Brigit Esselmont's Blog, page 25

BTP139: How to Weave Crystals into Your Daily Routine with Hibiscus Moon

I have so many crystals around my house, but in truth, I know very little about them.  In this episode of the Biddy Tarot Podcast, I’m talking with Hibiscus Moon, creator of the Hibiscus Moon Crystal Academy and author of “Crystal Grids: How and Why They Work.”  

She’s going to talk about why crystals do what they do and what makes them so special.  Hibiscus Moon will also tell us how you can integrate crystals into your everyday routine. 

Additional Materials

To learn more about Hibiscus Moon’s Crystal Academy, head over to Hibiscus Moon.
Experience the power of crystals for yourself in the upcoming Free Crystal Chakra Balancing Webinar.


Transcript 

Brigit: You’re listening to the Biddy Tarot podcast and this is Episode 139. How to weave crystals into your daily routine with Hibiscus Moon. 

Narrator: Welcome to the Biddy Tarot podcast where you’ll learn how to connect more deeply with your intuition and lead an empowered and enlightened life with the tarot cards as your guide. Listen as Brigit and her guests share the very best tips and strategies to help you read tarot with confidence. Now, here’s your host, Brigit Esselmont. 

Brigit: Hello and welcome back to the Biddy Tarot podcast. Today I have a really special treat for you and a special guest as always. Today, we’re going to be talking all about crystals. Now, I don’t know about you but I geek out on crystals. I love having them, I’m just looking around my room right now, they are everywhere. I have so many different types of crystals, but if I’m to be really honest, I think they’re absolutely gorgeous, but I don’t know a huge amount about them. 

I know what they mean, what they do, that they’ve got a special energy about them, but I don’t have a really in-depth knowledge. That’s why I’ve invited my special guest and friend, Hibiscus Moon. Now, Hibiscus Moon is the creator of the Hibiscus Moon Crystal Academy and she is a crystal healer, a self-proclaimed geo-geek extraordinaire. She has an amazing science background, which she then brings into her crystal practice and her crystal teachings as well. 

She’s also the author of the book, “Crystal Grids: How and Why They Work.” Now, in our conversation today, Hibiscus Moon shares more about why crystals do what they do and what’s special about them, and I found this absolutely fascinating. She also talks about how you can integrate crystals into your everyday routine, which is really neat because Hibiscus Moon is very practical, just like I am, and really likes to use crystals in a way that is not over the top, it’s not convoluted. 

It’s just easy, simple ways of bringing more of that crystal goodness into your life. Now, also if you are a tarot reader, which I’m assuming you are, I think this episode’s going to be really helpful for you, in seeing how you can integrate crystals and crystal healing in with your tarot practice. Without further ado, let me welcome Hibiscus Moon. Welcome, Hibiscus Moon, it is so good to have you on the Biddy Tarot podcast. How are you doing today? 

Hibiscus Moon: Great, Brigit. Thank you for having me, I’m really looking forward to this. 

Brigit: Oh my goodness. This is a long time coming, not only because we’ve had so many years of staying connected and so on, but also I don’t think we’ve talked about crystals yet on the Biddy Tarot podcast and not even on the website, so I’m super excited to be talking about crystals because I have them all around me and you know so much about them, so what a perfect combination, can’t wait. 

Hibiscus Moon: Yeah, me too. I know you love crystals, so I love how you pull them into the world of tarot and they’re such a natural fit. 

Brigit: Awesome. For those who might not know you, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what brought you to where you are right now? 

Hibiscus Moon: Yes, so I’m a former science educator and science department head and I was teaching physics to gifted students and I did that for about 15 years. I also, in my graduate studies, was always interested in crystals and geology and that sort of thing. My two worlds of loving metaphysics and science collided when I really started exploring crystals on a more metaphysical level. I was looking for other people to connect with. 

This was back in 2007 and I got on YouTube, because that’s what you do, right? When you’re looking for information and other people to connect with. YouTube was a new thing back then and I found few and far between but there were people talking about crystals in videos and it was like a little community so I really got into it there and just dove in and started exchanging information with people and telling people what I knew coming at it from a scientific point of view and showing off my crystal collection and that kind of thing. 

Because I was a teacher in quite a large school district … At the time, I think it was the largest or second largest in the United States, I needed to keep my metaphysical pursuits under wraps, and so I didn’t appear on the videos. Just my hands and my crystals, so it was kind of funny looking back at some of those videos, but that’s how it all got started. 

Brigit: Do you still have those videos on YouTube or have you since taken them down? 

Hibiscus Moon: No, they’re still there. Because I think they’re so funny to look at. They’re old, they’ve been on there a long time and it’s funny, yeah, it’s quite funny. We all have to start somewhere. 

Brigit: I know, I always say like Marie Forleo, who has absolutely beautiful videos now and it’s so fun looking back to some of her very first ones. It’s good to see that contrast too because I think you’re creating beautiful videos now as well and people seem to think, “Well, that’s how it’s always been done,” but it’s good to know that, yeah, we do start somewhere and grow from there. That’s neat. 

Hibiscus Moon: Yeah, it is fun. 

Brigit: Now, tell me more about crystals. I know you teach week/month-long courses on these so I don’t expect quite that long a response, but I’d love to know this at a really high level, why crystals? What’s so special and magic about them? 

Hibiscus Moon: Okay, so our entire physical universe is made up of, essentially, pure energy and vibration. In fact, Einstein determined the formula for that. That energy and matter are actually one and the same. That’s the whole E=Mc2 thing. Translated into regular human language, that means that energy equals matter multiplied by the speed of light, but don’t get hung up on that part; it’s just a little mathematical trick. 

Basically, they’re interchangeable. Crystals are matter, which equals energy, and crystals have vibrations just like everything else does. It’s just varying frequencies of vibrations, but there’s something different about crystals and inherently we know that when we look at a crystal and we’re also attracted to them. There’s a reason for that attraction. I like to explain it by first just giving the definition of a crystal, which is it’s a solid material whose … 

If we were able to see them under a microscope, the molecules are arranged in a highly ordered, repeating, geometric structure or pattern. This highly ordered arrangement is what’s responsible for making crystals so special. That affinity we have for them, that’s what’s at the core of it. Although we love them so much, they’re quite unlike us though. See, our body has a dominant or an average vibratory frequency, which is made up of all the different parts that we’re made up of. 

Every organ in our body has its own vibratory frequency, so we’re made up of a bunch of different ones and so we have an average, but it’s not very stable. They all get out of whack very easily. This vibratory frequency of ours is quite easily influenced by just about anything in our environment. Our average frequency can get out of whack when we experience, most usually, any kind of stress is going to throw it off. 

Anything that’s high amplitude, so since we’re connected and influenced by everything, including crystals and stones, our unstable vibratory nature makes it so that just about anything can interact with our energy field and can leave its mark on us. Often we feel that in our emotions. If someone came through and we were in a great mood and someone came through that was in a horrible mood and just a really negative vibe, I’m sure we’ve felt that before. 

Where all of a sudden now we’re feeling, “Yuck.” Again, since the crystals are so geometrically perfect at their literal core, they have the lowest possible state of disorganization in how they’re structured. We call that the lowest possible state of entropy in physics. They easily maintain their home frequency, unlike us. We call this unique ability that crystals have entrainment. 

They entrain the energies around them, or influence the energies around them. That’s just the foundation where we can start at. 

Brigit: I love it. I’m so glad we’re having this conversation because I’ve always thought, “Oh crystals, they’re really pretty and they do stuff,” and now I know why. That’s fantastic. 

Hibiscus Moon: Yeah. 

Brigit: Yeah. Each crystal will have a different vibration, right? That’s why it has a different feel or energy to it? 

Hibiscus Moon: Right. Yes. 

Brigit: Let’s say if you had, say, amethyst, that’s one of my favorites. Does that mean every amethyst crystal that you have is the exact same vibration, or does individual crystals have different ones? 

Hibiscus Moon: It gets a little bit more complicated, however, yes, generally speaking all amethyst have generally the same sort of … Consider them as all part of the same family but they’re not all identical twins. They all have slightly different frequencies dependent upon various things. Their precise hue, their size, their precise shape that they grew in. There’s lots of different variables. Their thickness, all of these things. 

Yes, size does matter with the crystals. 

Brigit: Good. I always wondered that, you have those little ones around you, like, “Oh, is this good?” I always want the big ones. 

Hibiscus Moon: They’re all good, but yes, it makes sense from a physics point of view that the larger crystal is going to have more influence around the environment and the energy that it moves in its environment. 

Brigit: Yeah, absolutely. Awesome. Bringing it into the every day, how do you integrate crystals into your every day practice? 

Hibiscus Moon: Oh my goodness. I incorporate them in everywhere. I use them in my morning ritual, my evening ritual. I use that word loosely, I have little routines because I’ve never been one to really dive into elaborate rituals in my life but I have little routines that I engage in and I’m a very practical person. I will only do things on a regular basis consistently if it’s very practical and it fits into my every day routine. 

I found a way to incorporate crystals in everything that I do. Like I said, my routines in the morning and the evening are the same every day. Crystals are incorporated there. My meditation, my daily hygiene routine, even. Of course I wear them. There’s many other ways to use them and I do use those methods, but as far as my daily life, that’s mainly how I use the crystals. 

Brigit: Yeah, so tell me, for example, walk me through your morning ritual. I’m really keen to hear. 

Hibiscus Moon: All right, so let’s see. I will every day wake up with a glass of water next to me that has a crystal plopped inside of it. If you want to get a little more detailed into that, we can dive into that but I’ll just move on with my routine a little bit. Then I have my crystal, it’s a rose quartz that I’ve been working with for years and years, I call it my crystal buddy. I pull it over onto my lap and I start doing my routine of going through my affirmations, my intentions for the day, setting the intention for the day, writing through my crystal journal. 

It’s like a little bit of a mentor that I keep by my side to help remind me of the intentions that I want to bring. It even helps me to write and think through certain things. Then I’ll go through … Well, I’ll skip the hygiene because that gets a little bit crazy, but I pretty much plop crystals into every lotion and potion that I use. They’re in all of that stuff. Even the water system in my house has crystals in it, so I literally have gem elixir on tap. 

Then I go into my meditation and I bring my crystals there. I always have a crystal that I’m working with at my altar, depending on what I would like to focus my meditation on, but I usually use the same crystal for a month for those meditations until I decide that I want to start using it in a different way. Then I always have a crystal grid set up; that’s part of my morning routine as well, is sending a little TLC, I like to call it, to my crystal grid. 

Just some attention to whatever it is that I’m working on manifesting. That’s just a quick run-through my morning routine. 

Brigit: Yeah, fabulous. I love it. My brain just naturally starts thinking how Tarot aligns with that, and I guess it would almost be like drawing a daily Tarot card and then journaling with that but for you, you’ve got this daily crystal and it’s a crystal that will continue with you for a period of time but nonetheless it’s the focus of your intention of your meditation practice and so on. It’s very similar to how you read Tarot, it’s neat. 

Tell me more about crystals in water. I’m curious, how does this work? 

Hibiscus Moon: Okay, so you can get definitely more ceremonial with it, but I just like to take a crystal and make it easy and plop it into my water. I know people can’t see it right now, but I have a large rose quartz point in my water bottle right now, but what I often recommend and for people that are just starting out … First of all, water is highly programmable and very easily integrates with the energies of the crystals. 

They infuse their energies into the water quite easily. Water is a very good conductor of energy, so these two things, crystals and water, go hand-in-hand together. I like to drink water that’s been infused with crystals. There are some cautions to be mindful of, so let’s just keep it safe and easy. I would say stick to tumbled stones. The reason I say that is because if it’s a rough stone and it’s not tumbled, it’s not smooth, it can easily break off a shard or a little splinter or something, so we don’t want that. 

Another thing you want to be mindful of is you want to be mindful of the elemental content in crystals. We can’t just throw any old crystal in water and drink it because some actually have things that are harmful in them, certain things that you don’t want to be drinking, like mercury, lead, antimony and things like that. To make it easy, so that you don’t have to go looking up the chemistry on a crystal and finding out the most hardness and all these geology terms and things, stick to tumbled. 

Tumbled stones, for me, they’re the calcite family or the quartz family. Both of those have a wide range of colors to choose from, they’re easily available, they’re quite affordable because they’re so abundant on our planet, so literally have the range of the colors of the rainbow to pick from. If you want to work with a particular chakra or a particular type of energy, you’ve got any color to choose from, either the calcite or the quartz family. 

Like I said, they’re easy to find. Say you want to balance the throat chakra, you can choose a blue lace agate, which is a type of quartz, and just plop it into a glass of water. Some people like to set it out in the midday sun for a few hours because that does potentize the water but you can let it sit there overnight if you like. I just plop them in in the morning and just drink it throughout the day. 

Like I said, I usually don’t get very ceremonial about things. You certainly can. If you’re totally new to this and you’re like, “I don’t even know what a blue lace agate is, I don’t even know where to begin,” you could ask someone at a crystal store or just take a clear quartz tumbled stone and plop that into your water. You can do your own experiment with this. Plop it into a glass of water, maybe let it sit there for an hour, even put it in the sun for an hour. 

Have a control, have another glass of water with nothing in it and just test or experiment the two. Compare the two side-by-side and taste the water and you’re going to notice an extraordinary difference in taste and texture in the water that has the clear quartz in it. It’s amazing and it’s just fun to see these things or taste this for yourself. 

Brigit: I love it. I’m so excited, I can’t wait to go and drink some water now with the quartz in it. That’s fabulous. I guess this is a bit of a practical question: Is it okay to wash your crystal before you put it in the water? Because let’s say you’ve bought it and, obviously, lots of people may have handled it, how do you make sure it’s clean before you start drinking the water? 

Hibiscus Moon: Yeah, I should’ve mentioned that. Yes, you do want to wash it, that’s a good idea, is technically, physically cleanse it under some soap and water is always a good idea because some of these miners’ fingers, have you seen their fingernails? They’re pretty dirty. You do want to do that and they’re coming out to begin with. 

Brigit: Yeah, okay, that’s good. Fabulous. Tell me some other, I guess, every day rituals. Every day things that you can do with the crystals and where you don’t necessarily have to be over-the-top with ceremony, as you were saying. It’s more like easy, practical uses. 

Hibiscus Moon: Right, well, something we’ve been doing for thousands of years, maybe even longer, is wearing crystals as jewellery. Recently we found a jade bracelet or anklet of some sort that a proto-human was wearing, so before we were even human we’ve been doing this. Wearing the crystals, it’s very easy. First of all, they’re beautiful to look at, you can match them to your outfit, but really the reason for doing this, why we ever even started doing this, was to have the crystals influence our energy field. 

Like we said before, they’re entraining the energies around them and because we’re so easily influenced because of the reasons we talked about earlier, it makes it really practical and easy to just simply wear the crystals. Some people say, “I don’t have a pendant,” so they just stick them in their pockets or they stick them in their bra or they put them in a little pouch and carry them around with them. 

You can do it that way too, but you’re essentially just … Like I said, we’ve been doing this for thousands of years and the reason why is that it works. We do notice this influence happening, the entrainment happening from the crystals. 

Brigit: Do you know, it’s making me think, I was wearing this purple … Is it tanzanite, is that the really purple- 

Hibiscus Moon: Charoite? 

Brigit: Yes, that one. 

Hibiscus Moon: Beautiful purple. 

Brigit: Yeah, so I was wearing it as a ring and I wore it just because it was purple, I like purple. 

Hibiscus Moon: It’s gorgeous. 

Brigit: I sat down for a reading with someone, like a psychic reading, and she’s like, “Oh, you don’t need this stone anymore. It’s not serving you anymore. It’s not required by you.” I’m really curious on your take. Could we ever be wearing a crystal to the point that we actually no longer need it and it needs to be refreshed or anything like that? How does that work? 

Hibiscus Moon: Well, that’s two different things there, I think, that you brought up, but definitely yes to both. One, a crystal could be done working with you, yes. I feel like if we ignore the subtle hints that a crystal might be giving us, then it will make it very obvious. It will crack in half, it will break, or it will literally get lost and you will not find it any longer. I know people that have crystals and have worked with crystals often know of stories or they go, “Yeah, that happened!” 

Well, that’s because the crystal was done working with you and it’s ready to go work with somebody else. Then there was something else that you brought up and now I lost my train of thought. There was another aspect to what you had mentioned there about working with the crystals and I lost my train of thought. I don’t know where I was going with that. 

Brigit: It’s almost as if the energy has run out, or that’s what this reader was conveying to me, is if- 

Hibiscus Moon: That was … Okay, thank you for jogging my memory there with that. Okay, so yes, we definitely can use crystals so much that they literally need a break, a vacation, just like us. It can happen to us, right? There’s actual physics experiments done, I don’t remember the name of the gentleman. It’s mentioned in the book “The Secret Lives of Plants” where they were testing different metals and they had noticed that the metal after being used after a certain amount of time, and metals are minerals, crystals are minerals. 

They’re all part of the same family. They realized that just like a, quote-unquote, “living” organism, the metals, after a lot of use, started getting very tired and they had to actually do things like massage the metal or put it in a warm water bath to get it to reconstitute its energy. Is that not the funniest thing you’ve ever heard? Really, a massage and a bath? Now, who else do you know that could use one of those to get their energy back up and running again? 

The metals are in the same family as the crystals and the stones, so quite literally, a crystal or stone can lose its affectiveness if we’re overusing it too much. I feel like what we need to do at that point is what I call retune the mineral and what that basically is … Just like if you overplay a guitar, you play it and play it, the strings start getting a little wonky and you need to retune the guitar to get it back to sounding correct again. 

You need to give it some attention, some TLC. Same with the crystals, there’s different ways and I teach about that, to retune the crystals, or just simply giving them a break and letting them rest for a while also can allow them to recharge their energy again. 

Brigit: Again, it’s very similar with Tarot, I think, is the point at which with your Tarot deck, the energy that have been overused or even sometimes negative energy has got into there. Maybe you’ve been working with some really tough clients, difficult clients, and that starts to get infused and you can just know when your deck feels like … It’s not quite right. I assume it’s very similar with crystals and we haven’t even touched on when there might be bad energy infused into a crystal. Is that even possible? 

Hibiscus Moon: That makes a lot of sense, what you just said, about the Tarot deck and I think it’s like that with anything. Yeah, it’s possible for bad energy, it’s not as easy because crystals don’t hold energy so much as get tired. Because of the nature of their molecular makeup, I believe that that’s the reason for that, but it does happen. I’ve heard of it happening, so I think a good re-tuning is just good for a number of different things. 

Brigit: To be clear, I do not mean that a crystal can get cursed, in case anyone’s thinking of that. Just like with Tarot cards and they have a curse, they don’t make bad things happen, but just sometimes it can be like … Yeah, negative vibes or just a bit of an icky feeling, but it’s good to hear. With crystals, it’s almost as if … Well, they are your rock, right? They’re this solid foundation that really doesn’t change as much as we change, as you were saying at the start. 

We can be very much in flow and up and down and so on, but crystals are your rock, excuse the pun. 

Hibiscus Moon: No, true. It’s very true. 

Brigit: Yeah, so if you were just getting started with crystals, what would you recommend for someone who wanted to dabble and start using crystals in an every day way? 

Hibiscus Moon: I would say definitely start with the drinking water and the gem elixir. Like I said before, clear quartz is a good beginner crystal all around, whether you want to put it into your drinking water or you want to start meditating with it. That’s an easy way to start using the crystal and you can just see. Is your meditation easier when you’re using the clear quartz? Clear quartz is known for being good for any intention and bringing clarity into your life as well as it’s good for amplifying other crystals too. 

It’s just a good crystal to start off with. You might notice that you’re getting messages when you have your clear quartz nearby, you’re maybe remembering your dreams better than you were before or interpreting messages better in your dreams better than you were before. Then, like I said before, I always love to try experiments. Put a crystal in the water and the other water without the crystal and try that. 

Also, clear quartz is great for helping your plants to grow. I’ve done an experiment like that on my YouTube channel where I had four different plants and we did different variables and different ones. Watered some with gem elixir, some with crystals actually planted in the dirt, and the plant that was both watered with the gem elixir and had clear quartz planted in the dirt, everything else was the same. No other variables there, just that, it grew just so vibrantly, so amazing. 

I was so happy that I caught it on video because everything else was the same. There was nothing else to account for. It was as if the plant was just so in love with life and just infused with this vital energy force from the crystals. It was amazing, so start with a clear quartz crystal and just use it in a couple different ways there and you’ll get hooked. You will definitely get hooked. Yeah. 

Brigit: I can tell you, I’m hooked. I’ve got to keep myself off Etsy so I don’t keep buying more crystal jewellery. 

Hibiscus Moon: Me too, I know. 

Brigit: Terrible. Now, you also run the Crystal Academy and you have a certification process in there plus a really in-depth training process. Tell me a little bit more about that and why were you inspired to create an academy for crystal lovers? 

Hibiscus Moon: Okay, so I actually can’t take credit for it. My community, our tribe, actually demanded that I create it. We’re an accredited virtual online academy now and we certify people in the art and science of crystal healing, and it’s funny because it grew from that YouTube channel that I started many moons ago and I started teaching about crystal grids on there. Not really so much teaching, just sharing my ideas and people started asking me all kinds of questions because I had this scientific bent to what I was doing. 

They asked, “Well, can you teach a class on this? You’re a teacher.” I was like, “Okay, sure, I can do that,” and that was back in 2009. I taught a class, then they asked me to write a book. “Well, okay, I like the idea of writing a book. Okay, I’ll do it,” so I did it. Then they asked me to teach another class and one thing led to another. By the time I had amassed a few classes, they said, “Why don’t you do a certification program?” 

Of course, I don’t do everything that everybody asks me to do. If it resonates with me and it sounds like fun, and it did, I said yes. Our tribe actually demanded it and it was born, the Hibiscus Moon Crystal Academy in 2010. Now we have over 1,500 certified crystal healers that have successfully graduated from our academy in over 35 countries around the world. I couldn’t be more proud or grateful for how this has all unfolded. 

Brigit: That is so awesome. I love it, and I love that you’re having such a big impact on the world in a really positive way. It’s neat. Say those folks who are getting certified, what do they do with their new knowledge and skills? Are they mostly going on to do crystal healing work or is it for personal use? How does it play out? 

Hibiscus Moon: It’s funny because I think most of the people come into the program just curious, wanting confidence around their beliefs and for personal use. However, they go through the program and I’d say about … At least 75% of our graduates decide that, “Okay, I want to make this my career, this is what I want to do for a living. I’m going to make a career change,” big changes, huge transformations happening all over the place. 

I see this all the time and they start working with clients and earning a beautiful income doing something that they love and they feel really confident about. 

Brigit: Yeah, I don’t know if any particular students come to mind who have been able to take that and then create business or a whole new lifestyle for themselves. 

Hibiscus Moon: Yeah, absolutely. Because I run into them all the time now. In this world, it’s a small world but I run into them. They go in lots of different directions: They don’t all work with clients but some do, some now work with me, but I’d say a majority of people work with clients one-on-one. A lot of them do client work with distance healing, because that’s possible with crystals as well. 

Some people choose to take the retail path and they have these huge Etsy shops, maybe one of the ones you were talking about earlier, and they’re selling crystals on Etsy or on eBay. They’ve got so many creative endeavors. Lots of different healing tools, like sage smudge fans with crystals and rattles and jewellery. I have one of our students, Jess K., who makes jewellery and she’s created her own oracle deck influenced by crystals and she does private crystal readings. 

She’s just got a wide array of all kinds of beautiful things. They just go in all these different directions and I’m so amazed. We even have one who was an interior designer and has worked crystals into her high-end interior design business. Just amazing things. Massage therapists who have brought crystals into their therapy, into their practice. Just so many beautiful things unfolding. 

Brigit: Yeah. I love some of the creativity that comes with it, it’s not just, “Here are some rocks, what do they mean?” 

Hibiscus Moon: Right. 

Brigit: To be able to integrate them into so many different aspects as well. 

Hibiscus Moon: Yeah. 

Brigit: I’m thinking it’s a bit like Tarot. When I say you can create a business with Tarot, a lot of general public people will be like, “Oh, how does that even work?” and say the same is with crystal. You think, “Well, how would a passion for crystals turn into something that could be a thriving business?” Not only just a thriving business, a passion-based business, which is great. 

Hibiscus Moon: Yeah, that’s what I hear all the time, is people say, “I’m stuck all day in my cell, I mean cubicle. I’m doing this job and I can’t stand it, all I can think of is coming home and doing my crystal studies. I want this to be my job, I want this to be my career now.” This hadn’t entered their paradigm earlier, before they take the course and before they dive into this world. 

Then they’re surrounded by this community and everybody’s so passionate and talking about it and they’re seeing all these amazing things, and like you said, they’ve gone into so many different beautiful creative directions that I had never even thought of. I learned so much from them. 

Brigit: Yeah, fabulous. 

Hibiscus Moon: Yeah. 

Brigit: You’re only opening up the doors to your academy twice a year, right? 

Hibiscus Moon: Right. We do that and, yeah, we’re coming right up on it. It’s not open all the time, yes. We close the doors just like a real school. 

Brigit: Yeah, beautiful. For folks who might want to find out a little bit more about it, they can go through to BiddyTarot.com/Crystals and I believe if you’re listening to this podcast right as we release it, I think we’re just before your academy opens so there is a wait list, is that right? 

Hibiscus Moon: Yes. They’re going to want to get on the wait list. Open registration will be happening very soon, but if you’re on the wait list you get some very special perks that you will be sorry to have missed out on, so definitely get on the wait list because it’s well worth it. 

Brigit: Awesome. We are supporting you 100% of the way. To check it out, go to BiddyTarot.com/Crystals and that way you can find out more about the academy as well. Hibiscus, what’s next for you in the world of crystals and doing awesome things, what’s coming up for you? 

Hibiscus Moon: Well, I’m really excited right now because I’ve been creatively diving into new curriculum for myself. I’m working on a series of electives for the academy that I’m offering to people, no matter where they are on their crystal journey, and of course I’m always excited to welcome our latest crop of new students. That always gets me excited in the new term because I get that whole back to school energy rush that I’m used to as a teacher. 

That’s the way it’s been for me for years, so I built it so it still remains that way. Back to school adrenaline rush. 

Brigit: Yeah, beautiful. Then where do you think the world of crystals in general is going? What do you think is the next evolution over the next five to 10 years? 

Hibiscus Moon: Well, it will be interesting to see because something unexpected happened. In case you haven’t noticed, this year, 2018, is the year of crystals and it’s a trending topic for this year so they’re everywhere. I keep saying it’s going to be really interesting to see how this plays out. Will it be like other fads and go out of fashion or … I think it’s really great that this has happened because it’s opened up the world of crystals to the mainstream and introduced it to the mainstream. 

Everybody’s into crystals. The celebrities are all talking about it. People are writing books about crystals that never … It never entered their world and I think it’s wonderful because it’s letting people into a whole other world that they never realized existed. They’re attracted to them because of their beauty but now they’re getting led into the deep end of the pool of metaphysics. 

Before they know it, they’re interested in all these scientific and spiritual topics and blending the two together, seeing where they dovetail together. I feel like that’s the magic spot right there. I’m so excited that people are now open to it that might’ve been closed off to it before. 

Brigit: Yeah, fabulous. I’ve always envisioned this kind of universal setup where there are so many doors, almost as if it’s this big, round circle filled with all these little doors, and these doors are going into a place of complete, universal wisdom, inner wisdom, intuition and so on. These doors are things like crystals, like Tarot, like astrology, numerology, energy healing, Reiki, massage, whatever it might be, meditation. 

Whilst these doors are different, they’re all leading to the same thing and they’re all leading to the same place and it’s beautiful that we have this choice to choose the door that feels right for us. We can go through multiple doors. I know many of our listeners will already be combining Tarot and crystals and ultimately it’s taking us to the same place. That place where we can trust ourselves and our intuition, we’re connected to our inner wisdom, we’re connected to universal wisdom. 

Yeah, it’s such a powerful and exciting time, I think. 

Hibiscus Moon: I love that analogy. I like how you put that, Brigit. That’s a beautiful way to put it, I like that a lot. It’s like, basically, visualizing the quote of there’s many paths up to the top of the mountain. I love that. 

Brigit: Yeah, neat. Hibiscus, where can people find out more about you? 

Hibiscus Moon: Well, if they want to come on over to HibiscusMoonGift.com, you can find out more about me. You can get started into the world of crystals. I have a free gift there where it’s all about creating sacred space with crystals, I created an entire e-kit there. Includes an e-book, a private tour of my own sacred space and crystals along with a relaxing meditation MP3. It’s HibiscusMoonGift.com. 

Brigit: Awesome. I think that’ll be great particularly for those who are reading Tarot, I often talk about the need to create that sacred space before a reading because sometimes we can just rush into a reading and go, “Oh, there’s the card, okay, that meant that. Carry on.” If we are creating that sacred space, we get a lot more out of a reading, so having that integrated with the crystals would be fabulous, so definitely check it out. That sounds really awesome. 

Is there anything else you wanted to share so that this conversation feels complete for you? 

Hibiscus Moon: Just that I feel that crystals and Tarot are such a natural pairing, they go so well hand-in-hand and I know many of our students who are interested in crystals are also attracted to the Tarot, so I know that it’s just a natural fit. The two of those together, and I’m so glad we got together to speak about both of these topics to really bring it all together with a big red bow on top. 

Brigit: Yes, it’s well overdue but I’m glad it’s happened. 

Hibiscus Moon: Me too! 

Brigit: Awesome. Well, thank you so much, Hibiscus Moon. It’s been an absolute joy, I loved learning about all the crystals. I’m sure our listeners are going to be getting on Etsy really soon and also make sure you check out Hibiscus Moon’s Crystal Academy, it is amazing. Thank you so much. 

Hibiscus Moon: Thank you for having me, it’s been a total joy. 

Brigit: There you have it, I hope you enjoyed the conversation with Hibiscus Moon and I. Now, remember the Crystal Academy is opening up very soon. It only opens up twice a year and this program will give you such a solid foundation when it comes to understanding crystals and how to use crystals in your daily practice and also as Tarot readers, how you can start to now integrate it in with your Tarot reading practice. 

I don’t know if you’re like me, but again, you might have a lot of crystals around but you don’t necessarily know the ins and outs of what those crystals do or how you could use them even more so in your tarot practice, so I highly recommend Hibiscus Moon’s Crystal Academy. You can find out more by going to BiddyTarot.com/Crystals, and if you’re listening to this podcast as it’s released you’ll probably find that the academy is on wait list. 

Make sure you sign up for that wait list because as Hibiscus mentioned you’ll get a very special deal if you’re on that wait list. Please check it out, I think you’re going to absolutely love the program and there are just so many possibilities with what you can do with this newfound knowledge and skill. Now, next week I will be coming back to the podcast and we’ll be talking about how you can really tap into your soul’s purpose using Tarot as a guide. 

This is an extra juicy episode, I think you’re going to love it. Make sure you have your pen and paper because we get into some really beautiful, practical activities that you can do. All right, have a great week and we’ll speak soon. Bye for now. 

 

The post BTP139: How to Weave Crystals into Your Daily Routine with Hibiscus Moon appeared first on Biddy Tarot.

Birthday Tarot Spread

Birthdays are a time for celebration! Maybe your idea of a perfect birthday party is 50 of your closest friends or perhaps it’s a quiet night in with your favourite dessert.  Birthdays are also a beautiful time for reflection on the previous year.  What’s more, your special day marks a new chapter in your life that has yet to be written.  How you choose to navigate that is entirely up to you!

This is where working with the Tarot can help. Using a Birthday Tarot spread, you can get insight into what to expect for the year ahead, and where you need to focus your attention to get the most out of your next journey around the sun. 

The Birthday Tarot Spread 

This twelve-card spread is perfect for acknowledging the energies that are passing out of your life and the energies that are coming into your life. It looks at what you can expect and prepare for in the key areas of your life (love, career, health and spirituality or personal development) and provides you a point of focus for the year ahead.  So, once you blow out the candles on your cake, try this spread: 

 

1. The previous year in summary 

2. What have you learned from the past year 

3. What you aspire to in the next twelve months 

4. What empowers you in reaching your aspirations 

5. What may stand in the way of reaching your aspirations 

6. Your relationships and emotions in the coming year 

7. Your career, work and finances 

8. Your health and well-being 

9. Your spiritual energy and inner fulfilment 

10. What you most need to focus on for the year ahead 

11. What will be your most important lesson in the coming year 

12. Overall, where are you headed in the next twelve months 

Let’s break it down… 

Cards 1 & 2

Look at the energies that are passing out of your life and what you can carry forward with you as you enter the next year of your life. Even with a seemingly negative card in the first position or a challenging past year, you can always take away an important life lesson with you, which will appear at Card 2.  

Keep in mind that often when a reversed card appears as a life lesson, the lesson is yet to be understood or revealed and often you will need to return to the energy of the previous card to move forward. You may spend the first weeks following your birthday working on understanding this lesson on a deeper level. What’s more, a Major Arcana card in the life lesson position will be an indication of a very powerful, life-changing lesson that will carry through with you long after you blow out the candles on your cake.  

Card 3

This card looks at your aspirations for the year ahead and what it is you truly want to achieve now that you’re a year older. A Major Arcana card will indicate a desire for a major life change or mindset shift. A Court Card will indicate the type of person you want to be. A Minor Arcana card may indicate what actual endeavours you want to accomplish.  

A reversal or a ‘negative’ card in this position may actually highlight what it is you want to avoid or change in your life. This is a common thing to consider as we get older. For example, the reversed Three of Cups may signify the desire to let go of an excessive party lifestyle or unfulfilling friendships.  

Card 4 & 5

These two  look at what will empower you and challenge you as you work towards your aspiration. This new year of your life comes with new energy. How will you harness that energy to make the most of the year ahead? What energy may potentially stand in your way? By understanding the challenges, you can plan ahead and deal with potential issues as they arise, rather than having them take you by surprise. 

Cards 6 to 9

These focus on the key areas in your life and what you can expect in each. You don’t have to stick to these areas. Think about what your main priorities are at this moment and draw a card for each. I recommend limiting it to 6 priorities, to keep your reading focused. Look out for Major Arcana cards that show where the bulk of the energy will be. 

Card 10

This card provides a focus point for the year ahead. So often, we get caught up with day-to-day dramas that we lose sight of the bigger picture. Use this focus card to keep you on track and pinpoint what energy you most need to tap into before your next birthday rolls around.  

Card 11

This shows you the lesson you will learn over the coming year.  Another year older, another year wiser. Just like the previous year’s lesson, a Major Arcana shows a life-changing lesson, a reversed card shows a lesson that you’re not quite ‘getting’ and a Minor Arcana card shows a challenge or an actual endeavour that you’re working on. 

Card 12

The final card highlights what to expect for the next 365 days. This is like the Outcome card in a Celtic Cross reading. Look back at the aspiration for the year (Card 3) and compare this with the outcome – will you achieve your aspiration? Will you overcome the challenges along the way (Card 5)? Will you harness the energy that will help you to get where you need to be (Card 4)? 

Are You Ready for This New Chapter of Your Life?

Overall, look for the opportunities for the next chapter in your life to see how you can make the most of the year. What needs your attention? What needs to be ‘tweaked’ in order to have your best year yet? 

Ready for More Tarot Spreads for Day-to-Day Life?

Are you looking for more Tarot spreads that apply to your everyday life?  Check out my upcoming book Everyday Tarot.  It’s a practical guide with loads of Tarot spreads to help you access your intuition and manifest your goals and dreams in your everyday life.   You can pre-order your copy of the book now, as well as the Everyday Tarot deck.

 

The post Birthday Tarot Spread appeared first on Biddy Tarot.

BTP138: From the Archive: 7 Ways Tarot Can Help You Create Harmonious Relationships

There are other times when your relationships become troubled, challenged, stale, or even bitter and resentful. It’s never fun. But you can clear that negative energy in your relationships, to make way for more harmonious and free flowing relationships instead, with a little help from our friends, of course, the Tarot cards.  

By asking the Tarot cards how you can really spot blockages and increase flow in your relationships, you can create those beautiful loving relationships that bring so much joy to your life. In this episode, I’m going to tell you seven ways to use the Tarot to create blossoming, harmonious relationships.

Additional Materials

Everydaytarot.com 

Transcript

Brigit: You’re listening to Biddy Tarot Podcast and this is episode 138 from the archive, seven ways Tarot can help you create harmonious relationships. 

Intro: Welcome to the Biddy Tarot Podcast, where you’ll learn how to connect more deeply with your intuition, and live an empowered and enlightened life with the Tarot cards as your guide. Listen as Brigit and her guests share their very best tips and strategies to help you read Tarot with confidence. Now, here’s your host, Brigit Esselmont. 

Brigit: Hello and welcome back to the Biddy Tarot Podcast. Now, today we’re dipping into the Biddy Tarot Podcast archives, to bring you one of my earlier episodes, which is all about how you can use Tarot for your relationships, and specifically how to create more harmonious and fulfilling relationships. Now, I chose this particular episode because it’s a really great way of using Tarot in your every day life. As you might know by now, I don’t think that Tarot is at its fullest potential when we’re just doing a Tarot reading, we’re asking a question, we get an answer, and then it’s done. 

I love to see Tarot being used and integrated in our daily life. I think that’s where you can make things like really powerful, when you’re connecting with intuition, you’re using your cards to go even deeper, and you’re manifesting your goals. I think you’re going to really enjoy this particular episode. Now, this episode is brought to you by my upcoming book, Everyday Tarot: Unlock your Inner Wisdom and Manifest Your Future. And it’s now available for pre-order over at everydaytarot.com. 

Now, Everyday Tarot takes a fresh approach to a timeless art, giving modern soul seekers the tools they need to access the inner wisdom and create an inspired life, using the Tarot cards as their guide. Now, this book is filled with practical exercises, Tarot spreads, general prompts, all these beautiful invitations to help you bring your intuition and Tarot into your everyday life. For making decisions, creating an inspired career, growing fulfilling relationships, and even bringing ritual into your daily routine. 

I think you’re going to really enjoy this book and I’ve written it for people who just want to bring Tarot into their everyday life. Not so much even just Tarot, but just bring more intention, more purpose, more possibility into our everyday lives. You’re going to find all of that inside of this book. To pre-order your copy, go to everydaytarot.com, and just know it’s going to be on book shelves- yippee – in the U.S. from September 18th, 2018. Sounds really good that date, doesn’t it? Without further ado, I’m going to introduce you into this archived podcast episode, and here we go.  

How beautiful is it when you’re surrounded by people you love, and who truly support you no matter what? When your relationships with your friends and family just seem to flow in the most harmonious way. Isn’t that just gorgeous and amazing? It’s one of those amazingly good feelings, you just want to bottle up. I know that I do. But there are other times when your relationships become troubled, challenged, stale, or even bitter and resentful. When it feels like you’re hitting a brick wall, and you’re misunderstanding each other, or you’re harboring a lot of negativity. 

That is the worst feeling ever. The good news is that you can clear that negative energy in your relationships, to make way for more harmonious and free flowing relationships instead, with a little help from our friends, of course, the Tarot cards. By asking the Tarot cards how you can really spot blockages and increase flow in your relationships, you can create those beautiful loving relationships that bring so much joy to your life. Here are seven ways to use the Tarot to create blossoming, harmonious relationships. Let’s get into it. 

Number one is:

1. Be Your Best Self

Every good relationship starts with you. If you go into a relationship feeling bad about yourself or feeling like a sense of emptiness that you hope someone else will feel, then you’re bound to find yourself in challenging and difficult relationships. On the flip side, if you wish to create harmonious relationships, and you’re in a place where you feel amazing and really in connection with your authentic self, then those harmonious relationships will start to come through to you. 

One way of finding out how can you be your best self is simply ask the Tarot, and ask how can I create harmony and love in my own life. I’m just going to draw a card just to see, let’s see what happens. Wow, interesting, Five of Pentacles. So how can create harmony and love in my own life? You know, maybe this is about helping other people who are in need, and as I help others, then I’m starting to help myself to feel gratitude for my abundance. You know, works in a kind of a funny way. 

When we help people who are going through a rough time, sometimes it can actually make us feel better about where we are in our own lives. Yeah, that’s an interesting insight. The other question you can ask is how can I be my best self in order to attract harmonious relationships? Let’s see what we get. How can I be my best self? Four of Pentacles Reversed. Well, this is actually a good card to partner up with the Five of Pentacles, because again, this is about helping other people and letting go of, and perhaps having to have things just for myself, but maybe sharing that wealth and abundance with others. 

In doing so, that will help me to attract more harmonious relationships into my life. Why don’t you try it too? Grab your Tarot cards and ask how can I create harmony and love in my own life? How can I be my best self in order to attract harmonious relationships. So the best place to start is with you. Let’s step into the second way of using the Tarot for harmonious relationships. That is to release and let go. Now, if you’ve ever experienced hurt or pain in your relationship, it is so essential that you find a way to release and let go of that hurt and pain, so that the relationship can grow in a more positive and constructive direction. 

2. Welcome New Relationships into Your Life

The first step is to understand what is blocking the relationship. You can use your Tarot cards to find this out, or to help you dive deeper into what might be already known blockages. Let’s say if I was in a relationship and I was trying to think intuitively. I want to connect intuitively, what do I think is not quite working here. Maybe I think intuitively it’s something around communication. Well, let me ask my cards. How can I communicate more effectively? 

How can I release this sort of blockage around communication? I draw the Queen of Pentacles. Lots of pentacles coming up here! Maybe there’s something about as a female in this relationship, how am I contributing financially, and also at the home? How is that affecting our communication perhaps? What are our conversations about? Particularly when we talk about looking after the home and working at the same time? That’s another interesting hypothetical card. 

Alternatively, you might be like, I know there’s something wrong here, something is blocking the relationship, I have got no idea what it is. In which case, turn to the Tarot, pick a card, goodness me, I’ve got the Knight of Pentacles here. The Tarot wants a message, it certainly is right now. The Knight of Pentacles, because the knight precedes the queen. It’s actually a very similar message. In this case, it’s kind of confirming that maybe my intuition is on the right track, but also it’s giving me some more information. 

Maybe some of the blockages are around our everyday life together, or our everyday routines. Maybe they’re starting to become a little bit more stifled or boring or just getting stuck in the day to day grind. Once you know what those blockages are, the next step is to release and let go those blockages. So ask your cards, how can I best release and let go? Let’s see, I’m just trying to do a summary one for those two cards. How can I release and let go of these blockages, temperance? 

Temperance for me is a lot about balance integration, moderation and patience. But in a particular relationship, it might be ensuring that there’s balance in our every routines, and also balance in how we contribute to the family and acknowledgement that contribution to a family might be in different ways. Use that card to think about how can I move through those blockages and release and let go of them? Now, you might also have something that’s a little bit more deep-seated, and something that you’re feeling quite wound up about. 

If that’s the case, then I highly recommend my release and let go Tarot spread, which I’ll add to the show notes. This is a great spread for dealing with those times when you’ve got a situation where you just cannot like move out of that place of feeling like uh, this is not working. You’re quite emotional. Maybe you’re losing a bit of sleep. You’re worrying about things, then this release and let go spread can be incredibly helpful. Check back to the show notes, which you’ll find over at biddyTarot.com/22, that’s 22.  

3. Respect Each Other’s Needs

If there is a little bit of tension in a relationship, often times it’s because we’re not really hearing each other out, or we’re not acknowledging what each person needs in the relationship. We’re more absorbed in what we need and want, and forgetting that there’s actually two people in a relationship, or more sometimes. We each have different needs and expectations, whether it’s a romance, it’s a friendship, or even a professional relationship with a colleague. 

What’s important is that you take time to understand what each person truly needs, so that you can then respect and honor that need. That includes your own needs as well. When you’re not consciously aware of what you need and expect from your partner, it can lead to disappointment and tension, especially if your needs aren’t being met as well. Let’s ask the Tarot. One is what needs do I want to be met in the relationship? The second one is how can I meet the needs of my friend, partner, or whoever it is that you’re asking about.  

Let’s see, what needs do I need to have met? Seven of ones, so maybe I just want acknowledgement that I’m doing my best to like serve the family or something like that, that I’m dealing with struggles and challenges just like my partner is. That might be something that is a need that I need to have met. In the light of that, I would then be thinking, well, how can I constructively communicate that need to my partner so that my partner could respect and honor that need? They don’t necessarily have to buy into it, or agree to it. You know, you can’t change what someone else does or thinks, but you can start to communicate. 

I’m having a hard time here too, and I need to your support as well. Maybe that just helps bridge the gap a little bit. The second card then would be how can I meet the needs of my partner, and I’ve got the justice card. Again, I’m drawn to the scales in this card. Particularly as we had the temperance card before, and this is about equality and balance and things needing to be fair. Perhaps my partner wants to be saying things happening in a fair way. We might, maybe a good plan would be to sit down together and draft up. Okay, that these daily responsibilities, who is doing what and is this a fair distribution of daily responsibilities.  

You can see like we’re already starting to open up some really constructive pathways to help create a more harmonious relationship. All through the Tarot cards, what I really like about this is that it’s not about a direct conversation going, you do this, you don’t do that, I didn’t like this, I didn’t like that. You’re actually having a conversation through a third thing, which is like these cards with pictures on it. You can be talking about the pictures instead of directing it to your partner.  

It actually helps to diffuse some of that energy between the two people, and it directs that energy into the cards. You can talk a bit more about what you’re seeing in the cards, and then how that’s impacting you. I think it’s actually a really nice way of having a meaningful conversation without it getting too direct and challenging, or even threatening with one another. A little bit like having a counselor present, but instead you’ve got your Tarot cards.  

Now, that you know what needs that you want to have met, and how you can meet the needs of your partner, you may also want to understand what agreements you need to make together to create a more harmonious relationship. You can ask the Tarot, what agreements do we need to make, either personally or as a partnership for this relationship to work. Let’s see, what agreements do we need to make together? Three of Swords. Well, something I see in this card is about not taking things to heart.  

Particularly in a long term relationship, you do become very comfortable with one another. You may become less conscious of how you say things and what you say. But sometimes we forget that when we’re now sort of full comfortable selves, we might be saying things that hurt the other person. The agreement here might be like one, be careful with your words. And be kind and compassionate with the way that we communicate together. But two, is also to give the benefit of the doubt. Let’s see if this is a long term relationship, you’re in that relationship for a while for a reason, and it’s because you love each other or you respect each other. 

Just because you make one little mistake with saying something that could be hurtful, it doesn’t mean that the whole relationship is doomed. It’s sort of giving each other a bit more of a benefit of the doubt. That might be the agreement that you reach together. Again, you can both be looking at this card and saying, well, what do you see in this card? What do I see? And they don’t have to be a Tarot reader to benefit, just look at the image, the picture in the card, and say what does this represent to you, and what does this, what thoughts does it trigger within you about the agreements that we need to make as a partnership? 

4. Work on the Relationship Together

For a relationship to truly be in flow, both parties need to be prepared to work on the relationship together. One person simply can’t be doing all the work, while the other one slacks off. So, ask the Tarot, what is the most important thing that we need to work on to create a harmonious relationship? Let’s consult the cards, what do we need to work on. Three of Pentacles, well, we just simply need to work together. We’re a team here.  

You often see like this man, I’ve experienced it, I know like my friends who are married with children who’ve also experienced it. There are some days that are just like not good days, and maybe kids have just been screaming for like the last hour having a tantrum, whatever it might be. Now, you can choose to go the whole world is against is me and I’m against them, and just go crazy at everybody that comes into your path. Or you can team up with your partner and go holy molly, this is a bad day, isn’t it? And just have a laugh together. You can either take out that frustration on your partner, or you could say, no, we’re part of a team here, let’s just get on with it. 

That’s what I see in the Three of Pentacles. Ask the Tarot for your relationship, what do you need to work on to create a harmonious relationship? And you might also want to look at what you can do individually to create positive change for the relationship.

5. Communicate Openly

I want to share with you a quote from Anthony Robbins, and it is this, “The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives.” I couldn’t agree more. Communication is the key to a harmonious relationship. Communication between people needs to be honest, authentic, open and compassionate, and without it relationships break down and people drift apart. 

Ask the Tarot, how can we create open communication with one another? Let’s see, how can create open communication? The Strength card. One part of this is I’m looking at the Lion and the Fair Maiden and these can often link to like those raw, instinctual moments and trying to come calm some of that rawness. It comes back to that Three of Swords. Sometimes when we’re completely comfortable with our partner, we can let loose a little bit, and maybe let loose a little bit too much, and end up saying things that we regret, and not really softening the way that we connect with each other.  

The Strength card here might be saying, it’s important to speak your truth but do so in a way that is kind and compassionate, and that respects and honours the other person, rather than completely lashing out and just being super raw, because that might end up with hurt feelings. You might also want to ask the Tarot, what needs to be discussed right now, or what’s sort of the elephant in the room? Is there a particular topic that needs your attention right now. Let’s do this hypothetically, Five of Wands Reversed. Well, okay, so the Five of Wands is often about conflict and disagreement. 

With a reversal of it, I see that a private conflict. In fact, this might be a sign to say there might be some points of difference between you and your partner, but it’s not the appropriate time right now to bring that out. I think it’s better at this point to be focusing on strengthening the relationship, and focusing on moving forward and creating constructive connection, and not worrying about small conflicts and so on. That’s sort of another interesting message, I keep saying that, it’s all very interesting, ’cause it’s the Tarot, and Tarot is always so interesting.  

6. Focus on the Blessings

All relationships have bumps along the way. You can get caught up on what someone did or said years ago, or you can simply focus on the blessings that you both share right now, here in the present moment. Simply ask the Tarot, “What blessings are available to us in this relationship?” It’s kind of like what’s working. Page of Wands Reversed. Let’s see. The Page of Wands Upright is often about exploration and adventure. In the reversal, it’s almost more like a personal exploration and adventure. Maybe this is about yeah, actually this feels good.  

This might be about honouring and respecting each other’s personal journey, and giving each other the space to go off and do fun things, but not necessarily as a couple. If I think to say my relationship, in my marriage, both my partner and I, we go on all sorts of like little adventures on our own. I’ve traveled overseas just on my own, while he’s stayed home with the kids, and vice versa. He’s gone off on trips as well. Whilst it is hard work being the person at home, the single parent for a little while, we both really respect and honour that importance of being able to go out on your own, and being able to experience things on your own. That’s what gives us our own sense of self and individuality. That yes, that’s definitely a blessing within our relationship.  

7. Give and Receive Love

Love is at the heart of all harmonious relationships. No matter the nature of the relationship itself. The Tarot can help you understand how you can give and receive love in a way that’s compassionate and heart centered. So simply ask the cards, how can I give love and how can I receive love? Let’s see, how can I give love? Ace of Wands Reversed. I can give love by being internally inspired by things. So if I keep myself in an inspired place, where I’m discovering new things, then I can give love. 

It’s kind of like I’ve got to focus on my own energy in order to be able to then transfer that energy to others. It’s interesting. Then how can I receive love? Well, I drew the Eight of Pentacles Reversed. Maybe this is about not focusing too much on the details and thinking more about the bigger picture. Maybe not criticising my partner for like, oh, you gave me red flowers when I really wanted like pink flowers. Of course, I don’t do that, trust me. But there might be some other things, where your partner is expressing love to you. Are you becoming overly critical or are you just being accepting that, you know what, this is an expression of love. 

Even if the details aren’t a hundred percent right, that’s okay. It’s the expression of love that’s important. If you’re looking to creating more harmonious relationships in your life, with friends, family, partners and colleagues, you know now that you can turn to the Tarot to give you deeper insight on how to do so. Look at how you can bring your best self to the relationship, release blockages, respect each other’s needs, work together, communicate, focus on the blessings, and pour love into the relationship. You can use all of these techniques that I’ve shared with you today, either for your own personal use, in your relationships. 

Even do these readings with your partner as I spoke about before, because I think you get some really interesting conversations going together, with again just the imagery that’s in the cards. That’s what helps you start those conversations, in a sort of non-threatening way. You can also use these techniques in your client readings, and the readings that you’re doing for other people. Start to draw out some of the questions in your relationship offers that you have for your Tarot readings. 

So, there you have it. I hope you enjoyed that particular episode from our Biddy Tarot Podcast Archives. Remember, if you love listening to our podcast, please go to iTunes, subscribe and also leave a rating and review. It will be so, so appreciated. Remember, you can order the book or pre-order the book Everyday Tarot at everydaytarot.com. This book is going to be awesome. I can’t wait to be able to share it with you. Of course, there is also a Tarot deck that goes along with the book, I think you’re just going to love it! 

Finally, next week, I have a really special guest. She is the founder of the Crystal Healer Academy, and she is none other than Hibiscus Moon. I think you’re really going to enjoy this conversation. We’re talking about all about crystals. How could a Tarot reader not have a few crystals. Hibiscus Moon will be sharing in more details about how we can use crystals in our everyday life. I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to sharing that interview with you very soon. All right, bye for now.  

Integrate Tarot Into Your Everyday Life

Are you looking for more ways that you can use Tarot to improve your relationships – both with yourself and others? I’ve got something that can help. My upcoming book Everyday Tarot – will help you discover how to use the Tarot to manifest your wildest dreams, create love-fueled relationships, and make important decisions.

You can pre-order your copy of Everyday Tarot and the corresponding Everyday Tarot Deck now at everydaytarot.com

The post BTP138: From the Archive: 7 Ways Tarot Can Help You Create Harmonious Relationships appeared first on Biddy Tarot.

‘The Illustrated Herbiary’ with Maia Toll

I was very excited to talk to Maia Toll, owner of the first herbiary in the United States, about her upcoming book The Illustrated Herbiary.  The book and corresponding Oracle deck are designed to help you connect to an intuitive part of yourself through plants.  I can tell you that the illustrations are gorgeous and the descriptions in the book are easy to relate to.  Whether you’re an aspiring herbalist or simply want to connect more with nature, The Illustrated Herbiary is a fantastic investment.

And until August 7th, Maia is offering a free online course when you pre-order The Illustrated Herbiary. Click here to redeem the offer!

Now, let’s learn more about Maia, her book, and how you can incorporate herbs into your everyday life.

1. At what point in your life did you first become interested in herbs?

Like many women in the healing arts, I came to herbalism when I was sick myself. My medical doctor had been studying Traditional Chinese Medicine and had learned enough to know she wasn’t going to be able to solve my problems with blood work and pharmaceuticals. So she set me loose in the wilds of Manhattan to find healing modalities that would work for me. Plant medicine was one of many things I tried and it captured my heart. Who doesn’t love healing to the ancient scents of jasmine and vetivert? Although I have to admit some of the teas can be nasty at medicinal strength!

2. What’s one way that you personally incorporate herbs into your daily life?

I use essential oils and drink herbal teas all day. I clean the kitchen and bathroom with a mix of white vinegar, water, orange peels, and Thyme essential oil; my toothpaste is pink clay mixed with essential oils; I sip on a pot of peppermint and Holy Tulsi tea through the day; and burn White Sage or Cedar when I need to clear my head. Beyond that, I step outside to visit with Rose and Oregano every morning. Echinacea blooms cheerfully throughout my garden and pots of Rose Geranium scent the porch. Plants are everywhere in my world!

3. How did you become interested in Tarot cards?

You know those times in life when everything seems to be falling apart and you begin to doubt your ability to make a solid decision? It was during one of those times that I was introduced to Tarot. An herbalist I knew showed up at my house with a worn and tattered Rider Waite deck in a little homemade pouch. She told me it was good luck if cards were gifted instead of bought and got me started using them.

I was pretty doubtful at first, mostly because I don’t believe the future is fixed, so how could the cards tell me my future? But after working with them a bit I realized that the magic for me was that they showed me my situation from a different angle and gave me a different doorway into my own decision making process, allowing it to become more intuitive and less intellectual.

4. How do you incorporate Tarot and Oracle cards into your life?

When I need clarity, I pull a card. I like to “read” the picture first, connecting with the intuitive hit I get from the illustration. These days I gravitate toward oracle cards because they tend to be a little more lush and visual. The rich and structured symbolism of Tarot feeds my intellect but the more amorphous nature of oracle cards helps my intuition connect.

5. What gave you the push to write your book The Illustrated Herbiary?

One of the most popular posts on my website was a Plant Spirit Oracle. You chose a plant based on the photos and then scrolled down to learn what it meant. And people got really accurate results using the plants for divination. That’s what started me thinking about creating a plant spirit divination deck and thus The Illustrated Herbiary was born!

I’ve been a fan of oracle cards and Tarot forever so it was super fun to write those plant oracles! It felt like the plant spirits— the fairies and devas— were whispering in my ear. So magical! The cards are included in an envelope in the back cover of the book so you get the gorgeous illustrations both in the larger format of the book as well as in the deck.

6. What was the most challenging part of writing the book?

The biggest challenge was choosing which plants to include! I started with 72 herbs but my publisher told me to get it down to 36. It was like deciding who to cut from your wedding invitation list. The choices were very intuitive so The Illustrated Herbiary is an eclectic and unusual collection which gives a wonderful range to the divinations.

7. How do you hope people will benefit from The Illustrated Herbiary and the corresponding oracle deck?

Oracle and tarot cards work because the images and concepts are archetypical— they are part of our collective unconscious. Plants are the same: we’ve been living in relationship with plants since we appeared on this planet! Plants create the very air we breathe, so even if your head knows nothing about the plants, their imprint is on your psyche.

Using The Illustrated Herbiary cards as an oracle deck helps you connect with this very primal and intuitive part of yourself. The Herbiary cards create a channel to the natural world and the shamanic realms so you can better connect with your intuitive and spiritual self.

8. Tells us about the illustrations for the book.

The illustrations in the book are so gorgeous and vibrant! They were created by illustrator Kate O’Hara especially for The Illustrated Herbiary. I think it’s important to be able to read the card or illustration without the guide book— the artist should capture the essence of the message. Kate did this over and over! And the images are lush and iconographic: owls and snakes, beating hearts, and the darkest forests… This book is a beautiful experience.

9. Where can people buy The Illustrated Herbiary?

Luckily we have great distribution so you can probably find The Illustrated Herbiary at your local bookstore but, if not, Amazon and Barnes & Noble are both stocking it.

A big thank you to Maia for answering all of my questions. Don’t forget, when you pre-order The Illustrated Herbiary by August 7th, you’ll receive a FREE online course!

About Maia:

Maia Toll, storyteller, folklorist, and women’s wisdom mentor, opened the first Herbiary shop in 2006 after returning from a year-long apprenticeship with a traditional herbal healer in Ireland. Since then, the stores have expanded, and she’s lectured around the globe, teaching nurses, acupuncturists, and women like you how to work with plant medicines. While she’ll never turn down a drop of Rose essential oil or a good cup of tea, Maia’s true love is sharing the secrets of connecting with your own intuition. A practice she’s gleaned from working with the plants and studying healing and spirituality with teachers from around the world.

Find her latest writings, online classes, and in-person retreats (all designed to cultivate your own sense of deep connection and timeless wisdom) at maiatoll.com.

 

The post ‘The Illustrated Herbiary’ with Maia Toll appeared first on Biddy Tarot.

Exploring the Four Tarot Aces

Exploring the 4 Tarot Card Aces

The Four Aces of Tarot – beautiful, bright blessings filled with potential and optimism. In the simplest form, Aces are the very beginning of the numbered cards. There’s Ace, Two, all the way through to the Ten. Acting like a One…and yet at the same time, not. Because when we take into account all the detail and symbolism that lies within each of the 78 cards within the Tarot deck, it shouldn’t be taken lightly that Aces are not called card #1.  

What do the Tarot Aces Represent? 

In my opinion the Aces are actually more like a zero – they represent the seed of potential. Just like a seed that’s sitting underground the moment before it sprouts, it is simply the potential of what could happen next, because it hasn’t yet fully manifested. And within any Tarot reading, the Aces show us that possibility. It’s up to us to turn it into something further. 

To me, the four Tarot Aces are the purest form of energy for each of the suits. Just like the seed, it’s before they’ve actually turned into something. Not only that, but also the absolute purity of what each of their respective suits represent. 

So, with that in mind, let’s examine each of these Aces and their energy, then what you can do with that energy to bring more of it into your life, and call in more of that potential into your life.  

The Ace of Cups  

In both the Rider-Waite and Everyday Tarot decks, we see a beautiful Cup. It’s overflowing with water, and that water is the representation of the water element that we see with the suit of Cups.  

The water is an expression of emotion, and the Ace of Cups is about the potential of feelings and emotional connections. 

Keep in mind that it’s not the Two of Cups where we have discovered our emotions. Instead, the Ace of Cups is about what is happening within you.  In that sense, it’s more like a zero or one, depending on how you want to look at it. 

This card can traditionally be related to a new relationship, but I see it more as this welling up of emotion within you, and that’s the important thing.  

Now, the element of water in the Ace of Cups can also pertain to creativity. It may be that you’re feeling your creative potential is starting to well up inside of you, almost like it cannot be contained, as seen in the overflowing water in the card. Or maybe it’s your emotions or love that can’t be contained.   

Perhaps you’re just starting to have the sensation that you are an intuitive being and that there is a possibility and potential that you have intuitive insight into the world. Of course, we all have that, but the Ace of Cups means that is it coming into your conscious awareness.  

Manifest the Energy of the Ace of Cups 

To manifest the energy for the Ace of Cups, pull out the card from your deck and really sink into the imagery. Gaze at the card and take your time. See what stands out to you.  Drink in the story and symbolism into your subconscious mind.  

Next, ask yourself: 

How can I bring pure love and compassion into this new journey that is emerging?  
How can I open myself up to give and receive love?  
How can I express my whole self fully and authentically?  

Ace of Pentacles  

The Ace of Pentacles card in the Rider-Waite deck shows a beautiful little clouded hand holding a coin in the foreground.  In the background there is a hedge, archway, and some mountains.  With the Everyday Tarot deck, we see a very similar image, with a hand holding a large coin and trees in the background.

This card represents the potential of manifesting something into being. Because it’s the suit of Pentacles, it’s often associated with financial gain or opportunity. It might also be something tangible, like a new product or even a house. 

Notice the mountains or trees in the background.  They signify that the potential for this opportunity is huge.  However, you will also have a difficult journey to travel and it’s important that you’re ready for that. 

Think about it.  When you start a business, it doesn’t suddenly pop out of nowhere into a million-dollar company. It’s just like when you start a business. It takes hard work.  So, the Ace of Pentacles asks you, “Are you ready to embrace this journey?”  

Manifest the Energy of the Ace of Pentacles 

Again, pull the Ace of Pentacles card out of your deck and connect in with the energy of this card. Look at the symbols and imagery. See what sinks into your mind. 

Ask Yourself: 

What new opportunities are emerging that will help me start new endeavours?  
What can I bring into being at this time?  
What is coming into fruition?  
Am I ready for the journey that follows? 

Ace of Swords 

In the Rider-Waite, we see another clouded hand whereas with the Everyday Tarot deck the hand seems suspended in the air, but both are holding a sword high in the air. There’s a crown and a wreath, giving off a beautiful feeling of success and victory, even though it’s only just begun. (Remember, we’re at an Ace, not at a Ten).  The Ace of Swords gives you the idea, “Yes, I can create something successful!”  

The suit of Swords is about our thoughts and intellect.  This means that the Ace of Swords can be the breakthrough of a thought.  You might think, “I get it! Yes, let’s do it!”  

It’s that amazing moment when all your thoughts come together and create something absolutely new, and the feelings of success, victory, optimism, and being ready to take action.  

Again, this card does not mean that success and the victory are guaranteed – which is the case with all of the Aces. It’s simply showing you that the potential is there. Now, it’s up to you to take action to manifest that potential.  

Manifest the Energy of the Ace of Swords 

Again, drink in the images and the symbols. See what stands out to you in the Ace of Swords. What do you notice as you look at this card? What energy do you feel?  

Ask yourself: 

What can I do to gain mental clarity?  
What is this breakthrough moment that is coming to me?  
How can I get clarity with your new journey?  
How can I communicate this clarity to others?  

 

Ace of Wands 

When looking at the Rider-Waite deck, once again we see a clouded hand and the Everyday Tarot deck shows the hand suspended.  But now, it’s holding a Wand up toward the sky. Leaves are sprouting from the Wand and starting to fall down to the ground. In the background, we have a castle and a few more mountains—again, another symbol that important things take work.  

You may be thinking, “This sounds an awful lot like the Ace of Swords.”  It’s easy to get the two mixed up. The Ace of Swords is more about the clarity of thought, whereas the Ace of Wands is more about the inspiration. It’s the energy and motivation that comes with that particular level of potential.  

This inspiration may have come to you through a source that you can’t necessarily label. Perhaps it simply popped into your mind. Maybe you want to make a difference or start a new project.  

The Ace of Wands is seen when you feel intuitively called to do something, but you can’t necessarily explain why.   

Manifest the Energy of the Ace of Wands 

Once more, take the card out of your deck taking in the imagery and symbols in the Ace of Wands.  

Ask yourself:  

What is this new source of inspiration that’s coming to me?  
How can I open your mind up to the new sources of inspiration that are available to me now?  
How can I connect into my innate wisdom, the universal wisdom so that I am ready to receive whatever messages are out there for me?  
How can I channel this beautiful, intuitive insight into something real and something meaningful?  

Which Ace will Support You Next? 

The four Tarot Aces are absolutely beautiful in terms of tapping into your potential. If you’re at the start of a new project, I recommend that you pull out all of the four Aces and ask yourself, “Which Ace is really going to support me in this new journey?”  

Then, have that Ace with you so that it can help you connect to certain seed of potential that you are bringing into being. I think you’ll find that the Ace has a powerful and beautiful energy that will help you out. And the more you explore the Aces, the more connected you’ll feel to their energy.  

Do You Like This Deck?

If you enjoy the Ace cards above, then you’ll love our Everyday Tarot Kit. It offers a fresh approach to Tarot, with a modern, beautifully illustrated deck, a helpful guide to the cards, and a beautiful keepsake box. Everyday Tarot brings a new perspective to the cards, giving modern soul-seekers the tools they need to access their inner wisdom and create an inspired life. This charming package, featuring stunning cards and a magnetic closure, will appeal to Tarot veterans and novices alike!  You can order yours here.

 

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BTP137: The Tarot Food Plan with Kim Arnold

We all know that the Tarot is an amazing tool which can help us navigate our lives and achieve our fullest potential, whether it’s professionally, romantic, or spirituality.  But have you ever considered that it can be used to help you unpack emotional issues around eating and healthy body image? 

For episode 137, my guest is Kim Arnold, organizer for the UK Tarot Conference and the mastermind behind the Psychic Café Network. But today, we’re talking about Kim’s Tarot Food Plan and how she helped a group of eight women lose 78 pounds! 

Additional Materials

Everyday Tarot 
Psychic Café Network 

Brigit: You’re listening to the Biddy Tarot podcast, and this is episode 137, the Tarot Food Plan with Kim Arnold. 

Intro : Welcome to the Biddy Tarot podcast where you’ll learn how to connect more deeply with your intuition and live an empowered and enlightened life with the Tarot cards as your guide. Listen as Brigit and her guests share their very best tips and strategies to help you read Tarot with confidence. And now here’s your host Brigit Esselmont. 

Brigit: Hello and welcome back to the Biddy Tarot podcast. Now we all know that Tarot is an amazing tool which can help us navigate our lives and achieve our fullest potential, whether it’s professionally, romantic, spiritually, or whatever really. But did you ever consider that Tarot could be used to help you reach your weight goals? Yes, that’s right, you can actually use Tarot to help you unpack emotional issues around eating, healthy body image, and so on. 

So my guest today is Kim Arnold, and she has created the Tarot Food Plan. This is what she’s gonna talk about today. I just think it is so fascinating and so very creative. 

Now, Kim Arnold isn’t just known for her food plan, she is also the organizer for the UK Tarot Conference, which is coming into its 15th year. Crazy, right? And she runs the Psychic Café Network. 

So today I’m gonna be talking about her journey with Tarot, and also the Tarot food plan, and how she’s helped a group of, I think it was eight women, and they lost 78 pounds. You’ll hear that in the interview, it’s very very cool. 

But before we get into today’s interview, I wanna let you know that this episode is brought to you by my upcoming book, Everyday Tarot: Unlock Your Inner Wisdom and Manifest Your Future. 

Now, it’s very relevant because what I’m gonna share with you today with Kim and the Tarot food plan is very similar to what you’ll find inside of the Everyday Tarot book. Of course not food plans but you’ll discover how you can bring Tarot into your everyday life, not just use Tarot for Tarot readings, but use it to help you make better decisions to create more fulfilling relationships, to align your career and your work with your soul’s purpose, and to integrate Tarot into your daily rituals, or more like your monthly cycles as well.  

So checkout the book Everyday Tarot, over at EverydayTarot.com, and you can start to pre-order now, and it’s also available in book stores from September 18th. And of course, there’s a beautiful Tarot deck that comes along with the book, sold separately, and it’s a beautiful modern take on the Rider-Waite Tarot deck. I hope you’ll enjoy it. 

Now, without further ado, let me welcome Kim Arnold.  

Well, hi Kim, thank you so much for being here on the Biddy Tarot podcast, how are you doing tonight? 

Kim: All right, no, great, thank you so much for asking me. I’m so looking forward to this. 

Brigit: Oh, it’s a pleasure and I’m laughing because I’m sitting here at 7 in the morning, and Kim’s sitting here at 10 at night in the UK, so we had to make it work. It’s always so challenging with time zones. I think particularly with the UK, it’s always kind of like day and night almost. 

Kim: Oh, absolutely, yes. 

Brigit: I’m glad we can make it work. So, Kim, for those who may not know you, and I don’t know how many people wouldn’t know you, but tell me a little bit more about you and the awesomeness that you do, particularly in the UK, around Tarot. 

Kim: Okay. Thank you. Well, I started the UK Tarot Conference about 15 years ago, and the first UK Tarot Conference was an act of defiance, because I had a shop at the time, and I’d had a shop for many years called Enchantment New Age Shop, sold crystals and Tarot cards etc. And I was targeted by the Evangelical Church, and it was just horrible. It was complete intimidation. So it’s a very long story, but to cut it short, they really frightened the life out of me, to be honest, and my husband said to me, “What are you gonna do, Kim, you’re just gonna pack it all in now and walk away, or you’re gonna stand up and be counted?” And I said, “Do you know what, I’m gonna put on a Tarot conference.” And no one to my knowledge at that time had done that. 

Interestingly, the same year that the New York people did the Readers Studio started, that’s complete coincidence, and I put this Tarot conference together. And that was the beginning of 15 years of really allowing Tarot to shine in the UK, and just stepping out of the shadows, and making it into something not to be ashamed of anymore, that we didn’t have to hide.  

And one of the things that I decided when I started the conference was that I would always have really upmarket venues. I didn’t want my Tarot conference to be in a grotty hole or just some old place, that it was gonna be right bang-smack in the middle of London, and that it was gonna be in a gorgeous venue, and we were gonna honour Tarot in the way that I wanted it to be. And that was sort of where it all began. 

And at the same time I was running the Psychic Café Network, which was, again, something that tends to happen with me, that I plant this little seed and then before I know it, I’ve got 10 gardens to tend. And the Psychic Café Network, was when people used to come into my shop, buy a book, and then they’d come back and say, “Kim, how do I really use this dousing pendulum? How do I read these Tarot? How do I look in a crystal ball?”  

So the Psychic Café Network started and it grew into something quite phenomenal very quickly. So then I had the Tarot Conference which was then taking off, the Psychic Café Network that was going mad, and the shop, and I had a family, and everything else. And something over the years had to go, and I let go of the shop, which was a huge thing for me. And then I wound the Psychic Café down, because I just couldn’t cope with what I had created, and Tarot then became my number focus. 

So that’s who I am really. And my passion for Tarot, and my passion to bring Tarot out of the darkness, and into the light, which I think we moved on anyway now, but certainly 15 years ago, it was a different time. So in the mean time I’ve written a couple of books, and I’ve written the book for the oracle deck, Victoria Frances’ Gothic Oracle, I’ve written a book for that. And life has just moved on, and in great way. And Tarot was moved with it, so I’m thrilled. 

Brigit: Yeah. I love that you chose the path of defiance when challenged, because I think it would’ve been so easy for you to go, “Oh gosh, this is getting a little bit too much, and I should just shut down.” And I think that’s what we’ve done for so many centuries, is we’ve just shut off and been quiet. And I feel like now there’s more and more people standing up and speaking up. And yeah, I think kudos to you for taking that path because look at everything that you’ve been able to create as a result of saying, “Nuh-uh, I’m not gonna let you put me in my corner, or put me down for something that is so normal and natural.” Right? It’s craziness. 

Kim: Absolutely. I think the greatest challenge is when someone says, “No, you can’t do that.” And if you have a mindset like I am, it’s like well, actually I can and I will and I’ll push all the buttons to make it happen. So this is where we are now, and packed houses and sold out venues, and it’s really wonderful. 

Brigit: And yeah, I love that you’re choosing venues that are very modern and perhaps a little bit more luxey, because like you say, I think often times when I think of tarot or I’ve been to kind of local tarot groups, it’s kinda hidden away in a community hall where there’s still a bit of like dust on the floor, you think, “Come on, don’t we value ourselves more?” Isn’t this something like really special and a part of even our self-care, our divinity, and so on? I think it’s beautiful to have it, and like to really honor that, and have it in a place that might be like in a visible area and so on, like London of course. 

Kim: Yeah, absolutely. And we’ve moved venue this year, we were at the old venue for five years, we’ve moved to a bigger venue, right bang-smack in the middle of Kensington. And if people don’t know London, Kensington is a really upmarket place. We’ve taken another step up and it’s exciting. I actually can’t wait till October, ’cause that’s when the conference is. 

Brigit: Yeah. Awesome. And what kinds of people do you tend to attract to the Tarot conference? 

Kim: Well, they come from all over the world. And last year, we did have a little posse from Australia, America, Canada, Europe. They literally do come from all around the world. The conference is really aimed at intermediate and upwards, so we don’t really cater for beginners. And part of the reason for that when I started the conference, aside from the reasons I’ve told you, is that as a professional Tarot reader as I was then, I didn’t know where else I could go to learn. And I had sort of reached a level where I didn’t know where to go. There was nothing to offer me as a professional reader more knowledge and information. And so that’s why the Tarot conference was aimed at intermediates and upwards, because I think that as professional readers we read in a certain … I mean I find I have a certain style when I read as most of us do. And then every time I come back from a conference, it’s like, “Oh my god I never realized that, or I never saw that.” And you think …  

I mean I’ve been reading the cards, and I … god, I really even hate to say this, but nearly 14 years, I’ve been reading cards, and I’m still learning. There’s still stuff that I go, “Really? I never knew that.” And you think that you know quite a lot and actually there’s so much more to learn, even on my death bed I’ll never know half of what there is to learn. 

Brigit: Yeah, I think  that’s the fabulous thing with Tarot is it’s a non-stop learning journey, and I always have a little giggle. Sometimes when we launch, they are more beginner-like Tarot courses, we have people writing back going, “I’ve been reading the cards for 30 years, I don’t need to learn anything more.” I’m like, “Well, I don’t know, maybe there is something out there.” 

But yeah, I would love to kind of tap your brain around where Tarot is going now, because obviously 15 years ago was very different, where we are now I think we’re starting to feel a lot of energy and forward movement and I’m curious about kinda your observations where we’re taking Tarot now and into the future. 

Kim: I think that possibly in the olden days we’ve looked at it more just for predictive readings, and people would go for Tarot reading for prediction. But I think as Tarot readers, that we now appreciate the Tarot for different things. For example, I run meditation groups where we based some of those meditation groups on the Tarot, we pull cards and we use them for meditation. But you may know that quite recently I’ve setup something called the Tarot Food Plan, which sort of …  

Yeah, I don’t know where I got that from I sort of plucked it from the air, and as someone … I’m not horrendously overweight, but I do struggle with my weight, and it was two years ago, and I was just at this point where, interesting enough, a client came to me with a huge emotional issues going on around her. And when she left, I sat and I thought, “You know, I feel so privileged, some people share with me such dark secrets, and worries, and concerns.” And it sort of played on my mind for a few days as I was scoffing too much cake and doing things I shouldn’t. 

And I thought, “For goodness’ sake Kim, get yourself under control.” And I thought, “Do you know what? if I can help all these clients that have gone through my door, why can’t Tarot help me?” And that’s where the Tarot Food Plan happened. 

And this is the god’s honest truth that I actually went to bed this particular night, and before I went to bed I just sort of said in my head like, “Show me how this is going to work.” And through my dreams, and this is often how it happens with me, the Tarot food plan unraveled but I was only shown the 40 Minor Arcana. So there was no Court cards, there was no Major cards. So it’s just the 40 Minor Arcana, which is why there’s two plans on the Tarot Food, because the first one came and then the Major one came second.  

And so I was shown these cards, and what was really explained to me was that the cards are your emotional support. And what I actually did is that I got up the next day, and I rewrote over a few days the whole Tarot deck to have emotional meaning, so that every single card had instead of, if you like, a predictive meaning, had an emotional meaning.  

So I figured that most of us eat because we’re emotionally unbalanced. Because we’re sad, because we’re happy, because we’re bored, so there is … It’s usually very rarely do we eat because we’re hungry. The cards were really telling a story to me as to why I wanted to eat my body weight in chocolate for certain days. 

So I take the 40 Minor cards and I’d shuffle them and I say … And this was how I was told to use it through my dream, and I shuffle the cards, and say, “What does my body need to know tomorrow?” And I’ll pull a card and I’ll put it to one side. 

So the next that happened was how does this relate to food, how does this all work? And then of course we know that the four suits relate to the four different elements; Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. So Earth would relate to earthly food such as vegetables, fruit, anything that’s grown from the earth. Air, the source would be light food, so this would be your salads, your omelettes, your eggs, and things like this.  

Your Fire cards which are the ones… would be maybe curries, or chillies, or even something that’s cooked under the grill or on the barbeque. And water would be fish of any kind, or smoothies, or soups, anything like that. 

So throughout the 40 days, you would shuffle the cards, and you would take it out of the deck, so you would never repeat your card. And so the… a) it wouldn’t be boring to do this plan, but also you learn about yourself emotionally. 

And then I had seven very dear friends who were all Tarot readers, who also struggled with their weight, came on board. And I had a day at my house, and we all came, and we just spoke about this whole idea of using Tarot as an emotional tool. 

And this is also true that in 40 days between the eight of us, we lost 77 pounds. 

Brigit: Wow. 

Kim: And I went, we can’t lose 77 pounds, we have to lose 78 pounds, and bless Helen, one of my ladies, she literally ran around the block to get the extra pound off. So we banked 78 pounds in weight loss in 40 days between the eight of us. 

So the cards were … And everybody said the same thing that the cards were really reflective of our up and down moods. So you get great cards like for example, Three of Cups, so you think, “Well, this is gonna be a good day.” I mean mentally it was motivating to pull something for example, like the Three of Cups, because you thought oh that’s good, that’s a really great card.  

And then you would put something like the Three of Swords, and say, “Oh god, tomorrow is gonna be horrendous.” But what happened was through no effort, the cards actually reflected the moods. The cards actually reflected what happened that day.  

So it was an interesting journey. And then the Major cards came and that became the 22 Day Plan which was like a quick fix of having 22 days of being on an eating plan, using the Major cards. And I also had a nutritionist on board as well that helped to sort of balance all this, and write some recipes and all the rest of it. It is still and ongoing project, I have to say. But it’s been quite amazing, how it’s sort of slipped in into life really. 

But to use your cards everyday as an emotional tool, regardless of whether you need to lose weight or not, but to use those as an emotional tool, they will give you so many answers. And I wrote somewhere, I should’ve written it down before the interview, but we think we know ourselves well, but the cards know us better than we do. And that was sort of my motto. You know? 

Brigit: Yeah, absolutely. I think it’s so clever, because you write I think a lot of eating or weight issues I guess or body image and so on, has got to do with what’s going on inside. And so much of that is at a subconscious level, and we know that Tarot can just bypass that conscious layer, get right into the subconscious, and really get to the core of what is actually going on. 

And I imagine the weight loss is awesome, I imagine that has a lot to do with being more consciously aware of what is impacting me right now on a daily basis, and how might that be influencing the foods that I’m choosing, or my activity levels even. 

Actually, do you do any of that? Do you have it connected to the exercise as well? 

Kim: Yeah, we have actually. Because actually on the food plans site, I’m gonna have to remember this now, but things like on an Air day, so you would maybe go for a walk, or you would be active and maybe on a Pentacles day, that would be your day to sort of … just to be a bit more grounded to maybe if you got work to do, that’s your day to do that. 

If you have a Cups day, for example, that’s the day to nurture with your friends, to go meet your friends for coffee, or go for a walk with them. And if you had Earth, Air, Fire, Wands day, that would be a really active day, that’s when you’ve gotta get the jogging shoes on, or go for a swim, or do something like that. 

So yes, no, it absolutely did definitely all connect. And I do think that there is still like a whole another 10 chapters on this, on the Tarot Food Plan which I am sort of slowly working on with everything else, because I just find it fascinating how it connects really. 

Brigit: Yeah. And I think we can go through life just kind of plodding along and treating every day as another day, or this kind of adds a whole new level of like colour almost to your day, which instead of just sort of accepting the status quo during your day, you’re using the card to inspire you to go out and go and do something, or be aware of a particular emotional issue that might be influencing you. 

I think it’s …What I love about it, is it just brings in that whole conscious awareness. And I think the more that we can live consciously, the better life that we have. That’s for sure. 

Kim: And it’s simple, that’s the thing. It doesn’t really take an awful lot of effort to pull a card a day, and to work within the boundaries of that, as best as you can. So I think that is what’s so unique about it, because it is simple, but it is unique, and that’s something that people really love. 

Brigit: Yeah, and I think people get so bored of like, “Oh, you’ve gotta do low carb, keto, whatever it might be. It’s like well, this is something new and fun, and physically, if you love Tarot, it’s like a nice reference point that feels fresh and more connected.  

I’d love to hear a little bit more about the Major Arcana. Have you got an example of one of the cards, and kinda how that plays out for the food plan? 

Kim: Okay, so for example, because of course the Major Arcana, most of them relate to an element, so that’s the first thing. And some of them don’t. So for example, the Tower card is what we call a combination day, and so because the Tower card doesn’t specifically relate to Earth, Air, Fire or Water, then we call it a combination day. 

And what that means is on a food level that you can sort of mix and match that day, that’s sort of a free day, you can have pretty much whatever you want. 

So I’m just gonna read to you here exactly the meaning of the card, just a snippet of it, is that the Tower card is a cathartic card, your whole outlook on life, can and will change because of this period in your life. You may have experienced a challenging period prior to embarking on the Tarot Food Plan, but the lessons you have learned will far outweigh the negatives. So take a deep breath and if you feel you need to, recognize that all the opportunities are there to make something good out of a situation that will become clear. 

So that is something to sort of ponder on through the day, and I did affirmations for every card as well. So things that you can just affirm each day. And just to go onto a different card, so for example, the Moon card is that you may be experiencing mood swings and anxiety when you pull this card on the Tarot Food Plan. 

So we suggest that if you’re able to meditate, do so, because it will calm your mind, and check out the moon phase when you draw this card, if we are approaching the new moon, it’s time to make new plans, a full moon is near, then it’s time to release negative emotions. 

We also associate this card with deceit, so be aware of that. By eating off plan, you’re only deceiving yourself. And so the 22 cards, and there is a lot more obviously, and on the plan, but just to give people an idea of the sort of information they will get as part of the plan and that guidance. 

Brigit: Yeah, brilliant. And then let’s say with the Minor Arcana how does it kind of differ, so say, the Five of Cups, what would that look like? 

Kim: Okay. So I will say that the Five of Cups dwelling on problems or a bad day, it will not change, it will not change anything, not put right what has happened in your life. You have the power to change how you feel and what you do. Don’t waste any time of the day being negative.  Act and make things right. 

So the Cups is obviously is full emotions, the Five of Cups is for some people a bit of a nemesis card I think. I lot of people don’t like the Fives. 

And so the advice on the Five of Cups is like just don’t dwell, if it’s a bad day, it’s a bad day, but you just gotta keep moving forward and not looking back. 

Brigit: Yeah. And I’m so curious is the Nine of Cups like a cheat day, where you can just scarf and eat as much as you want? 

Kim: Well…Nine of Cups… none of them are a cheat day, but except the combination days, you can play around with that a little bit. 

What I call the “good cards” in Tarot, they’re the days where we can celebrate, that we can feel a little bit lighter in ourselves, that we can celebrate the achievements that we have, and to keep going.  

And we all have our own interpretation of the cards. So with a little help from my interpretation, with a little help of what you already know about the card, it’s like just put it all in a big boiling pot. Put it together and make it work for you. 

Brigit: Yeah, yeah, it’s fabulous. And so how many folks have gotten through this program already? 

Kim: Okay, well we’ve haven’t … it doesn’t sound like an awful lot, ’cause I haven’t pushed it so much really it’s like with everything else going on, but I’ve had about 50 people go through the program, and all of them have lost weight. And there’s lots of testimonials on the website, genuine of course testimonials, where people have said, “This have just been amazing, that it has changed my life.” 

We’ve also got like a closed Facebook page, so when someone is in the mood to eat the body weight in chocolate, it’s like they just come on the page and go, “Kim, I’m just about to eat.” And everyone jumps in and goes, “No, stop, what’s your card, what’s your card. Let’s help you through this.” So it’s about this support as well. Myself and the girls have already done this plan. 

Brigit: I love it. So where can people find out more about the food plan, the Tarot Food Plan? 

Kim: Okay, so it is www.TarotFoodPlan.co.uk. So all the information is on there, including a fat picture of me and then the after picture, because I actually lost 20 pounds on this when I started it two years ago, and you will see two very different pictures of me, and where I was and where I am now. 

Brigit: Yeah, that’s so clever, so clever. So if someone was thinking about using the cards like today to start on their journey to health and a positive body image, what would be your sort of first step? What would be your recommendation for them? 

Kim: Well, I would say get your cards out, take out your 40 Minor cards, and just shuffle and work with them, and try and look at them from a different perspective. So not as the traditional meaning of the cards, but how do you feel emotionally when you pull a certain card? What is the message to you? And make it all about you, make that card all about you in the moment, you in the day, you in the zone basically. 

And as far as the food is concerned, it’s like, “Well, how do you feel when you look at that card, do you feel like you wanna be good, how do you feel about your self-image, how do you feel about your emotional state at the moment, is that card giving you an answer? “ 

And I think there’s lovely meditations where you can just close your eyes and step into the card, and it’s a very simple thing to do, and just to look around and just to get that feeling and that energy of the card. But also on the website, there are some free recipes, there’s lots of information that’s all free that you could just go in there, have a look.  

And even if you sort of pinch a little bit in my idea and adapt it for you, I have no problem with that whatsoever, because if you’re getting your cards out everyday, and loving them more because they’re guiding you and they’re helping you, then go for it, I have no issue with that whatsoever. So just take that advice, but use the card. And particularly if you are a tarot reader, where you’re giving information and advice to people all day long, sometimes it starts with you, it starts with me, it starts with us. And sometimes I think as tarot readers, we’re very good at giving advice, but we’re not very good at taking our own advice. So this is a very good step in using your cards differently. 

And you’ll connect with the cards better. That I promise you, because if you’re working with a card on it, every day on an individual basis, but it’s all about you, you’ll start to see things in that card that you didn’t see yesterday. So that voice in the card will talk to you, and it will just guide to where you need to be, just to help you. 

Brigit: Yeah, and I think it’s absolutely where the magic happens is it’s kind of when we … The tarot readings are just the tip of the iceberg, it’s when we’re using tarot in this kind of everyday way, that’s where it becomes super super powerful. And I mean clearly you’ve had some great results with the folks who’ve gone through the food plan, and using it to get more awareness of their emotions, of self care and so on. 

And often, like I think often times the weight issue can be because we’re almost protecting ourselves or we’re not taking care of ourselves and often are so busy taking care of everyone else, and not taking care of ourselves, and using the cards for that self-care process as well is kind of just adding to all of that magic. 

Kim: Yeah, no, absolutely it makes sense. And I think most people they pick up food they … as I said earlier on we don’t always eat because we’re angry, in fact we rarely because we’re hungry, it’s filling a different void. And that’s what the card is helping you with, it’s trying to give you answers, it’s trying to give you advice, it’s trying to guide you as you guide your clients, to just take care of number one. 

Brigit: Yeah, absolutely. So Kim what’s coming up for you in the next six months or so? I mean obviously you’ve got the Tarot conference which will be busy. 

Kim: Yes, the Tarot conference. We’ve also got the London Tarot Festival on the 2nd of June. And the London Tarot Festival is not quite as structured as the conference, so people can just come and go with the Tarot festival, so that’s really good. 

There’s just so much just expanding on the festival and expanding on the conference and just keeping on top of my game really, that’s also quite important. And just trying to keep offering something new and fresh, and just working with that at the moment. So it’s a busy time, and I’m a bit of a fool literally that first card where I’m always starting projects, there’s always something going on with me, and I found as I’ve got older, I need to just concentrate and do what I do really well, rather than do 10 things and joggle too many balls in the air. 

So the conference and the festival, they’re my two babies, and they’re the things that are extremely important to me. And also last year we launched the first Tarot festival in Switzerland, just outside Zurich, which are run from a castle with a lady called Wicca Meier-Spring, and this is happening again next year. So that’s bi-annually, the Swiss Tarot Conference. And that was just wonderful where all our German, French, and Swiss counterparts came in this beautiful castle. We had amazing speakers from around the world coming. So that’s something else. 

Now, once the London Tarot festival is out of the way next month, then I’ll start working on that for next year. And it’s just bringing Tarot out of the shadows, literally. 

Brigit: Yeah, yeah, it’s beautiful. And you’re clearly a leader in that space in being able to bring people together, and unite people around, I mean the common cause, the common love. I mean when we were talking just off air beforehand, you were saying just how great it is that we can connect with people, because we like Tarot. 

Kim: Yeah, absolutely. 

Brigit: It’s such a like, it’s a nice thread that comes. 

Kim: Yeah, absolutely, friends all around the world, and true friends as well that we just meet on our tarot journey, and I just love it. I’m just so happy that when I was 17, I picked up that deck of cards, because it literally did change my life, and I never… who would have thought, for all of us, for all of us that are out there sticking our heads above parapet, it’s like who knew, who knew? 

Brigit: Yeah, so where can people find out about the Tarot conference coming up in October, ’cause I actually think we’ll be publishing this podcast a little bit after the June conference, so let us know about the October one. 

Kim: Okay, so the October conference is the 19th and 20th of October in Kensington in London. Our speakers this year are Rachel Pollack and Benebell Wen. And you can find all the information at www.tarotconference.co.uk. So all the information about the Swiss conference next year will be on there, as well as the full program for the 2018 conference. 

Brigit: Yeah, fabulous. Awesome. And is there any kind of parting words that you would like to share with our audience maybe a little bit of inspiration or something to keep people going? 

Kim: Well, do you know, I think if you’ve got more than one Tarot deck, if you’ve got more than one Tarot deck, if you’ve got a pile like I’ve got on the shelf, just like just choose a random deck, put it out and start using it, just enjoy it and just get this flavor of different decks. Don’t be afraid to go a little bit off the Rider Waite track, just if there’s something new and something different, something fresh, get it out there, because it’s what’s stimulates us as tarot readers to just be able to pick up different styles of decks and work with them. 

And of course things like the Lenormand and the Kipper decks, these are all becoming quite popular now. It’s like it’s just such a lovely way to dive into cards and just learn more and just pick up that history. 

I must just say just as I was at the castle in Zurich just last month, and Mary Lenormand’s actual deck of cards is there on display in the cabinet. 

Brigit: Oh, wow. 

Kim: So it was just amazing. So there’s just so much history, but we’ve gotta move forward with Tarot as well. So we have all this beautiful tradition, but let’s also embrace what’s there in the future, all these new styles and don’t be afraid of it. Even if you don’t particularly gel with certain things, it’s like experience it, because there’s just so much knowledge out there, just so much diversity. We are so blessed with what we know, because there’s just so much more out there to be discovered. 

Brigit: Yes, and it will continue to grow, which is pretty awesome. 

Kim: Absolutely. 

Brigit: Fabulous. Well, Kim, thank you so much for being on the podcast, I really appreciate you and thanks for sharing more about the Tarot food plan. I bet we’ve got people racing to their cards right now and going, “What, start the next 20 day the right way.” 

Kim: I hope so, I hope so. Well, thank you so much for having me on your show. Thank you. 

Brigit: So there you have it, I hope you enjoyed that interview with Kim Arnold, and perhaps you’re inspired now to go and get your Tarot deck, and get to the bottom of what might be influencing your eating patterns, or your body image. 

Now I think there might be lots and lots that you might be able to uncover with the cards as your guide, and of course with your intuition as your guide. 

Now just a quick recap, you can also order my book Everyday Tarot: Unlock Your Inner Wisdom and Manifest Your Future. It’s available for pre-order right now at EverydayTarot.com, and remember this book will help really engage you between the divine wisdom of the Tarot cards and your everyday life, because as Kim and I chatted today, there’s so much power and magic when you can bring those two together. So check it out, it’s at EverydayTarot.com. 

All right, and make sure you check out Kim’s food plan, and if you are in the UK or nearby in Europe, then absolutely check out the UK Tarot Conference. I think they’re looking at about 160 people this year, so that is pretty awesome, so do check it out. 

Okay, have a great week and bye for now. 

The post BTP137: The Tarot Food Plan with Kim Arnold appeared first on Biddy Tarot.

5 Simple Strategies to Grow Your Tarot Business

So, you’ve got your website up and a few clients are coming in. Woo-hoo! But now what you really want is a little boost to the cash flow.   It’s time to grow your tarot business.

I’ve definitely been there.  You may be getting great feedback from each of your customers, but many of them may not be returning.  Or perhaps you want to find a new way to share and profit from your skills outside of readings. 

Here are five simple strategies you can put in place today to grow your Tarot business online and amplify your impact. 

1. Create Tarot Reading Experiences

Let me tell you a story about a previous student of mine. 

Professional reader, Macy, started her online Tarot business by offering 60-minute readings for $100. Macy did a tonne of marketing to find and attract new clients – posting on social media, offering free gifts, networking with other practitioners and so on.  

While it brought in a steady stream of new clients, she realised that once she had read for them, the exchange was over and she had to start the marketing cycle all over again.  

The work piled up and instead of being able to focus on reading Tarot for her clients, she was always chasing her tail trying to find new clients to keep up her income. 

That’s when I suggested that instead of doing one-off Tarot readings, she create Tarot reading experiences for her clients.  

Instead of doing a 60-minute Tarot reading for $100, she created a 3-month Soul Alignment program which included a Soul Purpose Tarot spread, a Soul Alignment reading, personalised visualisations and rituals, and 3 mini Soul Alignment Check-In readings – all for $500.  

Now, when she did the work and found her next client, it was for $500, rather than $100. And better still, she knew that the impact of her new Soul Alignment program was ten time more than just a regular Tarot reading. 

Action:

Explore how you can create a Tarot reading experience for your clients – one that will attract a higher price but will also have a bigger, longer-lasting impact for your client. 

2. Reconnect with Your Existing Tarot Clients

Did you know that attracting a new client is anywhere from five to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one (HBR)? It goes without saying then, that you’ll have your biggest impact by staying connected with your existing clients. Keeping them happy encourages them to return. 

When I was reading Tarot professionally, I always sent my clients a follow-up email a month or two after their reading. I wanted to check in to see how things were going and if they had any new insights from their reading as time moved on. 

My clients truly appreciated my interest, and I loved hearing how the reading had helped them. And even better, around half of these clients immediately requested a new Tarot reading with me, simply because I had reached out and they had something new on their mind. 

Action:

Send your clients a follow-up email 1-2 months after your reading to check in to see how they’re going.  This is a good time to ask if they need any extra support. You might even include a free gift, such as a guided visualisation, carefully selected based on their situation.  

Also consider creating a weekly newsletter that you send out to all of your clients. This helps you to stay in touch and add value. 

3. Offer a Free Gift (and Create a Funnel)

One of the biggest mistakes I see other online Tarot professionals make is that they do not have a way to nurture the relationship with the people they attract to their website. 

Think about it… A visitor lands on your website. Maybe they found an awesome blog post you wrote about how a Tarot reading changed your life. They are interested in finding out more, so they go to your Services page and check out your Tarot reading offers. But they realise they’re waiting on their pay check and short on cash. So they close your website, go on with their day, and likely forget their desire to have a reading by the time they cash their check. 

But, what if you had a free gift on your page, where they would swap their name and email for a free video on how to get the most out of a Tarot reading? Or maybe a free visualisation for boosting your intuition? Or something equally amazing and aligned to what you offer?  

Then, each week, you could also send a newsletter (with permission) with loads of value, plus a few emails encouraging them to experience a Tarot reading with you. You may even consider adding a special bonus if they book a reading within the next three days.  

This is what’s known as a ‘funnel’. 

From a business perspective, a growing and engaged email list is gold. It’s how we do business at Biddy Tarot. And it’s your way of giving loads of value to your community, staying in touch, and occasionally offering ways of working with you. 

Action:

Create a free gift that is aligned to what you offer. Get creative! Then build your email list. Inside the list, create a funnel that gives lots of value and occasionally promotes your services and products. 

4. Create a New Tarot Workshop

By 2013, I had a steady stream of Tarot reading clients and I was able to quit my full-time corporate job. Yay!) 

But, there was just one problem. In order for me to grow my income, I needed to offer more Tarot readings and invest more time in the business. But I only had so many hours in the day, plus a family of four to take care of. 

So, I started offering one-hour Masterclasses, to teach others how to read Tarot. They were a hit! 50 people signed up for my class at $50 per head – that’s a total of $2,500 for an hour of my time! (Sure, I needed to do a little extra work such as create the class and promote it to my community, but this was only a few extra hours on top of the teaching hour.)  

The Masterclasses were so successful that I then decided to invest my time in creating complete online Tarot courses. These courses are now our flagship products, generating over a million dollars of revenue to date. 

Action:

Explore how you can take your skills and talents and share them with a group, rather than an individual. For example, facilitate a group healing circle, teach a workshop, or run a group coaching program using Tarot as a guide. Start small, and then as you learn what works, do more of that.  

5. Take a Business or Marketing Class

Love it or hate it, if you want a successful Tarot business, you need to be great at business.  

When I first started reading Tarot professionally, I thought it was enough to just ‘build it and they will come!’. But I quickly realised that it was going to take more than just being a good Tarot reader to have a successful business.  

So, I listened to hundreds of business podcasts, read dozens of marketing books, invested in multiple online courses, and hired a business coach. And it paid off. Within a year of going full-time, I had doubled my income and was earning way more than I did in my corporate job. 

Action:

Take a class (or a course) to develop your business and marketing skills. Whether it’s in copywriting, product launching, social media, creating courses, or online business in general, it will help further your Tarot business. 

To get you started, I’ve create a special free training, The 6 Secrets to Creating A Living Doing What You Love. I’ll show you the exact strategies I have used in my business to go from a side hobby to a seven-figure online empire. 

And, if you want to dive even deeper with how to create a successful Tarot business, check out the Grow Your Tarot Business Online program here. 

The post 5 Simple Strategies to Grow Your Tarot Business appeared first on Biddy Tarot.

Eclipse Power and Tarot Spreads by Liz Worth

Eclipse Season: How to Harness the Power of an Eclipse

Every so often, you might see people buzzing about “eclipse season” and the change, intensity, and excitement it can bring.

If we aren’t paying attention, eclipses can come and go. So it is with much of astrology: We can see the sun and moon, and so it can be easier to connect with them.

We all tend to know our sun signs and the energies they represent. When the moon is full and the sky is clear, there’s no missing its presence.

Solar eclipses occur two to four times per calendar year, though they are only visible from certain parts of the world. They are also often partial. Total solar eclipses occur about every 100 years.

Lunar eclipses are less frequent than solar. There can be up to three lunar eclipses a year.

How Does a Lunar Eclipse Affect Us?

Just because we can’t see always see an eclipse doesn’t mean its potential is diminished. Something is always happening astrologically. We can’t see Mars, Venus, Neptune, or Pluto, for example, but they are working on us all the same.

We can’t see an astrological transit or aspect taking place, but can experience its influence here on Earth.

The word eclipse originated in ancient Greece, as a statement meaning to abandon, or to leave behind.

Throughout history, eclipses have inspired fear in cultures around the world. And have inspired a range of myths and folklore throughout time.

In a piece in National Geographic about eclipse myths throughout the globe, E.C. Krupp of California’s Griffith Observatory said, “…the theme that constantly appears, with few exceptions, is it’s always a disruption of the established order.”

As above, so below. Intuitively and instinctively, we are all connected to the ebbs and flows of the cosmos. We are part of a vast universe. We don’t operate in isolation from the ever-shifting environment that surrounds us.

Should I Be Afraid of the Lunar Eclipse?

While eclipses aren’t necessarily a reason for fear, they can inspire change in our day-to-day lives. Things can become “eclipsed” for us as a result. Rites of passage, awakenings, and new directions can all appear during eclipse season.

Leaders are often born, or rise to power, during eclipses.

As with any predictive, energetic, or divinatory practice, the impact of a shift depends on a very important question:

What is your relationship to change?

Some people love change. Others resist it with all they have.

No matter how much we tell ourselves to surrender, let go, and grow through times of transformation, it isn’t always to embrace a shift. Especially if the changes are uncomfortable or unexpected.

It’s hard not to feel afraid of change, even when we want it.

What to Expect During an Eclipse

The energies between solar and lunar eclipses are different.

Solar eclipses occur during new moons. New moons mark the start of a new cycle. They are times when many people set intentions, start projects, or make changes.

Solar eclipses are times of breakthroughs. While new moons can already be potent times to begin new cycles, solar eclipses enhance the potential to make or break patterns.

They can also initiate change around us, sometimes suddenly. The things that enter our lives – or the things we invite in through our actions or intentions – can have staying power.

Lunar eclipses occur during full moons. Full moons are often seen as times of completion. We can be ready to say goodbye to something, or we can use full moons as times to release.

What Might I Feel During a Lunar Eclipse?

With a lunar eclipse, the shift may feel more internal or reflective.

Lunar eclipses are often catalysts for change that begins from within. They are pathways to personal transformation.

Sometimes, what ends up getting released during a lunar eclipse can be linked to karmic or ancestral patterns so that we can create space for our own evolution.

That being said, there can also be external change during a lunar eclipse. Many of us have experienced full moons when our lives suddenly intensified. If there is a change being introduced by outside forces during a lunar eclipse, it can come in the form of an unexpected ending or loss.

Look to the sign the eclipse is in. The zodiac is how astrology expresses itself. The themes of an eclipse will be flavoured by the sign it occurs in.

If an eclipse occurs in a fire sign (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius), think about what the element of fire represents: independence, confidence, willpower, courage, leadership.

In an earth sign (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn), an eclipse might ask us to focus on work, stability, health, or responsibility.

In an air sign (Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius), ideas, communication, relationships, and learning might come up.

And in a water sign (Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces), we might experience spiritual, intuitive, or emotional shifts.

How to Harness the Power of a Lunar Eclipse

The best way to begin working with astrology is to pay attention. Keep a journal and make note of what’s happening for you during every new moon, full moon, and eclipse.

What changed? What questions or challenges were you working through? Who or what was prominent in your life?

Remember that change can sometimes occur as an idea or feeling. Sometimes it happens when we hit “publish” on a new blog post, or through an inspiring conversation with a friend.

Astrology can influence us in many ways, but its presence in our lives isn’t always immediately obvious. Life would be too easy if every spiritual milestone came in the form of fireworks.

Tarot is a wonderful tool to use during any eclipse season. Here are two spreads to open to the potential of an upcoming eclipse:

Solar Eclipse Tarot Spread

1. What pattern am I breaking with this eclipse?

2. What can I now create in its place?

3. What new cycle is opening for me?

4. What unexpected change may be happening around me?

 

Lunar Eclipse Tarot Spread

1. What kind of karmic or ancestral pattern is ready to be released?

2. How am I ready to evolve?

3. What must I listen to at this time?

4. What can I consciously let go of?

 

We’d love to see how these Tarot spreads work for you throughout Eclipse Season! Post your Eclipse Tarot Spread on Instagram using the hashtag #biddytarot so we can all share the magic and inspiration of the season.

The post Eclipse Power and Tarot Spreads by Liz Worth appeared first on Biddy Tarot.

BTP136: Can Intuition Alone Make You a Great Tarot Reader?

There’s a point of view that if you’re intuitive, you’ll get exactly what you need from the Tarot cards.  Another opinion is that you need to have all of the card meanings memorised, the history of Tarot, and so on to be a good Tarot reader. 

Today, I’m talking about my ideas on the topic: can intuition alone make you a great Tarot reader? I also provide you with some questions you can ask yourself to establish your own opinion on the subject. 

Transcript

Brigit: You’re listening to The Biddy Tarot Podcast and this is episode 136, Can Intuition Alone Make You a Great Tarot Reader? 

Intro: Welcome to the Biddy Tarot Podcast, where you’ll learn how to connect more deeply with your intuition and live an empowered and enlightened life with the Tarot cards as your guide. Listen as Brigit and her guests share their very best tips and strategies to help you read Tarot with confidence. And now, here’s your host, Brigit Esselmont. 

Brigit: Hello, and welcome back to The Biddy Tarot Podcast, as always, I’m super excited to be talking with you all about Tarot, and in this episode a little bit more about intuition. Now, in this episode I want to talk a bit about whether … Is it enough to just trust your intuition when reading Tarot? 

There’s a point of view out there that it’s fine if … as long as you’re intuitive, you’ll get exactly what you need out of the Tarot cards, and there’s also opinions out there around, well, maybe, you actually need to be good at it, and maybe you need to have all of the background knowledge, the expertise in Tarot, the history, its origins, the traditions and so on in order to be a good Tarot reader. So, that’s what I want to talk about today, whether it’s enough just to be using your intuitive skills, or if you also need to be, I guess, like, a knowledge expert in the realm of Tarot. 

So, we’ll dive into that shortly, but first I want to share a couple of five star reviews that were left in iTunes. Really want to celebrate and honor both of these. So, the first one is from Ace of Cups from Canada, and this person writes, “I joined the Biddy Tarot community a little over a month ago, and prior to that I was just reading books and feeling unsure. This podcast is a great reminder of the little things when it comes to reading Tarot, especially when it comes to seeing something different in the cards than the norm, makes me feel much more confident and relaxed.” 

Well, actually, Ace of Cups, I think you’re going to enjoy today’s episode in particular because we are talking exactly around this idea of, like, is it okay to see something different in the cards, and something different to what, sort of, experts, I’m doing air quotes, experts might say about the cards. So, stay tuned. 

Now, the other review I want to share with you and celebrate is from Green J A 82 from the UK, and this person writes, “The Biddy Tarot Podcast has improved my relationship with Tarot, not just in terms of the knowledge of the cards, but mainly because it’s given me the confidence to trust my intuition and my own interpretations of the cards. I now have the confidence to put down the books, although the Biddy Tarot Card Meanings book is fantastic, and freewheel it with friends and family at parties. Thank you so much, Brigit, and the Biddy Tarot team.” 

Awesome, well, thank you, and thank you to you, as the listener of this podcast. I so appreciate you. I appreciate your support, and I hope that these podcast episodes are helping you in one way, or in many ways, to really strengthen your connection with the Tarot. 

Now, of course, if you love this podcast make sure you leave a review and a rating inside of iTunes. It just helps us get Tarot in front of even more people, which is super, super exciting. 

All right, so, let’s dive into today’s topic, which is really about whether you can trust your intuition, is that enough to be a good Tarot reader, or do you need to really develop your expertise in Tarot and become, maybe, a sort of technical expert in Tarot? And this question came up a little while ago when a person had asked a very sort of similar question, not exactly the same, similar, about whether this movement towards just trusting your intuition is kind of overriding the origins of Tarot and being an expert in Tarot. 

So, I really wanted to explore this on a deeper level, not only just to really uncover my own perspectives, but perhaps give you some questions to help you establish where you sit in all of this. And, as we’ll discover, I actually think the answer here is very simple. You’ll find out what that is very soon. And, it’s also an opportunity to explore this on a deeper level, and what it really means for you, and where you sit with it. 

So, I wanted to start off with two personal stories. So, when I first started to read Tarot, and if you know much about my journey you’ll know this story very well. When I first started to read Tarot I was about 17 years old, I was studying at university, or just about to, and what I knew then was in order to be good at something you become an expert at it, and you learn all of the technical knowledge. 

So, when it came to Tarot, what I did was I studied, and studied hard. I studied all of the Tarot card meanings. I looked at what they meant and how they could be interpreted in a reading, but I also looked at the symbolism and what that meant. I looked at the historical background of the Tarot. I got to understand some of the systems that sit behind Tarot, whether it’s numerology or astrology. And, look, by no means am I an expert in astrology or numerology, but I saw the importance of learning a little bit more about that so that it could then influence my Tarot readings. 

And, you know, as part of … I think, as part of being an expert, sometimes you get into a memorization pattern. You think, right, I’ve got to really memorize the card meanings in order for me to be really, really good at them. So, that’s what I did. I effectively did my absolute best to become what I thought was an expert in Tarot by doing all of the studying. 

And here’s the thing, I thought I needed to know everything before I could start reading. I needed to be an expert. My technical expertise had to be top notch before I could start reading. I mean, that’s what happens in academia, you need to complete your university degree before you can go on to certain career paths. You just have to do the work, and then you can start practicing. 

So, I took that to mean in Tarot that I needed to wait until I was the expert in Tarot, in my opinion, and I couldn’t read for others until I had reached that level of expertise. I also thought that I needed to have that external validation, so again with university, you get graded, and you need to meet certain standards and expectations, and so I started to apply that in Tarot and I thought, oh, gosh, well, I need the backing of a Tarot association. I need to sit exams to prove that I actually know something here, and I was really looking outside of myself to confirm that I was expert enough to start reading. 

But, here’s the thing, I didn’t actually start reading for others for a good couple of years of learning to read Tarot. Sure, I was practicing on myself, but it took a few years before I felt like I was ready to read for other people because I was thinking I need to be an expert here. 

But, when it came time to actually read the cards, I found that my readings were robotic, because I was trying to only draw from knowledge and technical expertise. I was trying to apply all of those techniques to create a Tarot reading, and yes, I might have ticked the boxes in terms of being able to remember what the cards meant, but when it actually came to the reading it was, like, just dull, and robotic, and I was also stressed and worried, like, what if I was getting it wrong? Or, like, what if I didn’t do it exactly the way that the book had told me to do it? 

So, my readings just weren’t quite what I had thought a Tarot reading was all about, because I don’t know about you, but my idea of a Tarot reading was something where you get, like, massive downloads from the universe about what is going to transpire for you, and yet I was getting these kind of like, oh, Six of Swords, rite of passage, Two of Swords, indecision, confusion, and that just wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. 

So, in this sense, for me, like, being an expert, yes, I had this great deal of knowledge, but it came to the actual Tarot readings I realized that being an expert wasn’t enough, and it wasn’t going to actually help me, in its entirety, to get to the place that I wanted to be. I needed to have something else. 

So, fast forward a couple of years, and this is when I started to realize, you know what? If I want to be an intuitive Tarot reader, I’ve got to be intuitive. So, I started figuring out, okay, great, I’ve laid down the foundations of my Tarot expertise. I’ve got the basics covered. I know the basic meanings, the traditional meanings of the cards. I know the origins of Tarot. I know some of the history. I might not be an amazing Tarot historian, but I know enough. 

And, so, I said, right, I can let that part go for now, and instead I’m going to really trust my intuition. When I do a Tarot reading, I’m not going to get all caught up and worried about whether I’ve got the right meaning or not. I’m just going to really trust my intuition and go with it. 

And you’ve probably heard me say it many, many times, I put the book down, because I think sometimes our books can become crutches, particularly in a reading. We think, oh, I’ll just look it up. I don’t need to trust my intuition, I’ll just look it up. But, when I put that book down, I finally did start to connect in with my intuition in ways that I had not done in the past, and I really went through a phase of feeling my way into the card instead of worrying too much about what it meant traditionally. 

Now, did the pendulum swing a bit too much? Yes, I think, perhaps, sometimes it did. Sometimes my meanings were so far different to a traditional meaning of the card my clients would sometimes say, “Hey, Brigit, I read on your website that this card means this, and now you’re telling me it means this? Like, what’s going on there?” I was like, “Oh, it’s my intuition.” 

And I started to realize, after employing my intuition even more in my readings, where the place of balance was, was actually somewhere in between, somewhere where I was leveraging my technical expertise and my technical knowledge of Tarot and I was integrating intuition as well. So, for me, the basic … The simple answer to “can intuition alone be enough to be a good Tarot reader?”, I don’t think so. I think it’s important to have both, both technical expertise and a trusting, or a faith, a confidence level in your intuition. 

Now, when I asked this of the Biddy Tarot Community, pretty much 99%, in fact, if not 100% of people said, you know what? Yeah, you do need both. I don’t think it’s enough to just trust your intuition, and equally, I don’t think it’s enough just to be an expert in Tarot either, because there’s so much more to a Tarot reading than just knowing what a particular symbol means, or when the cards originated from, or where they originated from. 

So, if we’re to summarize it, or, you know, sum it up, I think you really do need to have both technical expertise and intuition. And here’s the thing, if you had expertise only, then sure, you might be able to write lots and lots of books, you might be someone who can talk really confidently about Tarot history, and really share your, like, valuable knowledge with other people, and that’s awesome. 

There’s absolutely a place for people who are solely experts in Tarot, however, it doesn’t guarantee that you’re going to be a great Tarot reader, because you and I both know, reading Tarot requires not just technical expertise, but it requires intuition. It requires communication skills, even sometimes a bit of counseling skills. It requires life experience to some extent. There’s so much more involved in a reading, an effective reading, than just knowing that background of where Tarot comes from. 

Now, here’s the other thing, if you had intuition only, then you might look at the images and connect with a personal message, but you’re missing out on a huge amount of what I call ‘collective wisdom’ that’s available to you when you learn the basics of the Tarot, and we’ll talk a little bit about, so, this collective and individual wisdom in a sec. But, I just wanted to show you that if we just go on the extreme of just being an expert, I don’t think that’s necessarily going to be … Make us a great Tarot reader. If we go completely to the other extreme and go, right, only intuition, only going to trust my intuition, I don’t even need to learn what these cards mean, I think you’re missing out on a huge amount, and the ideal is somewhere in between. 

And that’s why, like, in my courses I’m always teaching not just the technical expertise, but also the intuitive side, and really encouraging people to go within, and really trust their intuition when reading Tarot, and learn those basic systems of Tarot. Get to know what do the suits mean, what do the elements mean, what … Like, the numbers mean, where did the Tarot cards come from in the beginning, what are some of these background systems that link into the Tarot, and so on. 

So, actually, I just want to talk a little bit about this concept, also, of collective wisdom and individual wisdom, because I think this is also, I guess, like, the continuum that we have here. So, for me, being an expert in something is connecting into the collective wisdom of Tarot. So, collective wisdom is pretty much, like, what we know of Tarot, and what we, as a collective, agree about Tarot, and this, again, might be, like, the traditional meanings of the cards, it might be systems behind the cards, and so on. And then, on the other side, you’ve got individual wisdom, and for me this is very much about your intuition and what’s relevant to you in this present moment. 

Now, I believe that Tarot is super powerful when we’re blending both collective and individual wisdom. We are tapping into what people have learned about Tarot, and what has evolved around Tarot, like, the evolution alone, the energy around that is incredibly important, and it’s also important to be tapping into your own personal intuition as well, because you’re getting personalized messages that are meant for you. So, in a similar vein, combining this expertise with our own intuition, I think that’s really important. 

So, I wanted to just share a couple of kind of tips and afterthoughts as well with this, and you might notice, this is a little bit more free flowing than normal, but I really wanted to allow a space here to explore it, and I encourage you to do the same. You know, where are you sitting in this continuum of expert knowledge versus pure intuition? 

All right, so, here’s some of my little tidbits of advice and thoughts. So, number one, study the Tarot, but also integrate your intuition. So, both are really, really valuable. When I first started reading Tarot, I started with the knowledge piece, and then I realized that I needed to add intuition for it to work in the way that I wanted to, and again, this is why I’m teaching, in my courses, both the knowledge of Tarot, but also the sort of practice, I guess, of being able to trust your intuition and have confidence in it. 

And, again, it really taps into that collective knowledge and the individual knowledge, and blending those two together. That’s where you create the magic, in my opinion. 

Now, here’s another piece of advice, allow your expertise to grow as you read. So, in the story I shared with you, for me it took a number of years before I felt really confident to be able to read for others because I thought I had to be an expert. I thought I had to get all my knowledge in place and ready to go before I could start reading, but this is actually what happens, our expertise builds and grows as we practice, and that … Like, that’s why I’ve got the free Tarot readings platform, and we see it in so many of our community members who do the free Tarot readings. 

So, you know, someone might be taking the Master the Tarot Card Meanings course, they might not know everything about Tarot card meanings just yet, maybe they’re halfway through, but they think, you know what? I’ve already started to learn some stuff, I’m going to jump in and have a go, and they start offering free Tarot readings to the public in exchange for the experience and the feedback, and what happens is they start to learn and discover during that process, and they become an expert in the process. 

So, I don’t think you have to wait until you’re an expert before you can start reading for others, however, you still have the intention to grow and develop your expertise, but don’t wait until you’re an … A so-called expert, because I don’t even know when that day comes. Something about Tarot and something about, just, general, life, you never stop learning, and if you’re waiting for that day that you go, all right, yeah, now it’s time, now I’m the expert, I think you’ll be waiting a very, very long time, because you just continue to learn that you have never, possibly, ever learnt everything there is to know. It’s not possible, because there’s time, there’s space, there’s evolution, all of that good stuff. 

So, I think jump in sooner than you think, and know that your expertise won’t necessarily only grow through study, it will grow through practice, and use your intuition at the same time to really guide you on that as well. 

Another piece of advice I wanted to share with you is to know your intention, hey, so know your intention. Now, if you’re like me, my intention with Tarot was to be able to use the cards to connect with my intuition and my inner wisdom, and to give me insight into my personal life, and also to start reading for other people. 

So, for me, what was really important, again, was not that I just knew what the cards meant, but I had ways of channeling my intuition, and connecting, and trusting, my intuition. So, had I just gone down the path of becoming an expert, I would not have been able to fulfill my goal of becoming an intuitive Tarot reader. 

Now, that said, you might be like, you know what? I love everything about Tarot. I want to know so much about the history of it. I don’t necessarily need to be a reader, I just love the history of it, or I love the imagery of it, and that’s where I’m going to invest my time. Now, if that’s your intention then maybe being an expert only is absolutely fine. You don’t need your intuition to be kind of an expert in Tarot. 

So, just know, like, what is your intention with Tarot, and then create your own learning path that fulfills that intention. Don’t necessarily think you have to do what everyone else has done, or that you have to be, like, a 100% expert when really what you want to do is just be able to deliver value to others and … Or just connect with your own intuition. So, that will dictate, also, where your balance is between expertise and trusting intuition as well. 

And, I wanted to share a story. This was a while ago now, and it’s most … It’s ridiculous. It’s the most ridiculous story, but anyway, I felt that it was a good fit for this. 

So, a long time ago it came my awareness that there was a … A Tarot teacher, I suppose, and he was at a public Tarot event, and he had been making some big discoveries about the Rider-Waite deck, which is awesome. I love that we have people fully dedicated to learning more about the decks, and their origins, and the history, but he chose this public speaking event to point out my website, that on my website I had something that he called incorrect, or it showed that I knew nothing about Tarot. 

So, he’d shown an image, or a screenshot, of the Queen of Wands, and the meanings that I have for the Queen of Wands, and, specifically, it was about this black cat. Now, I think I had something about the black cat is a sign of the occult, or kind of the shadows, or the hidden side of things. 

And, for me, you know, that’s how I connect with that black cat, but he wanted to show that he was an expert, and that’s fine, he probably was an expert. But he wanted to say, he said to this group, publicly, while showing my website publicly, she’s got this wrong, because the black cat is really Pamela Coleman Smith’s black cat, and this is, you know, an outrage because we’ve got people who are trying to say what these cards mean and they don’t understand what they actually mean. 

And when I heard this story back, I was like, what? This is ridiculous, because here’s the thing, like, he was probably 100% correct, and again, good on him for taking the time and the energy to invest in learning more about the cards, that’s awesome, but if you’re doing a Tarot reading about how to land your next job, or how to improve your relationship, which one is going to be more important, or more helpful? That it’s Pamela Coleman Smith’s black cat, or that it is a sign of the shadow self, or the hidden self? I know which one I would find more helpful. 

So, I think this is … The reason I tell this story is because I think sometimes we can go a little bit too far with expertise, and again, this is why being so clear on your intentions is really, really important, because if we allow, like, expertise to come in the way of us trusting our intuition, then I think we’ve swung the pendulum too far in the wrong direction. There really does have to be a balance. 

And we can … even just thinking, I’ve seen sometimes with readings … In fact, I think I even did it myself early on, I could fill a reading with all of the symbolism and sort of the backstory of the card, but at the end of the day this person wanted to know, you know, will my relationship survive? Will I get my dream job? What is my soul purpose? So, all of that background information didn’t really matter in the context of the reading. Now, does it contribute to the message that I give to that particular client? Probably yes, but they don’t need to know all of the detail and so on. 

So, I think there’s just this little balance between expertise and intuition, and really be mindful of not going too far, or not being influenced by other people who might want to try and call you out because you don’t know something about the Tarot. I think that’s the risk and danger of expertise is it sometimes can give this ground to call people out and say that they’re wrong and so on, whereas intuition is a little bit more forgiving, and it’s like, well, if you feel that way, then you’re right. I really do think it’s a blend of both. 

So, I also just wanted to add in that I think it’s important to give yourself permission not to have to know everything, and certainly, when I heard that story, yeah, there was a little bit of me … Like, someone had relayed it back to me and said that this had happened, and I heard that story and I was like, oh, okay, yeah, like a little bit … felt a little bit attacked, but once I got over the ego part of it, I thought, you know what? I don’t really care. I don’t really care. I’m not going to … I’m not being … like, I don’t see this as being called out. I’m not going to take it as I’ve been called out. 

And I have given myself permission, over the years, that I don’t know everything. I don’t think I’m an expert. I know there’s people out there who know way more than I do about Tarot. However, I am helping millions, like, literally millions of people every year with Tarot, and the way I see it, I’m helping them because … Not just because of expertise, but giving confidence, helping people to trust their intuition, giving themselves permission. 

And I never kind of waited for someone to say, all right, Brigit, you’re ready to do this, you can do it now. I just went ahead and I did it, and I think that’s also something that’s really important. If you feel that you’ve got some value to offer, just go and do it. Give yourself permission to be valuable without necessarily having to have ticked all the boxes of expertise, or being highly intuitive, at the same time. All of that will come, but it will come through practice and experience. 

So, there you have it. I hope today has been helpful. It is a little bit more loosely structured than I normally do it, but I wanted to kind of just see where this topic would go, and perhaps maybe this is already crystal clear in your mind, you already know where you stand, or maybe it’s brought up some interesting questions for you, and I really encourage you to just sit with it and go, well, where do I sit with this? And do I need to improve my expertise? Do I need to improve my intuition? Am I okay just as I am? So, have a play with it. 

Of course, for all of the details on today’s episode you’ll find them over at BiddyTarot.com/136, and if you loved this episode and all of our episodes then make sure you leave a review on iTunes, and also you can subscribe to get the latest podcasts. 

And next week, I have a really special guest who is talking all about a Tarot Food Plan. That’s right, using the Tarot to inspire you around how you might eat for a healthy lifestyle. I can’t wait to share it with you. I think you’re really going to enjoy it. So, I will speak with you very soon, and for now, have an awesome week. All right, bye for now. 

 

Get my FREE Intuition Mini-Course (valued at $97) when you pre-order your copy of Everyday Tarot!  Discover the secrets to trusting and strengthening your intuition today.

The post BTP136: Can Intuition Alone Make You a Great Tarot Reader? appeared first on Biddy Tarot.

How to Start Making Money Reading Tarot

Have you ever wondered how you can make money reading Tarot? Back in the early 2000s, I started my online Tarot reading business with $10 Celtic Cross readings. It was a fun way to earn money doing something I loved! And sure, I wasn’t going to be able to retire on these $10 readings, but it was a rewarding way to spend my Saturday afternoons when I was working in corporate full-time. 

Reading Tarot for payment can be a fun side hustle or a way to generate a little extra cash while you work your normal day job. And it’s easier than you think. You can start earning an income reading Tarot for others in no time. Whether it’s $20 an hour, $50 an hour, or even $300 an hour. 

Check out my steps for how you can start making money reading Tarot!

Phase I: Preparation
1. Learn How to Read the Tarot Cards

Before you even think about accepting payment for your Tarot readings, make sure that you learn the basics of reading Tarot and are confident in your skills and abilities. 

If you’re relatively new to Tarot, start with the Biddy Tarot Certification Program. In just 7 months, you’ll learn how to master the Tarot cards and read Tarot with confidence, plus you’ll get hands-on experience reading Tarot for others. And, if you complete the program successfully, you’ll walk away with the title, Certified Biddy Tarot Reader which will help your street cred significantly. 

If you just want to brush up on your Tarot reading skills instead, then take the Read Tarot with Confidence program and discover how to create valuable and meaningful experiences for your Tarot clients. 

You’ll know you’re ready to start charging for your Tarot readings when you know the meanings of the cards without looking them up in a book, you’re comfortable with a few different Tarot spreads, you’ve practiced giving free readings to people you don’t know and you’ve been receiving positive feedback and nudges from the Universe.  

2. Set Your Prices

Start by setting your Tarot reading prices at a ‘comfortable’ level. Not super low (like I did with a $10 Celtic Cross reading), because people tend not to value ‘cheap’ things. But not so high that you feel a huge weight of pressure from your clients, as you get started. 

As a guide, you might start out at $30 for a one-question reading or $50 for a two-question reading.  

Know that you can increase your prices as you go. In fact, I recommend that you set a date for when you will raise your rates and stick to it. That way, you won’t be put off by any feelings of self-doubt or lack of confidence! 

3. Have a Way for Clients to Pay You

As soon as you find your first client, you want to make sure it’s easy for them to pay. So, before you take the next step, find a way for clients to pay for your readings. 

You might choose PayPal, bank deposit, or TransferWise. Be sure to read the terms and conditions for any payment processor as some (such as Stripe) will not accept payments for psychic readings and you could have your account and payments cancelled with no notice. 

4. Check Your Legal and Tax Obligations

Before you start accepting payment, make sure you have checked your local legal and tax obligations. In some situations, you may be required to declare your earnings for tax purposes. Or, you may be required to get a permit for reading Tarot in your local area. Do your research so you don’t get caught out! 

Phase II: Start Reading
1. Get the Word Out

Now you’re set up and ready to go, it’s time to get the word out. Start by letting your friends and family know that you’re offering paid Tarot readings. They may want to take you up on your new services, or they may be able to refer you to a friend or colleague of theirs who would be a good fit. 

If the idea of telling your friends and family that you’re into Tarot is freaking you out, then hand pick a few of your trusted friends instead and ask them to spread the word to the right people. 

2. Start with a Special Offer

Everyone loves a special offer! Rather than offering a discount (which takes away from the value of your Tarot reading), offer a bonus or a package deal. For example, for the first 10 people to book a reading with you, offer a free guided visualisation or a customised ritual they can do based on the reading.  

3. Get Yourself Out There

There are so many different ways to put yourself out there and start reading Tarot for payment. 

Start with a simple email Tarot reading, or offer phone readings. 
Set up at a local café and offer short readings to the clientele (make sure you have an agreement with the café owners beforehand) 
Approach your local new age store and apply to become a Tarot reader 
Go to your client’s home for the reading (you may want to consider your safety when visiting other people’s homes) 
Offer Tarot parties (e.g. Hens’ nights, birthdays, charity events, etc.) 
Read at the local market or fair 


Phase III: Expand Your Business
1. Make New Connections

Think about where your ideal client hangs out – perhaps a heart-centered Facebook Group, a local Meetup, or a women’s circle. Be part of these groups and contribute LOADS of value first. Then, provided the group guidelines do not prevent you from doing so, share more about what you do, who you serve and how you add value. 

Keep in mind that there’s a fine line between helping someone and being a salesy pain in the a**. Always come from a place of serving others, rather than trying to push your Tarot readings. Be ready to help and if it feels appropriate, offer your paid services. 

2. Listen to Your Clients’ Needs

You might start out by offering email Tarot readings, but after a few readings, your clients are asking to meet you in-person or over the phone. Listen carefully because they are giving you valuable ideas on how you can expand your offerings!  

You might also notice that many of your clients are asking about a similar topic, such as career. Add extra value by creating a workshop for aligning your career with your soul purpose, using Tarot as a guide. Or creating a guided meditation specific to finding your ultimate career. 

Ask your clients, too, how you can continue to serve them in their journey, or what’s next for them. Explore how you can help and how you can extend your services to support them throughout their full life path. 

Expand Your Side Hobby Into a Business

Over time, your Tarot side hobby may start to show potential for becoming a thriving business. More clients, more cashflow, and more excitement and enthusiasm to make this your ‘thing’! 

If you’re ready to take the leap and explore what’s possible, register for my free training Grow Your Tarot Business Online to discover the six secrets to creating a living doing what you love. 

Register now at www.biddytarot.com/courses/grow-your-tarot-business-online!

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