Keen: Love, The Universe, and Everything

Learning To Read The Tarot: Choosing a Beginning Deck

This is truly a renaissance for Tarot card aficionados. There are new decks being published every month, with many wonderful styles and amazing artwork. However, all of this variety can be confusing if you are new to the Tarot.. Many people give up on learning the Tarot, because they find the deck they are using confusing or overwhelming. Choosing a 'friendly' deck that resonates with you will make it easier to learn how to read the Tarot.

With that in mind, here are some important guidelines that can make it easier to choose a deck., and several important components to consider. These are not absolutes, but some of my own suggestions when getting a deck.

-Lack Of Keywords/descriptions on cards. Some decks have keywords on them, along with the title. While these keywords may seem helpful at first in learning the different card meanings, over time they become a liability; as they really narrow the interpretation of the card. For a beginner's deck, its best to choose a deck that has the title and number of the card on it, but doesn't include any related or additional keywords.

-All of the cards should show scenes or pictures. Many popular decks have what are called pip cards for the minor arcana. Which means they show only the number of the suit, and don't show any specific pictures or images that relate to the card's meaning. Having a specific image or scene to link to the card will help you explore the card's possibilities easier, and also provide a stronger link to your intuitive ability.

You may ask, why do I recommend no keywords, but pictures instead? Our subconscious mind is able to read and respond to pictures or scenes on a very powerful level, and conversely, they are not as limiting as a keyword.

-A deck that has some universal symbolism and a variety of related secondary resources, such as additional books written about that deck. There are many stunning decks available that have a personal meaning for the author, along with their own developed symbolism. While these may be decks you might be interested in picking up at a later date, I think its better to stick with a deck that uses symbolism that is more universal and easily interpreted when first learning.

The other benefit to sticking with a deck that is more accessible is that you will be able to access other resources, such as additional books, that can give you more insight and meaning into each card. When you are working with a more author-centered/exclusive deck, you will often only have the materials that they have published to work with, which can be limiting.

As always, I welcome comments. In my next blog, I'll discuss some specific deck recommendations for beginning readers.

posted Friday, January 18, 2008 8:01 AM by AmyArcana | 0 Comments

Showing Some Love For The Tarot

Happy Holidays, everyone! Looking on Keen at the boards, blogs, or comments over the months, I've noticed occasional derogatory comments about the Tarot such as: a person who reads Tarot is 'just a card reader or a card flipper,' and similar statements.

While everyone is entitled to their opinion, and it is certainly not my intention to push against those with different points of view, it has inspired me to write and share with you more about my own perspective of the Tarot.

The Tarot is one of the few divination tools that is also widely used outside of divination. Because of the depth of its symbolism, the Tarot acts as a limitless well of inspiration, guidance, and creativity. The Tarot has also been a source of inspiration for many artists, including writers, painters, musicians and more.

Adapted by many members of the psychological and counseling communities, it has particularly called to those interested in Jungian psychology, depth psychology, and archetypal psychology. Widely used for mediation and self-exploration, such as guided meditations and path working, the Tarot is also incorporated into many Pagan practices, and often used with Magick and spellwork.

In addition, there are also many professional tarot readers who downplay the psychic abilities often associated with the Tarot, as many believe the divination and illumination abilities of the Tarot can stand on their own merits, without incorporating psychic or intuitive abilities. However, when used with these abilities, it can be very powerful and accurate.

While there are many different perspectives and viewpoints on reading and learning the Tarot, my opinion is that reading the tarot is very similar to the artistic process. And, like an artist, having a solid background in technique and practice, helps transform and allow the creative inspiration.

Learning the fundamentals of the Tarot is equivalent to learning the artist techniques, and then, once proficient, a person can really fly. As an analogy, Picasso, before he pioneered his unique style of painting, learning the techniques of traditional portraits and landscapes, and painted realistic portraits before his own style took off.

Even a beginner to the Tarot is often able to pick up on things accurately within a reading. However, as a student of the Tarot continues to practice and study, their readings will evolve and become richer overtime. Like art, a proficient reader can always be termed a student in some respects, as they continue to experiment and discover more.

I have been reading and studying the tarot for over 15 years and I've also taught classes on learning how to read the Tarot. However, I in some ways I still consider myself a student, as I am constantly deepening my relationship and understanding of the Tarot.

It isn't easy to dismiss the Tarot, and to those who do so, I ask that you consider examining your prejudices, as there are very few tools out there that are as wide-ranging, rich, and varied. In many cases, using the Tarot can deepen or enrich a reading, and it is my contention that if a client feels a reading is diminished because of the Tarot, it is most likely a lack of connection to the reader or the information presented, not the use of the Tarot itself.

In my next blog post, I'm going to discuss a bit more about learning to read the Tarot, and share some valuable resources. This may be an ongoing series as well. As always, I welcome thoughtful and constructive comments.

blessings,
Amy

posted Friday, December 21, 2007 2:23 PM by AmyArcana | 4 Comments

Holiday Gifts Idea~Book Review of Ask and It is Given by Jerry and Esther Hicks

Perhaps you've watched the movie, The Secret, or have heard about it, and are curious to find out more about law of attraction. Or maybe you've noticed and have enjoyed the Abraham quotes that Keen advisors share on their blogs here on Keen, and would like to know more.

My suggestion is to start with the book, Ask and It Is Given, by Jerry and Esther Hicks. This is a great time of year to purchase the book as a gift for yourself or for a friend or loved one, and I think this book, while not their newest, is one of the best introductions to their teachings.

Esther and Jerry Hicks present material that is channeled by Esther, from a group of Beings called Abraham. The main focus of their work are day-long seminars. They travel around the country and Abraham answers questions asked by audience members.

The whole seminar is recorded, and you can get the recordings on audio tape, cd, and some are available as videos. I get the weekly audio recordings and absolutely love them, Ive also seen them live several times, and it is a wonderful experience.

Although they had been publishing their work independently, Esther and Jerry struck up a partnership with Louise Hay's publishing company, Hay House, and Ask was one of the first books that was published at Hay House. This book has become a bestseller, and you can read many other reviews on Amazon and other book sites.

The book is divided into two parts, the first part outlines many of the concepts they discuss, in clear and easy-to-understand language. One of their main tenets, is "Nothing is more important than feeling good."

Abraham is really focused on our emotional well-being, and their contention is that, if we can genuinely feel better about any subject in your life, or, as they call it: 'moving up the emotional scale', our vibration will shift, and we will change what we are attracting into our life, over time.

There is no need for massive action, or hugely uncomfortable shifts in thinking, all is needed is to nudge ourselves into feeling better, and over time, the quality of our life will improve.

What really shines in this book is the second half, which consists of detailed excercises that help you move up your emotional scale on a variety of subjects.

Now, they don't advocate doing all of the processes, and the way they are arranged in the book follows the emotional scale, if you are on the lower end of the scale, you would do a process in the later part of the book,or if you are feelling pretty good about a subject, but want to feel even better, than you may want to choose one in the first part.

The processes range from simple exercises you can do immediately, to those that incorporate writing or charting. There are also several processes that you could do on a daily basis.

For example, you can play "which thought feels better?"-where you move through thoughts and gradually try to focus on a better feeling thought, asking yourself, which thought feels better. Or, choose a daily process, such as the prosperity game, where you write a check out each day, and spend the money how you want, increasing your ability to imagine spending larger amounts of money.

There many more exercises, and for me, this book has become a valuable tool to turn to time and time again. Empowering and changing life for the better, one thought at a time. If this sounds intriguing, I encourage you to check it out, and let me know what you think!

posted Wednesday, December 12, 2007 1:53 PM by AmyArcana | 2 Comments

How Do You Stay Healthy During Cold and Flu Season?

Hi everyone! I wasn't available on Keen very much this week, because I had been feeling under the weather. I don't like to provide readings if I'm not at 100%, because I really want to give the best I can to my clients. I'm now feeling much better, however, and will be back on schedule.

This does seems to be the time of year for colds and flu. I thought this would also be a great opportunity to share how to effectively combat or avoid the cold/flu or their related symptoms.
I really try to stick with a natural regimen if possible; here are a few things that have worked for me:

~ washing my hands a lot, I think this works wonders in keeping those germ viruses off.

~ getting enough rest, exercise and meditation. Sometimes easier said than done, but keeping on track with these three helps me stay healthy and energized.

If I'm starting to feel a cold or flu coming on:

~ I've found the natural herbal teas by Traditional Medicinals tend to be helpful, like 'Throat Coat'. I usually end up drinking 3-5 cups a day.

~ Airbourne also helps, if I start taking it right away. If you're not familiar with Airbourne, they are effervescent pills you drop in water and take when you want to strengthen your immune system.

~ Also, homeopathic medicine for cold and flu symptoms seems to shorten the duration and severity for me, as well. Again, the key is to take them away right when you start to feel sick.

I'm sure there are lots of other great remedies out there, please feel free to share what works for you in the comment section.

posted Friday, November 30, 2007 12:29 PM by AmyArcana | 3 Comments

Wealth Affirmations Made Easy: A How-To Guide on What To Do and What To Avoid

Affirmations can be an effective and powerful tool for bring more abundance into our lives. If you decide to give affirmations a try, there are some techniques that will lead to success, and also some pitfalls to avoid.

Affirmations are statements of intent. They describe a reality we want to create for ourselves, for example, "I easily manifest a six-figure income." Usually, affirmations are sentences or statements that we can repeat over and over again. By repetition, we impress that belief into our subconscious mind, and we start to believe and then create, our affirmation as the truth.

You may have tried affirmations in the past, and felt that they didn't work. Just rote memorizing and stating short positive statements over and over again is not particularly effective. Here are some techniques to implement effective wealth affirmations.

Affirmations need to have feeling and focused intention behind them. Ultimately you are transforming your beliefs. When you are stating your affirmation, you may want to have a visual image in your mind that goes with it. Symbols are very powerful. If you have a symbol of what you want to create, and you flash that in your mind when you say your affirmation, you are lending more power to it. For example, you could visualize a paycheck with the desired income on it.

Affirmations have much more power if they are also linked to the feeling you get when you have what you want. Our feelings are the foundation for our beliefs. When you prepare your affirmation, you should spend a few moments imagining what the result will feel like; will you feel joy, elation, satisfaction? When you say your affirmation, call forth that feeling, and stay focused on it, without letting your mind wander off into doubt.

The other major key for effective affirmations is to put some thought into crafting and writing your affirmation. Your affirmation should come from you. There are many affirmation lists available in books and online, but you should try to work with only those that resonate with you, and possibly modify them into what you want. Affirmations should be positive statements only, written in the present tense. Your affirmations should state that you already have what you want.

However, if an affirmation is completely different from what you are currently experiencing, your subconscious mind will protest and will not be open to the affirmation. For example, if you say, "I am a millionaire," and you are actually poor and in debt, and have never had a large sum of money, your subconscious mind will not believe that, and the affirmation will not be effective.

You should tailor the affirmation to be a powerful, but more general statement like," I am open to new wealth opportunities," or "I attract more money into my life." Your affirmation should walk the line between being specific about what you want, but making the affirmation general enough so it seems possible to achieve.

By incorporating some of these techniques, you should be able to create powerful and useful affirmations easily. Give yourself plenty of time, as some beliefs may change quickly, and some may take longer. Wealth affirmations can be a wonderful tool for attracting more into your life.

posted Monday, November 19, 2007 1:38 PM by AmyArcana | 0 Comments

Soulmates Are Like Buses...

I believe we live in an abundant universe. Sometimes, its easier to wrap our mind around the concept of abundance when we think of concepts like health or vitality. Today, however, I want to discuss the concept of abundance in regards to romantic relationships.

Every person is unique, what we may love or enjoy about a person is often related to something that is special to them. However, our connection to this person is to a great extent about the feelings they invoke within us. For example, the feelings of being in love are intoxicating, and we often feel more alive, and more loving in return, then we did before the arrow of cupid struck us.

If a relationship ends, we may feel like that light has gone out of our life, and we are often convinced that we will never meet anyone special again. And we mourn.

But, the universe will always bring us what we are in alignment with, and when we are ready, we can meet another soulmate and have another relationship. And this relationship may be even better than the previous one, because we have even more clarity about what we want and don't want.

I was reading part of Esther and Jerry Hick's "The Astonishing Power of Emotions" today, and there was a quote from Abraham that powerfully spoke about this subject:

"We want to shout to anyone who is suffering over the loss of a relationship: Your relationship-the one you really want, the one that you have been creating and adding to every day of your life, the one that you amended even during the process of the breaking down of this relationship-is still there in your Vibrational escrow..but this pain you are feeling now means that in this moment you are not moving toward it, but away from it...

When someone walks out the door, understand that it is just a person walking out the door. It is not the end of your dream, the end of your creation, or the end of your life. It is just another experience, giving you even more clarity about what you want and do not want. It is another opportunity for you to create an even more pleasing Vibrational Escrow" (p142-143).

Soulmates and love relationships are like buses in that while we might miss a specific bus, there will always be another. When we are in alignment with the vibration of a loving romantic relationship, it is like we are waiting at the right bus stop, and we will soon step into a wonderful relationship, like stepping onto a bus.

posted Wednesday, November 07, 2007 1:16 PM by AmyArcana | 2 Comments

Some Suggestions On Improving Any Relationship

I think its extremely easy, especially in a romantic relationship, to focus on the parts of the relationship we don't like, such as aspects of the other person's behaviour, and to consequently feel powerless to improve things in that relationship.

Our relationships with others can start to improve with us. When we change ourselves, our relationships change. We can improve a relationship from the inside out. This is not an action path, but involves changing our feelings, and our thought patterns. The great thing about this approach is that it is effective without having to try to change the other person, which doesn't work, and can leave us feeling even more frustrated. We can certainly influence people, but they change on their own.

I believe that we attract into our lives whatever we focus on, the essence of which manifests in our lives. This is particularly true with relationships, as our interactions with people also are manifestations of our beliefs and attitudes. Sometimes this can be difficult to see, as it is extremely easy to externalize our unhappiness with the relationship, and focus the blame on the other person.

But, we always get to choose, and if we shift our focus, and shift our vibration, we will shift these relationships as well. As inspired and explained by the teachings of Abraham-Hicks, here are some great techniques for attracting the type of positive relationships we want into our experience:

1. Create a list of positive aspects of the person. By focusing on what we like and appreciate about a person, we will see more of the positive appear in our interactions with them, and consequently, less of the behaviour we do not care for will show up when we are with that person.

Start a list, at the top, put something like" Things I enjoy about _____, and put the person's name. You can start with a long list at first, and add to it daily, or you can decide you are going to add 3-5 items a day. They can be small things, like the way someone laughs, for example. Whats great about this is you will soon end up with a long list you can review regularly, and really feel the appreciation for this person. I have a very long list of positive aspects about my husband, and its great to review it and ignite that love and appreciation.

2.Detach from the worrying about the future and enjoy the present. In romantic relationships, its easy to want the relationship to move at a certain pace and progress to a specific outcome. However, relationships are a series of moments and interactions, and when we let go of worrying about the future of the relationship, and enjoy our interactions with that person, the relationship will progress and take care of itself to a large extent. Continuously focusing on doubt about the course of the relationship just amplifies the doubt further, and removes the enjoyment of the moment.

3. Create relationship touchstones. Without relating it to a specific person, identify the type of relationship, and the things that would take place in the relationship, that you desire. Write out a detailed list, and read and add to it regularly. Your attention to what you want will start to attract to you the type of relationships that fit what your desire.

I hope some will find these suggestions helpful. These are all techniques I have used to create and maintain loving relationships with the important people in my life.

posted Monday, October 29, 2007 2:20 PM by AmyArcana | 1 Comments

Spellworking Considerations When Casting a Spell

Hi everyone! Its seems ages since I've written. I wanted to pick up a bit from my previous post a few weeks ago, and share some considerations when doing spellworking. These are my own personal considerations, that I implement when constructing and working a spell.

Think carefully about what the spell should accomplish~I think a spell should focus on developing a higher quality in ourselves, or attracting the essence of something into our life. Perhaps to be more loving, or more easy-going. Or to attract a specific quality, such as financial well-being, or a loving relationship. Its great to be specific about the quality of what we want, or how it makes us feel, which will make the spell more powerful. However, trying to suggest or limit where it will come from, like a specific person, place or thing, can close off wonderful possibilities and limit the power of the spell.

Construct the Spell~ Spells can be extremely complicated or simple. Often, simple is better, then the energy doesn't get scattered. If you don't want to, or don't have the time to put into research and spell construction, there are a few alternatives that I think work well. Ready-made spell kits can be effective, many of these are a form of candle magick, and they can be easy to use. Also, there are many spells available online, or in books, which may resonate your intent. I'm not going to go into correspondences here, but there are also many guidelines available to incorporate them into the spell.

Incorporating a Higher Power~ To really connect with a spell, incorporating a call to a higher power that you are comfortable and familiar with, and ask them to help you with the outcome, can be powerful, and keep the spellwork on the level of high vibration.. For example, I connect with Angelic Energy.

Set aside a private time and place~ I would suggest privacy, unless another person or group is doing a spellcasting with you. Although a dedicated space is not necessary, the area should be physically and energetically cleansed before the working. Again, there are many resources available for info on cleansing yourself and your space.

After The Spell Is Performed~ The best attitude after the spell is to release it and let it go. Talking about the spell to others, or worrying about the outcome, dissipates the effectiveness of the spell. However, I think looking for a positive outcome, even if small at first, after the spell, helps reinforce the belief of positive expectation, and can help magnify positive results.

While I certainly haven't covered everything here, these are some pointers to consider if you are feeling drawn toward spellwork..

posted Monday, October 22, 2007 11:15 AM by AmyArcana | 0 Comments

Meet The Kitty Members of the Family

Hello everyone! I wanted to take a quick break from more serious blog topics, and share with you pictures of two very important members of my family, my two kitties. I love animals, and both of my cats were rescue cats that had been abandoned. My wish is that all animals find a loving home.

This picture is of my cat, Sultana. I found her when she was a kitten, and she fit in the palm of my hand, she had been abandoned, and was huddled under a car, covered with fleas. She's now about five years old, but is still the baby of the family. She has a baby-like meow, and loves to be cuddled and petted.

My other cat is Styx. She's about nine years old, and is a small, black, and part bermese. She has a strange meow that sounds like a duck, and she loves to sit on my lap when I'm at the computer.

Anyway, I just wanted to share, and if you call for a reading and hear a cat's meow in the background, they are just saying hello!

posted Thursday, October 11, 2007 1:59 PM by AmyArcana | 0 Comments

Should You Pay For Spellwork-Part 2

Hi everyone! Although I raised this question in my last blog posting, I didn't address it completely, as I wanted to share some of my thoughts about magick first. However, this seems to be a topic people are interested in, so I wanted to continue my train of thought. As always, I do welcome thoughtful comments, so please feel free to join in.

Personally, I don't think paying for a spell-working really helps anyone achieve the results they are looking for, and isn't the most most effective way to create positive change, for a variety of reasons. Here are a few:

No one can create for you~ The true effectiveness of spellwork is in helping to focus on the positive outcome, release resistance, and bring ourselves more into alignment with what we want. While there are many people and tools that can help us, no one can actually do the energy work for us, we have to take care of our own vibration. In fact, I find that I don't do as much spellwork as I used to, because there are other methods of raising my vibration and creating what I want.

Many spells-for-hire have the wrong emphasis~ Any spell promised to bring a desired outcome revolving around the will of another person, such as a lover come back spell, are problematic. Although we can influence others, we will never make someone do something they do not want to do, so attempting to control them in this fashion simply does not work in most cases, which is a good thing.

Another problem with these types of spells is that they arise from a feeling of lack. It is much better to focus on the essence of what we want, such as a loving relationship, more money, or better health, and not restrict how it will come to us. Let the universe bring it in the best way possible, and often we will receive something even more wonderful than what we had originally planned.

If you are considering spellwork, you may want to get clear on what you want to attract into your life, and see if some other methods may be just as effective. In my next post, I'll discuss some basics for effective spellcasting, and some possible alternatives.

posted Thursday, October 04, 2007 1:43 PM by AmyArcana | 48 Comments

Should You Pay For Spellwork, and other Magick Musings-Part 1

I've been pondering the subject of spellcasting and magicks recently. I've spoken with several clients over the last few weeks who've mentioned to me that another advisor had offered to perform a magical spell for them, for a fee, and the clients wanted to know my perspective on that.

While I certainly don't know the specifics of these services, I thought this would be a good opportunity to explore the idea and concepts around magick and spellworking, here and in the next few posts, and to provide information and my viewpoint on whether purchasing a spell-working can be helpful or not.

Magick and spell-working are shrouded in a large amount of mystery, some of it justified, but I also feel that much of it is deliberate mystification and misinformation. Thankfully, there has been a lot more information available about spellcasting in the last few years, and the basic tools are available and accessible to nearly everyone.

I've been working with magick and spell-casting for about 15 years. As mentioned in a previous post, while I used to walk more of a pagan path than I do now, I still incorporate spell-casting into my practice occasionally, working with Angelic Energy. My current perspective on spellwork has also been shaped by my study of Abraham-Hicks and the Law of Attraction.

While there many definitions of magick available, most people use magick to create a desired outcome for themselves. I believe part of the effectiveness of spellwork has to do with the fact that during the working, a strong visualization is created of the desired outcome. Spells use a combination of props, ritual, movement, and an intent that is often spoken or chanted. Another important element for many spells is a connection to divine or higher powers.

From a Law of Attraction perspective, casting a spell creates clear and focused energy toward our desired outcome. All of the tools we use help support our intent, and help make it real to our unconscious mind. These tools, such as incense, bypass our judging-conscious mind, and help us slip into a relaxed and allowing state of being. Also, by utilizing divine energy in our spell, we acknowledge that our conscious mind cannot accomplish everything in an action-based effort, and we open ourselves up to universal assistance.

One of the tenets often used for effective spells is that once the magick is done, let it go, don't talk about it to other people, or obsess about it, because this only dilutes the energy. From a Law of Attraction perspective, this is effective because the spell helped us put out what we want, and we are now open and ready to receive. If we start worrying about the outcome of the spell, we incorporate resistance, which just slows down what is coming to us, and moves us out of the receiving mode.

In my next few blog posts, I'll discuss about how we can create our own spells, and some guidelines and frameworks for spell casting, in addition to visiting the topic of purchasing spellwork.

posted Wednesday, October 03, 2007 2:29 PM by AmyArcana | 0 Comments

My Rampage of Appreciation for Abraham-Hicks

There are so many wonderful teachers out there, and I wanted to share my appreciation in my blog today for Abraham-Hicks, the husband and wife team of Esther and Jerry, and their messages from Abraham. I've really enjoyed seeing how popular Abraham's teachings have become. I've noticed many advisors referencing Abraham quotes and teachings in their blogs, and I love to see more and more people realizing the universal laws of attraction and allowing.

I was first introduced to their work about six years ago. I was walking a Pagan/Wiccan path, and while it had a lot of value, I still did not feel completely in alignment as it being a path for me. Also, I was struggling with the depression that I had had since I was a teenager.

My therapist at the time gave me one of Abraham's audio tapes, and I fell in love with the clarity, insight, and wisdom I heard Abraham express in their answers to the audience. In case you aren't familiar with Abraham-Hicks, Esther and Jerry Hicks present seminars, where Abraham (which Esther channels) takes questions from the audience. The audio transcripts of the seminars are also available on a subscription basis. They are now a variety of books published, as well.

Anyway, I signed up for the weekly tape subscription, and over a period of about 2 years, watched my life improve 100%. For me, one of the most powerful benefits was shedding the depression that had hindered me over the years. Of course, life is not static, and I'm still in the process of creating and aligning even more. I am very grateful for receiving the tools that I needed at the time, and access to the tools that I still use.

Many people started hearing more about law of attraction from the movie, The Secret, but my impression is that the movie left viewers with a lot more questions than it answered. One of the things I really like about Abraham-Hicks, is that there are a number of very specific processes they outline that can be used to improve your vibration in all areas of your life. And, when you improve your vibration, everything else follows. While the purpose of this specific blog post is not to explain their teachings, they do have a comprehensive website, and a new book out, called The Astonishing Power of Your Emotions, that is their best yet.

While Abraham-Hicks may not for everyone, if you feel like life should be better for you, and you're frustrated that it isn't, they offer a wealth of practical, useful, and empowering information to create more of the life you want. Also, if you want to talk more about The Law of Attraction, or how to apply it in your own life, feel free to give me a call!

posted Monday, September 24, 2007 2:20 PM by AmyArcana | 0 Comments

Love At First Sight: How I Met My Husband

Relationships should not always have to be an uphill struggle. I've learned this the hard, and finally, the easy way. After a series of relationships that weren't satisfying on many levels, I was left with such a clear idea of what I wanted, that I was ready to try the "menu-type" options of Internet dating for the first time. And, I ordered up my husband, right off the Internet! I also realized the good thing about being in relationships that don't work out over the long-term is that they bring a lot of clarity about what you want your next relationship to be.

My husband was one of the first few profiles I first looked at and liked, he was smart, articulate, funny, and very cute...and after talking on the phone a few times, we met for our first date. And, when I drove home from that wonderful date, a voice inside told me that I had met my future husband; and that little voice was right. We have been happily together four years now.

One of the things that struck me during our courtship, and also into our marriage, was how easy everything was. It was in stark contrast to the struggles and setbacks that had characterized many of my other relationships. Of course, we have disagreements at times, and there is the occasional bump in the road, but, if Ilook at our relationship in terms of a percentage, the vast majority of the time, we are happy and joyful with each other.

I wanted to share this because when I speak with some of my clients, I'm reminded of my own romantic relationships past and present, and my realization that relationships should not have to be so much work from the beginning. If a relationship is feeling like a struggle and an uphill battle right from at the start, it may not be the one. It can help us however, get even more clear about what we want, and the sooner we move toward allowing the relationship of our dreams, the sooner it comes!

posted Monday, September 17, 2007 1:45 PM by AmyArcana | 0 Comments

Why I'm in love with the Tarot: My Life-Long Love Affair

I'm not of the camp who proclaims no tools are best. While each person's gift manifests itself in the the way that works best for them, from my perspective, I can't imagine a more powerful or insightful tool than the Tarot. From an early age I was interested in developing and enhancing my psychic abilities, and have worked with many different modalities related to psychic and spiritual development over the years. While I've kept some and discarded others, the Tarot has remained a constant in my life.

Global interest in the Tarot has surged in the last 30 years or so. There has been a revival of interest in the origins of the Tarot, and investigation into the history around the Pre-Renaissance and Renaissance developments of what we know today as the Tarot. While not every detail has been discovered, the development of the Tarot is certainly less mysterious than the wild speculations developed over the last few centuries (origins in Egypt, relationship to the Gypsies, etc). However, I think one of the most exciting aspects of the Tarot is the affinity and interest people have with the Tarot symbolism and concepts today.

In a world of verbal and written information overload, the Tarot speaks to us powerfully in the language of symbols. Because of the strength and power of symbolic language, the Tarot transcends the use as a divination-only tool. Practitioners in the realms of Psychology, Spirituality, Art, Literature, Magick and more have been drawn to the tarot, and have used its imagery to enrich their own practice.

One of the exciting things about the Tarot has been all of the wonderful Tarot art that has developed in conjunction with so many different decks being published. The surge of popularity in the Tarot has also created an interest in oracle type decks, which while different than Tarot, also work with powerful symbols, and the most successful ones provide powerful insights all their own.

And my favorites? I'm more of a deck-depth than breadth person, as I tend to like to work with a deck repeatedly, and may at times switch between 1-2 decks, but usually not more than that. Right now, I'm particularly infatuated with The Victorian Romantic Tarot, and I often come back to the Universal Rider Waite-Smith. But who knows? I'm sure another deck will catch my eye in the near future.

posted Tuesday, September 11, 2007 3:26 PM by AmyArcana | 0 Comments

Give Up: Letting Go of Effort-Based Action

Are you running around frantically, but getting nowhere? We live in a society where the emphasis tends to be placed on action. America, in particular, tends to be a nation of doers. However, action is only one link in the cycle of creation. By implementing the other steps, we can leverage action more effectively in our own life, and accomplish more with less time and effort.

The cycle of creation starts with a thought, often a preference. Everything that has ever been created or invented by someone was a thought in their mind first. For example, someone might look out over a river and think, 'wouldn't it be great if we have a bridge here, so we could cross over?' Another example: my husband, who is a painter,will often get an initial visual flash in his mind that will inspire him to paint and capture his vision.

The next step is to invest the information we receive with our feelings. If we don't, our thoughts and inspiration will fade away. Feelings bring our ideas alive. By imagining what it would be like, considering the benefits of the finished product, or the fun we could have, we open ourselves up to inspired action to help create or manifest our desire.

Ideally, action then springs from the feelings and emotions we've invested into in our idea. We act for the joy of being immersed in something that is important to us.

When our action comes from this place, everything falls into place much easier. Abraham-Hicks talks about the universe rendezvousing with us to create what we want. Everything flows easily.

Finally, we have manifestation. According to the law of attraction, what we think and feel manifests, so the role of action, while important in undertaking what is important to us, is only the tip of the iceberg.

Next time you feel like your spinning your wheels, step back from frantic activity and wait for the inspired action. Spend time imagining the joy of the finished production, and the fun had along the way. Effort-based action is difficult, inspired-based action moves forward easily and lightly.

posted Tuesday, August 28, 2007 2:14 PM by AmyArcana | 0 Comments

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