Queen of Coins

A card can serve several "functions" within a spread: it can advise, caution, acknowledge, congratulate...any number of things.

The queen of coins is a common card to see in career readings. The position it takes up in the spread can modify the meaning even more...but it still carries on of the basic messages above.

For this card specifically, it can advise...it can remind us that nurturing, virtue and serenity are important parts of our career path. There is more to what a job can give you than just money. It can give self-esteem, pride in a job well done, a sense of purpose and belonging, even a social outlet. This card can advise us to look for those things in our career.

It can also act as a caution...if we let career become too large and let things get out of balance, problems and tough lessons may follow. This card is often a caution against greed.  Money-grubbing isn't virtuous and does nothing to feed your soul, no matter how big your bank account gets.

The traditional meaning is "power and loss"... money is often power in our society, but at what price? What part of yourself do you lose in gaining that power and money?

The queen of coins is a wish for our abundant life. There is abundance enough for all. Gratitude amplifies it, simplicity sees it in all things.

Wishing you great abundance for the highest and best in your life.

Learn about psychic attention w/ todays tarot meditation

Today's Tarot card is the  4 of Swords.

Remember the Psychic Attention we were talking about before? Let's apply a little of that to today's Tarot card.

My attention is strongly drawn to the artwork on the card. There is a carved stone ...what is the word...not sarcaphagus, but a carved stone thing like that...it is of a knight, like the statue / stone carved tombs of the knights templar in England (for those of you familiar with "The Da Vinci Code"). There are three swords hanging, pointing directly at the reclined figure. 

As my attention is drawn to that particular detail, the next step is to pay attention to any feelings or mental images that come up associated with that particular detail.

Although my logical mind recognizes the figure as a stone carving, there is  a "feel" and the thought of it as being a real person, reclined under three swords about to drop. The idea is clear: if they remain rigid, unmoving and stubbornly 'hold their ground'...when the swords fall, he dies. But if he is willing to change his position, literally, he can roll right out from under the swords and survive. In my minds eye, I can imagine that scene...the figure rolling away. 

Combine the attention, with the mental images (imagination, if you prefer), with the traditional meanings for this card - of all the possible interpretations, "flexibility" leaps right out.

Next, my attention is also drawn to a memory of the Tao Te Ching, where we also find the concept of suppleness being equated with life and survival, while inflexibility and rigidity being associated with aging and death. Rigor mortis, literally and symbolically. "The reed that bends will not break" and all that. Put it all together, and you have the idea that flexibility is an important part of life and survival.

Also drawing from past experiences, my attention is drawn to the memory of Chinese Martial Arts, and the training classes I once had as a competition judge...Some contemporary style swords are extremely flexible...they are SO thin and SO weak they can't even support their own weight and bend 90 degrees if you stand the sword on its tip. Traditional swords are flexible, but to a lesser extent. You might not instinctively think of it, but flexibility is an important part of swordplay. You need literal physical flexibility to maximize your reach, and avoid injury during the sword fight or routine. The sword itself must have balanced flexibility. Too rigid or brittle...and it breaks and your dead in battle or out of competition. Too flexible and it can't protect you, and again you are dead in battle...or disqualified from competition.

Psychic Attention has helped focus today's reading on to one meaning for the card out of all the written interpretations: flexibility. Once you've done that, the next step is to put the card and its meaning into greater context, to make it relevant to the question or reading brought to you...

For example, if someone approached this with a general attitude, open for any lesson, then the one of appropriate and balanced flexibility would be easy to see. If we are too rigid in our thinking, we aren't adaptable to changing circumstances. Where is stubbornness causing us unhappiness? Are there any areas in life where we are being too accommodating of others and are being a doormat?

These same concepts can be used if you came to the cards with a relationship question in mind: how is the flexibility within the relationship? Who is stubborn, and who gives in the most? Does that balance need changed to help the relationship improve?

It can even be applied in a literalistic sense: a person who lifts weights might want to consider adding yoga to improve literal flexibility and achieve better fitness through balanced strength and flexibility, and to avoid being "muscle bound"

So you can see, by this example, what the old posts meant by "psychic attention". You can also see how  (even though they don't follow classic left-brained A + B = C logic) intuitive associations can lead your thinking toward a definitive idea and message. Because the process is a bit out of the ordinary, we can see life, and its problems in an "outside the box" out-of-the-ordinary way, helping us to be more creative, and yes, flexible, in our thinking and problem-solving.

Pretty cool stuff, don't you think?

slightly off topic and a roundabout thank you

Today's "Tarot Tweet": Spirituality is a personal experience and understanding of the sacred. Religion is the public face of that private understanding.

When you work with Tarot or psychic readings, it can be an expression of spiritual beliefs:

The belief that the soul exists beyond death and can guide / communicate with the living...

That there is more to our existence than meets the physical eye...

That we are here to learn, to love, and to learn to love...

That each person's path of learning is sacred, and to be respected, even if it differs from our own....

....to name just a few. Potentially, there area as many beliefs about psychics, intuition and tarot as there are people exploring psychism, intuition and tarot.

As I see it, the important thing is to, like that famous quote attributed to so many from the Delphic Oracle, to Socrates, to plato, to Oscar Wilde and back again, "know thyself". 

Mindfulness can enhance your psychic or tarot experience many times over. What is it that you believe? What of these beliefs to you bring to a reading or are expressing when you give/get a reading??

No man is an island. We bring the totality of ourselves to readings, including our most sacred beliefs. I think that is why it is difficult for the adherents of some religions to allow themselves to work with Tarot. And that is perfectly fine. No one thing, no one path, has a monopoly on Truth...there are many paths to understanding. 

I would never encourage anyone to get a reading if they were not comfortable with the idea. True, the reading may be the doorway to a whole new world of thought, belief, spirituality and understanding - but you have to be ready to walk through that door. I'm not in the business of convincing people that one belief system is better than another. In fact, I think it is deeply wrong, bigoted, prejudiced and unethical to hold one belief system as somehow "better" than another. I think it wrong to feel that your religion or beliefs is the one "true" way. I respect everyone's spiritual path, whatever they have decided for themselves, and expect the same respect for my beliefs. It is just that simple. Tarot readings done in mutual respect are of a much higher quality and are more beneficial, in my experience, when they are done in an atmosphere of mutual respect. 

It isn't required that we work intuitively. There are many ways to learn and grow. Tarot is just one. It isn't required that a person force themselves to get a reading for any reason. It is better for you to be at peace with yourself.

If someone is curious about readings and want to experience one for themselves, there is no reason to hold back. Readings are, essentially, an exchange of ideas. You are in control of what you believe...so you are in control of how the reading affects you. You have nothing to lose but your old ways of thinking and believing. For me, it was a worthwhile trade. I like the broader horizons. I like the truth I see there.

Some ideas are nearly universal. One of them is the idea of being compassionate and doing no harm to others. If you are in a class or group working with psychic topics and you don't want to be there...then don't. It is unfair to the others, but even more so it is unfair to yourself. It is better to be true to what you believe than to sabotage or "convert" other people. You wouldn't hit a stranger in the face walking down the street...why hit a stranger in the spirit when on the internet or in a group?

I have a good friend who teaches an intuition development class online. I've taken her classes before...and that is where I learned a lot of lessons about tolerance and self-acceptance, compassion and understanding of others...

Yet there is one person in her class who keeps objecting and opposing the information given in the class on the basis of her religion...so why is she there, I wonder? Some people feel that if they don't try to win people over to their particular belief system, then they are doing the un-believing others a dis-service - as if they are "bad" or "wrong" if they don't try to lure people into their particular spiritual lifeboat. What they don't seem to understand is that the ship isn't sinking, and every other lifeboat works just fine. Makes me a little sad for folks who think that way...and for the poor people who have to put up with it.

What I'm trying to get to in this very long round-about way is a hearty THANK YOU to everyone who reads this blog and follows ModernOracle on Twitter. Everyone has been very open and kind. It isn't always that way on the Internet, and I just wanted to express my gratitude for your tolerance, open-mindedness,  and civility. 

You rock.

mud vs marinade pt 2 - psychic attention

In the first part of this topic, we talked about how a card can have many subtle shade of meaning depending on subtle shifts of perception. 

So how do you know which shade of meaning is the right one for you and your reading?

When you are getting a reading, if the meaning or interpretation of a card doesn't seem right to you...likely it isn't. That isn't to say you picked the wrong card, or the psychic is incompetent, or anything at all like that.

I've said it before, but it warrants a lot of repeating...

Intuitive images are very personal. The best example I can give of this is dream dictionaries. Sure the meanings given in a dream dictionary might fit your dream...but if you think it has a different meaning that is more specific or unique to your situation, then by all means THAT is the meaning for you.

The same is true of Tarot and psychic interpretations. When we are giving a reading we filter the impression through our experiences, the references we've read, and countless other readings we have done. You know right away what it means to your specific situation. Your hunch takes first priority, although you would most likely get the very most out of the reading if you were to consider all the shades of meaning before latching on to the one that bests suits you. We've all been guilty of hearing-what-I-want-to-hear-not-what -I-need-to-hear syndrome.

So back to the idea of multiple meanings for cards.

How do you know when a card means mud or when it means marinade? Stagnation or vacation? The key is what has been called "psychic attention".

If something captures your attention, then it does so for a reason. Have you ever rummaged through a box of spare loose  buttons? You have buttons of every size shape and color, yet one or two particularly catch your fancy. Or for you crafters out there, have you ever just browsed through the beads or fabrics or yarns of your chosen craft when you don't have a particular project in mind. Then out of all the choices, one color or texture grabs your eye and sparks a whole design idea? Or what is it that draws you to a particular book in a book store, or an item on the menu of your favorite restaurant? We've all had experiences where things capture our attention for no clear reason.

That kind of attention-capture is precisely like the so-called "psychic attention" experience. If you are doing a reading for yourself or someone else, and one meaning from the list captures your attention - then go with that. There is an energy, a magnetism if you will, about that particular idea that makes it relevant. It is almost as if that idea lights up more than the others. If you do enough readings, you see that it is more than you being partial to one idea over another. You may indeed have that bias...but bias has a different feel than psychic attention. 

If you just plain are in love with an idea, you recognize that in time as you do readings. It seems to shift to the logic side of your brain as you work with it. Psychic attention if more fluid, more attuned to the energy and feeling of the moment. Over time you see the attention shift. As the same card comes up in different readings for different people, even if the card turns up in the same position in the card spread - you begin to see the shift in attention. Different subtle meanings "light up" in different readings. The same is true of the art work on the cards. Sometimes a particular part of the picture, or a particular color on the card will grab your attention. It can help you understand the card and the message being given. The idea of psychic attention can even extend to objects in the room

This is one of those aspects of intuitive work that seems to defy words. The major language centers tend to be on the left side of the brain...intuition tends to the right, and much of what we try to talk about here springs from what is mostly a silent, wordless, creative experience. You really do have to experience it for yourself.

And you can!

Next time something - anything - grabs your attention, PAY attention to it! Let yourself ponder whatever it is for a minute, even if it seems trivial and random. Say you notice a sweater in a crowd. It might be something as simple as you have that same sweater...or you admire it...or thought about buying it yourself last week. There might be some very mundane reason for it capturing your eye for a moment. If that is all it is, then no big deal...like Freud is often quoted as saying "sometimes a cigar is just a ciger"

Before you dismiss the detail from the front of your mind, give just a moment more thought. Does the color hold a clue for you? Is there something about the size, shape or location of the object  (or person) that gives you a clue to a question you've had? Does it symbolize something personal for you? What does it bring to mind? Or does it trigger a memory or emotion? Whatever association you have with the thing that captures your attention may be used to help you understand the message...if there is one. The attention and associations should come naturally and easily. If not...we are right back to Freud's cigar. It should be just that easy and obvious. If you have to work at the association, then it is probably just as mundane as it seems, and not "psychic" at all. It takes a little practice, but you will learn in time which is which. 

It sounds odd and repetitive, but to learn psychic attention, you first have to pay attention to things that capture your attention.

Look for Mud vs Marinade part 3 - card spreads coming up in a future post!

For more information about intuition development and "psychic attention" please visit

Joy Star's psychic development class onlinehttp://www.psychicjoystar.com/PsychicDevelopmentClassesbyPsychicMediumJoyStar.html

Like what you are reading here, but don't want to read cards for yourself just yet? Affordable readings by the author are available at www.modern-oracle-tarot.com

daily meditation 8 of swords

8 of Swords:

Numerology isn’t my strong suite. WAAAYYYYY too much like math and arithmatic…

But it comes up often enough in Tarot readings. The cards are numbered, and lots of one number or another can turn up and is usually a hint or message-carrier of some sort. Most of the time I just refer the sitter to the internet to learn about the numbers for themselves. That way they are more likely to find the true message for them, rather than have their perceptions of the number formed by my interpretations.

A friend of mine swears by Doreen Virtues’ Angel numbers. I found it a bit of snooze, and didn’t resonate with it at all…except for the number 8

She cites the number as being the symbol for infinity. This is also true in the Hindu / Buddhist tradition, and is part of the reason meditation beads from that tradition often have 108 beads.

She also associates it with abundance, and career luck. I’ll take that nowadays. Wouldn’t we all?

In most cases I associate swords with our relationship with society at large. The idea of “steadfastness” combined with the number 8’s abundance and career luck leads me to this simple bit of wisdom that we all know…but warrants a thought in today’s economy. 

It is sort of a cosmic ‘hang in there’

Steadfastness, and persistence is an essential element in success, in the mental, physical or spiritual realms, all three.

In our physical livelihood, we persist for material success. You can’t get a paycheck if you don’t show up for work every day. It takes persistence  to keep at our chosen career, improve it, succeed at it.

In the mental realm, it takes persistence to learn. Repetition is a key element in learning at any age.

Spiritually, growth, learning, experiencing, observing…all are continual aspects of our spiritual life. That never ceases. Plus if we move in the opposite direction here…our spiritual supports are steadfast, persistant and reliable. If we don’t feel that kind of persistent and utterly reliable guidance and support from our spiritual path, then we may be on the wrong path…but that is an idea for another day.

So Steadfastness and persistence are an element of success in mind, body, and spirit, to borrow a phrase from Holistic Health.

It also connotes an element of self-discipline. We have to be self-disciplined enough to do what we need to do to care for ourselves so we are physically able to work our jobs, find our jobs, and provide for ourselves and our families.

It takes self-dicipline to learn and practice something new, to keep mentally progressing and not stagnate. This will help keep the mind sharp and the emotions healthy.

It takes self-discipline to ask the hard questions, face the hard realities and choose the right spiritual path, and to persist on that path of spirituality once we find the right one.

All of these things have some thread of connection with our place in society and our personal responsibility. All topics that have become relevant in national politics and society at large today.

All of these things have connections with success and abundance on both the material and intangible plains.

Wishing you an infinity of success and the steadfastness to get you there.