I've been writing this blog for over 14 years

When I get a request from a new client,  I often direct them to my blog,  and when they book a reading,  I send them a link with the Celtic Cross, so they know how to lay out the cards.  This is the layout I always start with,  from which I do my cold reading,  where I don't know you or your story,  and just tell you what the cards tell me.

So I had a new client recently,  and sent her the link with the Celtic Cross and she said when we had our facetime reading,  she said,  wait,  this link is from 2012.  And I said,  well,  I wrote it a while ago,  but it's still accurate and,  no,  no,  she interrupted me.  I mean you've been writing about the tarot for over 11 years.  Well,  I replied,  I've been writing this blog since 2009,  but I've been reading cards for much longer than that.

You should tell people that! she almost yelled at me.  I mean,  you've been doing this forever!

I thought I had been telling people how long I've been reading the tarot and writing the blog,  but she thinks it's not obvious enough,  and she wants me to emphasize it more.  So here is a blog piece to be clear - I've been writing this blog for over 14 years and reading the cards for much longer than that.  

If you have any questions about various cards,  you can always type a word beside the B in the upper left corner,  (eg,  page of swords) and any blog pieces I've written about it will pop up,  so you can read further about it. 

I'm always encouraged when my clients want me to improve my marketing.  Really,  word of mouth is the best referral I have.  So far I've read for 3 of her friends.  If you would like me to read for you,  please contact me on liat@albanyconsult.com or text me on +61 477 433 555 and we'll set something up... 

Beauty

I had a reading a while ago for a young woman who was genuinely beautiful.  I don't mean sweet and nice,  but head turningly gorgeous.  Not an issue I've had to deal with in my own life.  But I could see,  while talking to her,  that it wasn't a total gift.  Of course,  certain things are easier,  when you are beautiful.  You are more memorable,  people give you advantages and gifts.  But people may also want things from you,  and you are not sure of their motives. And then,  people may fall in love with you... 

A very nice young man had strong feelings for her,  and she was feeling guilty because she didn't love him back. But I looked at her and said, you are not a doll on a shelf to be bought with the most love.  His feelings are his to deal with,  you don't have to reciprocate and you don't owe him anything other than a kind but firm no.  She looked at me surprised and then nodded,  sometimes she did feel like a doll that men yearned to own,  and it was hard to say no to what felt like genuine feelings on their part,  but weren't there on her side.   Just because some one offers you something, even if it something genuine,  you are not obligated to take it.  

Emotions are Energy

One of my regulars came to me and said since her last breakup (he was unfaithful multiple times,  she caught him by seeing his phone) she's just full of rage and doesn't know what to do about it.  I said that Anger is Energy,  she needs to find a way to dispel it. 

When I'm furious,  yoga doesn't work for me. All that controlled breathing and slow movement just makes me more agitated.  But a good long fast walk,  by the Hudson river, could work wonders. If you are feeling overwhelmed,  you need a way to displace that energy -  I find dancing gives me joy,  so a good zumba class,  can leave me smiling.  

Find some movement you love,  that makes you feel empowered,  then go do that.  I often suggest kick boxing to (younger,  fitter) women.  And I get lots of feedback that it helped.  Get sweaty,  move about,  and then the anger burns itself out.  Then jump to the beat,  give yourself some joy,  and let the happiness come back in. 

Moving on

A client I've known for years now came in to ask me which new job she should take,  she had three possible options and which one would be best...  

On the one hand I was delighted that she had real choices,  but I was also surprised.  A year ago when we had our last reading,  she'd really loved her work,  the actual job and the friendships she had in the office.

This 2022 was tough for many of us,  but hers had been especially so.  After a protracted and terrible illness,  her sister had died.   Today her father is very ill.  And her friendly, loving work had not even sent a sympathy card,  had not acknowledged her loss at all.  Then they hired another person,  who worked a the same level as she did,  for a much higher pay range.  When she had asked for parity,  they said no,  no negotiations,  just no.  

So she went to look for different work,  with hours that would allow her more time with her father.   The cards liked Job B (I never let you give me details,  just Job A, B or C and then let me tell you what the cards tell me,  so I'm not biased.) She's got her second interview with them soon and has high hopes.  It even pays significantly more.

But I was annoyed for her about her old/current job.  They had a happy, productive employee and if they had just reached out in a human way,  they could have kept her.  But because they didn't,  they are losing her. Sometimes I wish I could do readings for companies!  It would be so simple to correct,  but now they have to train someone new and lose all her institutional memories and knowledge.  It's just a waste.  

Still,  my client is happy and I hope to hear from her again and see how it went... 

All tarot cards from the lovely This Might Hurt deck

Your Future Self

Sometimes I don't want to do something minor,  and I make myself do it by telling myself that my future self will be grateful for this.  My future self,  busy in the morning,  will be glad that the dishwasher is empty and she can just load new coffee cups into it, so I'll empty it before I go to bed.  My future self,  coming home from work,  will be grateful that the coffee cups were put away and not making the apartment smell of stale coffee all day.  Those sorts of discussions.

My future self is also sometimes happy about big things.  When you spend all those years studying for a degree,  when you take that second job so you can save a deposit.  When you sacrifice now to get rewards later,  then that's a big thank you to past self,  for being so organized for future self. 

In tarot,  we look at how the past affects the present,  and colors the future.  We can't do much about changing the past,  but we can do a lot about how much we let it color the future.  And we can do things that help out our future selves,  whether it be tidying up or eating better or the big things - letting compound interest work it's magic on our savings,  or walking away from toxic/destructive situations. 

So think about your future self,  and how to best support them,  when acting in the present.  And your future self will be grateful. 

Royal Musings

I moved from Sydney to London in the early 1990's.   I told people it would have been easier for me if I had moved to France.  I would have known I was in a foreign country then.  But I was Australian and we had shared history and language - and the same Queen! - surely I was 'home'.  England was very different to Australia and for the 8 years I lived there,  it was like wearing a shoe that never quite fit,  and always gave you blisters.  

One thing that was easy to follow was the flood of images about the Royals.  I lived in Notting Hill for a time,  literally across the road from Kensington Palace. Diana and Charles were at the nadir of their relationship and the press was all over it.  To find a topic of idle conversation at a party or a bus stop,  we could talk about the weather or the Royals and often we did both. 

So I've followed the Royals for some time.  After the birth of my son in 1997,  the first time I went out of the house without him, on my own,  was to see the waist high mound of flowers outside Kensington Palace gates, in mourning for Princess Diana.  The thing that struck me most was the smell,  that cloying, rotting smell of dying flowers.  It was overwhelming. 

And I've followed Diana's boys as well,  as a sort of follow on.  I always thought Harry should marry a nice Scottish girl,  to firm up the connection to Scotland and keep them in the loop.  If we were organizing dynastic marriages, that's what I would have done.  But in the real world we marry for love, spiritual connection, healing,  so many things.  And Harry chose Meghan. 

And of course,  every move they made,  every breath they took,  was spun one way or the other in the tabloids.  I kept thinking to myself,  stop monitoring the Press.  That's how other Royals do it. They sweep through their days,  go to their endless openings and closings and meet hospital folk and well meaning government employees and drink endless cups of tea,  and stop for a photograph and then don't read the press.  But Meghan and Harry were too of their generation and simply could not avoid the sordid mess. And it drove them crazy.

If they had retired to an estate in the UK,  to lead their quiet lives,  I would have been 100% supportive.  But they wanted to use the Royal Sussex branding and sell goods on line?  I could see why the Queen would say no to that.   And if they wanted to do humanitarian work,  well surely that's what the Royals do best.  Why leave then,  if you want to use your profile to shine light?  Instead they wanted to be celebrities in California,  and that seemed a far less noble goal to me.  To sell their story/their truth/ their version of events endlessly.  

I often do tarot readings for people who have had really difficult childhoods,  that continue to influence them. And I say you can blame your life issues on your childhood but after 33,  the year of the crucifixion and resurrection, you have to take responsibility for your own actions and can't keep blaming your past for your present decisions.   You can be an adult.  That's a saving grace.  You could have had a terrible childhood but you don't have to recreate it or be guided solely by it.  You can start to make other choices.  

I'm sorry that Harry is collecting grievances and examining them endlessly.  And I'm really sorry that he is doing to others what he claims was done to him - exploiting private conversations,  not respecting others right to privacy.  I fear that this won't stand him in good stead in years to come. 

I hope for all the Royals that this furore will die down soon,  and we can all go back to reading terrible news about war and misery. And that explains why it's so soothing to read about the Royals instead - it feels important,  but it's not.  It's a bit of delicious schadenfreude to read about the miserable rich,  and not focus on how very hard some of our fellow humans are having it right now.  

.   

New Year Wishes

Evaluating the past year was easier pre Covid.  Now surviving seems accomplishment enough!  I'm speaking to a lot of people who have some anxiety getting back to the world as it was before.  Others are just pushing forward, having run out of energy for Covid precautions. 

Frankly,  I'm glad 2022 is nearly over and looking forward to a fresh start with 2023.  My blessings for everyone is safety and warmth.  May you get what you wish for in the new year.