This year I’ve been getting a real life, finding community, trying to experience what it would be like to have a love life, but as a result my creativity suffered and became a low priority for me.

I’ve felt disconnected from myself as an individual this year, losing touch with my creativity and inspiration. I’m hoping in the next few months to turn The Hanged Man into The Hanged Muse, while I think about how to proceed without making promises I can’t keep in regards to my creativity.

I have felt creatively blocked for a long time and only this month started reconnecting with my creative side and letting my soul be free to express itself in whichever form it wants to, whether it be through writing, painting, photography, or just living life for myself instead of in constant service of others. I do think service is an important part of life and an important part of who I am, but I need to find balance during this Libra season to give to myself so I’m not running on an empty tank when serving others anymore.

I recently posted this spread on Instagram and was surprised by just how much people loved this and wanted to give it a go! A lot of us in the spiritual community are always trying to understand our path and our purpose, so I suppose it’s easy to see why people would want to try out this spread.

The reason I love this spread so much is because it is so easy to gain an understanding of our current soul lesson. Sometimes you want a spread so you can just do a general check in, but it gets boring to just ask the cards “tell me what I need to know” over and over again.

1. Current Soul Lesson
2. Awareness of Lesson – What awareness do I have/not have of this lesson?
3. Subconscious Understanding – What do I know
4. What Is Helping Me Through
5. What Will Resolve This Lesson

My cards were:

Current Soul Lesson – 2 of Wands

Ahhh, the move. I am moving out of home for the first time this year and am currently in the preparation and planning stage, just like this 2 of Wands. I’m holding on to what I currently have before I need to let go and actually take the first step.

Awareness of Lesson – 3 of Swords

I’m aware that it’s not going to be easy, that relationships and friendships will fall away, and that I will feel alone for the first little while when I move.

Subconscious Understanding – King of Swords

For the move to be successful I have to be very logical and authoritative, and make sure every box is ticked before diving into or signing something. I need to use my existing logic and intellect to navigate the path ahead and make well researched and thought out decisions to ensure that I am happy when I move.

What Is Helping Me Through – The Emperor

The most important man in my life – my dad. He passed away in 2000 but I know and trust that he helps and guides me every day, especially when it comes to important life events like moving.

What Will Resolve This Lesson – Queen of Swords

Being logical and proactive about this move. Making sure I am operating from my head, but being guided by my heart.

I was amazed at this reading as I used a random tarot card generator online instead of one of my decks – it is completely accurate. I don’t usually trust random online generators but in this case it worked phenomenally so if you don’t have a deck on you right now, give it a go and see if it’s accurate for you.

If you try it out please tag me on Instagram and let me know how you go.

Happy New Year!

2018 was a rough year for a lot of people. There were a lot of crazy energies and planetary movements that created a lot of shifts in people, and in our lives.

For me it was a year of frustration and becoming a decent driver. I moved house, and got 2 new flatmates. Had a couple of nice domestic holidays, and was trying to navigate my finances.

A lot was torn down and rebuilt. Building new relationships with people & God, tearing down old systems that no longer work for me, and destroying old beliefs that hold me back. It was painful at times, but necessary and for the best.

I started going to church again at the start of 2018 after a 6 month break in 2017, and ended up going pretty consistently every Sunday at 6pm for the majority of 2018. I have held back on participating or becoming part of the church due to some things that happened last year (and my fear of cults), but in 2019 I do want to become more involved and get to know people and contribute more. I tend to feel  more comfortable observing from afar with my head down, but started to make some big moves in my faith towards the end of the year.

A New Year Spread

I wanted to create a good new year’s tarot spread for you all to enjoy, which will hopefully bring some clarity and advice to you in your journey in 2019.

This New Year spread is one you can use every year. I love that it recognises the past, and also helps us move into 2019.

My cards:

1. Two of Wands reversed: Reflecting on the past 12 months and reviewing my personal goals, and the things that didn’t happen in 2018 that I want to happen in 2019 such as an international holiday.

2. The Chariot: Literally just move forward. Don’t look back in regret or in anger, instead move forward and focus on the goals and dreams that you want to happen in 2019. I can’t change the past and everything happens for a reason. Take action and choose to move forward at the right pace for me.

3. Seven of Cups reversed: I’ll be ending the year in a state of reality rather than fantasy. I’ve always been a daydreamer and loved to escape reality in my imagination, but 2019 will help me to live in reality and be more clear.

4. Eight of Swords: Hallelujah! We are leaving feelings of entrapment and being stuck behind! It’s no longer a time for fear or hiding. I am leaving behind the feeling of not wanting to be seen by others or experience things that put me in the limelight. I deserve to be seen and heard by others, and to embrace all life has given me. I am no longer my worst enemy.

5. Four of Pentacles: Bring financial lessons learnt in 2018, into 2019. 2018 was a year full of financial lessons – hardship, changes, challenges, budgeting… they were all major things I dealt with this year. Don’t repeat the same mistakes, and don’t make rash financial decisions. Steady progress and consistency is needed for progress to occur at all. Hold onto the reigns and be in control.

6. Five of Pentacles: My challenge is the “lack mentality” when it comes to the material world, even if I do have money in the bank. I may still feel down & out when it comes to finances even though I have enough money to get me through each month.

7. King of Swords: My support or strength is air sign males or people that represent that energy! For some reason I knew my dad would show up here (he’s a Libra) and help me through 2019. I am hoping to connect with more males this year as most of the people I interact with are females. I am craving some much needed balance in my life in that area.

I hope you all enjoyed the spread – please let me know if you use it, I would love to see which cards you get! Wishing you a lovely 2019.

Another Year Over, A New One Just Begun

The reason I love this spread so much is because it is so simple. Sometimes you want a spread so you can just do a general check in, but it’s hard to just ask the cards “tell me what I need to know” over and over again. Chakra spreads are great because you can check in with all areas of your body, mind, and soul and see which areas are thriving, and which areas need some TLC.

I love to use my chakra decks with this spread to see which energies are displaced or out of alignment, but you could use any deck with this spread.

Let me know what cards you get in the comments below! I’d be happy to help interpret them if you would like a second opinion.

We hear a lot about ‘abundance‘ in the spiritual community – it’s almost like one of the pedestals our community was built on, but I’ve always personally struggled with the concept.

In many ways I know I am extremely privileged and abundant in this lifetime. I have more than I need when it comes to pretty much every aspect of life (except romance), and like most of us in the first world, I don’t even realise it and instead always want more, or something different than what we already have. It’s hard to appreciate the abundance you possess when you have advertisements coming at you from every which angle to make you feel like you don’t have enough.

They want you to get caught up in having a new cordless vacuum that costs $899 when you have a corded one that works just fine, along with a dustpan and brush, and a spray mop. That is the epitome of abundance, even if we are only talking about cleaning products.

Of course this lack mentality that we have makes us spend and be loose with our finances. I am definitely someone that falls prey to this and I want to reign things in and spend less.

Short term spending is not worth long term debt.

I currently have a $9000 debt on my credit card. This was accumulated in only one year (I got the card in July 2017) which shows the lack of control I have when it comes to spending. I have many bad habits (emotional eating being one of them) but impulse spending has done real damage to my finances over the last 3 years and I really want to sort that out.

This has been a learning curve for me as around the time I got the credit card I also moved out of home, got a car, and got on a mobile plan I had to pay myself as opposed to being added onto my mum’s phone bill like I had been since I was 10 years old. Most people learn these lessons at 16, not 26, but these bad habits can follow people for decades of their life until they finally make a change and learn the lesson.

As so much day-to-day marketing is targeted towards women, I do think that women earn less, and spend more than men. Female products cost more, and we have more expenses than men. Of course this is an unequal balance that needs to change, but we also need to take some responsibility for how we spend our money recreationally.

I created this Financial Flow spread to give me some advice on finances moving forward, and how I can start the new financial year with a more positive attitude in regards to money. It’s a really simple spread that gets to the core of any financial issues you might be having.

I used the ‘Tarot Made Easy’ deck by Barbara Moore and my cards were:

1. Wheel of Fortune – Like everything in life, finances are cyclical and money comes and goes. As this card was upright, I think it is saying that my finances have been bad, but they are about to improve due to my change in residence.
2. 9 of Cups – My need to be abundant with belongings and need for more more more is the true block. The needless overspending and impulse purchases are what are blocking my financial flow.
3. 7 of Pentacles – Thinking money grows on trees is blocking the flow. I have literally said in the past that I just believe money will come back to me as it was always there for me in abundance. Since moving out that has changed drastically and I think I am meant to finally learn these very human lessons at this time. If you spend more than you earn then the flow is never going to work. It’s like trying to get clean, fresh water from a dry and muddy stream.
4. 4 of Cups – I need to appreciate what I have and not be so ungrateful for the beautiful belongings that I already have and can enjoy. I need to make old things new again and focus on those instead of lusting over the new shiny thing that has just been released.
5. 2 of Pentacles – My finances need balance. I need to have a balance of paying bills and rent, saving, and spending. If I want to go on that overseas holiday to Europe next year then I need to sort out my finances first so I can pay off my debt, and start saving for it. I need to work on my attitude towards money – the second I have it I want to spend it, and that’s not a healthy way to manage money.

I found these cards to be incredibly accurate and am shocked and just how on point they were to my finances and my mentality.

Vix (New Age Hipster) has an old school blog post about How to be Spiritual on a Budget which I highly recommend checking out if you really think you need an aqua aura quartz crystal or the new indie deck that is all over your Instagram feed.

Please let me know if you try out this spread and if it sheds some light on your finances. I’d love to hear which cards you got and how you interpreted them for your situation. Leave them in the comments below or over at Instagram!

Who remembers the hit 1990-2000s tv show Charmed? Or at least the lyrics I am the sun / I am the air?

If you have never heard of or seen Charmed before, it was a tv series based on 3 sisters known as the “Charmed Ones” who each had a power inherited from their ancestor who was also a witch. The eldest has the power to move things with her mind (telekinesis), the middle sister can freeze time (molecular immobilisation), and the youngest can see into the future (premonition).

They are known as the most powerful good witches to ever walk the Earth and their destiny is to protect the innocent and rid the world of evil.

Featuring an episodic format, each episode brings a new battle, a new power, a new demon, or a new supernatural creature. 

My brother and I would spend countless hours watching and rewatching the series during our high school years, falling in love with the strong women at the beating heart of the show and the journeys they went on during the 8 years the show was on air.

One of the most fascinating things about the show was the girls love/hate relationship with being “The Charmed Ones”. Although they love what they do and know it is their destiny, most of the time they are focused on their love lives and careers and navigating that with their supernatural secret. Fighting demons and their Wiccan duties are burdensome to them at times.

I’ve wanted a Charmed tarot deck for awhile, but had never seen one until a few months ago when someone posted about the Prescott Manor deck in one of the spiritual FaceBook groups. I immediately wanted it, but was a bit disappointed to see it was a majors-only deck. Unfortunately only the major arcana are available and the minor arcana & court cards are not available. I still ended up purchasing the deck because I loved what I saw and knew I would love using the deck.

First things first, lets go over the facts and figures of the Prescott Manor deck:

• 23 cards (22 Major Arcana plus an additional ‘art’ card
• Card size is massive at 6.5 x 4 inches
• Comes in a blue velvet pouch – the sizing of it is a bit strange and is too small for the deck. The pouch only just fits the cards in and you can not do it up so cards are going to fall out if you pick it up.
• Cardstock: it’s neither glossy nor matte cardstock and it’s not too thick or too thin. It’s quite lovely.

The moments the creator chose for each card is near perfect – I absolutely love orbing as The Chariot, and the manor as The Tower as it opened my eyes to different ways to interpret those cards. I now see the tower very differently than I did before. As it is my card of the year in 2018, it came along at the perfect time as I was starting to stress out about it. The Justice card is pure brilliance. The Lovers is an interesting choice, one that I truly loved but I can see being controversial as there are a lot of people who loved Phoebe & Cole as a couple. 

I really hope in the future they release the minor arcana as well to round out the deck. There is so much inspiration you can gain from the show and so many ideas that would work for each of the cards. There were 178 episodes of the show and like I mentioned previously, each episode means a new demon or costume which means you could easily create the remaining 56 cards. You can tell they are a proper fan of the show and carefully chose each detail in the cards. 

I would love to see both child and adult Wyatt in the deck, and of course Chris too. Would also love to see Daryl included in the deck. If they do the court cards, I would love to see each of the girls as the Queens (Piper – Pentacles, Phoebe – Cups, Prue – Swords, Paige – Wands). 

If you have not seen Charmed but love the look of the deck, I highly recommend watching the show before purchasing as you will gain so much more meaning from the cards and artwork.

You can purchase the deck here from Prescott Manor. 

The power of three will set us free.

Like most people, I have struggled to get to know the Court cards in the tarot system. The Pages in particular are hard to read so when they come up in a reading I usually turn to a guidebook or the internet for some perspective on the card. If you’ve ever opened a guidebook to find out more about one of the Pages, you will have been met with something similar to “a young or childlike fire sign person”, which is quite broad and hard to resonate with, especially if you don’t have any children or young people around you at that point in your life.

Page isn’t a word we use to describe people anymore so there is a cultural gap between modern first world society and this concept. We are all familiar with Kings, Queens and Knights, but Pages? Not so much. So what is the definition of a Page?

Definition of Page (noun):

(1) :  a youth being trained for the medieval rank of knight and in the personal service of a knight

(2) :  a youth attendant on a person of rank especially in the medieval period

(3) :  a boy serving as an honorary attendant at a formal function (such as a wedding)

(4) :  one employed to deliver messages, assist patrons, serve as a guide, or attend to similar duties

Source

In my understanding of the tarot, the Pages represent someone at the beginning of a journey, whether they are 5, 15, or 50 years old. They may show up just before you begin something new, or if you are ending a particular way or doing or thinking about something in your life. To gain an understanding of each of the Pages of the tarot, you combine this notion with the energy or meaning of each of the suits. For example, Cups usually represent emotions, intuition, love, spirituality, and relationships. Therefore, the Page of Cups may be beginning a new journey in love, a new emotional journey or a new (or renewed) connection with spirit.

Depending on your choice of tarot deck, the Page may show up as female, male, or as a character who could be portrayed as either gender. There is a tomboy energy to the Pages and their main traits/qualities do not revolve around traditional gender roles.

Some alternate names for the Page are: Princess, Daughter, Seeker, Maiden, or Child.

The Page of Cups

Page of Cups has been my card stalker for the last few months so I’ve had to get to know him/her pretty well. The Page of Cups is all about developing intuition and insight, and having romantic and creative experiences. She creates from the heart, and comes across like a moody, emotional, hormonal teenage girl to those who have more experience than her.

The Page of Cups is the sensitive, romantic person in your life who is seeking love and connection, or the child who goes with the flow and just wants to have imaginary play all the time. They are quite soft, sweet, and sensitive. They wish the world was a peaceful place full of love and understanding. They choose to see the world through rose coloured glasses and when that image is inevitably shattered it breaks their heart.

They may come across as naive or childlike, especially during the pursuit of love. Other people don’t understand their way of thinking as it is based in fantasy and not in reality. People love to give the Page of Cups advice and tell them to be more realistic, but the Page of Cups is strong in their faith in love and will shake it off. Regardless of the advice they are given, they trust their gut instinct above all else and have incredible intuition, especially with people. Like the Page of Swords they are able to read people like a book, but they do it through feeling rather than through a logical process or analysis.

The Page of Cups is a great advice giver and can usually see the hidden emotional undertones or motivations of a situation. Even if they haven’t experienced love themselves, they are very knowledgeable about love and able to give great advice when their friends are having love troubles or relationship issues. This Page most likely has relationship karma from past lives, and has spent a portion of their early life being single so they can learn to love themselves, or flitting from relationship to relationship searching for true love to no avail. On the other hand, some Page of Cups experience the love of childhood or high school sweethearts as they have a desire from a young age to love and to be loved and may have entered this lifetime with their soulmate.

The can be prone to mental health conditions as a result of their sensitivity more than the other Pages – depression in particular.

Pop Culture Association: Charlie (The Perks of Being A Wallflower), Drew Holt (Parenthood), Chuckie Finster (Rugrats)

“Feelings can’t be ignored, no matter how unjust or ungrateful they seem.” ― Anne Frank

The Page of Swords

The Page of Swords is a card I don’t see too often (more likely the Knight of Swords), but to me they represent new mindsets, insight, and ways of thinking. Swords are all about air, meaning intellect and communication. They are great advice givers as they can see numerous perspectives or sides of a debate, but don’t necessarily deliver the advice with tact. Sometimes it’s that person that doesn’t mean to offend, but can just by being a bit blunt. They are calculating and usually think before they act. The Page of Swords is an innovator and creative thinker. If this doesn’t sound like anyone in your immediate circle, picture the nerdy/geeky guy you went to high school with. They usually wear glasses and their head may be larger than average or look slightly out of proportion to their body, their forehead may be on display at all times, or they have a lot of wild hair like Albert Einstein or Lionel in Dear White People, which is a reflection of their intense brain activity.

They crave depth of conversation, hate small talk, and are likely to be sapiosexuals (noun: finding intelligence sexually attractive or arousing). The Page of Swords understands technology and keeps up to date with the latest gadgets – they are more likely to invent groundbreaking technology than the other Pages. They can read people like a book and are great at picking up on subtleties that other people (especially the Page of Wands) may miss as they have an innate logical understanding of humans and the way they work.

Pop Culture Association: Luke Girardi (Joan of Arcadia), Lip Gallagher (Shameless)

“Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last.” ― William Samuel Johnston

The Page of Wands

The Page of Wands is beginning a new creative hobby or pursuit, setting off on a new journey, or finally taking action after a little bit of contemplation. Actually, the Page of Wands doesn’t contemplate too much. They tend to do more than think, and act more than react. We all know a Page of Wands. They are usually the cousin or acquaintance you have who has travelled the world. They have been a teacher in Croatia, worked at an ice cream shop in the Bahamas, and have a fresh, youthful, adventurous glow about them whether they’re 25 or 65.

They are wide eyed and enthusiastic about life. They prefer to live in the moment and may find it fun to jump off a cliff, go skydiving, or bungee jumping on a casual Tuesday. The Page of Wands is a nomad, and always wants to be on the go. Even though they travel the world by themselves, they find it easy to make friends wherever they go and are rarely alone. Page of Wands takes full advantage of the resources and opportunities available to him/her and doesn’t question intentions behind the offers as much as other Pages might. They are the daredevils and risktakers of the Pages. They tend to not like authority and instead choose to work as a freelancer, in temporary positions or in a job where they do not have to work traditional business hours. They wake up with a lot of energy usually early in the morning and are excited to start their day. You will rarely find a Page of Wands who places all roots in one place.

Pop Culture Association: Alfie Deyes (YouTuber/Author)

“We must take adventures in order to know where we truly belong.”

The Page of Pentacles

You may see the Page of Pentacles show up around the time you are considering leaving a job, or taking on a new one, or making changes in your physical world. The Page of Pentacles wants to ground themselves and have a place to call home, if they don’t already. They seek security and stability in their lives and are just starting to find their place in the world, but unlike the Queen & King of Pentacles, they are more willing to embrace change if they know it is going to get them to a better place in their life.

Most associated with the root chakra, The Page of Pentacles is dealing with the home, career, family, and finances, most likely for the first time. They tend to live in the moment, but are also dreamers, which you might not expect as usually the suit of Cups represents the dreamers and idealists.

The Page of Pentacles is GREAT at games and quiz shows such as Family Feud because they are very grounded and accumulate a lot of general knowledge. Page of Pentacles enjoys their day-to-day comforts and their home environment, they love good food. They tend to take a lot of pride in their home and make sure it is a reflection of who they are, or the image they want to portray to others. More than the other Pages they are likely to keep on top of housework and to notice if something is missing or out of place in their environment.

This Page is more emotionally stable than the others and is able to give practical advice to their friends and family members. They usually have the best of intentions and like to be wanted or needed by others. If they are needed by others, they gain a sense of self-worth and importance.

Pop Culture Association: Jacob Black (The Twilight Saga), Joey Tribbiani (Friends), Miranda Hart (Miranda), Dean Forester (Gilmore Girls), Josh Nichols (Drake and Josh)

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” ― Milton Berle

I really hope this quick little post has helped you to gain a different perspective on each of the Pages, or has at least clarified what they are all about. Which Page do you most relate to? Can you see these Pages in your friends or family members?

“And suddenly you know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.” ― Meister Eckhart

Mother Nature has been calling me to work with her in 2017 (probably for longer but I have only just started listening to her after realising connecting with earth is the key to my personal power). I created this spread to help me figure out exactly what I am trying to create in my life, and how She can help me. I have an earth-dominant astrological chart but for the first 25 years of my life I have been avoiding and running away from everything that embodies earth. I have never been an outdoorsy person and became even less so after my dad passed away, and I have never liked animals.

This spread is great for tapping into your Empress energy. We are all creative beings with the power to plant any seeds that we want! The things we usually forget, is that we need to water and nourish these seeds. I love to call upon the earth energy (I call her Mother Nature or Gaia) and ask her to work with me to create whatever it is that I am planting the seeds for. Something to remember is that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was the Earth. Every living creature is so intricately created, detailed and perfect. It takes time to create magnificent & beautiful things both in the world, and in our lives.

When you plant the seeds, your job is not finished, it is only just beginning. You need to water, nurture, and attend to the seeds until they start to sprout. You can’t see the work you are creating whilst the seeds are still in the soil, but you need to trust that something is growing as a result of your tender loving care.

I’ve been planting the seeds for when I move for the last few months now. I’ve known I was going to move this year since the end of 2016 so bit by bit I have been letting things go (both emotional and physical stuff) which has been hard, but necessary after being in the same place for the last 16 years.

Which seeds are you planting?

One of the most popular tarot decks I stumbled upon on Instagram is the Starchild Tarot by Danielle Noel. I’ve seen it around for a couple of years now but had never purchased it because of the crazy shipping cost (Australians always cop the brunt of this!). When the second edition of the Starchild Akashic Tarot was released I knew I had to finally have it in my life.

My first impressions: The deck is beautiful. With muted purples, blues and pinks and gold gilded edges, the Starchild Tarot feels very ethereal. The cardstock is gorgeous – thick but not too thick, matte but not too matte, and of course easy to photograph, hence the Instagram success. Shuffling is a dream and I have not had any problems with chipping or ruining the cards, although I have only had the deck for a couple of weeks. It comes in a good quality, hard box that will be sure to keep your cards safe and protected from the elements. It’s accompanied by a fabulous guidebook that provides clear and easy to understand card meanings that have elevated my knowledge of the tarot. Some guidebooks are really lame and have just a couple of keywords in tiny font on a bit of white paper, but the Starchild Tarot guidebook is one you can proudly display on your shelf.

The Starchild Tarot feels like a very soft, caring deck that wants to nuture you so you can reach your full potential. It acts like my best friend – encouraging and empowering me to tackle anything that comes my way. I never pull a card from the deck and want to put it back in and shuffle again. Even the 10 of Swords which usually depicts someone who has literally been stabbed in the back, is pretty and hopeful. It gives you the power, instead of the person taking it away from you.

Although some might say this is a “lightworker” deck, I do think it can help you work with your shadow self. Humans are holistic beings – you can not have light without the dark so if you ignore your shadow self, you are neglecting a part of who you are that has a lot to offer you. The Starchild Tarot will deliver some bad news when it needs to, but will always do so in a loving and uplifting way.

Danielle is also working on the Moonchild Tarot. As far as I know there is no release date yet, but I’m also not sure if I will pre-order it when it is available. It doesn’t feel like a deck I need in my collection as I don’t personally feel I have much of a connection to the moon, and instead am more drawn to the sun and stars. It also looks like the Moonchild Tarot will have western imagery and green/brown/orange colour tones like the first edition Starchild Tarot which is gorgeous, but not my personal style or colour palette (as you can probably tell from my website). 

We are all stardust.

If you have never gotten a psychic, clairvoyant or tarot reading before, you may be a bit nervous about it.

A lot of my friends and family are sceptical and fearful about getting a reading as the person may tell them a bunch of horrible things that will happen in their life. I have never had that experience in any of the readings I’ve had (whether I’ve thought they were good or bad reading) and I usually find it to be a positive, uplifting, and eye-opening experience. If you are a bit concerned about the reading, please know that usually a bit of scepticism and discernment is usually encouraged in readings as nothing spiritual is 100% accurate or factual. Sometimes going into a reading with a lot of fear can cause some negativity to arise as they may pick up on your fears or lack fo willingness to participate in the reading.

My mum is queen of living in the now. She gets upset and overly sentimental and nostalgic when she looks at the past, and looking at the future terrifies her. I’ve never been able to relate to that. I have always been nostalgic and sentimental about the past but have always been obsessed with the future. The now has never excited or satisfied me (although this year has been a little different). For her getting a reading would either make her sad or scared so she has never gotten one.

Many of my twenty-something friends have gotten readings and enjoyed the experience. Your twenties is a time where you can get really jaded and worried about the future, but getting readings where they give you hope and encouragement is a great experience to have at our age.

There are some people out there who are frauds – you can usually tell as they tell you something negative and then try to sell you a candle or something to help you fix whatever they said was wrong. Never believe those people. Real psychics, mediums, intuitives and readers will be primarily positive and want to uplift and encourage you. They do not want to scare you or freak you out at all. They are there to help shed light on situations and give advice when necessary. They are there to light you up and build you up, not make you terrified to leave the house ever again.

I hope this helps those of you who are contemplating getting a reading – it can be overwhelming choosing which kind of reading you want. I’ve had a lot of good readings from people I’ve been recommended (usually by hairdressers!) so ask around if you feel comfortable doing so and give your local intuitives a try.

Reading Style

Clairvoyant aka “clear seeing” – they can see your past, present and future like images in their mind. Don’t worry, they can’t see everything, just what spirit shows them which is almost always in your best interest. Clairvoyants usually do not ask you for much information and just start talking as soon as you sit down. They may ask for clarification or ask if what they are saying makes sense, but in my experience, the clairvoyant does 99% of the talking and they usually talk pretty fast so you get good value for money.

Mediumship – mediums communicate with spirit/the deceased. Each medium uses their different physical and psychic senses to communicate and interpret the information. A medium has to raise their vibration and spirit has to lower their vibration in order for the communication to take place – they need to meet in the middle hence the term “medium”. Famous mediums include Lisa Williams and John Edwards – I highly recommend checking out Lisa’s work and her tv show “Life Among The Dead” in particular. There are numerous clips from the readings she did on the show over on YouTube.

Psychic/Intuitive – these readings are the most varied type of reading as they can come in any form. Psychic readers, like mediums, also use their senses to perform the reading and usually have a sense of claircognizance (clear knowing), although again this varies greatly and is dependent on the psychic. Intuitive is a very loose term to describe clairsentience (clear feeling). Intuitive readers usually tune into your energy and then go with what feels true to them without any logic or reasoning involved.

Tarot – tarot readings are also extremely varied – different decks, spreads, questions, and the reader’s personal understanding of the cards mean that every single person on the planet would read the meaning of a card differently. Tarot is a structured system like a deck of playing cards and has four suits (14 cards per suit) as well as the major arcana (22 cards). Some readers are a big fan of intuitive reading rather than following the traditional card meanings, others like to look at the card and allow the imagery to tell the story – most of us combine all of these once we have basic knowledge of the tarot system. The intention behind a tarot reading is usually to provide understanding of a situation, and advice on how to proceed. Tarot is not primarily used for fortune telling although sometimes clear messages about the future will show up.

Oracle Cards – oracle cards are very similar to tarot cards, except it does not have an overall structure or system, meaning each and every oracle card deck plays by its own set of rules. These readings are typically done with the intention to help and heal the client, and provide direction if the client is feeling lost.

Astrological – there are a million ways to do an astrological reading. Natal chart readings are incredibly popular as they analyse everything about you and your soul based on the time, date and place of birth. I got a natal chart monograph reading from Benebell Wen which was a 440+ page book interpreting my natal chart.

Palm Reading – I’ve had a couple of different palm readings and they are very varied in style. Tony Legget does video palm readings where he reads your essence, your personality, gifts, current/past/future energies and potential for success. He doesn’t sugar-coat anything and told me in my second palm reading that he was “disappointed” which I understood perfectly at the time. His readings are very accurate and detailed and it feels like he is reading your soul or higher self. I also got an audio palm reading by Kat Anders where she looked at “facts”, timelines, talents, natural abilities, and guardian angel visits. Her reading is much more practical and is approached in a logical manner.

Elemental Realm – an elemental realm reading will identify if you belong to any of the following realms: Starseed, Fairies, Earth Angels, Wise One, Leprachaun, Cherub, etc.

Past Life Regression – a past life regression isn’t necessarily a reading like the ones listed above. I have not yet experienced a past life regression so it’s hard to give a view of what one is, but from my understanding a past life regression is done with the purpose or intention of gaining understanding and knowledge of a past life or lives, to help you to understand why you are the way you are, or why you may notice that you repeat the same patterns. Past Life Regressions are quite intense and can bring stuff to the surface that may be hard to comprehend.

There are many other kinds of readings, but these are just the ones I’ve experienced in the last couple of years or have heard about. If there is a type of reading that I forgot or you are curious about, please let me know in the comments below.

Tarot is a Mirror for Self-Reflection

Delivery Method

In Person

The face-to-face reading is my favourite. I’ve had around 15 in person readings over the last couple of years and they have all been relatively good (some better than others). Of course, this depends on the reader and how well you personally vibe with them. A lot of readers record the reading for you, or let you record it yourself with your phone. I had a really great reading once where I didn’t record it but later wished I had. It’s always best to ask before recording a reading. Some people opt to take a notebook and pen with them to a reading but I prefer to listen in the moment and give my full attention to the reading while it’s happening, then listen to the recording and make notes later.

Skype

Skype readings are a great option if you want a face-to-face reading with someone who lives across the world. You can also do Skype voice calls which I know people like Lisa Williams utilise a lot, especially with international clients. I have only experienced two skype sessions and they are not my favourite as they tend to have technical difficulties and I personally feel awkward during it as I don’t like people staring at me.

Video

Video readings are my second favourite – I tend to go for this option when choosing a reading from someone who lives far away from me. I like being able to rewatch the reading as needed and also see the cards being drawn (if it is a card reading).

Audio

This is the kind of reading I like to do myself as I feel like I channel when I speak and there’s nothing else to worry about.

Written

There are numerous ways that written readings get delivered. Some are sent as a PDF via email, others are just text sent via email, some are handwritten and posted to you (I do this; Get one here!) and some give you a book length reading.

“The eyes only see what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” — Henri Bergson

A few months ago I was browsing Amazon when I stumbled across the Linestrider Tarot. I was immediately struck by the bright white aesthetic and the seemingly simple images and knew I had to get it.

The Linestrider Tarot was originally funded on Indiegogo and had a limited print run in 2015. It was then picked up by a major publisher and released in May 2016. For just $28 you can pick up the deck as well as the guidebook which is 272 pages.

The second edition release now comes in a large, beautiful box which includes both the deck and the book. The issue I have with the box is that it is so large and impractical. I think I will end up ditching the box eventually and keeping the tarot deck in a silk bag, and keeping the book with my other spiritual books.

The card backs have changed from a mid-toned purple, to a white and blue ink splatter design. I much prefer this as it goes better with the aesthetic of the deck, and it matches more closely to my own colour preferences.

The cards themselves are very varied in colour – it feels like Siolo has utilised the elements of earth, water, air and fire in the colour scheme of this deck. I find very few of the cards to be positive and uplifting, even the ones that have the most beautiful meanings. Overall this deck for me, depicts struggle and movement, or lack thereof which is quite relevant to my life at this time. I love how decks find you when you most need them.

The guidebook is truly wonderful. It is one of the better tarot books I have come across (The Lumina Tarot being the other) as it brings tarot into the 21st century. You get a black and white full page image in the guidebook, along with two pages of information about the card. Sometimes tarot can be really outdated and old fashioned in the way words are attributed and associated with the cards, but this is a great beginner deck and the guidebook is fantastic if you’re looking for some up-to-date, relevant interpretations of the cards.

Of course it is always good to use your own intuition and form your own card meanings, but if you are unsure or if nothing comes to mind, it’s a great book to fall back on.

I’ve only had the deck for one week and am already loving the readings I am getting with it. I find that there is a dark element to this deck which is similar to The Wild Unknown tarot deck. Even though the colour scheme is very light, the black line drawings cut through that and add a real shadow vibe. I don’t feel it is a particularly happy deck and I probably wouldn’t reach for it if I was feeling down. It is great for self reflection and will help you to gain clarity about situations that could be bringing you down or holding you back.

Please let me know if you have picked up this deck, or if you are considering it. Is it your aesthetic? I like anything white and watercoloured, and tend to avoid decks with black borders so this one is right up my alley.  I have quite the tarot and oracle card collection now so if there are any you would like me to review, please check out the list and let me know in the comments.

A few weeks ago I went to a Mind-Body-Soul expo and got an aura photo taken. While I was there, I noticed that they had The Wild Unknown Tarot Deck. I had been lusting after them for quite awhile so I thought I should pick them up to save on shipping costs. I believe I paid $70 for both the cards and the Guidebook.

As you can see, the design of the packaging is beautiful. The cards themselves are beautiful to hold; they are made out of thick, matte cardstock and feel very luxurious. This deck is a very nature-based and has lots of animals throughout it. Deer, snakes, owls, and swans make up each suit in the deck which is beautiful. The deer are my favourite by far, as there’s something so innocent and romantic about them.

The great thing about having animals and earthly elements on the cards rather than people like traditional tarot cards, is that they are more relatable and universal.

Although the deck comes with a cheat sheet, as someone who is new to tarot cards, I do find it handy to have the guidebook to expand on the meaning of each card. I have done a couple of quick readings for myself which have been very accurate and I find that I am really bonding with this deck, which was surprising as I didn’t think I would bond so quickly to a deck that is so earthy and nature-based in design. I’ve always felt like someone who lives in the air, rather than on the earth.

The cards are absolutely beautiful; ranging from brightly coloured backgrounds to complete black and white, they are absolutely stunning and each card pulls you in. The Ace of Wands is my favourite card by far; it’s an explosion of creative energy which is represented beautifully in the design.

UPDATE 2016: This was the first edition of The Wild Unknown Tarot. The deck has now been picked up by a publisher and you can now pick it up for a fraction of the price.