12. The Hanged Man - A Near Death Experience

Tarot card number 12 is a picture of a man hanging upside down by one foot. From the expression on his face we can tell he is not suffering but is in a state of bliss. He has completely surrendered all concern about his earthly life. Instead he looks to his visions and dreams. It is a near death experience. 

Focusing on this card today it occurs to me that there have been items in the news lately about Berry Madoff, the con man who bilked thousands out of billions and who is now serving a life sentence. In an interview with Barbara Walters he claims he had been living in hell for the past 20 years fearing he would be caught and now that he is in prison with no control over his life at all he has at last found peace. Even though I'm not pleased to think of this man in a state of contentment, still he does make a good example of Hanged Man Consciousness. He has given up everything and no longer suffering. 

The Hanged Man follows the Libra card, Justice. The Hanged Man is associated with the planet Neptune and a feeling of surrender. This sequence informs us that when we realize life is just - and Madoff commented he felt his sentence was just - when we accept that every thing at every moment is in perfect karmic balance, then we can relax, quit fighting, surrender to the moment - and fine peace. The card following the Hanged Man is the card Death, which is why I call this card The Near Death Experience. It signifies that state of mind when one realizes resistance is futile but then rather than actually dying, the person is transformed. When the Hanged Man appears in a reading the message is to stop trying to control things, see things from the other side's point of view, "die" to the old life and then just go with the flow.

Because The Hanged Man is associated with planet Neptune, the planet of visions and dreams, where ever you find him in a reading there's a strong emphasis on other worldly fantasy. Will I become rich? Does my partner love me? Should I learn to dance? The Hanged Man would answer all these questions with a smile and a sigh but not much enthusiasm to actually make it happen. Sometimes a fantasy is better than the real thing. 

This week when the Hanged man is around you may feel everything is in limbo and you're not sure what to do, it may be there's not much you CAN do, except "hang in there." If you must do some
thing, consider what you can do without. Give up attachments, give up negative thinking. Go on a 24-hour fast. Give it all up graciously. You may find once you've cleared some of the gluck out of your house, your mind and your body, your old world may die but you wake up to fresh life giving insights coming in.

Examples of The Hanged Man combined with other cards:

The Magician and The Hanged Man: Conscious + Dreaming - an artist who can visualize/create a better world.

The High Priestess and The Hanged Man: Unconscious + Dreaming - these dreams aren't ready to come true.

The Empress and The Hanged Man : Abundance + Dreaming - wouldn't it be nice? But look out, there may be deception.

The Emperor and The Hanged Man: Self-confidence + Dreaming - ooh, I wouldn't follow this leader.

The Hierophant and The Hanged Man: A well tested system + Dreaming - here you can let go and let God.

The Lovers and The Hanged Man: Fantasies about love and death - dangerous combination.

The Chariot and The Hanged Man:a trip may be suspended or without a clear destination.

Strength and The Hanged Man: The power of surrender.

The Hermit and The Hanged Man: Better not to share your wisdom.

The Wheel of Fortune and The Hanged Man: Things may turn against you, don't let it get to you.

Justice and The Hanged Man: Everything will balance out if you don't interfere. 

The Fool and The Hanged Man: Lost in space, some folks never learn.

I hope you are practicing giving yourself and your friends readings even though we have only covered part of the deck. Just as we'd never get anything accomplished in this life if we waited until we knew everything before we started, likewise you don't need to know every card before you can start getting insights from the ones you do know.

So "hang in there" this week. I will be particularly interested in hearing about your dreams.

Rosada

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Rosada, EXT 2340
CertifiedPsychics.com

11. Justice - Are You a Real Psychic?

If you decide to actually go out into the world and give readings, one of the first questions you will be asked is, "Are you a real psychic?" It's an odd beginning, don't you think? I mean, what do they expect us to say? "No. I'm here waiting for a streetcar "?
The question always left me puzzled - but then one day I got an insight! People aren't trying to bully us, they just want to know how seriously we take what we're doing so they can know how seriously to take what we're telling them. I now see this question as an important part of the opening ritual along with shuffling the cards three times and asking the querent to choose which stack to read from. If someone asks if you are a real psychic, you should  respond firmly, "I am a real psychic," Then do your part of the ritual by asking "Are you willing to hear the truth?" By saying "Yes." they are actually programing their unconscious to hear truth - even if the words aren't spoken

It's kinda like being sworn in. You promise to tell the truth, they promise to hear the truth. You both promise to honor the process.

 Doing these affirmations at the beginning of a reading may feel a little awkward at first, but with practice you'll discover it's really powerful. It calms the gigglies and sets a positive tone that opens up a richer experience. 

I say this now because our card for the week is Justice and the message is Be Clear in Agreements.

Most decks show Justice as a woman (NOT blindfolded) holding a sword in one hand and a scale in the other. She is female meaning our feminine side, our unconscious, sees everything and will bring our inner unconscious world and out outer visible world into perfect balance. This means if you've consciously made an agreement, like it or not your unconscious will follow through and keep it. If you unconsciously feel you are rich, you will eventually be rich. If you feel you are undeserving, you will be poor and even lose money even when luck brings it to you. When it comes to the Conscious and the Unconscious, the unconscious always wins.

 Therefore, when Justice appears in a reading emphasize the importance of making clear and fair contracts with others. What you feel, what you were intending on an inner level, is what you will get. It's a warning to be Karma-Clean!

Justice is associated with the sign Libra, the sign of partnership and fair play. When you align Justice with the other cards you tend to find a pattern emphasizing the importance of considering the other person's point of view:

The Wheel of Fortune / Justice: Use your good fortune to pay off old debts and help others.

The High Priestess / Justice: Your plans may not be considered. Speak up or you'll be over ruled.

The Empress / Justice: You get what you pay for.

Of course, these are not the only ways to interpret these cards. You will come up with more  precise interpretations when you do a reading. Some times people ask, "Why all this memory work? Why not just write out the meanings on each card?" The thing is the cards "mean" something different for every time we look at them. Indeed, sometimes I think the cards have no meanings at all, they are just something to distract our minds so new ideas can get through! So study the cards, practice putting what comes to you into words, but most of all trust your inner knowingness. That's being a real psychic!

Till next time,

rosada

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Rosada, EXT 2340
CertifiedPsychics.com

10. The Wheel of Fortune - Altitude Adjustment

"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around, but when I got to be 21 I was amazed at how much the old man had learned in seven years." - Mark Twain

We've been studying the tarot cards with the idea that they are describing a journey, the spiritual awakening of a young soul with each card representing a significant realization on the path. We began with our hero being a young Fool who had no appreciation of where he was (on top of a mountain) and what it took for him to get there (his whole life). Foolishly he was about to step over the edge of a cliff. The next card, The Magician, illustrated his first moment of awakening with the realization that even though this world may be an illusion, we must stay focused and keep the magic happening. Other cards followed until finally we came to The Hermit who represented the Fool after he'd climbed the mountain to the edge of the cliff again, only this time he has experienced how much effort it took to arrive at this point and he's not about to waste it. As the Hermit he has a lifetime of experience behind him and unlike the Fool he pauses to carefully consider the world before plunging in. I call this an altitude adjustment, because by seeing things from this higher perspective we can have a complete change of attitude. No longer careless, no longer believing good fortune is eternal. 

So The Hermit now sees things differently and has a new appreciation for life because of his new perspective. Yes, luck still enters in, but we no longer trust everything to blind chance. The idea that change follows cycles that can be studied and used to our advantage is represented by card number ten: The Wheel of Fortune. The wheel illustrates that luck changes, but in predictable cycles

The Wheel of Fortune is associated with the planet Jupiter, the planet that rules study and philosophy and while it generally portends good luck, it also cautions that all things change. We may have good luck today but as we see from the figures strapped to the wheel, what goes up must come down. The underlying theme is that Man is bound by Fate, but when this accepted with Wisdom we can survive all the changes.

When The Wheel appears in a reading I see it as a sign there is a strong element of luck,  or outside circumstances influencing the situation. A person may actually be considering playing the lottery or doing something considered a gamble. The Wheel of Fortune says it's risky but no reason not to play. When I draw this card I remind myself "Luck favors the prepared." 

This week as we focus on The Wheel of Fortune I suggest paying particular attention to where luck and good fortune are popping up in your life. See if you can count at least one lucky thing happening each day. It doesn't have to be major but try to view whatever is going on from a "higher perspective." See yourself as lucky. Start small and start early - I bet by the end of the day you'll be laughing like Jupiter!

Good Fortune to Us All,

Rosada

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Rosada, EXT 2340
CertifiedPsychics.com

9. The Hermit - The View

"Wise men say only Fools rush in..." and sure enough with card number 9, The Hermit, we encounter a wise old soul on that same hill top where we first met him in The Fool card at the beginning of our journey, only now he's been around the mountain a few times and now he looks very carefully before leaping and definitely no rushing. Note the differences and similarities of these two cards. The Fool gazed off into the clouds oblivious to his surroundings and about to step off the edge of a cliff. The Hermit stands still and very carefully surveys his view of the countryside and indeed, he is holding up a lantern to not only help himself see things more clearly, but to help others benefit from his experience. The Hermit is a man who looks after himself and also serves as a role model for others.

We can understand The Hermit better by considering the whole sequence of the tarot thus far:

0 - The Fool(rushing in!): The Uranus card that heralds surprises and predicts that anything can happen. Circumstances can change in an instant.

1 - The Magician. The Mercury card emphasizes focusing attention on these new circumstance.

2 - The High Priestess. The Moon card advises patience and waiting, something unseen may reveal itself.

3 - The Empress. The Venus card says now we can see the new world of opportunities manifesting.

4 - The Emperor. The Aries card encourages not waiting further, begin with what you know.

5 - The Hierophant. The Taurus card indicates it's time to stabilize and establish a routine.

6 - The Lovers. The Gemini card promises that once we have this routine, this basic understanding, new choices will appear.

7 - The Chariot. The Cancer card tells us we can now consciously make choices (not just fall into them as with The Fool). Once having chosen our path The Chariot warns there will be temptations to waver (Cancer is the sign that's known for longing for the past and what might have been) but if we stay on track our success is assured!

8 - Strength. The Leo card warns us inner temptations must also be tamed and directed.

9 - The Hermit. The Virgo card shows us that if we can do all this we need not continually lose our footing as new adventures and new insights beckon. We can learn from our experience and the experience of others.

The Hermit is associated with the sign Virgo, a sign I've come to have more and more respect for. As a teenager I thought Virgo with it's focus on health, purity and good work habits had to be the most boring sign of the zodiac. I thought Libra and Love and maybe Pisces and Spiritual Awareness were the grooviest signs to be born under. I thought my Mars in Virgo doomed me to life of cleaning house and weeding the garden. Not so! The Hermit it turns out is probably the ideal we should all be shooting for. I think of the expression, "The unexamined life is not worth living..." The Hermit examines his life. He sees it all and he's not afraid to recognize mistakes and work for improvement. It's not that he renounces love and relationships, he just knows that even when he is with a partner, he still has to live with himself. And as for Pisces and all that spiritual knowledge vs. The Virgo Hermit signifying wisdom for taking care of the physical body - well eventually we all come to know that until you're actually in the spirit world, while you're still on earth, good health trumps it all.

When he appears in your reading, The Hermit is usually advising staying single, being self-sufficient and listening to your own inner guidance. If he is describing someone you are interested in then the Hermit could be telling you the person is not currently in a committed relationship or if you are asking how the friend feels about the two of you The Hermit could be a warning your friend may be a confirmed bachelor. I have also had The Hermit indicate one should not seek out advice from a just a friend but from an experienced guide, someone who has real life experience.

As we focus on The Hermit card this week I expect we'll find ourselves being aware of older wiser guides who know their business not only because they've read a lot of maps, but because they've hiked the mountain from the ground up. Boldly ask them to share their insights. Likewise this could be the week you can gain experience sharing what you've learned about the cards. No need to memorize them all before you try giving a reading. Use a deck of just the ten we've covered. You may be surprised how much you'll be able to see! However comeback next week...

We haven't seen it all yet!

Rosada

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Rosada, EXT 2340
CertifiedPsychics.com