Now is the time of year when many people are making New Year’s resolutions. Excited for the fresh start we buy our juicer, throw out the now stale holiday cookies, buy a new pair of sneakers and commit to no caffeine no alcohol no gluten in a bid to make ourselves healthier!

More productive! Kinder! Save more money! Living a more meaningful life than last year!



And by the time March rolls around we are barely clinging on to these resolutions or have abandoned them entirely. We try not to think about letting ourselves down but it does creep in and we judge ourselves, sometimes rather harshly.

But, what if we could use Tarot as a way to see if the resolution is the right one for us? Perhaps our resolution is not the resolution we should be making; perhaps the resolution is to leave a toxic relationship or lean into our work for a promotion rather than lose 10 pounds. 

Sometimes half the battle is not the resolution per se, but choosing the right one that fits where we are right now.  Tarot can help us figure out what we need to do to keep on track as well as point out any danger spots along the way.

Getting guidance on the most important resolution to make, ways to make it stick, and pitfalls and set- backs to be aware of can be a powerful tool for igniting transformation. So to help you think and create the resolutions that make sense to you I have created the ever handy-dandy:


New Year’s Resolution Tarot Spread

(You can create whatever kind of shape you would like for this spread, I tend to just read them line by line)

What area of my life needs a New Year’s resolution the most right now?

Pull 3 cards: 1, 2, 3


How can I best achieve positive results with this resolution?

Pull 3 cards: 4, 5, 6

 
What obstacles or dangers are in the way of the success of this resolution?

Pull 3 cards: 7, 8, 9
 

How will I know that I am on the right track to sticking to the resolution?

Pull 3 cards:  10, 11, 12


How will working this resolution contribute to transforming my life?

Pull 3 cards: 13, 14, 15


With a little guidance we can truly create the life we want to experience. If you have a tarot deck and can read yourself, give it a try and let me know how it goes for you!

Or, book an appointment with me and we can discover this together.

Either way, once you are done, join me in my class on January 11th, Visioning the New Year Vision Board Workshop to cement what you uncovered and create a board to help you synthesize your best and keep you on track.

Happy Resolutioning!

This past weekend I spent my time gallivanting about at the New York Renaissance Fair. Now, if you have spent any time at a Ren fair you know that there are going to be at least a few psychic type readers on hand peddling their intuitive wares. From what I understand, these readers are usually well established because the competition is stiff to get a placement there.

I had never gone to this particular Ren fair before and was utterly astonished to see that this place had not one, not two but three…THREE alleys chock full of every type of intuitive reader you could think of. There were swami looking gentlemen, and hippy looking ladies, and gypsy caravans all squashed up against one another vying for your attention. Do you want juju work? Tarot? Palm? Bone casting? This place had it all.

So how do we choose the right one for us? Below is my handy dandy guide for finding the right Intuitive Professional for YOU!



Looks do not matter but professionalism does.

I have had astoundingly good readings from people who did not look the part, meaning they had perhaps office casual clothes, a scarcity of crystals and looks just like your neighbor across the street. Or they did look exactly the part of the stereotypical “gypsy reader” with kohl slashed around her eyes, a great mass of long black hair enveloped in incense; I have had great readings from all kinds of demographic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Largely, the wrapping does not measure the results you will get from a reading.

Being a professional, however does. Is the reader well-presented, is her phone off, is she on time, and is she present and actively listening to you? Is the place where you are getting your reading clean, nicely presented and was all communication leading up to the appointment professional? For some reason, readers often get a pass in areas that would not fly anywhere else; there seems to be a social understanding that psychic advisors are too flighty, less held by the bounds of Earth, or what have you, to be as professional as other people you pay. This is not true. Hold Tarot readers to the same standard that you hold anyone you hire.



Ask for qualifications, testimonials, history as a psychic, Tarot reader, clairvoyant


Did this person just start up last week? What has she done in her field and how has she contributed to it? What is her online presence and where are her reviews? What is her education and training in? What are her ethics and is there a refund process if you are unsatisfied? It is perfectly ok to ask or look for any and all of this information.

There seems to be another social convention that the best readers are the ones who are totally unlisted, who are only via word of mouth, and do not have a legitimate business presence. Hogwash, I say! While there are plenty of amazing intuitive readers who are found this way BUT that does not mean that those who do have legitimate businesses are not as good. In fact, the ones who are maintaining a legitimate business are paying taxes, contributing to business organizations and working very hard to create a professional business. All that hard work translates into investment in YOU, our beloved and cherished clients.



How do you feel?

As I was walking down one ally there was a reader at the end who was sitting at her table and despite the lines at other reader’s tables hers was a lonely one. She was sitting there with a scowl on her face giving off waves of negative energy. There was no way I was going to sit down and have a reading from her.  

Listen to your feelings as you first meet your clairvoyant helper, are you put at ease or on guard? Do you feel you have a compassionate, sympathetic ear or do you feel you are just another walking dollar bill? Do you feel trusting or suspicious, how about comfortable or ill at ease? These feelings, those split second gut reactions are your own intuition letting you know if this is a fit.

Do not, repeat, do not ignore these messages. Feeling slightly uncomfortable does not mean that the magic is working...it just means you are uncomfortable and there is a reason for that, find out why.



Look at the Example

There are many readers out there who (to put it bluntly) lives are a hot mess. They find themselves attracted to Tarot reading because they are unable to keep a regular job, hold down a career or otherwise interact with mainstream society due to dysfunction or personal trauma. If your reader cannot keep her life together, how is she going to be able to help you with yours?

Everybody has ups and downs in their life and while your reader doesn't have  to present themselves as a Bodhisattva (and if they do…run!!)  they need to uphold what they preach. I am not going to see a dentist who has bad teeth, a mechanic with a jalopy, or a pet psychic with no pets, and neither should you.



A lack of fit does not always mean that the reader is bad
 
Let’s say you had a reading from someone who was professional, well-presented, and you had an initial great feeling but the reading was not helpful for you. This does not always mean that the reader in general is not a good intuitive. Just like with hairdressers, car mechanics, doctors; there needs to be a synergy between you and the person helping you and that synergy is often unique to each pairing. What is not right for you might be astoundingly good for another person and vice versa. If you felt the fit was not right, talk to your intuitive consultant about it and listen to what she says,she needs your feedback, too. She might even refer you to another reader who is a better fit. More communication is always, always better than less.


And there you have it, my quick and dirty guide to finding the right Tarot or intuitive professional for you.


Have you ever had a nightmare reader, or did you ignore your gut feeling only to regret that you did?

Juicy stories down here!

Give Yourself Time to Process Initial Reactions

 Having a Tarot reading is being open to a vulnerable experience. You are talking about things and asking questions about things that perhaps no one in your life knows about. You are baring a part of your soul with an intuitive who is guiding you through a process. Coming out of this vulnerable time and into normal space may feel disorientating so make sure that you ease back into the mainstream.

I cannot speak for all intuitives but I make an intuitive connection with each client, third eye to third eye, to enhance the intuitive session. When you leave the session, I make sure to close the connection but for some it can be disorientating, exhilarating, confusing or even a peaceful experience; each person reacts differently to this process.

Give yourself time to adjust back into normal space. Be gentle with any emotions that may arise or need to be worked through. Following an intuitive coaching session with a high stress work meeting is not a good idea. Give yourself a few hours if possible in a calm environment.

Allow First Impressions to Sink In


It is important to allow your short term memory and impressions take root into your conscious as they are naturally remembered from the experience.

Listening to the recording too soon will take the place of those important first impressions and powerful moments of clarity.

It is like remembering a photo when you were having your 10 year old birthday party rather than remembering the party itself.

Capture Your Initial Thoughts & Reactions

It is very helpful to journal or record first impressions and insights after the Tarot session. These first insights can often be the most powerful awakenings in the session.

If possible, take the next hour after the meeting and go somewhere quiet to capture these impressions; journal in your car if you have to. What were some big realizations that you made during the session? What connections did you make? What are you ready to move on from, or to?

Bonus points if you can make this a creative activity by drawing, painting or collaging your new understanding.

Create a Map of New Beginnings

Once you have got your insights down in whatever form you like best, it is important to continue the work with creating a map of new beginnings. A map of action steps to help the changes take hold helps support the momentum unfolded in the Tarot session.

Having a Tarot consultation and making new connections is only the beginning; your transformation needs to be strengthened by an action plan and a commitment to change. A client who only listens to the session, without further work on her part, will find that the work of the intuitive session unfinished.

After the First Week or Two, Listen to the Recording

After journaling your first impressions and insights, you may find that you have additional, clarifying questions; these questions are often linked to your own spiritual and personal growth. Write them down during the time between your first impressions and your first recording listen.

You may find that the recording will answer many of the questions you had after the reading. Listening to the recording later will round out and define the initial insights as well as give you some keys for greater growth and positive change.

Listen to Your Recording 3 Months after the Session

Listening to the recording 3 months after the session will help you identify if you are still on the path of radical transformation, identify places where you are still stuck, and remind you of the work that needs to be continue.

It is at the 90 day mark that it is said that new habits form into lasting habits so checking back into the reading at this time will help if there has been any slippage into old habits or back into old relationships. The three month mark is also a good time to ascertain whether the information is still relevant, useful, or if things have moved on.


At this point many clients book another reading to ensure they are on track with the message originally delivered or to see if outcomes have changed due to their own actions.

Taking these action steps after you Tarot session will greatly maximize the messages you received and their practical application into the changes you wish to make in your life. I highly recommend taking the time as possible to complete the steps above to vastly empower your deepening connection to the Source and to your own personal and spiritual development.