The Gift of Talking to Trees

Back in May of 2011, I had the distinct pleasure and great honor of meeting Grandmother Margaret Behan, one of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers, at an event at the Vashon Intuitive Arts center on Vashon Island, WA. I told her the story I’m about to tell you, and she asked me to promise her that I would write about it on my blog; she said there were possibly others who had the same gift but may have been afraid to use it because they simply thought they might be going crazy. It’s taken me a while to get around to doing this, but I believe that things happen when they’re supposed to happen. Now is the time for me to keep my promise to Grandmother Margaret. She is someone I certainly wouldn’t want to disappoint.

A few years ago, a couple of Tarot colleagues did readings for me (separately, of course) and I was intrigued by one point that each of them made to me during the readings. They said that my gift for reading the Tarot was just one of several gifts I have in me. They both indicated that more of my gifts would expose themselves over time and that I should embrace them fully. “But all I really want to do is read the Tarot.” “Well, Mike, Spirit and the Universe have other plans for you. You’ll be doing more than just reading cards; in fact, you’ll get to the point that you won’t really need them anymore.” I was shocked by the last statement because I really love my cards! “Well,” I said, “I’m keeping my cards despite any other gifts that may pop up.” I’m still reading my beloved cards, but a wonderful gift did reveal itself soon after those readings.

A Spiritual Gift Appears When You Least Expect It

This is really true, isn’t it? People seem to think that spiritual gifts appear via things such as visions, whispered angelic voices, mystical symbolic signs, or some great metaphysical fanfare. The reality is that they appear at the most unlikely times and in the most unlikely places and circumstances. That was most certainly true in my case.

So what gift, then, appeared to me in such a fashion?

I discovered I can speak to trees.

This happened absolutely unexpectedly, in the most unlikely location under the most unlikely circumstances. (See? Just like I said.) It’s probably a good thing that my new gift revealed itself as it did because I might not have believed it had it happened under a more metaphysical or mystical set of circumstances. Had it happened in the latter case, I might have thought it was just all in my mind. Here’s what happened.

A few years ago, I was working at Microsoft and was on a team that helped manage and run TechEd, Microsoft’s premiere developer conference. We were holding the conference at the Orlando Convention Center that year, and our staff was staying at the Rosen Centre Hotel. The hotel is located just across the street, immediately east of the conference center and it’s a short ten minute walk from the hotel entrance to the east entrance of the conference center. There was a short grove of trees along the sidewalk between the hotel driveway entrance and the street between the hotel and the conference center, and I passed them every day on my way to and from the conference.

The grove had a beautiful mix of young and old shade trees, and I especially enjoyed walking by them every morning. I’m not very fond of heat (meaning anything over 63 degrees) and the trees provided a cool shade that made me feel good and helped me wake up enough mentally to prepare myself for the day’s work ahead. Little did I know that one of these trees would change my life forever in a very major way.

The conference was a week long and our team arrived a few days ahead of time so that we could make last minute preparations and ensure that we were ready to welcome our speakers and conference attendees. I noticed the trees on the very first day that I had to walk from the hotel to the conference center. Needless to say, I was very happy that they were there to provide shade on my morning walks to the conference. On the second day, though, I noticed that there was a construction crew with a few backhoes working behind a fenced area located in front of the trees. (It’s odd that I didn’t initially notice that the trees were behind a fence.) They were busily working on breaking apart what looked to be an old parking lot or concrete foundation of a building that used to be there. “Perhaps they’re going to build a new wing or maybe a multi-level parking lot” I thought to myself. I took one last look and proceeded on the conference center ready to join my first meeting of the day.

Here’s the part of the story that I remember very vividly to this day, as if this all happened only yesterday.

On Monday morning, the very first day of the conference, I made it a point to wake up early. I wanted to make sure that I was completely awake and fresh so that I could start the day’s work and help kickoff the conference itself with as much focus and enthusiasm as I could bring to bear. I went down to the restaurant and had a great breakfast (I ordered off the menu and avoided the buffet) and a hot, tasty espresso. I went back upstairs to my room, grabbed my water bottle and backpack, and headed back downstairs to make the short walk to the conference center. As I walked outside from the lobby, I noticed that the day was clear and sunny and that there was a nice, fresh, crisp feel in the air. “This is going to be a great day” I thought to myself.

As I walked down the sidewalk toward the grove of trees, I happened to glance to my left. To my horror, I saw one of the backhoes knocking and whacking the trees with its long arm, apparently in an attempt to knock them down and clear them from the area. I was stunned. I was speechless. I was horrified. I couldn’t figure out why I was feeling this way as I had seen trees being cleared from an area before and I never reacted in this manner. Without even thinking about it, I immediately felt compelled to run to the grove of trees and stand in front of the larger, older tree. I looked straight up into the tree and said, “Oh my god! Why are they doing this? Why are they trying to tear you down? What’s going on here?!” I was just about in tears.

In a voice that was crystal clear and quite audible in my head, the tree said, “Fear not, my son. There’s nothing to worry about. This is the way of the Universe. This is part of our lives. Do not mourn – be happy instead.” “But they’re tearing you down! Why are they doing that? Oh, no!” I said. At that point I wanted to burst out crying. But the elder tree wouldn’t let me! “Do not cry, my son. This is merely part of our lives as death is certainly a part of yours. Rejoice that we are moving on. Be happy for your life. Be happy that Creator has blessed you. Do not cry, just laugh. Just laugh.” From that point forward, I couldn’t cry regardless of how much I felt like doing so. All I could do was laugh.

Then something occurred to me. I was talking to the tree! I was talking to the tree!

“How is it that I’m talking to you? Why does your voice sound like mine? Am I going crazy? What’s going on here?” Then the tree said, “This is but one of the many hidden gifts you have that is now ready to reveal itself to you. You have had this gift in a few of your past lives, and you’re now ready at this age and this point in time to use it once again. You will speak to many more trees and have a council of trees that will help you in various aspects of your life from this point on. You will hear them in your own voice so that you can understand what they’re saying to you. You will surely know when a tree is speaking to you.” As he said that, I could feel a very specific tingling sensation and emotion in my mind and in the middle of my chest. To this day, I know when I’m truly speaking to a tree because I get this same exact feeling.

I was so stricken by this experience that I forgot all about the time. “You should go now. You have responsibilities and things you must do. You and I can continue to speak while I am here. The Universe will put you on the path to the other trees that will become a part of your life.” I certainly didn’t want to leave, but the tree was right. As I was leaving, I still wanted to cry because I was sad about what was happening to the trees. So I went to a quiet area by the sidewalk and thought, “I’d better have myself a good cry so that I can get this out of my system and so I can clear my eyes before anyone sees me. Then I heard him say, “Don’t cry, do not be sad. Be happy. Just laugh.” At that point, I burst out laughing, almost uncontrollably. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not cry! I could squeeze out a few tears of joy, but I could not cry tears of sadness at all. I spent the next five minutes just laughing, with tears of happiness streaming down my eyes. “More will be revealed soon. Just assimilate what has happened to you today,” the tree said. So I finished laughing, regained my composure, and went about my business for the day.

To say that I couldn’t believe what had just happened to me is a gross understatement. I felt changed. I felt like a different person. Like a truly blessed person. Elder Native Americans say that you can talk to Nature, to animals and to “the winged” ones if you will only open your mind to do so. They are so right. This brings to mind a quote I read from Walking Buffalo of the Nakoda first nation (circa early 1960’s):

“Do you know that trees talk? Well, they do. They talk to each other, and they’ll talk to you, if you will listen. Trouble is, white people don’t listen. They never listened to the Indians, and so I don’t suppose they’ll listen to the other voices in nature. But I have learned a lot from trees, sometimes about the weather, sometimes about animals, sometimes about the Great Spirit.”

This Sacred Gift Is Now Part of My Life

I have indeed encountered other trees that will speak to me, just as the elder tree indicated would happen. A few of them have become my counselors and advisors. They’ve helped me when I was transitioning from the corporate tech industry to my metaphysical work, and they’ve provided me with valuable guidance regarding my path in life. They’ve helped keep me on track and helped me ensure that I continue to do the work I was literally called to do. I’ve also gained great insight from them regarding personal matters. I’ve learned so much from them and continue to do so.

I visit my trees often, sometimes to get guidance from them and other times just to say hello. I like visiting them in person, although I can speak to them from afar. All I have to do is plant my feet flat on the floor, imagine them reaching down into Mother Earth, and then touching the tree’s roots. I found that this really works no matter where I am. I’ve done this everywhere, from the middle of an open field to the 78^th floor of a skyscraper in Manhattan. I’m so happy that I can contact them anytime, anywhere.

A Few Last Words…

If you’ve ever had a feeling or notion that you can understand or speak to trees, birds, animals or any other of Nature’s creatures, don’t immediately think you’re going crazy or that something is wrong. Think about it in a different way. See it from the perspective that Creator has endowed you with a wonderful gift, and it is now your task to determine how you can use it for your greater good and the good of others. Always keep an open mind and an open heart.

I’ve now kept my promise to Grandmother Margaret, and I hope this will be helpful to those of you who have had a similar experience.

2012 Bay Area Tarot Symposium (BATS)

(It’s funny how a lot of stuff piles up in your inbox and to-do list when you’re gone for a few days. I just now got the chance to write about my trip to BATS! So here goes…)

Well, I’m back from BATS! I had a great time and I was so happy to see many of my Tarot friends and colleagues. I had some great conversations and spent some quality time with friends such as Barbara Oliver, Jaymi Elford, Georgianna Boehnke, Theresa Reed, Carrie Paris, Gina Theise, Katrina Wynne, Melissa Hill, Paul Nagy, Dan Pelletier, and James Wanless. It’s so great to see them other than in Facebook.

And I attended some great sessions from speakers such as Carrie Paris, Gina Theise, Melissa Hill and Mary Greer. There was so much to learn and so much to take in, but that’s the whole point. I attend BATS and other Tarot conferences because I want to continue growing and developing my skills as a reader.

I was especially intrigued by Mary Greer’s and Melissa Hill’s sessions on the Lenormand oracle cards. I had taken only a cursory look at this deck before, but it’s something I’m definitely going to investigate further and learn how to use now that I’ve attended these sessions. Yet another divination tool to add to my toolbox!

I definitely had fun, as you can see by the pictures below. I certainly look forward to next year’s conference!

 

     

               With Fred West                                                             Carrie Paris & Katrina Wynne

          

                                                                With the inimitable James Wanless…

                                                                               The Men of Tarot

Where the Heck is Mike? An Update…

Does it seem as if I’ve dropped off the radar a bit this year? If that’s what you’ve sensed, you’re pretty close to being correct. I’ve just been flying a bit below the radar, actually. I thought I’d write a brief post explaining why I’ve been doing this, especially for those of you who’ve been wondering where the heck I’ve been hiding.

 

2012 is apparently going to be a year of great, positive change for me, and one in which I’ll be pretty busy. My Guides and my trees started giving me the heads up about this starting last September. It’s also been one of the main themes of my personal readings over the last quarter of 2011, and was brought clearly to my attention by Theresa Reed during her opening reading for me this past April at the 2012 Reader’s Studio. The predictions seem to be holding true, so far.

 

For example, two significant situations have come up since the very beginning of this year. First, I was asked to write another edition of my book, “Database Design for Mere Mortals”, and then I was invited to be the guitarist for a funk band. I said yes to both and, obviously, they will occupy a good amount of my time.

 

Getting Back Into Information Technology Mode

 

(Note: I mentioned this in my last post (in March), but I mention it again here to show how it now relates to my current situation.)

At the beginning of the year, I get a call from my editor and she asks me if I’d be interested in doing a new edition of my book. We’d been talking about this for a couple of years, but we never got anything off the ground. She said she really had to get a new edition out this year and wanted to know if I had the time to do it. I finally had to admit that now is time for another edition of my book, and that it was an opportunity I just couldn’t turn down. So, I said “Yes”. She was actually surprised when I agreed, as she thought I wouldn’t be interested anymore due to the fact that I’m now so involved in the metaphysical arena.

 

Now I’m in major writing mode. I don’t have to do a complete revision, fortunately, but the work I need to do will still take up a good amount of my time. I’m happy to do it, though, as I really love to write. It was interesting putting my technical hat back on, but it felt natural again relatively quickly. In any case, I’ve had my head down working on the book and with any kind of luck I’ll finish my part of the work by the end of September. Then my editor will take over and the book should be ready for sale by winter. Hopefully.

 

At Heart, I’m Just a Guitarist

 

The most surprising thing that’s happened to date is getting the invitation to participate in a funk band. Now, I’m talking real funk here, the music that was popular in the late sixties and early to mid-seventies. This would include music from groups such as Average White Band; Blood, Sweat & Tears; Chicago; Earth, Wind and Fire; James Brown; Sly and the Family Stone and Tower of Power.

 

My good friend Pete is a drummer (and a really good one at that) that I’ve known for quite a few years now. We’ve been tossing around the idea of forming a funk band, but we just never seemed to be able to get the idea off the ground. So he calls me one day in early April to let me know that his friend Mark, a trumpet player he works with in a local big band, has been trying to do the same thing for two years now. Mark asked Pete if he knew any guitarists who might fit the bill, and Pete immediately mentioned my name. “Don’t look for a guitar player anymore, because you have to hire Mike. He’s great. Trust me, you’ll like him.”

 

Mark then contacted me and we set up a lunch meeting to discuss what he’s looking for in a guitarist. To make a long story short, a meeting that was supposed to take only an hour ended up three hours long. It was great because Mark and I were on the same page on just about everything; I think it helped that we are the same age. By the end of the meeting, he offered me the position. “Pete says you’re good, and that’s good enough for me. I’m not going to look for guitarists anymore because I hope you’ll join us.” We shook hands and it was a done deal.

 

I’m now the guitarist for a band that has a six-piece horn section, keyboards, bass, drums and two vocalists. To my absolute pleasant surprise, everyone is really good. This is my dream band! We’ve had a few rehearsals now, and I have to say that this is the best funk band I’ve been in since my time with the Navy Band Funk Band back in 1977. And that’s saying a lot because the Navy Funk Band I was in was totally awesome. I have to say that I’m fantastically happy with my music life just now.

 

What About the Tarot?

 

I’m still doing readings at psychic fairs, although some of my other Tarot-related work has subsided a bit. I was quite concerned about this, but my Guides and my trees reassured me that there is nothing to worry about. In fact, the way they explained it makes the situation seem quite logical and reasonable.

 

They said that the Tarot work has been put on the back burner so that I can concentrate on the book. I have to keep my focus on my writing so that I can meet my deadlines and get my part of it done by the September delivery date. That seemed reasonable to me. And practical. Knowing myself as I do, I probably would be inclined to focus more on the Tarot than my writing. There’s still so much for me to learn about the Tarot and I just love working with it. But I digress. The point is that I need to focus on my writing.

 

But what about the band? My Guides and trees explained that the band was put in my path to keep me from going stir-crazy sitting behind my laptop all day. Good focus is one thing, but over-focus is another. The band is supposed to help me have some fun while I’m working and provide a means for me to decompress and empty my mind every so often. I wouldn’t do this with the Tarot because I’d just be exchanging one area of metal focus to another. Not so with the music.

 

I was finally told that my Tarot work would pick up once again after I completed my work on the book. “So don’t worry.” I’ve learned to trust my Guides and trees without reservations over the years, so I’m not going to concern myself with this one bit.

 

The Timing Is Interesting

 

I mentioned earlier that my deadline for my part of the book is the end of September. I’m personally shooting for the end of August so that I can have some wiggle room in case something unanticipated comes up. Mark, the funk band leader, says he’s thinking about booking gigs for the band starting either in late August or the beginning of September; that means that we’ll be rehearsing from now until then. It occurs to me that I’ll mainly be writing and playing music all summer and possibly into the beginning of the fall. The Tarot will be in the background throughout this period.

 

Last summer, our condo complex was going through a complete refurbish project. My Tarot work was in the background back then, too. It’s odd that I’m not doing much Tarot-wise through two summers in a row. I’m certainly not complaining because it all makes sense in the big picture, especially this year. But I do still find it rather odd.

 

A Few Final Thoughts…

 

If you’ve read this far, I certainly admire your perseverance and patience! I hope this helps to explain why you haven’t seen me around much or participating in Facebook as often as I have in the past. I will still pop in from time to time whenever I take breaks from my writing, and I will definitely be back when all my work is done. I’ll also post where the band is playing so that those of you in the general Seattle/Bellevue/Redmond area can come and see us perform.

 

Thank you for sticking with me – I really appreciate it. I’ll still continue to try to post some of my random Tarot-related thoughts here on my blog throughout the summer. In the meantime, I hope you have a great, fun, relaxing and safe summer.

 

Ciao for now…

2012: It’s Rushing By!

I knew this was going to be a busy year, and I said as much in my blog post of February 1st. I didn’t anticipate, however, that it would be flying by!

 

Life is certainly not boring – I have more than enough to do. I think the time seems to be slipping so fast because I need to be a little better at prioritizing my projects and managing the time I devote to them. An unfortunate consequence of this, though, is that I will be unable to participate in Facebook, LinkedIn and the RS NING as much as I’d like. But I’m taking this all in stride because I know things are unfolding as they should.

 

I’m working on two distinct projects over the next few weeks: moving my website from Office Small Business to Office 365 and assembling the materials for the Professional Presentation Skills 101 evening session that I’m presenting at the Reader’s Studio next month.  The first project will probably take more time than I’m anticipating, but I hope it will go relatively smoothly. The bulk of the work will be moving the pages from the old site to the new site and ensuring I successfully transfer all my images. The second project will be far easier and much more fun!  I’m not anticipating any problems with this at all. (I say that now, of course!)

 

I’ve got a third project that will span the next four or five months: I’m going to do a third edition of my technical book, Database Design for Mere Mortals.  This is a book I originally wrote back in 1996, and it has been a widely popular book on the subject since then. My editor was actually surprised when I said I’d do the third edition, as she thought I wouldn’t be interested anymore due to the fact that I’m now so involved in the metaphysical arena. I’ve done a lot of other technical writing that includes books, articles, white papers, etc., but I’m particularly connected to this book because it was the first major work I produced. I have to write the third edition!

 

This will likely be my last endeavor in the technical field, though, as I plan to focus all my writing on Tarot and metaphysical-related subjects. As you know, I’ve written articles for my blog and for Tarosophist International Magazine. I also have a Tarot book in the works (believe it or not), and I’ll resume writing and finishing it after I’m done with the database book.

 

Later in the year I hope to start providing Tarot-related workshops, seminars and classes. Everything is still in the planning stages, but I will make announcements about them both here and on Facebook.

 

I certainly hope you’ll keep my blog bookmarked so that you’ll get notices of new entries when I’m finally able to devote more time to my writing. In the meantime, I wish you all a great Spring and hope that the new year is unfolding smoothly and positively for you!

Interpreting Body Language and Facial Expressions in the Tarot

Isn’t it amazing how much body language and facial expressions play a part in numerous aspects of our daily lives? I thought about that at the mall the other day, while I was walking around just watching people and meandering in and out of various stores. At one point I realized this is also true of people that appear in the Tarot. It made immediate sense to me, given that the cards reflect all the aspects of our lives.

 

In this article I’ll demonstrate how body language and facial expressions of the people in the cards expose nuances and subtleties that can add an extra layer of meaning to your readings.

 

Exposing your true self

Body language can say a lot about your true state of being at any given moment. Although you may think you’re portraying yourself in a positive (or, perhaps, even neutral) manner, your body might be indicating otherwise. Have you ever been in a situation where say something to someone or some group of people, they take what you say at face value, and then begin doubting what you’ve said soon after for some unknown reason? It could most likely be your body language.

 

For example, suppose you’re about to have a meeting with a few people regarding a mutual project. You’re somewhat apprehensive of the meeting because there are issues you believe to be high-priority at this point, and you’re not particularly inclined to change your mind just now. You get to the meeting, exchange the usual pleasantries, and then get down to business. Sure enough, they want to discuss reducing the priorities of some of your issues. Hoping to give yourself time to think of how you’re going to defend your position, you tell them that you’d be interested in listening to their perspectives and be open to the possibility of making some changes.

 

You sit and listen to them for a few minutes, and then you lean back in your chair in an apparent attempt to be in a more relaxing position. You extend your legs, cross one foot over the other, and nonchalantly cross your arms over your chest. It’s about at that point when they can tell that you really have no interest in what they’re saying and it’s probably unlikely that you’ll reprioritize any of your issues. How did they come to this realization? Your body language. You’ve just assumed a very defensive physical position, indicated by your crossed arms and legs. (From an energetic standpoint, you’ve essentially created a barrier; you are not allowing any of your energy to flow outwards, and you’re keeping yourself from receiving any energy, bad or good.) The meeting is likely to come to an abrupt halt, now that they’ve discovered your true intentions.

 

The face is interesting because it can reflect your thoughts and emotions. It’s most fascinating in that it can show the thoughts and emotions you want it to express, or it can show your true thoughts and emotions in unguarded moments, such as when you think no one is paying attention to you.

 

Let’s use another meeting as an example. Suppose that you’re meeting some friends at a coffee shop. You have a situation at home that is distressing you emotionally just now, but you want people to think everything is all right. You grab a table with your friends, exchange opening pleasantries, place your orders with the waiter, and get down to having your chat. One of your friends asks you how things are going and you smile broadly and say that things are going smoothly and that your current project at work is getting interesting. After you provide a few more details, someone else picks up the conversation. Unbeknownst to you, one of your friends is beginning to doubt what you said about things going smoothly – she thinks you’re worried about something. Once you were no longer the focus of attention, she noticed your smile faded into a far-away, blank look, seeming to indicate that your mind was elsewhere. Now she thinks that a private chat with you later in the evening might be helpful.

 

Did you note the subtly of the underlying messages conveyed by the body language and facial expressions in the examples above? It is those subtleties that can also appear in certain cards during a reading.

 

Is there more to the message than meets the eye?

There are quite a few cards where body language and facial expressions can come into play during a reading. I believe that there are four basic ways in which you’ll see this:

 

1.       Confidence and Determination

2.      Defensiveness

3.       Ambiguity

4.      Focus and Distraction

 

Confidence and Determination

 

 

As strong stance – whether sitting or standing – can convey a sense of confidence, determination, will power, and determination. In the four cards above, notice how each figure is sitting squarely and facing front. There’s a sense of confidence and authority, and a seeming determination to stand firm on whatever situation is before them. Now note how each face is staring straight at you, eyes fixed, with no apparent emotion; none of them will tell you any of their secrets and will not divulge any more information than what they think you need to know.

 

Now think of how this may influence a reading. How does the High Priestess’ seemingly blank stare play into the message you’re seeing? Is she lost in thought? Is she in a quasi-meditative state? Is she attempting to look into your soul? How does her posture play into this? She’s sitting in a relaxed state, despite the look on her face. Might that mean that you need to relax more in order to tap into your intuition effectively?

 

What might the strong stance of the rider in The Chariot card imply? He seems quite confident, despite the fact that he knows that the road ahead might be difficult. He’s determined to drive through the path ahead of him successfully, regardless of the risks.  What do you see in his facial expression that might convey how he feels or what he’s thinking? How does that affect the message you might get from this card?

 

Defensiveness

 

 

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, crossing your arms and legs can be a subtle sign of defensiveness, regardless of what you’re trying to convey via your facial expressions. I don’t believe defensiveness is inherently a bad thing, especially given that you can assume a defensive posture even when you’re quite happy and content. The three cards above demonstrate this quite clearly; note how each person has his arms crossed.

 

For example, the figure in the 4 our Pentacles is not only crossing his arms, but he’s also holding something that he considers quite valuable.  In this case, without saying a word, he shows you what he considers most valuable, that he’s prepared to keep it secure, and that he has no interest in sharing what he has.  (Pop quiz: How does his facial expression support this notion?)  How might this all figure into a reading? Should you be holding on to what you hold dear? Are you stretching your resources more than necessary or reasonable?

 

On the opposite side (in a manner of speaking) is the figure in the 10 of Cups. He’s obviously a happy person and very content with his life and relationships, but his arms are crossed, too. He’s sitting squarely in front of his cups, has his arms across his chest, and a smile on his face. The subtle message here seems to be that he’s completely happy with where he is and has no interest in discussing the possibility of going outside of his comfort zone. The smile on his face seems twofold; it expresses his happiness but also belies the stubborn determination he has to stand his ground. Additionally, he’s possibly sending subtle mixed messages by having his legs spread apart and his arms crossed. How would this play into a reading? Could this possibly mean that you’ve perhaps gotten a bit self-absorbed in your own happiness? (Extra bonus points: Is the figure in the card sitting toward the edge of the bench? That could imply something…)

 

Ambiguity

 

 

Sometimes it’s hard to determine what a person’s body language is saying – certain postures can be a bit ambiguous. This seems to be especially true when there is no direct interaction between you and the individual in the ambiguous posture. The three cards above seem to demonstrate this quite well.

 

I’ve always thought the 9 of Swords as a great example of this. In my view, the woman is covering her face for one of two reasons: she’s in complete despair over the stressful issues the swords represent or she’s at the end of her rope and is praying for comfort and guidance on what to do next. The cards surrounding this card will help you determine what she’s actually doing.

 

The 5 of Cups is another good example. The man in the card is looking down at the fallen cups in front of him. These cups (to me) seem to represent emotional ties or relationships that have ended. His stance shows that he’s obviously sorry that this is the case, but what are his true feelings here? Does he have regrets or is he relieved? Again, the cards surrounding this card will help you determine what feelings he might be hiding inside.

 

Sometimes life is ambiguous during difficult times and we can’t tell what we need to do or if we need to do anything at all. How might the ambiguity you see in these cards weave into your reading? Does it mean that you must take a more active role in a given situation, despite the fact that there is no clear path or resolution?

 

Focus and Distraction

 

 

A lot of people think it’s harder to stay focused and much easier to get distracted in our day and age. I think it might actually be that we have more to distract us than in the past. Focus and distraction, however, have been with us for ages and are a constant source of frustration.  As with other facets of life, the Tarot is good about showing this part of our lives. The four cards above are good examples of this.

 

The Queen of Pentacles and the Queen of Cups are both very focused women, and their body language and facial expressions show this. Both are squarely seated in their thrones and are firmly holding the object of their attention, and their facial expressions show their deep concentration. You can almost tell that they would rather not be disturbed unless it is a matter of great importance.

 

The Queen of Wands and the Queen of Swords, on the other hand, seem to be distracted by things or people outside of our view. They both sit squarely I their thrones, but facial expressions and gestures belie their inattentiveness to you. Although the Queen of Wands was in the process of speaking to you (as evidenced by the cat that is looking straight at you), she seems to be distracted by something going on off to her left-hand side. Though you might have had the ear of the Queen of Swords for a moment, it seems that she’s now motioning for someone to come forward. (So much for trying to grab 10 minutes of her time!)

 

How do you think this perception of focus and distraction might affect your reading? Could the appearance of the Queen of Pentacles or the Queen of Cups imply that you need to be more focused on the issue at hand or on what either queen represents at that moment? Might you infer that you should not allow yourself to be easily distracted? Could the appearance of the Queen of Wands or the Queen of Swords mean that you need to pay attention to other things and people around you? Is it time to move away from being single-minded about the issue at hand?

 

Parting Thoughts

It’s interesting how body language and facial expressions can add subtleties to a reading. It’s certainly added certain nuances to my readings that have turned out to be quite beneficial for my clients. I don’t necessarily look at body language during each reading, but it’s amazing what I see when my intuition says I should pay attention to it.

 

I’ve really just scratched the surface of this topic, and you can probably tell by now that we could easily spend a lot of time reviewing other cards and digging deeper into these techniques. For those of you who may have noticed, I did indeed avoid discussing some of the cards in my examples. I wanted to give you a chance to try these techniques on your own after you read the entire article. Go back and review them now and see what subtle information they reveal to you.

 

 

Good luck and enjoy!

 

Mike Hernandez

 

 

All card images in this article are from the Radiant-Waite Tarot deck, Copyright © U.S. Games Systems.

2012: It’s a New Year–What a rush!

Well, it’s a new year and I’m looking forward to how it unfolds! On the other hand, it’s already going too fast – it’s February! Where did January go?

In readings that I did for myself during the last quarter of 2011 and in conversations with my council of trees (another story for another time), I was informed that this would be the year in which I would be immersed in my Tarot and metaphysical work and that this would be a year of great movement. The train is on the tracks, it has left the station, and will now go at a pretty fast pace down the tracks. So far, this has been absolutely true. My cards and my trees weren’t kidding.

I’m now working on a number of projects, a few of which (unfortunately) need to be executed and completed within the same timeframe. I’m certainly not going to be bored any time soon!

• Psychic fairs. The psychic fair season is gearing up in my area, and I’m participating in a number of the larger fairs in the next few months. These fairs are loads of fun and I’m usually pretty busy all day. You can find information on these events on my website’s calendar. http://justenoughtarot.com/TarotCalendar.aspx

• New services. I’ve provided Tarot classes and seminars and done some mentoring throughout the past couple of years, but it was on a somewhat casual basis. I’ve decided to pursue these activities more actively starting this year and will soon list them on my website. I’ll also most likely offer phone readings, too. Keep an eye on my website for details.

• Tarosophist International Magazine I’m continuing to write articles for this magazine. I just love to contribute to the wealth of knowledge the magazine provides. It’s a superb publication and I’m so pleased to be in the company of such great authors and writers.

• Reader’s Studio 2012. I’m attending this wonderful event again this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing many of my Tarot friends and colleagues in New York. This year I’m doing an evening study group session titled Professional Presentation Skills 101 from 9:00-11:00 on Saturday, April 28^th. You can find out more information on my session here (http://tarotschool.com/RS12/RS12_Hernandez.html) and more about the event here (http://www.tarotschool.com/RS12/index.html).

• Books. I’m determined to write my Tarot book this year. (It’s been in the works for two years now.) It will be on intermediate techniques, and I’ll have more info about it on my website as the work progresses. Additionally, I’m working on the third edition of my technical book “Database Design for Mere Mortals”. I hadn’t planned on working on this until later this year, but my publisher contacted me just before New Year’s and asked me if we could get going on this soon. How could I refuse?

• Website and Facebook. On top of all this, I have to revamp my website and Facebook page. I really don’t want to do this, but the situations are such that I must do so. I currently have my website hosted by Microsoft Office Small Business Live (OSBL). Well, Microsoft is closing down OSBL and wants everyone to move to Office 365 (O365). The services and fees they charge me won’t change (for the most part), but I stand to lose all of my site content if I do not migrate to O365 by April 1^st. (Long story – I may blog on this later.) Regarding Facebook: I’ve been told that everyone needs to migrate to the new “Timeline” style and theme by the end of February (I think). If you do not move to the new style yourself, FB will do it for you. And maybe not quite how you think your content should be moved. (Another long story which I may blog about later, too.)

As I said, my readings and my trees told me that I was going to hit the ground running this year, but I had no idea that things would be piling up and moving this fast. I have to say, though, that I wouldn’t have it any other way. My Information Technology life is definitely over, and I’m now dedicated to a new career in the metaphysical realm as a professional Tarotist, which includes being a reader, teacher, speaker and writer. I have a good life, I’m having a great time, and I just love what I do!

Chaos and the Condo – FREEDOM!

To say that I’m ecstatic that the work on our condo (both interior and exterior) is finally finished is a huge understatement. I’m relieved. Overjoyed. Euphoric. Blissful. Elated. Thankful. Speechless. (Well, not totally speechless.)

I now have my life back. Our unit will look like home again. I can bring back our books and various nick-nacks from storage. I can get up at 9:00am again. I can actually close this year out on a high note and start 2012 with a clean slate. (In more ways than one…)

It’s been a very long seven months, but it was definitely well worth the wait. All of the units in our complex now have new roofs, new insulation and weatherproofing, new earthquake resistance structures, new siding, new decks, new windows, new paint, and new lighting. In essence, the outer structures of our buildings were literally rebuilt. As you’ll soon see, everything looks great!

It was a very stressful experience and there were quite a number of inconveniences along the way, but we did learn a lot about buildings, structures construction, and the construction process. My wife and I will certainly put all this experience to good use when we finally decide to move from our condo into a house.

Before and After…

The real push involving the completion of interior work and painting the buildings came during the last eight weeks. I’m so happy that the construction and painting crews were able to take advantage of our unseasonably good weather. It was definitely a bonus for them and for us!

Here are some final shots of a few significant areas. I thought you’d like to see where we started (per se) and what it looks like now. The change is incredible. A number of us who have been here for 10+ years feel like we’re living in a whole new complex.

 

Overall View of Buildings

Top: As they looked in 2010.

Middle: During construction.

Bottom: Completed look as of 21 December, 2011.

 

 

Our bedroom window.

Left: During reconstruction.

Middle: With new siding and windows.

Right: Completed look as of 21 December, 2011.

 

 

Overall View of Decks

Left: During reconstruction.

Right: Completed look as of 21 December, 2011.

 

 

 

Our Deck

Left: During reconstruction.

Right: Completed look as of 21 December, 2011.

 

 

 

The changes are remarkable, don’t you think?

Although the work from the construction crews is finished, there are still a few things we need to do before life gets back to normal completely. We still have to do some painting (a result of interior drywall work), restock our bookshelves with the books we socked away during the construction, rehang the artwork we had on the walls, and install new blinds on all of the windows.

We’ve decided to take our time and do all of this over the next two or three weeks; we’ve already been rushing around enough as it is! Fortunately, this also allows us to enjoy the holidays in a much more relaxed and happier manner.

Parting Thoughts

Now that this is all over (with the exception of the few things I mentioned above), I can finally get back to business. I have a lot of catching up to do, and I’m sure folks will be happy to hear from me again. (At least, I hope so!)

Here’s a brief idea of what I’ll be doing moving forward into 2012:

• Return to doing readings at various metaphysical stores
• Participate more often in the Facebook and LinkedIn groups of which I’m a member
• Post a little more frequently on my blog
• Catch up on my Hekademia courses (an on-line set of Tarot classes taught by Marcus Katz at Tarot Professionals)
• Continue writing my articles for the Tarosophist International Magazine
• Get back to writing my Tarot book in earnest
• Prepare for my evening session at the 2012 Reader’s Studio
• Continue working with Marcus Katz and Tali Goodwin of Tarot Professionals on a couple of upcoming projects

There’s more coming up, but I’ll reveal it as the new year unfolds. Until then, stay tuned…