Q&A: Double Trouble - Career and Romance

Like what you see here? Click HERE to learn how to order your own reading. No appointment needed.

Q: Hello. The reading we did last year turned out to be right on target, so I wanted to talk to you again. It isn't good news. It turns out I will need more schooling to get the job I want, but the couple of applications I've put in have been rejected. Six months ago, I connected with an old friend, and we started dating. I really care for her, and thought she was my true soul mate. Then a month ago she stopped talking to me. I don't know what happened, but can you tell me if we will hook back up or have any future together? With both of these things together, I'm starting to feel really discouraged and am losing hope. What is your advice?

A: Hello *******

I'm so glad you found our last reading together to be helpful.

I'm sure you understand that there is no way to predict if you and your friend will get back together. Tarot can not read her heart, mind or intentions. She is as much a part of this as you are. The only way to know why things have changed and what she wants is to talk to her directly if possible. If she won't talk with you, then there is no choice but to respect that and move on. Who knows? This might be an opening to meet someone new who truly is your soulmate. Keep hope, keep the light in your heart. The best way to attract your perfect soulmate into your life is to be your truest self. To bring love, give love...be a kind, bright person and your soulmate will come to that light, whoever she may be.

I'm sorry to hear that there have been so many set-backs getting into school, too.

My hunch is the best thing right now is a "mediation" reading. Let's stay focused...the card will give you and idea. It is something to ponder, and it might show you the way forward. My hunch is it will be a career focused card, since the relationship is at a point that needs real-world conversation more than tarot guidance.

After three shuffles, your card is "Justice" from the major arcana portion of the tarot deck.

Being a major arcana card, it feels as if energy and change is just on the horizon. It does feel more career connected. Perhaps with little going on in the romance department, now is the time to put your energy all into career and education. It takes a LOT of time and energy to work and go to school at the same time if that is how things need to be. Don't forget, two things...1. Persistence pays off. There is a saying "fake it until you make it"...keep going, keep applying, keep looking, don't lose hope. It does feel as if energy and change and movement is on the horizon for you. And 2. All the energy and effort you invest in your career is an investment in YOU...your quality of life. It may be part of the learning / growing process that helps you become the perfect soulmate for your ultimate mate. This time of trial may the process that helps make you into the person you want to be...and that your soulmate wants to be with.

The justice card means "wisdom"...wisdom is made up of heart and mind, logic and intuition, all working together. Also there is a sense of "find wisdom". Although there are other cards more specific to this, it feels like this card is calling in that energy of finding a mentor. Is there someone who you can turn to for advice, guidance, a referral, or anything else to help you along with academics or career? Is there one of the schools that would be willing to talk to you to say why they rejected the application and what you can do to get a better outcome later or on other applications? Do you have access to any career counseling or any how-to information about applying to schools? Are there online resources that can help??

Hang in there...I hope the positive energy really turns out as nice for you as this card seems to say. It really does feel like good stuff is there for you, as long as you don't give up. Please keep trying...it feels as if it will pay off in the long run. It usually does.

Good luck!

Fancy Some Cartomancy?

People have been trying to predict the future and "tell their fortune", well, forever. Every culture has some sort of divination be it a special person within the society (shamen, priests witches, gypsies, the Pythia of Delphi, psychics, you name it). Just the same, there are all sorts of things, tools that anyone can use to do the same thing. Again, these "oracle tools" (as I like to call them) are ubiquitous and global: Tarot cards, palm lines, rune stones, scrying mirrors, tea leaves, bones, entrails, the list is enormous.

It's no surprise that modern items have been called into use, like our contemporary gaming cards. There are a lot of similarities between the minor arcana portion of the Tarot deck and the playing cards we've all used for poker, bridge and solitaire. After all, Tarot cards were originally a game too.

The fancy name for doing intuitive readings with regular playing cards is "cartomancy". Cartomancy has several advantages. It is an easy way to learn to use cards as a way to access the natural intuition that everyone has. Without the ornate artwork, or the complicated symbolism you see on Tarot cards, modern cards let you keep it all simple. Simplicity embraces all the possibilities. The simplicity of playing cards make them easy for beginners to use, at the same time it is unrestricted...it lifts the boundaries and lets an experienced reader shine too.

Simple is neutral. Modern cards don't have the emotional and cultural baggage that tarot cards can have. Some people are put off by Tarot's reputation of being "occult". Others find the religious imagery on older decks uncomfortable. Neither of these are a problem with playing cards, making them comfortable and accessible to a wide range of people.There are no scary pictures in the game deck, so they are nice for a first reading or anyone who is feeling timid about the whole reading process. I always keep a game deck on hand for anyone who would rather have a cartomancy reading instead of a tarot reading. Since I work only with entertainment and advice (never predictions) anyway, the two are completely interchangeable. Tarot went from game to oracle, and so have our modern playing cards.

If you would like to try a cartomancy reading for yourself, you can order one HERE

Today's Tarot - 9 of Cups

Strive to understand in fullness. Understanding decreases fear, which in turn decreases anger and violence.

For full content, please consider subscribing to "Modern Oracle Tarot" blog on www.amazon.com for Kindle, and the Kindle reader app (free for pc, mac, smartphones, ipad)

Tarot 2013

Have predictions jumped the shark yet?

I've been saying it like a broken record for years: Tarot doesn't make predictions. Nothing can. You heard George Lucas' Yoda - the future is always in motion. Stephanie Myers was right on target with Alice in "Twilight" too - when someone changes their mind, the "vision" changes. I think Doctor Who said it best in the "Cold Earth" episode written by Chris Chibnall "The future turns around you, here, now, so do good".

Predictions do no good that I can see. A "prediction" seeds a specific idea that may or may not be for a person's highest good.  It locks in the psychic's vision of the future...no the person who sought guidance in the first place. Predictions weaken choice and narrows vision. It can heap stress on an already stressful situation if the "prediction" is frightening or un-nerving in any way.

I believe that inutitive work of any kind...psychic readings, tarot, palms, tea leaves, anything... should do the exact opposite. Intuition should widen our vision, show other possibilities we've missed, give us more choices, ease stress and soothe emotions. "Accurate predictions" have no place in that. That's why I won't do readings like that, even though it has lost clients and money for me over the years.

I'm hoping 2013 is the year that REAL intuitive work comes into its own. Maybe with the whole rediculous December 21 doomsday thing behind us, and having survived the mellinium, asteroid fly-bys and the end of twinkies, maybe, just maybe we can all get over the idea of PREDICTING the future and get down to the work of CREATING a better future.

Sure, predictions are fun, especially at the New Year. Truth is, even the most choice-and-guidance oriented of us will indulge in making predictions for the New Year. It's a game, a plaything, an entertainment, as much for us as our readers. It stretches the mental muscles that help us do our more important work, just like playing a physical game can help your physical fitness.

This year I'm going to play a different game. Instead of indulging in the straight "cold reading" kind of thing, I'm going to do a "Four Seasons" reading for the year 2013. The "Four Seasons" is my home-made reading style that sticks with the idea of guidance, but still gives that 'look ahead' feeling that we naturally crave, that need to know that naturally drives humans to want to see the future in the first place. Each card isn't a prediction, but instead is a theme for the season, or an important idea / choice that may come to you during that time. Of course, this reading isn't going to match everyone. It's just for fun, but if it makes sense to you, or helps someone, somewhere along the way...all the better. Happy 2013! 

General Pattern: three major arcana cards with only one minor arcana card suggest that we may be faced with more choices, changes, and   in the first part of the year compared to the second part. Again, not a prediction, but pointing toward the way things are trending - like a compass needle points north. It doesn't predict what will happen or what people will do...just the direction things are headed. 

Winter (Jan. - March ) - THE MOON: On the Rider-Waite deck, the Moon card  shows dogs or cayotes looking / howling at the moon, with a lobster crawling out of the water onto a path that extends to the mountains in the distance. The phrases "howl at the moon" and "evolve" come to mind. The 'howl at the moon' part connects with the idea of authenticity...the advice here is to be true to yourself, be your truest self. This winter may ask us to be more honest with ourselves than ever before - and when we are more honest with ourselves, it leads to more honesty and open-ness with others. It is a difficult thing to do, and can cause us to lose some people we used to think were friends...but shines like a light to truer friendships, and helps us find our real community. When faced with a choice in this season, think about what you honestly want to happen not what you honestly think is the best thing for everyone ... not what you think is the expected answer. All of this also links with evolution...not the physical kind that makes so many people twitchy...the personal growth kind that shows we can learn, adapt, adopt new ideas, ideals, and find a better way to do things. My mind is drawn to the national debate about marriage rights. Perhaps it is time for the nation to 'evolve' on social issues en masse.

Sping (April - June) THE FOOL (INNOCENT): This is the very first card of the tarot deck. In very old calendars, the first of April was considered to be the beginning of the new year instead of January. Springtime is still the beginning of the year in some cultures. Urban legend has it that April Fools day started after the change from the Julian to the Gregorian calenday that switched the beginning of the year from April to January. Those that continued to celebrate the old way were teased as "April Fools" (www.snopes.com). The message here is that Spring 2013 will be a chance to relax and play and de-stress a little, as we look forward to new beginnings and fresh starts. Spring naturally carries a sense of renewal and optimism. My hunch is that we can make it larger, more pervasive than usual, like the phrase "renewed national optimism". I think this may extend to national policy and economy despite continued international policy and diplomacy concerns in the background. The advice here is to make the hopeful choices, and to avoid choices based in fear. "He who hesitates is lost". This does not feel like the time for ultra-conservatism, philosophically or politically.

Summer (July - Sept)-7 of Cups: Pendulums will swing. The 7 of cups is sometimes read as "delusion". In this case, the connotation would be more along the lines of "take care to see clearly". Don't get carried away with the spring's optimism. This is a season of pragmatism, practicality, watching, and carrying through with what was begun in spring. In spring, seeds are planted. In summer, we don't do much with those seeds except tend them...watch, water, weed, wait.  It is a time to face what we can not control. What's done is done. Do what you can. This season teaches the comfort of seeing things as they are, and focusing on here and now.

Autumn (Oct. - Dec.) HIgh Priestess: And the pendulum comes full swing, and things go a full circle in a single, dizzying year. The feeling of watching the seeds grow changes to a feeling of springing into action for the harvest, and reaping what we've sown in spring - literally and figuratively. It feels like a busy time too, the lesson here is to "stop and smell the roses"...where the Moon card pointed to spiritual growth, the Priestess card points to the new destination...asks us to appreciate where we have grown TO. We've cleaned house, added on a room, planted a garden and stored the harvest for winter...this is the season for gratitude, to stop and survey what we've accomplished, and plan our next step. This season is a reminder to remember the spiritual side of things, as much as possible to experience the magic, mystery, and mystical side of life. After all the activity of spring planting and fall harvest, things start to fall back toward watching...this time watching the full moon through the trees, looking inward instead of outward. 

General summary: This year will see full cycles compleated at a rapid pace. It will generally follow the cycles and pace of nature, perhaps more closely than society has for several years. I feel pushed to say the "rise of the nones" will continue...nones meaning those from the Pew survey who do not participate in any religion, yet maintaina robust spiritual life. Tolerance will evolve, and we begin to see a generational shift in the way we all look at the world. Letting us have a brightness andoptimism we haven't really seen in the past 10 -15 years. There is a feeling of Korea being in the news again, in a sunny season like spring or summer. I get the mental image of a knit hat in Jamaca's national colors and hear "rasta" and a feeling of fun...maybe a new popularity for Reggae or Reggae influenced music, like The Police in the 80s. Winter weather in the northeast feels crisp, cold and white...but not storms, just normal. There is a feeling of drought in the midwest again this summer, but in a smaller area than last year. Something about whales and the west coast...very large whales like blue or humpbacks, perhaps a rare and special sighting of some sort.  Now I see the "time vortex" from the Doctor Who opening sequence...either the Doctor Who  50th anniversary season will be a gigantic hit in the US as much as all the Whovians are hoping, or people really will come to a new understanding of time, predictions, probablilities and all of that quantum theory can teach us. More confirmation of the Higgs boson from Cern perhaps.  Overall, I feel upbeat and optimistic energy around 2013.

Ok, so I couldn't resist playing a little with that last paragraph...but why not? Play is a wonderful thing, but it isn't everything. Dessert is a wonderful thing, but we can't eat only sweets. Predictions are fun, but they are only a small, entertaining part of things.

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, safe and prosperous 

New Year. 

www.ModernOracleTarot.com

Change of Plans - announcement

Some holiday plans were cancelled due to snow and ice, and a variety of other things.

While private and phone appointments are booked until after New Years, I've opened up the unexpected down time to e-mail tarot readings. 

As a holiday special, mention the "code" "The Vampire Diet" in your e-mail, and get a "four seasons" reading for $5 off ($20 instead of the usual $25)

The "Four Seasons" reading is a good one for the New Year's season, but doesn't work like the typical "what will happen in 2013" predictions. A "Four Seasons" reading is more like driving directions, to help you navigate the new year. Each card is a guiding theme or key idea for each of the four upcoming seasons...winter, spring, summer, fall. This reading isn't limited to new years...it covers the next four seasons from whenever you get the reading...it isn't limited by calendar year.

Just send your name, age, any questions, "Four Seasons" and "Vampire Diet" in an e-mail to:

ModernOracleTarot@gmail.com.

Your reading will come as a reply to your e-mail. You will get a separate money request from PayPal at that same e-mail address. Just follow the easy instructions in the request to pay using either a PayPal account or major credit card.

Don't forget: My readings do not make predictions about what will happen in the future. I don't read what other people think, feel or will do (eewww...talk about stalker-creepy. I wouldn't want to be on either end of that.) I don't take medical or pregnancy questions...those should be handled by your doctor. Age 18 or over to order, entertainment and personal enrichment only...you know the drill.

Whatever is "in the cards" for all of us in 2013, I hope that you all have a happy, safe, healthy, prosperous New Year.

~Ronda

www.ModernOracleTarot.com

Q&A:Spiritual Dictionary

You might find this one to be a little controversial...read at your own risk.

Q. In a tweet a few days ago, you described yourself as "secular".  Isn't that the same thing as an atheist? How can you be "secular" and say you give "spiritual guidance" with your readings?

A. Fair question. You make a good point.This is kind of hard to explain, so be patient with me for a few minutes.

As I see it, "spiritual" and "secular" aren't exact opposites. They don't cancel each other out, and you can have both happening at the same time. I haven't talked about any of that for a while, so someone new to the blog or the @modernoracle twitter feed might not have seen the older, spirituality-oriented posts.

The key is in the words "secular" and "spiritual".

Since we are going there, we might have to talk about the big emotional words "religion" and "atheist" too. They are all emotionally charged words, that carry a LOT of connotations, reflex reactions, defensiveness, fear, anger ...you name it. It is hard to talk about these things without emotions getting in the way, so I'm going to try and take this step by step,  as logically as I can, ok?

To my way of thinking, "secular" simply means not-religion. It doesn't necessarily mean atheist. An atheist is someone who doesn't believe in any god. If you don't believe in a god, you don't need a religion, so atheists are, by definition, secular. But "secular" by itself doesn't say anything one way or the other about a belief in god or not. It is possible to believe in a god or gods, and not participate in religion -  like the free-thinking Diests in the 1700s and the Age of Reason. Theism and religion, atheism and secularism seem to pair up most of the time, but they aren't the exact same thing. That's why I like the term secular...it is actually god/atheist neutral.

"Spiritual" is different from both religion and atheism as I use it. When I say "spiritual" I mean a person's individual understanding of how life works. Spirituality is an internal, individual relationship with the subtle, mysterious parts of life. It is our personal individual understanding of truth. It is how we, each alone, makes sense of life, the universe and everything (to borrow a phrase from Douglas Adams). It is based exclusively on our internal sense of truth, ethics, morality, philosophy and so on.

Religion on the other hand, is an outward, group, social construct. Religion is codified, external definitions of truth, morality, ethics, philosophy and so on. Religion is often expressed through rituals, writings, lifestyle, and is taught one generation to another in ways that personal spirituality often is not. Religion is external, a shared, group experience. Spirituality is internal, an individual experience.

For some people, their inward spirituality and their outward religion is the same thing. For others, like me, the two are entirely separate. I do not practice or teach any religion...so I'm secular.

Through tarot and such, I think about and interact with the intangible ideas in life. I share what I've learned, and how I've used tarot symbolism (among other things) to learn them...thus "spiritual guidance".

Tarot readings are spiritual, not theological in my experience. The ideas and symbols are helpful, no matter what your religion or beliefs might be.

Readings are all about one person coming to an individual, internal understanding of their situation. Readings are a way for an individual to navigate through a portion of life, and a tool to help with individual choices. Some people use their religion for that guidance. Others don't. Whether you use a religious or secular guidance-tool, the essence of this kind of guidance is internal, individual and spiritual.

From that point of view, religion offers spiritual guidance, but so does intuitive readings. It is all about how an individual uses the reading/religion, not the reading/religion itself.

Your question is a good example - it is essentially spiritual. We aren't primarily talking about religion...so this is mainly a secular post. We are talking about individual understanding, individual life-philosophy - so this is also a spiritual post.

There are even Tarot cards for this kind of conversation. The Pope or Hierophant card from the major arcana talks about the intersections of social convention, religion, and individuality. The Moon talks about our internal, intuitive, spiritual journey.

And before you even ask...I don't talk about whether I am atheist or not. I won't talk about religion except in very very general terms like this, and even then only when it is brought up by a question or a card. Like Bella said in Twilight..."I'm Switzerland". I'm a religion-neutral, religion-free zone. I'm secular, and I help people find spiritual guidance through tarot-symbolism and intuition-development. In my mind, "secular" and "spiritual" live side by side just fine.


www.ModernOracleTarot.com

Today's Tarot - 3 of Wands

Ted Andrews, in his excellent book "Animal-Wise Tarot" (www.dragonhawkpublishing.com), associates this card with "unique inspiration & aid"


Wands often have to do with our internal journey, our relationship with ourselves.


Remember that old cliche "If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it"? Today's idea is a tiny bit like that, in reverse.


If the question crosses your mind, if you have to ask yourself if something was a sign, an omen, a special message or synchronicity for you, then the answer is yes. It is. 


If something captures your attention, it may be for a reason. It might be a big frying pan over the head kind of  life epiphany...or it might be the small 'ah-ha' moment that solves a problem you've been mulling over for a while. It might just be inspiration for what to fix for dinner. 


Those external things aren't mystical guides and omens...the creativity they inspire is the real magic.


Wishing you an inspired day.


www.ModernOracleTarot.com

Today's Tarot - 7 of Swords

Have you ever seen any of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies? If you have, remember Captain Jack's compass? The one that didn't point north...it pointed the way to his heart's desire, even if he wasn't fully aware of what that really was.


There are moments when we feel like that compass looks...spinning in all directions not sure what to do next.  Our usual 'compass' just doesn't work. Religion, psychics, tarot cards...nothing seems to help or just can't give the answer we feel like we disparately need. 


Which can mean a couple of things....


Maybe we are asking the wrong question. Maybe we are hanging our happiness on the wrong piece of information.


If you asked Jack Sparrow's compass "which way is north?" you'd get no help whatsoever. If you asked the compass WHAT IS your heart's desire...nothing. Ask it WHERE is your heart's desire...viola! A very precise answer is in your hands.


Psychics and Tarot work a little like Jack Sparrows compass. It can help...it can give you very valuable guidance, but only if you are able to understand the limitations and strengths its guidance can give. 


Asking what another person is thinking, or feeling or what they will do is like asking the movie compass which way is north...it just can't give that information, even though it has been made to look like something that can. Jack's compass was made to look like something that could show you which way is north, but it can't. Movies, tv, wishful thinking and fiction has given us the popular notion that psychics and tarot can predict the future or know other people's thoughts and intentions. It can't. 


Neither the compass or psychics/tarot can tell you what your heart's desire is. That is up to you to decide. But if you think about it, and get a clear idea of what that desire is (like when Jack focused on looking for the  "deadman's chest") then the compass (or psychic/tarot/intuitive work) does a better job of showing you how to get to it.


But, ask the right question...be open to the information the compass / psychics / tarot CAN give...and you get a real, helpful, inspiring answer. Do your part...think, decide what you desire, decide what future you want to create...then psychic tarot readings can give you advice about how to get to it. Psychic tarot can help you find the path to where you want to go. 


If someone stays focused on a "where is north" kind of question, then the magic compass will never, ever be able to help. If someone stays focused on knowing what someone else is thinking or feeling or will do, then psychic tarot isn't much help either. That is the gift and strength of psychic work: it shifts our thinking. It guides us to the 'out of the box' way of looking at things. You don't expect a compass to show anything other than direction, and it is infuriating if a compass doesn't tell you which way is north.  But if you think out of the box, and realize the magic it DOES have, then you can find treasure. It is frustrating, even infuriating, if tarot readings don't give you the answer you determined to find. But if you are open to the advice psychic tarot CAN give, and not just focused on the one thing you want or expect...then you can find treasure of a different sort. With a little out-of-the-box guidance, you might be able to find what your heart really desires. It may not be a "which way is north" kind of answer, but we can still learn valuable things in unconventional ways when we are open to what psychic tarot can and can't do.


www.ModernOracleTarot.com

Daily Meditation Tarot Reading - 9 of Wands

Human complexity can work in your favor. Intuition can guide the way when logic sees everything as being equal. Logic can guide when intuition is vague. Either way, persist in what you believe is the right path.




www.ModernOracleTarot.com

Doing a Psychic or Tarot Reading for Yourself

My friend and Mentor, Joy, has done it again. She really is wise, and a great writer, so I recommend her to you hands-down, full stop.

Her newsletter today (http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=3d2e4805e90d05c3a892356b6&id=cdd5d843d5)  really struck a chord with me. It is a little like that adage "physician heal thyself" And also another piece of genius excellence by Theresa Reed (http://www.thetarotlady.com/what-i-wish-my-tarot-clients-knew/).

It is true what Theresa said, that we readers do (or should do) a lot of self-care...and you should too because you deserve it. It is true too, what Joy said. It is possible to read for oneself...with a little detachment it works well. For me, the best way to gain that little bit of space is to use an oracle tool of some kind....tarot cards, "medicine cards" (by David Carson and Jamie Sams. I've had mine since '89 or so, but they are still around...http://www.amazon.com/Medicine-Cards-Discovery-Through-Animals/dp/0312204914/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337292547&sr=8-1), or another favorite...I Ching coin toss. The tangible results, the undeniability of the card in front of you, helps keep that step of distance to get the guidance you need, not the answer you want.

Do any of you read for yourself? Id be interested to know what you do to keep yourself honest, what you do to get to the root of the problem and the highest and best guidance for yourself when  a do-it-yourself reading seems the way to go instead of getting a reading from a trusted fellow-reader. What do you think?

Today's Tarot - King of Cups

King of Cups: Listen to life and it will guide you.

Every student is a master, and every master is a student. Inspiration can pop up anywhere, any time and come from anyone. It can even exist in little pieces of cardboard (like Tarot). Carl Jung called these meaningful coincidences "synchronicity". Synchronicity is the language of spirit, inspiration and guidance.

Wishing you a day of happy synchronicity.

NEW on www.modern-oracle-tarot.com and Modern Oracle Blog for KINDLE...

"Old West ESP: How psychic readings really work"

King of cups: mentor, advisor, spirit guide, divine muse

The winds of spiritual guidance are always blowing. All you have to do is open your mind to raise your sails and get a nudge in the right direction.

In gratitude to my spirit guides

Baihu

www.modern-oracle-tarot.com

2 of CUPS

contemplation & meditation: true guidance comes in the silence between thoughts. Intuition, psychics, oracles, meditation, creativity are all some of the things that help us find that space between.

Baihu
www.modern-oracle-tarot.com