Donnaleigh's Tarot

Boundaries for Tarot Readers & 2 Card Boundary Spread

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:20:00 +0000

"Boundaries are to protect life, not to limit pleasures."

~ Edwin Louis Cole

It is said that "People treat us the way we teach them to treat us."

How are you being treated as a reader?

Tonight we featured a panel discussion of tarotists who talked about

how to create boundaries as a reader.

Panelists included

The Panel discussed topics such as dealing with:

When your reading is criticized.
What if a client doesn't like their reading?
Expectation of free readings that infringes upon a real or implied friendship?
If a client asks you to interpret cards laid out by another reader?
Clients who overdo readings (psychic addiction?)
What if a client wants more cards laid down because they are not getting the answer they want?
When uncomfortable topics or questions arise?
How to professionally respond to bartering ~ some people will expect us to barter even when our policies clearly state we won't do so.
When there are too many follow-up questions on email readings -- how to handle this
Payment boundaries ~ While some have a hardship story and ask for a reading now to be paid for later.
When a client complains your fees are too high.
When you have to let go of (or literally "fire" a client)

And you can hear this special panel discussion here:

A lot was covered during the discussion and we ran out of time before we were able to do a wonderful

BOUNDARY SPREAD

which was created by

Georgianna Boehnke of The Tarot Room.

So let's offer it here.

Draw 2 cards from your favorite tarot deck and ask:

1) Define boundary as it pertains to me.

2) How can I best establish my own personal boundaries?

SAMPLE READING:

For a sample reading, I pulled two cards from the Gaian Tarot.

And I received

21 Gaia the World

10 of Fire

What are boundaries to me?

Boundaries to me are not as clear as they used to be. Since my voice and presence stream Internationally, I have found myself exposed to people all over the world and suddenly I realize there is a lot let into my life that I've not had to deal with before. I tend to be very trusting, thus this unlimited expanse of "world" has let in a lot of....well....."stuff."

Interestingly, the World card is a "boundaries" card for many people, being a card connected with the planet Saturn (which has energy of restriction). Additionally, the wreath image on this card may be seen by some as a circular boundary line. So this card does define "boundaries," but with the image of thte entire planet, this suggests that mine may include the entire world. That's kinda big! There's bound to be a few worms in those apples.

The fish at the bottom of the Gaia card was important to me, as I had experienced a situation with fraud reminiscent of the movie, "Catfish." This card shows me putting the world between me and the fish. Fortunately, it is belly-up, and you know what that means for a fish. This belly-up fish foreshadows the next card, which suggests how I can best establish my own boundaries. Because although I grew up trusting just about everyone, tarot has other suggestions in mind.

2) How can I best establish my own personal boundaries?

This forest fire suggests in no uncertain terms the need for fast and firm elimination. Burn them from my life, eliminate their presence from my life to make way for fertile new soil. End it, wipe it off the slate. "It's over, Grover."

I will have to create endings in order to establish boundaries. Some cannot be let back in. Those that are within in my "allowed boundary zone" are part of my world even if there is not always comfort. But when I start feeling strong discomfort, and I know what my limits are, it's time to burn the old to do a little crop clearing to let in the acceptable.This will fertilize the soil for new planting and allow clean, new growth.

What cards define and assist with YOUR boundaries?

Here's wishing you a tarot-filled week of healthy lines in the sand.

Warmly,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

Learn more about the secrets of reading tarot at our award-winning educational tarot podcast.

See a listing of all show topics HERE.

Grieving with Tarot

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:15:00 +0000

"It's so curious: one can resist tears and 'behave' very well in the hardest hours of grief. But then someone makes you a friendly sign behind a window, or one notices that a flower that was in bud only yesterday has suddenly blossomed, or a letter slips from a drawer... and everything collapses."

~Colette

SADNESS Through The Eyes of Tarot

I have experienced some profound grief this past year, so I decided to heal and learn a bit by trying James Wells's spread, called "From Grief to Hospitality," which can be found HERE.

I expected my spread to talk about the upcoming loss of my mother, but the spread took it much further and beyond that, and I found there were parallels in other life situations I have experienced that can be tied to the same symbolic meanings.

I used one of my favorite decks, The Golden Tarot, by Kat Black.

Card 1) What is my deepest heartbreak?

3 of Cups reversed

The core of heartbreak for me is the loss of a joyful relationship. When three becomes two, when joy becomes loss, when friendships end, when relationships diffuse, when love dies. "The party's over."

Mary Greer suggests this card reversed can also mean "a theft by someone you know," which also has happened, initiating the end of what I thought was once joyful. In mom's case, I feel her joy of life is being stolen from her before she is ready.

But in this card I see my dad, my sister and me slowly letting go of what was, as we face the sadness of what is. She can no longer dance with us. But in general, this card is the separating of myself from what gave me joy, when I still wish we all could dance together. Some dances are just meant to last until the end of a song.

Deepak Chopra taught us, "All great changes are preceded by chaos.”

Card 2) To whom or to what does this open my heart?

3 of Pentacles reversed

I can open my heart by pulling in other people who were on the outskirts in my busy physical life that may not embody this experience. It ties me closer with those with whom I sit, as I appreciate more where I am and who I will still have after having lost. We are a partnership, and we depend on each other more greatly, my father and I, as we hold onto each other during this building of the temple we call life.

This card also makes me realize that things do diffuse, nothing lasts forever, and that endings are as natural as beginnings. The moment we are born, we are destined to pass. Knowing this pushes me to practice the necessary but difficult Buddhist practice of nonattachment. It brings me to the appreciation of those who remain after the team is broken. Each of us leans heavily on the other, and so we depend on more than just ourselves. In the process, though, we learn what we are made of and learn to trust that we will survive and be okay, thanks to our team.

Yet despite the team, it really comes down to each of us as an individual part. This card asks me, "how can I demonstrate love and strength as things break down, as the temple crumbles? Who are the people beside me as another departs?"

This card also asks how I tend to my own mind/body needs, the physical temple that is my body, so that I can continue to be a strong part of the team. How am I neglecting my own physical needs? How can attending to this better further allow me to open my heart with strength?

3 of Pents reversed can also be the absence of a team and learning through that. Others may be afraid to approach, as visiting the dying is a hard task, and yet I must stay in the boat with mom and take the journey.

Maya Angelo taught us, “Someone was hurt before you, wronged before you, hungry before you, frightened before you, beaten before you, humiliated before you, raped before you… yet, someone survived… You can do anything you choose to do.”

And an anonymous person said, “Fear, uncertainty and discomfort are your compasses toward growth.”

Card 3) How can I most hospitably receive him/her/it/them into my opened heart?

6 of Swords

I can receive hospitality by allowing movement. Change is constant. Change is inevitable, ride with it and realize it can still take you to safe places. Recognize what continues to embrace and protect you. Notice those around you who have gone through (and are going through) a similar experience: you are not alone (notice the boat in the back). Embrace them and empathize, and help them on their journey when necessary. Know when it is time to move on. Do not stay in one place and wallow, but rather express love and protection, but continue with the movement of life. With my mother, it is loving her in the place we are in regardless of how dark it feels. Like the mother embracing the baby in the boat, I have become the mother figure and she the child figure.

I cannot stay on the shore while she departs, I must hop in and take the ride. I will lovingly embrace where I am and appreciate the protection and support that exists both in my boat and with others that circle around me, also fishing in the same sea. I am learning to identify with others' pain and loss when I experience my own. The 6 of Swords card here is not a joyful card, it appears to be a card of mourning. So it is natural to be sad in order to receive. The sadness is part of the journey in the boat. It is part of the process of how I must hospitably receive her. Mourning with others will allow me to grow even further. It's okay to cry and feel pain. I am not alone.

Mark Twain noted that, “20 years from now you will be disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the one’s you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

I will ride in the boat right with you, mom. Together we'll sail on the journey. We'll dance with what remains. I love you.

To learn more about using Tarot to guide through depression,

CLICK HERE.

Warmly,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

Learn more about the secrets of reading tarot at our award-winning educational tarot podcast. See a listing of all show topics HERE.

How Can I Be A Better Candle?

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:00:00 +0000

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle."

James Keller

This is part of a community blogging activity called the Tarot Blog Hop!

More info about this activity HERE.

HOW CAN I BE A BETTER CANDLE?

I am the candle, I hold the flame

Thine heart feels dark, you say you hold shame

I'll light the wick through soft, gentle smiles

And waxy drop tears will echo our trials

When you are in dark, I'll shine the way

When you're overworked, I'll bring you play

The light that it gives, it shines heart to heart

When passed onto you, it's just a mere start

The glow it shall then reside brightly in you

Until you search the world, find a heart that's dark, too

To be the best candle, the light has to see

That it cannot stop here, it goes further than me

The light it must move, and its warmth it must share

And find its own way through the travel of prayer

For when the light moves, it can then become two

I've now made it grow, passed the torch here to you

Then you will find shadows, bright ways for your friend

The wick that lives on never fades nor will end

For released from the neck of a single wick donned

You'll find that it spreads, lights a thousand such wands

From my wick to yours and then from your wick to theirs

We all become part of the world's candle heirs.

At top, the Shadowscapes Tarot, Ace of Wands card.

At bottom, The Legacy of the Divine Tarot, Star card.

SPEED BLOG ALERT!

Pull one card from your favorite tarot or oracle deck and ask:

How can I be a better candle?

Shine thy light and share thine flame,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

This was part of a community blog project for January 2012.

The rules were: write a tarot blog with the title,

"How Can i Be a Better Candle?"

Wondering how you can join our next Tarot Blog Hop?

Find the info HERE!

Idol Psychic Prediction: This Season's Winner!

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:50:00 +0000

It's prediction time!

And here we go ~ my second prediction for American Idol.

The question is:

Tell me about the winner of American Idol this season!

For this reading I used 2 cards from Ciro Marchetti's Oracle of Visions,

and one from his Legacy of the Divine Tarot deck:

And here is what I see in these cards:

It will likely be a feminine energy. A female will likely win.
The Page suggests that either she is childish, has a child, is with child, or is the child of someone (i.e., as in Jim Carrey's daughter being the child of someone famous). The page is child energy.
With the 1st card being so motherly and the Page being a child, is she herself a mother? Does she have a child? Is she a mother? Is she close to her own mother? There is a mother/child vibe here that can't be denied.
Is she doing something in her performance for her mother, like her mother? The first card has a very motherly vibe.
This may be someone without a lot of experience singing in public. The mirror suggests self-practice or singing alone, and the Page suggests newness and naïveté. A beginner, though a creative one at that.
She may have some sort of shame or embarrassment in her past, something she wants to hide.
She has learned some hard lessons. Her life has not been an easy one.
Maybe we will see her in a dress of yellow or pale yellow/cream colors. I also can't deny the bold red in the Page. Watch for costumes.
Her mask is interesting...will she bring a Gaga like vibe? Will she have a hidden self? Does a real part of her have yet to emerge? How does the mask speak to us? What is she hiding?
I am drawn to the clock in the second card...will there be a song reference about time or the past that she sings? Will this song have meaning to something painful in her past? Something that hurt her but people feel the same pain in her song and relate to her?
Does she have body consciousness issues? The 2nd card suggests this may be possible of the person. Either exterior or interior consciousness concerns seem to be at play.
And I'll pull forth some literalism here. I see red in the curtain of the first card and red in the Page card. I saw last year that background colors on the show's stage often matched the colors in the cards. So I'll be looking out for that red vibe.
The mask in the first card matches the mask seen in a previous prediction I did for Steven Tyler. So this may be someone he has seen from the beginning as a true winner. Follow his lead, he seems to sense it already. They share the same mask. Steven may also see sparks of himself in this person somehow, a nod to his youth. Or he may identify with her. These two seem bonded with this mask match.

It will be fun to see how the contestants narrow down. Let's see if our girl with the mother vibe wins!

Here's hoping you have an Idol-fiilled week!

Follow the Idol Psychics each time the show is live by going to

www.IdolPsychics.com

or click the button below:

Follow our blogs there, too!

Warmly,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

Review: Cat's Eye Tarot

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0000

"As anyone who has ever been around a cat for any length of time well knows, cats have enormous patience with the limitations of the human kind."

Cleveland Amory

The Cat's Eye Tarot by Debra M. Givin.

Published by: U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

I decided to try a new type of review format,

one I wish existed but I've never seen.

It's something that's easy to skim through, yet all the information you need is there, with plenty of pictures to lean on.

I hope you find this format helpful.

Description: The Cat's Eye Tarot is a traditionally structured, 78 card tarot deck with realistic paintings of cats behaving like real cats. This deck represents life from a feline point of view.

Deck Style art - Lifelike watercolors, rich colors, much realism but not photo-realistic. Captures the expressions, body language, and personalities of multiple kinds of cats. A great deck for animal lovers. A wonderful art deck, gentle imagery.

Card stock - traditional card stock, feels durable

Size- 2 3/4" x 4 3/4" Pictures are easy to see.

Border - Plain white, thin, unobtrusive

Card Backs - A beautiful cat face, readers can tell if cards are reversed. A pleasure to look at when the cards are on the table.

Finish - glossy, slippery

Ease of shuffling - shuffles easily like a typical deck of cards. Normal stock flexibility, appear durable.

Number of cards =78 cards; traditional deck structure

Theme (RWS/Thoth/Marseilles) = Rider Waite. Strength = 8, Justice = 11

Packaging - thin cardboard box, not sturdy. Box may wear.

Price - Very inexpensive, reasonably priced at $12.24 on the date this review was published. Check price HERE.

Font = large font, easy to read

Wish list / What I'd Change– I'd love a larger deck option. This is such an artistic deck, I'd enjoy seeing even more of the details. Some may prefer a back where reversals can't be determined from the card backs. I'm happy with this stunning image on the back, myself.

Unique traits: Deck creator, Dr. Debra Givin, is licensed veterinarian who has been in practice for 28 years. She clearly knows the subtle body language of cats. These are not cartooned cats in clothes. These are quality, realistic paintings of cats in day-to-day experiences, with each card a picture worth being framed. People who are owned by cats will chuckle at the tarot card relationships, which are deftly conveyed with lively humor.

Deck Creator, Debra M. Givin, DVM

Elements -- Swords, Pentacles, Cups, Wands -- are each cleverly represented by a different color of cat, as shown below. Color is uses to convey suit energy in the card backgrounds

Swords are seal-point Siamese/Himalayan cats. The background colors are blue (air, clarity, intellectual energy).

Pentacles are dark (grayish) tabby cats. Backgrounds are in hues of brown and green (earthy, practical, natural).

Wands are orange cats. Backgrounds have shades of orange (creative energy)

Cups are cats with black and white markings. Backgrounds contain red hues (emotional energy).

Major Arcana cards have purple hues, denoting important events and spiritual matters. Cats are a variety of colors in the Majors. Scroll to the end of this review to view several Major Arcana pictures from this deck.

Court Cards: Cats strictly adhere to the color of their suit as mentioned above. Pages are kittens, Knights are young cats, Queens are adult cats, and Kings are big adult cats. For those new to tarot, it might be somewhat confusing to understand the meanings of these cards, but the little white book gives good guidance.

Accompanying literature: Little White Book (LWB), same dimension as the cards. The LWB has one sample card spread suggestion in the back, a "Nine Lives Spread" that contains 9 cards and it uncovers where we are, where we have been, and how we got there, as well as where we are going next. A LWB sample Page is shown below.

The Aces in the traditional Rider Waite decks are shown as hands emerging out of the clouds, holding their suit. Likewise, in this modern deck, Dr. Givin captures the same "arm from the air" quality as the cats reach in from outside the deck's border, reaching for a critter representing its element (a bird for air, mouse on the earth, snake is fire, and fish for water)

My personal opinion:

This is a brilliant, beautiful, humorous, smart, highly creative deck, and one of the more beautiful decks on the market. It may be a bit difficult for a first-time tarot reader to understand, due to the subtle nuances of the cats' actions, but the images will appeal to all levels of readers. Veteran readers will find the imagery of the cards amusing. There is very skilled art, easy on the eyes, and with great humor in the cards. The cards are gentle, appropriate for use with children or teens, and provide accurate and insightful readings.

Some of my favorite cards:

ABOVE:

The 6 of Swords is typically a card of "moving away." Instead of people in a boat, this cat is in his carrier ready for a move. Is he going to a better place?

The 5 of Wands is a card of bantering, usually showing 5 men sparring with wands. Here we see 5 cats in a playful group wrestle.

The 7 of Wands, usually showing a man at the top of a hill, fending himself off from the tips of wands poking up at him from unseen assailants, is shown in this card as a cat on a counter with the family dog sniffing up at him, trapping him there.

And the 10 of Cups, the card of family, happy home, and "happily ever after," is shown as a cat contentedly cuddles in its owners arms, with a loving look up and a completely relaxed body posture. Every cat's dream, right?

Samples of Major Arcana cards that many people look for in decks when considering a purchase:

The Cat's Eye Tarot can be purchased at your local book seller, The Tarot Garden, or online book sellers.

To test drive this deck in a reading, have some fun with the online 3-card reading generator HERE.

Final Notes:

This deck is highly recommended and would make a delightful and useful addition to any collection. This is also a great working deck, and with no frightening images or nudity it is appropriate for all ages.

Dr. Debra Givin, will be our featured guest on Tarot Tribe: Beyond Worlds on Sunday, January 22, 2012. To set your reminder or to hear it in the archives after the show is complete, CLICK HERE or on the image below. The podcast is also available on iTunes. For information on how to listen or download the podcast, CLICK HERE.

Here's wishing you a feline-filled week,

Warmly,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

Judging Steven Tyler: American Idol Prediction

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:15:00 +0000

"Slap that baby on the ass and call me Christmas!"

(What Tyler exclaimed after hearing

Scotty McCreery's deep-voiced rendition of

Josh Turner's "Your Man.")

After a successful season of winning America's hearts as the funny but tenderhearted man who knows the balance between being egotisictic and humble, Steven Tyler is returning to American Idol this week for the 2012 season. Lemme hear a "YEE HAW!" out there!

He Won Our Hearts in 2011

Let's take a look at how the world will react to Tyler this season on American Idol.

Last year, many got to see the soft side of Steven, the man who didn't want to hurt contestants yet had to weed out the best, the only judge who got up close and personal with auditioner Chris Medina's fiancée, who was wheeled into the audition room. A beautiful girl who had suffered a life-threatening traumatic head injury after an accident just two months before her wedding, she now was unable to talk. Tyler was the only judge who got right up to her, and whispered to her,

"That's why he sings so good, because he sings to you,"

as seen in the first 30 seconds of this video:

Will He Bring it Back? Or Bust?

So will Tyler do it again? Will America maintain their mad love affair with the legendary rocker, or will they become bored? Let's take a look at what the cards say. For this reading I used a card from each of two decks created by Ciro Marchetti.

And the cards Tyler received are:

The King of Cups (left) from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot

and "Perspective/Point of View" (right) from The Oracle of Visions.

Ah, but the King of Cups is the warm-hearted man, the one who tells soft jokes and judges from the heart. This man loves what he does and loves to be around people. He expresses from the heart, and does it softly, and his kingdom loves him for it. He has the world in his hand, this King, as we fall in love with him for all his kindness and compassion.

"I've been there before, and I know what it feels like," is the the beginning of the poem that accompanies the card on the right in Ciro's companion book to the deck. This card shows a young woman and her older counterpart, both peering through an eye of the same mask. Tyler has walked the walk. He's walked on the road to fame one pebble at a time, and he knows how hard the climb is. He sees through the eyes of experience, but also as an elder who now looks to the upcoming generation as holding the future. He looks through the eyes of "what will last?" He's not looking for a passing fad; instead, he's looking for talent with permanency.

Despite his sweet approach, he does look with a discerning eye of experience. This second card shows him seeing things from the bigger perspctive and so he will dole out his comments kindly, but with words that allow people to continue to create their future. Tyler sees his destiny and their destinies combined. they both hold the same mask of gold.

With two wide-spread generations holding this mask, I also see this as Tyler appealing to more than just one age category. The world, from youth to aged, will watch what he does and find appeal in his approach.

Holding the same mask shows him getting right into the thick of people, too, holding onto what they hold. As we saw in the video above, and in the memory below, Tyler is meant to be in the midst of people and holds his own in participating in the joyful journey of life. It's like a party for him, and he recognizes the joy, hope, and potential of the youth who surround him here. He becomes one with them quite comfortably, and we'll continue to see this merging of energies in 2012.

CROWD WINNER

The King of Cups holds humor in his heart.

Not one to have sharp or biting humor like the King of Swords might hold, this King of Cups speaks with a velvet tongue. He may be flirty, but he won't go anywhere with his flirts; they are intended to make the recipient feel good about themselves. He may even be self-depreciating, knowing that we all share the common concerns as we aspire toward our dreams.

The Oracle of Visions card on the right does suggest that this season Tyler may have a more discerning eye, weeding out more of the contestants earlier in the game than he did in the 2011 season. So he may be more particular regarding who he lets through.

Will Someone Resurrect?

One last thing, with the Oracle of Visions, there is a young woman here who has matured on the right. There may be a returning contestant who was denied the Golden Ticket in a previous audition, who may have been asked to hone their talents. This person looks like they did improve, with more maturity in the return, and this person may be seen with more favorable eyes this year. It may be a woman contestant, since this card demonstrates feminine energy, but it could just as well be a male who has either physical features like this card or simply has receptive or even feminine qualities. We'll see. But someone may make it through who did not in a previous audition.

In the meantime, I think we can expect more smiles and heartfelt moments with this famous King of Cups, and we look forward to his loving interactions with the people who stand before this judge's eyes and heart.

"You could call me 'late for dinner' and I'd still love you,"

Tyler told Jennifer Lopezafter she called him "Steve" and he asked to be called "Steven."

"But not lunch."

So yes, Tyler remains the King of Hearts, the king of OUR hearts, and this season he continues to rein in an audience of admirers who appreciate his heart of gold.

Join us for more American Idol predictions at

www.IdolPsychics.com,

We blog live during EVERY IDOL SHOW!

Come join us!

Click the banner below to find us:

Here's wishing you a Tyler-filled week!

Warmly,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

FREE! Beginner Astrology Book Club

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:15:00 +0000

Join us on Facebook for the

FREE

Beginner Astrology Book Club.

You can find us at:

tinyurl.com/beginnerastrology

facebook.com/groups/beginnerastrology

What do we do there?

We read a little bit of an astrology-related book each week

and as a team, we learn how to read astrology charts together.

Don't know anything about astrology?

You've found the right home for learning!

We are all beginners, and we are fortunate that some excellent astrologers have joined the group to help guide us.

We are fortunate to have several excellent astrologers accompanying us in this study group so if we need guidance, they are willing to help us out.

* •★。* 。*。 •★ *。 • ˚¸.•*´☆`*•.¸¸.•*´☆`*•.¸*★•。* 。*。★• *

A SPECIAL THANKS to those who volunteered!

♫♪¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪☆¸.*.*.¸☆ ☆¸.*.¸☆¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Our first book together is

Tarot and Astrology by Corrine Kenner.

You can find this book on Amazon.com

(both the print version and Kindle),

as well as at your local book store.

Come Join Us

and learn about astrology in little bite-sized morsels.

And The Winners Are....The 2011 Single Best Tarot Blogs

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:15:00 +0000

"You don't become the best

by being like the rest."

~ Unknown Author

And the verdict is in!

We know our own blogs best, and tarotists were asked to submit their own BEST BLOG OF 2011. From those entries, a panel of 4 tarotists (myself included, none of whom submitted an entry), helped to vote on their favorite blogs.

It was difficult to vote because the quality of each blog was so high.

Voters noted that certain blogs tended to "stick to their ribs." You know, the ones that hang with you during the day and stay with you a bit longer. The ones you find yourself thinking about as your washing the dishes or driving to work, those are the ones we found were the choices that came forward.

And here are the winners!

1st Place, almost unanimously:

Theresa Reed, The Tarot Lady, gave us all a whopper of a belly laugh while teaching some seriously important and very real tarot lessons about being a tarot professional, in her blog titled:

HIP HOP GUIDE TO BECOMING A TAROT PROFESSIONAL

Sample:

“Gangstas don’t hide so I show my face often.” ~ Slim Thug. You can’t make a living if you are the best kept secret in your industry. You will have to market your business. Learn how to promote yourself properly (social media is a great tool). And more important: be AUTHENTICALLY you. Don’t be a weak ass imitation of anyone else. Put your true self out there, heart on the line, face on the screen. Let people know the REAL trill you. Get your website up NOW and get your grill out there.

Now go on wid yo bad self and start flipping those cards and living your tarot dream. No more excuses. Word."

Fun to read, a fast and entertaining ride, this blog caught all the voters' attention.

Theresa won a $20 Gift Certificate to The Tarot Garden and a hand made tarot pouch!

2nd Best Blog of 2011

Amy Lamash's poignant blog titled

"Turning Points and Major Milestones exercise from the book,Tarot For Yourself by Mary K Greer"

It's a long title, but this post is not to be missed. Where Theresa's blog make us laugh, Amy's made us weep and appreciate the hard momentts of life. There are powerful life experiences in this blog, samples of different situations in her life using a card spread from Mary Greer's book, Tarot For Your Self, with The World Spirit Tarot.

Amy had us all from the word "Go!" when she spoke in her first 3-card spread about the loss of her father. And therein lies the sensitivity and beauty of tarot. Thank you, Amy, for this remarkable entry that reads like a personal journal, full of heart and soul.

Amy chose major life events and deliberately matching cards to the questions, "What, Who, and Why" of the situations, and a dramatic and emotive writing exercise began.

Powerfully personal, this blog shows the true impact and the emotive symbolism of tarot. Don't miss this entry. Amy writes of the decision not to give a child up for adoption, of entering a marriage for the wrong reasons, struggling through a divorce, dealing with her child's addiction, and more. This is the hard core stuff we all experience, but few people have the nerve to share. The universal commonalities will bring you to your knees as you personally relate to what Amy shares with the world.

Sample:

The What: Daddy's Death - Out of my control

The What - 5 of Pentacles - I felt alone and poor in the sense that I had lost something so important to me. Locked away from him forever. Even those around me were crippled with loss. It also shows my fear of being alone and feelings of insecurity.

Congratulations, Amy, for pulling on our heart strings. This blog stayed with each of us.

Amy won a $10 Gift Certificate to The Tarot Garden and a hand made tarot pouch.

3rd Best Blog of 2011:

Paris Finley's blog titled,

"The Woman Who Loved Red Silk."

Short and sweet, this powerful parable is one that was so pround, it sounded like one that was passed down for thousands of years.

Paris says of this blog,

"I wrote a mini-story that illustrates how the energy of a Tarot card might manifest itself in the world: The Woman Who Loved Red Silk."

Using the Justice card as his platform, Paris took a creative journey and knocked us off our feet as he brought the Justice card to life.

Paris begins his story:

"Once there was a merchant who dealt in silks. A woman came by one day, and she admired the lovely cloths, touching them with care.

"Those are the most expensive," he told her. She fingered them wistfully. He named a price. It was indeed a great deal...."

But wait until you read what happens next....

Your can finish reading this succinct and meaningful story with a big message HERE.

Voters agreed that Paris should find a publisher and seriously start publishing his work.

Paris won a $10 gift certificate to The Tarot Garden and a hand made tarot pouch.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

There were two honorable mentions that came up repeatedly with the voters as well, and both entries spoke of the darker sides of us, difficult emotions, or difficult cards.

Barbara Moore's The Dark Side of Tarot

Takes the "bad" cards and shows us their potential for positivity

and

Stephanie Arwen Lynch's blog, Anger, Authenticity, and Blooms

works on creating joy when you feel none. Arwen brings in a fabulous spread idea to create something bountifiul and beneficial.

Arwen mentioned that she chose this as her personal best this year because several other readers picked up the post to do the spread on their own blogs. Very inspiring!

And there we have it!

Thank you to all the entries! They were a blast to read!

And you can find all entries on the 2 pages of comments HERE.

Thanks to all the participants,

and we wish everyone happy blogging in 2012!

Warmly,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

Storm Winds Blowing

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 15:20:00 +0000

“Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth.

Do the right thing because it is right.

These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.”

~ W. Clement Stone

Some people are asking about a former cohost on our show named Storm Cestavani. Some miss him, and others wonder about rumors heard here and there. We thank you for your interest!

It has been shared publicly by several others that Storm misrepresented himself. When we found out in April of 2011, he was dismissed from the show within 24 hours and we disengaged from him as a co-host. There has been no further business relationship with him since that time. However, despite his personal concerns, the knowledge he shared on the show was appropriate to tarot and we have decided not to remove the shows.

We have since moved on with fabulous cohosts and tarot education that has surpassed anything yet dedicated to the internet, and you will find a variety of great readers sharing their tarot insights with you.

We at Beyond Worlds will neither publicly humiliate anyone or create any online battles or confrontations nor promote personal activities that we feel are not in line with the strong ethics of our programming. Rather, we will always focus on and promote those whose work is positive and beneficial to the tarot community, and whose integrity and desire to share knowledge is in line with our own.

The show continues to go strong as we work hard to bring tarot education to the world with a variety of people who will bring you multiple facets of tarot.

What Does Tarot Advise?

I randomly drew one card here for advice for all of us in this situation,

I get the 6 of Coins from Kat Black's Golden Tarot.

The 6 of Coins is a practical card of give-and-take.

Someone seeks something, and another wilingly shares.

There is much abundance as a result of this sharing of resources, and this is what tarot asks that we continue to do as a community.

There is also a balance in his scale, where everyone is treated fairly and everyone benefits.

Kat's interpretation of this card fits beautifully:

"Generosity rewarded. Financial good fortune, wealth and security.

Favours will be reciprocated and debts repaid. A gift or inheritance will come.

Sincerity and trustworthiness."

Aleister Crowley calls this card "Success" in his Thoth deck.

In her soon-to-be-released book, Tarot For Magical Times, Rachel Pollack says of this card:

"Kindness, charity, someone who acts in a just way. Asking for help."

In her book, Tarot for Your Self, Mary K. Greer says of this card:

"Sharing your resources. Getting assistance or patronage, drawing to you what you need. Token reforms. Sensitivity to others' needs. An "energy exchange." Giving or receiving. Charity. Investing."

Paul Quinn's book, Tarot for Life, says of this card:

"Rewarding others, paying attention where it is due, making donations, sponsoring or mentoring others, being appreciative, successful, supportive, and benevolent."

Janina Renee says in her book, Tarot Your Everyday Guide:

"Tarot may be calling for your generosity and openness."

"Offering help to people. Showing our collective duties toward our fellow humans. Giving back something to society with responsiblity. Putting your material resources to creative use."

From the journals of Dan Pelletier on Six of Pentacles:

"The Six of Pentacles on the surface is about gifts – but it can be about divine gifts. See the ‘merchant’ doing the giving? He carries scales – there is an element of truth, justice – correct information or intent. Rewards are dependent on worth (truth and justice). This card also indicates not simply the knowledge gained (from Tarot or any other divine study), but what we gain from the study itself; correct ways and means, and putting ourselves in a position to receive, or in a position to give. This is the card of dependability and accountability."

And from Ginny Hunt:

"6 of Pentacles: Weighing the VALUE and sharing that value purposefully. Also, being kind and nonjudgmental to others with the thought, "There by the grace of God go I." The blessing that goes with all the sixes in Tarot is fraught with its shadow, the Devil (15 = 6) and so the potential for problems is very real. The challenge in any Six is how to deal with that shadow energy and to give and live in that moment with the highest integrity possible."

So Let's Share.

These qualities of community reciprocation and support are what we wish to continue to bring to you at Beyond Worlds, and that is what we hope you will help bring to your community as well. Won't you help us make all of tarot better through each of our assistance?

"The spirit in me respects the spirit in you,"

Or more succinctly put:

"Namaste."

Here's wishing you a sweetly tarot-filled 2012

filled with the most beautiful and honest of energies.

“Integrity is telling myself the truth.

And honesty is telling the truth to other people.”

Spencer Johnson

Respectfully Yours in Tarot,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

50 Lessons I Learned in 2011

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:45:00 +0000

2011 was a hard year for me.

I learned many personal lessons.

Looking back, here are some of the big 'uns I learned that I did not live fully the year before. I'm sure I'll continue to learn nuances of these lessons through my life.

Did you learn any of these?

Family comes first. They are the ones who will scrape you off the ground while the rest of the world is busy cavorting.
Kind people are not always well-intentioned.
What you think is not always the reality.
Not everyone is invested in honesty. Some people are just invested in "winning" or preserving themselves by any means.
Boundaries are not bad or unfriendly; they are healthy. Be a friend to yourself.
Public humiliation is never good.
Those who publicly humiliate...humiliate themselves.
a) Warning people of seriously dangerous or fraudulent behavior and b) gossip are seen by many as one and the same. Still learning on this one. I don't think one answer fits all.
People have fabulous bullsh*t detectors. Mine needs adjusting.
Bullsh*t Baffles Brains. (I think I have Stacy LaRosa's grandfather to thank for condensing this wise proverb that I lived).
Some people see everything as competition to some proverbial winning game. Don't participate.
Everything is perception. Nothing is known or shown fully as it is.
Happiness is dependent on our perception.
Death is inevitable. Honor it as best you can.
You can't make everyone happy, but you can support those who need help, and that brings profound healing. Never underestimate the power of reaching out.
Some people are genuinely interested in your well-being. Others will use every drop of you to their benefit. Love yourself anyway. You are worthwhile in either case.
Bad people will often take themselves down; sometimes they don't need any assistance.
You can do what you think are "all the right things," and still end up in the wrong situation.
Don't expect people to change. Change your focus from them instead.
Our personal self-concept defines our behavior and who we are, and causes people to behave in ways they do.
When others show you who they are, know that you are watching a pattern of behavior, not something unique to your experience with them.
People united are a strong force of love.
Only you can bring yourself back to center.
Friends are the most valuable gift you give to yourself.
Trust can be shattered by a single lie.
You cannot argue with an irrational mind.
We can't assume what other people are thinking; they are living their own story line independent of what we see.
Some people will try to take others down to elevate themselves. People see through this; their crowd stays small.
I can't save the world.
Bullies claim they are the ones who are the victim.
As fun as it is, the internet is a dangerous place full of illusions.
People with negative mental health usually don't understand that they are the cause of their own problems. They project onto others. Accept this, and move on. It is their lesson to learn.
While there are two sides to every story and the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle, this may not be the case when dealing with mentally unstable people. Sometimes a lie is a lie is a lie.
Theft of intellectual property is a part of everyday experience.
Your health is everything. Without it, nothing else matters.
Emotional health is as important as physical health.
Nonattachment is the key to happiness.
People often do things not only because of their life experiences, but because of the chemistry of their brain. "It is what it is." Watching my mother's mental health deteriorate because of an aggressive dementia taught me how little control some other people have over their behavior. Even when they know what is right.
People will never say "I am jealous." What they will say is "They hurt me!"
The only person you can control is yourself.
Karma comes full circle. It has many cycles.
Fear and anxiety cause many of the personality disorders we witness.
Even though it hurts to be with someone who is terminally ill -- BE there.
Dogma and the need to control causes most of the world's strife.
People usually have to learn through their own experience. You can't "tell" people a lesson (like this list); you have to live them to learn.
That said, knowingly learn as much as you can through others' mistakes to avoid making your own. I learned a lot by watching this year.
Something as simple as drinking tea can be an experience of profound abundance.
Medtation clears, calibrates, and cleanses.
What/who you surround yourself with can define how you behave or view the world. Choose your surroundings carefully.
Despite it all, most people are good at heart.

So, to "keep it tarot," I asked the deck to sumarize for me in 3 cards the big lessons here.

Using Beth Seilonen's Yuletide Parakeet Arcana deck, I pulled the following 3 cards randomly:

I see the World card's wreath between the other 2 cards as

"boundaries in the world"

(the red ring framing him).

Especially where this bird is so exposed on his open branch. He becomes prey.

It is like "Friends" are on the right,

and "Foes" are on the left of this boundary card.

The Strength card on the left is a nod to it having been my "Strength Year," and that gentle assertion with foes is key. We will be tested in our strength, but boundries from the world are where the answer lies. He sees the predator, and he is eye-to-eye. When you see it, draw the proverbial line in the sand.

On the right, the Sun card shows 3 birds close together, enjoying the sun together. This has enormous significance to me both in my family life and in my life of community and friends. Stand together, and you will find joy. And it goes back to boundaries--keep the good in, the unhealthy out. Stand together. Find peace and joy with soul partners. Stand close by those who are aligned with you. Support your friends and family.

What lessons did you learn in 2011?

To learn more about Beth Seilonen's tarot decks, visit www.catseyeart.com.

Here's wishing you a wonderful year of light lessons.

Warmly,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

YOUR TAROT BLOG Can Win a Prize!

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:50:00 +0000

YES, SUBMIT YOUR TAROT BLOG TO WIN A PRIZE!

(feel free to cross-post)

I want to put together a Best Blog of 2011 round-up!

And I want to see YOUR BEST BLOG of 2011.

You know your blogs best.

What single Tarot Blog did YOU write in 2011 that was most important, meaningful, fun, educational, or insightful?

What To Do:

(please read all 4 rules carefully)

In the comment section on this page, do the following:

Please post one link to your own single blog post (one entry per person)
BRIEFLY describe your blog's topic and very small (1-2 sentence) summary of it.
Briefly explain why you feel this blog stands out from your other blog posts.
Yep, you have to choose your own blog post, not someone else's. But you CAN encourage someone else to submit their own post.

What we're not looking for: A link to a general blogging site.

What we are looking for: One single tarot blog post YOU wrote.

One entry per person.

No, you do not need to be a well-known tarot reader to submit your entry.

Any tarot-themed blog post you created is welcome.

PRIZES!

The Top 3 Blogs will win:

1st prize wins a $20 gift certificate to The Tarot Garden, $10 gift certificate for each of the two 2nd prize choices
Top 3 choices win a hand made tarot pouch by me with a charm on the pouch.
And, if you wish, the top 3 winners are invited to join us on Beyond Worlds - Your Tarot Tribe to promote your blog and share the honorable mention post with our listeners (and you can promote your webpage while on!).

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Winner to be announced New Year's Eve Day.

Entries must be posted by midnigth December 24th, 2011.

I'll have additional tarotists helping me vote for the winner, to make sure the blog holds group interest.

Help me pick a winner!

Do you want to help vote?

Email me tarottribe@gmail.com

and put "VOTE" in the subject line.

Here's wishing you an entry of tarot-filled wonder!

Warmly,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

See a listing of all our educational tarot shows to ate HERE.

SPEED BLOG: End of the Year Self-Reflection

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:20:00 +0000

"Being extremely honest with oneself is a good exercise."

– Sigmund Freud

It's the end of the year, and it seems like a lot is rushed along and packed into this last month. Sometimes it's hard to take a moment to stop and think.

Do take time for some quiet reflection.

Today, draw one card and ask:

What did I learn about myself this year

and how will it create for me a better tomorrow?

SAMPLE READING

I pulled a card from Kat Black's Golden Tarot, and I got:

The 9 of Wands.

I've learned that I can take a licking and keep on ticking.
Stick with your projects; it's a hard journey but you have the tenacity to keep on going.
Stay strong, stand your guard, learn from your bruises, and come out with a stronger tomorrow.
The fence behind him = "Boundaries."
The castle behind him: Home is what is closest to his heart in this picture. Focus on home. "Home is where the heart is."
Be alert, and learn from your previous whoppings.

Kat Black says of this card:

"Alertness to risk may avoid calamity. Be prepared for likely difficulties and all will be well. Challenges will be met and surmounted. A time of change approaches. Good work will be rewarded by promotion or business success."

And there was my year in a nutshell.A hard lesson, but I made it through and my skin is thicker. I am ready to take on 2012.

Here's wishing you a moment of self-reflection.

Warmly,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

Using Tarot (and Oracles) to Help Depression

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:00:00 +0000

"Many of us spend our whole lives running from feeling

with the mistaken belief that you cannot bear the pain.

But you have already borne the pain.

What you have not done is feel all you are beyond that pain."

-- Kahlil Gibran

During the holidays, joy can be an elusive feeling for those who have loved and lost. Depression is an international epidemic, and often we fell impotent regarding how to manage it. It is natural? Or is it unnatural? When does it become a concern?

I was deeply saddened and touched by a note recently from someone named Dave who read one of my blogs about tarot. He asked this very touching question. With Dave's permission, I am sharing it with you:

I lost my 18 year old daughter to an auto accident in October 20th. My grief is unbearable and my heart is broken. Is there any way I can implement Tarot into my healing process? I have the Arthurian Tarot and I am an amateur at reading the cards. I still use the book they came with. I do intend to study more and I want to see if any other decks appeal to me. I would welcome suggestions.

I miss my little girl/young lady so much. I've never felt this kind of pain before. I'm not handling this too well. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Dave

I cannot think of anything more painful than the loss of a child.

On top of that, Dave, like many of us, was struggling with other enormous life problems as well. Not small problems like the car breaking. I'm talking about huge, life-shifting problems with concerns of family, health, and survival.

COPING THROUGH TAROT,

SELF-EXPLORATION THROUGH SYSTEMS AND SYMBOLS

There is no tool that can make everything better in a flash, unfortunately. But tarot can be used as an important tool of soul-digging, to help flesh out what is going on and how to find solace. It is up to us to actually seek it. The cards cannot take us there, they can only tell us, enlighten us, but it is up to us to walk the journey. You can't get rid of that headache by reading about Tylenol. You've got to actively participate and swallow the pill.

Likewise with tarot, it takes some action from the participant.

Remember, you are investing in yourself.

So how can tarot to work through depression?

First, never underestimate the power of a good therapist. Be sure to seek help if you find you are having difficulty holding on. See your doctor immediately if you feel you are having difficulty functioning or if you have suicidal thoughts. Suicide hotline numbers in the USA, arranged by state: suicidehotlines.com and International numbers are here: suicidehotlines.com/international.html

Daily Tips

Tarot can offer suggestions for you to try, one day or one week at a time, to help you work through your process. A card creates an action. If you are not sure what the card is suggesting you try, a good book to use for tarot card action references is:

Tarot: Your Everyday Guide, by Janina Renee

"Take the first step, no more, no less,

and the next will be revealed."

-- Ken Roberts

As a sample, with this blog topic in mind, I pulled the 3 of Wands. Exploring within Janina's book, she suggests such things as:

Using communication networks and even travel to link communities and exchange ideas (support group?).

Write, converse, gather, and circulate information, attend meetings, workshops, seminars, and other events where you can be exposed to new things and interact with a wide variety of people (bereavement groups or workshops on coping with grief? Online support groups?)

The author speaks of this as being a future-oriented card, looking outward, making plans for the future, and directing energy outward by reaching for and seizing opportunities (keeping busy in a healthy way rather than retiring).

Broaden your range of interests, investigate new things, and follow where your curiosity leads you (find inspiring moments in life, enjoy the solace of a hobby, use it to express your soul).

If this card comes up reversed, she suggests that "the orientation to trade, travel, idea exchange, and community action is still present, but a narrower focus is suggested. Perhaps you should pull back a bit, conserve some energy, limit your sphere of activity and influence, and concentrate on a smaller area of endeavor. Adventures and forays into the wider world should be undertaken with the understanding and intent to go forth, but then return, bringing something back to your home and inner life."

Affirmations

A tarot deck can help you focus on and create one positive thought at a time. A great book to help you with this if you cannot decipher your own affirmations from a tarot card is:

Tarot Affirmations, by James Ricklef.

These can help you dig from the small glints of light left in you, or can help you to focus on an idea or action for the day or week. For example, I now pull the 6 of Cups in honor of this blog topic ,and his book suggests some of the following affirmations to consider:

I share my unbounded love

I let love flow through me and lead me to happiness.

I let my love circulate among the people close to me.

I am restoring peace, tranquility, and harmony to my home.

I enjoy my life, and I take delight in all its simple pleasures.

I am able to move beyond painful events of the past.

For information on how to create your own affirmations, there are some important tips HERE and HERE.

CHOOSE GENTLE DECKS

The deck does matter.

I found that when I went through rough spots in my life, I needed to find solace with a very gentle and supportive deck. There were very few decks I trusted to be gentle with me, and they became trusted friends onwhich I leaned heavily for my own healing journey. I was already feeling broken, so it's important to find something that creates a healing tone.

If you have a deck you love but are worried about a couple of the less positive cards surfacing, just remove those cards for awhile and tuck them in the Little White Book. Let the deck speak gently to you.

Suggestions for gentle decks:

The Gaian Tarot

The Tarot of Transformation

Tarot of Trees

Shadowscapes Tarot

The Voyager Tarot

(Take special note of the individual images that catch your eye in the Voyager cards. Focus on one small picture or part...what does it tell you?).

The Sun and Moon Tarot,

based on the Thoth deck, but much softer

The Pearls of Wisdom Deck

The Pearls of Widsom Deck is especially sweet, and it was created by Roxi Sim at a time when she was depressed after losing her own child. Roxi wrote: "Before beginning the Tarot paintings, I had suffered a rapid decline in health as a result of drinking tainted water. I became disabled and had to leave my work as a teacher. My parents-in-law, my youngest son, and my mother all died suddenly within a span of ten years. I was devastated and succumbed to deep depression. Basically, I went to bed for months. In that state of depression, I came to realize that sometimes you just have to 'float.' The Fool, just floats, in "Serendipity," (his boat), downstream, though the rapids of life, trusting in the future to come."

Her deck is very gentle, and she has a companion workbook she is creating for the book that should be complete by February or March of 2012.

With all decks, look carefully at the imagery you see before doing anything. How does the image impact you? Look deeply into this before exploring the more traditional meanings of the card. Make it a personal journey. You don't have to be "right." You just have to explore. Journal if you wish.

Angel decks

are another source of gentle guidance for many people,

and the energy for most of these decks is very supportive and healing.

Suggestions:

Doreen Virtue Angel Therapy Oracle Cards

Healing with the Angels Oracle Cards by Doreen Virtue

Messages from your Angels by Doreen Virtue

Diana Cooper Angels of Light Cards (more text than images, but very powerful and accurate)

Oracle Decks

There are many wonderful gentle decks that go outside of the realm of tarot. Here are some I have found positive and helpful:

Grace Cards by Cheryl Richardson

Self-Care Cards by Cheryl Richardson

Wisdom for Healing Cards by Carolyn Myss

Soul Lessons and Soul Purpose Oracle Cards by Sonia Choquette

Inner Peace Cards by Wayne Dyer

Another deck I've found contains uncanny messages is the

Karma Cards deck by Monte Farber.

I just did a sample reading for Dave and got the following for you from this deck:

First, the situation at hand is Uranus in Scorpio in the 7th house, which indicates:

An unusual example of purification to resurrect balance.

A different way of looking at the secrets of cooperation. (with your daughter?)

An unexpected change resulting from the power of your partner(s). (Dave's daughter? His wife?)

and on what to do, it suggests:

Stir up the situation by using the extraordinary power of prayer (perhaps speaking your passed loved one as well as The Divine) diplomatically.

Be open to ideas about the highest and lowest aspects of relationships.

Invent a way to control the situation and get a fair deal.

The last card shows two hands intertwining within a rose-filled wreath with two blue ribbons. Could this be you and her (Dave and his daughter?).

Tarot And Meditation

Tarot can be used as a meditation tool (meditation moment). For a sample meditation on working through grief with tarot, listen below:

This is just one of many ways to use meditation (and meditation through tarot) as a means of mind release and soul healing.

Our Tarot Meditation Moments are compiled HERE and we continue to create more.

Visit TM.org (the online site for Transcendental Meditation) for more information on how meditation can heal you and ways to use meditation.

Each tarot card can be a focus for you to release your mind and create a goal for that week.

Spreads

For Insight, Healing, and Growth

Tarot spreads are a powerful means for self-exploration and growth. When dealing with loss, you can dig deep to see what might be left for you, and how you can overcome.

1) What do I believe I have lost?

2) What am I to learn from this loss?

3) How can I find the blessing (an action)?

4) What card can I use this week for energy to focus on healing?

1) How was I improved by having known and loved her?

2) How can I overcome?

3) What should I do for best mental health?

4) What should I avoid?

Create your own small spreads. What do you need to know? How can you tap in to access answers? Avoid "Yes/No" questions and instead ask questions starting with "How can I..." or "What can I...."

An excellent spread was made by James Wells, which can be found HERE, with a sample reading I did using this spread HERE.

Spirit Communication

I've used tarot as a powerful means of communication between the Divine and myself, and deceased loved ones of clients as well as a communicative bridge between me and passed loved ones. You can do this as well.

Here is a podcast we did to talk about how mediumship and tarot can be used together. The first hour of this 2-hour program will give you the basics:

You could communicate with her and ask such questions of her through the cards:

What would you like to tell me today, or what does she want me to know?

What small step would she suggest I try today?

How can I feel closer to her?

How is she present in my life?

BOOKS TO HELP YOU

A book that may help those suffering with depression work independently with tarot is Tarot for the Healing Heart: Using Inner Wisdom to Heal Body and Mind by Christine Jett. As Barbara Bolek said in her Amazon review of this book, "Tarot for the Healing Heart is full of insights into the nature of health, disease and healing, how the healing process needs to be addressed on all levels -- body, mind and spirit, and how the Tarot can operate as an ally towards self-discovery and self-recovery."

and by the same author, Tarot Shadow Work. Jette specifically speaks working through pain, loss and death in her book, Tarot Shadow Work:

"In the midst of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer."

-- Albert Camus

MOVING YOUR BODY

Exercise, even if lightly. Take time to speak to your passed loved one while you exercise if you wish, but know that taking care of your body is one way to raise endorphins and help you keep your head above water. For many, yoga is a place to find balance of body and mind. My sister found it so profoundly life-changing her her time of stress and strife that she left her corporate job to embrace a full-time teaching profession in yoga.

I found that in a period of my own depression, Qi Gong was a very gentle way to ease both my body and mind to a place of clarity and peace. There are many classes worldwide on this, videos on YouTube, as well as helpful DVDs you can use at home.

Qi Gong is is much like Tai Chi but can be used and learned immediately, whereas Tai Chi can take a year or more to learn. When taught by a good teacher, you will learn why each movement is pursposeful, meaningful and helpful.I enjoy it because it is "moving meditation." It allows you the peace of meditation while allowiing your body gentle and purposeful motion. This is helpful to those with "monkey mind," who have trouble with stillness.

Here is one sample video of Qi Gong:

And this video helps to explain why the movements and breath serve an important purpose in life balance:

And with these movements, it's not how it looks on the outside that matters, it's how it feels on the inside. Explore with the movements.

The iChing

If you enjoy exploring with divination, one of the most profound systems I've discovered is the iChing, or The Book of Changes. The complex process of accurately obtaining the lines of the hexagram seemed to elude me for several years, until I read the book by Mark McElroy, called I Ching for Beginners: A Modern Interpretation of the Ancient Oracle. McElroy offers multiple easy ways to obtain the hexagrams, with a superb idea for using 16 postcards to create a statistically correct and very easy way to create the hexagrams. It took me a minute to make, and I'll enjoy it for a lifetime. His book also offers simple translations.

iChing hexagrams are intersesting in that they tell you where you are, and what is shifting or changing, so it also tells you where you are headed. It adds the lessons embedded within those moments.

Stephen Karcher, in his book, The iChing Plain and Simple: A Guide to Working With The Oracle of Change, adds that the iChing also compares and explains our inner world and its relationship to our outer experience, by comparing the bottom trigram (3 lines) to the top trigram in each hexagram.Karcher also shows the Hidden Possibilities, something that would be useful for growth in a state of depression, a time when we often have difficulty seeing possibilities. The Hidden Possibilities information is revealed by using the four central lines (2, 3, 4, 5, from bottom up) , unpacking them, and creating a new trigram from them (which he describes in the book on page 22).

I have about six or seven iChing books that include translations, and they are all good, but three of the best I've found are:

iChing for Beginners by Mark McElroy (great for beginners, to get you started)

The iChing Plain and Simple by Stephen Karcher (for intermediate ideas on expanding meaning of the hexagram)

and

The iChing or Book of Changes by Wilhelm/Baynes (considered one of the most accurate translations of the Chinese hexagrams).

JOURNALING

I enjoy journaling my self readings, and when I went through a particularly dark period, my sister bought me a beautiful leather-bound journal. I filled that puppy up in about a week, so full was my angst. What a healing journey it was, and it is amazing what was explored. Letting it seep out of the pen and onto the page was a cathartic way of letting go and getting something out of my mind and onto something else. It helped me connect while also providing a form of therapy and release for me. A cheap spiral bound notebook would serve the same purpose. Just let it spill out. What do the cards say? What do you feel about them? What do they suggest? Where are you going? What are you learning?

"The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers."

~ M. Scott Peck

Outside of Tarot/Oracle Systems

In addition to working with a trained psychology professional, you may want to consider looking for a Grief or Bereavement Support Group in your area. Many people who are working through difficult experiences report that this is often one of the most healing steps in their journey.

Talk to someone you trust about what you're going through.

Know what things might trigger a reaction from you, and know how to create clearing spots in your day. Even if you can put aside 5 minutes of thought-free space for yourself, this may help you.

Many find relief in creative endeavors, whether it be art or music, handicrafts or a beloved hobby. Take time to nurture your spirit.

"Art saved me; it got me through my depression and self-loathing, back to a place of innocence."

Jeanette Winterson

A Note to Readers

As readers, we work daily with people in crisis. We must always remember to be gentle. People come to us in the tighest spots of their lives and they lean on us to find a place of solace and healing. There is no place for rudeness, ego, or pompous reading behavior in the safe zone of a reading. Create an environment of trust.

Remember this quote from Leo Buscaglia:

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

Here's wishing you a tarot-filled week of personal exploration toward a light-filled you.

Warmly,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

The Dirty Dozen! 12 Myths About Tarot -

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 11:00:00 +0000

"Some things have to be believed to be seen."

- Ralph Hodgson

Ah, rumors and tarot, tarot and rumors.

Here are 12 Top Tarot Myths that make the rounds regularly:

Gettting a reading will make something bad happen to you.
The reader has to dress like a gypsy (and wear a turban, heavy makeup, have lots of rings, and have a fake mole) to make it happen.
You can't read it if you ain't psychic.
It comes from Atlantis.
There is only one way to read the cards.
The reading outcome is fated/unchangeable.
You can't read the cards for yourself.
Smart people don't read tarot (tell that to the professors, doctors, teachers, librarians, attorneys, authors, poets, and businessmen who use it regularly).
Tarot is a religion.
It will advise you to do something bad.
It can't be reliably read by email or phone.
All tarot readers are scam artists. (actuallly, many of us are honest people who work as positive, professional, powerful agents of growth, who truly have your best interest in mind and want you to reach forward in your life).

Have you ever heard any myths about Tarot that have surprised you?

Here's wishing you a truth-filled week of tarot!

Warmly,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

Top 10 Ways Tarot Can Change Your Life

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:30:00 +0000

"I encourage you to try reading the tarot,

or having it read for you.

Use it correctly and you will be rewarded tenfold."

~ Jane Stern, Author of Confessions of a Tarot Reader: Practical Advice from This Realm and Beyond

Are you wondering whether tarot has any purpose in your life?

Let's count 10 ways Tarot can change your life:

It allows you to meet yourself. At a soul level.
It organizes chaos.
It has a way of guiding you in the direction that leads you to the highest good.
It has no agenda other than to bring you to yourself and your highest purpose.
It shows you what's really important, and what's superfluous.
It gives you direction. And you can choose whether or not to follow that star.
It helps you understand situations that seem undefinable.
It gives you peace, relief, understanding, accord.
It will tell you if you are seeing things falsely. It is able to see the "Big Picture," both inside and outside of your perceived experience.
It will grow with your situation, and is always willing to offer a word or two.

Tarot.

It's the storybook of your life.

Have you read it?

Here's wishing you a tarot-filled week of card wonder.

Warmly,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

My Crazy Cast of Characters in 2011

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 01:50:00 +0000

Above, the Bohemian Gothic Tarot by Baba Studios

"In older decks of tarot cards, this card was called Fortitude, representing someone who could draw on mental resources to get through tough times."

Jane Stern, in her book,

Confessions of a Tarot Reader:

Practical Advice from This Realm and Beyond

Strength Year? WTH?

So this was my Strength year.

The challenges began in January at the turn of the New Year (2011) and kicked off HARD right after my April 9th birthday. When Mary Greer, author of Who Are You In The Tarot, was asked exactly when the year card's energy initiates -- at the turn of the new year, or on the actual birthday -- she said, "both." And I learned she was right.

I naively thought "Strength" year would mean everything would be strong and happy. Ha. Instead, what I got was a test of my strength.

My life this year has been surreal, with a cast of characters so bizarre and extreme, that if I ever told you what I experienced behind the scenes in 2011, you would be convinced I was making it up. Someday I will make a movie of this, and you'll swear I embellished it all for effect. I am looking forward to a very quiet, vanilla bean 2012 with friends who are true, honest, kind and supportive, who have strong mental health and no agenda....the normal things life should be made of. Beware the internet.

Consulting the iChing

Book of Changes

So tonight I asked the iChing why I attracted this unhealthy energy into my life. And I get Primary Hexagram 19, "Making Progress/Approach," and this changes into Secondary Hexagram 24, "Turning the Corner/The Turning Point." I'll quote from the book: "After a time of decay comes a turning point. The old is discarded and the new is introduced. Thus the movement is natural, arising spontaneously.

"Societies of people sharing the same views are formed. But since these groups come together in full public knowledge and are in harmony with the time, all selfish separatist tendencies are excluded, and no mistake is made. The idea of "return" is based on the course of nature. The movement is cyclic, and the course completes itself. Therefore it is not necessary to hasten anything unnecessarily. Everything comes of itself at the appointed time."

The changing second line in the hexagram gives me hope:

"Joint approach. Good fortune. Everything furthers." And for my actual change in 2012, it says, "Return. Success. Going out and coming in without error. Friends come without blame. To and fro goes the way. Return always calls for a decision and is an act of self-mastery. It is made easier if a man is in good company. If he can bring himself to put aside pride and follow the example of good men, good fortune results."

And therein lies my hope, as I close the veil on the experiences of 2011, without leaving the lesson behind. I open my heart to a warm and wonderful 2012, a clean slate, and unlimited potential with those I love most. I welcome true friends, positive community, and strong support with no agendas. Simplicity, grace, and honor.

Come to mama.

Warmly,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

SPEED BLOG: Who Am I?

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:45:00 +0000

"An identity would seem to be arrived at by the way in which the person faces and uses his experience."

James Baldwin

Today, draw one card from your favorite tarot or oracle and ask:

Who am I at my core?

SAMPLE READING:

I pulled a card from Kat Black's Golden Tarot

and I got The Magician.

I notice this Magician card is filled with animals, just like I am in my own life.

Animals abound and surround!

I'm abundantly surrounded, and create with my tools.

I feel possiblity and potential. I always believe.

Compassion and creation is at the core of what I do,

and I feel I can reach for infinity with the way I think.

We all can.

He seems to be giving a peace sign with one hand,

and I similarly wish peace for the world.

His other hand is open, a sign of oath or openness and honesty.

I promise and offer the world that as well.

He loves long flowy clothes with layers, too, just like me!

He's Key card #1, just like my Aries sign, the first sign of the Zodiac.

I never like to redo something that has been done already;

I need my work to be original. If it's been done, it's been done.

So that Magician's #1 has signifcant meaning to me in terms of the individual venture of trying things for the first time and trusting that it's okay -- even if no one has tried it before; everything is at our disposal to make it magic.

Funny, even the mug on this Magician's table looks just like my hug-a-mug, my favorite drinking cup, a gift from my sister. Perhaps a nod to my love of tea and cocoa, and my love of family and sister?

I do believe all things are possible, and that we create our own thoughts, lives, and dreams. I'm a perpetual optimist (though I've learned to see hard reality this year, which has further enhanced my view of the world by protecting myself).

But I also believe work is best done with others we love by our side,

even (for me) if it's the furry ones.

Who are you?

Warmly,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

Speed Blog! Holiday Energy Rescue

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

“Living in a constant chase after gain

compels people to expend their spirit to the point of exhaustion”

Friedrich Nietzsche

Speed Blog Time!

Is the holiday coming fast and furious?

Are you finding yourself spent, tired, and losing the joy?

Today, draw 1 card

from your favorite tarot or oracle deck and ask:

What is the best thing I can do

to nourish my energy and spirit

this holiday season?

Here's wishing you a tarot-filled week of energy reserves,

Warmly,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

Top 3 Holiday Suggestions from Tarot

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:30:00 +0000

"Christmas is the season when you buy this year's gifts

with next year's money."

- Unknown

Ah, the holidays. No matter which holiday you celebrate in December, it is a flurry of activity and sometimes it feels like a race to the finish line. Our culture has conditioned us to believe that the more we spend, the happier we'll be. The commercialism of the holidays has seeped into our very homes and stolen the quiet moments and connections that holidays could potentially provide.

So let's take a look at what the holidays should really bring.

What are the TOP 3 THINGS tarot suggests we focus on?

For this reading, I used Corrine Kenner's Christmas Tarot.

And the cards that arrived were:

The Moon

The Lovers

The World

The Moon:

1) Recognize where we have deceived ourselves with holiday madness.

Seek beyond impulses and learn where you've been kept in the dark by commercial retailers.

Leave behind at least one illusion (the moon in her sky) that you have created regarding the holiday frenzy.

Recognize how we have deceived ourselves about what is really important.

Spend time alone to go within and connect with your *inner* pull.

Be with those you feel most pulled to, like the tide.

Where is society pulling you, like the tide, to do what is no longer done with thought?

Sneak away from what is expected and do something meaninful.

Take a look at karmic relationships and what you have to learn from them.

Recognize how we are doing things automatically, things we no longer give any thought to, and in the process, have lost context or something important.

Recognize the illusions we carry with the holiday rush: does more really mean happier?

Recognize what makes us feel dark or less happy, and realize this is a secret that has been imposed on us that is not a reality.

The Lovers:

2) Connect with the ones who are most important to you. The holidays are about people, love, and connections. Choose to focus on the people, not the things.

How can you choose free will rather than running on the auto-pilot of society?

Be free from guilt that society places on us; focus on messages of love and bringing those to others.

Hug someone you love.

Focus on spending time and space with those you love, less on spending money with them.

Rekindle a relationship you miss.

Strengthen the bond with someone: tell them something amazing about themself.

"Just Be" with them. Just be.

The World:

3) How can you make a positive impact on the world--

both your immediate world and the world at large?

Why are you in the world?

Are you conscious of why you're here, and are you doing it?

Get involved in something that would improve the world.

How can you feel joy for being alive? How can you bring this feeling to another person who needs it?

Where can you create boundaries that would thereby create joy?

How can you connect with your Divine Source?

Dance!

How can you help provide something for the world?

If we put the 3 cards together,

and if the Moon is lack of light or too little light,

we quite literally seeing this spread saying:

What the WORLD needs now, is LOVE, sweet love.

It's the only think that there's just TOO LITTLE OF...

or "Too little....Love....In the World."

Here's wishing you a tarot-filled week full of the things that are *truly* meaningful.

Warmly,

Donnaleigh

www.Donnaleigh.com

WHOA! 200 Tarot Podcasts! Thanksgiving Gratitude....

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:40:00 +0000

Definition of hug:

1. to clasp tightly in the arms, especially with affection; embrace.

2. to cling firmly or fondly to; cherish: to hug an opinion.

3. to keep close to, as in sailing, walking, or in moving along or alongside of: to hug the shore; to hug the road. verb (used without object)

4. to cling together; lie close.

Thanksgiving is upon us --

GRATITUDE TIME!!

I cannot believe it.

Beyond Worlds - Your Tarot Tribe will hit its 200th tarot-inspired episode in December, just 2 episodes away!

It started as a little program with a few stray people in the chat room, and has evolved to a gathering of thousands of tarot-loving enthusiasts, with so many willing to share their expertise with peers in order to push tarot forward.

We've had hundreds of thousands of downloads worldwide, and through this process many (hosts/myself included) have felt educated, inspired, and connected. As for me, I am utterly grateful and humbled by the wisdom and generosity of my peers. Our goal has been to bring intellligent tarot to the world with dignity and variety so that the system of tarot can be accessible to anyone with a computer or iPod.

WHY TAROT?

Because when you connect with tarot, you connect with yourself. You find a piece of you soul. And there is no deeper or more important journey to be taken. Thank you for including us as a small part of this personal walk. I bow down to each of you in great reverence and wonder. And I continue to be amazed at the variety of ways people have used this little pack of cards to change lives and to learn about the world (both inner worlds and the external world).

“Everybody wants to change the world.

Nobody wants to change themselves.”

~Leo Tolstoy

Ahhhh, but when you connect with tarot, you have started to change the world.

Because you have started taking the internal journey.

I have profound gratitude for the people who have written to express how the various voices of tarot have brought them closer to that wise deck of counsel. I am overwhelmingly grateful for my cohosts and their willingness to share their time and expertise with their community. I am humbled and thankful for an incredible and interactive audience, and to the leaders of the community who have so graciously stepped forward to support this learning process and who have expressed amazing teaching about tarot and kind words about our programming. THANK YOU to you all

The letter below was sent this week by a listener from the UK.

This is why we do what we do.

Hello Donnaleigh;

Just wanted to send the warmest thanks and blessings from a newbie tarotist in the UK. I've been following your podcasts for a short while and literally consuming the episodes, one after the other.

Thank you Donnaleigh and your co-hosts for such informed, illuminating and spirit lifting guidance on the craft and art of tarot. I didn't know that Tarot was such a soulful and spiritual practice and am truly blessed to have found such a wonderful community of Tarot lovers. Already I'm hooked! My small, (but emergent) collection of decks is growing, as too is my book colection. There's something magical about listening to people of wisdom, experience and depth, talk with such enthusiam and knowledge.

Please express my profoundest thanks and appreciation to your co-hosts too. All of you are now part of my life, and I'm learning so much tarot from you all. Most of all, however, I'm experiencing your genuine spirit, and for that I thank you profoundly. In a world that sometimes seems to be full of dark disunity, it's truly wonderful to find so much good heartedness.

For some reason, and after a gap of many years, I re-ignited my interest in Tarot by buying a deck for my birthday, (the Univeral Rider Deck), however, as a thorough going double Virgo, I then had to have some Practical instruction and discovered your podcast on itunes. What I hadn't bargained on was the almost instant click that took place - it all fits!

I now spend a part of each day with my decks laid out, looking at the cards while listening to your podcasts. I'm having a blast and beginning to grasp the enormous scope of these seemingly innocent cards. Thank you for opening up this wonderful world, and lighting the pathway.

Thank You from my heart, and keep the guidance, uplift and humour coming! Loving every single minute Donnaleigh!

Blessings from the UK. With sincerest appreciation and thanks.

Silvia Wray, UK

Thank you so much, Silvia, for taking the time to write and for allowing me to share your letter of enthusiasm. And thanks to our listeners who have shared their tarot enthusiasm and wisdom with us. This podcast has definitely been a community effort.

Wow. It just flew by.

A big hug to those who have joined us in our tarot journey, and thank you for "walking the road" with us. It has been much like a group hug the whole journey.

What's next in YOUR tarot world?

Warmth and gratitude, with a tarot-filled heart,

Donnaleigh