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Now, this brings us to the preconceived notions.  Sometimes a seeker will “test” the reader by refusing to ask a question.  While it’s understandable to want to assure yourself that you get a good reader, testing the reader is a total waste of money and time, for both of you.  Here’s why.  Divination works best when the energy is focused down.  This is why a proper question is so critical to a reading. 

People assume that asking a defined question gives too much information to the reader.  The preconceived notion is that to ask a question will result in a magician’s reading rather than a true psychic reading.  It’s not about giving too much or too little information to the reader.  It’s all about the energy.  Way back in the dark ages when the computer industry was in its fledgling stage, one of the first things taught to computer language students was the old “Garbage In Garbage Out” scenario.  If you put garbage into computer language, you get garbage out.  A divinatory tool is exactly the same.  If you put muddy energy in, you will get muddy energy out.  So asking a defined question sharpens the energy and draws out a better response.  Ideally, a clear, defined answer is what you want, right?

Imagine energy in its natural state.  It’s everywhere, spread throughout the universe in all directions.  Now imagine that your body is a part of that energy, but the energy of your soul is focused down into a human form.  This focused energy animates your body and keeps it alive.  Now imagine part of that scattered energy in the universe being manipulated into a glowing ball above your head.  Imagine that this glowing ball is the dilemma you face.  Now as you pose a defined question, imagine that this glowing ball forms a funnel that directs the energy downward into a pinpoint in space-time. 

To further illustrate this point, let’s describe the difference between a lousy question to ask the tarot and a defined question.

A man seeks out a tarot reader.  The man has a question in mind, but he doesn’t want to “inadvertently” give the tarot reader too much information, because in order for this man to believe in psychic experience, someone has to prove it to him by telling him things that a stranger could never possibly know.  So, this man finds a tarot reader, sits down at the little table before him, and asks for a tarot reading.  The tarot reader asks if he has a particular question, to which the man replies no.  At this point, the tarot reader might suggest that a question is in order, that she does not do an open reading. The man fumbles, falters, stammers, stutters and finally says that he can’t think of a single question.  So, the tarot reader performs an open reading.  Some things are revealed in the reading, and this intrigues the man, so he decides to go ahead and pose a question.

“What about my relationship with my wife’s kids?”  This is an example of an unfocused question.  This is a muddy energy put in and it’s about to give muddy energy back.

The cards pulled are the Ace of Cups, Judgment, and the Six of Swords.  WOW!  If the reader only pulled the Ace of Cups, the reader would be inclined to say that the man has a wonderful relationship with his wife’s kids. Hmmm.  But add Judgment and the Six of Swords to that mix, and the meaning becomes unclear.  After all, the reader has no idea just how many kids are involved, what age they are, and why the man asked.  Since each card modifies the other, there are many ways to read this three-card spread.  A beginner might look at the cards and see that the man has a great relationship with his wife’s kids, that a new situation is emerging, and the family might move into a new house.  Even a professional reader might have trouble focusing in on the real, underlying issue that caused the man to pose the question in the first place.  Why go through the hassle of by-guess and by-gosh?  Asking a better question saves a whole lot of time.

Now let’s look at this a different way.  A focused question would be: “I’ve been concerned about my relationship with my stepson.  Is there any way I can improve that situation?”

Now you’ve focused the energy, and you can expect a clear answer.

Using the same cards, we can see that there are possibilities for the relationship to improve.  The man might be a tad too hard on the stepson, and may actually be a little judgmental of the stepson.  The cards drawn suggest that the man should move away from a position of judgment, to let go of his intellectualized evaluation of the son, and work toward having the family working in unison and improving communication.  To do so could resurrect a floundering situation and give it new life.

You can clearly see the difference that a focused question makes.  The focused question did not “give” the reader too much information about the man and his family.  Rather the focused question helped direct the reader to the best possible answer.

This is what tarot reading is all about: focusing energy into a clear result.

This explanation can be beneficial for both the beginning tarot reader seeking answers for themselves or an individual seeking a consultation with a professional tarot reader.

If you have no particular question in mind, an open reading can be useful.  In such cases, a spread that highlights the surrounding energy can certainly give the seeker some different perspectives and perhaps even some direction in life in general.  But when it comes to a dilemma, the focused question is the key to a resolution.  If a seeker is concerned about revealing too much, then simply confirm or deny with phrases like, “Yes, that makes sense to me” or “No, I can’t confirm that” or “Can you be a little more clear?”

So, let’s look again at the “should” and “should nots.”

Shoulds:

• 1) Relax
• 2) Ask a focused question

Should Nots:

• 1) Don’t test the reader. Psychic energy doesn’t work the way the mainstream population believes it does. Perceptions are subtle and very rarely detailed enough to start whipping out names, dates, and color of clothing worn on the tenth wedding anniversary.
• 2) Don’t ask a muddy, unfocused question and expect a clear answer.

When going into a professional tarot reading, remember that you paid for this service, and the energy that you carry into that room with you can also affect the outcome of the reading.  Your energy can affect the cards.  So, make sure that you are relaxed, open to connecting with your Higher Self, and open-minded about the reader.  Also, leave any preconceived notions at the door.  A tarot reader who is also intuitive will pick up on that energy, and this will make the tarot reader uncomfortable and can actually deplete the reader’s energy so that the reader has difficulty accessing Higher Knowledge.

If you’ve never had a tarot reading before, tell the tarot reader that you haven’t.  Also, if you are nervous about the reading, tell the reader.  Legitimate, responsible readers will make sure that you are comfortable before they begin the reading, and will oftentimes explain how tarot works so that you can understand and just relax and enjoy the process.

Also, make sure that you have a good rapport with the tarot reader, and check your own energy, or feelings about that person.  It’s important that you feel comfortable and confident. 

I keep a code of ethics posted in my reading room so that my clients know and understand that I have their best interests at heart and that I have a firm foundation of honest practice. 

Don’t be afraid to ask the reader questions, like: “How long have you been reading tarot?” and “Do you have a posted code of ethics?”  or “Do you belong to any tarot organizations?”

Tarot certification is no real indicator of how good someone is, so I don’t consider this to be a true measurement for the seeker.  However, I do highly recommend that you ask some questions so that you feel confident with your reader.  Also, it is wise to ask around and find out what other people have experienced with the same reader.  For the most part, the community will know which readers are legitimate, and asking around can help you avoid the pitfalls of a scam artist.  But be sure you ask someone who has had real experience with the reader in question and that the person is open to psychic experience. You don’t want a non-believer to cause you to miss out on an enlightening experience.

Sometimes a seeker will find that if they go into a reading with a combative, challenging, or disbelieving attitude, the legitimate, intuitive tarot reader may choose not to read for that person.  An intuitive will not want to muddy their energy by reading for someone who doesn’t believe or waste their time with someone who is only out to challenge them.  True psychics learn to protect their energy and their vibration.  So, keep this in mind as well.  Remember, garbage in garbage out.

Hopefully, this article has offered you some more useful tools and suggestions to help you understand the nature of energy, the Higher Self, and psychic experience.

Good luck in your endeavors, and, as always, enjoy the path.

Copyright 2009 Cassy’s Tarot

It’s a misconception to believe that psychics should never ask the client questions. We all do it. Because we need clarity. That is not to say that you should “lead” the psychic. Reputable psychics don’t want to be led. They want you to confirm what they are saying, nothing more. However, there are times when psychics need clarity from the client to help the psychic interpret a symbol they are being shown. To help you understand, let me explain how some psychics receive knowledge. Now, I use the word knowledge, because psi “hits” are mostly just a simple “knowing.” You know that you know that you know.

Psychics are given knowledge in many ways. You may have read about clairaudience, clairsentience, and the like. Well, I’m going to just toss those big words out and tell you in simple terms.

Psychics dream “spiritual knowledge,” hear “spiritual knowledge,” feel “spiritual knowledge,” and sometimes see, or have visions of “spiritual knowledge.” In addition, some psychics can smell or taste certain things at particular times. For this article, we will focus on the dreams, the hearing, and the feeling. The most common manifestations are in dreams and feelings. But I will also comment on clauraudience, or clear hearing.

I have NEVER known a true psychic to get information via having LONG conversations with their spirit guides. This, to me, is the mark of a charlatan. Let’s look to science to explain why. Everything, and by that I mean EVERYTHING in existence, vibrates at a certain frequency. The atoms that make up the chair you are sitting in vibrate at a specific frequency. The atoms in your body vibrate at a certain frequency. In fact, everything around you is vibrating at different frequencies, which in turn means that everything around you exists in a state of energy. The table you touch is an energy pattern. You are energy. Your soul is energy, vibrating at a higher frequency than your physical body. That is why I call your body the physical manifestation. Your body is literally a manifestation of energy. Your thoughts are energy. (This has also been scientifically studied, with some startling results.) Now, let’s apply that scientific knowledge to the spirit world. Everything that you can see, smell, taste, and touch is vibrating at particular frequencies, which happen to be in a lower range than spiritual energies. Spirits dwell in a much, much higher frequency. In order for a spirit to communicate with someone on a physical plane, they have to lower their vibration. This is why most psychics vibrate at much higher frequencies than people who are less inclined to be psychic. It’s not that you can’t vibrate at that frequency. You simply have to want to vibrate at that frequency. A spirit can and will lower their vibration, but this is presumably a difficult process. Some psychics will tell you that it is difficult to maintain high vibrations for long periods of time. It takes energy. Some sessions for psychics can be really exhausting. It’s just as difficult for a spirit to lower their vibration and reach us. So, you can clearly see here that spirits are not going to hang around and talk to you all day long.

It’s much easier for “psychic knowledge” to manifest in a prophetic dream. This is when our soul is free of the encumbrances of the physical world. In fact, most psychic phenomenon does occur in dream states. Prophetic dreams offer the most detailed knowledge, simply because this “state of being” can be sustained for a longer period of time.

Hearing “spiritual knowledge” is not as cut and dried as it sounds. When a psychic hears something from a spirit, it is usually so fleeting that we almost miss it, and sometimes do miss it entirely. It can be one or two words, and that’s it. I’ll give you an example. I was jerked awake one night by a male voice screaming, “fourteen feet that way.” After I got over the fright of being so rudely awakened, I lay there for a time, asking the question, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” No answer came. Two days later, a huge oak tree that sits fourteen feet from my bedroom split in half and came crashing down. So, you can see how easy it is to mis-interpret the words given by spirit. How was I supposed to know that the man was yelling about the tree? I didn’t even know the tree was fourteen feet away until it fell apart and I measured the distance. I did this because I realized after the fact that the tree was the key.

The spirit world can be super, duper frustrating. You know a message is coming through but you can’t always figure out what it means. A spirit may simply offer a number. Oooh, that’s helpful, huh? That’s why a psychic may say the number to the client and then start asking questions, like, “Who has a birthday in November?” And so on.

The “feeling” form of psychic phenomenon happens to all of us. This is the gut instinct, the feeling that something is not right, that sense that you should not get on that plane. Learn to trust this, and you are way ahead of the pack. Learn to trust this, because it never steers you wrong. Learn to trust this, and your life will be enhanced by the process. These feelings almost never come in complete thoughtforms. They simply hit with a force that cannot be ignored. And they always seem to come in the form of saving you, or someone you love, from harm. Like a sudden feeling not to get on an elevator, not to go on that cruise. They simply are.

The “seeing” form of psychic phenomena is not what it seems. These are not hallucinations, which are literally a movie show that a damaged brain can produce. Rather, this “seeing”, otherwise known as “visions” can come in a much different way. In your mind’s eye, you may suddenly have a sense of flowers, or diamonds, or…anything. Psychics get these images in much the same way as the words and numbers. A simple, oftentimes single concept. This is why a psychic may say to a client, “What’s with the white rose?” It makes sense to the client, but not to the psychic.

Here is another example of the simplicity involved. One day, I had a visit from a male friend. I had never, ever told this male friend that I had psi events. (It can be a tad uncomfortable for some people because they assume you can read their every thought, and that simply is not the case at all.) But, for some reason, on this particular day, a name kept coming to me so strongly that I just blurted out, “Why do I see the name Andre around you?”

The guy nearly fell over. He looked at me, startled, and said, “How could you possibly know that?”

I merely smiled. Turns out, he did business with someone whose secretary could never get his name right, and she was always calling him Andre, even though that was not his name. This had become a joke between them.

Now, this is not earth-shattering, but I’m sure there was a deeper meaning to this moment that only my friend could determine. He was so freaked out by this event that he cut his visit short.

In reading these examples, I hope this gives you greater insight into how psychics receive information, and why we don’t always interpret things so precisely without asking clarity questions. Many times, a psychic does get a “hot hit” and is so attuned that no clarity is required. It all depends on the vibration rate at that particular time, not only of the psychic but also of the client and the soul and the spirit guide, if indeed a spirit guide is helping at that time.

Enjoy the Path.

Copyright 2009 Cassy’s Tarot

PSI NOTES 1

Did you know that psi (or psychic) phenomena have been scientifically studied, documented, and proven? Over the years, many well-known scientists have expressed an interest in psychic abilities. Mainly because the evidence for the reality of psychic abilities is unquestionable and difficult to ignore. In fact, some scientists who have tried to sweep psi phenomenon under the rug were later turned into believers by the overwhelming  evidence. However, it has also been documented that some people are more psychic than others. I believe this is due to the level of the soul’s development. But I also believe that everyone can learn to use their intuition as a guide, and I do believe that all people have psychic abilities. Still, there are practitioners who will exagerate their abilities. This is not good for you, the client. The good news is, there are some easy ways to determine if you are going to the psychic who is right for you. You only have to trust your instinct. It’s as simple as that. Let me explain.

First, reputable psychics will admit that they do not always connect. Reputable psychics will refund money if they cannot connect. But don’t let this discourage you. This does not mean that the person is not psychic. It simply means that the person has a moral standard. This also does not mean that this same psychic might not do well by you at a later time. It’s easy to block psychic abilities, when a psychic needs a break. Being tuned in to such high frequencies can be exhausting at times, and every psychic needs proper rest. But it’s not so easy to “turn on” whenever you want to. There are meditations and simple methods to enhance abilities, or prepare and open yourself to abilities, but…as I stated before, sometimes you just can’t connect. And there may be good reasons for this.  Sometimes, you are simply not supposed to know certain things. This may be due to your soul path and your soul’s development. Some things may need to happen in order to catalyze you to do something else, something your soul entered this world to accomplish. And if you are forewarned, and that warning causes your physical manifestation to turn down another path, your soul may miss this opportunity for development. Therefore, a psychic may be blocked from this knowledge. Dare I say, your own spirit guide may be the one doing the blocking.

Sometimes, the energy between the psychic and the client just doesn’t mix well. It’s that simple. This is where your own intuition needs to be sharpened, so you can determine if you want to even bother to co-mingle in a negative energy situation.

There are ways you can help enhance your reading. Before you go to your psychic, upon awakening in the morning, commit to having a stress-free day as best you can. Keep your thoughts light and positive. Don’t dwell on negative feelings and events. Before your visit, take a few moments for some deep breathing. There is a meditation that I offer in my book Tarot Cassy’s Way that can also help you during a reading. I highly recommend this meditation. A quick version is as follows: Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose. Hold this breath for the count of three. Then slowly exhale that breath through your mouth. As you take these slow, deep breaths, focus your attention on your chest, at the heart level, and imagine a glowing green orb there. It is best to take ten of these cleansing breaths while focusing on this green orb in the area of your heart. After these ten breaths, you might say something like, “I am now open and receptive to any messages coming from spirit.” The full meditation can be found in Tarot Cassy’s Way by Cassy LeBedz.

Now, before you go inside to meet your psychic, make sure that your mind is clear of all thoughts from the day, and that you are not carrying any baggage with you. For example, if you had an argument with your spouse during a cellphone conversation on the drive over, you will most likely miss the subtle nature of your intuition when it gives you a “hit.” This is why I suggest going through your day with as little stress and upset as possible.

When you enter the psychic’s domain, try to remain focused on this area of your chest, at the heart level, and see what sort of gut reactions you get upon first meeting the psychic. Is he or she smiling? Is he or she pleasant? Does he or she give you a feeling of welcome and comfort? The truest “sense” will come within the first ten seconds of your meeting. It’s easy to miss something that fleeting. But the previous meditation will put you in a relaxed state, which will allow you to notice these subtle energies more effectively.  If you get a good feeling, you are in the right place. If you get a negative feeling, perhaps you should hold off and wait for another opportunity with a different psychic.

I will continue this discussion in the next article.

Enjoy the Path.

Copyright 2009 Cassy’s Tarot