the birth of Venus (a prelude)

Wednesday, Sep 24th, 2008 – Instead of thinking about everyone else’s needs, put yourself first for a change. This is not about being unconsciously selfish. It’s about acknowledging that love of others begins with developing your self-esteem. If you don’t take adequate care of yourself, then you won’t have very much to give anyone else.

Of course, this is true all year round, not just on my birthday. But since today’s my birthday week, & I’ve been getting early greetings since last week, let’s up the ante on that, shall we?

So I’ve been trying to get a few special things for myself, like extensive Balinese massages & foot baths, a pot of anti-wrinkle night cream LOL, new tarot decks (yes, I already have the Manga by Selena Lin, Magical Forest, & Mystical Faerie), a new eco-friendly water bottle for work, new flip-flops for my tai chi & yoga classes, an appointment to a pricey hairdresser in order to save my damaged locks, then tomorrow I will make time for my meditation (my first ever guided class after a long time) before going home. Sounds pretty low-key, but it’s a good way to go easy on cocktails (though I can actually do after the haircut next week LOL). I’m also getting new Venetian blinds for my room, & clearing my schedule of unwarranted schmoozing. So far, I’m enjoying more time for sleeping this month, but yesterday I was too tired to actually show up for tai chi class that I dozed off right after rearranging my other tarot decks that I left in my locker at work, & good thing I was able to take off my white woven sandals just before another downpour ensued on my way home. I really hate getting my feet wet, though, when I’m tired. I’m thinking of taking rainy-day pictures to add to my so-called outdated portfolio, but oh, please, God, let me have more energy to actually do so!

Today, I should be talking about aromatherapeutic massages, but I might as well put that thought on hold as I still have work to do. Anyway, I have a long weekend to enjoy, so…

pre-birthday daze

So all I’ve been doing when I’m at home is sleep, if not Plurk or or play Warbook or try to catch Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet on the National Geographic channel. I don’t feel well at all lately, but it’s just probably from the flu shot I had at work plus PMS. I just don’t like having low blood pressure & hot flashes & a runny nose & an upset stomach ALL AT THE SAME TIME. But this is what this last Mercury retrograde’s good for, I suppose — to have enough time to unwind. With an amethyst under my pillow these days, somehow I sleep so much better now, even despite all the crazy lucid dreams. But that shouldn’t be a problem. I hope to get more crystals soon, & I want to get this book to help me finally get my living space reorganized.

I’m also happy to have new calling cards issued by next week, & to discover that I can do tai chi more regularly now! I can’t wait to see my former weekly tai chi sifu & check out the new space where I can also sign up for slow flow yoga on Monday nights. This is indeed great news for me, as I can happily stretch my way towards health & enlightenment all the more. My wish has been granted! Thank you, Cosmos! What a wonderful way to spend the rest of the month!

I’ve also added a Testimonials page here & somehow I still find it cheesy to see all of my friends’ remarks in one go, but that should help me reestablish my chosen identity as a tarot reader. I’m hoping to add a few more to the list, especially those that were given a few years ago while I was starting out.

The Tarot’s Ten Commandments

I think this is such a wonderful article:

1) Thou shalt use Tarot as an instrument of love and healing and remember it is not for control or self gain.

Tarot is used to help others, not to manipulate people with knowledge about them or of what may happen in their life. It is true that there are situations where it is not appropriate to tell a seeker all that has been revealed, but it is never appropriate to use information revealed by Tarot to control others, even if it is supposed to be “for their own good.”

2) Thou shalt use Tarot and perform readings from a place of calmness and centeredness and clear thy head, heart, body, mind, spirit, and soul from anger, pain, and dark influences before using Tarot.

Darker influences, such as anger, fear, pain, lust (not just erotic lust!) and jealousy can stand between the reader and useful, valid readings. All readers and seekers deserve the clearest, most unbiased reading possible. Doing a reading under negative influences can cause misleading, false, or even contradictory readings.

3) Thou shalt at all times be aware of the free will of the reader and the seeker.

Tarot can tell us what influences are acting on us, but it never tells us exactly what will happen. Each individual has free will and the ability, at all times, to determine the direction of his or her life by making his or her own choices. A reading may clearly indicate an event. No matter how certain this event is, it is still up to the seeker to either bring it about, avoid it, or decide in what manner it will be faced.

4) Thou shalt use Tarot to learn about thy self and others who ask. Those who do not ask often do not wish to know or do not wish to be known about.

Use Tarot to give information to people that ask for it, but do not use it to pry or spy. Sometimes a person will ask for a reading on a possible romantic interest or on an ex-spouse with whom the seeker is still angry. There is no difference between using Tarot to find out what others do or feel and eavesdropping on conversations or activities to find out the same information.

5) Thou shalt allow all to have their own opinions of tarot and work with those who seek or who believe and avoid trying to change opinions of those who desire to argue.

There will always be skeptics and people who will even violently denounce tarot. They speak their opinions, which they have as much right to hold as you do to believe in tarot. It is not the place of a reader to convince a skeptic or critic. If the time comes, they will be lead to a desire to learn or accept Tarot on their own. Until and unless that happens, entering into a discussion or debate on whether tarot is Truth is usually the best way to lose that debate or discussion. Entering an argument or fight about the Truth of Tarot is a guaranteed way to lose that argument or fight, as well as respect for both you and Tarot.

6) Thou shalt remember that knowledge is like fertilizer and should be spread. Tarot and the ways of Tarot are not secrets to be known only by a few.

Tarot is to help others. When a seeker asks questions, it is to learn and to be helped. A seeker may want to know how Tarot works or what cards can mean. The ways of Tarot are not the secrets of Tarot. Knowledge is always to be shared. Questions are meant to be answered.

7) Thou shalt remove thine own ego from thy readings.

When reading for yourself or for friends, it is important to see what the cards are saying. Do not be influenced by what you, as a reader, wish to see, or by what may be too painful for you to see. Remove your wants, desires, fears, and pain from your readings so what you see is Truth, not Deception. Ego and desires can even influence what cards appear.

8) Thou shalt focus only on the current reading and the seeker for whom the reading is being done. Let not thy energies be distracted, diverted, and diluted by other times or people.

When a seeker (whether it is yourself or another) asks for a reading, it is a disservice to allow your energies to be distracted by remembering other readings or comparing the present seeker or reading to others. There is only the present, the current seeker, and the current spread.

9) Thou shalt remember that all who read tarot are unique individuals and will all have different interpretations of each card, each deck, each seeker, and each situation.

Five readers will interpret the same card in the same reading for the same person for the same situation in five different ways. Tarot, like time, spirits, and the future, changes. Readings and interpretations vary and reading tarot is not a contest to see who agrees with whom. Reading Tarot is an opportunity to help others and yourself.

10) Thou shalt remember that Tarot is a gift... and a gift, like mercy, “blesseth him that gives and him that takes.”

As Shakespeare said in The Merchant of Venice, “The quality of mercy is not strain’d; it droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: it blesseth him that gives and him that takes.” The entire quotation would be appropriate here. There are those that read professionally and do so for an income and there are those who do readings for free. In whatever capacity, do not be stingy with using Tarot to help people. Doing readings for seekers is a gift, which should be thought of as mercy.

Thanks so much, Francisbear, for sharing.

Oh, & I would like to wish my one & only brother a happy birthday. ♥

little things et al

“The Seven of Chalices card suggests that my power today lies in possibility. Luck is relative — still, I choose wisely and am not alone. When I envision, expect and choose great things, I will identify, pursue, and experience great things. I keep my options open and acknowledge emotional clutter or unrealistic expectations. I am empowered by desire for meaning and my gift is opportunity or epiphany.”

What a cute card, don’t you think? Everytime this pops up in a reading, I come up with a suggestion for my clients to make a little wishlist involving seven whatever it is that they want at the moment. For example, they can come up with Seven Goals They Would Want to Achieve Before The Next Quarter, or Seven Things They Would Want in A New Relationship, or… well, you get the idea. Seriously. I get pretty excited when this comes up, as it’s a good supplement to the Nine of Cups, which you all know is the resident Wish Card. So if you get both in one go, time to focus, & be careful with what you wish for! Now the catch is, my clients would have to force themselves to write the wishlist down, & review them from time to time. They could keep it in their diaries or blogs, or leave it in church once they pay their respective parishes a visit, especially when the Hierophant appears in their spreads. You know, to amplify prayers, that sorta thing. I know those cards can mean so much more than just that, but it really helps, especially after seeing the movie Practical Magic again a few years back, haha. The trick is to fine-tune that list, & BE CAREFUL indeed with whatever you’d wish to scribble on it. I’m still working on my different lists, actually, no thanks to my easily bored, scatterbrained antics. But the last time I checked, I think I’m working on 10 out of 30 things now from my Ultimate To-Do List In The Meantime, so that’s got to be something, woohoo!

Speaking of going to church, I attended Mass last Thursday after such a long time with my coworker Cherry. The homily was superb as usual; the Gospel was about the Apostles becoming fishers of men, teaching believers to have faith in the will of the Lord. The will of God, as shared by the priest du jour, can be very unexpected, full of surprises, sometimes only found as traces & glimpses (a la the High Priestess’s secrets), but it can also be very persistent, so believers should be very sensitive & receptive to signs, etc., & no doubt will it be a humbling experience to have it dawn upon seekers. If people have tremendous faith, they wil be adorably blessed like the Apostles in the said parable. The previous Reading also has the same message, running along the lines of, “be a fool to become wise,” meaning we should go on with our lives with pure trust & grace in Him, of course. Sigh. That blew me away. I’m really going back next week. It’s my birthday month, after all, hehe, & I’m always too tired to go out every Sunday. It feels good bonding with a new friend while I’m at it, so yay. I really hope I could spend more time with my choice coworkers like that from now on.

I also got to finally watch Wall-E after such a long delay, & I can’t wait to see it again. I’m officially in love with EVE & M-O, haha, but yeah, Wall-E is cute, too. I love its eco-centric theme, reminding us to always care for Mother Earth even amidst our technological advances & yearning for the quintessential luxurious, streamlined life. Plus I think that that movie had the best love story ever, among other Pixar releases. Ooohhh. I love how the “how far will you go for love?” dilemma was presented. Now, seriously, will you really hitch a ride to another galaxy just to be with the one you so adore, just to see him or her safe & sound, at the very least? Don’t ask me that, just yet. All I know is that I tend to do silly things in the name of love, while trying my best to keep my composure, & the last thing I want to end up as is looking pathetic. I think I’ve been a big loser all my life, so that has got to stop, hehe.

Oh, speaking of love, I’m really officially head over heels with the Tarot of the Magical Forest, our featured deck for this post. I can make do with the Lo Scarabeo publication now, after my esoteric buddy Francis showed me his own last Saturday, along with his other new acquisitions (Tarot of the White Cats & the Tarot of Jane Austen). Francis was also a sweetheart to treat me to lunch, haha. Let’s have more Tempura misadventures, haha. But that deck is AWESOME. I don’t think of it as just as some Rider-Waite clone, & it’s the perfect gift for a fan of surrealism, oddities, & fluffy bunnies — LIKE ME! My kid sister (R.I.P.) would’ve loved it, too. I think she did lead me into discovering that online… she was Piscean, too, like Francis, coincidentally.

The deck is fabulously descriptive, very rich in symbolism & detail, super-cute but not to be dismissed as just some frilly deck. If you like vibrant colors, you won’t be disappointed. The cardstock is sturdy, which I like, & the images speak in depth, even amidst the rather annoying Lo Scarabeo card labels in 4 or so languages. Oh, & guess which card I got first on my first encounter…

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autumn equinox fun

It just dawned upon me that I hardly have any September posts. I should have, considering this is my birthday month, woohoo! So this year will be different, even if I haven’t really accomplished my 30 Things To Do Before My Birthday list. Anyway, I took a long break since I couldn’t concentrate much to begin with, & to kick things off, let’s have this post I swiped from the Universal Psychic Guild:

If you are wanting to be number one or just the best that you can be, start following these five strategies that will help you become a champion at whatever you choose to pursue in life:

1. Improve On The Small Things - There are many small things that can be changed to make a big difference in the final outcome of anything you are pursuing. Try to determine what areas of your life small changes may benefit. It may be something as simple as going to bed earlier, working smarter, doing more reading, advancing your education, or scheduling regular dates with your spouse and children. You may want to consider getting a coach to help inspire you, guide you and improve your productivity.

2. Study Other Successful People - Winners always seem to perform well under any circumstances no matter what adversity they encounter. You have to keep your act together physically, psychologically, and spiritually if you are going to become the best. Commit yourself to mastering and fine tuning the skills needed to become number one. Study and learn from others that have already achieved success.

3. Learn To Hyperfocus - Block out the noise, eliminate distractions and clear the mental clutter to help you stay focused on your priorities. You need to get in that zone that allows you to have optimal performance. Find that optimal time of the day when you are in your zone and use that time of day for creative thinking and performing important task. We all have experienced times when we need to be at our best and really focus without any outside distractions. If music helps you focus then utilize it to help get you in your zone for greatest creativity and productivity. Visualize yourself succeeding in whatever activity that is requiring your optimal performance.

4. Follow Your Passion - To become the best at something you have to love it so much that it does not seem like work. If you want to compete with other extraordinary people, with similar passions, you may have to give up doing things that other ordinary people do. You may have to give up hanging out with friends, sleeping in on the weekends, staying up late, and eating inappropriately. You need to use those hours to practice and fine tune the skills needed to become the best at what you do.

Try finding areas of your life that you can rearrange to raise certain areas of your life to a new level. Finding things you can let go of will allow room for focussing on the goals and dreams you truly desire.

5. Finish Strong And Fight To The Finish - How many times in life do we give it 90% only to find our efforts fizzle out. Even if you know you have won or lost, keep on fighting until the end. Never give up.

If you want to be the best at whatever you do begin studying the success of others, focus, and start making changes in the small things that will help move you towards being a champion in life.

About the Author:

Curtis McElroy is an internal medicine physician with an interest in health and wellness, fitness, weight loss, self improvement, and motivation. Go to http://imdocmac.com/mydailypassion for further information.

I hope this helps everyone reach their goals! ♥

By the way, starting this month until the next, I’ll be available every Thursday for readings, as early as 10am, at my usual haunt. I’ll be doing yoga more often, too, so wish me luck.