Archive for May, 2009

Psychic Access Offers Free Tarot Card Reading

Psychic Access is offering a free 6 minute tarot card reading for all new registered users. They’ve even launched this new webmerical video to promote the offer.

To qualify for the reading, just visit the link below and sign up.

Click Here To Get Your Free Reading At PsychicAccess Right Now

Psychic Access is offering a free 6 minute tarot card reading for all new registered users. They’ve even launched this new webmerical video to promote the offer.

To qualify for the reading, just visit the link below and sign up.

The Magician

The Magician is the second card of the tarot deck’s Major Arcana. The number associated with the figure of the Magician is one, as he stands for the power of creation — the act of taking the primordial potential represented by the Fool and transforming it into something of actual substance that is real, true, [...]

The Magician is the second card of the tarot deck’s Major Arcana. The number associated with the figure of the Magician is one, as he stands for the power of creation — the act of taking the primordial potential represented by the Fool and transforming it into something of actual substance that is real, true, and tangible. The Magician could also rightly be represented by the concepts of divinity, magic, and power of an extremely potent variety.

On a basic level, the Magician represents many profound and monumental concepts along the lines of wisdom, power, action, and creativity. Just as the Fool is all about the initial potential of many things, the Magician is all about these same things made real and put into astonishing motion. The Magician quite literally has the power and this power has no limits or restrictions. He is the conduit for all the infinite wonders of the divine and the vessel through which this power flows into the world. He also represents the perfect union and balance of all things – positive and negative, creation and destruction, et cetera.

The Magician is traditionally depicted as a young, attractive, and robed male figure who has a definite air of confidence and “knowing” about him.  The sign of the infinite – or alternatively, the Holy Spirit – is above his head and his belt takes the shape of a serpent devouring its own tale, both emphasizing the timelessness and omnipotence of the Magician. In his right hand, he holds a wand that is pointed toward the heavens, while his left hand is pointing toward the earth itself (“as above, so below”). He is usually standing next to or behind a table that has the symbols of all four tarot suits placed upon it. A garden of roses and lilies typically grows in the foreground.

The Magician image as a whole is meant to symbolize man’s connection to the divine, as well as the earth’s connection to the heavens above. It also reminds us of the concepts of unity, eternity, aspiration, and all the ways these concepts fit into the life of man.

When you see the Magician pop up in a reading, he could stand for either the querent (if he is male) or for someone else. In the instance he stands for the querent, the Magician’s appearance could be taken to mean that said querent is going through a period during which he is feeling quite charismatic, witty, powerful, or “on point”. In addition to power and creation, the Magician can also stand for verbal eloquence and charisma, so the querent may simply be a good speaker, a convincing salesperson, or perhaps simply a person whom other people listen to, gravitate toward, or hold in high regard.

When the Magician stands for someone other than the querent himself in a reading, it is likely to be a figure with similar qualities to the ones listed above. The person in question could very well simply be a charismatic, magnetic individual, but it is important to note that he could just as easily be someone deceptive who uses his gift for persuasion to accomplish darker things. The Magician can represent people in certain professions as well – medicine, science, and invention to name just a few.

The Magician can also signal the revelation of new ideas and innovative new vistas when he shows up in a tarot spread. The querent may have recently come up with a groundbreaking new plan for a business endeavor, a possible solution to a dilemma, a fabulous new creative idea, or something else along those lines. The surrounding cards and the position in which the Magician appears in the spread will better define the exact nature of the revelation and advise the querent on how to proceed.

The Fool

The first card of the tarot deck is known as the Fool. The number attached to the concept of the Fool is zero, as he stands for the potential from which everything else in the universe and the human condition has developed. The Fool can also be likened on a philosophical level to such things [...]

The first card of the tarot deck is known as the Fool. The number attached to the concept of the Fool is zero, as he stands for the potential from which everything else in the universe and the human condition has developed. The Fool can also be likened on a philosophical level to such things as the first steps of a new journey, a seed being planted, or a birth.

At the core of its meaning, the Fool card represents new developments and new beginnings.  It can also stand for such intangibles as unpredictability, unfettered potential, and irrationality. This card deals with the world of infinite possibilities – the realm of the future in its primal, spontaneous state. Rational logic does not apply here and there is no guarantee that the possibilities foretold will be either good or bad. All the Fool can promise is that they will be utterly new and most likely unconnected to all that has gone before.

Although the image can vary from deck to deck, the Fool is traditionally portrayed as a traveler carrying a small knapsack or pack, happily ambling along on his way to the new beginning that awaits him in his future. He has no clear idea of where exactly he is headed or why, and he is blissfully unaware of the fact that there is a cliff directly ahead of him. He is also accompanied by a small dog that follows along at his heels and often appears to be barking or trying to get the traveler’s attention. Many believe that the dog is attempting to warn the traveler of the impending danger ahead.

The image as a whole not only portrays the walk into one’s own future and all the possibilities it may hold as a potentially carefree and enjoyable one, but also reminds the viewer that caution and awareness are essential in such endeavors if danger is to be avoided.

When the Fool card shows up in a tarot reading, it almost always stands for the querent himself as opposed to some other primary figure. Its appearance usually means that said querent is currently at a point in his life when new beginnings are desired, imminent, or being considered as possibilities. It can apply to a wide variety of situations – everything from a new romance, thoughts of a new career, a move, or anything else that would require a fresh start. However, no matter what the specifics, it’s likely that the querent feels that he’s at a point where the “reset button” has been pressed in regards to his life and he is now all the way back at the starting gate as a result.

It is also important to note that these are unlikely to be unwelcome situations in the eyes of the querent. In fact, he is very likely to be in the same mindset as the traveler in the Fool tarot card image. He may have little idea where he’s going, how he will get there, or what will happen next as a result, but he’s nevertheless optimistic and idealistic in regards to the idea of embarking upon this new adventure unfolding before him – perhaps too optimistic and idealistic.

Also like the traveler in the card, the querent would be wise to call upon some measure of rationality in his new endeavor — whatever it may be – as a cliff could very well be yawning before him. It’s all well and good to have a chipper, welcoming attitude about big changes or to daydream about the infinite world of possibilities opening up at long last – desirable even — but caution and care are important as well if disappointment and trouble are ultimately to be avoided.

The Power of Tarot…on Music

Here’s an interesting post on the San Francisco Bay Guardian about a re-release of a 1973 double LP by Walter Wegmüller titled, “Tarot.”
 
I love the quote by the Guardian’s astrology columnist.
 
“Tarot and music are as connected as a musician with deep knowledge of the cards wants them to be. Matter is vibration solidified, and spiritual content can [...]

Here’s an interesting post on the San Francisco Bay Guardian about a re-release of a 1973 double LP by Walter Wegmüller titled, “Tarot.”

I love the quote by the Guardian’s astrology columnist.

“Tarot and music are as connected as a musician with deep knowledge of the cards wants them to be. Matter is vibration solidified, and spiritual content can be translated into sounds or music as much as words or even things. Style and execution are in the hands of the artist, of course, but there is tempo in each and every of the Tarot cards, as well as pitch. The disks/pentacles are deep and rich sounds while the swords are more reedy/tinny. The wands/staves move fast, while the cups flow.”

Tarot Card Joke

“I stayed up all night playing poker with tarot cards. I got a full house, and four people died.”
-Steven Wright, comedian

“I stayed up all night playing poker with tarot cards. I got a full house, and four people died.”

-Steven Wright, comedian

Celebration’s New Major Arcana Marketing Campaign

According to this post on the Boston Phoenix, indy group Celebration (think Katrina Ford) have fashioned the marketing of their latest musical creations after the 22 cards of the Major Arcana.
 
Says Ford, “We had 22 new songs, which is just a magical number in itself. It started to dawn on me that there are 22 [...]

According to this post on the Boston Phoenix, indy group Celebration (think Katrina Ford) have fashioned the marketing of their latest musical creations after the 22 cards of the Major Arcana.

Says Ford, “We had 22 new songs, which is just a magical number in itself. It started to dawn on me that there are 22 major arcana. We had a song that fit exactly with the Magician card, and there were all these other little corollaries throughout the songs.”

The new Celebration songs can be heard at celebrationelectrictarot.com.

D&G, Naomi Campbell, and Tarot Cards

Apparently, the advertising campaign for D&G’s new Anthology fragrance line includes images that are based on tarot cards. The images are of naked models, including Naomi Campbell, and were photographed by fashion photographer Mario Testino.
What tarot card do you think Naomi’s picture represents?
(Answer: The Empress)

Apparently, the advertising campaign for D&G’s new Anthology fragrance line includes images that are based on tarot cards. The images are of naked models, including Naomi Campbell, and were photographed by fashion photographer Mario Testino.

What tarot card do you think Naomi’s picture represents?

(Answer: The Empress)

Are You Paying Attention? If Not, Tarot Cards Can Help.

In the latest installment of Laura Rowley’s Money & Happiness column on Yahoo Finance, she discusses a new book  on the science of happiness. In the book, “Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life,” behavioral scientist writer Winifred Gallagher concludes that if you want to be happy, you need to pay attention.
 
“Pay attention to what?” you [...]

In the latest installment of Laura Rowley’s Money & Happiness column on Yahoo Finance, she discusses a new book  on the science of happiness. In the book, “Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life,” behavioral scientist writer Winifred Gallagher concludes that if you want to be happy, you need to pay attention.

 
“Pay attention to what?” you might ask.

“To whatever your brain is focusing on,” Gallagher would answer.

As she explains in her book, allowing your mind to become monopolized by negative thoughts only makes the situation worse. If you are constantly thinking about a negative situation, your conceptual reality and options are limited. You are not allowing your brain to recognize that alternatives to the current situation exist. You can even become paralyzed by the fear and anxiety that the situation causes. By trying to refocus your brain to think more positively, you broaden your conceptual horizon and are able to recognize more options. This leads to better decision-making on how to deal with the current situation.

Tarot cards can help with training your brain to refocus. The imagery on each card serves as a guide and literally gives your mind something on which to focus. The cards can help you view your circumstances in a different light.

One way to use tarot cards to broaden your conceptual horizon is through a daily reading. You can use your entire deck or just the cards of the Major Arcana. First, sit in a quiet part of your home and take a deep breath. Now spread your tarot cards, face down, in front of you and select one. Pay attention to the pictures and symbols on the card and what they mean to you. Do you identify with any of the figures on the card? What imagery on the card, if any, sends you a negative message? What imagery, if any, sends you a positive message? Now ask yourself how the situation at hand is influencing the way you view the card. Is there an alternative way to read the card?

For example, let’s say you drew The Tower for your daily reading. Initially, you may see the card’s imagery as only reinforcing how you already feel in your current situation — out of control, chaotic, upheaval. But is there another message here? Could it be that you feel overwhelmed because you are only focusing on things over which you have no control?

Instead, what if you began to focus on the parts of your situation that you can control? In doing so, you will have expanded your options and increased your ability to make a better decision. Instead of feeling helpless you can begin to pay attention to the things in your life that you can influence, however insignificant they may seem at the time.

Or what if the card is offering a suggestion on how to better handle the same situation in the future? On the card above, the tower is severely damaged by lightning, but what if the tower could be rebuilt to better withstand lightning? Notice, I’m not saying that it won’t ever be struck by lightning again. The lightning is an act of God and is not something that can be directly controlled. What I’m pointing out here is that, should lightning strike again, the tower could be better equipped to handle the blow in the future. How might you prepare yourself to deal with or avoid a similar situation in the future?

Again, the above illustration is only an example. The meanings you gather from your daily reading will depend entirely upon you and your circumstances. But it does illustrate how using tarot cards can help refocus your brain away from constant negativity and thereby help you to recognize alternatives.

The power of paying attention is nicely summarized at the end of Rowley’s article by a statement by the poet W.H. Auden: “Choice of attention — to pay attention to this and ignore that — is to the inner life what choice of action is to the outer. In both cases, a man is responsible for his choice and must accept the consequences, whatever they may be.”