Tarot

[cal val]

Dharma...

I didn't want to clog up Claire's thread with my impressions and questions about your tarot reading for her, so I started this new thread.

Incredible reading. Very insightful. Your talent is daunting. You said a lot to her that I hope, for her sake, she hears. But that's not the point here.

I have tarot cards, but never really got into studying it the way you obviously have. They've been sitting on the shelf untouched for many years. I thought the fact they are visual would help me to read for others, and it's probably true, but I ended up drifting toward psychometry instead.

If you don't find it too prying, I would love you to expound on your talent for the tarot, your attraction to it, your study of it, who are your influences, your success experiences with it... whatever you care to share. Or if there is a thread... or more... where you've already shared much of this information, I would love some direction to it (them).

Thanks so much.

With much love and admiration,

Val

 

[dharma]

Thank you Val - I don't consider your questions prying at all. If anything, I'm flattered - but trying to remain ever so humble despite it

I've spent many years in seclusion studying the cards, laying out spreads and asking a million and one questions completely enthralled by the experience. I have to point out that aside from my grandmother who used to read tea leaves, I am very unique in my family when it comes to using tools of divination. In the early years, I felt like a freak for having this interest so I often played around with them in secret. I was quite obsessed with them. Some people get this way with food, some with sex, some with drugs - but with me it was always tarot.

I fell in love with them the minute I saw some french reader laying them out for a reading when I was about 14 yrs old. I was fascinated and absolutely mesmerized and have not been without a deck since. This relationship is closing in on 30 years now and it's been quite a journey. I never could have anticipated then that what I thought was a 'sick' obsession would lead to what is certainly a huge part of my life's purpose. Afterall, I make part of my living using them inside of the therapeutic counselling sessions I offer.

Anyway, over the years I continuously bought and borrowed any book I found on the subject of tarot and frankly, in the '70's there weren't many to really choose from. But things have gotten so much better in recent years. Even the numbers of selections in the way of decks is amazing. I personally have 9 different decks that I've worked closely with over the years. However, not all tarot decks resonate the same and for this reason choosing the right one is THE most important part of understanding them. If they don't resonate with you then you will have a heck of a time grasping them. I worked for a long time with the only deck I could find in the beginning (Rider/Waite) and these were not then, nor are now, suitable to my temperament and vibration, so I had a tough time with them. Whereas the Mythic cards, as well as, the Robin Wood decks sit much better with me. The significance of my readings just flow so easy when I'm working with either of them.

Though I have attended tarot workshops for the purpose of understanding the cards better, I'd say that my real learning came from just "doing it". When I started reading for other people I usually didn't even know if I was making any sense to them. But they always would nod their heads in understanding and I'd think to myself "...i'm sure glad someone's understanding here, cause it ain't me"

Though I was initially my first and best subject, I don't quite use them for myself as much as I used to. There's no need. I seem to know what the cards will say to me before they say it. My grasp of the tarot cards has been a continual evolution. I just find myself getting deeper and deeper into them as the years pass. Just when I think I can't possibly know more or "do it" better, I find myself on a higher plateau - a higher level of understanding with a clearer view than I ever imagined possible.

Anyhow... I can't think of anything else to say at this time. If you have any questions feel free to ask them. Again, thanks for asking ... it was great sharing

 

[cal val]

Dharma...

Thanks so much for sharing this with me. My curiosity is adequately sated...for now...*grin*

You said, "...i'm sure glad someone's understanding here, cause it ain't me"

That's exactly how it is with psychometry. I see pictures in my head and feel feelings that I can't relate to, but I have to keep going with it all when I'm reading someone and just say what I get because I'm nothing more than a conduit for them.

I've discovered too, in psychometry, that the universe only gives up something to let the Querent know that you're truly tuned into them, and then only what the Querent needs to know. And it felt like that was what your reading for Claire was all about... the most important things for her to know right now.

Well, you're definitely very intuitive. That reading was incredible. A real eye opener. And you have a fine gift for sharing the universe's offering as well. I was amazed. I read it three times. I'll probably read it again.

Love,

Val

 

[tashij]

yes dharma , really liked reading your story.

best wishes.

 

[dharma]

i, too, would like to hear other people's stories - how you all came to be involved with divination and so forth. i've been undressing in front of you all a lot lately and would feel infinitely more comfortable if others started UNcovering a bit of themselves too

and I won't be satisfied unless more than socks and ties come off

p.s. if you've told it before just provide me with a link

 

[Sparhawk]

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR SIZE=0><!-Quote-!><FONT SIZE=1>Quote:</FONT>

i've been undressing in front of you all a lot lately<!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ahhh, and me without singles... Anybody has any change?

Just so you feel more comfortable, here is my most recent picture.

As for links, there is a very brief description of my starting point with the Yi in my blog at:

My Thoughts on Changes

L

 

[hilary]

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR SIZE=0><!-Quote-!><FONT SIZE=1>Quote:</FONT>

I'm sure glad someone's understanding here, cause it ain't me<!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE>

Could that be the voice of the diviner for the last few millennia? There's only so much that one organ pipe is going to understand about a Bach fugue...

I once met an extraordinary woman on an email list somewhere, who divined (I can't even remember what with) and asked for neither background nor feedback. As I recall, she wanted just to give what she received, and not confuse or contaminate this with desires or curiosity about getting it right. Wow. Not me - not in this lifetime.

I really did just start with the I Ching because it was mentioned in a book I was reading, and there was an ancient copy of Legge in the Oxfam bookshop. And get the shock of my life when it turned out to work. All of which amounts to hardly more than one woolly pink bedsock.

 

[dharma]

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR SIZE=0><!-Quote-!><FONT SIZE=1>Quote:</FONT>

Just so you feel more comfortable, here is my most recent picture<!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE>

we need to be careful with the flattery we give Luis - he suffers from swelling of the head... literally

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR SIZE=0><!-Quote-!><FONT SIZE=1>Quote:</FONT>

All of which amounts to hardly more than one woolly pink bedsock<!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE>

the details and the beans are contained inside the wool, the pink and the matching sock... com'on H, there's a story here, so spill it! see it as your beginning efforts to your eventual autobiography... and a lone wooly, however pink sock, doesn't sell in any marketplace

 

[bradford_h]

Hi Dharma-
Here's a Tarot story. Just over 30 years ago. It converted me to only predicting the present

1-30-74 - The Last Time I Predicted the Future.
It had been four and a half days since IÕd had a wink of sleep, so being half crazy, I could do just about anything. At that moment I was tring to convince half a dozen pre-teen Samoan boys that I was the Devil. I was offering them each a nickel for their souls. Clearly I had time to kill. First I would be a ridiculous Devil Ð too silly or too inept. TheyÕd beg me for the money, confident that their souls were in no danger. Then IÕd say or do things to get them to take me seriously and theyÕd beg me to take my money back. Sometimes it would be as simple as naming the six prophets recognized by the Bahai faith. Who else would know that but their greatest foe? I had to go back and forth recirculating my wealth in this way because I only had five dollars Fijian to my name. I wasnÕt even in Fiji anymore, but I still had to make it last. There would be no gainful employ until I reached Hawaii.
It was almost half price to fly standby from Nadi, Viti Levu to Honolulu, but only if you went through Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa. I didnÕt stop to think that it might be so cheap for a reason, but then IÕd bought the ticket 6 mnths before. This is where where Somerset Maugham set his story ÒRain.Ó ThatÕs about all it did too. There was a jet coming in from Auckland, bound for Hawaii that evening and it had fifteen empty seats. Problem was, there were ninety people flying standby. IÕd been sitting in the same spot for 36 hours, under a thatched roof airport rain shelter, and my only attempt to nod off was interrupted immediately by the boot of a Samoan airport guard. I wasnÕt going to do that again Ð these guys were even bigger than Hawaiians. But I also wasnÕt going to waste my time in that line Ð the rumored bribe at the airline desk was more than I had. IÕd been travelling alongside a young Canadian man and heÕd opted to stand in line and try the bribe instead of waiting for the almost empty plane due the following noon.
What was sixteen more hours awake? The hallucinations were just getting interesting. And the wind had driven off the mosquitos. These had driven me mad as an arctc carribou the night before in Nadi. IÕd tried to get some sleep in a Hindu temple there, but Vishnu and Ganesha were no protection from the whine. I wound up walking the streets Ôtil 4AM instead, until a young East Indian gendarme offered me his netting protected cot at the police station. No sleep in the bright lights though.
It was time to frighten the boys again Ð they were getting way too smug with my nickels. I pulled a leather pouch out of my bag and got out my magic cards - the Crowley Tarot deck. The boys huddled around, getting wide eyed. The weather had been getting ominous for the last hour. The strong gusts of wind, thunder and lightning and near sideways rain were great props for my next swing towards credible wickedness. And just at that moment my Canadian friend finished his business in line and came over. ÒHey, Tarot cards Ð IÕve got a reading you can do. Why donÕt you tell me if IÕm going to get on the plane tonight.Ó Good timing, I thought. I walked him through the bare bones ritual I used and had him pull ten cards for the Celtic Cross spread. The chill increased one card at a time. My God, I thought, these are the worst ten cards in the deck, the three, five, seven and ten of swords, the five and seven of wands, Death, the Blasted Tower, yours truly, the Devil, and in the outome position, the Hanged Man, as hung up as anyone ever was. I was shaken. ÒI donÕt know what all this means,Ó I told him. ÒThis looks awful. You arenÕt going anywhere. YouÕre going to get hung up. But for a good cause.Ó
ÒHa!Ó he shouted and threw his boarding pass down on top of the spread like a trump card. So much for getting my nickels back. ÒI donÕt know,Ó I said. I put my cards away, stood up to stretch, and walked the forty feet or so to the fence guarding the tarmack strip. The boys came after me, taunting me a little. It was dark now. As I peered down the runway through the wind and rain I saw what might be the light of the plane coming in. It blinked out for just a second. Then I saw a series of bright flashes followed by a large fireball. The explosion arrived from less than mile away, about five seconds later. As we were watching a voice came over the PA, announcing that a control tower at the end of the runway had caught fire and the plane would be delayed a few minutes. That sounded a whole lot fishy. It kept the crowd quiet but it didnÕt fool the boys for a second. They circled around me, looking really nervous and serious, trying to give me my money. The boldest of them said in a challenging voice: ÒHey Devil, whyÕd you make the plane crash?Ó
We werenÕt exactly hung upside down, but we were in roughly the Hanged ManÕs position as we lay stretched out on the hospital gurneys, donating blood to the eight badly burned survivors. Ninety three people died in the crash, four later, and Pan Am took another step towards bankruptcy. But the airline treated us like royalty once we were done at the hospital Ð a huge traditional feast, like those who go native only hear about. And Tahitian dancing girls, all arround the table. And eight hours of blessed shuteye in an uppity hotel. We met a plane brought in especially for the standby passengers. I suppose they could have been more careful and not let us watch them unload the planeÕs bellyful of aluminum caskets. I didnÕt have much problem boarding the jet Ð itÕs like that old joke about the guy who takes a bomb with him on the plane just because the odds against there being two bombs are too astronomical. But one thing changed Ð I never tried to predict the future again. The present had enough predicaments to predicate.

 

[Sparhawk]

Just got around to read your post Brad. Wow!

 

[lenardthefast]

Hi Brad,

Have read your post three times and I still don't see why you stopped throwing the Tarot. Seems to me you had a real knack. Its not like YOU had anything to do with the plane crash.

Namaste,
Leonard

 

[Sparhawk]

I don't know what Brad will reply but for me, sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

Now, how many of you, would NOT board the plane if in an airport, waiting to board a plane, do a reading of any kind and it is foretold that there would be an accident?

I know, it is an oxymoron since if you are doing the reading you more or less believe in the outcome and may stay behind. But, what about the other people around you? Would you tell? If you are not believed, would you ever find peace or personal redemption for doing such a reading?

Personally, I don't think I could live with that in my head...

L

 

[lenardthefast]

Hi Luis,

In the situation you have described, I wouldn't board the plane. As for informing the other passengers that would depend on the circumstances and the individuals present at the time. Knowing me and my big mouth, I would suspect that I would at least tell anyone interested my reasons for awaiting another flight; or perhaps a boat.

Namaste,
Leonard

 

[bradford_h]

Hi Leonard-
I didn't stop reading cards at all, just shifted my focus to looking at the dynamics of the present. I continued to read and teach card readers.
In fact I have a book on the Tarot in the works, but first I need to "finish" (haha) my Yi commentary and a serious book on the Qabalah (have just studied 160 books on that subject, only 25 more to go!).
b

 

[lenardthefast]

Hi Brad,

Sounds like you have lots to do. Good luck!

Namaste,
Leonard

 

[bradford_h]

ars est longa, vita brevis

 

[lenardthefast]

B,

Easy for you to say.

Leonard

 

[bradford_h]

nuh uh, it's killing me

 

[gene]

Dharma

Getting a bit uncovered lately? Did I read a recent post correctly lately? Sounded like someone was lifting up your skirt or something? Remember something like that or am I crazy? I think it had to do with the party. Well, I personally don't wear a skirt, unless its a kilt, so guess I won't be doing any showing off. I suppose occasionally I do unwittingly reveal a little too much of myself though, of course, like a good boy I regret it in the morning. It takes so little for us to show so much.

For me getting into divination was a gradual thing because I came from a church background that basically taught it was of the devil. So, I guess in a way I got just a little too tempted to lift the Devil's skirt up, and see what was underneath there. Well, found out the two weren't necessarily related, although sometimes they could be I suppose. The story goes that Adam and Eve at one time did this, and immediately ran and put some clothes on. Don't remember all the specifics. Only know that all that I had been taught was being challenged, and I had to find some new answers.

Gene

 

[bradford_h]

Gene
No one even got to see slipper
Isis here stayed fully veiled,
Sweet, sacred and mysterious
b

 

[gene]

Slippers? Sounds like the Cinderella story to me. ha ha.

Gene

 

[bradford_h]

Gene, you were there
Dress posted on Installing Love, 2-5, lovely little Disney number. And my haiku was really a Rumi-esque play on Dharma as sacred teaching, wanting to get my heart broken by naked truth, with all metaphor lifted, wrapped in the wet warm darkness, crushed between the Beloved's eager thighs. Then suddenly there was this splash of cold water...
b

 

[lenardthefast]

Wow Brad,

Forget the Yi book, I sense a Pulitzer for you in Erotica.

Namaste,
Leonard

 

[Sparhawk]

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR SIZE=0><!-Quote-!><FONT SIZE=1>Quote:</FONT>

ars est longa, vita brevis<!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE>

From my Spanish I can read that Brad said something like:

Art is long living, life is short.

Although 'ars' is also synonymous for work, job or trade. So in a colloquial Latin way he's saying:

So much to do, so little time.

Dixit,

L

 

[bradford_h]

Just: Art is long, life is short.

Here's something: the Yijing has 78 Gua or diagrams. That is, if you count yin ang yang, the four emblems and the eight trigrams.
These form the basis of my own system for using the Yi to translate Tarot, which is closer to Crowley's first try than to Karen Witter's (but still required much tuning to finish) .
Here's another: if you take Crowley's assignment of sixteen of the Gua to the Court Cards and plot this onto Shao Yong's "primal arrangement" the pattern shows bilateral symmetry, a phenomenon characteristic of All of the Yijing's own structural dimensions.
b

 

[dharma]

Bradford,
that was quite a story! loved it, in fact

it's often readings of this kind that startle us into the necessary awareness that helps to shift us onto higher levels of perception

i absolutely look forward to any books you come out with. whether i ching, tarot and yes, even erotica

admittedly, you have a splendidly poetic way of expressing yourself, when it suits your purpose

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR SIZE=0><!-Quote-!><FONT SIZE=1>Quote:</FONT>

No one even got to see slipper
Isis here stayed fully veiled,
Sweet, sacred and mysterious
AND
lovely little Disney number. And my haiku was really a Rumi-esque play on Dharma as sacred teaching, wanting to get my heart broken by naked truth, with all metaphor lifted, wrapped in the wet warm darkness, crushed between the Beloved's eager thighs. Then suddenly there was this splash of cold water...<!-/Quote-!><HR SIZE=0></BLOCKQUOTE>

in all fairness, i did reveal the slippers, both of them ...aye! - <FONT COLOR="ff6000">sweet</FONT> and <FONT COLOR="ff0000">sacred</FONT>... yet you clearly failed to fully appreciate the divine elegance and hallowed mystery of the (dual) platform upon which i stood when i unveiled it for you

tsk, tsk - if you really were prepared for the naked truth, you could not have been so easily doused and startled when confronted by it

 

[bradford_h]

when has love ever not confused me?
or ever brought me clarity?
I am wretched in love
and wrenched from all better judgment.
Yet will I not forsake Eros for Agape,
nor green for blue's higher vibration.
While I'm flesh I want the rainbow.

 

[just_me]

Dharma, where did you get the designation for the positions in that reading? It's a celtic cross, right, and it's sort of like I understand it but some of the positions have different meanings, particularly positions 3, 5, and 7. Also I've seen the crossing card expressed as helps & hinderances.

What 'cha think?

 

[dharma]

Bradford,
what is a rainbow but different wavelengths of visible light

break up the white light and you see all of its various components:
a spectrum of colors

if you recall, glass too can split white light into its various wavelengths

eh bien, we are back to the glass slippers -
the medium through which you can view the rainbow you are so enamoured by

voila! all the colors... refracting, dispersing, reemerging

see?? no need to feel wrenched and wretched...
don't expect or anticipate a certain view,
just see the purity of what's really there,
the rest is just a figment of your imagination
which is wonderfully ...<FONT COLOR="ff0000">c</FONT><FONT COLOR="119911">o</FONT><FONT COLOR="ff6000">l</FONT><FONT COLOR="0000ff">o</FONT><FONT COLOR="ff0000">r</FONT><FONT COLOR="aa00aa">f</FONT><FONT COLOR="ff6000">u</FONT><FONT COLOR="119911">l</FONT>

 

[dharma]

Just_Me,
the positions are based on the celtic cross but the terms used happen to be my own. my meanings are not that different from the traditonal meanings. if you consider them more closely you will find that what i call "hidden motivation" has similarity to "basis of the matter". the traditional meaning of the "crowning" card (position 5) is effectively the 'ideal that can be achieved', and in the moment of the reading it seemed to refer itself to me as a "best resolution" so that is what i went with. the 7th position is often recognized as the "Self" card, hence "where you stand on issue".

i've been at this a long time and so my intuition is quite honed when it comes to this sort of thing; i try not to force sense into a card just because of it's position and what others have defined those positions to mean. as a beginner though, there's nothing wrong with working with the meanings as they have been presented to you in books until which time you feel more confident in your ability to work with the positions intuitively, as well.

the same applies to the crossing card. there are times when the crossing card is definitely more of a help than a hinderance and vice versa. in the end, the whole tarot reading experience boils down to development of your intuition

hope this helps
happy development!