How to do a great card reading

“All oracles create a direct link from your conscious mind to your Higher Self, your spirit, and all Divine forces in the Universe.”

Sonia Choquette

Why use an oracle?

You are the oracle. You listen for the voice of God and receive it into your being. You are both the listener and the speaker. Using any form of mediation between you and the Divine, in the form of cards or a pendulum or whatever else it be, simply offers both you  a point of focus.

It is also very useful to have an oracle available to you when reading in case an issue comes up for you or the person you are reading for, which you respond emotionally to, or have judgement around. The oracle tool can in this situation bypass the mind. Let the oracle do the talking, in other words.

Using an oracle also allows you to employ a system or pattern in your reading, through the use of a spread of cards, or in the case of a pendulum, a pre-established agreement about ‘yes’ and ‘no’. The familiarity with the object or the cards allows you to open even further to your divine guidance.

How to use an oracle deck in a reading

·     Have several packs in your collection – they work in different ways and on different levels. Trust your guidance about which pack is right for which occasion.

·     Always have cards ready for a reading even if you don’t end up using them.
·     Establish resonance with your client

·     Shuffle until you feel your guide’s presence

·     Sense which invisible being of light with which you are working

It isn’t the cards unto themselves…it is your guidance working through them. As such the meaning of what you are saying is not located in one card alone but in your reading of them as a holistic energy

·     Use a three card reading to begin (Past Present Future) and then draw more as you feel to, and only if you feel to.

·     Begin with one card at a time

·     Rely on the image rather than the words

·     Say silently to yourself, “Show me the clients options and all he/she needs to know on this subject…”

·     If you are confused about the interpretation of a card, ask your guidance for more information.

Your intuition about a card is the primary reading. Consult the guidebook only when you are stuck, and never in the presence of a client.

The world's a temporary parking place

When I was 22 my little sister had a head-on collision at 100 k's per hour. Another car, driven by another young woman, swerved into her lane. My sister got the raw end of the deal and spent six weeks in hospital, two of them in a medically induced coma. It was rough.

At the time of the accident, I had just flown the coop of my small city life and was four weeks into a journey to Europe I fully intended never to come back from. In an internet cafe in Rome, my mother made me hand the phone to my boyfriend for him to first receive the news that my sister had been given 48 hours to live. But en route back to Australia, the heavy grief I had been living with for those awful hours suddenly lifted and I knew she would live.

I was there, with my brother Chris, when she awoke from her coma and had to clumsily write her first words, which, hideously I cannot now recall, with tears streaming down her cheeks, and thick tubes shoved down her throat. I want to remember that she wrote, I love you. But it could just as well have been, what the fuck just happened?

In her comatose state, my sister did not experience nothingness. Instead she felt herself mentally tortured and finally given the option by some unseen overlord, to live like that forever or to choose to die. She chose death. And then she woke-up, returning to the ICU and me and her brother and a little town called Nambour on the Sunshine Coast.

She chose to die, and woke-up here on Earth. What's that all about?

During that time I had two songs going through my head almost constantly. One:

Despite all my rage I am still just a rat in a cage.

Two:

Say, its only a paper moon
Sailing over a cardboard sea
But it wouldn't be make-believe
If you believed in me.

These memories of this time nearly 11 years ago come to me suddenly and unexpectedly today. But then, maybe not so unexpectedly.

I am currently having a crisis of faith, I suppose it is called, although it feels more like an opportunity than crisis. I no longer know what I believe in. The words of the two songs above eloquently capture where I am at, although my thinking and feeling is still in its early stages. To believe or not to believe?

The rest is still forming. But it feels good. In fact it feels like freedom. I'll keep you posted.

Next to normal

Normal is a matter of what you have known. When I was teaching spiritual workshops students would sometimes ask me when and how my spiritual journey began. The thing is, I don't really know. I don't know when I didn't know that the world was made up of both the seen and the unseen. In that regard I am particularly fortunate, for unlike many people, I haven't had to break through the fear that so many of us are born into around spiritual faith.

My partner would have me believe differently.

He is a man of science, a wonderful, rational human being who has no faith in the unseen whatsoever. He has good, solid reasoning, based in his study of the human mind, that there is a reason people need to believe in something other than what can be seen. He knows that human mind can play tricks, suffer disorders, fabricate events. He knows that pretty much everything can be tested with science.

My partner would suggest that I was born into a world of magical thinking that was perpetuated by my caregivers, and that in fact, there was no advantage to that at all. The world right in front of us holds enough mystery and wonder that we don't need to go seeking things that can never be proven anyway.

And I respect him and his opinions. As a great shamanic teacher once told me, the best approach is to bring everything back to its most logical conclusion. I have to agree, both with my partner and the shaman. And yet I still believe in the things I cannot prove through rational means, as much as I do in the the gob-smackingly stupendous wonder of this world right in front of me.

I have struggled with this paradox for quite some time. Actually, perhaps all I have struggled with is how to explain that this dual path is so very natural to me. In fact, I did an entire PhD in magical realism to try and qualify this belief (but that's another story).

I know, as my partner does, that the world is an amazing place. I know it because I have touched it, tasted it, felt it, smelt it and heard it. But I also know it because I have had moments of what can only be described as divine connection to all that is - when I have looked at a sunset or a tree or a felt a moment of such deep gratitude it is as if I no longer have skin and I have melted into the thing that I am observing. And I am forever transformed.

This is not something science can explain, but it is as important to me as my empirical senses in navigating the world. It is the world around me that astounds me, in both good and bad ways. But from being in the world and living and loving, I am freed from it. I feel myself extend beyond it. I feel myself connected to something greater than all the Universes.

So I do feel a great sense of gratitude that I was raised to know that I am in the world, and to make the most of this journey, but that I am not of this world. I am more than the quantifiable and rational. I remember and live my connection to the mystery and wonder and worlds beyond the world. I call this faith. And this world, and living in it, is the greatest act of faith of all.

Zoe and the fairies

I am not sure what was more normal - the way Zoe and I became best friends, or the way we happily collected rubbish from the playground every lunch time. My love for Zoe was simple. The moment I saw her, by the swings, standing next to a girl called Tamsin, Zoe took my hand and I took hers and off we went.

I don't know whose idea it was to dress the fairies, although we both knew that it made absolute sense. Fairies liked anything shiny, a fact I knew without question. So at lunch time, as our fellow students discarded their lolly wrappers and crisp packets, Zoe and I would set to work, sweeping the concrete square for anything that glistened. It took us both by surprise as we lined up neatly in class rows at the end of lunch one day that the prinicipal should thank us for our efforts. We knew only that what we were doing was very important and would make the fairies very happy.

We would fold the wrappers we had collected into little dresses and skirts and leave them under trees at dusk so the fairies could collect them overnight. The outfits were always gone in the morning.

It wasn't until I was an adult that I started reading about fairies in a book by Doreen Virtue. I hadn't thought much about fairies since that time but the memories came flooding back as Virtue described the delight fairies take in chocolate wrappers, aluminium foil and anything sparkly.

How had we known? And what had we seen in one another that made us inseparable from the moment we met? 

You are not who you think you are

You are an individualised expression of the Divine Consciousness. You receive and project Divine Consciousness in your own individual way. This freedom is your birthright. No matter on what you choose to focus your expression of the Divine (through a belief in angels, aliens, fractals, mediums, crystals, healing, meditation, yoga, music, ascended masters, parallel Universes ad infinitum) beyond all these things is the One Mind. Beyond all difference and individuality is the Unity of Divine Consciousness. This is you. This is all that there is. 

Do not hold fiercely to what you believe. Letting go is the greatest gift you have to reach this place of the One Mind. Say to yourself, 'I am not that. I am not this.'

Whenever you cling to an idea of yourself or of what you define yourself by, you create a prison of your reality. Love deeply but know that nothing is greater that the Universal Consciousness. Nothing will ever satisfy as deeply as rememberance of this. You are not even the body that graciously houses you for the duration of this life. You are a trillion times BEYOND.

Image source: http://arcadeofawesome.blogspot.com/2011/03/can-we-go-beyond-beyond-good-and-evil.html

The world of humanity is possessed of two wings

The world of humanity is possessed of two wings: the male and the female.


 So long as these two wings are not equivalent in strength, the bird will not fly. Until womankind reaches the same degree as man, until she enjoys the same arena of activity, extraordinary attainment for humanity will not be realized; humanity cannot wing its way to heights of real attainment. When the two wings or parts become equivalent in strength, enjoying the same prerogatives, the flight of man will be exceedingly lofty and extraordinary. Therefore, woman must receive the same education as man and all inequality be adjusted. Thus, imbued with the same virtues as man, rising through all the degrees of human attainment, women will become the peers of men, and until this equality is established, true progress and attainment for the human race will not be facilitated.


The evident reasons underlying this are as follows: Woman by nature is opposed to war; she is an advocate of peace. Children are reared and brought up by the mothers who give them the first principles of education and labour assiduously in their behalf. Consider, for instance, a mother who has tenderly reared a son for twenty years to the age of maturity. Surely she will not consent to having that son torn asunder and killed in the field of battle. Therefore, as woman advances toward the degree of man in power and privilege, with the right of vote and control in human government, most assuredly war will cease; for woman is naturally the most devoted and staunch advocate of international peace.

The Bahá'í

Lightness

Image from http://abduzeedo.com/awesome-light-graffiti-pictures

Don't be afraid of the light. Do not turn your eyes away from it. You think that would be the last thing you would do - to consciously resist the light of God - but you are doing it all the time.

Why?

The light, which is your pure substance, which is you shining back at you, ILLUMINATES! 'Yes, this is what light does', you think. 'I am not afraid of it'. And yet you turn consciously, constantly away from your own divine nature, from the light within, from the love of God.

This is because you would then look upon the world in the fullness of the light, with CLEAR SIGHT! No more illusion, no more comforting distractions, no more dark corners to hide your fear and your pain away in, no more justification for hiding your divine truth.

How many times do you resist the truth because you claim you cannot see it? 'I don't know why this always happens to me', 'I don't know why my patterns are repeated, my mistakes' etc etc. You go on and on hiding form yourself, because to see in the fullness of the light would be a disaster for your little selves. Light dispels the darkness from within. No more little you, no more drawn out excuses for being less than you are.

Let go of the darkness! Crawl out from the shadows. Draw the light towards you with boldness and strength and abandon the dark corners of your mind for the love of God, which is you, which is light, which is love.

You are capable of this in an instant. You only need ask.

'God, I invite the light into every part of my life, every cell of my being, every beat of my heart. Lord God, I ask that the light illuminate my soul.'

And it is done! The veil is lifted. You see yourself as the magnificent being that you already are, no more or less than that. The miracle is clear sight, is Light.

Now is where the work begins. For that sight is easily squandered and the veil waits eagerly to return. You must have the courage to meditate upon the light, to sustain your vision, to know your truth, to behold the full beauty of you in your true state. You must live with courage and release your excuses for being less than you are. Can you do it? Can you acknowledge that you are hindered by nothing but your own unwillingness to shine at all times?

You are perfect. You are the light of God, unblemished, untarnished, whole, complete, ready now in this very instant.

Let it go.

Let the rest go and breath the light of the Lord into your being.

In so doing you are doing nothing more than breathing, in full consciousness, your own breath.

Be filled with light.

Remember who you are.

A world without borders - a channelling from Master Hilarion

The world is changing... can you feel it? Can you walk the path towards your own freedom, and freedom for all? The world of the future is without borders. You cannot erect a division of any kind in this future world. There can be no 'us' and 'them', for in this world there is only ONE. In this world, your brother and your sister is everyone you meet, and you will love them as you love the child that came from your own body. You will know no idea of separation in this world. It will be impossible to look into the eyes of another and not see your own face. You will treasure those you have never met and you will give up everything for them. You will walk away from your homes, your jobs, your life if it meant the betterment of all humanity. You will not trade in human life to increase your profits. You will not know what it is to profit at another's expense. You will not know yourself and you will be glad for it. You will open the borders and invite All to partake of your feast for you will know that you can only experience nourishment when everyone has a place at the table. You will give willingly of all that you have and you will forget about bank accounts and super funds and retirement packages. Indeed, you will not need to surrender these things for they will be taken from you, to support all life, and you will be joyous with it. The camps will overflow with life as it pours in from every direction to participate in the wealth that was never yours to begin with. But because of your proximity to it you made it your own, and in this world you will recognise your error - that no man, woman, child, animal, plant, mineral should suffer to make you safe. You are safe, eternally, child, in the arms of your creator, who never left you. You will not measure your success by how much you have, but by how much you give, and you will know that nothing you attempt to own can ever really be yours. You shall set the world free by freeing yourself from the illusion of separation and in so doing you will relinquish the old world entirely. There is nothing that you need that is not always there when you need it. You will hold a stranger in your arms like she is your beloved and you will lay down your life in an instant for any of the billions of you on this planet at this time. The borders will be gone and the walls will fall. And you will be besieged by a Love that is unrelenting and you shall know, you are the ONE.

Words from the Divine Mother (mine!)

Today I offer part of a message from master channel, Angelique Adams. I am deeply blessed that she is also my mother. Enjoy these words, which resonate to the depths of my soul.

You do not need all of the answers to all of the questions today, right now. Move back into this moment. Fill this moment with the beauty that you really are - the beauty that you came to share on this planet at this time. Just be fully present to the present.

In time, dearest one, your moments will accumulate and create a glorious now - this is your frustration - deep down inside of your consciousness lies an impression of the reality you chose for yourself - you are judging yourself because you have decided that your reality (what you perceive to be your reality in this moment) does not match your intention for your life.

And yet, we say unto you, there are many filters you could use to perceive your so called reality but this is our take on what we can see.

Here is an earth angel with bound wings and with a very effective blind-fold. This blind-fold allows her to look into a reflecting surface and see what she believes is there, rather than her truth. Dearest, dearest one, we implore you, you have examined this path many times already - you have proved over and over - it does not take you home to your heart's content - to your amazing resting place of wisdom and perfect love.

Stop! Stop kicking up the dust - stop and let the dust settle so that you might begin to see the truth of your potential. Stop putting limitations on the potential you are here to demonstrate and begin to feel the calm energies of creation that you are here to gift to the planet. First you must remember who you are, what you are and your reason for being. There is so much more than you have yet discovered about yourself. Pre-set your intention meter. You are not defined by your own harsh self judgements in our realms of consciousness. Stand very still, calm your confusion and doubt, powerful as they may appear, they have only one job to do - that is to bind your wings and blind your eyes to your own precious truth.

The unlimited abundance of all creation surrounds you always, own it, invite it, demand it and let it go!

So - for now - our own very precious one - STOP - stop the game playing- it is a diversion off your powerful light path. It engages energies within your system that detracts from and dampens your light.

Stop - stand still, stop the game and breathe into the light. Let everything settle and gently and slowly your blindfold will drop away so you may see your own truth of a 1000 suns radiating their powerful light.

Angelique Adams (c) 2009
www.anahatasanctuary.com

All that you seek is within

Are you listening to your intuition? Are you allowing yourself to be guided? You have a remarkable gift, as does every human being. Are you even aware of it? Do you live your life by it, or do you find this voice, this wisdom from your own divine nature, easy to ignore?

You possess all that you need to make this human journey move with ease and grace, to understand the events of your life, to know when and how to act. The confusion is a choice. You live uneasy and unaware by choice. Ask and it shall be given. Turn your attention to your own divine nature, the source of your truth, the source of light, and there you will find it. No longer do you, nor have you ever required anything outside of yourself.

All the answers you seek are within, and what is more startling is that you are aware of this but it is so easy to turn away from the insight and wisdom you possess inside. And the reason why is simple. If you allow this voice, this guidance to guide your life even for a moment, you will no longer be able to ignore it. And this divine aspect of you, the you that is true, does not accept half measures or fear. The surrender is far more than most people believe themselves capable of. The fear will tell you all sorts of things to stop you from having faith in yourself.

For this is where the faith must reside. Know yourself through silence, through emptiness, so that when the voice of your soul offers its direction you are able to know it as truth. Fear will trick you, tell you a hundred different things, tell you you are foolish and unwise and flaky and unsafe. But the voice that is you, that is God, is a million times clearer. It is the voice of pure light.

So ensure you move ever closer to yourself in your actions. Bring yourself into full awareness of your being, learn the difference between the voice of fear and the voice of truth, and place your faith within. This is your temple, this is your greatest gift and your truest purpose.

Know thyself. And in so doing you will know God.