A Spiritually Enlightening Online Magazine. May's Theme: "Balance"
Volume 4 Issue 4 ISSN# 1708-3265

Index Meet Our Staff Free Subscription Donations Come Shopping Advertising Archived Issues

Illuminations Aleesha Stephenson About the Cover Jennifer Danner Striking a Balance Local Actions Have Global Consequences David Suzuki PhD Financial Alchemy: Changing Your Relationship with Money Morgana Rae, CPCC, MRC, MPNLP A Balance between the Material and Spiritual Worlds Douglas De Long Awake, Aware, and Weddy Rev. Cheryl Jewett Four-fold Balance Toria Betson Magic Hour Dj Brown Overcoming Our Blockages to Healing Aleesha Stephenson Tarot Visualization Emma Sunerton-Burl Being Mindful Janet Alston Jackson Technically Tarot Jeannette Roth Pet-sense Jean Hofve DVM Walk Your Talk Aleesha Stephenson Wyrd Lynx John Sacelli Lifetalks Dawn Baumann Brunke Meditate a Moment Featuring: Aleesha Stephenson Beyond the Indigo Children The New Children and the Coming of the Fifth World P.M.H. ATAWATER, L.H.D The Myths and Gods of India Allain Danielou Chi Self-Massage The Taoist Way of Rejuvenation Mantak Chia The Egyptian Oracle Maya Heath

Getting to know your Tarot Cards through intuition.

When you first get a deck how do you go about getting to know the cards and know what their messages are? You can use the little white book and do practice readings, or you can study other books written for the deck in question. These methods will get you started straight away and give you a starting point. However if you want to develop your intuitional reading with your deck then there are many other methods you can use. Here I will take you through one method, journeying into a card. Also I will give an example of one of the journeys I have made into a card. You may find the information contained in this interesting in its own right. I have chosen the 2 of Disks which links in well with this issue of Timeless Spirit's theme of Balance.

Journey into the 2 of Disks - Fluctuation

Here is my example of a journey. I travelled into the card - 2 of Disks Fluctuation - from the Sacred Circle deck.

2 of Disks - Fluctuation

As I look at the card I see two shields combined in image by a plant with delicate white flowers, giving the impression of an infinity sign tipped to one side. I feel like it's summer and there is a small stone circle and a mound of rocks in the distance; it feels comfortable and familiar to me.

I go into the card.

I see the two shields in front of me. They are slowly spinning and also the image balances one way then the other - like a see saw. I ask what they are meaning here and they say "We are in a delicate state of balance, changing each minute in response to the flow of energy in this area. It is right we move this way yielding to the forces of the time, but our fulcrum is indeed stable, we merely show the state of play of the energies about. Those who come to this place can use our position to show them how to work within the current energies, where to adjust and where to keep the same. For all we change we are in tune with the constant flow of life. There are the rocks in the background who have watched us motionless for millennia and they are stable, changing only very little at a time. Their balance is on a larger scale and so seems constant - if you get far enough away from something you can always see the balancing forces at work in the universe and how these changes actually make for a stable universe. Where major changes are always done slowly and little by little - there is no hurry. We say in this card Accept the changes that are around you at this time, they may make you feel out of balance but know that each reaction you have to the changes in the now, you still have your focus and your core stability deep within yourself. There is no need to allow these micro eddies to knock you off balance as a person. Accept the times as they are, things are always adjusting, adapting and changing. Focusing on the long term, the big picture will give you the strength and security that you long for."

I respond, "Thank you oh shields, you have some good points here. You seem so delicate and new and shiny as you balance there and yet sound as if you have always existed."

"We have always existed - it is in flowing and allowing our external parts to move that we stay new and shiny with no stagnation to desensitize us to the surrounding forces. We do not rust in the rain but keep moving, expressing and being as we are. This is a message from us to you in your life too when you take this card as your focus."

I thank the disks again and move forward into the card and see the small stones in a ring in front of me. I feel this circle is sacred and has been so for many many years. I step towards it and ask its purpose and meaning in this card. I feel the answer is given within me. This circle is in celebration of the cycles of the stars and of life itself. That it is there to show the turning of each month and each season. These changes are what keeps the world in balance. Each cycle having a time for rest, action, growth, and harvest and in this way we too need to honour our own cycles - to know each follows another and that if we are to truly be in balance - we are not motionless, always staying the same, but are honouring our true natures at each phase of our being. Resting when we need to rest, getting things moving when it is time to start up, growing in ourselves at the poignant moments, and reaping and appreciating what we have gained. Sharing this with others so in balance there is no stagnation. "Do not fear being trapped in one cycle, know always another is on its way, in its own time. Do not fear the change from one to the other. Know that each is right for its time and that it being in your 'truth' makes you both sensitive to these changes and also accepting. Many have come here in times gone past to celebrate the cycles of nature and of the seasons and stars; and as they do so they accept the cycles in themselves. Seek out places of power from old times such as these to rebalance your own awareness of your cycles and the fittingness of each phase in your life. For both nature and the energies of your ancestors will help you with this."

"Thank you so much, oh wise ones, this message means a lot to me personally as well as being very useful for this card's understanding - I am deeply grateful" I say and bow. I am about to walk away but feel drawn to step into the centre. I feel a peace and lightness come upon me as I reach the centre, the point of stillness above the eddies of physical life. I feel the stones are sending me light and showing me the peace within the stillness, which comes with the acceptance of the energies that move in the more physical parts of my life. I allow myself to receive their gifts humbly.

I know the time has come to leave the circle and walk towards the mound of rocks or small crag in the distance. As I climb up the rock I feel its support of me, the weight it carries of me effortlessly, and I feel grateful for its wise and strong support. I stand at the top and look back to the circle and the disks. I feel I have a higher perspective - like the disks spoke of - just standing here - not so far as to be removed from this environment, but enough to get an overview of how it all works. As I stand here I hear a voice say to me - "It is in the standing and observing of ourselves and our lives that we often receive the most guidance - allow yourself to come to this place when your life feels out of balance and you can see the larger picture - whether there is a balance to be addressed or whether actually you are merely experiencing a cycle in your life. This too will pass. As you observe without judgment, you will find the answers you seek to your own situations and problems."

"Thank you stones and rocks beneath me - for your support and your guidance here - for holding me up high enough to view the world with new eyes."

I walk down the sloping side of the mound and back towards the doorway I entered the card through. I feel the peace inwardly as I experience the energies of change - I walk through, and I understand 'fluctuation' much more deeply thanks to this journey. As I go to leave I take one look around the card and almost feel it smiling at me in pleasure as I leave to return to my energy world.

The Journey Outline

Now it's your turn. Firstly get yourself sitting comfortably - somewhere where you will not be disturbed. Turn off the phone. Tell any others in your house you don't wish to be disturbed for 1/2 an hour. You might wish to record this outline so you are guided by it or ask a friend to read it as a guide for you, even though it is fairly easy to remember the idea and mentally guide yourself.

Have a look at the card and mentally note the image and different parts of it - you might have some thoughts at this point about the card. Then do the journey which follows.

Start by taking a few deep breaths. As you breathe out imagine all the tensions and thoughts of the day are leaving you and as you breathe in imagine you are breathing in peacefulness and contentment.

Then draw your attention to the centre of the Earth. Imagine a ball of brilliant white light pulsating there… See a streamer of white light travel up through the Earth to a place just beneath your feet. As the brilliant white light travels up the streamer it gathers in to a pool just beneath your feet… When this pool is wider than your seated area, see it start to move up like a disk over your feet.

As your feet touch the white light they are immersed in it. It goes deep inside - into the skin, muscles and bones. As it does so you can feel it gently massaging away tension and filling you with strength and peacefulness… It travels up over your ankles - tension being dissolved away into the light; relaxed peacefulness follows. Then it travels up your shins - filling you with brilliant white light… and grounded peacefulness…

Your knees fill with light and then it continues to travel up your thighs… You can feel the light filling your hips and starting to ascend up your spine - releasing tension and clearing energies held there… It fills your stomach and lungs and all your internal organs. Tension dissolves away as the light goes deeper and deeper into your muscles and cells, into your DNA, filling you with its clearing, cleansing light…

Feel the light come up your chest and upper back into your shoulders… down your arms into your elbows, wrists, hands and fingers… you are filling with white light, releasing tension into this protective, nurturing energy. Allow peacefulness to fill you… then it comes up your neck and you feel the cells release their tensions into it, as it massages them… the light comes up into your face and head - clearing your energy, filling you with peace. You let go into the light, and receive its peacefulness; it holds you and fills you with a feeling of safety.

Then you take your attention up to a star high above your head and see this star send a beam of white light down to the top of your head where it starts to fill your head… you can feel the loving healing energy of this white light getting deep into you… filling your skull, brain and face with the most beautiful sparkling, shimmering light… you feel its joyous energy uplift you as it mingles with the supportive earth light…

It comes down into your neck and shoulders… down your spine and chest… filling you with love and joy… mingling with the peacefulness of the earth's light… down into your stomach area, into all your organs and into your muscles and cells it gives healing at the deepest levels… you allow it to remove anything you no longer need from here… it travels down into your hips… into your thighs… filling you with love and healing…

It goes down into your knees and shins, into your ankles and feet so you are filled with this loving healing light, feeling its joyousness and its harmonious mingling with the supportive earth energy…

Feel yourself connected from the Earth to the Star and from the Star to the Earth so both energies are flowing easily through you to the each other. (Earth energy to the Star and Star energy to the Earth.) Allow yourself to sit and enjoy this for as long as you wish.

Then you can see the card you wish to travel into in front of you. Walk into it and explore, noticing colours, textures, feelings and what you can see, allow yourself to ask questions of all you meet.

Finally when you have explored all you wish to - see a doorway of light in front of you and step through it and imagine stepping back into your body. Then see your body surrounded with a golden ball of light, and slowly bring your attention back to the room.

Wiggle your fingers and toes and when you feel ready, open your eyes.

I would suggest you record your travels at this point by writing or by picture or some form which will help you retain what you have experienced consciously. As you practice with this visualization you will find you can make it as long or short as you need, even a few seconds of seeing the light coming up through you and then down through you can be effective after some practice. Longer sessions being great for when you really need to relax and feel the healing power of this light.

Don't worry if you see things in your journey which aren't on the card or if you forget some parts of the card, all you experience is relevant. Allow yourself to go with what is there.

This journey is a good general relaxation exercise as well as being a useful method to enter into a card or to connect with other realms. I have described it above as a method of going into a card. If you wish to use it as a relaxation exercise then at the point you would walk into a card you just pause here for as long as is comfortable then return in the manner described. You may find that you have images come to you - allow yourself to just view them and record them afterwards in your journal - they are likely to have significance to you either directly or symbolically.

Timeless Spirit Magazine welcomes any comments on this article or the visualizations you do, following this method. Email us at TimelessSpirit@shaw.ca or simply follow the Feedback link below.

Emma Sunerton-Burl is a intuitive psychic, tarot trainer and healer who offers psychic tarot readings by post, telephone and face to face in North Wales. She has been working with the tarot for 20 years and also works with people to help them develop their intuition and use of the tarot.

Downloads of pre-recorded visualizations are available on her website. She is an endorsed reader, mentor and trainer with the Tarot Association of the British Isles (www.tabi.org.uk) If you have enjoyed this article please sign up for the card of the month on Emma's website www.seeds-of-light.co.uk - and receive a journey like this free every month.

Emma would like to thank Anna Franklin and Paul Mason as creators of the deck/card she used for this journey.

Copyright (c) 2007 by Timeless Spirit Magazine. All articles are the copyright of the particular writers and cannot be reprinted without their expressed permission. All rights reserved. International copyright laws prohibit reproduction of or distribution of this page by any means whatsoever, electronic or otherwise, without first obtaining the written permission of the copyright holder. We retain legal counsel to protect our copyrights.

Any advice given is for informational purposes only.