The Reverse Celtic Cross

Last night I dreamed that I was at a tarot conference, surrounded by all the world’s brightest tarot luminaries, and I was demonstrating a reading with the Celtic Cross.

Unfortunately for the dream version of myself, I’d also forgotten the positions of the spread. That’s the equivalent, in tarot, of forgetting that 2+2=4. The Celtic Cross is one of the first spreads every tarot reader learns. It’s also one of my favorite layouts.

What could I do? Everyone in the dream was watching me: Mary Greer, Lon Milo DuQuette, Sylvester Stallone, and Brigitte Nielsen. So I did what I always do in my anxiety dreams — and in real life.

I faked it.

But here’s the interesting thing: the spread I did in the dream might actually work.

I laid out a reverse Celtic Cross, with a focus on the past, designed to explore old issues (and old dreams) in depth. In this version, there’s room to delve deeply into the foundation of a situation — with far less emphasis on the future than the Celtic Cross normally provides.

The Reverse Celtic Cross: click this diagram for a larger view.

Here’s how it would work:

1. The heart of the traditional Celtic Cross remains unchanged, starting with the significator. This card represents the subject of the reading — whether that’s a person, question, or specific concern.
2. The covering card represents the situation at hand, and the energy surrounding the issue.
3. The crossing card represents new energy that’s affecting the situation.
4. The foundation card represents the origin of the issue.
5. The recent past card describes the last six months to a year.
6. Now here’s where the spread moves into reverse. Normally, the row of cards that appears on the left-hand side of this illustration would go on the right, and they’d depict issues of the present moment and the current course of action. In the reverse Celtic Cross, however, the four cards in the left-hand column depict issues and memories of the distant past — from childhood, young adulthood, or even a past life. In this case, the card in position 6 would depict an old self-image.
7. Ditto for the card of public image, which would describe the viewpoint of family and friends from long ago.
8. This card represents the hopes and fears of long ago.
9. This card symbolizes the last six months to a year — which will probably reveal the outcome of those hopes and fears.
10. And now we move back into the present, as we would with a standard Celtic Cross. The card in this position represents one’s highest goals and ideals — for now.
11. The most likely outcome of the current path is summarized in a single card. In theory, I suppose you could repeat the column from the left, and lay cards for current self-image, public image, hopes and fears, and final outcome … but that would turn this spread into a very elaborate Celtic Cross, wouldn’t it? (Update: Kika Mae on Facebook just suggested calling that sort of spread an “Infinity Celtic Cross.” Intriguing!)

What do you think? Isn’t it an odd version of a familiar spread?

If you try it, let me know how it works for you.

“Telling the Future” by Barbara Moore

I can’t post much today, because I’m headed off to the dentist for a day of fun and frolic. I thought, instead, that I’d recommend this post by my friend and fellow tarot author, deck designer, and reader Barbara Moore.

Telling the Future

Written on 03/02/2011 by Barbara Moore in Exploring Me, Practical Practices, Readings, Self Readings

But it Doesn’t Feel True

We who read the cards know that the cards don’t lie. Sometimes we doubt them. Sometimes we hesitate. Sometimes we don’t see how they can possibly be telling the truth. But deep down, we know. And sometimes we are even freaked out by how true they are.

Learning to trust the cards can be a long process, especially in terms of telling the future.  I’ve had three very “in my face” experiences this week to remind me that there is truth in the cards. …

Click here to read the whole thing.

Fee Statement

I like the whimsy — and the truth — of this post from Enrique Enriquez.

On the Tarologist’s Fees

• The cost of consulting the tarot varies accordingly to the nature of the questions asked. Since not all questions carry the same weight, it is only logical to adduce that no standard fee can be applied to answer all of them.
• As a general rule, an unimaginative question will be charged twice the price of an imaginative one.
• Answering any questions dealing with practical matters will be more expensive than answering questions about impractical matters.
• Any puerile pursuit will be punished by a high fee. Such fee will decrease proportionately to the percentage of marvel implicit in the question, to the extent that an absolutely wonder-full question will be answered for free.
• In the unforeseen event that a question is exceptionally wondrous, to the extent of inspiring in the tarologist a renewed faith in humankind, the tarologist will be the one paying the client the standard fee, upon the delivery of his answer.

e. e.

Updated: Hitch Your Wagon to a Star

From STV:

X Factor star turns to Tarot to predict her future

Give Cheryl Cole their card! Katie Waissel spotted going for Tarot reading

Predicting big things: Katie Waissel heads to Tarot Pic: © Beretta Sims Rex Features

Katie Waissel treated herself to a spot of shopping while in Brighton for The X Factor Live tour. While pottering around the boutique stores, she also seized the opportunity to take a sneak peek into her future, with the help of a mysterious Tarot reader.

The ‘kooky’ singer was pictured leaving the old fashioned Fortune Teller’s caravan, looking across between Gwen Stefani and Hilda Ogden, as she sported peroxide locks, a headscarf and must-have, oversized, celeb sunglasses.

She was no doubt enquiring about where her future lies and if her debut album will set the charts on fire – yes she has an album out already.

The 24 year old surprised fans by releasing a record of tracks she wrote and recorded before, controversially, making in on to The X Factor last year.

She told Ok! Magazine “It’s about the life and death of love.” Deep.

Katie also told the magazine: “It would be so wonderful to do a tour of my own someday soon, and continue to perform up and down the country. Also to continue writing I am so excited to get back into the studio!”

Will her dreams come true? Perhaps the Tarot had the answers…

Katie could do with passing on the Tarot reader’s number  to former mentor Cheryl Cole, who will be longing (like the rest of us) to know if she will land the blooming US X Factor gig.

Here’s a better look at the wagon where Katie had her cards read:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/markhillary/445208653/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/whizzochocs/3752919356/

Update

3/24/11: After some additional searching, I found the reader who works in this wagon. He’s Ivor Fireman, a corporate entertainer who’s been reading tarot cards for more than 20 years. Doesn’t he look like a nice man?

Friday the 13th: Day of fear or fun?

Happy Friday the 13th! And look — my writing friend Chanah is quoted in this article!

Some people today isn’t a good day to cross the path of a black cat or launch a new venture.

Friday the 13th is 24 hours of bad luck, the darkest day, some think, and they have folkloric tradition to back them up.

But it’s not bad luck for everyone.

Some movie moguls, for example, have made hay out of the phobia and fear. Producers have chosen that day to launch horror stories, such as the first in the "Friday the 13th" series. Today, the end-of-the-world film "2012" debuts.

For those who like to name their phobias, "paraskevidekatriaphobia" and "triskaidekaphobia" are words for the Friday the 13th phobia.

Chanah Wizenberg, who runs MetroWest Tarot Meet-up and Divinatory Arts Meet-up (www.wisewomantarot.com), and has an eclectic background in Judaism, Paganism, and Buddhism (and now, the "reclaiming tradition") said there are several theories explaining why society came to have superstitions about Friday the 13th.

"Nobody’s certain for sure which is the real one, but the one I gravitate to is about paganism and Christianity," said Wizenberg.

In general, Fridays are viewed in a negative light within the church because Jesus was crucified on a Friday, she said.

Early Christian leaders promoted the number 13 as being unlucky, she said, because pagans, whom they sought to vilify in order to convert people to Christianity, believed it to be auspicious.

"Pagans believe 13 to be lucky because there are 13 lunar cycles in a year – they see it as something very powerful. Pagans still feel very in tune with the universe on that day," Wizenberg said.

In numerology, however, 13 is unlucky, because 12 is considered to be complete: there are 12 hours in a clock, 12 signs of the zodiac, 12 tribes of Israel, etc., Wizenberg said.

Waltham resident Jesse Johnson said, "It doesn’t make me nervous, but my grandfather died on Friday the 13th just before I was born. So, I always notice when they come around and think about him."

Arthur Schwartz, a professional hypnotherapist and philosophical counselor in Newton, said he is not a superstitious person, but he’s "very, very open-minded in terms of the paranormal."

And he doesn’t believe Friday the 13th is different from any other day, he said.

"My mom was born on a Friday the 13th, and I’m the luckiest guy in the world because my mother had me," Schwartz said.

As a hypnotherapist, Schwartz said he knows the power of strong belief – including superstitions – and that they can be self-fulfilling prophecies.

"If you believe strange things happen on a full moon, it just might happen. The expectation factor is very, very powerful," Schwartz said.

Trish Flynn, an Arlington resident who is a member of an Eastern philosophy group in Waltham, said she thinks superstitions surrounding Friday the 13th "are like magical thinking."

She believes it gives people a sense of control.

"To me (superstitions are) like the placebo effect. People will say they don’t believe in it, but then they won’t step on a crack or step behind a ladder – they still have avoidance behaviors," said Flynn.

Still, she said, "I guess it’s fun."

Wizenberg personally doesn’t put any stock in any of the superstitions, she said, adding, "but I know plenty of people who do."

"People follow the myths and superstitions surrounding Friday the 13th to the point where it affects what they’re going to do that day," Wizenberg said.

Wizenberg joked that she prefers spending the day observing people doing foolish things.

"It never ceases to amaze me how the human mind likes to create a story. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy – you expect things to go wrong, and then they turn out that way," she said.

"Growing up, I had a friend born on Oct. 13, on a Friday, and she loved Friday the 13th. She always had terrific days on Friday the 13th," Wizenberg said.

Source: Friday the 13th: Day of fear or fun? – Waltham, MA – The Daily News Tribune

Tarot Deck from 1968 Accurately Predicts 1974

Funny news from The Enduring Vision website:

An internationally renowned psychic "seer" has successfully predicted events of 1974 under strictly controlled conditions, say reports coming out of New Orleans, a significant event that is sending shockwaves through the scientific community, which previously has had an attitude of skepticism towards psychics.

Using a standard Ride Waite tarot deck manufactured in 1968, Leroi MaCaroni, a prominent New Orleans psychic, has astounded research scientists by predicting with 100% accuracy events that actually occurred in 1974.

"We’re frankly amazed at the high degree of reproducibility Mr. MaCaroni has exhibited in these batteries of tests," said one supervising scientist. "We’re not certain how he does it, but I can say beyond the shadow of a doubt that no trickery was involved."

When asked to elaborate on his feat, Mr. MaCaroni remarked, "I began by attempting the deck to predict events that were going to happen, you know, in the future, but what I discovered is that it’s actually remarkably accurate in describing events from 30 years ago."

For example, MaCaroni said, when asked what the number one song of the year would be, the cards answered accordingly.

"The deck gave me ‘The Lovers’ in the past position, and the ‘Death’ card, meaning ‘change’, in the current position. The ‘Eight of Cups’ in the Environment cinched it, indicating ‘a time to move on’, referring mainly to relationships. This was clearly referring to ‘The Way We Were’ as the number one song of the year…which was true in 1974."

Another question regarding the Presidency obtained "The Tower", inverted, as well as "The Emperor", inverted, answers MaCaroni believed "definitely referred" to the resignation of former President Richard M. Nixon following the months of turmoil in the White House.

"I think it’s pretty clear what the cards were trying to say with that answer," he said confidently. "If anyone else out there can read a deck of tarot cards that can provide similarly accurate answers about 1974 politics, I sure haven’t heard of them."

When asked about the usefulness of having a tarot deck that predicts 30-year-old events, MaCaroni said there is plenty to use it for.

"Baby-Boomers do a lot of living in the past," he said. "People want to know who had crushes on them in high school, what really happened to their car after a particular high school football game, or who knocked up their girlfriend. I can’t tell them those things…but I can tell them that Godfather II won the Academy Award for Best Picture in the year that all those things were happening."

When not reading fortunes, Mr. MaCaroni uses his abilities at his job at a programming consultant for VIACOM, prognosticating on the success or failure of television shows and movies. He maintains an 88% accuracy rate.

"I told them in the beginning that ‘My Big Fat Greek Life’ would suck, and it did," he said. "They were foolish not to believe me in the first place, but they cut their loses quickly enough once they saw I was right."

"Let’s see one of my skeptics do that," he added with a grin.

Tarot Deck Accurately Predicts 1974 :: The Enduring Vision

Tarot reader goes for a Guinness world record

I didn’t know this was even a category!

Cumbrian tarot-reader hoping to have set Guinness world record

By Elizabeth Broughton

A tarot-reader rounded off a record-breaking 12-hour mystical marathon with ghostly goings-on during a candle-lit final reading.

Mark Hankin reads for Sarah Asquith-Vallance, of Dearham

Mark Hankin, 44, of Whitehaven, saw a total of 75 people’s futures during the mammoth Halloween stint at the Helena Thompson Museum, Workington, on Saturday.

And, though he didn’t realise his “ambitious” target of 240 readings, he still hailed the event a success – and hopes his efforts will land him a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

“We had 75 in the 12 hours and I was quite pleased with that,” said Mark, a civil engineer for Capita Symonds in Barrow. “The most I had done before that was 17 in a day so 75 was exhausting, to be honest, but it was good. I set myself quite an ambitious target of 240 but if you’re going to so something like you need to have something to aim for.

“We’re going to send everything off to Guinness today and hopefully it will get verified.”

As well as aiming to set a new world record, the challenge raised an impressive £400 which will be split between Macmillan Cancer Support and the Helena Thompson Museum. Mark also hopes that Capita Symonds will match the amount he donates to Macmillan, boosting his total to £600.

An extra-special reading was raffled off, giving one lucky winner – a woman from Lowca – the chance to have a reading by candlelight as the clock struck midnight on Halloween.

Source: Times & Star | Cumbrian tarot-reader hoping to have set Guinness world record

Use These 7 Early Warning Signs To Avoid Tarot Reader Burnout

From today’s Tarot Eon:

I’ve experienced Tarot reader burnout several times in my career, and I’ve got to tell you, it’s not fun. At its worst, I’ve looked a client straight in the eyes, reached for my coat, and headed on out the door.

Tarot reader burnout can happen to anyone; whether you’ve been studying the Tarot intensely, or whether you’re a professional Tarot reader, it doesn’t matter. It can affect anyone, at anytime.

If this is left unnoticed, it can take months before you’re able to look at a Tarot spread with any kind of interest.

The longer it has a grip on you, the harder it is to rejuvenate your passion for Tarot. Below are the 7 early warning signs of Tarot reader burnout.

The complete post is here: Use These 7 Early Warning Signs To Avoid Tarot Reader Burnout

Tarot reader wins permit battle

News from The Arizona Republic:

Psychic wins battle with Gilbert over permit

by Alia Beard Rau – Oct. 3, 2009 07:30 AM
The Arizona Republic

A Gilbert psychic has challenged the town’s license and permit fees and won.

Paula Parris said the requirements to get a license and permit as a fortune teller in Gilbert were “excessive,” costing her $1,300 more than most other businesses.

The Town Council agreed, and removed the fortune teller fees and authorized staff to reimburse Parris and anyone else charged in 2009.

The story continues here: Psychic wins battle with Gilbert over permit

She Shares Sixth Sense By The Seashore

The Tarot Lady has an interesting post on her blog – and a contest for a free phone reading!

I really identified with this:

She Shares Sixth Sense By The Seashore

A young woman came into my office the other day. When I pulled out my tarot cards, she said with great disappointment,  "Oh. You’re a card reader. I thought you were a psychic and would just tell me things."  Sometimes a client will expect me to be able to see ghosts and auras, talk to the dead, read their mind and/or play some strange guessing game with them. Although I have been able to do those feats at times,  I make no great claims to be anything other than a simple card reader.  
I always say that "anyone can learn to read cards" but to be honest, if you don’t have a good grasp on your intuitive side, it may not work quite as well. I compare it to a musician who can play an instrument but has no passion for the music.  So although I claim to "just" read cards, the truth is, I am reading energy or vibes at the same time I am looking at those cards. 
I’ve always had a highly developed intuition although I didn’t understand it  when I was young.  I just knew that I saw things differently.  Strange dreams, contact with spirits and "knowing" something was going to happen were common occurrences for me.  I naively assumed that everyone had these experiences.  As I got a little older, I kept my mouth shut about these things because some people made me feel that I was "weird".  As I look back on that, I have to laugh because that very thing that set me apart and made me feel "different" has been such an important part of my journey and a blessing as well.
Life lessons taught me that intuition serves an important purpose.  Many times, I did not listen to that inner voice – and I suffered the consequences.  Other times, I would follow my gut and things would flow beautifully.  We all have this ability within us.  I am not special just because I use it for my living.  In fact, many police officers would tell you that they rely on it too.  If we all learned to trust our instinctual nature more, perhaps we could live more enlightened lives. Or at the very least, make wiser decisions. 
Now – let me share a few of my favorite stories about psychic experiences with you. 
1. The intuition runs in my family strong.  My Irish grandmother had keen perception and was a very superstitious woman.  One morning, she was sitting in her favorite chair and she saw an image of a man, dressed in work clothes standing before her. She called out to him but he disappeared.  At the time, she lived with her son, Frances. When he came down the stairs, she told him not to go to work.  Later in the day, she got the news that her other son was killed at work. 
2.  When I lived in New York, there was a very handsome man that used to flirt with me.  Technically, he was my "type" but something seemed "off", so I demurred his advances.  We did become friends but I always kept my distance.  A few months later, he was arrested for murdering his girlfriend.  I’ll spare you the gruesome details but I thanked spirit for looking out for me. 
3.  A few years ago, my mother was ill in the hospital.  This was common as she was a very sick woman for as long as I can remember.  The doctor visited with her and made the statement that she had about a year to live.  I asked him, what that meant (I like details) and he said "I don’t have a crystal ball but her heart is failing and she has maybe a year".  That night, I was walking with my husband and I felt a sensation like someone sawing my umbilical cord. I said out loud "She doesn’t have a year.  She’s dying now." She had a stroke that night and died three days later. 

The full entry is here: BLOG.THETAROTLADY.COM: She Shares Sixth Sense By The Seashore

Tarot Math Spreads

How clever is this idea from the Tarot Dame?

Tarot Dame’s Blog: Tarot Math Spreads

Here are a few spreads I put together a couple years ago, using mathematical equations.
1. A + B = C
Combining Card A and Card B will bring you the results of Card C.
2. A – B = C
When you remove the energy of Card B from the situation of Card A, you will get Card C.
3. A + B – C = D
When you remove the energy of Card C from the combination of Cards A and B, you will get Card D.
4. A – B + C = D
Remove the energy of Card B from Card A, then add Card C and you’ll end up with Card D.

Visit Tarot Dame’s blog to see the spreads in action.

Did you enjoy Cyndi Lauper in Bones Season 5 Premiere?

So far, the voting in this online poll is practically unanimous: the “Bones” audience loved Cyndi Lauper as a tarot reader.

Cast your vote here.

If you haven’t seen the program yet, it’s here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/95846/bones-harbingers-in-a-fountain.