YouandTheTarot

Thoughts come and go. Unfortunately for too many they don't go. That's the "monkey mind" which programs obsessive thought patterns. Those, in turn, can trigger self-defeating behavior.  Common is the client for a tarot reading who can't stop thinking about what the boss said to them 10 days ago. As a result - and this is why they are worried - they are giving off hostile vibes in the office. They know it but they can't break through that force field. Meanwhile, others in that workplace are distancing themselves.  The good news for them and everyone else suffering with all that is going on in their heads is this: It is possible to let thoughts go. That is, they can change the channel in their heads. As addiction expert JF Benoist explains in the best-seller "Addicted to the Monkey Mind," children do that all the time.  Benoist provides the anecdote of the little one who falls, gets up and starts crying. They are caught in being preoccupied with what...

  For decades it had been a mystery to me: There have been well-credentialed, even prominently branded "healers" who seemed not to be able to heal. They have included clergy, psychotherapists and even Tarot readers like myself.  Today following the meditation session at the Zen Cochise Center, Bisbee, Arizona, Master Hye Mun (Barry Briggs) gave me the missing piece to solve that puzzle. It was in his talk, this week on not attaching to what goes on in our heads. Among the points had been: "When we connect to our own suffering, then we can respond to others' suffering." Admittedly it is difficult for humans to own our pain, especially in America - the new land of opportunity. No surprise that meme is being leveraged in the current presidential campaign.  If we are taking full advantage of all that opportunity, shouldn't we be insulated from the kind of suffering less strategic smart creatures endure? Yes, Calvinism, the religious philosophy some of the settl...

  It's transformative. Clients, although they are able to hang on to hope, remain visibly despondent. What undercuts any joy they may have in planning to walk away from the present situation is their discomfort with the unknown.  That is represented by the Eight of Cups in the Tarot. Notice the mountains ahead. What's behind them are, you got it, many unknowns. That past and the present, no matter how bad, are what we know.  What I have discovered in my recent readings is that the fear of transition eases off when I ask clients this: Can you visualize how your new life will "look?"  One woman immediately shifted into a lightness of being. She described the town she had already visited twice. It had employment opportunities, a university where she could continue her studies and apartments she could afford. She even had attended two 12-step meetings and felt a good vibe. The next step, of course, was to take the next step: arranging the relocation. Visualization is a p...

William Shakespeare made his name featuring the obstacles to love in his dramas. The forbidden nature of those matters of the heart can, of course, intensify the force field.  Moving on from Shakespeare's Renaissance times to the 21st century, verboten and undisclosed romances have made headlines and toppled high-profile careers.  Former bankruptcy judge David R. Jones lost it all after his live-in relationship with lawyer Elizabeth Freeman came to light. Now there are lawsuits against him. The famed David Boies is defending him. Yes, the backlash is that serious. We all know about the downfall of broadcast's T.J. Holmes and Amy Robach. Established media is portraying their now as not an especially happy time for the couple. The two are no spring chickens. Can they have a comeback in a sector that is imploding? In America, we are our professional identity. Financial powerhouse Leon Black was making headway in reputation restoration from the Jeffrey Epstein fallout when his for...

  I could be putting myself out of business. So many of my clients struggle with the search for love. Yet, I am suggesting that they press the pause on that pursuit, at least for the time being. Instead of being consumed by what it takes to "date" why not just plunge totally into their own lives, at least for now. That option is featured in the current edition of Atlantic Magazine.   It isn't that anyone should "give up" on finding a soulmate. Also no one should be tossing at anyone platitudes about the supposed joys of single life. That's not for everyone. The point is this: Assuming that a search at this time 1) must be undertaken and 2) conducted with relentless activity can actually be counterproductive. The vibes are simply too intense. The process is way too goal-oriented. Those pulled into that force field - prospective partners - usually become uncomfortable and exit. That pause is symbolized in the Tarot by the Four of Swords. As many know, swords i...

  There is a successful business model in Tarot readings: Don't charge for a one-card pull (with a second card drawn to confirm the interpretation), only request tips. For a full six card spread there would there be the traditional billing of a dollar or two a minute (plus tips). So, the proposal by both teams running for US President to ban federal taxes on tips is important to us Tarot readers and other kinds of psychics. That tip-only model is useful for us to render our services "free" in entertainment centers such as bars. Managers are often delighted to provide, at no cost to them, this fun add-on. As AP points out 1) The plan has merit, so much so that other professionals might restructure their compensation system to shift more of it to tips but 2) The details have not yet been worked out. Essentially the matter is complex. Right now it is unlikely that this issue will emerge during the debates. That's because it is being classified as a "niche" on...

  Should debate coach Paul, Weiss partner Karn Dunn nudge Kamala Harris to take a bit of credit for this positive development in the Dow Jones? Also, Dunn can encourage her to project jolly good times for Social Security COLAs. 39,765.64 USD ▲  +408.63 (+1.04%) today August 13, 4:20 PM EDT  ·  Market Closed