Tarot Guidance - Cher Green

Lovers - Reflections

2012-01-26T07:16:00.001-05:00

Today's reflection card is the Lovers from Beth Seilonen's Tarot Leaves.

My main keywords for The Lovers are choices and relationships. The little white book : There is a need to find the connection to life that fills you with excitement and passion.

As I look at this couple staring into each other eyes, I see a mutual understanding between the two. The sun beams, and a gentle stream flows.

Within this card, I see the moment before the electric explosion between two individual components. The split moment before they become one.

"Find what excites you, and allow it to become a part of you."

Queen of Swords - Reflections

2012-01-19T18:28:00.005-05:00

Today, I asked for a reflection card. The Queen of Swords rules with her head, not her heart. She is independent and ambitious.

As I look upon the cards image, the light reflecting of the sword draws my attention. Is this the light of hope, of expectations? The Queen holds power in one hand and creativity in the other. She looks out, as if to say, "Are you ready?"

I see the butterflies as a representation of creativity - words if you will. They flutter around the woman waiting to be used in her next project. The clouds part and send rays of joy and warmth to help the woman flourish in her goals.

The card lures me forward and it whispers, "The words are here - gather them, arrange them, create."

Image from Jennifer Galasso's Crystal Visions Tarot

Healing With The Angels by Doreen Virtue

2012-01-12T07:47:00.001-05:00

Healing With The Angels by Doreen Virtue

This is my 'first' Doreen Virtue book, a gift from a friend for Christmas.

Doreen touches upon many different areas of healing with Angels, but she also gives samples of the methods working. This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in healing and/or making contact with your Angels. The simple fact that they are there is comforting, but to truly feel the interaction is amazing.

The only con I had with the book is it left me wanting more, but that's not necessarily a downside, just means I need to dig deeper into certain areas.

Some Highlights:

Angel Energy - Our energies are drained from outside sources and the Angels can remove those issues and replace them with pure energy. All you have to do is ask.

Because of our FREE WILL, Angels can only intervene if we ask them to do so. Unless it's a major issue which may take us Home before it is time.

Past Negative Energies - Rather the energies are from this life's past, or another life's past, the Angels can help us face these issues and move on with positive steps toward our life goal.

Angelic Time Warps - Have you ever been running late to an event, yet end up arriving early?

Number Sequences - I did a post on repeating numbers at the end of last year. Doreen includes a whole chapter on the meanings of different number sequences.

An inspirational read! I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in Angels and Healing.

Crystal Visions Tarot by Jennifer Galasso

2012-01-05T22:21:00.001-05:00

Fantasy artist and illustrator, Jennifer Galasso presents her first tarot deck, and has already started planning her next deck. Discover more about this talented woman and discover available artwork at www.magickal-art.com.

To order this deck, with some special additional items, go to her main page for the Crystal Visions Tarot. I ordered through Amazon and missed out on a crystal, a purple silk pouch, and the option of an expanded companion book.

This standard size deck has a nice finish and sturdy stock, making them extremely easy to shuffle.

Based on the Rider-Waite, this deck has 78 card + 1. Jennifer has added an Unknown Card, representing something 'not yet meant to be revealed.' The usual Majors and Minors are presented in this deck and follow traditional tarot meanings.

What makes this deck stand out for me is the wonderful images of dragons, fairies, butterflies, crystals, birds, and so on. This is a deck for fans of fantasy art, but would also be a good choice for any beginner or seasoned reader.

This one will be in my top five favorite decks, no doubts about that.

A Blogger/Tarot Enthusiast Review

2011-12-29T06:49:00.001-05:00

I reflected on my blogging journey and writing adventures on my writing blog this week. I decided to do something similar here on the tarot blog.

Tarot Guidance began January 2010. Over the two year period, I have met many tarot/spiritual people, helped countless individuals with my tarot readings, and learned a great deal about myself.

This blog has moved further than just being a tarot blog. We've discussed Angels, Spirit Guides, Crystals, and more. The year 2012 will bring many more interesting topics as I move into further spiritual exploration. I hope to cross paths with more individuals and discover new directions in this journey we call life.

The top posts of the life of this blog have been:

Interview with Ciro Marchetti

The Fool's Journey

Tarot Tuesdays and other Tarot readings

I plan to present more interviews, complete the Fool's Journey, and post more readings in the coming year.

Also, you may have notice the missing images - I do plan to get these back in place as soon as possible. I've worked on them, but because each post has to have a specific image to match the reading or card discussed, it is taking a good amount of time.

Best wishes to all. See you next year.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:22:00.000-05:00

Hope Everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Do Angels watch over us?

2011-12-22T11:53:00.003-05:00

Song of the Angels by Bouguereau, 1825–1905

As we move through our daily lives, do we have Angels helping us along the path?

There, of course, is controversy in such a question, but many have experienced events which lead one to say 'yes'.

Angels are seen as God's helpers. They will come and help us in our daily trials if we only ask for their assistance. Each human has freewill, but that will can allow you to hand over troubles to God and his helpers, and they will assist you.

We don't have to struggle through this life alone. Each of us has at least one angel watching over us at all times, but only certain circumstances allow him/her to intervene without our request.

Take a moment of faith and ask for the help of Angels with your trials or the trials of another.

Do you see repeating numbers?

2011-12-15T06:52:00.001-05:00

As you go about your day, are you experiencing an odd case of multiple number sightings? Do you seem to be haunted by the sight of 111, 222, 333, or another number showing itself everywhere?

A friend told me a long ago, this was the spirit world trying to get our attention. For some reason, I never looked deeper. I assumed when it happened, I just needed to pay more attention.

333 seems to be the most frequent repeater in my life, but over the last few weeks a lot of numbers are jumping out at me. Is this something worth taking note of? Well, I thought it may be, so I started looking around on the internet.

Laura @ http://www.intuitivejournal.com dives deeper into this subject, and offers a 15-page report on the meanings of these repeating numbers. She gives explanations into the sightings and meanings. Definitely something to check out, if you are plagued by repeating numbers. Basically, these are messages from your spirit guide and angels.

Tuesday morning, a message came at 2:22 AM. Yes, I was up at this time. :) I had just laid down after working on some writing and glanced at the clock. Coincidence - I guess if you believe in such a thing, we could go with that.

According to Laura, 222 means the next step in the ladder, confirmation that your thoughts are aligned with truth and you should proceed with that thought.

I was writing before I saw the message, pondering over my goals for the coming year. So, if this message is truly from the spirit guides, guess I'm on the right track.

Share your thoughts and experiences with repeating numbers.

Have a great Thursday!

Technical Difficulties

2011-12-06T23:15:00.001-05:00

Yes, once again, I'm having technical difficulties here at Footsteps of a Writer, and of course at my other blog.

Warning - Never, ever, paste an image onto your blogger blog.

It took me a good while to figure out what was causing my problem, but finally found the issue. On Thanksgiving, I pasted rather than uploaded the images on the blog(s). This caused the html coding to be extremely long, which caused my feed to be to big, which made bother feed burner and twitter to quit using the feed. Leave it to me to cause such a problem, right?

The worse part is I made many changes elsewhere before I discovered the true problem. So, now the feed to my blog is not the same. Anyone subscribed will have to re-subscribe - I believe. Now, I may be totally wrong in this, but if you continue to not receive updates and such, you will need to re-subscribe. I am so sorry for any inconvenience this may cause for anyone.

Thank you all for your support.

After posting this, I discovered another problem which may be of interest to anyone using Feedburner.com. Google bought them out, seems like a while back, but now I can't get to my account. So, I believe anyone signed up with continue to get their email updates.

I would appreciate it if you would delete that subscription and sign up through the new link on the blog. This gives me the ability to control the output on this end. Again, I do apologize for all the inconvenience.

Do crystals really have special powers?

2011-12-01T21:37:00.005-05:00

The healing powers of crystals is a subject I've only mildly researched, but figured it was worth a try.

I've experience major negativity in my work place and it was really bringing me down, both physically and spiritually.

At first, I carried a clear quartz in my pocket, but it only seemed to mildly disrupt the flow of negativity surrounding me. I finally decided to go a step further and am glad I did.

With my new amethyst crystal necklace - seen in the photo - I have been freed of the largest proportion of the negative energy. It's still there in the workplace, but it no longer effects me in the same way.

Each type of crystal has different power abilities. Concentrating on protection, I chose the amethyst.

Protection: Amethyst is a crystal of protection, because it repels more than it attracts.

The Amethyst also represents the Crown Chakra, and is known to increase spiritual awareness.

My anxiety level was extremely high by the time the necklace arrived. For the first two nights, I wore it to bed to help me sleep. It's ability to ward off nightmares proved true, but I experienced a lack of dreams all together. Feeling dreams are a way of the mind to work through daily matters, I discontinued the process of wearing the necklace to bed.

It's been almost a month and I feel so much better than I did before I placed my crystal around my neck.

Have you used crystals for protection? Do you have suggestions on learning more about the power of crystals? Share your thoughts/experiences.

Thanksgiving Prayer

2011-11-24T06:12:00.002-05:00

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Seduced by Darkness available for purchase

2011-11-23T18:56:00.002-05:00

Seduced by Darkness is now available at eTreasures Publishing.

Blurb:

Geneva Chilton, warned against human contact, betrays her family in order to be close to the world she longs to join. Intrigued by an artist’s work and his ability to capture life on canvas, Geneva steps too close to the boundaries and discovers love, but what price will she have to pay?

Lewis Hunt, intrigued by Geneva’s beauty and determined to capture it on canvas, discovers he needs more. Lewis needs the real woman behind the beauty. His course leads him to her, but also to danger. How hard is he willing to fight for a woman of darkness, a vampire?

Trouble connecting?

2011-11-17T14:41:00.000-05:00

Are you having trouble connecting during your tarot reading? Do the cards not feel right? Does the reading feel completely off? Do you feel your mind wondering elsewhere while shuffling, rather than on the question at hand?

One of the most important aspects of performing a reading is to have a connection, so what's wrong?

First, you should look at the cards.

Is it a new deck? You may need more time with them before you feel the right connection. Or, the deck may not be for you. Using the right deck is important, and the choice of decks will vary from one reader to another. Decks are not equal. One reader will find one deck useful, while another may find no connection at all.
Is it a deck you use often? The cards may need to be cleansed. The quickest way to do this is to burn incense and move the cards through the smoke.

Next, look at yourself. If you are stressed, the energies will corrupt your reading. There are many ways to improve your own energy, which in turn will improve your reading ability.

Burn incense or candles.
Use totems. (an object to better connect yourself with the situation of the reading)
Use crystals. Placing crystals near you will absorb negativity. Different crystals specialize in different areas.
Meditate. Take a few moments to free your mind and ground yourself.
Relax. Take a walk. Read from your favorite book. Do a word puzzle. Anything to give your mind a moments break.

Finally, look at your environment.

Make yourself comfortable. Your work area should suit you, rather it's a chair and desk, a bed, the floor, etc. Most readings take a while, the more comfortable you are, the less distraction.
Remove the clutter. Is your area large enough for your spread? Having to move items around as you lay your cards out is a huge distraction.

Happy Tarot Reading!

Can you have too many tarot decks?

2011-11-10T21:13:00.006-05:00

Can you have too many tarot decks?

I ask myself this question as I order two more decks: Crystal Visions Tarot and Tea Leaf Fortune Cards.

Sounds like a trick question to me. In my defense, the second deck are fortune cards.

Seriously, you can use them all at once, but you can learn from each deck. Also, you will find special connections with certain cards. You can always gift the ones you decide you don't bond with.

My list of deck grows longer with each year, but my two main decks remain Legacy of the Divine and Mystic Dreamer Tarot. With these two decks, I found a automatic connection. I do however enjoy all of my decks, and have favorite cards in each.

What decks do you own? Do you have a favorite? Do you use them all?

Technical Difficulties

2011-11-05T16:58:00.002-04:00

It seems I've managed to mess up both my blogs. The images are gone, replaced by icky black boxes. I guess when I moved ownership over to different email addresses and deleted the old account, I managed to do away with whatever links Picasa Web Albums to the blogs.

Have patience, this may take quite a while, but I will get it all back in order.

Thanks,

Cher

Story Creating with the Tarot

2011-11-03T14:59:00.007-04:00

Tarot cards are tools. The jobs are numerous.

For writers, the tarot can help activate creative muscle, ignite a story idea.

One layout is the beginning, middle, end. The cards you see are an example of this layout. All stories contain these three parts and one card represents each.

Example tarot reading for creating a story.

Beginning - 21 The World (reversed) - This card represents a reluctance to let go. One is unable to reach the goal, because of unfinished business.

The main character of this story has unfinished business to attend to before moving forward.

Middle - 7 The Chariot - This card represents the need to balance opposing forces to move forward.

So, let's say the main character is struggling with the need to complete something from the past and the need to complete a current project.

End - Knight of Wands - This Knight is all about change - physical, emotional, spiritual. In the image, you notice two dragons fighting. Could this be the opposing forces at the climax of the story?

The main character, unable to balance the forces, is faced with the clashing of the two, which leaves him a changed man.

Story Overview - The main character is stuck in the past, unable to move forward. The only solution is to find balance, but he can't. In the end, the choice is made for him as the forces collide. He must gain control of these forces before it's too late.

Could these opposing forces be two women? A ex-wife, who he still cares for, and his current wife, who he loves but only married to find closure to his failed marriage.

This is how stories begin, with just a spark.

Give this a try and see what creative thoughts you can ignite.

Are Tarot Cards Bad?

2011-10-27T21:30:00.001-04:00

Does one speak to spirits when using tarot cards? Do tarot cards open one up to bad spirits? Do they attract negative spirits? Does the tarot have anything to do with spirits at all? Are tarot cards bad?

A deck of tarot cards are made of paper and ink, nothing more. There's nothing magical or evil within them. Tarot cards are a tool, not a doorway into the spirit world.

Any evil projected into a deck of tarot cards comes from the handler, not the cards themself.

The card you see is the High Priestess. She represents intuitive awareness, the inner voice, and tapping into a higher power. This is what you use when you do a reading using the tarot cards. This is within each of us, the tarot is simply a tool to help access those abilities. A guide to assessing our journey on the physical plane.

Today's Journey Tarot

2011-10-23T06:33:00.001-04:00

Today’s Journey Tarot created by Expanding Dimensions, illustrated by Christopher Wilkey

When I first heard about this modern day version of the Tarot, at first I was hesitant to obtain my own deck. I’m so glad I did. This deck is a wonderful step toward bringing new people into the world of Tarot. The images are clearer to modern day life. This will make a great addition to the collector, the reader, or the beginner.

The cards are easy to handle. Although a little hard to shuffle at first, a little clingy, the cards become more manageable over time. Along with a nice little white companion book, the cards fit nicely into their cardboard box with magnetic lid. (Schiffer has set a new standard with these new boxes, and I hope others may follow.)

There are a few changes with this deck compared with the Rider Waite, other than the images. The Majors have become Keys with new names. The Cups, Pentacles (Coins), Sword, and Wands are now Water, Earth, Air, and Fire. The images are creatively set to the modern version of the old meanings of the Tarot. For the most part, I found the images intriguing and nicely done. The only problem I have is some of the faces seem a little cartoonish, but I can overcome this one issue due to all the good elements of the deck.

I wanted to give at least one example of the types of messages presented in this deck. After a major struggle over choosing just one, I settled on 10 of the Major Arcana, changed from The Wheel of Fortune to Life. The image is of a roller-coaster ride. What better way to represent Life! The Little White Book’s entry begins with the keywords: Destiny, Cycles, and Perspective. It then goes into an explanation of the image beginning with: Life is filled with ups and downs.

As you look upon the card, you see a house representing the beginning and end of the ride. Each element appears in the colors of the pennants.

As the rider of the roller-coaster of life, we go through many aspects of the elements, many emotions, and different situations. Once on the ride, you can’t get off until it’s over. This is a card of destiny.

From the Little White Book – In a reading, this card represents the ups and downs of life. A new cycle may be beginning and an old one ending. There may be a need to expand your perspective to see the bigger picture. Accept your destiny.

I highly recommend this deck to any reader, both new and experienced.

To purchase from Schiffer Books.

To learn more about Expanding Dimensions LLC http://www.todaysjourneytarot.com/About_Us.html

To learn more about Christopher G. Wilkey: http://www.extopiastudios.com/

Visit Website: http://www.todaysjourneytarot.com/

Creating Your Own Tarot Spread

2011-10-20T12:00:00.001-04:00

There are many tarot spreads available for the tarot reader, but sometimes you want, possibly need, something more. Creating your own tarot spread is relatively easy and can bring new insight to your tarot journey.

There are some aspects you should consider when creating your own spread:

Number of cards
Related issue - general, romance, career, etc.
Card positions - past, present, etc.
Possible visual aspect - cross, flower, etc.

As you create your spread, take notes and keep a record of both the new spread and the reading results. Naming your spread is also a nice touch, and a quick way to remember the spread for later use.

Example: Let's say you are in the situation of choosing between two relationships. One is an old friend who has recently expressed feelings of furthering the relationship, the other is a new person. You're not sure which to choose, or even if you should choose either. To help you make your decision, you've decided to create your own tarot spread.

This is a situation of two roads, so let's go with seven cards in a romance spread. I'm also thinking a horse shoe image.

Positions:

Questioner, who I am
Person One, who he is
Person Two, who he is
Person One, what can he offer me
Person Two, what can he offer me
Person One, possible relationship outlook
Person Two, possible relationship outlook

Your layout would look something like this:

6 7
4 5
2 3
1

Possible Names: Relationship Choice Spread, Which Love to Follow, Choices of the Heart

Be creative and don't be afraid to explore beyond what a tarot text can bring you. The tarot is about intuition, use it to it's full potential.

Have a wonderful Thursday!

4 of Wands - Reflections

2011-10-13T11:16:00.002-04:00

Today, I asked for a reflection card. The 4 of Wands represents a safe-haven, and a well deserved rest. It symbolizes a time of rest and reward after a laborious task.

As I look upon the card's image, I see a canopy formed by the carefully placed wands and the energies supplied from a higher source. Within this protective field, The grass is green, the stream flows, and a rainbow promises hope for the future. On careful examination, one will notice everything outside this area is dying - the trees bare of growth, the skies stormy, and the earth burning. Within the safe-haven, there is a sense of growth and prosperity.

The Tarot suggests I stay with this haven today, take a moment of rest to recuperate. By doing so, I will find more growth and prosperity, than I will if I keep up the grueling pace of working constantly. To avoid burnout, I must find this safe-haven and learn to take the peace and quiet it offers.

Announcement

2011-10-07T07:11:00.004-04:00

I find myself in a position of unbalance and what feels like chaos. In truth, I’ve put myself in a spot where I can’t keep up with everything. I have no time for writing, reading, and all the other projects I’ve set up. I need to be advertising my book. I need to be preparing for whatever the post office might throw at me, in terms of do I have a job or not.

I’ve went about the process of pulling in editorial work, but you can imagine this is a struggle. Between post office work and editing jobs my time is sparse. So, it’s time to make changes and make some sacrifices. I’m going to take this slow, in hopes everything will come together in time.

What does this have to do with the blogs? Cuts start here. I’ve met so many people through both my blogs and gained so many friends and acquaintances. My two blogs are my home away from home, and closing them down would be like killing my friend. So, to keep from closing them, I’ve chosen to cut back instead. Please bear with me through the changes, and hopefully one day life will settle down and I can go back to the old routine.

Here is the schedule I plan to keep for now.

Tuesdays - Footsteps of a Writer (I do have a few guest blogs and interviews set up which will not correspond with this day.)

Thursdays – Tarot Guidance

Sundays will be set aside for any type of reviews: Writing How to Books, Fiction Books, Tarot Cards, Spiritual Books, etc. (These posts will occur when available, not weekly.)

Wednesday will be promo day. Any exciting news about my writing journey will appear on this day. (These posts will occur when available, not weekly.)

The Newsletter will continue as usual, releasing during the first week of each month.

If you are interested in guest blogging or being interviewed on either blog, please contact me, and we’ll get you set up.

You don’t know how much weight has lifted off my shoulders just by this one change. Cutting my blogging in half will allow a little more room to move. I hope you all understand this slight change, and chose to continue following my journey through life.

Best wishes,
Cher

Connecting with the Tarot Cards and their meanings

2011-10-06T16:34:00.001-04:00

One way to better associate the meanings of the cards is to connect them with your own life.

As you read, you will notice some cards continue to show up. A process you may find useful is keeping a chart of all the cards and marking the ones repeating themselves within your readings. Make note of the card’s position, for the meaning changes slightly because of this aspect.

The main point is to become aware of repeating obstacles or lessons you face. Breaking cycles in life’s path is useful for growing as an individual and one of the hardest lessons for each of us to learn.

I’ve chosen the 10 of Wands as the image for this post because it is a card which continuously reveals itself to me. I tend to overextend myself and then wonder why I can’t get anything done. I’m one of those people who find it hard to say no, but I’m working on this issue. One day, I will break the cycle and the heavy burden will be lifted.

Sometimes, it’s not a card which reappears but a message. As you all know, some cards have very similar meanings, and when looked at the right way will re-create similar messages you received in other readings.

If you use the cards for personal growth, a tarot journal is extremely important. You are only spinning your wheels if you don’t write the readings down and revisit them from time to time. As you grow as a reader, you will tend to experiment with the larger spreads. But, I suggest three card readings as a daily process to discover your path and possible obstacles.

A three card reading can have positions such as: past, present, future – influences, main situation, influences– and so on. Or, they can have no position at all, giving an overview of your current situation. Use whatever you feel most comfortable with, but I’d suggest for this one week to repeat the same spread to get a better view of the cards and their meanings.

Give it a try. Take a week of three card readings, and see if you don’t discover at least one pattern playing out in your daily lives.

Best wishes,
Cher

3 of Coins - Reflections

2011-10-02T14:56:00.001-04:00

Today, I asked for a reflection card. The 3 of Coins is one of my favorite tarot cards. It deals with hard work, putting your skills to good use. It also speaks of recognition for your talents, skills and accomplishments.

As I look upon the card’s image, I see a man who has already completed two projects and is now finishing up a third. Everything he needs is within reach. For me, the older male suggests time spent perfecting this talent. This isn’t about throwing something together – production, it’s about taking the time to really put yourself into the task at hand.

I feel by offering this card, the Tarot suggests I spend less time thinking about how much I can accomplish in a certain amount of time, and more time on the quality of the completed project.

Untied Shoelaces of the Mind Anthology 2011

2011-10-01T05:35:00.002-04:00

My short story, Friends Forever, is now in print and available for purchase.

Tarot Leaves by Beth Seilonen

2011-09-29T07:57:00.001-04:00

Explore the Tarot through the beauty of nature as seen in images drawn within the silhouettes of the Maple, Apple, Oak, and Birch leaves. Utilizing color to convey the meanings on 78 artistic Tarot cards, each card is represented by a leaf in which innovative images and symbols are hidden. Colorful and intricate, the leaf image overlaps the imagery message and vice versa. The magician phrase, “Now you see it; now you don’t,” surely applies as, with each reading, some images are noticed and seem to “pop” from the leaf, while other symbols are overlooked to be seen at another time. Enjoy the simple beauty of nature as you explore the roots of Tarot.

Following the tradition of the Major and Minor Arcana, Seilonen adds a new personality to the tarot with this deck. Showing the images through the silhouette of tree leaves, through a prism of nature, she takes one step toward making this deck unique, but goes a little further with her artwork. The soft pastel colors and the gentle scenery take the tarot to a new level.

The packaging of this deck is also an amazing aspect. The deck and accompanying book come in a hard cardboard laminated box, which closes firmly with a magnet. The sturdy book includes interpretations for both the upright and reversals of each card, along with suggested spreads. The cards are of sturdy card stock. And again, everything fits right back into the box for storage.

This deck would make a wonderful addition on any collector’s shelf. A tarot reader would also find joy with its images and soft pastel coloring. I wouldn’t highly recommend this deck to someone new to the tarot, but I also wouldn’t say a straight out no. The book’s interpretations and the images within the cards make perfect sense; it just may take longer to be able to do a reading without the book’s help.

It is suggested the images overlap within the leaf artwork giving hidden meanings that ‘pop’ forth when required. I haven’t had this happen yet, but do look forward to the excitement of such an occurrence.

ISBN: 9780764339035

Available for purchase: Schiffer Publication http://www.schifferbooks.com/newschiffer/book_template.php?isbn=9780764339035