad shape, but still very interesting to see) that was bought for the Dr.’s daughter as a wedding gift. The park’s mansion is used for weddings, parties, etc.  It is a very popular spot and people love to hike and just sit beside the water and the field. Great place to be while meditating.

When I would meditate after my kundalini yoga practice, I would imagine this particular field, I wouldn’t even try to it would just pop into my head. The field is a really good size and pretty high up with a lovely view down below.  I would just picture myself there almost in spirit, I would be floating around. So peaceful and beautiful.

This one day when my husband and I were there, we wound up sitting in the field and looking up at the sky, it was a very blue sky that day, with a few, white, fluffy clouds that were irresistible.

As I looked out at the trees I started to see little Orbs floating around.  They looked just like the orbs that you see when you take a picture.  Their were so many of them and they were small in size I didn’t want to lose them in my sight, it was incredible. I couldn’t look directly at them, but I was able to see them while looking in the distance, and they were right near my husband and I.

This was a very lovely experience and couldn’t believe that it was actually happening.  Then I saw them once again waiting for the bus to come one afternoon, not to long ago.  They were just dancing around enjoying being.

Aww the wonders of the unknown, the unseen.  It is all so in front of us, we just all need to stop, breathe, and look around in a non – judgemental, non – suspicious, non – believing way and big surprises can and will happen.

Blessings to you all.

Related articles

• Orbs in the Pictures (reddeafia.com)
• Orange Orbs Over North Carolina (weeklyworldnews.com)

Indians, Shamans…….Past Lives

Past lives, have so much to do with who we are today.  I have been told by 2 different mediums about some of my past lives, including my spirit guide.

To  name a few I have been a Shaman, in a few lifetimes, an indian chief, a monk and a few where I was with my husband now.

I also knew my spirit guide that I speak with daily, Bill.  I knew him in his lifetime and that may be how and why he is my guide now.

Sometimes the guides we have are souls that we have known in a past life and they want to remain connected to us.

My guide was a slave in Florida, he was traded from Louisiana at one point.  Anyway, I was very fond of him,  he was a slave for my family, which turned my stomach.  He told me this one day while we had a channeling session.  I gave him flowers and he loved me, because I had been so nice to him.

I was with him in other past lives before that one as well.  It is so interesting to me how in so many ways it is all connected.

At one point my oldest son was so afraid of water, it was such a struggle to teach him how to swim, he did not want to get into the water. Come to find out he had drowned in a past live at a young age from falling off a boat and brought that fear over to this life.  He has now overcome the fear, with a lot of work on mine and my husbands part, and now I can’t get him out of the water at times.

Knowing that also helped me with his fear and I was able to work with him on his level.  He was also my husbands mother at one time, but that is another story……

Being a shaman in few other lifetimes, I was told to look into aura healing.  I went online and researched about it and now I am in a Chios Energy Healing course and I love it, it really resonates with me.

It is also just an amazing energy healing system that is fairly new and a little different then Reiki.  Not to mention the only thing that you pay for are attunements and that can vary with each teacher.

Another very interesting aspect to it all is sometimes it goes untuned with your age.  If you were say 30 when something that impacted your life very deeply in a past life, in this lifetime you will feel it at that age, you will either act upon something similar, etc.

I was, according to a medium that I go to every so often, Kimberly Bunch,  an Indian chief and I would sit near a fire with my rocks and sticks and feel such a connection to the earth.  It was at my age now that I was doing that and that is one reason why I feel such a connection to the earth now and want to get as many rocks as I can and learn about as many as possible.

One night I was laying in bed and I had a vision of the indian chief. His face came to me so quickly and I knew it was me in a past life.  I had been concentrating on wanting to see that as well, as I was meditating before bed and focusing on my third eye, the vision appeared.  I get visions here and there, but I don’t know what they represent, I guess it’s all part of waking up.

There are many hypnotherapists that work with past lives and they would be the best to go to.  The author Dolores Cannon is very good among others.

It is fun figuring out why this person means this to you or why there is such a connection with you and another person and you just feel like they are closer to you then some of your own family members. Well at one time they probably were.

 

Related articles

• Daily OM for January 2nd – Eternally Present (witchesofthecraft.com)
• Past Lives (youwerebornthatway.wordpress.com)
• Practical Shamanism, A Guide for Walking in Both Worlds (whitecranes.wordpress.com)