This is a general reading. I thought about focusing on an astrological sign, or doing it anonymously for an individual, but then I thought… leave the energy open so that whoever needs to receive the message will be drawn to it.
I love this deck! You can purchase your own deck of “Tattoo Tarot” at http://www.magicalomaha.com
Purchase a personal tarot reading with Amythyst Raine @ The Tarot Parlour ~
http://tarotreadingswithamythystraine.blogspot.com
The following questions were put to me by an aspiring journalist with an interest in divination, the occult, and the paranormal. They’re good questions, all, and I tried to answer them as clearly as I could:
1. Tell us about yourself. What do you do for a living? What are your hobbies and interests, hidden talents?
I was born in California, raised in South Dakota, and live in Nebraska. I’ve always been drawn to writing and started journaling when I was 12; I’ve always been drawn to the occult and paranormal, experiencing spirit contact for many years at various levels of intensity in my grandmother’s old house. At one point, as an adult, I began writing books, books on the topic of divination (the tarot) and books about witchcraft and gray magick. To my surprise, these books have been quite successful. I earn a living, so far, through writing and tarot reading.
My hobbies and interests? I’m an avid reader (most writers are). I love gardening, collecting (swords & daggers, tea pots, rocks and crystals, old books, feathers, sterling silver jewelry, and cats); I’m a chocoholic, a master procrastinator, a lover of old movies, antique shops, forests, old market areas, and high heels (some of which I buy but never wear). I love creating magickal oils and potions, eating ice cream cones, and designing websites. I’m a dreamer and visionary caught in the harsh reality of the modern world and modern life.
2. You are a professional tarot card reader. What sort of services do you provide to clients?
Yes, I am. I provide readings to my clients through a variety of mediums, including web cam readings though Skype, video readings, telephone readings, and emailed readings that are written out and sent to my clients. I provide face to face personal readings within my own community, as well as in-house readings done at book stores and shops and readings done for parties and corporate events. I also provide spell consultations to those individuals who want to cast a spell and do some magick but aren’t exactly sure how you put a spell together.
3. What was your career before you became a tarot reader? What made you decide to become a professional tarot reader?
Before I became a tarot reader I spent the greater share of my life raising a large family, being a stay-at-home mom and a home schooling mother. My decision to become a professional tarot reader was a very gradual and totally unexpected choice. It was probably the last thing I ever thought I would be, or the last thing that I ever thought I would do. For one thing, I always swore that I would never be able to charge anyone anything for a reading. Once I actually began reading for people outside my circle of family and friends, I realized that this was a job, just as any other occupation is a job, and that I would not be able to spend hours and hours working for free. I also realized that what I did made a difference in people’s lives; what I did was something very special and unique, and I also realized that what I did– not everyone was capable of doing.
4. How did you learn to read tarot cards? How and when did you discover you had this particular ability?
I bought my first deck of tarot cards (The Goddess Tarot) between fifteen and twenty years ago. It was the box that caught my eye when I was walking through a local book store. For weeks and months, this deck called to me every time I visited the store. At first, I tried to ignore it. I’d give the pretty box a perfunctory glance as we walked past the shelf. Eventually, I stopped. I would pick the box up and look at it. This went on for weeks. Eventually, I stopped. I finally asked for permission to open the box to see the cards. I gave in to whatever it was that was drawing me to this foreign deck of cards, to this strange thing called ‘tarot’, and I bought the deck.
The first few weeks, I was simply enamored with the artwork. The deck was totally unfamiliar to me, the meanings a mystery, how to put everything together to actually make sense of it never even entered my mind at this point. Although the ‘little white booklet’ that came with the deck was helpful in helping me learn the meanings of the individual cards, it did not help at all in learning how to look at the cards intuitively; it did not help at all in learning how to put all of this together on different levels to read the story the cards were trying to tell me. This came later, with a dawning moment, one of those ‘ah-ha’ moments you never forget.
It was only after the key turned and the door opened, that I realized the depth of knowledge, the true mystery, the exciting potential that lay in a deck of tarot cards. And the stunning revelation was that I actually understood the language.
5. How do tarot cards work exactly? How do they give a person guidance and advice?
The cards work, for me, simply as a trigger to unlock a series of associations– through the image, through my own intuition, through some connection that I really can’t describe and probably don’t completely understand. I just know that when this connection works, it is truly amazing, as amazing for me as it is for my client. I know there are people who follow all kinds of rules and ritualistic behaviors with their cards, but in general, I don’t. I view the cards simply as a tool. Two things that I do follow through with: 1) cleansing the cards of residual energy through the use of a incense and 2) placing clear quartz crystal points on top of the deck when they’re not in use.
How do the cards give personal guidance and advice?…they reveal possibilities for future events; they give warnings about situations, choices, or individuals in your life; they offer answers and alternative endings to the story; they connect with spirit guides; they connect with the divine; they link the human part of us with the universe in a way that imparts to us universal knowledge; and once in a rare while, they connect with the spirit of someone who has passed.
6. You have many clients all over the world, and they consult you via Skype, or over the phone. How are you able to read their energies, even when you’re thousands of miles apart?
Distance is irrelevant when doing a reading. Everything in the universe is connected by a thin strand of energy, everything, and the slightest touch anywhere sends vibrations everywhere– this is the basis for practicing magick, and this is also true when it comes to connecting intuitively with another individual. Just as a mother might instinctively know when a child is in danger from across many miles, through the tarot it’s also possible to connect on a very personal, emotional, and spiritual level with another human being no matter what the physical distance might be between you.
From here in the American mid-west, I’ve connected with and done readings for people in Canada, Great Britain, Greece, New Zealand, and Australia. It’s been an amazing experience, enriching my life as much as it has touched their lives. It truly is a miracle, there’s really no other word for it. It also confirms to me the incredible capacity that human beings have to open themselves up to each other.
7. What has been your biggest challenge with regards to your abilities? How have you overcome this challenge?
One of my biggest challenges is reading for men. It’s much more difficult for me to reach and maintain an open and fluid connection with male clients. How have I overcome this challenge? I’m working on it. I would imagine, being a woman myself, the connection that I have with female clients is much more empathic. It’s easier for me to understand a woman, her life, her dilemmas, her choices, and her fears. Reading for men is a totally different experience, and I can say this almost without exception, there seems to be a wall that I have to get past in order to pick up the energy of the cards.
8. Do you consider your ability a gift? How do you help people with this gift?
Of course, it’s a gift. Reading tarot cards is something that, for whatever reason, I have the ability to do. How and why I’m able to look at a deck of cards and pick information out of them are questions that I can’t answer. I think that everyone is born with a natural intuitive ability, a sixth sense, but not all people are able to put this gift to use. I think there are some people who are unaware of their psychic abilities, deny them, or are even frightened by them, so they squelch them. It’s like a muscle– if you don’t use it, you lose it. By using this gift, you strengthen it, grow with it, and develop an understanding of it.
I help people with this gift by giving them insights into their lives they otherwise would not have. Being aware of the choices available to them, the possible consequences that will ensue, alternate paths they can take, all broadens their perspective. It helps people to make better decisions in their lives, to come to terms with their past; it comforts them, and it lights the way for a brighter future.
9. Could you share some memorable experiences you had because of this talent?
Oh, my, there’s so much that comes to mind. The little girl at the Harry Potter bookstore party (Ace of Cups, reversed), someone she loved has left I told her. They most certainly had. A favorite cousin had moved away. Bless her little heart, it was like a dam burst, and I let her chatter uninterrupted while she told me all about it. There was the older woman, a doctor’s ex-wife, so marred by control and emotional abuse, it was painful to watch, painful to see all of her raw spots exposed. There was the man who denied the affair, until he finally admitted that he was living with his mistress, but he didn’t consider this an affair at all. There was the grandmother who had lost her five-year-old grandson due to a medical condition and problems with the ER equipment. There was the young Hispanic couple with the sick child. Highlights have included reading for a world famous architect and a grammy nominated musician. The world is full of fascinating people.
Humanity opens up before me like some supernatural ethereal akashic record, but it’s all flesh and blood, tears, worries, loves lost, loves found, personal issues to work through; it’s hopelessness, it’s hopefulness, it’s finding clarity, it’s relief, it’s all bigger than life, and it’s all painfully personal…this is what it’s like to read the cards for people.
1o. How do your clients find you? Where is your office located? Where can they reach you online?
My clients generally find me through my websites: The Witch’s Corner & Tarot: Books, Classes, Readings. I’ve had clients find me by word-of-mouth in the internet world and email me ( witch_of_endore@yahoo.com ); and I’ve had people find me at social sites, like Facebook and Pagan related sites.
I don’t have an office; but I do personal face-to-face readings in my own community (Fremont, NE), usually at one of our local coffee shops. These readings are scheduled privately and are by appointment only. Payment has to be made at the time the reading is scheduled– this might sound nit-picky, but after having a couple clients miss their appointments and spending an afternoon sitting there waiting for them, I realized just how valuable my time is– and now, they realize this too.
11. What’s a typical day like for a tarot card reader? What’s your usual schedule?
On days I’m doing in-house readings, I try to keep my schedule and the atmosphere light and stress free. Other than that, it’s just a matter of getting dressed and trying to estimate what traffic will be like in the cities so I get where I need to be on time. (I’m extremely punctual, so I’m usually early.) It’s very different reading at a shop where the clients have to pay for their individual readings themselves, as opposed to a shop that pays me a set fee so the readings for their patrons are free. When people get ‘free’ readings, it’s like a stampede– long lines and continuous readings that go on anywhere from two, four, or six hours. I quickly learned that I have to pace myself and that it’s okay to take regular breaks– no matter how long the line is. People generally tend to be realistic, well-mannered, and polite.
The Skype, video, and emailed readings are another story, especially the written readings…that usually means you’ll find me at the kitchen table in the wee hours of the morning with candles lit, a pot of coffee on, and me in my bathrobe, all comfy and busy. Video & Skype readings are fun, and the Skype readings are really as personal as face-to-face readings. I’ve had quite a time with international clients when we try to figure out time differences; it can be a juggling act and often results in some rather odd hours for either me or the client.
12. You have a natural talent for tarot reading, but is it possible to learn how to read tarot cards? How would one go about learning this skill?
Yes, it is possible for anyone to learn to read tarot cards. However, just as with any other endeavor, everyone’s skill level will be different, some people more attuned to it than others; but still, anyone can learn to do this. It’s fun, intriguing, and it is an excellent way to strengthen your intuition, your natural psychic abilities. Tarot cards can also be used for personal meditation and exploration, a very private thing, a special relationship shared between you and your tarot deck.
You’ll learn to read the tarot by 1) choosing and purchasing a deck…I always recommend for beginners that they choose a very basic standard deck to start with, and I usually suggest the Rider/Waite deck. 2) learning the basic standard meanings for each of the cards in the deck. 3) starting a tarot journal. 4) investing in a tarot course, or purchasing books on the subject, so that they can go beyond the standard definitions for the cards and learn to read intuitively, learn to interpret a spread, learn to apply numerology and a bit of astrology into the picture…there’s so much to the tarot, so many ways of looking at it, so many other esoteric connections to explore. Studying the tarot can become a life-long passion.
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Partnership, pairing, and sharing. As much as our individuality is respected and held sacred, so is our ability to share our lives, our world, our bodies, and our selves with another human being. Whether we are mated to someone through romantic love, creative endeavors, ideas, familial connections, or simply choice– this is a sacred union because what is part of us is touching another individual, adding to the experience of their life in ways we might not even realize. The fluidity of relationships is highlighted with this card, represented by the ocean and a pair of dolphins interacting on a blue horizon. Partnerships are not stagnant and are constantly metamorphosing to encompass change, changes within the partnership itself and changes to the individual. Because of its fluidity, partnerships, friendships, and special connections may not always be forever, but may touch our lives at a moment when it is most needed, when this connection will be most beneficial.
The following is an actual tarot reading done for a client (published anonymously, of course). This is an example of ‘The Horoscope Spread’ (nontraditional), offered at my website:
http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/tarotreadings.htm
This spread covers a 12 month period.
Tarot Reading
Deck: The Goddess Tarot
(Horoscope Spread)
April:
6/swords ®, Balance ® (the goddess, Yemana), 2/pentacles ®
It appears that you are trying to find balance, perhaps after the end of a relationship. Not only is your emotions, mentality, your whole psyche, being thrown off by this imbalance, but your finances as well.
The goddess found on the card of Balance in this deck, Yemana, is the patron goddess of women, especially pregnant women, and children. Offer this goddess sweet liquids, blue candles, and incense so she will bestow upon you good health and healing of the body, mind, and spirit.
Other insights…uncertain movement, or uncertainty about moving; “the worst is behind you”; changing direction; strength from the hands (perhaps creativity); hidden agendas; “rising above it all”; duality; multi-tasking; two of something, as in a hand in each; a flock of white birds, perhaps symbolizing freedom, or freedom of thought.
May:
Magic ® (the goddess, Isis), 9/cups, Wisdom ® (the goddess, Sarasvati)
This month is characterized by a temporary loss of power or direction, but it swings around to your favor mid-way through and you will wind up with what you wished for, or what you thought you wanted. With this comes wisdom, a new insight into what direction you’re headed, what path you have decided to embark upon. Perhaps the biggest surprise will be that once you’ve gotten what you wished for, you’ll decide that maybe this wasn’t what you wanted after all.
Two goddess are highlighted for the month of May: Isis, the Egyptian goddess considered a patron goddess of nature and magic; and Sarasvati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, the arts, and science.
Other insights…a totem animal, the hawk; ancestral interest or knowledge; a secret to be uncovered, or a secret admirer to be unveiled; the time of the waning crescent moon is significant this month; the proverbial “pot at the end of the rainbow”; the idea of many irons in the fire, a busy month, lots going on, maybe too much at once; the serpent, representing sexuality, wisdom, the goddess.
June:
Tradition (the goddess, Juno), 7/staves, 3/pentacles
You will find yourself immersed in conflict at work; and you will also find that the best course of action will be to stick with the tried and true way of doing things, the traditional methods. This will not be the time to try something new, or to instigate new rules and regulations; it will not be the right time or place to change the game plan in mid-stream.
The goddess, Juno, is highlighted this month, which I thought was ironic, but that’s the way the cards so often work. She is a Roman goddess with the touch of a warrior about her, and it’s her energy, strength, courage, and perseverance that will be needed this June.
Other insights…a struggle with vanity, which may have more to do with ego, rather than physical attributes; the full moon is a significant time for your this month; a position of leadership is highlighted; don’t back yourself into a corner with rash decisions, reprimands, or demands; confrontations; triplicates.
July:
4/cups, 3/staves ®, Prince/cups ®
There’s an issue that has to be faced and resolved involving a partnership, most likely a relationship issue. You have to make a decision, and until you do, you will feel as though you are stagnant. Yes or no? Pick one and get things moving again.
Other insights…a third party; business contracts or opportunities; this month the waning crescent moon will be a significant time for your; a knoll…take the high road; the idea that it’s always ‘the odd man out’; when making a decision, don’t go with popular opinion, you may even choose to go against it; don’t wait too long before making a decision, you might loose an opportunity; Celtic traditions; the elements of Water and Fire, pay homage to both and incorporate their energies into your daily life, especially this month– emotions and passion.
August:
2/cups ®, 10/cups, 9/pentacles
You will discover this month that a coupling or a partnership was the correct choice, and within this decision, you’ll find the fulfillment of happiness in your home-life and within yourself.
Other insights…the full moon for this month will be an especially powerful one energy-wise for you, make your wish, fulfill your magick, whatever it is that you do (whatever divinity or spiritual path you follow), make sure that you honor it at this special time; there will be a rejoining, or reconnecting, with someone you’ve been estranged with; spiritual enlightenment and personal fulfillment are highlighted for August, it’s a month for growth on all sides; “commitment” is the key word for August; promises, binding promised; rainbows, the idea of positive energy, of attainment, something coming full circle; “mediator”.
September:
6/pentacles ®, Prince/staves, Oppression (the goddess, The Wawalak)
The goddesses highlighted this month are the twin sister goddesses of Australian origin known as the “Wawalak”…it is their fierce determination to protect their young against the Great Serpent Goddess that inspired their worship throughout the aboriginal tribes. It is their strength of will and courage that is honored and worshipped as a mirror of pure womanhood.
This month will be one of frenetic energy and mixed signals. Although you will start out on a positive note, it is this troubling energy that will disrupt the month for you, and this energy could come in the guise of a young male figure, one with too much energy, bravado, and opinion. If this is the case, you will know that you must rein him in. To wind up the month of September, you may have to call upon the energy and courage the twin goddesses epitomize…hang on tightly to what you have, monetarily speaking, and don’t give in to someone else’s suggestion for making easy money, or taking financial shortcuts.
Other insights…a ‘sisterhood’ is highlighted in September; the Triple Goddess (if you’re Wiccan or pagan, you understand this concept); seeking approval and accolades; a feeling of dread– don’t fight it, or let it throw you off-kilter, just listen to it and be aware, it will pass; mirror images.
October:
2/staves ®, 8/swords, Temptation ® (the goddess, Nyai Loro Kidul)
A partnership is going to leave you feeling a bit confined; either you’re going to have to shake it up a bit and roil the waters, or you’ll plug along in a semi-state of discontent, feeling rather trapped by it all. This ‘partnership’ will be either business/work related, or it will be a personal relationship; you will be acutely aware of which it is.
The Indonesian goddess for this month is Nyai Loroo Kidul, “Queen of the Southern Sea”, often depicted as a mermaid or having a snake’s body. Her magick lay in the power of rejuvenation and the acquisitions of spirits. Her tonic is the violent waves of the ocean and the cleansing/healing properties of it’s waters.
Other insights…the idea of ‘co-dependence’; deep sleep; this month may find you dealing with a slight malady, perhaps a bug or something that will lay you up for a few days; emotional turmoil or indecision; shapeshifting– ‘be what you need to be, or be what they need to see’; the element of Water– dreams (pay special attention to them this month), visions, intuition, deep emotions, relationships; water– as in waterways, rivers, streams, oceans…there seems to be some link between you and a body of water this month, I’m not sure how or why this connection comes up, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out.
November:
7/cups, Prince/pentacles, 5/pentacles ®
Decisions dealing with a financial issue or question are highlighted this month, and the decision that you come to will result in a sort of ‘digging-out’ from some negative financial goings on, it will, in effect, turn things around for you. Take your time, think wisely, and go with your first instinct.
Other insights…skeletons in your closet, if you’ve got any, now would be the time to clear them out or expose them, they’ll do less damage this way; write down any dreams you might have this month, chances are they won’t just be regular old dreams, but instead will be prophetic or messages from the dead; you might be in for a pleasant surprise this month, not necessarily earth-shaking, but nice none-the-less; either there is a young man around you who is stable, responsible, and good with money and material issues, or this is your energy reverberating throughout the cards for this month; ‘get your ducks in a row’; the idea of not going it alone is strong with these cards, you’ll have a partner/friend/mate, someone whom can share some of the burden with you.
December:
8/pentacles ®, Ace/staves, 10/pentacles
Work– it’s a bit foggy, but it looks as though you will either 1) lose the job you have now, which will turn out to be a good thing, as other opportunities for new financial ventures will be knocking at your door, 2) you will be put to the test with some rigorous new training or schooling in order to advance your position in your current job– either way, it’s a plus.
Other insights…creativity, an art form that is a pastime or hobby for you; a rainbow and all the cliques that go with it, including the one about the pot of gold; paint or painting; money made through artsy adventures; planet– the Sun, with all the intensity, masculine energy, and light that goes into it, including the energy of the god, the ‘he-man’; there is the idea of new money coming in from an unexpected source; there is also the idea of a doorway or a threshold, implying new opportunities, new pathways, or a rite-of-passage.
January (2014):
Princess/staves ®, Transformation (the goddess, Ukemochi), Queen/cups ®
The goddess highlighted this month is Ukemochi, a Japanese goddess of the Shinto religion known as “The Goddess of Food”. She was killed because her gift of producing food with her body disgusted the recipient, but even in death she continued to provide sustenance. She is the goddess of abundance.
Expect a final decision or unexpected news concerning business and finance. The positive outcome from this will be a new age of prosperity for you. Also, throughout this time, you will learn how to assert yourself in ways that you haven’t tried before, and with the knowledge that it’s okay to stand up for yourself, to stand your ground, you’ll feel a renewed sense of power and energy. Don’t hold back.
Other insights…dignity, grace, and beauty; quiet solitude; there is the idea of exploring your physical side, perhaps your sexual side, and shedding old inhibitions; shared intimacy; a double full moon; I’m also getting the feeling of two other very definite personality types, I’m not sure if this is 1) two very different people who share your circle as friends, or 2) two very different sides to your personality, almost like split personalities; the element of Water– great significance in dreams always comes up with this element, as well as a sharpening of the intuition, the idea of serene contemplation, gentleness and composure, the sign of Libra, early autumn– that time of transition at the end of summer, this time could prove significant for you.
February (2014):
Ace/pentacles ®; Contemplation (the goddess, Chang O), Judgment (Gwenhwyfar)
Money issues could take a bit of a dip this February, as someone either didn’t think things through thoroughly, or someone tried to take shortcuts that didn’t work or were frowned upon by other participants in the venture.
The goddess for this month is Chang O, a Chinese goddess of the Moon. This goddess wound up on the Moon through a series of unfortunate events– she began her existence as an immortal, later having this position taken away from her through a series of mistakes by her husband who angered the higher-ups, but then back she went to being immortal by being the naughty little wife who didn’t trust her husband and who discovered his magic pill stash– she overdosed and floated to the Moon. I’m sure there’s a lesson here somewhere, and I’m willing to bet, with it’s Asian origin, the ‘magic pill stash’ was most likely Opium.
The other mythical female character in this group of cards is Gwenhwyfar, who is technically not a goddess, but the unfaithful wife of King Arthur. She was a woman tortured by the fact that she was unable to conceive, madly in love with her husband’s closest companion, and a woman driven to a convent by her guilty conscience.
I’m sure that there is a link here between these two female figures and this month. Both of these women suffered from issues with trust, both of these women crossed boundaries that were unacceptable, and both of these women suffered unexpected and unpleasant consequences because of it.
Other insights…seedling, or a sapling; gold; eruption; fertility (or infertility)–as an issue in some form (area) of your life; the idea of a midnight sky, a star-filled sky; there’s the idea that someone here is in a dominant position and someone is submissive; nobility; the idea of raising a wall between yourself and others; totem animal: the greyhound; giving a blessing, good wishes on another– being able to graciously give a blessing, as well as to graciously receive one.
March (2014):
Princess/swords, The Star (the goddess, Inanna), Ace/cups
You will receive unexpected news or insight into a relationship, perhaps the heralding a new relationship on the horizon, or a change in the status of a present relationship (all in a positive perspective, of course).
The goddess for March is Inanna, the Sumerian goddess of sexual love, fertility, and warfare. The energy of this goddess is unpredictable and contradictory, combining the nuances of both love and war, male and female attributes; and this goddess has a reputation for throwing hissy fits. She’s definitely on the temperamental side. Since ‘relationship’ appears to be the theme for this month; this goddess is either heralding the ride you’re in for, or she’s showing up to offer you her support– or both. At any rate, she’s saying, “Use my energy”.
Other insights…the idea of the sword and the stone, and just ‘the sword’ as well; the magick circle, or any sacred space; it’s the waning crescent moon that’s highlighted this month– perhaps there’s something you need to send away?; griffons, gargoyles– protectors and defenders; masculine energy (the Sun), “my cup runneth over”; sleep, meditation, or a state of inner consciousness.
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Magickal Connections 