The Tarot Table is where we explore the mystical world of tarot, delve into the secrets of the cards, and talk about all things spiritual with a no-nonsense, no-BS lens.
The Alchemy of Health With Tammy Russell, Represented by the Hierophant
Episode 47
Friday, October 25, 2024 • Duration 18:26
The Hierophant represents my guest on The Tarot Table Podcast today. This card represents wisdom, spiritual guidance, and the pursuit of knowledge in healing.
It symbolizes a mentor or teacher who offers sacred wisdom and guidance, especially in matters of health and well-being.
Often depicted in ceremonial robes, the Hierophant embodies authority in traditional practices and alternative healing modalities.
For a medical intuitive dietitian, this card highlights their ability to integrate conventional medical principles with energy healing. The Hierophant represents Tammy Russel.
Who Is Tammy Russel?
Tammy Russell, an integrative dietitian trained in functional medicine, has expanded her practice to include energy healing since 2009.
Specializing in gut health, autoimmune, and chronic conditions, she incorporates Pranic healing, BodyTalk, Accunect, and Reiki into her work.
During the pandemic, Tammy refined her skills in medical intuition, connecting deeply with her guides to reveal ancestral energies, emotional conflicts, and patterns affecting clients' well-being.
As a Reiki Master, Tammy helps clients break the cycles of illness through personalized healing, guiding them toward lasting health.
Now you have it! I will talk to you again next Friday and then chat with a guest represented by Temperance. This guest is a feng shui master who shares fantastic tips to help you bring the most balance and abundance into your life. More about that next week.
Episode 046 - Mentorship, Healing Arts, and Spiritual Wisdom With DeeAnna Merz Nagel, Represented by the Hierophant
Friday, October 18, 2024 • Duration 17:36
Today, my guest on The Tarot Table is represented by The Hierophant. The Hierophant Tarot card represents tradition, spirituality, and the pursuit of wisdom.
Often depicted as a spiritual figure, it symbolizes established belief systems, rituals, and societal values that provide structure. The Hierophant encourages spiritual growth and the exploration of personal beliefs, urging us to seek meaning through connection with something greater.
This card also highlights the role of a mentor or teacher who guides our intellectual and spiritual journeys. My guest is DeeAnna Merz Nagel.
Who Is DeeAnna Merz Nagel?
DeeAnna Merz Nagel is a licensed psychotherapist and board-certified coach. She teaches the ethical integration of alternative, metaphysical, and psychospiritual approaches for coaches and therapists.
DeeAnna holds several certifications in the healing arts, including Reiki and aromatherapy. Her doctoral studies focused on multifaith spiritual direction.
Now you have it! I will talk to you again next Friday and then chat with a guest who is also represented by the Hierophant. This guest as a mission to uncover the patterns that keep clients trapped in cycles of illness and provide healing energy to guide them onto the path of true recovery.
Episode 037 - Real Talk About the Journey to Self-Love and Worth With Tina C. Hines, Represented by Death
Friday, August 16, 2024 • Duration 19:01
The Death Tarot card represents today's guest on The Tarot Table Podcast. While this card may sound ominous, it signifies the ending of one phase of life and the beginning of another in tarot.
It represents profound transformation, growth, and personal evolution. A transformational coach helps individuals navigate significant changes, overcome obstacles, and achieve personal growth.
They guide their clients through shedding old patterns and beliefs, similar to the transformative energy depicted in the Death card.
This card symbolizes the coach's ability to facilitate deep and meaningful transformations in their clients' lives. And this coach is Tina C. Hines.
Who Is Tina C. Hines?
Tina C. Hines is a fifth-generation empath, intuitive clairvoyant, medium, and healer. She holds certification as a life and international transformation coach.
She dedicates her life to guiding emotionally wounded women on a transformative journey toward self-love, self-care, and self-worth. With a wealth of experience, Tina has graced numerous podcasts and been featured on esteemed media platforms, including Good Morning America, The New York Times, The Tamron Hall Show, and Trenton Now.
Her influence extends across continents as she traverses the United States, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, hosting healing retreats that empower women to rediscover their happiness. Tina's distinctive approach has established her as an authority in transformational coaching. Her vision is clear and profound: to encourage women to embrace unapologetic abundance, allowing them to craft the lives they truly desire. Before embarking on her journey as a certified life coach, Tina spent an impressive three decades as an executive assistant in corporate America.
This extensive background enriches her coaching with a unique depth of insight and practical wisdom. Tina resides in the vibrant city of Marrakech, Morocco, alongside her cherished son.
Episode 007: The Empress Tarot Card
Thursday, February 17, 2022 • Duration 10:19
Pexels: Yan Krukov
The Empress card of the Major Arcana in the tarot has been assigned to be the card that represents feminine energy and anything maternal. This card can also mean creating art and even establishing a new business. In addition, this card represents nurturing because creating anything needs to be nurtured to be sustained.
The Empress Represents Creativity
Nurturing a family and a new business must be done. This card can be relevant to starting a new art-related project such as painting.
Therefore, if you want to start a new creative venture and this card comes up, that shows a good chance it will happen. You have to nurture whatever you create to sustain it.
This card will also come up if you are thinking of starting a family as it is the card that represents motherhood, after all.
She represents the fertility and the abundance of Mother Earth and how it's transferred to you when you use your inner resources properly. She gives you nurturing, comfort, warmth, and security when you choose to utilize these powers in your own life.
The Empress tarot card shows you that your intuition is strong enough to make wise decisions by trusting your knowledge.
It teaches you that quieting overactive minds can be accomplished with meditation or relaxation techniques - or even taking a break from trying to figure everything out all at once!
When this card appears in readings, it's almost always about your home life, family, love relationships, and other nurturing situations.
The Empress Tells You That You Do Not Need Mystical Guidance
The Empress card reminds you that Mother Nature is the best source of wisdom because she has been in existence since before humanity could even record history.
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Episode 006: The High Priestess Tarot Card
Tuesday, February 15, 2022 • Duration 12:28
Pexels: RODNAE Productions
The High Priestess of the Major Arcana of the tarot is the second card of the deck, and this is the one that represents secrets, digging up secrets mysteries, unraveling those mysteries, and your intuition.
When this card comes up, it shows that you need to pick apart some mysteries and use your intuition to solve some problems. You have to do this on your own.
Another thing that the High Priestess can indicate is that there is a time of being still and to retreat so you can reflect upon any situation.
Reflect upon anything necessary and always trust your instincts to help you get through it.
The High Priestess Is All About Trusting Your Intuition
In other words, if you see this card, it means that something around you is not how it appears. You will find that something does not add up.
That means that the High Priestess tells you to trust your intuition to get to the bottom of what is presented to you.
Here are some other interesting things about this card. The High Priestess is second only to the Empress in her ability to project femininity.
Her association with virginity suggests many things about women that men do not know or cannot know, and that sounds sexist, and that is not how it is intended to come across.
However, this is her story, and back in the day, things were that much different. Remember how this reflects a much earlier time.
Unsurprisingly, an image of the woman who represents this type reflects this power. Her veil represents both wisdom and mystery.
Many people will tell you she is merely hiding "secrets still the nature of secrets also involves withholding information that could change your life for better or worse - knowledge can be dangerous!
Even when one wants to share something intelligent, it is easy to reveal more than intended by being too blunt accidentally.
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Episode 005: The Magician Tarot Card
Thursday, February 10, 2022 • Duration 08:03
Pixabay: qimono
The Magician is the first card of the tarot's Major Arcana. It represents manifestation, the skills, capabilities, and resources and reminds the querent that they can do anything they choose. But, they need to learn to tap into it. Here is the thing.
Let’s Talk About The Magician
The Magician tarot card is a symbol of power and creativity. Magician symbols often represent the ability to manifest one's desires and goals in life. The tarot card indicates that it is time for you to take action and actively move toward the life you want. It can also signify that it is time to pursue a goal or dream, nagging at you lately.
The Magician tarot card often represents a power that one holds within themselves and indicates the ability to manifest your power. It is also a sign of change, transformation, and new beginnings.
When you see the Magician in tarot readings, it often represents the highest point you have reached so far on your spiritual path. When the card comes up, it is an indication that you have complete control over your life's direction.
The Magician Does Not Want You To Waste Energy
Additionally, the card can warn you not to waste energy pursuing fantasies or illusions that will not come true. It may also signify reaching a critical crossroads in your life, where you must decide what direction to take.
Finally, you can see it is a message from the divine that certain things have been completed now and are the time for new beginnings.
That is because the Magician also represents balance, wisdom, and knowledge. Know that you have what it takes to accomplish your goals and dreams.
Another thing that the Magician can indicate is that you are working on a new project or purpose in your life now.
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Episode 004: The Fool Tarot Card
Tuesday, February 8, 2022 • Duration 09:53
Pixabay: Sorbyphoto
The Fool is the first tarot card of the Major Arcana deck. However, even though the Fool is the first tarot card in the deck, the number assigned to this card is 0.
That is because the Fool has unlimited potential, and he represents a young and innocent individual who is ready to learn what there is to learn and to experience new things.
Let's Talk About The Fool
The Fool can also be placed at the end of the Major Arcana, after The World card, because that is when a new journey begins. However, the Fool's journey represents someone's experience from start to finish.
The Fool is all about having an open mind that is curious and ready to take in the unexpected. There is a desire to take in some brand new experiences and enjoy the adventure.
Get ready to experience many surprises as there is innocence associated with this card. The Fool is all about being carefree, sharing new beginnings, curiosity, innocence, and having a free spirit.
The best way to describe the Fool is that you do not know where you are going or what you will experience, but it is all about taking a leap of faith. The message from the Fool is that you should have an open and curious mind and have a sense of enthusiasm as well.
You cannot worry about what will or won't happen. You just have to have a leap of faith and do what you need to do whether you feel it is time to go after it or not.
You do not have to have everything figured out before going after what you want.
Additionally, it is a time to be carefree and live your life to the fullest.
Who Takes On The Traits Of The Fool?
Those who would take on the traits of the Fool are those who are confident and more daring. Therefore, someone like Risa Green would not have much in common with this card.
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Episode 003: The Story Of Risa Green
Thursday, February 3, 2022 • Duration 12:45
From Pixabay: johnhain
Trigger warning: Mentions of bullying and scapegoating at home
Before getting into the nitty-gritty of the cards' meanings, let's talk about an individual I will refer to each time I point out an example.
Here is a story about a woman named Risa Green, who is in her mid-40s, and she suffers from major depressive disorder and complex PTSD, which bring her a lot of anxiety and severe low self-esteem.
Risa never left her hometown because she felt too guilty to leave her family. She also never had any real aspirations.
However, she did get married and had one son with moderate autism. She also has caregiving duties for her parents.
When she is not caring for her son or her parents, she works at a low-paying job as a clerk at a furniture store. Risa has worked there for years.
She also has a non-verbal learning disability which caused her not to read social cues properly, struggle with social skills, and have problems with motor and visual-spatial skills.
She struggled with a lot of that when she was younger, but it improved as Risa got older.
But that did not help her choose to do something meaningful with her life. Her self-esteem is extremely low for that to happen.
To make things worse, Risa has the polycystic ovarian syndrome, also known as PCOS, the main reason for her weight and acne struggles.
She used food as a coping mechanism behind her weight struggles to make things worse. It is like one thing feeding another, so to speak.
Now that you have the general introduction of Risa, let's talk more about what contributed to her trauma and why she has such low self-esteem with mental illnesses.
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Episode 002: How Tarot Cards Can Be Helpful For Your Mental Health
Sunday, January 30, 2022 • Duration 12:01
Photo by KoolShooters from Pexels
Photo by KoolShooters from Pexels
Tarot is the rage because more and more people are using it for many reasons beyond predicting the future. Plenty of people use it for insight into situations and self-reflection. Some people use tarot to spark their own creativity.
Tarot is a great tool to help clear out writer’s blocks, but that topic is up for discussion in the future. What else can tarot cards be good for beyond doing predictive readings?
Tarot cards can be an excellent tool for mental health. So what? What does that even mean, and how can that really work?
Here is the thing. When it comes to mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and so on, you need to be medically treated. You need to get the proper treatment prescribed by your doctor or psychiatrist.
And you need to seek therapy. That is the only way you can be treated effectively for mental illness of any kind. However, what about using tools in addition to that? Those are the tools you need to use to keep working on your mental health between therapy sessions.
Some people rely on meditation, others rely on meditation and journaling, and you can also use tarot cards. Tarot cards can be an excellent tool for mental health.
How Can Tarot Cards Be Helpful When It Comes To Mental Health?
Think about this. When you pull a card, you will not just look at the card itself, but you are going to look at the imagery and the symbols around it. Those are what stimulate your intuitive and emotional side.
And the cards you pull will act as a prompt for getting in touch with your emotions and feelings. So you will explore it even more and process it as well.
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Episode 001: Why Do So Many Intuitive Readers Have Traumatic Pasts?
Saturday, January 29, 2022 • Duration 12:15
Photo by Yaroslav Shuraev from Pexels
If you have gone to a tarot reader or a psychic, did you know a thing about their past? Maybe you do, or you think you do, and you haven’t heard the entire story. Or, perhaps you don’t.
Perhaps they kept it a secret and have not told anyone. However, there is a good chance that the psychic or tarot reader you visited experienced a lot of childhood trauma, in addition to grief and sadness in their adult years.
Perhaps not every psychic or tarot reader in the world has experienced sorrow and tragedy. However, I can bet you that a large majority have a few heartbreaking stories to tell about their childhoods and lives.
Intuitive And Tarot Readers And Psychics Often Had A Traumatic Past
I know of so many psychics and tarot readers who have endured bullying and abuse, as well as child loss and other types of tragedies. And my story falls into that category as well.
I talked about this in my intro. But I will repeat it. I was the black sheep of my family, which was challenging to handle. I was also bullied throughout middle school and during my first year of high school.
Even after the bullying ended, my reputation was still laughable. That was because I was always overweight and had a bad case of acne, as I later was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS.
I also had awkward social skills, which meant I struggled socially and had some learning differences. Therefore, I was an easy target, and when you are the black sheep of the family and being bullied, well, that messes you up. I did not know how to stand up for myself, so I took the abuse.
However, the trauma did not end there.
I ended up birthing a child with complex special needs, and I was not equipped to care for him. I tried, I took him to a variety of therapy, and no matter what I did, I was chastised for not doing any more than I could.
You can also join my list to get a week ahead tarot reading each Sunday so you know what energies you are facing at miriamreadstarot.substack.com. Next week. Until then, see you next time, ciao for now.
Now you have it! I will talk to you again next Friday and then chat with a guest represented by Judgement. This guest is a hand analyst, past-life astrologer, and life purpose guide who has helped her clients heal past-life patterns and awaken to divine purpose.
You can also join my list to get a week ahead tarot reading each Sunday so you know what energies you are facing at miriamreadstarot.substack.com. Next week. Until then, see you next time, ciao for now.
She teaches you to listen to your inner voice rather than rely on things like fortunetellers or psychics who might not have your best interests at heart (or maybe trying to rip us off). Finally, the Empress card lets you know that you don't need any mystical guidance; you only need yourself!
Therefore, when the Empress tarot card shows up in a reading, it's a perfect time just to be yourself. You don't need to put on airs or appear as something you're not. Instead, the Empress lets us know that we are on the right path and doing fine with our decisions!
The Empress Does Not Want You To Worry About What Others Think
The Empress card reminds you how important it is to do what feels suitable for yourself without worrying about others' thoughts.
Your inner wisdom will guide you towards true happiness while also giving you many opportunities for growth and new experiences along the way.
If you've been feeling a little off-track lately, this card may be trying to tell you that you should reevaluate where your focus has been going because it's not showing you the best path.
When this card is in a reading, it's time to slow down and take a break if needed - but also look deep within yourself for guidance!
The Empress card reminds you that you have all the power within yourself to succeed or fail. Therefore, you need to listen carefully to what your inner voices are saying to manifest the right actions at opportune times.
The Empress Wants You To Be True To Yourself
The Empress card can show up when asking about love life readings because she always encourages people to stay true to themselves when balancing work and play in their love lives.
If your empress tarot cards ask whether it's a good time for you to socialize more, go out on more dates, and so on - the Empress is telling you that your self-esteem will be at its highest when you're enjoying yourself in your private time away from work.
The Empress card has a lot of different meanings when she shows up in readings, but one thing is for sure: she always provides the motivation you need to search deep within yourself for guidance!
How does the Empress play a role in Risa's life? Unfortunately, like the other cards, the Empress in reverse fits Risa's situation.
I'll go over that in a bit. However, Risa does not know how to apply the Empress in her life. She never had a lot of love and nurturing. Risa did not grow up in a nurturing environment at home and school.
And sure, she had some maternal instincts even though she never received loved and nurturing herself because not only did she have a child, but she tries to take care of him even though it is a struggle for her to do so because of her child's complex needs.
However, does Risa really care for him out of love, or is it an obligation? Does she care for her parents out of love, or is it due to feeling obliged to do so?
Does she really nurture her neighbor by helping her out, or is it because she does not have it in her to not say "no," and that is what she believes anyway. If she is scared to say "no" and feels obliged to care for her family, that is not the Empress.
I also want to add that Risa does not relate to the Empress because she lacks creativity. It does not mean she does not have it. For all we know, Risa could be brilliantly creative.
However, Risa knows nothing about tapping into it unless she brings the Magician into her life. Therefore, Risa once again does not relate to the Empress upright. Let's now go over what the Empress in reverse means.
The Empress In Reverse
When the Empress comes up in reverse, this is a sign that there are domestic problems, a lack of nurture, stagnation, infertility, or the opposite. It could represent a pregnancy that is not wanted. Financial troubles are another representation. In reverse, you can see how the Empress relates more to Risa's situation.
She never knew what it was like to be nurtured, and she doesn't really nurture anyone. She does not have kind thoughts about her family and anyone. When it comes to the Empress upright, you care for others with love. Risa cares for others because she feels she has to do so, not love.
Financially, Risa and Ron struggle. They struggle to pay for her son's therapies, and they cannot afford to have any more kids because neither of them makes much money. So you can say that the Empress in reverse applies to that situation.
Domestic problems are also present in Risa's life, and they always have been. She was devalued, belittled, and abused emotionally and mentally. She has also been dishonest with her husband, and there is no love in her home.
You can also say that Risa is burned out and going through the motions as a result. So how can Risa begin to relate to the Empress upright? And how can you bring the Empress into your life? Let's go over that now.
How You Can Allow The Empress To Help You
In a nutshell, the way you can bring the Empress into your life is through self-care. If you are taking care of yourself, you can better care for others with love and not an obligation. That means delegating responsibilities if you must, and finances are an issue.
You can always check with your local place of worship or ask for support in different Facebook groups related to a problem you face. You will need to bring the Magician into your life and become more resourceful by tapping into other sources.
It is essential to care for yourself when you are stressed, especially in a caregiving situation, whether you have young kids or care for aging parents. That is more of a challenge if you struggle with mental illnesses. You need outside help, and you need your struggles validated. You need care!
Also, get into a creative hobby which can help as well, as that is also very nurturing. Also, get into nature, unless it is a rainstorm, or a blizzard, getting in touch with Mother Nature can be very helpful.
And if you get into a habit of spending a good ten minutes outside, as long as the weather allows you to do so, then do it. If it is freezing, bundle up. If it's too hot, drink extra water and put on sunscreen.
You get the idea. Now you know what the Empress is about, and the next card I will go over is the Emperor!
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The High Priestess's silence is necessary for discretion means she doesn't have many conversations about social niceties, so you can say that she cuts out the middle man.
Who Is The High Priestess?
She is the daughter of high priests in a spiritual tradition called The Brotherhood, but her immense power makes her too valuable to be groomed for service in the temple.
So at a young age, she was given to an order known as The Sisterhood. Here she learned how to tap into the Otherworlds where magic naturally arises from powerful emotions and transformative acts of will.
This knowledge enabled her to enter these worlds and summoned them here when necessary.
Nowhere does any lore suggest that she has lost these abilities once leaving the Sisterhood -
quite to the contrary, it would seem that because she can disappear at will anymore, she took on high political positions so that nothing else could stop her from doing what she believes is right.
You may be wondering if this means high priestesses are born or made, but like magicians in general, high priests are just people with high potential, not chosen representatives of Higher Power.
So high priestesses are simply women who have the skills they need to rise through the ranks of whatever order it is that is lucky enough to claim them.
That said, high priestesses do tend to draw other high-powered individuals to them, so keep an eye out for who seeks you out. Probably someone familiar.
She's also very good at knowing when something needs her attention, even if it isn't pronounced what that might be yet.
So if she gets a hunch out of you, be grateful for the good fortune that you have caught her attention - it is not every day high priestesses take an interest in people!
But, on the other hand, she can't help but notice when someone has potential, and high potential often involves high risk. So if she thinks you should know something about high magic, pay attention.
The High Priestess Is All About Being Truthful To Yourself
She is also very straightforward with truths - whether or not one wants to hear them isn't really up to her.
This is why many high priestesses tend to spend time alone they don't put up with patience for ignorance around themselves!
Don't get involved with things where your life is at stake if you can avoid it.
Let's see, Risa feels broken, and anyone dealing with mental illnesses and trauma-related disorders will feel that way. She is very disconnected from her intuition, but at the same time, it does not mean it isn't working.
Remember how I talked about how so many of those who struggle with trauma-related disorders and mental illnesses have strong intuition.
That is because they have had to rely on it to navigate their lives and make sense of their struggles, and many of them go into fields to help provide intuitive insights to others.
However, Risa is very disconnected from anything that the High Priestess represents. Risa is allowing others to keep walking on her, such as her parents, who do not have the best intentions for her.
She lets the neighbor take advantage of her without showing any gratitude.
Risa keeps allowing others to keep hurting her because she fears speaking up. But at the same time, she has some awful feelings of rage, jealousy, and resentment.
Anyone who has struggled with complex trauma will feel those feelings, but there comes a time when there is a catalyst, and you begin to say enough is enough and start speaking up, so you have your needs and wants to be met.
I deal with anger myself, and I am not suppressing it; I do the contrary. I am advocating and creating awareness about mental illnesses and the effects of trauma. That is a result of anger.
Sometimes having a good session with the punching bag helps release it. There will be a lot of anger, but it is healthy if you use it constructively. If you remove it in situations that are not destructive or violent, it is incredibly beneficial never to suppress it.
Risa suppresses her anger, and it only comes out when she explodes and terrifies her child and husband. But immediately stops and hides the rest.
Perhaps her anger that she refuses to express comes from her intuition screaming at her by telling her that she has it within her to make her life better. So she can go back to the Magician and tap into her resources.
Her intuition is telling her that if she stopped helping her ungrateful parents and neighbor, got her son into a therapeutic setting instead of taking care of him when she isn't able to do so effectively, and started finding out once and for all what she wanted in life, she would be at a better place.
However, there is a lot of fear within her because she has been bullied and abused so much she is afraid to listen to what the High Priestess is telling her. But what if she did so one step at a time, by starting to tell her neighbor that she could not help anymore.
Then eventually, she may work up the courage to say to her parents that she is no longer there to help. There is potential for the High Priestess to get through to her, but it will be up to Risa to allow that to happen. Too much fear consumes her, which is why it is not occurring.
What About The High Priestess In Reverse?
Unfortunately, Risa represents the High Priestess reversed. When the High Priestess card is reversed, it indicates that secrets and information are purposely being withheld, and there is no harmony on a personal level.
And it is not hard to see how Risa has no harmony within, and there is no harmony with her relationships.
For example, she is not honest with her husband, as she did not even want him to know that she was prescribed medication for her depression, and that was part of the reason she tossed away her antidepressants.
It is not hard to see that all of her chakras are severely out of balance and blocked. She never speaks up. She never asserts her needs and wants. And until she is at a place where she can start doing that, the High Priestess will keep representing Risa in reverse.
How Can The High Priestess Help You?
How can you connect with the High Priestess in the upright position? First, you have to trust your intuition which means finding a way to keep your emotions separate from your intuition. That means to go with what you intuitively sense instead of how you feel.
That does not only imply separating it from hopeful feelings. It also means to find a way to separate it from feelings of worry or pessimism. And that is a struggle if you deal with depression.
For instance, you tend to think that the glass is half-empty often, but you applied for a job, and you deep down have a good feeling about it. However, you are scared to go there.
You have struggled with a false sense of hope before. You may acknowledge that you feel there is a good chance of getting a job, but your default way of thinking would be that you are just hopeful about it and will be let down once again.
You cannot get excited about the possibility until you are contacted and told the company that you are hired!
Therefore, your intuition gave you some good news, but your emotions got in the way and made you believe that you were only hopeful about it momentarily, only to be let down.
On the flip side, you don't want to be overly optimistic about something your intuition tells you otherwise. Let's say that you are the type that may be unrealistically optimistic at times and will ignore anything that your intuition tells you.
For example, let's say you applied for that job, and you deep down know that it did not work out, but your emotions will not allow you to acknowledge what you intuitively feel.
Therefore, you will tell yourself that you know that you got that job. You will convince yourself of it because the alternative is not acceptable until you find out that the position you applied for at that company was taken by someone else.
You will be upset, and at the same time, kick yourself for not going with what your intuition was telling you, which was that the job you applied for was not meant for you.
Intuition is an intuition when you have a sense of knowing something deep down and have an emotional detachment. And it is best to practice that so you can see the difference between your emotions and your intuition.
So that is how you can apply the High Priestess in your life. The next card will be the Empress!
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Additionally, it often represents a balance between the physical and spiritual worlds. Finally, the card brings a message to encourage you to seek guidance from those who have been on a similar path as you for some time now.
You may be neglecting your spiritual side, which needs to be more balanced in your life.
The Magician exists in your daily life as people who motivate you, inspire you and instill a passion for life within you. You can see it as the symbols can be seen as messages from the divine encouraging you to take chances on something new, test limits, and reach for the stars.
They are messages of encouragement to take action in your life now as they can signify that you are being called upon to try something new in your life, even if it is uncomfortable at first.
Magician symbols indicate that balance between the different parts of your life is necessary.
Here is the thing with Risa and the Magician. She did not take a hint from any of the divine messages that she had gotten that the Magician represented.
She has no self-esteem and is also entirely burned out based on all her responsibilities. She is more than burned out by the extra responsibilities she puts on herself because she cannot say "no."
There is no reason she has to help her parents, who treat her horribly as they have money to spend on outside help. She has no reason to help her ungrateful neighbor.
How can Risa put the energies from what the Magician has to offer if she has no idea to tap into any of her resources and has many that she does not know exists? That is because she never believed in herself, aside from being burned out.
But like anyone else, she has the talents to make better changes for her situation and herself.
Everyone has it within them to find their inner Magician to create something that can improve their lives or even improve the lives of others.
But until Risa can start saying "no" and putting her needs first, she will not be able to find her inner Magician. The first step to getting there is to believe in herself, even just a little. What about the Magician in reverse? Let's go over that.
The Magician In Reverse
The Magician in reverse can indicate deceit, poor planning, manipulation, no energy, and ill intentions. In other words, if you want to create something new and go through the dishonest and manipulative route, this represents the Magician in reverse.
You can say that Risa's last energy matches the Magician in reverse. However, almost everyone Risa encountered had very ill intentions for her.
Let's go over her parents, her sister, and those bullies who made her life hell. They caused Risa to turn into someone who was not meant to be how she turned out. Risa had the potential to find success in her life and turn into someone who had more confidence.
These people were the cause for Risa not turning out that way.
However, even though these individuals did her a lot of harm, Risa has it within to use the Magician to improve her life. She can pull the Magician upright, learn to manage her trauma mental illnesses, and find creative ways to look into services that can help her with her son and other stressful situations.
So now that we are onto that, let's talk about how the Magician can help you. How can you bring the Magician into your life?
How You Can Work With The Magician
The Magician can help you with your goal-setting ambitions. It does not matter what you want to attain, as it may be a better job, better health, whether it is mental or physical, learning how to set boundaries better, or even a pair of new shoes.
The thing is, you want to be crystal clear on what you want, and keep the Magician card with you to meditate with it, and you can develop clarity as far as what you want to attain and what actions to take to go after it.
You may want to do this for a few minutes each day so your vision becomes more precise.
Remember that the Magician wants you to take action, and you will want to create an action plan and how you will go after what you need. If you have a therapist and are doing some goal-setting with them, this is also a great thing to discuss.
Your therapist does not have to be open to the tarot if they are not open to that.
You don't even have to talk about what you are doing with them. You will want to tell them. Instead, you are looking for ways to go after your goals and become clear on what you want, and you can even get input on other action plan ideas.
The Magician is all about manifestation, creation, tapping into your resources, and utilizing your skills.
However, the Magician also reminds you that you can do anything where you put your focus! The next card to talk about is the High Priestess, which I will cover next time.
Miriam Reads Tarot is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Because of her mental conditions, she is not the type that would be daring and want to experience new adventures. I want to make it clear that you do not have to have any mental illness not to be explorative.
But this is about Risa. Not only is she not daring and explorative, but she cannot think for herself and does not even know what she wants for herself.
However, if that were 100 percent true, Risa would have stayed at home with her abusive parents. She didn't, so the Fool did apply to her when she got a job, got married, and had her child.
When you get married, unless you have been married before, whether you live with your partner beforehand or not, that is a perfect example of the Fool. Marriage is brand new territory, and so is having kids.
You enter a life-changing situation that you know nothing about and go in on it blindly. How you handle the hardships that come with those things depends on your nature and mental and physical health.
Risa is not in good physical and mental health, as you know. She seems to be okay with her job for the most part but never advanced herself at all. When she got that job at the furniture store, the Fool matched that situation since she had never worked before.
But it certainly does not now. Regarding her marriage, there are problems there since she has not been honest with her husband about some things.
For example, she did not want Ron to find out that she was prescribed antidepressants because she was embarrassed. She also could not cope with being a mother, especially to a child with significant special needs like her son has.
So, for the most part, the Fool does not represent Risa too much because other than her getting one job, getting married, and having one child, she relates more to the Fool in reverse. A lot more!
When The Fool Is In Reverse
When the Fool shows up in reverse, that can represent a few things, such as having the fear that is holding you back from trying something new. You do want to do things you have something in mind to do, but you are terrified that no one will take you seriously if you go ahead with it.
So there is a lot of fear and self-doubt regarding the Fool in reverse. But, on the flip side, it can also mean that you are reckless and taking unnecessary risks.
There is a time and place to act with an open mind and a carefree attitude, but if you are irresponsible, such as daring a friend to race you on a neighborhood road, that can represent the Fool in reverse.
As you see, Risa fits a lot more with the Fool in reverse. She holds herself back and does not dare to push forward. At this point, Risa may be too run-down and exhausted to try.
Risa never traveled, she never moved away to a new city, she never broke contact with her abusive mother and enabling father. And when you have mental illnesses such as depression or any trauma-related disorders, you will be more likely to allow these conditions to hold you back because they take a hit on your self-esteem, which is why Risa is the way she is.
She is full of self-doubt and fears so much that no one will take her seriously, allowing herself to be a doormat. It is not a surprise since she has been abused and bullied. It would cause that type of reaction. Risa also never got proper therapy to help her manage and cope with her trauma.
However, does Risa ever take on the opposite traits of the Fool in reverse, which is showing any reckless behavior? Well, Risa is a stress eater, but that does not mean she is a binge eater, and Risa has at times spent a lot of money on things she never uses but has not gone into severe debt.
So I would have to say, not really. When you think of that type of behavior, you may think of the mania aspect of bipolar disorder. I mean, again, I am not a mental health professional, and I don't have bipolar disorder, but that is what comes to my mind.
And I happen to watch General Hospital, and the character of Sonny Corinthos has bipolar disorder and has been in many manic episodes. The actor who plays that character, Maurice Benard, also has the condition, and I commend him for also doing a significant part in helping to increase awareness about mental illness. Anyway, I am going off on a tangent here, so let me get back to the Fool.
How Can You Bring Some Aspects Of The Fool Upright Into Your Life More?
Here is the thing, if you want to be more of a well-rounded individual, you need to find a way to bring some adventure into your life. You don't have to do anything too far out of your comfort zone.
But you do need to inch out of it. If you feel so much dread and self-doubt, but you know you need to attempt something new because you will feel worse otherwise, such as traveling somewhere new or even trying a brand new restaurant that you have never tried before, here is something to try.
Take the Fool tarot card out of your favorite deck, and meditate while holding it. Then, imagine the Fool encouraging you to go out and do that new thing and imagine the Fool telling you what you will gain from it when you do.
Either you will discover a new food or restaurant that you will love and try again, or the worst that can happen is that you will not like it and add it to the lists of restaurants never to visit again.
That is an example. The Fool will remind you that you only live once, and you may regret it if you don't take the chance on experiencing the thing you wanted to experience because fear held you back.
Now, everyone has big dreams, and there may be things that you may want to do that you are not in a position to do at the time, such as moving to a new city if you have too many tied where you currently are moment. But that does not mean there won't come a time when it will be right.
Even though the Fool is innocent, a free spirit, and very childlike, he will not expect you to do anything that is not sensible either. That is what the Fool in reversed will tell you to do, and you don't want to listen to him. The Fool in reverse either holds you back more or tells you to do something completely careless.
You want to expand your horizons and inch out of your comfort zone. And you may have to crawl out of it even slower if you struggle with mental illness, and as long as you keep making progress, every baby step counts.
If this practice does not work for you, it's okay, but it is something to keep in mind. The next card I will go over will be the Magician!
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Risa Green was born in Manhattan, New York, to semi-wealthy Jewish parents, as she was the first one.
However, her father, who used to be a business lawyer, got an opportunity to work in Syracuse, and when Risa was a toddler, her family moved there.
The birth happened not long after moving there, Risa's sister, Tamara.
Over the years, it was apparent that the parents favored Tamara over Risa. Her mother especially was incredibly hard on Risa, and Risa was becoming overweight as a child, whereas Tamara was always slender.
Her mother constantly criticized Risa's weight and monitored everything she ate. She also called her "stupid" numerous times because she struggled to follow instructions and struggled in school.
She also earned the name "stupid klutz" because Risa kept falling. Her mother told Risa to be more like her sister and encouraged Tamara to bully Risa to make matters worse.
When Risa was hitting puberty, her weight ballooned, resulting in acne. Both the mother and sister called Risa a slob, and the father was never around since he worked all of the time.
To make matters worse, Risa had to move to a new school because her school at the time did not include junior high.
However, her classmates ignored her, but what she faced throughout junior high and the early part of high school was worse.
Risa endured horrid bullying at home and at school, where she was called horrific names and experienced trash being thrown at her.
All Risa did was dissociate because that was the only way she could cope. Risa endured bullying at home and then at school, where she was not treated well.
Eventually, the tormenting ended, but the mocking did not. Risa struggled with severe depression, and her mother told her to get over it.
Risa tried but couldn't. All she did was cope by eating and dissociating.
Risa never had friends, and she went to a community college to take basic business courses.
Her sister, Tamara, followed in her father's footsteps, went to law school in Seattle, Washington, and became a business lawyer.
Tamara settled there. It was no surprise that Risa stayed in Syracuse. However, she did meet her first boyfriend, Ron, who, like her, had no self-esteem.
Another thing in college that happened was that based on Risa's apparent low moods, one of the counselors encouraged her to see a psychiatrist.
She did, and after an assessment, she was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder and was put on antidepressants.
However, Risa did not continue taking them. She did not think she needed it.
Risa was also embarrassed as she did not want Ron or her parents to know. So one day, Risa tossed the rest of her antidepressants in the trash for that reason.
Ron and Risa got married. Risa got a low-paying job as a clerk at a furniture store, and Ron worked as a bank teller. Neither made a significant income.
They wanted to have kids but faced that one child was all they would have.
After being married for several years, Risa and Ron had a son named Justin, who was not developing typically and was diagnosed with autism as a toddler.
Unfortunately, neither of them could afford a lot of therapy for Justin, and he only used a handful of words, was never potty trained, and put the parents under a lot of strain at home.
To make matters worse, Risa's mother continued to be a nightmare for her. She not only blamed Risa and Ron for Justin's lack of proper development but compared him to Risa's niece and nephews, who do not have special needs.
In addition, she told her that Tamara was a more competent mother than her and made it clear once again that Risa was a complete embarrassment to her mother.
As Justin was growing, he was still very much like a kindergartener as the most he could do was stay on his tablet.
Ron was offered a better-paying position at the bank, but he had to decline because he had to be home to help Risa as Justin was becoming more challenging to handle.
Ron and Risa knew that Justin would be in their care for life, and then Risa's parents were becoming frailer as they were aging.
So even though Risa had her hands full with Justin, she was desperate to get love from her parents, and she committed herself to care for them.
But unfortunately, even though Risa has been their parents' caregiver, they still did not treat her better.
Risa had no choice but to start seeing a therapist again because of having to fight so many demons.
She was referred to a psychiatrist who said she had signs of not only depression but CPTSD. Is it a surprise after what she has endured in her life?
Let's now go over something that has not been mentioned in detail. How Risa really feels and how she struggles with her mental illnesses.
Risa's Struggle With Mental Illnesses
As you know, Risa has C-PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder. In addition, you know that she dissociated a lot during her youth when bullied at school and home. Risa was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder when she was in college.
Then after struggling with her autistic son and with her parents, she was also diagnosed with C-PSTD.What happens in Risa's mind day after day?
Risa has so many demons to fight. Risa struggles with flashbacks and intrusive thoughts of being bullied by her family and classmates.
Some of those thoughts result from situations that she faced with Justin retraumatize her.
Risa gets those intrusive thoughts at work and does other things suddenly. Risa checks out a lot, which means she still dissociates.Risa also thinks that she is pure garbage, and she is amazed that she got married at all even though Ron has no self-esteem.
She cannot help but look at her child and wonder what went wrong.
She constantly mourns over not having the family who loved her; she mourns over never having friends and mourns having a child that will never hit milestones.
She knows that she will never be a grandmother and experience the joys that her sister and many peers will share with their kids.
Risa is insanely jealous of her sister, peers, and others who appear to have it easier than her.
All she thinks about is how she keeps ending up with the short end of the stick. That makes her so jealous and resentful. However, here is the thing. Risa appears to be exceptionally kind and very friendly.
She will always be the type to give money to a homeless person even though she is struggling financially.
Likewise, she will continuously allow others to cut in line in front of her while waiting to check out at the grocery store.Also, if a neighbor asks her for a favor, she will drop everything she is doing to do it even if she has other commitments.
That means she will do a pile of Justin's soiled laundry or do her parents' grocery shopping very late at night. That is because Risa cannot say "no."
She is terrified to do that because she is desperate for people to like her. Here is the kicker.
Risa's neighbor asks her to do favors makes fun of Risa by gossiping about her to friends. The neighbor never once thanked Risa for sacrificing herself.As you see, Risa is one of those too nice and has no boundaries, as she is an echoist. You may think she is a forgiving angel underneath.
But that is contrary to the truth. Risa is full of intense anger, rage, and resentment.
She dislikes her parents, everyone, and even dislikes her husband and son. But, most of all, she hates herself.
Risa feels she is undeserving of good things because she is forever damaged.
She will never talk about her trauma to anyone except for her therapist because she knows they will not take her seriously unless they do.
Risa feels she is very different from others and not in a good way either. She goes through the motions and is feeling hopeless.All Risa does to cope is eat, and she is close to 300 lbs now. She does not even go to the doctor, but she drinks a lot and always has to head to the bathroom, which may signify having diabetes.
And when Risa loses her temper, all hell breaks loose.
That lovely girl appears to disappear and has scared her husband and son many times.
Oh yes, she has lost her temper with her parents, and the mother slaps her hard with a wooden spoon which stops her.
So you see how she struggles to regulate her emotions and feelings.What will it take for Risa to start saying "no" and develop boundaries?
That is how she will begin to gain some self-confidence which can help her cope in better ways, and that may help her feel better about herself.I will use the story about Risa Green throughout the card meanings and interpretations series.
The definitions of each card will pertain to examples of her story to help you visualize and understand the meanings better.
You don’t even have to have ever taken a course in psychology or even know the tarot too well to benefit from this way of practice. Tarot can still be quite beneficial to you when it comes to helping keep your mental health in check.
Tarot can help you understand your feelings and not look at your feelings from a place of judgment which leads to acceptance.
It will help you figure out what you want and understand your values and what is important to you. You can find out through tarot what is really holding you back from achieving what you want.
For instance, if the card you pull is the Eight Of Swords, that is the card representing seeing yourself as trapped and not seeing a way out. But the reality is you only believe you are trapped when it comes to this card.
Being trapped is all in your mind. You really are not trapped. So when this card comes up, the first thing you will see is the imagery of someone being barricaded by swords sticking through the ground if you are using Ryder-Waite-Smith-styled tarot decks.
There is a good chance that you relate to this card. Then you will start to explore what you feel is trapping you.
Then you will realize that this card represents the feeling of entrapment that is all in mind. You see that it does not have to be that way, and then it will stimulate some ideas on how you can begin to feel unstuck.
Chances are, you won’t be able to come up with this on your own if you are really struggling with a mental illness. This is something to take to your therapist. And if your therapist is not open to tarot cards, you will want to question the therapist you are using for the sake of having a lack of open-mindedness.
With that said, your therapist does not have to believe in tarot cards, but a good therapist will understand they help you and will work with you regardless.
The tarot can really help uncover a lot within your psyche, so you can go and explore it even further. The tarot can really help you understand your motivations, behaviors, and experiences in a non-confrontational way.
There is no judgment which is why it is also quite helpful. It enables you to understand why you do the things you do and can lead you to solutions to better your habits in the long run.
I’ll provide another example. You pull the Nine of Swords. This is known as the ‘nightmare card.’ This is the card that is indicative of excessive worries and fears as well as intrusive thoughts.
And these thoughts can cause a lot of anxiety within. You want to resist these thoughts, but you know the saying, what resists persists. So perhaps it is time to examine the thoughts and find out why you have them.
Talk about these intuitive thoughts with a therapist as they can help you understand them better and give you tips on how to work with them.
You already know that tarot cards are beneficial for your mental health because they help you understand what is happening within. In addition to that, there is no judgment by utilizing this method whatsoever.
That is only one benefit of using tarot cards for your mental health. Another excellent advantage of using this method is developing a ritual.
Tarot Cards Are Beneficial For The Development Of A Ritual
When caring for your mental health, developing a healthy daily ritual is essential to keep it strong. The idea is to start your morning off by pulling a card and looking at the message it brings.
If you end up with a challenging card such as the 10 of Swords or the Tower, there is work you need to do to reframe your perspective on them. Instead of assuming you will have nothing but losses, upheavals, and challenges for the day – perhaps there is another reason you are pulling any of those cards.
It does not mean you will have a bad day.
Maybe those cards tell you it is a good day to prepare yourself for any unforeseen challenges that could emerge. For instance, this could be a good day to head over to the bank and create a savings account for emergencies.
Then, if a considerable unforeseen expense runs your way, such as an expensive medical bill that cannot be insured or a huge home repair, at least you will have savings to cover at least some of it.
Therefore, if you develop the ritual of pulling a card each morning, you can reframe your day based on the message your card brings to you.
You may be wondering what you need to do before you begin to read your cards. Let's delve deeper into this.
Let's Delve Deeper Into How You Read Your Tarot Cards
The way you read your cards and do your ritual is entirely up to you. However, there is a rule of thumb, and that is to clear your mind.
Once you do, lay out the spread of your choice facing down. If you have decided to do one-card readings, pull that card and lay it face down. Take a deep breath and open up your mind so you can absorb what the cards say to you. This is the message that the Universe has to deliver.
Once you get the message from the cards or the card that you pulled, sit with it. Pay attention to your initial response to it, and begin to reflect on the message the cards or card brought to you.
What is the first thing that comes to your mind? Is it uncomfortable, and if so, why? And does it reflect on any critical situation you are facing right now? If it does, what is the message? Then, write it in your journal to reflect on it later in the day or at another time.
For instance, you are eager to start your business right now, but you are struggling with different obstacles that are not making it easy for you to get it off the ground. This is causing nothing but frustration for you.
Finally, however, you do the one-card reading, and the card you pull is The Hanged Man.
The Hanged Man is the card that represents surrender and putting things on hold. The message would explain why you cannot get your business off the ground, let alone established.
It is a time to wait to do that, and perhaps you need to work on something within before you do. If your mental health is not being in a good place, you need to focus on that before starting anything new.
You won’t like being told to wait and to put things on hold, but there is an important reason you are guided to do so.
And these obstacles that are coming your way are sending you that message as well. Maybe your mental health is under control, but you might be setting up the business for the wrong reasons.
Only you have the answers within, and you need to use that time to discover what they are before going ahead with getting your business off the ground.
If the message is not relevant to a situation you are facing right now, then it may be relevant to a problem that you could be facing soon.
Therefore, write the message down in your journal. Because the situation does arise where the spread or the card meaning is relevant, you can look back at your journal and remind yourself of the cards that came up.
You can then reflect on that and find a way to best deal with the issue you are facing. You may also be wondering if any particular decks can work best.
What Type Of Tarot Decks Should You Use?
The tarot deck you want to use for mental health purposes is entirely up to you. You want to go with a deck that speaks to you and that you relate to and that has imagery you appreciate.
There is no rule for this. If the tarot deck is not appealing to you, it will not work well with you, and you may throw in the towel and believe that this method does not help your mental health. Instead, go onto Amazon or Etsy or your local metaphysical shop, and browse the different decks for sale.
If you like penguins, I have my own penguin deck if that interests you, but no pressure! You have to choose the deck that calls to you!
If you like a particular deck that you see from one of those outlets, go to Google Images, and type the deck's name. Then you will see samples of the cards in the deck, and you can judge from there if it is right for you.
If it jumps out at you and resonates, then it is an excellent deck to try out.
The great thing about this practice is that it is entirely up to you on how you want to use it. If you prefer to pull a card at the end of the day before you go to bed to see what message it brings for the next day, then do that.
There is no rule with this. Just use it to help yourself, give you the guidance you need, and it is an excellent tool for your mental health. In the next episode, I will tell you the story of a woman named Risa Green, who has experienced plenty of trauma and struggles with CPTSD and Major Depressive Disorder.
Her story will be referenced when I go over the card's meanings.
Miriam Reads Tarot is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
And when it comes to special needs parents, it’s like their needs suddenly become irrelevant. That is what happened to me. It did not matter that I struggled with my mental health and physical health and did not get enough sleep.
Never mind that I wasn’t able to be fully attentive to my other typical child. My weight shot up to over 100 lbs overweight, I was angry all of the time, severely depressed, and I was on the brink of losing it.
Let’s talk about the fact that I had been mourning for the typical son I longed for, and I am not ashamed to say this. These things need to be said anyway. So, I had no choice but to transfer him to a residential school and group home.
Moving him away from home was the best move I made for my husband, myself, my daughter, and my son. My son could not stay at home, and he is doing so much better where he is.
In addition to that, I went against society’s expectations of being his caregiver for life and did the best and safest thing for him. That was the catalyst for me to begin standing up for myself.
I have been vilified for doing this, but those who don’t get it will judge, and I have accepted it. There are plenty of non-empathetic people who will judge you without knowing what it is like to walk even a meter in your shoes.
However, even though I have shed the stress that I was under for all of those years and so much of that extra weight, I am still traumatized. I will permanently be traumatized from all of my painful and heart-wrenching experiences.
Is complete healing possible? I have to say, I highly doubt it is.
I can heal on some level, but it is not realistic to believe that you can completely heal. You will always face triggers and painful reminders that can take you back to painful thoughts.
The practical goal is to be at peace with your past and accept that it happened. I am trying to get there, but I really have a long way to go. A very long way to go.
Was it past life karma? I believe on a significant level, it was. I also know that I am a mature soul sandwiched between a young soul and an old soul, which can cause a lot of inner turmoil.
Old souls can get past trauma much easier than younger souls. Now that you know my story, you probably wonder why so many intuitive healers, tarot readers, and psychics have had sad and traumatic pasts. I will talk about that.
Why Do Intuitives Have Traumatic Pasts?
What is the purpose of becoming an intuitive reader or healer in the first place? That is because of being forced to gain insight into your suffering.
When you are moved to self-reflect and look into why you had to suffer in the first place, you strengthen your intuition, and at the same time, you then want to help others understand why they experience their suffering. When that happens, you open yourself up to the world of metaphysics.
Then you begin to use the tools you relate to the most, whether it is tarot, astrology, mediumship, runes, or I Ching. Simultaneously, your psychic abilities such as clairvoyance, clairsentience, clairaudience, and precognitive abilities strengthen.
In my case, I am a clairvoyant clairsentient, and I have solid precognitive abilities. Astrology and tarot are tools that I use to bring more vivid pictures and insight into what I look at, whether for myself, a friend, or a client. However, it is easier to read for a client than for yourself or a friend.
Emotions can get in the way, but you can train yourself to become more objective. It depends on the issue you want to look at. However, you may be wondering now if some intuitive readers have coasted in life.
Are you sure you want my opinion on that? I will share it.
Are There Some Readers Who Have Had Easy Lives?
I am going to ask you a question. Imagine being born and blessed with a beautiful figure, beautiful hair, and perfect skin. You also attract people because you have the best social skills.
Therefore, you were popular in school and work, grew up with love and acceptance in your family, and you got exceptional grades without even trying hard. You also make plenty of money and never have to struggle financially at all in your life.
You also have an easy marriage and intelligent and healthy kids. Whenever you did have a difficult time, you got all of the support in the world. I mean, I realize that no one has a perfect life.
But many others have had fewer challenges, traumatic events, and heartbreak than others. However, that said, if you can relate to this type of life, you coast along.
If you coast along in life, why would you even reason to be self-reflective and look for answers? Why would you even care about looking for different types of insight?
That is why I really have a hard time believing that those who had an easy life would be a legitimate reader or healer. Sure, they may still be drawn to metaphysics, but often, not for the right reasons.
For example, those who have had easy lives interested in tarot may dabble into it because they are fascinated with it. However, I don’t believe they would have a genuine motivation to provide readings for the sake of helping others gain insight into their struggles.
That is because they possibly cannot relate to those who have struggled on a profound level.
Unfortunately, some have coasted along become charlatans if they decide to become a ‘psychic reader.’ These people will exploit you, take your money, take advantage of your desperation, and feed you b******t.
An intuitive reader who has really suffered in life will not do that because they understand what it is like to struggle and seek answers for why you were dealt a difficult hand.
That is why I have difficulty believing that those who coasted along in life could be empathetic, compassionate, and insightful intuitive readers. It does not mean they are not capable of being kind people.
But if you have not been through that much trauma in your life, it isn't straightforward to be empathetic and put yourself into the shoes of others. It is a matter of not building that perspective due to a lack of experience. That is the truth.
And I will also say that there may be the token person who had an easy life but is gifted with strong psychic abilities, strong empathy, and compassion. However, that is the exception and not the rule.
Therefore, if you know of a legitimate and caring intuitive reader, the odds are incredibly high that they entered that field because they went through hell. Here is another thing you will see among intuitives, psychics, and tarot readers.
Many struggle with mental illness, which does not always include Major Depressive Disorder and CPSTD. That is what I deal with, but there are plenty of them who struggle with mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, among others as well.
Even if some did not have any severe traumatic events happen to them, battling any mental illness that they were genetically predisposed to be exhausting. Remember that not all people with conditions like Major Depressive Disorder experience any severe trauma.
Genetic causes alone can result in chemical imbalances. But from my experience, when you have that issue along with significant trauma from the past, it creates a special kind of hell.
But what helps me? I have to say I have struggled to find the right therapist because the best ones are a difficult fit. I have had therapists that worked for a while but no longer did. I am medication resistant but open to trying new alternative approaches.
But for me, tarot does help. And I am not at all saying that tarot is ever a replacement for medical prescriptions for mental illness. But it can be a great tool to use in conjunction with it. In the next episode, I will talk about that.
Miriam Reads Tarot is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
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