by Lisa | Nov 22, 2014 | Tarot Readings
Okay, we’ve all been there, you’re sitting at the cloth covered table and your tarot reader begins to flip the cards over and you’re all, “Please don’t be the death card. Please don’t be the death card. Please don’t be the death card.”
Amiright?
Here’s the thing, the deal, the skizzy. There are no bad cards in tarot.
There, I said it. It’s done.
Even though some cards may LOOK bad. Like really really bad. Oh, like say, this one:
They’re really not “bad”. They are giving you a message. For example, the above 10 of Swords actually makes me kind of laugh when I see it.
Stay with me here.
Whenever I see this card come up in a reading for myself or others, it usually means someone is being a bit of a…. eh hem… Drama Queen. Basically, imagine a little bubble floating above this guy’s head that says, “Oh, don’t worry about me, I’m FINE.”
Now, let’s really look at this card for a second. Yes, this poor guy has ten – count ’em T-E-N – swords plunged into his back and pinning him to the ground. I mean, OUCH, right? And in the background there are some storm clouds and stuff, also not too perky. But there is something so ridiculously exaggerated about this scene, that it is just over-the-top with the drama. Not to mention that beyond the clouds the sun is coming up. There will be another day of sun.
Every single time this card has come up in a reading and I say, “Someone, and it could be you, is being a martyr around this situation. A bit of a Drama Queen.” The querent pretty much falls off their chair with, “Holy shit balls, you are RIGHT!” And then we can talk about who it is, and if it is them, well then they can have some self awareness around their attitude, or passive aggressive stance over the situation asked about, and usually it ends up as a pretty big laugh all around.
No really. Actual laughing.
And then there’s the classic and almost always dreaded Death Card:
I mean look at him up there, the Grim Reaper, and his horse is trampling some poor guy! And there’s a kid watching it all for god’s sake! Brutal.
Or is it?
The only people that don’t freak out whenever this card comes up are usually either fellow tarot readers, or people who have an understanding of the tarot.
Well, I’m here to put this to rest in your mind once and for all.
Death is good. At least most of the time. I’m not saying it never indicates an actual death, and because I am not a predictive reader I wouldn’t be able to tell you that anyway, unless it is about a death that has already happened. But usually when this card comes up it means that there was, is, or may be a deeply transformative change coming your way.
Like huge.
But not the catastrophic kind of change like The Tower, just check this baby out:
Seriously, YIKES! But we’ll get to this one in a minute.
Death is more like the kind of change that comes once in a life time, and the “bad” part is, it is usually not the easy peasy lemon squeezy kind of change. Sometimes it’s when you are finding yourself needing to re-examine who you are at the deepest level, like when an identity crisis hits. Or when you have to say goodbye to a loved one for whatever reason, and you must make that deep change where you move forward without them in your life. Are you following me here? It is a transformation, and then you become something else as a result. Shedding an old belief, or way of life, or environment. Getting rid of something, having it die, to make room for something new.
In fact, The Death card in the Shadowscapes deck is represented by a Phoenix. Whenever Death comes up for people, I always use the Phoenix as the energy behind it. Which is why I love this version of Death so much.
Now, if the Shadowscapes version of Death came up, people would probably think it is beautiful, and inspiring. So, even though the Rider Waite deck, which is what I and many readers use in readings, looks scarier, the messages are still meant to help – not terrify.
Speaking of terror, the final card we’ll look at is The Tower, pictured above. It kind of looks like there is really nothing positive in this card at all, and occasionally when it comes up it does speak to things being kind of brutal, in a swift explosive way, but each of the tarot cards that appear as “bad” are meant to help you transform or heal in some way. This one just does it by telling you that the universe is going to kick you in the ass to get your attention. Sometimes it might indicate a sudden job loss, or a sudden break up in a relationship, or sudden devastating circumstance that explodes into your life. Do you see the energy that keeps coming through?
Sudden, explosive, unavoidable event.
BUT, here’s the good news! It is usually something that will, in the long run, be good for you. It’s true! I usually explain to people, like the Death card, when it is happening to you it feels like garbage, not pleasant, and even hard, really really hard, but let’s face it… deep life changing transformation is going to be hard. If it wasn’t, than we would just call it switching gears, or changing direction.
Nope. These cards are all speaking to the times in our lives that we survive from. And we DO survive. And like a gorgeous tree that is being battered by the winds and the rain, the roots and branches become stronger and stronger, and every year that tree grows more and more majestic and solid in the ground.
You will know more about who you are. And why you came to be here on this planet.
I’ll help you through it.
No fear.
You’ve got this.
To book a reading with me .. click here.
Oh come on, you know you wanna! :0)
by Lisa | Nov 17, 2014 | Self Care and Personal Development
Recently I have been noticing a trend in my community of amazing tarot peeps. There are certain cards that are repeatedly coming up for people right now. One of the cards that has been making itself known on a regular basis is this one:
Um…. HELLO! The Four of Swords is all about taking a rest. Like for realz. The kind of resting that’s not just putting your feet up on a Sunday afternoon. This is the kind of rest that is RESTORATIVE for your mind, body and spirit. This is the kind of message that is telling you to step out of the church of busy that our culture is so intent to worship at.
Seriously, people, get the hell out of the Church of Busy.
But what does this mean exactly? Well, it doesn’t surprise me that this card is coming up for people at this time of year. This is the time of year where we are gearing up for the holiday season, and usually the time of year when volunteering and fundraising for schools and organizations are hitting high gear. Everyone wants a piece of your attention and most importantly your energy. And for the love of Mike, you only have a certain amount to give!
We need permission to say “no” on a regular basis. If you are the type of person who has a hard time saying no, and believes that every time your child’s school or hockey club calls wanting you to join yet another committee, that you must say “yes”, then this post is for you.
Now listen up.. this is mama talking.
The thing is when we allow ourselves to get caught up in the church of busy, it makes us feel important. Or it can also mean we don’t have time to deal with our own personal deep shit. This is truth, and the truth hurts. But what you are telling your own soul and spirit when you’re “too busy” is, “I don’t have time for you. You are not a priority to me.” And guess what happens?
You get sick. You start to have injuries.
When the Four of Swords appears it doesn’t mean you are heading for burnout, it means you are already there. In fact, you have probably started to experience one of the more troubling effects of the church of busy… physical illness or injury.
If you are getting sick, you must must heed the call of the Four of Swords. You must retreat to a quiet place and reassess how you can step out of business today. Now. Start taking stuff off of your plate. Start saying no.
Chances are when you do, and are honest about the reason why, the people you say no to will reveal that, guess what? They have pulled into the burnout station too.
We all have.
And it’s time to take the next exit ramp to restful mindfulness. And that doesn’t mean taking up yoga, or a meditation class. Good lord. That would be adding another thing to do on your plate! Maybe in a couple of weeks, but the four of Swords is saying to cease and desist as much as you can right now.
Cease and desist. Not register and enrol!
Now this doesn’t mean that meditation and yoga are not what you need right now, far from it! You probably need more of those kinds of things. But only, and I mean only if it does not add to your “must do’s” but adds to your energy tank. And only you know if it will or if it won’t. How do you know for sure if a restorative activity is the prescription for your burnout? Well, we’ve talked about this before, thaaat’s right… listening to your body. Paying attention to how you feel when you look at your calendar and your appointment schedule.
Take a look at your calendar and begin to cross off things that are not absolutely essential to you or your family’s health, and household and direct work related events or appointments. For me, recently, it even meant rescheduling a lunch date with a friend. I know, right? A FRIEND! That’s relaxing right? Normally it is. But when you are in the burnout, even a lovely lunch with a friend, not the LUNCH itself, just the impending time of the lunch that will add to your overall stress. I’m not even kidding about this. It’s true. Now if a friend calls you spur of the moment, and says, “Lunch?” And you say, “Hellz YEAH!” And if you feel more refreshed and renewed after, then that is a whole other thing and totally go for it!
But, on the other hand, if you look at your calendar… like right now, go and have a look, I’ll wait.
How’d you do? Anything make you feel like…”I just can’t.” Why not consider striking it and rescheduling when your energy tank is more full? A full tank means less stress and more ability to cope with your life and the challenges it brings. It means living more fully into the juiciness that is YOUR life. Something we all deserve. You too!
If you are worshipping at the church of busy, and if this post resonates with you at all, share in the comments what things you are going to begin to rearrange to honour taking care of your BIG THREE.. .mind, body AND spirit this week, and share in the comments. I would love to hear from you!
by Lisa | Nov 10, 2014 | Tarot Readings
One of the most common questions I get asked is “Is an email reading as good as an in-person reading?” And what I say to this question 100% of the time is…
YES.
Now, that being said nothing beats a face-to-face. There is something that is truly magical when you and me sit down with the cards spread out, and we start the conversation.
Magic.
But an email reading has its own unique superpower.
No pressure.
And you never have to leave your house.
You don’t have to feel any pressure of having an in person meeting. With an email reading you submit your question, and I still woo-woo the heck out of the cards just like a face-to-face, and then I do a spread of anywhere between 3 to 10 cards. Then you get a snazzy pdf report of your reading straight to your inbox that you can print and go over at your leisure. All without ever leaving your house! Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
Here is what Victoria had to say about her email reading:
“Thank you so much Lisa!! I am totally saving this! It gave me goose bumps and have confirmed that I’ve made the right decision absolutely! Loved it!”
And here’s what Wade said about his email reading:
“Wow! Thank you so much Lisa! Your insights are amazing and totally resonate with the situation. I also like the way you got me to give my own impression of each card first and how the two coincided was so cool.”
Different delivery method – still powerful outcome.
If you are looking for insight, clarity and guidance for a decision you have to make right now, why not give an email reading a try?
Email readings are $50 and you can book them right here! (in your pj’s!) Wanna go more traditional? Great! You can book in person/Skype sessions in the same place!
I would love to serve you, let’s do this thing!
And remember….. You are a work in progress with endless possibilities!
by Lisa | Nov 7, 2014 | Intuition
What if I told you that your intuition was largely powered by your “other” brain that resides elsewhere in your body?
You’d think I was nuts. Right?
Before we get into that, though, let’s talk about intuition and what we know about it thus far. It is innate, in other words we all naturally have it. Some people are more “tapped in” than others. It can save your life, or the life of a loved one. It can cost or make you money. It is very mysterious, and seems to have a mind of its own.
When I sat down to write this post, I consulted my co-pilot – my tarot deck – on what the central message was about intuition that I should convey. And the card I drew was this one:
Now, without even knowing anything about tarot cards, you can probably tell that in this card the figure has a lot of choices to make. And he probably is not having an easy time making this decision, you know with the stormy clouds and such. His choices are symbolic, but probably have deep meaning to him. Like the castle mountain one, or the dragon one, or the jewel one. And that weird-ass glowing ghost one – what?
Anyway, the message that was clear to me when I drew this card was that your intuition is most at play when you have a decision to make. Any decision. Even as simple as turning left or right while driving. Or the big ones like quitting your job or moving to another country. So, how can we cultivate this skill? By tapping into it more regularly while making decisions.
For example, I have a feeling that if I asked you to pick a card, any card, from my deck, that would most help you right now, you would pick the exact card that is right FOR YOU. Right?
Trust me. You would.
But how do I know that? Well, there is oodles of research out there about your “other brain”. Thaaaat’s right. You have a whole other nifty set of neurons just churning away inside you communicating in a non-verbal way 24/7! HOW FRIGGEN COOL IS THAT?
To just get all science-y for a second, this amazing second brain is called the Enteric Nervous System and it is located in… you guessed it… your gut.
So, when you say you have a gut feeling about something and go with it, you are tapping into this powerhouse of a neural network that is thinking on a whole other level, and has access to stuff you could never ever uncover in a million and a half years with your conscious mind! I’m not making this up! You can read more about this amazing system here.
So what does that mean FOR YOU, because that’s why you’re here, and I want to help you to live LARGE.
Your ENS (look at me using acronyms!) has no verbal centre, and therefore cannot communicate with your main brain in any way that your main brain can process it and communicate it to you. Often times you will not be able to explain a decision that on the outside world looks like the stupidest move E-V-E-R, and we’ve all had those, amiright? Right?! Or maybe that’s just me. (cough) Either way, you make these gut decisions based on the information that your gut feeling is telling you, and if someone looked at you and said, “Um…. WHY?” You probably would say something like, “I have no idea, I just have to. I just know.” And you go with it, and it works out.
So, how can you cultivate this inner mojo, this Smartypants of Awesomeness more in your life.
Well, you can meditate (big shocker). Meditation is scientifically proven to quiet your busy over-thinking brain so that you can actually “hear” your intuition guide you to the next move in your life. Getting creative, as in music or art, this opens wide your intuitive mind to your conscious mind. Listening to your body. This one is huge. For me learning to really “listen” to my body signals, especially when I had a decision to make, has been one of the best ways of becoming more and more intuitive over time. Your gut is constantly talking to you, and it turns out in study after study it is almost always right! Research at the Leeds University Business School in 2008 had some fascinating findings, you can read all about them here. The key here is to try to avoid over-thinking everything.
You can use the tarot to exercise your intuitive muscles too!
Let’s try it right now, below are three cards, you can see the images, because I am trying to get you to let go of thinking too much, and just “listening” to your Inner Guru. Look at the cards, gaze over them, don’t think about which card is the card you should pick right now, today, in your life. Just allow your gut brain (how romantic!) to take it all in and “tell” you with a feeling that YES, that is THE CARD. Then when you are ready, scroll down to get the meaning of your card. I bet dollars to donuts that this card will be the exact perfect card that you needed in your life TODAY.
And you can thank your guts for that!
Of course there is some magical woo-woo that happens along with this process, there is no denying that, but I just think it is incredible that we have at our disposal this amazingly powerful tool of intuitive intelligence right at our fingertips!
So ready? K, go!
Scroll down for the meaning of your card!
CARD MEANINGS:
The Knight of Swords:
Blaze those trails! Just look at this guy! He is bravely forging ahead a top his mighty steed to face whatever is ahead with bravery and courage. He is well prepared for battle, and he is armed with truth and cutting through the B.S. right to the heart of the situation. The thing with the Knight, though, is sometimes they are so full of passion while on their mission, that they can be a bit cutting with their words, and not think of someone else’s feelings. Even though what they are speaking is true, and probably for the better good of all involved. Knights are fighting for justice, and they always return after their quest with great stories of their adventures. Be brave at this time, be bold, state your truth, just make sure you watch that your edges are not too sharp.
The Sun:
Just look at that cute little toddler on the back of this lovely white horse, with the sun shining down brightly. Flowers and sunshine, this card just exudes happiness! You are in a very good place today, you feel as though your optimism is well deserved, and others are drawn to you for your positive and lovely outlook. The Sun is all about feeling that inner confidence and you are well on your way to achieving your goals. It is also about shining your beautiful light on others in your life, and they will bask in your warm glow. Ever hear that song “This Little Light of Mine”? This song is yours today. What a lovely card to get today!
The Tower:
Huh. I have this sneaking suspicion that there are NOT too many of you that picked this one! If you ARE reading this and did pick this card, good for you! The Tower, though scary looking, is an excellent card to get when you are ready for a BIG shift in your life. We’re talking HUGE. This is not for namby-pambies, this is big time change, that happens very very quickly and usually seems catastrophic at the time. Okay, so maybe there is a bit of anxiety that is warranted here, but not much! The thing is, you can handle this event. You totally can! The Tower comes up when something outside of your control will be bringing a big change in a rapid way, but this change is almost always necessary. Are you hearing me? It will likely be GOOD for you! I am not going to say that with 100% certainty, because I am not a magician, but usually the change although sudden and hugely startling, will lead to important shifts that needed to happen anyway. It is good to have a bit of a foreshadowing of tower, because then you can “brace yourself” and not be as caught off guard when this change comes your way.
Well? How did you gut brain and intuition do picking your card for today? Good? Not so good? Fair to midlin? Share in the comments, I would love to hear from you!
Keep practicing ways to open up the channel to your own Inner Guru, your intuition and “other brain” are there to change your life in powerful ways!
To receive my Free Reading Friday videos straight to your inbox click HERE to subscribe!
To book a reading with me check out my Work With Me Page!
As always, have the best. day. E-V-E-R!
