Score one for listening to the "Little Voice"! :-)

I was waiting for a phone interviewer to call me this afternoon. What I *thought* was the appointed time came and went, with over two hours to spare. Finally, something told me to email the individual who I was expecting to call me.

Turns out that she never received my original confirmation email with the date and time of the appointment. I chalk it up to an overzealous spam filter or just flat-out missing the note amongst heavy traffic in her inbox, as I know I sent the confirmation. Darn Computer Gremlins; they always show up at the most inopportune times.

But had I not listened to my instincts and emailed her again today, she would have thought I blew off the interview request, and I would have been left wondering why no one got back to me.

So I say, again, trust your "little voice". God gave us our gut instincts for a reason.

That interview is actually for a possible job reading Tarot by phone. I've now got a brand new shiny appointment time for tomorrow afternoon. Wish me luck. :-)

Today's Featured Reading

Q. I love this man very much, but I feel as if he might be dishonest about wanting to be with me. Am I right to trust my gut feeling?

A. My ultra-short response is, "ALWAYS listen to your gut feeling." God gave us our instincts for a reason. I have lived to regret every time that I've blown off that little warning voice because it was telling me something I didn't want to hear.

I also drew a card. The 10 of Cups indicates fulfillment at home, with family, and in particular in the emotions. It's one of the cards in the deck I've nicknamed a "Happily Ever After card". So that's the good news.

However, that can never come to pass with someone who is dishonest with you. It can happen with someone who is as sincerely committed to making a relationship work as you are. So do listen closely to your gut instincts, and talk to some people whose input you value and respect, and who you can expect to be honest with you even if it's something you'd prefer not to hear. Then take whatever action you need, up to and including starting fresh with a different person in a relationship, to ensure that you are paving the way for the fulfillment and joy the Ten of Cups has to offer.

The lesson here? Listen, listen, listen to your instincts! Especially when it regards to people's honesty and trustworthiness.

Good luck and God Bless!

Today's Featured Reading

Q. What is coming up for me regarding relationships?

A. The card I drew is the Emperor. This card can represent the ultimate Patriarch (Father Figure), someone who is well-established in the world and is looked up to by all. He is represented, in the deck I am using, by the proverbial City on a Hill, that cannot be hidden and is very clearly Right There for the world to see in all its glory.

Be like the City on a Hill, and put your best foot forward at all times. Never be afraid to project your true nature to the world. THAT is how you will make yourself easier to find, for a person who is a good match for you.

If you take on the aspects of the Emperor, and allow Who You Truly Are to shine through, you will reap the benefits of the Emperor's success, reliability, and share in the respect he receives from all others.

Good luck and God bless!

Today's Featured Reading

Q. Will I ever find a job that is rewarding?

A. The Tarot card I drew is the Five of Swords. Swords correspond to the suit of Spades in modern card decks.

The 5 of Swords depicts a man standing on a battlefield; he's the only one left standing tall and he has collected all the swords that belonged to his enemies. He is holding his own sword up in victory.

You are far from alone in job frustration. Many people are going through job turmoil at the moment. In your case, I am seeing that if you persist, you will be standing tall on the battlefield in victory, too, when all is said and done.

However, standing in victory does require some preparation. The victor in the 5 of Swords image didn't just have his win handed to him. He TRAINED for it and EARNED it. That's something you might want to look into, as well, if you haven't done so already: training to work in a field that you will enjoy. If you already completed the training, or are going through the training now, then this card is acknowledging that you're on the right path. If not, then look into what it'll take to get the training that you need for the fulfilling career you want.


But the victor didn't merely get training in how to swordfight, in order to win. He actually had to fight the battle in order to win it. "Fighting the battle", in this case, is the legwork needed to land the job you're looking for: sending the resumes, seeking out people in the field you want to work in and getting to know them, looking into some kind of internship or apprenticeship if necessary to get your foot in the door. That's the how to navigate the "battlefield" that is today's job market.

So there you have it -- prepare yourself with education and with doing the legwork for the kind of job you REALLY want, and you will also be preparing for the day when you, too, stand victorious on the battlefield.

Here's an example of a reading that illustrates how the future is not engraved in stone. The person asking the question has the possibility of success, yes, but it won't just fall into their lap. First they have to do their part, and *then* they will realize their potential with success.

So even if your reading points to achieving your goals, it's not time to sit on your hands. It's time to do whatever it takes to reach those goals. THEN, and only then, will you see that part of your reading come to pass. So get to it. Get that reading and then go after whatever you want to accomplish most! :-)

Good luck and God bless!

Tarot Readings via Google Wave are now available!

I have just set up a Google Wave account. If you would like a reading via Google Wave, let me know. Click my email link in the sidebar on the right, change the "[at]" to "@", and contact me via email for details.

Fees are the same as the ones posted in the sidebar. We simply have a new way to deliver the reading to you.

Technology rules. :-)

Today's Featured Reading

We have another "gleaned from the headlines" query here.

Q. I have been talking to a particular guy for some time now. What are his true intentions towards me? Will we spend time with each other again?

A. I did a 3-Card Draw, with the three positions in the spread defined as "Challenge, Energy, Outcome".

Challenge: King of Swords. The King of Swords is a respected, upstanding and righteous man, The appearance of him as a "challenge" tells me that the guy being asked about is not going to find it easy to make himself more available to the Seeker. It could be that he's not able to do so at this time, or, frankly, he might not be willing.

Energy: Ten of Pentacles. This is a card of prosperity, in a material sense. This would be a good sort of energy to have -- it tells me that whatever challenges the Seeker and The Guy are facing to their getting together, monetary matters won't be an obstacle. (In this economy, that's a very positive thing to be able to say.)

Outcome: Nine of Wands. This card depicts one lone soldier, who is battered and bruised, but still defending his territory valiantly. My nickname for it is the "Takes a licking and keeps on ticking" card. Chances are that the Seeker is going to experience some emotional bruising, in disappointment because the King of Swords might well NOT go back to interacting as regularly with the Seeker as he did before.

However disappointing this outcome2 might be in the short term, if the Seeker will be better matched with someone else, then parting company with the King of Swords will be a positive thing in the long run. This tenuous relationship will have to become a thing of the past, in order to free the Seeker to meet the right person.

What to AVOID when you want a reading

Today's article is about a topic that makes me genuinely angry. It's the fact that some people will prey on others' fears by running psychic/Tarot reading "scams".

If you ever go into a shop for a psychic, Tarot, palmistry, etc. reading, and the proprietor starts telling you that you have a curse on you, forces of darkness have attached to you, etc., PLEASE make that your cue to politely pay what's owed for that one session and make an exit from their shop. Do not listen to all these ominous, dire things, because they are UNTRUE. The so-called "reader" is feeling you out to see if they can scam you out of more and more money to remove this alleged "curse", "darkness", or whatever nonsense they're spouting. They'll keep right on needing more and more money to remove bigger and worse "evil" from your life, for as long as you are willing to pay them. DO NOT FALL FOR IT. Please!

Do visit THIS SITE to see how some of these scammers work.

You will see that in my Code of Ethics, I specifically mention in Item 8 that all fees are stated up-front and that a reading will never be used as a way to extract additional money for anything else, including additional readings. I said it, I mean it, I stand by it. The entire reason WHY that item is in my Code of Ethics is to distance myself and this site as far as possible from the charlatans who prey on vulnerable people.

Let me assure you, there is NO "curse" on you, and there is no force of "darkness" or "evil" attached to you. If you are experiencing a rough time at the moment, it's something that we all go through at different times in our lives. Ups and downs are a part of life. You can get through the rough time WITHOUT throwing money after money at someone who needs more, more, and more payments to remove the "curse", "evil", and/or "darkness".

Tarot is a tool for insight, NOT a tool for scaring peoploe or prying money out of people's wallets. If you see someone behaving otherwise, walk away. They don't have your best interests at heart.

Today's Featured Reading

Sometimes, just to keep in practice, I will "read" for questions I see in advice columns. The person who asked the question won't see my answer, but if their question is in the newspaper or online for the whole world to see, I don't feel like it's invading anyone's privacy to do a reading on it.

Today's question would fit the above description.

My partner and I live in different cities. (The cities in quuestion are a 2-hour airplane flight apart.) I want to know if marriage and family are in our future, and who is moving where?

I did a three-card draw, with the three positions in the spread representng "Challenge, Energy, Outcome". The cards that came up are The Sun, reversed, 2 of Wands, reversed, and King of Cups.

Challenge: The proverbial light of the Sun is obscured by clouds. Instead of liberation and attainment, what we have are obstacles and a lack of success. The Sun, reversed is quite a challenge to overcome indeed.

Energy: I see actions going in divergent directions. Far from helping the Seeker meet the challenge in the first card, this seems to show the two partners in the relationship working at cross purposes or just moving in two unrelated directions. My gut instinct, on seeing this card, was that neither of them was going to be moving to take up residence with the other. Instead, when the moment of commitment arrived, one or the other, or both of them, would have strong enough second thoughts about uprooting that the deal (so to speak) would fall through.

Which, though it would surely cause a disappointment to them both, would NOT be a bad thing if they are simply not meant to be together. Which, judging from the next card, could well be the case.

Outcome: This card corresponds to the King of Hearts in the modern playing card deck. The King of Cups suggests to me that the Seeker will find a very worthy new partner closer to home.

Always trust your gut instinct -- it's there for a reason

Did you ever describe your actions to someone in this way:

"I wasn't originally going to try [x], but then something told me I should, and it turns out I liked it!"

"Something told me to go back and double-check whether the door was locked, and sure enough, it wasn't. So I locked it."

"Something told me to avoid taking that shortcut today, so I went another route. Turns out there was a huge traffic jam on the road I usually use. Good thing I went a different way."

Notice a theme here? The "something told me" part? That's what I want to focus on today. My personal nickname for that Something is "the little voice", and I assure you that I have never failed to regret ignoring it.

Sometimes that "little voice" warns us when our subconscious is picking up on nonverbal cues that our conscious mind is missing. For example, we could be waiting for an elevator, but when it arrives, there's just one person in it and we feel a strong reluctance to get into the elevator and be alone with that individual. Any time a situation, a person, a place, etc. makes you feel concerned for your safety, listen to your instinct.

Sometimes, the Little Voice can't be described as anything other than a premonition. Again, take it seriously. A friend of mine was driving home when a warning light illuminated on her dashboard. There wasn't anything else obviously wrong, but something told her to find a safe place to pull off the road. She did so, right before the car abruptly stopped working entirely. Had the car failed on the highway or on the bridge she used as part of her route home, there could have been a serious accident. Instead, everything turned out OK and no one was hurt.

So in short, pay attention to your instincts. God gave them to us for a reason. Treat them as the gift that they are, and use them well.

Today's Featured Reading

One of the things that any Tarot reader will notice straight away is that the vast majority of questions pertain to relationships or monetary matters. This is unsurprising, as both of those things are tremendously important in our lives.

Today's question falls into the former category.

Q. Does the object of my affection reciprocate my feelings?

A. The card I drew is the Five of Wands, reversed. It speaks of an end to competition and conflict. What I'm seeing is that someone who might have been competing for the attention/affection of said Object of Affection has receded into the background. This bodes well for you, as even if the Object of Affection was previously distracted by someone else, that distraction is removed.

The path is clear for you to step up and make your feelings known. Speak up, lest said Object of Affection be left wondering whether YOU reciprocate THEIR interest.

As you can see here, the key is to be proactive about creating the future that you want to see happen. Can we MAKE other people reciprocate our feelings for them? No. We can't make other people do anything, the same way other people can't MAKE us do things that go against our nature. But if we take NO action at all, that's exactly what we will get back... nothing. Taking the risk, and letting the Object of our Affection know where they stand with us, is worth it. The alternative is to wonder forever how things would have turned out if only we had spoken up. THAT, in my eyes, would be the biggest loss of all.

Good luck and God bless,

Ziantha

The Transparent Tarot Deck -- what a fascinating experience it is!

I recently purchased the Transparent Tarot, a deck which is printed on transparent sheets of plastic. Its images are designed so that a person can stack cards of a reading one atop the other and glean additional levels of meaning from a given reading.

Well, I've tried some "stack the cards atop one another" readings, and WOW. What a boost of insight comes from having a new way to interpret the cards! I keep thinking of the game referenced in Star Trek, 3-Dimensional Chess, because taking a 3-card reading and stacking the cards gives a 3-dimensional card spread.

I can tell that the mental workout I'll be receiving as I practice new reading techniques will serve me in good stead when I work with my more conventional paper decks.

What a fascinating learning experience this is turning out to be. :)

Today's Featured Reading

Time for another Featured Reading!

Q. Will he move in with me?

A. The card I drew for this question is The Moon. It speaks of hidden influences on the situation that we currently are unaware of. If he does move in, and I believe that the odds favor this happening, be very alert. There will be some aspects of your living under the same roof together that you might not have realized or considered ahead of time.

Your best bet is to proactively think about as many pros and cons to living under the same roof as you can. Weigh them and discuss the issue with people whose opinion and wisdom you respect. Then DECIDE whether or not having him move in with you is a good idea, whether it's a move that's best to postpone, or whether it should not happen at all. Remember, your needs are just as important as his needs in this situation, so if it benefits one of you but hurts the other one, it should be a no-go.

Hidden aspects of situations, as highlighted with this particular card, can be a mixed blessing. They could be pleasant surprises, or they could give us cause to remember the old saying, "Be careful of what you pray for, because it will come true."

It's OK for us not to know in advance every possible detail, overt and covert, of every last situation. Only God is omniscient. But it behooves us to go into important and/or life-altering events, like the one in this question, with our eyes open. We should make every attempt to learn as much as we can before we commit to anything, and we should also be honest with ourselves about what we find. That's the best way to work toward creating the present and future we want to see happen.

Good luck and God bless,

Ziantha

How did I become a Tarot reader?

When Geocities.com closed down its websites last month, my original webpage was lost in the process. I chose to re-establish my online presence with a blog. I want to provide my site's visitors with information and commentary. I have many things to say, and I wanted to have an easily-maintained, accessible forum in which to say them.

There are some questions that need to be answered for newcomers to this site, including "Who am I, and what qualifies me to offer Tarot readings in the first place?"

Who I am is a married lady who first encountered Tarot cards in 1978, when I was in high school. Two close friends of mine, who are sisters, purchased a Rider-Waite Tarot deck and learned to do readings. They, plus two other friends and I, were fascinated by the Tarot. The cards contained amazing artwork with levels upon levels of symbolism to learn. The process itself of learning Tarot interpretation was both interesting and challenging, and we gravitated toward it immediately. Even as rank beginners, we could see some genuinely on-target results and we were encouraged to continue.

I say "we" because the five of us were teaming up to interpret readings, even back when we only had the one deck. One or the other of the two sisters would shuffle the cards and lay them out in the Celtic Cross spread, and then all five of us would pore over the books (which my friends got at the same time they bought the deck) to interpret the cards' definitions, as well as their relation to the other cards in the reading. Bouncing ideas off each other the way we did really helped us ALL learn more quickly. Before long, the three of us who didn't own a Tarot deck went out and got decks, too. I know I got my deck, also a Rider-Waite deck, in March of 1978. We continued reading both as a team and individually. I gained a lot of experience and confidence in my reading, thanks to having lots of practice and feedback right from the beginning. From then until now, I've read for friends and family.

In 2004, I decided that it was time for me to do more with my reading, and I set up my first website; that original site eventually led to my creation of THIS website. I hope that I can both gain and help to provide insight via Tarot readings.

Today's Featured Reading

Here's our first mini-Question-and-Answer session, where I draw one card to respond to a given topic or question.

Q. I want an overall reading of immediate actions I should be taking in my life.

A. The card I drew is the Six of Pentacles, reversed. The seeker should manage their money wisely; they should avoid tossing it away on foolish enterprises.

Good luck and God bless,

Ziantha

How does Tarot reading "fit" into my life?

I realize that everyone who reads Tarot cards is approaching the process from their own perspective. That's as it should be. If you're not bringing your real self to the reading process, you've gotten off on the wrong foot from the very beginning.

However... there are some crucial things to keep in mind, whether you are a Tarot reader yourself, or whether you are a person who is in search of someone to perform a reading.

For one thing, no one -- Reader or Seeker (the reading recipient) -- should ever lose their perspective. Tarot Cards are a fascinating tool, but they do NOT hold power. The ability is in the people connected to the reading -- the Reader and the Seeker -- NOT in the cards. That's the same way that my eyeglasses are not the reason I can see, but they are the reason I can see more clearly. My EYES are where the ability to see lies, not the eyeglasses. If my eyes couldn't see, all the eyeglasses in the world wouldn't help.

Also -- and this is important -- no one should ever forget, for even one instant, just where our ability comes from. I, personally, am a Christian and I believe that all our abilities, as well as everything we are and everything we do, come from God. Other persons who practice other faiths might assign different names to our Maker. But no matter what name or gender we use to refer to the One who made us, the point I'm making is that we should never, ever place the cards ahead of our Creator. Cards are pieces of paper, and the moment we start to worship them instead of the One who made us is the moment we start going down the wrong path.

That's not the only way to start moving in the wrong direction, however. Another dangerous obstacle is the temptation for a Reader to start acting like THEY are the one who should be glorified or worshipped. Nope, sorry -- we're all just regular people, whether or not we happen to have studied Tarot cards or anything else. A Reader who behaves (or worse, believes) that they are above other people somehow is a Reader who's heading for a big fall and a harsh lesson to the contrary. A Seeker who places a Reader on a pedestal is in for a major disappointment at some point, when they find out that the Reader is just as human as they themselves are, instead of being some kind of superhero(ine).

Ziantha's Featured Readings: Take Part Today!

Have you got a question that you would like to see as a Featured Reading? All identifying information will be edited out, leaving only the question and its answer here. Never fear! If you would prefer not to have your reading appear in this column,let me know; of course I will understand and respect your wishes.

If you would like to have a reading, and wonder if my reading style suits you, this will be the ideal forum to check it out.

You can use the sidebar on the right to contact me for a reading, and send me your question today!