pseudo-science = love

According to my biorhythm chart, I won’t be at the top of my game right after Christmas, which I think is already in effect at this time. I’d be at my dullest & weakest on the 27th up to the 29th, & at my most neurotic come 31st until the 2nd. January 6 would be a most auspicious time for me to get back on track then, while I’m still thinking whether to attend yoga tomorrow. Maybe I should. Wish me luck. Traffic could be so bad. I knew I should’ve done tai chi yesterday but the 8 of Swords (please look it up elsewhere) just worried me to death, even if the card’s message was apparently positive.

Saturday, December 23rd, 2006 PST

Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 22)

Your current idea of enjoyment might not necessarily be the same as everyone else’s. In fact, others may think that you have lost touch with reality as you talk about what you want to do now. Don’t give in too quickly, for your fantasies can provide an interesting starting point to a discussion about how to turn your previous obligations into a day of fun and games.

I’m not going to expound traditionally-considered warning cards here anymore, unfortunately, because for some reason they magnify their influence everytime I think about them, or even try to focus on their ‘benign’ points. It’s easy to do so during actual readings, though.

You can go here to check your own online charts. It could help. Most of the time the readings are accurate, eerily enough. Then again, stranger things have happened. I’m going to provide a spread soon that can work as a biorhythm chart, then we all can compare notes with the actual meters, hehe.

shameless plugging part 1

I’m currently reading The Little Book of Detox Tips but I haven’t really started on detoxifying myself as suggested by the author yet. I’m loving the exercise & stress-management reminders, though. & I could use a whole box of Twinings camomile tea.



Sometimes we take ourselves for granted, thinking we could do so much more for others if we keep on denying ourselves that much-needed rest, relaxation, & recreation. We forget the irony of how taking care of ourselves first & foremost (while serving others anyway) will enable us to become more pleasant & productive people along the way. The Tarot can remind us exactly just that, but I’ve learned the hard way that readers like me should practise what they preach, so to speak, so as to reassure & guide querents toward rejuvenation. This is an excellent read, especially if you’re looking for no-fuss recipes to (re)discover. I hope the author doesn’t mind me posting some of his tips here on how to relax, along with a few notes of my own (in italics), especially that I intend to give copies of the book to some lucky people for Christmas, hehe:


FOUR WAYS TO BEAT THE STRESS

1) Holidays

Taking a long holiday can create almost more stress than staying at work. It requires complex planning & then you may worry while you’re away about the work you left behind & the pile that will be waiting for you when you get back. If this happens, it’s often more beneficial to take 3- or 4-day breaks. But don’t take your mobile phone & laptop with you, or leave a dozen contact numbers with the people at the office.

Whatever you do, stay safe while you’re away, & please notify at least one key person where you’re going & when will you be possibly coming back. Then again, don’t worry too much. Make the most out of your well-deserved vacation leave! Sip a piña colada or some champagne or even just a cup of hot unsweetened tea for me!


2) Learn a new skill

Join workshops on just about anything that interests you (whether it be painting, acting, singing, dancing, pottery, photography, cooking, writing) or learn a foreign language. These are great ways of meeting non-work-related people & using a different set of skills.

Workshops cost a rather considerable amount of money nowadays, but if you look around, you might just find something that suits both your fancy & your budget. Or, why not DIY? Get books & DVDs about the subjects you’re interested in, which are always pretty good investments, trust me. Just don’t let your newfound interest & paraphernalia go to waste by not committing to it. Remember, you have to like something enough to really pursue it, just like what yours truly did with Tarot.


3) Involve the family

If you have a family then involve them in your leisure activities too. It doesn’t matter whether it’s following a football team, going camping, doing jigsaw puzzles or playing Scrabble together. Activities like these not only represent a huge investment in your physical health, but are an important prop for the emotional health & wellbeing of your family unit.

For those of you who have no family members close by for some reason, or whose family doesn’t share your interests, like in my case, well, find friends who can help you have fun. If you don’t have anyone talaga, well, let’s go back to step #2. What I did was I joined a health club. Even if my production assistant can’t be with me at all times & I still haven’t made new steady friends in the establishment ever since, I’m still trying to make full use of my membership solo flight. Why? Because yes, it costs much, & I think I’ve come a long way to not just drop out of the program.


4) Make sure you’re really having fun

Many people, even when they do make time in their busy schedules for leisure activities, are so afraid that they might be seen to be enjoying themselves that they spend their time doing punishing exercise regimes, obsessional competitive games, or ‘team-building’ activities. This is NOT leisure for pleasure & does nothing to improve your health. In fact,  the reverse is true.

Well, happiness can be relative. Sometimes what people think to be downtime is doing something invigorating, like partying late at night, boozing & smoking one’s life away. Then what can be considered "work" is going to church, praying & fasting for days. It’s your business, I really don’t care. My idea of fun nowadays can be stupid — going crazy at arcades, browsing bookstores & record bars, catching a movie at the theater, indulging in really fatty stuff, getting a massage, in a very random order. It’s tiring, costly, & toxic in a way — but I still do it all with much gusto. Talk about hedonism. Seriously, all I ask from the heavens for now is a good pair of in-line skates so I can go back to the runway in my childhood home & get lost in the empty golf course + firing range + breakwater watching the sunset, being at peace with myself & the world, while I can’t be with the one I love to share my ultimate Zen moment with yet.


Tune in for more excerpts & commentaries. Tell me what you think. For now, ENJOY. We’ve only got a few days left before Christmas & the New Year *groan* so let’s make the most of things before rushing for preparations. Happy heydays!

chipper

I’m pleased to say that this site is now so easily viewable via GPRS & 3G (depending which connection is active) on your mobile phones. Just point your browsers to our URL, & you can easily scan for updates or leave quick comments whenever you feel like it. I haven’t tried posting via my phone yet, but maybe next week, after my appointments (finally). Every session feels like my first time, that I get anxious & inordinately self-conscious even around loyal patrons not included in my friends-&-family roster. If you’re interested, let me know. Post your comments here.

backlog

So many things have happened to me (& I still keep putting off reading schedules like crazy) & I have it all to blame on this last Mercury retrograde (should be over by the 18th, but the aftermaths can be pretty loopy as much as the preludes). I’m PMSing badly (my period being delayed by 2 weeks & I keep eating too much chocolate), I lost a few small but crucial items (like a couple of discount cards slash IDs), my room needs major rearranging, & my phone needs a software reflashing + firmware upgrade, blah. I also haven’t been working out as much. But so far, I’m fine, & I’m ready to get back on track.

So what is a Mercury (or any other planetary) retrograde? Here’s what Astrology.com has to say about the subject:

** Astrolesson: Mercury Retrograde

Mercury — messenger of the gods, ruler of communication — turns retrograde October 28 and remains so through November 17. Appearing to be spinning backward through the heavens, Mercury’s unusual moves can wreak havoc on the seemingly normal things in our daily lives, so don’t be surprised by delayed plans, frozen computers and stalled cars. It’s not a great idea to start anything new until late November, so until then, just lie low, stay loose and ride the rhythm of the retrograde. Fight any potential Mercury-retrograde blues by learning all about Your Communication Sign. Calm, clarity and learning to chill are all powerful tools during this potentially confusing period.

In being aware of this occurrence in the heavens, you can actually use Mercury’s retrograde to your advantage. It’s a great time to reconnect with old friends and revisit days gone by. Also, be sure to spend some quality time with yourself — perhaps when your phone battery dies mid-conversation, or while you’re stuck in traffic on the way home — and refocus your energies toward replenishing yourself. That way, when chats go haywire and plans go awry, you’ll have a smile on your face in knowing that you won’t let the little stuff bring you down. This too shall pass!

To learn more about such retrogrades, go here. Mercury goes on retrograde thrice a year, & come to think of it, a whole lot of other stuff goes unmanageable during such a phase. If you find yourself fantastically broke & sick, or lacking energy & inspiration, or feeling predatory (like me! haha!) perhaps the heavens actually have something to do with it after all. So let’s remember to double-check our belongings, make backup plans & duplicates, keep ourselves healthy & well-rested, set aside shopping receipts (especially with the abundance of bargain sales during this period!), & think doubly hard about certain pressing decision(s). Funny how a friend of mine got married during this phase, but she’s been wanting to do so all along, so cheers to her!

Anyway, good luck to us all!

LIFE — always a wonderfully dreadful subject

People should pay more attention to things like this, especially during a crucial time such as a Mercury retrograde, which I’ll be discussing later.

Anyway, while I was trying to wake myself up this morning, I decided to read about what would my life be like in 5 years’ time. Haha. Normally I don’t advise this kind of reading, as I can only look into the immediate future anyway (like 2-6 months from the start of a session), but I wanted to spend more time with my eclectic to the point of perplexing Samurai deck so, voila, click to enlarge:



I find it amusing how I’m always signified as the tough-looking warrior Empress (see 2nd card on the center of the semi-circle called the Planets spread), if not by any of the Queens (not shown). But I’m pleased to know that I will remain happy with my tarot-reading in 2011 (see the Priest card on the 2nd card in the semi-circle) & evolve much as a woman finally (look at the 10 of Pentacles on the center above the Empress), haha. The things I do for fun nga naman, tsk.

So what does this spread mean?


1) Moon - Home Life, Domestic Matters, & Emotional States - 4 of Wands
2) Sun - Achievement, Personal Reward, & Optimism - The Priest
3) Mercury - Working Life, Career Prospects, & Mental Abilities - 3 of Coins
4) Venus - Love Life, Relationships, & Feelings - 2 of Wands
5) Mars - Conflict & Struggles - 6 of Coins
6) Jupiter - Gain & Expansion - 6 of Swords
7) Saturn - Restriction & Structure - 8 of Swords
8) Earth - Self - 10 of Coins + The Empress


For the life of me, I’m muddled with this layout. I have trouble with cards 4, 5, & 7, mainly because the images depicted are not according to the traditional meanings. The 2 of Wands is basically a good card to get in that position, but the depiction in the Samurai deck doesn’t look so happy to me. Same with the 6 of Coins. This is a bad card to get traditionally in the Conflicts position, but the illustration seems to be describing something else (more profound, perhaps?) so I need to delve deeper here as well. The 8 of Swords isn’t so welcome traditionally, either, but the archer bit gives a more positive light to things, so I feel that this card isn’t as ominous as it usually is. Everything seems to be OK, though, maybe I’ll just be too homesick for my own good by then. The 2 cards on the upper left are the 9 of Swords & Ace of Coins, my overall Significators for the day. They represent my hopes & fears about my question, & so far, I think I’ll be fine. Why? Because as long as I have the odds in my favor (3 scary cards as opposed to 5 serene-looking picks), I’m all set. HAHA. I really wonder if I’ll have a chance to actualize this reading!

better late than never!

I’m sleepy & I had a hard time in yoga (after a long time of not showing up) as well as with my mom (for her being overprotective, etc.) yesterday, but I think everything paid off because I serendipitously got myself a new deck. HAHA. Hooray for the Golden Tarot! Talk about a belated birthday present, like a month after. Even if I still have the Samurai Tarot to play with (another birthday present, from my production associate Em, whom I’d rather call Lynne), my new deck is a wonderful pick-me-upper.



Look at The Queen of Pentacles shown on the cardstock, the Queen of Cups on the guidebook, & the ultra-alluring Queen of Wands on the box. So who’s your favorite? Picture taken before my unsealing the cards. Partly I also want to show off my camphone, but really, I love my new deck.

how little things (like a guileless but weird hobby) can kill

Funny how I’d fill out forms now with the title “tarotist” under occupation, leaving people wondering, “what’s that like again?” but it’s honestly what I’ve got left to do with my time & energy, even if it’s a thankless job & I’d end up spending more to purge myself of fatigue & remorse after every session or so, because simply sleeping it off &/or/from meditating just don’t cut it. At least I don’t get to overeat much anymore as a result, & I can definitely remind myself to be more patient with developments & that I actually have a less stressful life now than when I was younger. So because I have to practise what I preach, hehe, I’d like to thank my lucky stars for guiding & indulging me everytime. OK, so I was kidding about the have-to part. Expressing gratitude is the least I can do, anyway.

Hello, World!

Finally — updates on my readings, workshops, & lessons can be easily retrieved here. Haha, amusing how I’m debuting on a Friday the 13th, a few days before Halloween. :P Interesting how I also just got requests to read for some loyal clients earlier today, but too bad they will have to wait for their turn, as my schedule isn’t as obliging as I would like it to be after the recent storm a.k.a tragedy to hit my region.