So, you'd like to know the truth about the tarot?  Well, there are a couple things you need to realize first before we dig into that:

1. People always use the worth "truth" to mean a universal truth.  When in reality, most truths are personal truths, which only apply to the person having the experience with said "truth". Meaning MY truth and YOUR truth can be two, totally different things.
2. The tarot is older than anyone living at this time.  Something that's been around that long has probably had many uses and many "truths".  So today's truth?  Is not yesterday's truth, and tomorrow's truth may look nothing like today's.  So keep that in mind when you're dealing with something that nobody can agree on, like the tarot.  

Is it good?  Is it bad?

It's freaking glossy cardboard.  How can you classify a paper product as good or bad?  The only way you can is to say "depends on how you use it".  

If you take a tarot card, and shape it into a knife and stab someone with it, sure, it's super bad.  But if you're just opening the package, laying them out on the table, and playing around with them?  Who on earth is that hurting?

If you're a con-artist and you say to someone "I can see everything with these cards!  Just give me $200 and I will tell you it all!"  Then YOU are bad, not the cards.  That's where the misconception lies.  When we lay the blame on the tool instead of the user of the tool, that's where the problems are caused. 

If I give you a hammer, and you build a homeless person a house, that hammer is amazingly awesome.  But if I give you a hammer and you kill a homeless person with it, then yeah, that hammer kind of sucks.

BUT is it the hammer's fault?  It's just metal and wood.  Metal and wood cannot jump up and do bad things. 

But, but, there's the devil card and death card and other bad stuff on in them!

So what?  Those aren't bad cards.  Those cards (among the 20 others which are called "the major arcana") are archetypes, which are symbols for universal life.  Endings are a part of life (which is what the death card means).  And the devil card represents addictions and overindulgence (I am sure you have dealt with at least one, if not both of those things before, as we all have).  Every single card in the deck is a reflection of universal life.  Every single card can be applied to every single person, and it will make sense.  You can't fear pictures, that's just silly.  And if the pictures are REALLY scary, throw them away and replace them from some other deck with neat pictures you like to look at.

Simple.


But, don't you have to be psychic to use them?

Pardon my words here for a second, but only ignorant people think this.  The cards are tools, yes, but for anyone, not for "special" chosen people.  And the cards are no more magical than that hammer you used to build that house above.  Do psychics exist?  I have no freaking clue.  Maybe, and maybe not.  But, what does that matter in relation to you using them?

But as a RUUist, I don't believe in psychics (because I don't believe in anything).  Am I okay with people thinking they are psychic?  Eh....not sure.   So many shysters out there looking for a sucker, and I don't approve of that at all.  Yet, which is almost worse, some don't even realize they're not psychic, and that's sad.  I know, because:

I used to be one of them.

Let me tell you a story....

I've been a tarot reader for over 26 years.  I used to believe hardcore in psychic abilities, ghosts, magic, and other junk.  Then one day, I got slapped in the face.

Granted, it was a metaphorical slap, but still, it kind of hurt.  I grew up my entire life with 2 certainties: One, I was psychic.  And two, my house was haunted (hell, I even wrote a book about it).  But then I started to learn about cold readings, and got really discouraged.  And then I wondered if anything I believed was true, so I stopped thinking about ghosts and guess what?  The hauntings stopped.  If I was actually being haunted, then me not thinking about it shouldn't stop it right?  But it did.  And that's when I really realized, it just wasn't true.

This turned my life upside down.  When I learned about cold readings, I realized that was exactly what I was doing in my readings that I was getting paid for.   I was the shyster!  But it wasn't on purpose...but the guilt was eating me alive, so I just put my cards away and didn't touch them again for almost a year.  How could I have been tricking people out of their money and not know it?  

But the truth was, I wasn't really tricking them.  The only thing I was tricking them about was how I was getting my information.  What I was doing true and real, because the way I read the tarot was never psychic at all.  In the 26 years I read the tarot, I only had a handful of people ever tell me what I said to them didn't apply, and yet not one of them asked for their money back.  So, why did my readings work?

Because of the way I read them.  

When I read them, I was not like Miss Cleo and told my clients a bunch of BS crap what "may or may not" have been real (most likely, may not).  I  counseled my clients with them, which is what I am best at.  I had clients all over the world (like Mexico, Australia, Europe, etc.) who contacted me on a regular basis to counsel them.  I made sure to tell them I wasn't a licensed counselor, I called myself a spiritual counselor...which I was.  But at my core?  I really did think I had some kind of psychic gift.  And that's why I felt so damn guilty when I finally realized that I didn't.  And I felt like my entire life was a complete and total lie.

But had I known?  Had I known I wasn't psychic and informed my clients that I wasn't?  I could have went on with my tarot practice without guilt.  But I was ignorant.  I didn't realize the truth.  


What is my truth?  


My truth now?  Is that the tarot is tool for everyone.  And it takes absolutely no psychic ability to read them.  And knowing how to read them is a gift.  Not from god or the universe, but from you.  You give yourself the gift of ability to do something when you work hard and hone your skills.  And the other gift you give yourself and your clients is: honesty.  You don't pretend to be something you're not.  You don't pretend to know things you don't.  The human mind is pretty suggestive, and if you go around suggesting something like, oh I don't know, that someone's husband is cheating on them (as I once did in my early 20's)?  You might ruin a marriage.  Or worse.  

(note: He WAS cheating on her, but it wasn't for me to be the one to tell her with my tarot...the signs were obvious, but she had to be the one who saw them....as a tarot reader, I could had explored the idea of why she thought he was cheating with her, and let her see it for herself and not tell her myself what was obvious.  It needed to be obvious to her.  He, in turn, used the fact that she heard it from a tarot reader that it "obviously wasn't true" to get her to believe him.  Which she did.  Ethics, my friend, don't use them properly and it could blow up in your face.)   


Am I telling you to use the tarot for others and run out to become a reader at the local fair tomorrow?  Sure, if you want to.  But, honestly, I think you should wait a second first.  I'd rather you use the tarot for you first.  Learn how to use these gorgeous and amazing tools for your own personal growth before you go read them for others.  But don't learn how to read them from the booklet, that never works.  And other places online will teach you how to read the meanings of the cards in a "psychic" way, which is kind of foolish if you ask me.  And yet other places will tell you silly things such as "wrap your cards in silk to keep out negative energies!"  Where is the scientific basis for that?  What studies have been done?  None, that's how many.  Instead, just follow my instructions below on how to read them for yourself. 




So, if the tarot isn't magical, how DO you read the cards?  

With your MIND!

Just kidding.

Well, actually, yes, it's really true.  You do use your mind.  And that's it.  You use common sense.  And, you have some fun with it!


Reading the Tarot RUU Style Step-by-Step  

1. Open your deck, throw away the plastic, and shuffle your cards.
2. Ask a question about what you want to know about (ask personal stuff such as "What do I need to know for (insert life subject here) in order to (insert life verb here)?"
3. Lay out some cards in any fashion you like.
4. Look at the pictures.  What do they say to you?  
5. Write your answers down and examine them.  Where do you see your answers?

  
And that's it.  No fancy business.  Just read the pictures.  Pretend the people on the cards are real people.  What are they saying to you?  Ask them your own questions.  See how they answer.  And write it all down. 

And you can use the tarot for oh-so-many things as a RUUist:

• Story ideas (character creation, plot, setting, almost anything in a story can be created with tarot cards....actually, since it works so well, I am surprised it's not the main use of the tarot today...go figure)
• Health issues (never a replacement for a doctor, only a possible explanation what in your own psyche might be at the root of the health issue--like "what's causing my anxiety?", etc.  You'd be surprised what you can figure out this way.)
• Shadow work (digging deep into those dark places in your mind that you normally dare not travel--the tarot, with it's pictorial representations of life experiences, can open up those parts to shed light where normally light doesn't reach...we talk about this more in depth in my "pay what you want" class below)
• Self-exploration ("Who am I and where I going?"  By using the tarot to ask specific questions to guide you in your self-exploration, you can delve into some pretty deep stuff--we cover this in class too)

So, what actually is the truth about tarot?

1. It's not magic.  
2. You're not magic (at least not in the way we're talking about here).  
3. And everyone has the ability to use such a fun tool for themselves and others.  

Good luck and have fun, my fellow RUUists!  And go grab yourself a deck and see what you can find out : )




Let me know below if you use the tarot and how it works for you, or if you go out and pick up a deck for the first time and try it : )





If you want to a learn more in-depth way to learn about using the tarot for nonbelievers in a no-nonsense way, then head over to my sister site:


RainyDayTarot.blogspot.com

I thought it would be a good idea to stick with the Buddhist theme this week by talking about mandalas for this Spiritual Tools Series post.  Not only seeking them out, but also creating your own.

A mandala is described as a drawing or map representing the Buddhist or Hindu universe, by About.com's Helen South.  

What does this mean? 

The literal translation in Sanskrit means "circle".  Traditionally, when you draw the outer circle, that represents the spiritual universe.  Then inside you use other shapes to represent other things such as  squares to represent the earth or the physical world, rectangles as heavenly doors, and sometimes even entire deities to represent whichever faith you're honoring.  

Although today, mandalas are everywhere, and most have no religious connotations whatsoever.  But since we're coming from a more spiritual place to create our mandalas, we'll forgo the cutesy "kitty" cartoon style type that is seen today in so many places.  

Instead we're going to make something more personal, something that represents our spiritual journeys, even if you consider yourself an atheist.  Because mandalas are not religious, unless the person making them are coming from a religious tradition themselves, and creating the mandala to represent said religion.  Anyone from any faith can make a mandala.  I will say the world has definitely strayed from the spiritual aspect of them, as we can tell by the quality of drawing in mandala coloring books you can buy on every rack you see.  While these are fun to color in and play with, they aren't true mandalas, because the intent behind making them was not for spiritual expansion, but to make a coloring book picture (although each have their place in the world).

So let's get to it, but first, I'll answer a few questions:

What shape can I make my mandala?

Any shape you want!  They can be free form or the traditional circle style, or you can put them in a triangle.  And the meaning of each shape can mean whatever you want it mean, also.  Our mandalas will be representatives of our own spiritual universes, inside and out.  So they can take on the shape of a star, a circle, a landscape, or totally abstract and freeform.

How big does my mandala need to be?  

As big as you want it.  You can put it on an ATC sized card (artist trading card) or on a huge canvas (or use sidewalk chalk to make one in a parking lot!).  

But I can't draw, how will I make one?

Good news!  You don't have to have a lick of artistic talent in order to draw one.  Not one iota or a single bit.  That's why I made this for beginners.  Even a seasoned artist can use these directions and make one, but so can a total beginner.  You can be very exact in your drawing (I will include a link below to one that is drawn with tools) or you can be go total willy nilly on it.  Making mandalas is for everyone and anyone who wants to draw one, ages 1-1000, any gender, artistic talent or not.

I still don't get how drawing circles and other shapes is considered "spiritual".

Well, let's put it this way: just the act of creating something is spiritual.  Creation is what most religions are based upon, is it not?  Creating anything at all is a spiritual act.  Growing your own food, creating dinner for your family, creating art, building a house, making a birdhouse, etc.  All of these are spiritual acts.  Why do we create things?  In order to nourish ourselves and others.  So creating something in order to nurture is the most spiritual thing you can do.  

Then we have repetition part of mandala creation, which is a meditative act upon itself.  Other repetitious meditative acts are things such chanting, knitting, coloring, rosary beads, counting, drumming, etc.  Each one has their own spiritual benefits, such as lowered blood pressure (calming effects) and visualizations.  And drawing geometric shapes, over and over again, can have the same effects.  And, after you're done creating your mandala, you can use it while you meditate for even more desired spiritual effects.  

Any more questions?  Just post them below! 

So?  Let's get to it!



Creating Your Own Mandala


You download the Creating Your Own Mandala Worksheet here (the circles are not perfect, but hey, it works! LOL)

And you can access the video of how to use the worksheet here:

Creating Your Own Mandala Video from RUU




Here are some other great videos on how to draw mandalas:

*How To Draw A Mandala*
*How to Draw a Mandala (with tools!)* 
*A Beginner's Guide to Mandalas*
*Interesting Mandalas (drawing doesn't start until 5:33 or so)*
*My all time favorite mandala creating video*
*Zentangling a Mandala**Mandala Project Part 1 of 3* (parts 2-3 are accessible through this video)

Welcome to the Spiritual Tools Series!

In this series, we will be discussing various tools you can use to deepen your spiritual awareness and spiritual practice.


We have a "Tools" section above, and what's listed are practices you can use in your daily life, but this series is about actual tangible items you can hold in your hand.


Why, you ask?  Because sometimes we need something to hold in our hands in order to feel connected.  Have you ever had a special trinket you've kept that has reminded you of someone?  When I was a little kid, my grandpa had a basketweave, brown sweater that he's wear in the winter and fall.  So one day, I saw one that was for women in similar fashion on sale at Walmart.  I had to buy it, it was in my size and when I put it on, it brought me back to being a little girl, sitting my grandpa's lap (he had a big belly, so I'd poke it and ask him when he was going to have his baby....he always said "Soon, soon..." and we'd laugh). 

Sometimes the tools are not so personal and a more universal symbol, such as crosses.  Christians sometimes hold them to pray, or proudly display them on their walls.  They wear them around their necks or display them on their clothes.  While it isn't technically a tool and more of a symbol, the cross helps Christians feel closer to their creator.  And in RUU, a tool helps you feel closer to yourself (and everything around you) and understand yourself (and everything around you) better.

 Dictionary.com describes a tool as "an implement of manual operation".

And that's just what we'll be talking about here.  Items you can hold, wear, or touch that deepen your connection with the divine.


In the last post, we talked about the fact we are spiritual beings (rather than just plain old humans).  And spirituality is just state of being spiritual.  And being spiritual, is anything you do that is related to sacred matters.  What is sacred to you?  My grandfather was sacred to me.  So wearing my sweater that reminds me of him, is me being spiritual.  See how that works?  The sweater is my tool to honoring the sacredness of my relationship with my (now passed) grandfather.


Find out what's sacred to you, and then honor that sacredness.  From candles, to dream catchers, to tarot cards, to rosaries, the use of spiritual tools can aid you in your quest to honor and connect with those parts of yourself (and the world, the universe, with others, etc.) you wish to.   Sometimes these will be items you can buy (in stores, online, etc.) or they will be items we will make together.


So check back every Friday for a new tool to explore!






Note: With these tools, it helps if you keep an open mind.  Some of them you've heard of before, and some of those may have negative connotations.  Let me remind you, that nothing, not even an upside-down pentagram, is evil.  Humans put these connotations on these items, but the symbols on them or the items themselves have absolutely no negativity embedded in them.  It's only superstition applied by the ignorance of human beings that causes them to be so.   Now, while we won't be discussing the upside-down pentagram here, you get the gist.  Items are only bits and pieces of matter, who are made of atoms, which you are also made of.  Items don't have a personality, like you or I, and therefore cannot carry anything negativity within them.