When it comes to reading cards, I get most excited by taking a step back and assessing the landscape as a whole. I’ve typically called this technique “Reading In The Flow” as it allows one to get out of the details of a singular image and instead, observe how the cards interact with one another. I have taught courses on these techniques in the past, shared plenty of resources and written in depth about how I apply this method in my own practice.

Recently, I disassembled one of my free resources to give myself an opportunity to reflect on my reading style and update the approaches detailed in the document.

One way I want to bring this back though, is to start writing more on the blog about the practical application of this style of reading - a style I of course did not invent, but which has become a staple to my practice.

So here is the first of what I hope to be many segments to feature the Reading In The Flow style. In these short posts, I will share three cards and then detail how I may read them in tandem. The cards I will be working with were selected at random by way of my standard shuffling method. I will share the picture first, allow readers to make their own assessments, and then highlight all of the pieces of the landscape that jumped out and what I think it may all mean.

For today’s exercise, we will be working with The Tower, the 8 of Swords and the 10 of Pentacles..

Did you know that 2021 is a Collective Year 5 (corresponding to the The Hierophant) and that each of us, based on our month+day of birth, enter into a new personal number each year? If you want to find out where you are for this coming year, simply add your birth month + birth day + 2021. Keep adding and reducing until you get a single digit!

For example, if you were born on Dec. 22, like myself, the formula would look like this:

1+2+2+2+2+0+2+1 = 12
1+2= 3

What does this mean though? Below I will provide a VERY brief overview of the themes for each year, but for a comprehensive outlook you’ll need to grab the guide!

To honour Valentine’s Day, I’ve put together a list of questions you can ask about love when consulting the cards. I framed these with the intention of getting the best insight possible, meaning, I stayed away from closed- ended questions and any invasion of privacy i.e. “what does he think about me?”

I’ve sorted them into “partnered” and “singled” though some options I included in both categories because they would equally apply. You could tackle just the ones that stand out, or even construct a spread! Of course, if you’re looking for some support in these matters, you may want to order a reading. I’m offering 20% off all love themed questions for the next week. Just use code “love” at checkout! And yes, self-love inquiries apply!

Note: Please find an updated version of this post HERE!

https://www.spiralseatarot.com/blog/meetyourspiritguide

When I was in college, I began seeing 11s everywhere. Most commonly, I would catch the time 11:11 or 1:11. At that point in my life, I wasn’t super connected to spirituality in very obvious ways. I was 19 years old, a bit disconnected, just trying to navigate life transitions.

The numbers happened so frequently though that one day I decided to Google 11:11 and that was when I found entire communities devoted to some kind of so-called “awakening”. It was described as a “key”, “portal”, “gateway” to higher consciousness. We were undergoing a shift, a leveling up, and those sensitive to these energies would see 11:11 as a sign that they were on the right path and a reminder of their true spiritual nature.

I was intrigued. And looking back, I can say that time in my life was pivotal in a lot of ways. A crossroads even, and the decisions I made then, very much link to where I am today.

Since then, the numbers are still a part of life, and I hear many others talk about the patterns that show up for them. Now, it’s not just 11:11. It’s 2s in sequence, or 3s. Personally and lately I’ve been seeing a lot of 4s and 5s - but what does it all mean?

I take for granted most days how familiar tarot as a tool has become. Like a riding a bike, or driving a car or using any of my limbs…it’s just something I do and hardly give thought to. I realize this takes time and effort to arrive at such a state and so today, I’m going to try my best to peel back my knowing and step into the landscape of a novice. What do you need to know to get started? Where would one begin? How can someone possibly memorize 78 cards, never mind reversals and then reading more than one at a time - in tandem no less?

It’s no small feat. And if you’ve been able to achieve even some of that, you’re doing very well. Tarot is a dedicated study. It is a life long process of unraveling and revealing and adapting and reconsidering. There is always more to know when it comes to this craft and so yeah, I get how starting out can be extremely overwhelming. But it’s not impossible and also, it’s a lot of fun.

So here we are. Below is a list of carefully curated resources and posts that I’ve developed through the years that I would recommend to anyone just starting out. I’ve placed them in order intentionally, so it is probably best to start at the beginning and work your way through.

At the very end, I’ll list a few additional tips as well as other websites that I think are very helpful in honing this craft. I hope you’ll enjoy it and walk away from this post a little less intimated by the process as well as excited to begin.

This is part three of the Delivering A Memorable Email Reading series. You can also go back and read Part One and Part Two if you wish. In the first installment, we focused on tools and techniques to ensure your clients get the most of the reading. In the second installment, we turned the tables to examine practices that will help you get the most of your services as a reader. Today, we'll be talking about ways to sustain your practice and ensure you're maximizing your time and energy. This is critical to examine because if you're not being mindful of your own reserves, your product and ability to deliver will inevitably suffer.

Similar to the advice in Part 2, I learned a lot of this through trial and error. For this reason, I am hopeful I can condense what took me years to sort through in such a way that we can shorten your learning curve and give you some food for thought.

The last time we broached this topic, it was from the perspective of how to ensure your client (or seeker) will get the most out of a reading delivered to them via email. This time, I’m turning the tables to provide you, the reader, some key points to consider to ensure that you too will get the most out of the readings you perform. Why? Because if you want to do this, with any frequency and with the goal of sustainability - you better freakin’ enjoy what you’re doing!

I learned through trial and error for myself what worked for me and what didn’t. I also learned what I could and should expect from myself and what I could reasonably do given the time and resources available to me. This, of course, is entirely personal and so rather than tell you how to structure things, I’m simply going to raise some points for your own consideration. These are things that I learned the hard or long way and so now as I reflect back, I think, “yeah, I should have thought about that from the start!".

But alas, I live and learn and today, I take those livings and learnings and I present you with Delivering A Memorable Email Reading Part 2: The Reader’s Perspective. (I need a more succinct title!)

Tarot has many uses, and one day I intend to write a blog post detailing the ones I go to most commonly, but today, I want to tackle just one - communicating with spirit.

Before we get into techniques, I first want to distinguish this method of using tarot from regular spirit-chat when it comes to divination or reflective readings. When I'm doing a reading, especially for others, I often refer to the messages received as having "come from spirit". So, when I send email reports out, I'll have lines that read "spirit says..." or "spirit wants you to know...". This is not me specifically communicating with a deceased loved one, for example, but simply put, I use the word "spirit" to describe a large body of otherworldlyness - i.e. your spirit guide team, your higher self, the divine source etc.

Maybe you've been reading the cards awhile or perhaps you just started - whatever the case, you’ve probably thought to yourself at some point, “how exactly do these things work? or “why do they work?”

The truth is, no one can tell you for certain, but, it’s fun to play with theories. Below I’ve shared 5 ideas that may explain how or why tarot works. In terms of my own belief system, I don’t think one idea is more true than any other and I tend to think they all play a role and factor in.

These theories may ring true for you or you may have your own ideas which are just as valid (I’d also love to hear them, so please leave a comment if you’re up to sharing). 

As for my totally inconclusive list of reasons why tarot works, here it is!

When I was in High School, Tarot cards weren't the only things I was slinging. I was super into Anime (conventions yes, cosplay no) so I accumulated a shit ton of toys and collectibles, particularly Sailor Moon because that was my favourite and it was readily available. Luckily, I've managed to hold on to many things over the years, so I can still enjoy them to this day. 

Which brings me to the Sailor Moon CCG which was released in the late 90s; think Pokemon or Magic The Gathering. Obviously, I was all over it when it came out and the other day, while I was searching the basement, my collection resurfaced!

This entry and topic is born from challenge. This is something that had muddled around in my mind and through the process of thinking, over thinking, and thinking some more, I've finally come to a place in my practice where I know how to confidently tackle this pressing issue and commonly asked question: "what is my life path and purpose?"

Let me first take you back in time, a couple of years ago. It was close to my birthday and I wanted to order a reading for myself. This was before I was providing readings for others (besides friends and family) and prior to me being visible on social media. I looked around online and found someone who I vibed with and ordered a "life path and purpose" reading. The reader worked with the Life Purpose Oracle deck combined with meditation and angel work. It didn't take long to get my report back, and the results? Energy Healer. He also provided some suggestions, divinely inspired, to check out some course offerings and to select something that spoke to my soul. He said I shouldn't spend a lot of money and it wouldn't take much education, but it would be a good way to get my feet wet on a certain bracket of metaphysics that I was drawn to. Well, I didn't pursue energy healing per say, but I did immediately follow his other suggestion and let my gut and heart guide me. It was through this process that I found a spirit guide coach certification course and signed my ass up. I can say with certainty, this was a pivotal and changing moment for me. 

For many tarot practitioners, we understand the value in a well constructed question. In fact, if a question isn't clear enough, I'll reach out to my client to rework it so it's more succinct. The philosophy states, the better the question, the better the answer, and so many a great readings start with a well thought out and fully formed question.

But what about those times when you just want a straight forward, yes or no response!? Damn it tarot, I just want to know if I'm gonna get that job or not!

Okay, here's the thing. There is something inherently problematic about a closed ended question where Tarot is concerned, and that's that it doesn't allow any room for grey. I am a firm believer in free will, but I also understand energy and trajectory, so while I think it's possible that Tarot can show us the "likelys", the future isn't set in stone, and so there must always be room for the "maybe". Even if the answer is "yes", it's always a "yes" with a caveat. So, how can you determine probability using tarot? Well, keep reading and I'll show you!

I come into contact with, what seems like, more and more people who are wanting to learn and practice tarot. For a newbie, it can seem daunting. 78 cards (and 156 meanings if you factor reversals) is a lot for anyone to try to memorize, and even when you do manage to memorize each card, you have another huge challenge on your hands. One that asks you to effectively take the cards you’ve memorized and now apply them to a specific person or situation and uncover how multiple cards in a spread may relate. It’s an art and a skill, and I know first hand just how long it can take, how frustrating it can be but also, how rewarded you will feel the moment it does start to click; and it WILL start to click, if you stick with it. 

The other day a friend asked if I could perform a reading for her. "Sure", I replied, "what did you want me to look at?" But, the answer wasn't incredibly straightforward. It was something along the lines of, "I've just been feeling really off lately. I don't know if it's because of this or that, but I'm not just feeling right."

This type of inquiry I would lump into the vague and uncertain pile and it usually takes some work on my part to reformulate the question enough that it actually becomes readable. This time though, I resisted that urge.

I didn't know exactly how I would lay the cards down, but I knew I wanted to answer the inquiry just as it was asked. After all, there must be a way to look at what's happening in and around someone, especially when it feels that whatever it is, is weighing them down.

Post Edit: On November 8, 2017 I added a Part 2 to this post that focuses on the reader's perspective. So, getting the most out of the readings that you perform and making sure your services are structured to your liking. If you've enjoyed this post, please also check out Part 2!

This post includes downloadable resources: 1) Email Reading Checklist 2) Email Reading Template (PDF version) 3) Email Reading Template (Doc. version)

Do you want to be able to craft email readings that your clients will savor, save, print and return to time and time again? Of course you do and more importantly, of course they do. This is always the goal of the email readings we prepare and in this post, I will share with you what I feel is most important when it comes to constructing your email readings, as well as provide you a template and checklist to get your started.

This topic seems to be an area of challenge for many, and rightfully so. Picking up on surrounding energy is one thing, but being able to say when something may happen is difficult, because as most of us acknowledge, free will exists. Just because something looks to be moving a certain way, doesn't mean it will stay the course. There are so many variables that can impact trajectory, so I think when we're talking about timing, we have to first acknowledge that timing, like anything with tarot, does not live in the realm of absolutes.