While I don’t think any form of electronic tarot is particular effective as a true divinatory tool, if I had an iPhone, I’d lay out the two bucks for this just for the fun of it.

You can buy and download a copy through the iTunes store. (*Note: this link will open up iTunes on your computer.)

Steps to getting started in your first communications

1. CENTER YOURSELF
– Close your eyes, take at least three deep breaths. With each exhale, imagine all negative energy draining out the bottom of your feet and disintegrating in the earth below.

With each inhale, imagine breathing in pure white light from the universe.

As all of the negative energy leaves your body, imagine the white light filling up all that space. When there is no space left in your body, imagine that white light (I imagine it with beautiful little gold or blue sparkling specks) flowing out over the top of your head and engulfing your body like a cocoon.

2. SEEK ASSISTANCE FROM A HIGHER SOURCE
- Ask the universe, or your higher self, or whatever source you choose, to help you connect with the animal you are about to speak with.

3. CONNECT WITH THE ANIMAL
– See the animal in it’s environment. Take a moment to sit quietly with him or her and get a feel for his/her ‘feline-ality’, ‘canine-ality’ ‘esquine-ality’ etc.

Remember that every animal has it’s own personality, just as humans do. Some are outgoing and talkative and will start talking before you know what hit you. Others are shy and reserved. Some are funny, some are serious, etc.

Feel the personality, just like you would when meeting a human, so that you get a feel for boundaries and conversational approach.

4. INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND ASK PERMISSION
– Remember common courtesy. Remember that you are coming out of the blue to these animals, introduce yourself and ask their permission to speak with them.

5. CONVERSE
– Have a ‘conversation’ with them. If their person has given you questions, that’s fine, but don’t pepper them as if they are being interrogated. Work the questions into the ‘conversation.’

6. SAY GOODBYE
– It’s rude in any circles to just leave a conversation without saying goodbye, show the same courtesy to animals.

7. PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK
– … For doing such a good job. Because, surely, you did.

TIPS:
• Start slow and keep the conversation light.

• Don’t try to ‘fix’ a behavioral problem until you have learned more, you might make it worse.

• Have fun with it. It’s not brain surgery, and most animals are giving and grateful for the attention.

• Remember that the best way to learn and gain confidence is to simply ‘jump in’ and get experience. The more validation you receive, the more confidence you will achieve. But you can’t get the validation without taking the risk: conversing and presenting it to the animal’s person.

• If you’re still uncomfortable jumping in, consider speaking to an animal of one of the communicators on the board. We fully understand what you’re feeling.

(To practice communicating with animals, visit the
Spiritcaat Animal Communication Practice Forum.

Weekly Tarot for Mar. 2. 2008

Card: Two of Cups
Deck: Universal Waite Tarot (Pkt)
Key words: Union (two persons or of self), Self-Development, Balance, Resolution of conflict, Reconciliation

Okay, this is just getting ridiculous now. I draw dozens of cards for myself every week and the only time I draw this one is when I am writing these weekly contemplations.

Obviously, I’m either not getting something about myself, or I’m not getting something about how I should be presenting this card to you. I’m going to go with the latter since I never get this card any other time.

I am going to analyze the crap out of this card.

When I analyze a card, the first thing I do, & this is a good thing for you to do in your tarot journal if you have one, is to objectively describe everything you see in the card.

I see two people here, each holding a cup. What hovers over them is an orange winged lion with a caduceus beneath him. The woman wears a white garment, cloaked in blue, with a green wreath on her head. The man wears a yellow/brown garment, with a pink wreath on his head, yellow tights and brown shoes.

In the background are green rolling hills, with scattered trees, and a red roofed house in the distance. The sky is blue.

Once you’ve described it objectively, then assess what the symbols mean.
We can put this together like this:

Depending on the reading and the interpretation, as in any card, this may be positive or negative. We are not sure whether the man is taking the cup from the woman, or whether the woman has just received the cup from the man.

Her blue cloak tells us she may be ‘wearing her heart on her sleeve.’ She wears a green wreath that tells us she has gone, or is going through, a growth period. Her white clothing may denote a process of reflection or her innocence in the relationship, if this relates to a relationship with another person. (It may also indicate a relationship between two opposites of the self.)

The man is wearing yellow and brown, maybe indicating he is approaching this relationship from a more intellectual and grounded viewpoint, whereas her blue cloak indicates an emotional one. Or it may mean, in positive terms that he is feeling carefree about the relationship, or in negative terms, feeling some fear about it. He also wears brown boots: it appears to be a grounded person, and he feels that his groundedness protects him. His pink wreath may indicate that no matter how he presents himself, his purpose is pure.

Hovering over them, in front of a blue sky, is an orange winged lion attached to a caduceus. This tells me that the relationship (either with this other person or with one’s self) is charged with “Mana” or “life force” which comes from solar energy. It may indicate that this relationship is in a healing, communicative stage, which may carry it from one level to another, in a higher sense. This healing energy hovers over them and protects them during a process of change, which can always be difficult.

The fact that there are two cups may indicate that there is a decision to be made, or steps to be taken, in order to achieve the balance and unity these people, or this person, is seeking.

In the background we see a red-roofed house in the distance, nestled in a grove of trees on some green rolling hills. This may indicate the desire of these people to open themselves up to one another (or to one’s self) by revealing the deepest darkest secrets that reside in their hearts.

They do this knowing that it may be a step towards growth or reconciliation (if appropriate) in the relationship, that it may nourish the relationship, and that this ability to bare one’s soul in such a way, to self or to another, may only be possible by the wisdom we accrue from our own contemplative and meditative process about our lives, our purpose and our life experiences.

The Two of Cups is a card of relationships. One with another or with one’s self. The process of choosing and change can be difficult, but without it, we would be unbalanced and off center. There is a positive and negative aspect to all cards, just as there is to all life. One without the other would be unnatural. If we choose to center our selves, it can only work towards ‘a more perfect union’ of body, mind, and spirit. The more perfect the union within ourselves, the more chance we will have a that ‘perfect union’ with another.

Symbols

– Boots: Protection
– Caduceus: Healing, Communication
– Cloak (Blue): Love, loyalty, devotion, emotion, ‘Wearing heart on sleeve’
– Cups: Emotions, relationships, fulfillment
– Rolling Hills: Ancient wisdom, nourishment
– House: Deepest secret, tender part of heart, protection, value, security
– Sky (Blue): Overseeing spirit, heaven
– Trees: Regeneration, growth, life-process, element of air (thought, intellect)
– Two: Duality, balance, union, decision
– Wreaths: Victorious Spirit (Green: growth, Pink: Purity of purpose)
– Winged Lion: Transmutation from lower self to higher self

Colors

– Blue: Communication, justice, melancholy, spiritual wisdom, creativity, sub-conscious
– Brown: Groundedness
– Green: Regeneration; Growth
– Orange: Solar Energy, The Changing Process
– Pink: (Cross Red/White:) Purity in purpose. (my interpretation)
– Red: Life-force, action, purpose will, willpower, might, force
– White: Light, process of reflection, spirit, truth, innocence purity
– Yellow: Intellect, sunlight, carefree, light-hearted, fearful (cowardly)

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If you have found value in this, more than the reflections I’ve been writing, please leave a comment, or email me and let me know. This site is rather new and I would love suggestions about the things which would help you most, as I am building it.

Thanks,
Caat

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References:
“Pictures from the Heart: A Tarot Dictionary” by Sandra A. Thomson
“Tarot Teachings”

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Card of the Week
Tarot Lessons by Example
For the week of Feb. 24. 2008

Card: Ace of Wands
Deck: Illuminated Tarot
Key Words: Developing ideas, initiative, creativity

If you look hard enough, you can see gifts being offered from a higher source. Those gifts come from within you. Now is the time to look inward to see where your inner guides can take you.

It’s time to look at the creative endeavors you envision with eagerness and excitement, rather than fear and trepidation.

Whatever negative messages given you in the past, that may prevent you from having the courage to act on your ideas, are far removed from your current life. The safety and security you sought from other people are now things you are capable of giving yourself.

In seeing that you have too much growth between the past and the present, you can discard those messages and seek out advice from your own inner guides.

By looking inward, you can develop courage to develop your ideas, and the confidence to understand you are capable to complete any endeavor you embark on with resounding success and purity of purpose.

Once you open yourself to your ‘self,’ you open yourself up to new possibilities and a different way of looking at things. The next time you get an ‘epiphany,’ seemingly out of nowhere, you will be able to act on it, and manifest it, with excitement and purpose.

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Symbols Used
– Castle: Safety, security (left side: may be influenced by family of origin)
– Clouds: Epiphany, bright idea ‘out of nowhere’, messages from the divine
– Budding Leaves (10): Potential to complete task
– Yods (8): Channelling divine energy to organize and manifest ideas

Colors Used:
– Green: Regeneration, Growth
– Purple: Spiritual insight & knowledge
– Red: Action, purpose, will
– Pink (cross between red & white): Purity in purpose

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References:
– “Pictures from the Heart: A Tarot Dictionary” by Sandra A. Thomson
– A. Venefica’s Tarot Teachings

Key words: Warm, fiery, energetic, action.

Imagine yourself on a beach at sunset. An orange ball of flames sits on the horizon, it’s dominance in nature allows it to fill the sky with color. This majestic sight, all at once, inspires awe at the determination with which it presents itself, and warms us in it’s presence. Orange is ruled by the sun, it’s symbol is fire and flames.

Yet as the sun warms, it can also burn. The sun represents our ego. While orange can represent our creative energy, it can also make us forget our need to be humble, making us overly prideful, restless and impatient with those around us.

As fire warms, it can also burn. The energy of flames is mesmerizing and meditative but, out of control, it can move impulsively and recklessly.

Sitting between red (Mars) and yellow (Mercury) on the color scale, orange doesn’t have the passion or aggression of red, but has a fiery, authoritative, determined, energy, giving us ambition, moving us to take action. Not quite reaching the airy happiness of yellow, it has a calm joy: a harvesting of the fulfillment we seek.

In that vein, orange is the color of the second chakra, which sits between the red root chakra and the yellow solar plexis chakra. The orange sacral chakra controls our sense of well-being & contentment.

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To interpret orange in a tarot reading consider these connotations:

Positive & Neutral Connotations:
– Warmth
– Energy, action
– Sociability
– Authority
– Creativity
– Harvest, fulfullment
– Encouraged by new ideas

Negative Connotations:
– Lack of humbleness
– Restlessness
– Impatience
– Impulsive action

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Sample Interpretation with Orange:

Deck: “Albano Mini”
Card: Ace of Wands

A hand, holding a wand, emerges from a cloud in front of an orange sky. There is an excitement in the air (orange) about the growth (wands, green landscape) of a new venture (ace.) The (hypothetical) person this reading is be intended for is encouraged at the prospect of the venture and has the drive and determination to put any plan into action which will ultimately lead to the harvest of the fruits of their labor.

As always, choose one or two key words that are meaningful to you for that specific reading.

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References:
“Pictures from the Heart: A Tarot Dictionary” by Sandra A. Thomson
“Color Magic for Beginners” by Richard Webster
A. Venefica’s Tarot Teachings
Diva Botanicals
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Keywords: Growth, abundance, renewal.

Look around you. Green is growing. Trees are growing. Plants are growing. They grow as a part of the cycle of life.

After a drought, or after a long hot summer, and a long windter to supply the earth with nourashment (water = emotion) we see the sprouting of new growth, with all of it’s hope and potential.

It’s a fertile renewal of our faith that from the darkness springs light, from despair emerges hope, from famine flourishes abundance. It is a natural healer for the scorched earth. This gives us a feeling of peace and restfulness, releasing our tensions and healing our soul. On a physical level, this could mean financial growth or renewal.

Green is the color of the 4th, or heart, chakra. Four is the number of manifestation and stability. Guiding our heart, green presents us with not only the positive emotions of compassion and empathy, but negative ones, as well, (dingy green) of envy, greed, jealousy and suspicion.

Green corresponds with the planets of Mercury (communication) and Venus (love and relationships.) This, in relation to the heart chakra, represents communication in our relationships, which if properly conducted creates in those relationships all the things green represents: growth, harmony, and abundance of love.

Green also corresponds with Taurus, which supports the idea of stability, and the tarot card “Temperance” which indicates balance and tolerance.
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To interpret green in a tarot reading consider these connotations:

Positive &/or Neutral Connotations:
– Growth, Cycle of Life, Regeneration
– Abundance
– Harmony, Balance
– Hope, Healing
– Finances, Potential
– Reliability, Longevity

Negative Connotations
– Greed
– Jealousy
– Stubborness
– Envy
– Suspicion

As always, choose one or two key words that are meaningful to you for that specific reading.

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Sample Interpretation with Green:

Deck: Universal Waite (Pocket Edition)
Card: Queen of Wands

This is a woman who has seen her share of hardship (queen=maturity, grey cloak=depression) but has had the courage and determination (lions) to learn from it (yellow=intellect) and is now in the process of growing (green spouts on the wand and sunflower stem) spiritually (wands) even if that’s all she has to hold on to.

The black cat at her feet represents the mystery of what is to come, her psychic ability in sorting out that mystery, and is her spiritual guide and companion on her journey.

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References:

“Pictures from the Heart: A Tarot Dictionary” by Sandra A. Thomson
“Color Magic for Beginners” by Richard Webster

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Tarot Inspired Reflections
Learn to Read Tarot by Example
For the week of Feb. 10. 2008

Card: King of Pentacles
Deck: Universal Waite (Pocket Edition)

The same cards — over and over — Well, last week I spoke about repeating cards, so I’ll leave that alone today. Today I’ll mention how different the meaning of a card can be with relation to each card having both a positive and negative connotation, depending on the reading.

The last reading with this gentleman was less than positive, today he tells us this:

Indulge yourself this Valentine’s Day. Whether you are in a relationship with another person, or not, this is a day to honor your relationship with yourself.

So often this card presents us with a down to earth, practical message. But there’s more to this card than meets the eye. Both pentacles and green, which stand out to me here, are ruled by Venus. Did you know that every 8 years, Venus completes a cycle that moves in the symbol of a pentagram? What this tells me is that this day, as is everyday, is a day to honor our whole self: to bring it into balance.

And one of the ways to do that is by making Valentine’s Day as special for ourselves as we try to make it for others. So often we take care of ourselves only minimally. We make sure that our basic needs are secured, we live in the material world with what we need.

Too often, however, we fail to allow ourselves to indulge. We fail to look at ourselves as people who deserve to feel the sensuality and tactile response of beauty in our lives. Romance yourself as well as your partner, if you have one in your life.

Know that by doing this you open up your life to greater growth and potential because you bring all of the elements into balance: groundedness, communication, emotion & intuition, energy, and spirit.

So stroke your cat and really appreciate the softness of his/her fur. Indulge yourself with a chocolate covered strawberry and appreciate how decadent you can be. Put on soothing music and light candles, soak in the meditative quality of the flickering of the flame. If you have someone to share these things with, do so by allowing yourself to become enveloped in the refuge of their emotion. If you are alone on this day, do all of these things and romance yourself, because — you’re worth it.

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Symbols Used

• BULL/TAURUS: Material, tactile & sensual
• PLANET:VENUS: Love, romance, sensuality & beauty, indulge your senses.
• PENTACLES: Our body & the material world. What we perceive with our senses: Spirit (higher self), Earth (health, touch, stability), Air (communication, thought), Water emotions, intuition) & Fire (energy, creativity, love of life)
• CASTLE: Refuge, safety, protection.
• GRAPEVINES: Abundance, subconscious.
• GREEN: Growth, potential, hope, healing. Ruled by Venus: Love, romance

The newest computer can merely compound, at speed, the oldest problem in the relations between human beings, and in the end the communicator will be confronted with the old problem, of what to say and how to say it.
– Edward R. Murrow –

How to say it. Ah. That is the question. That is the difference between a fight and a conversation; between kids or animals running for cover and a quiet evening at home; between divorce and a happy marriage.

The importance of healthy communication cannot be underestimated. In this sometimes emotionally stunted society of ours, we have downplayed the importance of interpersonal communication to the point where it affects not only our own health, but the health of others. (In some cases, it affects your health because others are unwilling to communicate with you. — I will write on psychic vampires [those who suck your emotions dry] at a later time.)

Think about how many of the world’s problems could be solved with healthy communication. Think about how many of your own problems could be solved by healthy communication. Yes, but there’s the key word there — healthy communication.

We all communicate, it’s how we communicate which is the issue. How many people do you know who refuse to speak to someone because of their pride, or because they don’t want to get into a “confrontation.”

But not all communication to work out problems wind up in ‘aggressive confrontation.’ Some people just — talk. Who in your circle would you have a better relationship with if you were able to more effectively communicate with them if ego would allow? Your parent, child, friend, spouse, co-worker? How much better would you feel? How much would airing things out help your own health and well-being? How much more would it allow you to effectively meet the challenges of everyday life if you didn’t have emotions inside you simmering like a pressure cooker, or if you weren’t in a constant state of battle?

Certainly not everyone is experienced at win-win communication, and chances are if you are, you will eventually run into someone close to you who is not. Everybody has different communication styles. What is yours?

Nonassertion: The “inability or unwillingness to express thoughts or feelings.” (Adler & Towne, 2004) This style stems from low self-esteem or lack of knowledge of other communication styles (ie: it was not modeled for them).

One form of nonassertion is avoidance. This can be either physically removing yourself from someone’s presence, or by simply refusing to talk about the issue by changing the subject, joking, etc.

Accommodating is also a form or non-assertion. Some people will simply ‘give in’ to avoid conflict. This is often a co-dependent’s solution, putting other’s needs above their own.

Non-assertion is not always a bad thing. There are times which you have to ‘pick your battles” — in a job, for instance — where speaking out may cost you your job, or where the relationship either doesn’t mean enough to you, or means so much that it’s too small of an issue. More often than not, however, people who are non-assertive either have too little confidence or don’t know how to ask for what they want.

Direct Aggression: Lashing out with attacks, whether it be verbal (character attacks, ridicule, etc.) or physical. This can be not only ineffective, but damaging to the target and the relationship.

Anybody who has suffered the effects of direct aggression can attest to the damaging effects it has on them as the target. Often it is committed by those who have such low self-esteem that they need to ‘feel bigger’ than the person opposite them. They do this by any type of attack that allows them to feel strong, when in reality, it weakens everything about the relationship they are communicating in.

The worst part of direct aggression is the ‘domino effect’ it produces. Words are powerful things. One aggressive comment can lead to defensive aggressive reactions. The idea is to allow your communicating partner to respond, not to push them into a corner by having to react.

Passive Aggression: The act of ‘pushing someone’s buttons,’ so to speak, with subtle verbal or non-verbal messages without confronting the person directly. Sometimes called “crazymaking” (Adler & Towne, 2003), this is one of the most difficult forms of communication to deal with if you are on the opposite end of it.

Passive aggression stems from a great amount of hostility and a severe need to control one’s own life without risking criticism. It may result in extraordinary resentment on the part of person at which the behavior is targeted, which can lead to a complete breakdown of the relationship, over a period of time.

Passive aggressiveness can come in many forms: people who avoid conflict altogether; those who say they understand your feelings but continue to act with the same intent; those who lay guilt trips on you; those who ‘hit below the belt’ with intimate knowledge they know will upset you; those who give you the ‘silent treatment’; those who make a joke about everything and those who tell you they will help you, but sabotage you in some way. If confronted, the passive-aggressive person often just denies intent.

An example of passive aggressive behavior might be a person who tells you they will help you get a job interview because they know someone, who then subtly sabotages the meeting in some way.

Passive aggression is never a good option for long-term results and can severely damage individuals and relationships.

Indirect Communication: Sending indirect messages through hinting, or a third party. This can be a way to avoid conflict by taking initiative, but without hostility, and might be a preferable option when one person wants to help the other “save face.” (Adler & Towne, 2004) Indirect communication is one of the most common ways people try to convey messages.

How many times have you ‘hinted’ to someone that you are ready to leave their party early by saying you have to work the next day, without having to tell them you aren’t having a good time? It saves face for them.

In the vein of avoiding confrontation, some people may send messages through other people. By making a comment about the target person to a third party, the target may or may not get the message but, if they do, they may feel that they have been ‘backstabbed,’ which starts a cycle of hostility which makes communication more difficult in the future.

While at times useful, the problem with indirect communication is that there is the risk that the intended target may not get the message. If the message is that important, a more direct, assertive, approach is necessary.

Assertion: The ability of the communicator to express their thoughts and feelings in a clear manner which does not undermine or attack the other person. Delivering your message, expressing what you want and feel, in a non-judgmental manner can be one of the most effective ways to resolve a conflict. If done appropriately, it minimizes defensiveness in the other person, allows them to clearly understand what you are saying or asking for, and is usually your best chance of resolving conflict with minimal damage.

Everybody may be capable (or culpable) of all of these behaviors at some point in time. The question is, do you recognize it and change it when appropriate, and how do you handle the behavior when it is targeted at you? How best do you present yourself in an assertive, non-confrontational style? There are some things you can do:

Respect Boundaries: If you know that something is a ‘hot-button issue’ don’t throw it in their face. Disrespecting boundaries is one of the quickest ways to escalate a conflict.

Stay Focused on the Issue at Hand: Don’t bring up things from the past that have nothing to do with the current issue. This is very close to crossing boundaries. By staying focused you honor both you and your partner without mucking up the water. When you feel an issue veering off course, bring attention back around to the topic at hand.

Actively Listen: Listening is one of the most important, and sometimes one of the hardest things you can do. Some of the problems people have with listening are: thinking about what they will say next instead of listening and responding; getting defensive; interrupting. When people feel they aren’t being heard, they may feel that their feelings are being discounted and/or invalidated, which leads to more anger, and an escalation of the situation.

De-escalate: If you see the situation heating up, speak in a calm tone of voice. Repeat back to them what they have said so they know you listened to them and so both of you have a clear understanding of the intent of their message. If things are getting too hot and you feel you cannot calm it down, then take a break. Don’t storm out of the room, but calmly explain that you feel that things are too escalated and you are going to go into the other room so both of you can calm down. When you do leave, breathe.

Empathize: Try to see things from their point of view. It doesn’t mean you will agree with them, but if you at least can understand where they’re coming from, you have a better chance to acknowledge & validate their feelings so that both of you can come to a solution.

Use “I” messages: When speaking, use “I” messages rather than “you” messages. Don’t say “You always make me feel so unimportant”, say “When you forget to call when you won’t be home for dinner, I feel unimportant.” This way you are taking the responsibility for the feeling, but you are associating it with a behavior, rather than risking it sounding like an attack on them personally.

Admit your mistakes: When you recognize that you’ve made a mistake — admit it. There is nothing more maddening than someone who refuses to take responsibility for their own actions. Admitting a mistake and apologizing for it is a sign of strength, not one of weakness. It will clear the air and allow both of you to focus on a solution.

Change your response: One of the first rules of psychology is “if you want to change somebody else’s behavior, change your own.” In other words, if you respond differently, they will in turn change their behavior because they are not getting the response they expected. Many times, behavior is meant to do just that, elicit a certain response.

In rare cases you may run up against a person who is completely unwilling to communicate or is such a master manipulator that no matter what you do, they will find a way to start an argument with you, or make your life miserable. They may be so passive-aggressive that it just turns into ‘crazy-making,’ or they may simply flat-out refuse to acknowledge there’s a problem and refuse to listen or discuss the possibility of it at all. In these cases what are you to do?

The broad answer is, “Take care of yourself.” If you are being hurt by the situation, you need to take care of yourself, first and foremost. The method by which you do that, however, can only be found by your own introspection and assessment of how important that specific relationship is to you. If you are being hurt, and you have sincerely tried every option to stop the incoming behavior, you need to make some decisions about how important the relationship is to you.

But introspection is the start. To make the types of decisions you need to make in situations like these, you need to know yourself. Getting in touch with your own higher-self & spirituality has a healthy and calming effect on your life. Resolve to meditate, play, relax. Giving to yourself in a loyal, loving and devoted way can open up a communication process within yourself that may well protect you from psychic vampires as well as preventing you from becoming one.

Communication. It’s fundamental. It’s how we operate. By learning a few basic techniques, and by communicating with our own higher being, we can become more content, better equip ourselves to rise to the challenges of our everyday lives, and better communicate with others &/or understand how to deal with it, even when they won’t.

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References:

Adler, Ronald, B., & Towne, Neil (2003). Looking Out Looking In. 10th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thompson Learning.

Adler, Ronald, B., Towne, Neil, & Proctor II, Russell F. (2003). Interplay. 9th ed. Oxford, NY: Oxford University Press.

Creating Strategies. (2008). Retrieved February 9, 2008, from the World Wide Web: http://www.creatingstrategies.com/articles/communication_tips/deescalate_a_conflict

Stress Management: about.com. (2008). Retrieved February 9, 2008, from the World Wide Web: http://stress.about.com/od/relationships/ht/healthycomm.htm

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Caat is an intuitive advisor and has a master’s degree in human behavior.

For intuitive coaching for communication and relationship problems, see her Spiritcaat Page

Tarot reflection for the week of Feb. 3, 2008

Card: Two of Cups
Deck: Universal Waite (Pocket Edition)

Well how fascinating. This is my 7th ‘weekly reflection’ and 3 times out of those 7 times I have drawn the Two of Cups.

There is a lesson here. Every week, before drawing a card, I ask my guides and the universe to let me draw a card which will give me information which all who read it will relate to.

I see this card about relationships. In “Christmas Contemplation”, I spoke about appreciating family over commercialism during the holidays. In “The Power of Mana” I spoke about how bettering ourselves, in turn, will improve our relationships.

Today goes along with that, it’s about communication & our relationship with our inner-self. But before I go on, I want to make the point about recurring cards. Twos indicate duality, choice and decision. How many times do we see a sign time after time but ignore it? We simply pass it off as ‘coincidence.’

But these things are not coincidence. It is the universe’s way of giving you a subtle message about something. By using the tarot, we have a symbolic tool at our disposal to keep after us about something we need to be looking at. In that way, it can be not only a spiritual tool, but a therapeutic one, as well.

Now, I could easily look at this card and say, “Well, this is trying to tell me something about my life, and that is indeed part of it — but only part. I say this because the only time I’ve been re-drawing this card is when I sit down to write a reading for you — my readers. I actually have had a recurring card for myself in the past couple of weeks, and that card has been “The Hermit,” not the Two of Cups.

So, I feel that the universe is trying to tell me something that I need to express to you, as well as myself, or I would be pulling this card in my personal readings, as well. Obviously this comes through my own filter, but I have made the decision to write these contemplations for the benefit of all who read them.

Today blue is standing out to me. Not only is the sky blue, but the woman in the card has a brilliant blue cloak on. Blue is the color of the 5th chakra, the throat chakra, which represents communication. And that what the theme of this card is today: “Communication.”

The importance of communication cannot be underestimated. We have an orange winged lion hovering overhead, attached to a caduceus, the symbol of health. What this is saying to me is that for far too long in this sometimes emotionally stunted society of ours, we have downplayed the importance of interpersonal communication to the point where it affects not only our own health, but the health of others. (In some cases, it affects your health because others are unwilling to communicate with you. — I will write on psychic vampires [those who suck your emotions dry] at a later time.)

Think about how many of the world’s problems could be solved with healthy communication. Think about how many of your own problems could be solved by healthy communication. Ah, but there’s the key word there — healthy communication.

We all communicate, it’s how we communicate which is the issue. How many people do you know (are you one of them?) who refuse to speak to someone because of their pride, or because they don’t want to get into a “confrontation.”

But not all communication to work out problems wind up in ‘confrontation.’ Some people just — talk. Who in your circle would you have a better relationship with if you were able to more effectively communicate with them if ego would allow? Your parent, child, friend, spouse, co-worker? How much better would you feel? How much would airing things out help your own health and well-being? How much more would it allow you to effectively meet the challenges of everyday life if you didn’t have emotions inside you simmering like a pressure cooker or if you weren’t in a constant state of battle?

Certainly not everyone is capable of win-win communication, but chances are if you are capable of healthy communication, you will eventually run into someone close to you who is not. The question is how do you handle it?

The answer can only be found by your own introspection, but that introspection is a start. Getting in touch with your own spirituality has a healthy and calming effect on your life. Resolve to meditate, play, relax. Giving to yourself in a loyal, loving and devoted way can open up a communication process within yourself that may well protect you from psychic vampires as well as preventing you from becoming one.

Communication. It’s fundamental. It’s how we operate. By communicating with our own higher being, we can become more content, better equip ourselves to rise to the challenges of our everyday lives, and better communicate with others &/or understand how to deal with it when they won’t.

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Symbols Used

• Blue: Communication, calmness, introspection, spirituality
• Blue Garment: loyalty, love, devotion, compassion
• Caduceus: Healing, Communication
• Orange: Determination, well-being, contentment
• Sun (rules orange): Meets the challenges of everyday life
• Two: Duality, choice, decision
• Winged Lion: Transmutation from lower self to higher self

Yellow is the color of the 3rd (solar plexus) chakra. This chakra allows us to direct our personal power. The symbol (and tarot card) associated with yellow is “The Sun.” So, think about how you feel when the sun soaks into your skin on a beautiful day. It’s warm and inviting, making you feel light-hearted, energetic and cheerful: ready to enjoy life.

You can see how the solar plexus chakra and the symbol of the sun go together. When we feel light-hearted and cheerful, and we are more optimistic, which increases our personal power.

However, when the sun is too hot, it can betray us. We can become so lulled by it’s warmth that we don’t realize we are being burned. It can be deceiving. Yellow is ruled by Mercury, God of communication and manipulation.

Yellow represents intellect, awareness and quick thinking. (Also associated with Mercury.)

When interpreting yellow in a card, consider not only the aspect or item that is yellow, but that all things in the tarot are capable of representing both positive and negative, depending on the card, on the reader, on the position of the card.
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To interpret yellow in a tarot reading consider these connotations:

Positive Connotations:

• Carefree, light-hearted, joy for life
• Warm, bright & cheerful
• Strives for knowledge and wisdom
• Helps with sense of direction
• Radiant solar energy

Negative Connotations:

• Cowardly
• Deceit
• Treachery
• Dishonor
• Relying on logic without consideration of emotion or intuition

As always, choose one or two key words that are meaningful to you for that specific reading.

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Sample Interpretation with Yellow:

Deck: Universal Waite (Pocket Edition)
Card: King of pentacles

Much of the background is yellow, as well as the pentacle, crown and specter. The preponderance of yellow stood out to me.

In an otherwise negative interpretation of separating from the people who provide safety and security (city separated by a wall), the yellow told me that if the person were to become mentally aware and seek out direction, knowledge and wisdom, they might be able to repair a damaged relationship.

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References:
“Pictures from the Heart: A Tarot Dictionary” by Sandra A. Thomson
“Color Magic for Beginners” by Richard Webster
Colour Power