Thank you!

I simply wanted to take a moment to say a thank you to all the people who read this and who have contacted me. Starting this blog has not only opened my eyes to just how many people are interested in the Tarot but also how many truly kind people there are left in the world.

I never believed I would be communicating with a French woman about the Art of Tarot. I never thought I would meet a man from Germany (online) and have a discussion about the Tarot into the wee hours of the night (for me anyway lol)

I simply wanted to take a moment and say thank you to everyone.

I'll be honest, I'm not in a race to get through all the cards and their meanings. I think that is a mistake most of the time. That being said, I will post new meanings and the mood hits me but rest assured, you can contact me at any time if you have a question or need a quick answer to a problem you're facing. I truly love hearing from people and I love the interaction.

Thank you again!
~R

The High Priestess

The High Priestess

The High Priestess is a card of mystery, secret knowledge. It is a card of intuition. Think back on the last time you just 'knew' which way to turn or where to go. When you just 'knew' you should contact someone or send that email you have been putting off.  It is a card of simply knowing.  It is that still, small voice telling you to do something and that now is the time. 

The Empress knows all, but she isn't about to let you see the full picture. She knows which way for you to go, but she will only show you step by step. She refuses to let you see the entire situation..thus..'hidden knowledge'. 

Example in Modern Culture

The almost PERFECT example of 'The High Priestess' in modern culture would be the character of Galadriel  in "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring". Fans will remember when the Fellowship first met Galadriel. Whens he looked upon the Fellowship, she knows exactly what has transpired and how it will all end, but she knows if she tells these secrets, it may change the outcome. She is all wise in every way. She is so wise, she knows not to take the Ring of Power for herself because the temptation would be too much. 

Fans will also remember how Galadriel gave gifts to the Fellowship before they departed on their journey. Each gift become very important as the characters went on their way. More proof that Galadriel saw exactly what was needed and even though the Fellowship did not understand at the time, everything became crystal clear later on.

Final Thoughts

Just as Galadriel knew the outcome and supplied gifts, she did not tell what she knew.. the same can be said if you should get The High Priestess in any reading. Expect.. 'a knowing', a strong hunch or even a wise woman to enter the picture. Expect news that will lead you on a totally different path where the outcome can not be seen but you can rest assured what is needed will be given in the right time.  I have also seen this card come up for expecting mothers - after all, what more exciting and sometimes scary situation can one be in than a first time mother or father?

The Magician

THE MAGICIAN

Have you ever met someone, or maybe you know someone, who seems to get everything they want out of life as if by 'magic'?  What about people who can somehow focus on what they want and get it shortly thereafter? Maybe the people who have their fingers in everything and somehow have the time to work, be a mother/father, volunteer and have time to do things they really enjoy.. this is the feeling of The Magician.

On the other hand, we all have seen the smooth talkers on the numerous infomericals that have assaulted us over the years. The men and women who promise what they are selling with cure everything from Cancer to unsightly back fat. They could sell a snowball from hell and someone would buy it. Then there are the people who call themselves preachers. They get crowds of people to believe the world is ending on a certain day. People will line up to give this person money or time just because he has a powerful way of speaking. He makes them believe just through what he says. This is the power of The Magician.

How does this relate when it comes up in a reading? It depends on the position it is in. No matter the position, I would tell someone this card represents a person that either is or appears to be in control of many things in his or her life. Notice the card - The Magician has all the Minor Arcana symbols on the table before him. The Cups, Wands, Coins and Swords. He has each one there to use whenever he wants.

The feeling of The Magician can relate to the "Power of Thought".  Notice with The Fool, we have the FREEDOM of CHOICE.. the Magician shows the next logical step would be to focus on ONE outcome, one desire and use everything at your disposal to make it happen. The "Power of Thought" is very powerful but only when in connection with ACTION.

Example in Modern Culture

A few years ago, a single book took the world by storm. A lot of my friends would be carrying it around or reading it while on lunch. It was everywhere I looked and oddly enough, that made me distance myself from it. I'm not sure why exactly but if a book gets TOO much attention, I tend to automatically turn it off because I have noticed far too many people 'follow the leader' and are too open to suggestion.

Finally I got around to listening to this book just about 2 months ago. 

THE SECRET is a book about the Power of Thought and also the Law of Attraction and while I believe in both of these powers, I do not believe the book goes into the detail it needs to in order to get the whole message across.  

That being said.. THE SECRET is a good example of The Magician card in Modern Culture.

Basically. "The Secret" says we are in complete control of our universe. It teaches us we can manifest anything we want in our lives. That we all can be anyone we want to be. We can any job we desire. We are in control of our lives and in essence that is what The Magician says as well.

"As above, so below"

Final Thoughts

The Magician is telling us we are ALREADY in control. We have the power laid out before us that can take us where we want to go. It is ALREADY there, we simply have to see it and take action to change our lives into what we want to be and have. 

The Magician can be a physical person, not an idea or though pattern. If it is a person, he or she will appear to be in complete control in amazing ways. This can be good or bad. A loud voiced seller trying to sell snake oil is an example of how NOT to use The Magician's power. 

Just remember, you have everything you need in your possession right now. You can change your life with a thought and that thought could take you into a whole new direction...as if by magic.

The Fool

THE FOOL

Let me start this by saying I do not believe each card of the Tarot has a 'set' meaning. I believe it is a guild to an overall feeling but it isn't until you are reading for someone that meaning comes out. In other words. A man of 40 yrs old could draw The Fool and that would mean something totally different than an 17 yr old girl. Each card will give a Reader a guide post in a way. A direction to find the details.

With that being said, I will say now, my blog isn't about the 'meaning' of the cards. It is about the 'feeling' of the card. There is a difference.

The Fool -  Think back on the feeling you had the day after the last day of High School. Remember the feeling you had when you bought your first car on your own? Remember the feeling you had on an open road traveling to a place you have never been, seeing things you have never seen?  Or what about that feeling you got when you quit a particularly horrible job? What about that feeling you get at 5pm on Friday. You have two whole days of Freedom. 

  That is what THE FOOL is all about.. that feeling of freedom -- Anything is possible. Carefree optimism. It's a new beginning. This card makes me feel of CHOICE. When you put the two main words of this card together, you get FREEDOM of CHOICE and that is the main core of The Fool.

Look at the card - A man, obviously a working man is walking away carefree, head held high..not a care in the world but look at what he is heading for. This can be taken in two ways. One way is a 'leap of Faith' my be required. We do not see how far the drop is going to be. He doesn't care. Some say a Leap of Faith will be required. Other people say this man is heading for disaster. I do not agree with that statement UNLESS the other cards surrounding this one is hinting at disaster.

Personal Experience 

When I first moved to Northeast Tennessee to go to college, I got a part time job at Little Caesars for extra spending money. It wasn't long until I realized this job wasn't for me but I felt obligated to stay in order to pay my way. I was staying with my aunt and I didn't feel right not paying her anything. 

After one very hard weekend at work, my aunt offered to do a reading for me. She knew something was bothering me but I would smile and say 'Oh, it's nothing'.  My aunt was able to lay down 1 card and tell me EXACTLY what I was feeling and thinking. That card was The Fool. She told me I longed for Freedom and that I felt I had no choice.  She told me the Fool was telling me to quit that job and take a leap of faith toward a job I would be interested in.

I did exactly that.I quit Little Caesars without a second thought and applied for a job I thought I would enjoy and that was Blockbuster Video. I got the job and enjoyed it very much. 

The Fool is unnumbered and that is important. This is the TRUE beginning of any venture, any desire, any direction. This is the start of a whole new personal world for good or ill. You will not remain the same after drawing the Fool UNLESS you choose to do so.

Example in Modern Culture

If you've seen "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring", you have seen a perfect example of what The Fool is all about.

Frodo takes the The One Ring without hesitation. He sets off on a journey where he doesn't know what will happen, he doesn't know how he will get to where he is going and even when he gets there, he doesn't know what will happen. He takes it on Faith. He made a leap of Faith leaving the only home he has ever known to set out on a journey of a lifetime.

Frodo in the beginning is a perfect example of what The Fool is all about. 

Another example would be Anakin Skywalker in "Star Wars Episode 1" and then again with Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars: A New Hope".

Final Thoughts 

The Fool is an exciting card offering up new places, new ideas, new thought patterns, people and experiences. For good or ill depends on the connecting cards. In other words The Fool beside the 10 of Swords would be VERY bad and I would strongly suggest the enquirer be VERY careful with any rash decisions to change his or her course of action.  On the other hand, if the Fool is beside The Sun or the 10 of Cups for example, I would know this is a VERY good change full of the potential to be a very happy ending.  

 

Pre-lesson #1

Hey again.. today I would like to start out by going into the basics of the Tarot cards.

 Just a little bit of history (not too much, I promise) and some detailed information on the layouts I offer.

 First the history of the Tarot - The first and original set of cards are called The Major Arcana can be traced back as far as 1440 when the first known deck appeared in Italy. It is said the first Tarot deck was created as an amusement for Charles VI of France.

 Tarot decks consist of 78 cards, 22 being major arcana (Latin for "big secret") and 56 minor arcana. The major arcana are the ones that have come to represent a person's travels through life and periods of time that are significant in their personal journey. They are often called the "heart" of the tarot deck itself.

 The minor arcana includes four suites (wands, coins, cups, and swords) with fourteen cards in each suite. These are as follows: Ace, One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, and then the Court cards (Page, knight, King, and Queen).

 It has been in the last century that the Tarot has been marketed successfully as a tool of divination. A mystic by the name of A.E. Waite gave instruction to Pamela Colman Smith for a deck that has become one of the most popular in the United States today. The deck was published by the Rider company and became known as the Rider-Waite deck. It is very simple in its design, yet in its simplicity there is much symbolism. Church inspired cards such as the Pope and the Pappess became the Heirophant and the High Priestess.

The two layout option I offer is the 3 card - Past, Present, Future spread and the 10 card - Celtic Cross spread.

3 card- Past, Present, Future - 

This is pretty simple and straight forward. It is a basic spread for 'just the facts' is what I like to tell my customers. It will cut to the chase with no details other than the biggest problem or situation behind the question asked. The following is an example of a real reading I gave a friend of mine.

Question: "What is coming up for me in the next 3 months ?"

She got   The King of Cups in the past position, the Six of Cups in the present position and the Nine of Coins in the future position.

I took a moment to take in the cards and the combination. Reading the Tarot is very much like trying to see a story in the cards as well as listening to your inner voice as to what these cards mean to you, the reader.

I began by telling her there was a man in her past, he was older than she is.. he was most likely a Water Sign in the zodiac. Light hair, kind and loving.

She knew right away who I was talking about. I went on to tell her recently, he either contacted her or they reconnected somehow and he offered a chance to get back together or maybe an apology of some kind. I felt he was showing her he wasn't the same man and offering up the 'better side' of him.  At this point I stopped and told her I didn't feel this was a good idea and I felt she knew this deep down inside. The future card was the Nine of Coins which means material happiness and comfort but a life of solitude at the moment.  My friend is a very successful doctor and she agreed that she knew not to get involved with this man and that  everything I told her was true. The man is older than she is, he is successful in his own right but he has, as she said "Mommy issues". 

Not all readings turn out the way the customer wants, and I have learned to tell the customer that I do not sugar coat what I see. If the relationship will not work out, that is what I tell the customer.. it is up to them if they want to believe me or stay in a situation they shouldn't be in.

10 card - Celtic Cross - 

As you can see, there is more to this reading than just a simple Past, Present & Future. There is more detail to this one and a more overall sense of what is going on behind the scenes and any attitudes that may have caused the situation or problem.

1) This card is the central issue and how the enquirer relates to the question.

2) This is the crossing card, it is the problem the enquirer is facing. It is something in the way and should be addressed when possible.

3) This is the Best Possible Outcome - It is NOT the outcome, it is the best that can be expected.

4) The root of the question or problem. This is what is at the center of the problem. This is what has or is causing it all.

5) The recent past

6) The near future

7) The Self - this is the position that tells me what the enquirer thinks or feels about this situation or themselves in this situation. It is a very reveling card that shocks many people.

8) Others - This is the position that tells me what the people around the enquirer thinks about this situation or their part in it. 

9) Hopes & Fears - This is the position that tells me what the enquirer is hoping for or afraid of. This along with the #7 position lays the enquirer bare as to what they really think or feel about this situation / problem.

10) The Outcome - This is what will happen if things remain the same and if the enquirer does nothing to change the situation they are facing.

**REMEMBER** We can change our future at any time. Yes, some things are FATE or set in stone but in most cases we are in complete control of what we allow in our lives and that point can not be stressed enough. The job we have, the relationships we have, our position in life depends on us and that is a very important fact to remember.

Consider this - a very nice lady came to me about 2 years ago, she really just needed someone to listen to her and offer advice, in fact, she requested that I did NOT use the cards. She just wanted to know a stranger's point of view of the situation she was facing.

When she opened up, she really opened up. Her problems was she had not achieved what she thought she should have achieved by the time she was 30 years old. This is a problem for women especially. She thought she would be in a happy marriage with one or two children. A nice job.. a 'normal' life is what she wanted.

After she was done pouring her heart out, I asked her what kind of job would she want - she didn't know. Ok. I asked her what she was looking for in a man. She didn't know.. hmm.. I asked her what she has done in the past month to meet new people. She said she hasn't done anything. 

 See the problem here?

 A lot of people know they want something other than what they have, but they don't have a clue as to what they really want so they go through life drifting whichever way the wind blows. They don't know they can, at any moment, take complete control and guide their life in the direction they want it to go in.

After I explained to her - in more detail - what I wrote above. She started to realize what I was saying to her. It actually took 2 more visits of basically a pep talk but now I am happy to say she is dating, she has a job that will, in time, lead her to the position she wants and she is going back to college this semester in order to help herself along. 

My point here is this.. yes, I could have figured all that out by laying down Tarot cards and working through this picture but the result would have been the same. Sometimes the answer is CLEAR without cards or any kind of talent or gift on my part. ANYONE could have told her what I told her, the problem was..she didn't reach out to her friends or family because sometimes the people we are closest to are the ones that we can't turn to for whatever reason.

Don't forget that, in most cases, we are painting our future day by day. A choice you make today could change tomorrow and beyond.

Here we go

I suppose this first entry should be a little about myself, where I came from, what I believe and where I hope to go.

First, I want to tell everyone what this blog will focus on and that is the Tarot.

My aunt was the best tarot card reader east of the Mississippi and I have asked her to teach me. It has been a long journey and it isn't over yet. She has taught me a lot and now I would like to practice on random strangers lol.

That is the main reason for this blog.. for me to practice what my aunt has taught me and I want to reach out to other readers / fans of the Tarot to learn and share ideas, theories and stories.

I'm 25 years old, I live in Johnson City, Tennessee which is in northeast Tennessee. I have a good job but it isn't what I really want to do. I would really like to become a professional *REAL* Tarot reader. I have always been interested in the Tarot since I was very little. I am from Oklahoma and every summer my aunt would visit us. I couldn't wait for her to get there because I knew she would bring her Tarot cards and she would tell me stories about how the cards give a person insight into what is really going on.

As I got older, she would do readings for me and she was always, always, always so right on.. secrets I hid from my mother, my aunt knew and not only did she know, she would always tell me what I needed to know about any situation. I loved her visits and I suppose that is what started my fascination with the art of Tarot.

When it came time to pick a college, I picked East Tennessee State University because it was far away from home and close to my aunt. I packed up and left for good ol Tennessee. My aunt allowed me to stay with her during my college years and after months of begging, she finally agreed to teach me what she knows and how to see what is unseen. I was much more interested in Tarot than I was in my college classes.

After college I did what we are supposed to do and got a job but my heart still wanted to learn about the Tarot and any student of the Tarot will tell you that you never know everything there is to know because the best thing about the Tarot is that it changes depending on the person you are reading for.

My aunt suggested I make this blog as an open invitation to those who want to be a part of my learning experience. I thought that was an excellent idea..

So here I am. I will be upfront and honest with everyone. I am a learner and even though I have studied Tarot for years under the best teacher I could have.. I am no expert but I welcome feedback and follow-ups as to how my reading manifested in your life.

Are my readings free?  No, but my readings are very affordable...for now :)

Since I am starting out, I will only be charging $2.00 for a three card (Past, Present, Future) reading and $7.00 for a 10 card Celtic Cross reading.

This is how it works.. once you make a payment of either $2.00 or $7.00, you will email me (Mistymountainrr@gmail.com) your first name, birth date and a question you would like me to focus on. You will also tell me a number..any number you wish.. this number is how I will pick the cards for you.

  Within 72 hours, I will send you (via return email) a VERY detailed reading that will go into each individual card, it's position and position meaning as well as an overview of what all the cards mean as a whole. Trust me when I say, you will NOT be disappointed in the amount of information you get and this will be from myself, not copy and pasted from a website. This will be my own personal thoughts on each card and what I feel is the answer to your question.

After that, I welcome any feedback and follow up. I would love to make friends through this adventure and maybe this will be the beginning of my own professional Tarot career.

I know what some of you are thinking (Haha).. this isn't a real person but some group that will scam me or send me stupid emails trying to get me to sign up for something.. that is not the case. I am a real person and not an organization of any kind. I will not email you after the reply to your question. I will never ask you to buy another reading from me at any time in the future, but I do hope that you will return many times but I will never solicit you to do so.

I welcome any questions you may have now or any time in the future.

My email is: Mistymountainrr@gmail.com

My facebook is: http://www.facebook.com/robin.ratliff.942

My Twitter is: https://twitter.com/RobinRatliff12

I look forward to hearing from everyone.

Readings

3 card - Past, Present, Future $2.00 USD 10 Card - Celtic Cross Spread $7.00 USD