Category: divination

The Unindemnified Cost of Tarot Reading

On By benebellIn cartomancy, divination, Holistic Tarot (book), opinion, personal, professional tarot, tarot, tarot community2 Comments

tarotspi

I am preaching to the choir when I write this to an audience of tarot practitioners: If your personal energy could be quantified like battery life, then reading tarot for others will drain it like streaming a movie on your smartphone over 4G connection. Reading tarot depletes me in a way I cannot fully convey. Sometimes I get the sense that non-tarot practitioners who request tarot readings from me don’t have any idea.

On its face, a tarot reading seems to be an effortless dealing of a deck of cards, and then blurting phrases based in some part on the card imagery. What could be so hard about that?

Tarot is a tool, a metaphysical one if you will, that connects two individuals’ energetic fields together for the duration of a reading. The nature of the relationship between practitioner and seeker is that of give and take, respectively. A practitioner feels his or her energy draining out and going into the cards to provide the reading that the seeker is receiving. Seekers often talk about readings being rejuvenating, cathartic, an enriching experience. They’re picking up on that channeling effect. In contrast, tarot readers talk about feeling exhausted, needing to recharge.

Very few tarot readers make enough cash from their readings to compensate for their time spent. That, though, we will chalk up to simple economics and just acknowledge that at least from a free market standpoint, that part is fair.

I draft business contracts for a living and almost every one of them contains an indemnification clause. Indemnification is often one of the main points of negotiation and contention between the parties. In the course of a commercial dealing, some poo always makes its way to the fan– costs of damage resulting from the initial transaction that weren’t accounted for in the contract price– and everybody needs to figure out who owes what to who and how much to compensate for the loss. That’s indemnification.

When I make reference to the unindemnified price of tarot readings, I’m talking about that energetic loss that tarot practitioners sustain but no one accounts for, or heck, even acknowledge. Some seekers can be borderline parasitic, though I believe never intentionally so. Most tarot practitioners are by nature empaths and so of course their first inclination will be to yield and give and feel.

As an empath with a law degree, when I first started my legal career, I felt every client’s problem and took home a briefcase of emotional baggage every night. I’d think about their issues in the shower, while brushing my teeth, before I fell asleep, the first thing when I woke up, while I made my coffee… Yet senior partners at the firm seemed to master such control. They compartmentalized. One might be tempted to say they were apathetic, that they were desensitized, or they did not care. That is not true at all. They cared and they cared deeply about their clients. But they have been at this a long time and they know that to truly be in a position to help as many as possible, they needed to take care of themselves first. Selfishness is a form of selflessness. They knew exactly when it was time to step away from a case, recharge themselves, and live their own lives for a change, instead of living for others, which is exactly what lawyers do, though they rarely get seen by that side of them.

Tarot practitioners must take a cue from these partners. Newbies rarely possess the prudence to know when they must step away and focus on themselves. They get caught up in the exhilaration of uplifting others–an admirable trait–but ironically (since we are tarot readers…) fail to foresee the pending crash. That is why burn-out is such a problem among startup tarot practitioners.

There is no indemnification for that spiritual energy drain that is part of the tarot reader’s work. Thus we are the ones who must keep ourselves in check. Always take time to recharge and learn to say “no.”

Are You Psychic? The Sum of Intuition and Ego

On By benebellIn cartomancy, divination, professional tarot, tarot, tarot community1 Comment

candle-up-close

As children my younger sister would say she was psychic and tell me about her psychic experiences. I recall, for better or worse, vehemently discouraging such a line of thought. I would tell her that she is not a psychic and if she continued to say she was, then she was a liar. Dismayed, she eventually stopped announcing that she was a psychic to us sisters and maybe even stopped letting herself acknowledge so-called “psychic” experiences when she had them. In retrospect I regret my harsh and ignorant stance, but at the time (and I was a tween myself) I believed it was for her own good: she couldn’t run around in public telling people she was psychic. How would people take her intellect seriously if she did?

Now I have always been convinced that my sister may have had strong intuitive abilities for what may be beyond the five physical senses, not unlike the way all the women from my maternal line are drawn to the preternatural. My grandmother, my mother, my first cousins descending from my grandmother, and my sisters all display a heightened awareness of the logically inexplicable. But psychic?

I saw it this way: when you are a voracious reader, at some point you will want to give it a try and become a writer yourself. Likewise, if you’re fascinated by metaphysics and occult phenomenon, at some point you will want to be part of it, and maybe even convince yourself that you’re psychic. Not too different from how I try to convince myself that I’m a writer even though I have yet to publish a damn thing.

Sure, I am convinced that intuition is real. Intuition is the perception of a truth, occurring incident, circumstance, or event independent of any logical reasoning, actual knowledge, experience, or cognitive deductive process. It is synchronicity. It is a prickling of what is about to happen before it happens. It is the sensation of energies that you can’t physically see, hear, smell, touch, or taste, a sensation for when those energies are in balance and when they are out of balance, and the enigmatic knowing of how you might be able to balance it if you were to try.

Being intuitive is like being detail-oriented, or organized, or calculating differential equations. Not everybody is detail-oriented, organized, or able to do math, but anybody can be with enough effort. It is just a skill, albeit a remarkably empowering one when we use it. It might also be a trait. Some seem naturally disposed to it and others need to really work to acquire the skill. I guess somehow those who seem naturally disposed to being intuitive have come to be referred to as psychic.

My question is: where on the continuum of intuitive ability must one be for that person to qualify as “psychic”?

Continue reading “Are You Psychic? The Sum of Intuition and Ego” →

Minchiate Cards for Divination: My Review

On By benebellIn astrology, cartomancy, deck review, divination, oracle deck, tarot16 Comments

minchiate

It is said that like tarot, the origins of the minchiate are not verifiable, but was probably a card game played in the late medieval period. The version I have at home is a reproduction of the Etruria deck from 18th century Florence. Like tarot, the imagery on the cards and scope of the depictions seem extraordinarily well suited for spiritual, metaphysical, or divination work and in many ways, the minchiate even more so than tarot.

There are 97 cards in total, consisting of trumps like tarot, 22 with the addition of 4 cards representing the theological virtues, 4 cards representing the elements, and 12 cards representing the zodiac signs. That’s 41 trumps and 56 numbered cards, with the numbered cards similar to tarot: 4 suits, Ace through Ten, and then 4 court cards.

The photograph below shows the unnumbered Madman (corresponding with tarot’s The Fool) and Keys I, II, III, IIII (IV), and V. Key I is the Performer, which corresponds with tarot’s The Magician. Keys II, III, and IIII (IV) in the minchiate are the Grand Duke, the Western Emperor, and the Eastern Emperor, which some say correspond with tarot’s Empress, Emperor, and Hierophant respectively. Key V is Love, corresponding with tarot’s Key VI, The Lovers.

The numbering of the keys in the Minchiate is significantly different from the tarot. For example, in minchiate the Temperance card is Key VI while in tarot it is Key XIV. There is no Hermit card per se, but there is Father Time, which is said to correspond with the Hermit. Most notably, the final card of the Trumps is not The World as in tarot, but rather the Trumpets, corresponding with the tarot Judgement card.

Minchiate_Trumps0to5

After the minchiate Key XV The Tower, there are the four theological virtues: Key XVI, Hope; Key XVII, Prudence; Key XVIII, Faith, and Key XIX, Charity. See below.

Minchiate_4Virtues

Although there is no direct correspondent in minchiate to the tarot High Priestess card, some speculate that the Faith card corresponds with the High Priestess. For me, in the Etruria deck, the illustrations are confusing. The picture on the first card above calls to mind Faith for me, but it’s the Hope card. The second card (left to right) reminds me of vanity for some reason, rather than a virtue, and yet it’s Prudence. The third card shows a woman, likely from the laboring class, looking at or reading something. It only somewhat fits my conception of Faith. The last card, Charity– either you know the meaning or you don’t. Little about the card’s imagery strikes me as denoting charity. But hey, this is all just me.

Michiate_4Elements

Following the four theological virtues are the four classical elements in the following order: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. (Compare that to the order of the elements per the contemporary majority view in tarot practice: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth.) When the Fire card appears in a reading, it suggests the relevance of innovation, passion, ambition, and leadership. The Water card denotes alliances, intuition, and compassion. The Earth card, stability, conservatism, conviction, and resourcefulness. Air, idealism, intellectualism, communication, and also ambition, though the Fire-based ambition usually relates to progress while the Air-based ambition relates to conquest.

Minchiate_12ZodiacSigns

In the minchiate there are also cards for the 12 signs of the zodiac. Pictured above in the numerical order they appear in the trumps:

Top Row (L to R): Libra, Virgo, Scorpio, Aries, Capricorn, Sagittarius

Bottom Row (L to R): Cancer, Pisces, Aquarius, Leo, Taurus, Gemini

After the Trumps, the 56 numbered cards in the minchiate are similar to the tarot. There are four suits and their correspondences are as follows: Wands for work or career; Chalices (Cups) for emotions and relationships; Pentacles for money matters; and Swords for the abstract and philosophical. Among the court cards, Knaves (or Pages) denote education and learning; Knights about courage, action, and choice; Queens about a relationship; and Kings about decision-making and authority. Note further that the minchiate correspondents to the Pages are specifically 2 Knaves for the active suits (Fire and Air) and 2 Maids for the passive suits (Water and Earth).

Continue reading “Minchiate Cards for Divination: My Review” →

What Is Tarot Reading? (The Hocus Pocus Version)

On By benebellIn divination, tarotLeave a comment

I came across a Howcast production on “What Is Tarot Reading?”–

The host of the Howcast, Paula Roberts declares with dogmatic conviction that “No real psychic reads for themselves.” The rationale, claims Roberts, has to do with the issue of objectivity. One cannot objectively read for oneself.

There is nothing objective about tarot readings, however. In fact, she starts off by saying there are different ways to read tarot, one being the mechanical approach where you assign a set meaning to each card and then apply those meanings objectively. What an interesting thing for her to say, considering that would be the only time tarot readings are objective, which she agrees with and yet contradicts when she says a psychic cannot read for herself due to the lack of objectivity. Um… what?

A good tarot reading isn’t a trial where a verdict has to be rendered. Of course if a tarot reading was like a trial, then I’d agree with Roberts and say you cannot render your own verdict. But tarot isn’t about objectivity at all. It is the unabashed embrace of the subjective. When you read for yourself, it is about what the signs and symbols of tarot mean to you and the significance of those meanings to you. Whether you are reading for others or for yourself, the interpretive process is wholly subjective, completely within the confines of the mind, though therein lies its power.

A tarot reading, at least a good one, has a way of triggering the mind into action and that action then becomes externalized, objective. The whole objective part happens much later in time, however, after the tarot practitioner and Seeker have parted ways.

If we want to take this one step further into the beyond, let’s say there is a universal life force that connects us all, that unifies the space-time continuum into one unit. I’ve heard it referred to as the Akashic records by some, especially psychics. Psychics contend that they have a stronger connection to the Akashic records than others and that is how they retrieve psychic knowledge that seem to defy the space-time continuum, i.e., they can see the future, the far past, talk to dead people, know what’s going on someplace far away, blah blah.

Let’s diagram this. We’ll illustrate the Akashic records or universal qi/life force as a unit circle.

psychiccircle

In theory, a psychic can connect to any point on the unit circle (aka the Akashic records aka the universal life force that connects us all and defies the space-time continuum) and see into certain information for a particular person, place, or event. If so, then why can’t a psychic read for him or herself? Is it because the psychic’s own consciousness is so opaque when it comes to the self that the psychic can’t reach past it to access the Akashic records?

I’m not claiming I have any idea. I’m just saying that you can read tarot for yourself and to say that no real psychic, whatever the hell that means, does it is just Roberts’ way of imposing her position onto others. There is no concrete limitation like that applied uniformly across the board. Maybe she cannot use the tarot for divination purposes for herself, but that for sure doesn’t mean others cannot do so effectively.

True, there are many ways to read tarot, as Roberts mentioned, and I refer to this so-called “psychic” approach to tarot reading as the hocus pocus version because that’s what it reminds me of: birthday party magicians who are able to wow the naïve but there is nothing special, gifted, or magical about what they do; it’s a mechanical application that anyone can learn. Likewise, tarot requires your intuition, but it’s something we all have and like our muscles, it’s something that can be developed and enhanced with training.

No “psychic” will read tarot for him or herself. Pah, I say. Psychics can. Most simply choose not to for philosophical reasons.

Like my application of tarot, predictive readings and fortunetelling do more harm than good. It takes wisdom to distinguish between what you should know and what level of your brain you should know it at (conscious, subconscious, unconscious…). Those with wisdom and strong intuitive abilities will opt not to bring to their conscious certain information from their unconscious because through their wisdom, they understand that knowing such information about themselves won’t be beneficial.

However, for some of these psychics, this is only a self-imposed philosophy. They understand that everyone is different and if someone feels he or she could be helped by knowing and the psychic can help tap into that knowledge, then the psychic will. In that case, the psychic has opted– out of voluntary will– not to read for herself, but to remain open to reading for others. It has nothing to do with whether she can or cannot read for herself. It’s about imposing one personal moral philosophy on the self but not imposing the same on others.

The Lenormand: Nutshell Summary of the Petite Lenormand, from History to Practice

On By benebellIn cartomancy, deck review, divination, oracle deck, tarot53 Comments

lenormand1

The popularity of Lenormand cards seem to have been revived for contemporary times, at least here in the U.S. Lately it seems that every tarot enthusiast will go through a phase of intrigue for these Lenormands. Well the other day a student asked me to guide her studies of the Lenormands. From there, I decided to write this nutshell summary. For the tarot enthusiast who has now suddenly taken on an interest in Lenormand cards, this post will serve as an introduction.

Overview

They’re oracle cards, not tarot, and generally speaking, they’re sub-divided into 2 kinds: the Petit Lenormand, with 36 cards total, which is the more popular version here in the U.S., and the Grand Jeu Lenormand, with 54 cards. I have not yet dabbled with the Grand Jeu Lenormand due to difficulties in getting a deck where I live (that is, for an economically reasonable price…because, sure, you can buy anything via the Internet these days), so I’ll focus on the Petit Lenormand only.

The oracle cards are named after Marie Anne Lenormand, who is considered one of the greatest and most influential French cartomancers of all time. However, the cards were not conceived by her. They were conceived after her death and may or may not have even been based on any of the cards used by Marie Anne Lenormand. They’re called “Lenormand cards” pretty much for marketing purposes. In fact, they may not even be French. Johann Kaspar Hechtel, a German businessman and factory owner, is credited with designing the Petit Lenormand cartomancy deck, initially as a parlour game called “The Game of Hope.” So in many ways, the name “Lenormand cards” might be a bit misleading.

Continue reading “The Lenormand: Nutshell Summary of the Petite Lenormand, from History to Practice” →

Tarot on Shahs of Sunset?

On By benebellIn cartomancy, divination, oracle deck, tarot, tarot community9 Comments

shahsofsunset1

Okay, so it looks more like straightforward cartomancy than it does tarot, but still. Also, it looks like I have to own up to a guilty pleasure before proceeding: yes, that’s right, I’ve been watching BravoTV’s Shahs of Sunset, a reality show that follows a cast of socialite Persian Americans in Beverly Hills.  In Season 2, Episode 2, two of the main cast members, Asa and Reza consult with a Persian psychic, Shohreh.

shahsofsunset2

Sitting in a Los Angeles cafe, Habibi Cafe to be exact, Shohreh uses a deck of oversize cards to read about Reza. From what I could see, there are pip cards, as opposed to the pictured suits of the RWS, Thoth, or other contemporary decks.

shahsofsunset3

Also, whatever it was the psychic told Reza, he seemed thoroughly impressed. And where did she get that oversize deck? I want one.

Yes, this was a meaningless post. Just happy to see cartomancy get some air time.

Asians and Tarot Reading

On By benebellIn cartomancy, divination, professional tarot, tarot, tarot community1 Comment
Photo Credit: Tungstar via Sina.
Photo Credit: Tungstar via Sina.

Where are the Asian Tarot Readers? I wrote an article for 8Asians.com that addresses the intersection of tarot reading and Asians/Asian Americans. Link: http://www.8asians.com/2013/04/29/where-are-the-asian-tarot-readers/ (last visited 4/30/2013).

People of color, especially Asians, form associations around their race for every topic– blogging, voting, golfing, farming, realtors, lawyers, doctors, chess players, musicians, journalists, kidney donors, Republicans, Democrats, pole dancing, basketball, you name it, there is probably a group of Asians who have formed an association. Yet there are no Asian American tarot associations, no gatherings of Diasporic Asians who are interested in tarot. Why not?

The experience of writing it was the most amazing part, because I had the blessed opportunity to interview Joanna Ash of Sun Goddess Tarot, Zach Wong, the creator of the Revelations Tarot deck, and Deedra Wong of Tarot Perspectives, three really amazing individuals in the tarot community. I love what they’re doing, each one of them walking a slightly different path through tarot studies and practice.

I was surprised to find that tarot is more common in Asia than I first expected. For those not in the know, the above photo is of a Taiwanese celebrity, Jay Chou, a music, singer-songwriter, and actor. He was in the 2011 film Green Hornet. Chou purportedly consulted the tarot to ask about the success of his forthcoming music albums. Link: http://jaychoustudio.com/archives/jay-chous-career-and-love-told-through-tarot-cards-deeply-influenced-by-rumours/900 (last visited 4/30/2013).

Jolin Tsai, another Taiwanese pop sensation, features tarot divination in one of her music videos. Seems like it isn’t quite as taboo for mainstream public figures in East Asia to associate themselves with tarot as it seems to be here in the U.S. We seem to be irrevocably Puritan when it comes to our open-mindedness to such practices.

I ended the article with this, and a silly quoted statement from my friend:

[Asian tarot readers] see no problems with the few individual Asian tarot readers who exist to assimilate into the greater tarot associations at large rather than group-identifying with Asians only.

“That’s because only white-washed Asians do tarot,” said one of my friends. “Asian Americans who are anchored solidly in the Asian American community aren’t into that kind of stuff. If they were, there’d be an Asian American tarot group like the one you’re asking about. The absence of such an Asian American tarot group is your proof that activist Asian Americans aren’t into it.”

. . . Have you had any experiences with the tarot? With Asians who practice tarot? And why the heck isn’t there an Asian American tarot association?

In spite of how common and acceptable tarot practice is in East Asia and its seeming endorsement from Asian celebrities, in the States, Asian Americans consider tarot to be “white-washed,” meaning Asians who reject their ethnic heritage to act as whitebread as possible are the ones who are thought to be tarot practitioners. Interesting juxtaposition there.

One of the commenters below the post, Jonathan V, an Asian American male tarot reader, pointed out an authenticity and exotification issue that I immediately related to, since I also practice both tarot and I Ching. There tends to be doubt about the “authenticity” of my tarot readings, but then non-Asians seem to love it when I use I Ching. I’m suddenly an “authentic” I Ching divination practitioner simply because of how I look. I look the part, i.e., I’m Asian. Nevermind that I was born and raised here and just as competent and just as inept as the next John or Jane Doe I Ching student over.

In any event, I hope that article expands the dialogue of Asian American tarot practitioners and the correlation of tarot to race and culture.

30 Day Tarot Challenge Meme (Questions 26-30)

On By benebellIn cartomancy, divination, personal, tarot5 Comments

This posting will conclude the 30 Day Tarot Challenge meme, which I completed in 6 days because I’m impatient.

For the first five sets of questions answered, see the following:

Questions 1-5 (Day 1)

Questions 6-10 (Day 2).

Questions 11-15 (Day 3).

Questions 16-20 (Day 4).

Questions 21-25 (Day 5).

stuff

26. Have you ever regretted a particular reading, either for yourself or another?

No. I have no regrets for how I have conducted myself in all my past readings because I always give my best, but after the reading, I have on a few occasions regretted reading for that particular person.

27. Do you have a special time and/or place that you use your Tarot?

I like to read in the mornings. I can read anywhere, so long as it’s quiet, secluded, and I’ve got a few comfort crystals around me. I refuse to read at parties, cafes, conventions, or anywhere that people are bustling about.

28. Does anyone you know not agree with your Tarot practices?

Yes. My husband, for starters. Well, it’s not that he’s against it vehemently, but he does roll his eyes and walk away when he sees me dabbling. Also, I don’t openly advertise my tarot practice, so I’m sure if everyone in my life knew of it, there would be much greater backlash against it. Right now, only those I trust or complete strangers know of my tarot work.

29. Do you have a Tarot mentor?

Not really. Yes and no. There have been seasoned tarot practitioners who have taught me particular aspects of the practice, but no mentor per se.

30. Do you practice any other forms of divination? If so, what is it, and do you use them alongside the Tarot as to gain more insight or as something separate entirely?

I Ching. The Four Pillars analysis using Chinese astrology. The Lo Shu square. I like to combine tarot and the I Ching for a fusion practice.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Read the engaging and thought-provoking responses to the challenge from others in the tarot blogosphere:

30 Day Tarot Challenge Meme (Questions 21-25)

On By benebellIn cartomancy, divination, personal, tarot5 Comments

MajorArcana_Key_5_The_HierophantDay 5 of the challenge. 5 more questions.

See previous postings:

Questions 1-5 (Day 1)

Questions 6-10 (Day 2).

Questions 11-15 (Day 3).

Questions 16-20 (Day 4).

21. How do you feel when you do readings?

I try to feel the energies surrounding the client. It’s important to be open and empathic during a reading so that I can best serve the seeker.

22. Do you charge money or ask for other types of compensation for your readings/services?

Right now I don’t charge money. I ask for donations, token gifts to my loved ones on my behalf (hehe), or I agree to exchanges. I’ve been known to work for food. Boy do I love them cupcakes, especially the ones with buttercream. One client made me macaroons! ::heart:: I looove French macaroons.

23. What question do you most often ask the deck (or, ask on behalf of another)?

For myself I ask questions such as “how do I” or “what do I need to know about” that pertain to specific creative projects or ventures. That’s it. When I am reading for others, I can offer you statistics. About 51% of the questions clients ask are love related. 15% to 20% are work related. Now see the below bar graph for the frequency of question topics that clients ask me to read for.

bargraph

24. How accurate do you believe your readings are (or, do they accurately convey messages from spirits/deity)?

Quite unremarkably, it depends. When I’m “in the zone,” I would like to say I am really accurate and can connect deeply to what’s going on in the client’s life. When I’m not in the zone, bleh. I go a-fishing. Or really, I just stop the reading and say, “hey, look, we’ve got to continue this some other time.”

25. What was the most dramatic/meaningful reading you ever did? (Not necessarily the most accurate.)

My answer will sound like a cop-out but it isn’t intended to be. Every reading I have ever done has been meaningful. The free one-card readings I do through FTN are meaningful in the moment. Otherwise, I wouldn’t bother doing them. Every full reading session I have done has been memorable. I can remember specific cards drawn for people who were complete strangers in readings done years ago. Some readings were dramatic because it touched the client to such a degree that tears were shed on sight. Others were meaningful because of how eerily accurate they were.  All readings for myself are meaningful because I don’t even bother consulting the tarot unless it’s something important.

If I had to choose one, I would say the reading I did for an established writer. The writer was struggling with a sophomore novel after the debut book received immense critical acclaim. There was a great deal of pressure to deliver the same success that the first book enjoyed. Writer’s block was setting in hard. The reading I did helped that writer move past the writer’s block and, in the end, published a second book that has been much talked about and praised in literary circles. That was cool.

Subsequent Updates:

Questions 26-30 (Day 6).

30 Day Tarot Challenge Meme (Questions 16-20)

On By benebellIn cartomancy, divination, personal, tarot5 Comments

It is now Day 4 of the meme, yet I’m two thirds of my way through the challenge since I’ve decided to tackle the 30 questions in 6 days rather than the full 30 days.

See previous postings:

Questions 1-5 (Day 1)

Questions 6-10 (Day 2).

Questions 11-15 (Day 3).

Now, on to the questions:

16. Do you ever use the Major Arcana without the Minor Arcana or vice versa?

Yes. I might use only the Major Arcana if I am interested in understanding the archetypes at play in a particular matter. If I have a question that is focused in one particular area, such as a work/career question, I may shuffle only the Wands and draw a single Wands card for insight, or if I have a love/relationships question, I will draw a single card from the Cups, etc.

3majorsradiantriderwaite

17. Do you do readings using reversals? Why or why not?

Yes. Every detail and nuance matters. When a card appears in reverse, it indicates a different shade of the meaning associated with that particular card from the color it would otherwise take on upright. How a card in reverse interacts with the other cards in a spread landscape is also relevant, very relevant in fact. I can’t imagine myself not reading with reversals, though I do know many amazing professionals who don’t observe them.

18. Do you feel a “connection” to your cards?

Yes. What’s interesting is I have that old ass deck of Marseille I was talking about in Day 1 and a 20-ish year old Rider-Waite. For some time I thought I liked those particular tarot systems because they were more accurate for me than the others, but one day I picked up a brand new deck of the Tarot de Marseille and a brand new Rider-Waite and they just didn’t do it for me. I realized it isn’t the tarot systems that I was connected to; it was those two particular tarot decks that I have handled for so many years. I’ve “connected” to those cards deeply and it had little to do with the tarot systems they represented, but it was that particular deck that worked well in my hands.

19. Do you feel/think the cards “think” or have their own consciousness? What do you believe makes the cards “tick”?

No. The cards are just objects. We make them “tick.” We’re using our inner qi to will the cards into a cohesive pattern that will make sense to us and help us make sense of our lives.

20. Do you read for yourself and/or for others? Why or why not?

Yes, I do read for myself, though less frequently these days. These days I primarily read for others.

Subsequent Updates:

Questions 21-25 (Day 5).

Questions 26-30 (Day 6).