Liaden Universe

It's strange how people can impact upon you.  I heard today that Steve Miller died.  He was co-author to a series of science fiction books set in a place they created - the Liaden Universe.  They were prolific writers with many books,  novellas and articles.  In their own words - The Liaden Universe® is not tidy. Nor is it a series, exactly. It's a Universe. …

I feel like I lost a friend.  We've never communicated but a new book coming out was a highlight for me.   I wrote to his wife and writing partner, Sharon Lee,  these words -  I’m sure you know that you and Steve have impacted the world far more than most, and far better than most!   Their writing was a gift to me and so many others.  He will be missed.  

Taylor Swift

Sometimes you just want to be part of a cultural moment.  Sometimes you want to stand outside the cultural moment.  I've certainly had both feelings.  But I was watching the MTV WMA's in 2009 and saw Kanye West jump up on stage live and saw what he did to a girl I didn't know much about,  and my heart just melted for her.  I literally could not imagine anything worse.  It's like one of those nightmares where you're walking around naked,  but you get to wake up from them!  So she leapt up on my radar in a big way then.  And when 1989 came out,  I became a firm fan.  I just loved her lyrics,  and her courage.  I was walking up and down the West Side Highway, loving every song.  And I've listened to her ever since.  I loved If I were the Man,  and then really loved her last few albums.  Antihero is just a perfect song, but the video makes it even better! 

I'm not a true Swiftie.  I don't know the meanings of all her songs and I don't look for all the Easter eggs.  Instead,  I just listen to her music on face value and see how it speaks to me,  rather than what part of her life it relates to.  I've read some great articles about her - My Delirious Trip to the Heart of Swiftiedom, from the New York Times was one of my favorites - and just enjoyed the cultural phenom that she was becoming. 

So when I had a big birthday,  I just wanted one thing - that's right,  Taylor Swift concert tickets.  We couldn't get the cheap ones,  they were already gone,  so we splurged on the expensive VIP ones (it was that big a birthday!) I'm going to her Sydney show this Saturday.   I'm really looking forward to it! 

Managing Expectations

 I really feel one of the secrets to contentment in life is found in managing expectations. 

Sometimes people come to new situations and expect X, but are met with J.  Coming to terms with it,  allowing yourself to be in this different situation - all that determines how you will feel about it.  Sometimes I feel  that if I keep my expectations low,  I can always be satisfied and sometimes delighted.  I get a bit wary if I find I'm expecting something to be really amazing,  because I know if it's not,  I'll be disappointed. 

I had a reading around a wedding recently that reminded me of this.   A really pretty woman in her late twenties had fantasized about her perfect day for years and everything had to be insta-perfect.  Which is both exhausting and disappointing,  as good friends/bridesmaids were not being as supportive/engaged as she would have liked,  and even her fiancé was drawing away from her planning.  

So we spoke about the perfect getting in the way of the good, but the cards were much more ruthless.  I looked at her as she drew the 8 of swords/6 of cups/ 2 swords and said,  you feel trapped and isolated,  but there is a way out.  But you have to look clearly,  and not be nostalgic or childlike,  you  have to look at it like an adult.  If you don't you will feel even more isolated and defensive.  And she was in tears for both things - that she wasn't going to get the wedding of her dreams,  and that friends were letting her down.   

She was expecting too much of them and of herself.  She wasn't happy with my reading but the situation was not going to go her way through sheer will power, the cards were clear on that. 

I can only hope she took some of the reading on board,  and give herself a beautiful and meaningful, but not perfect,  day. 

Remember the Golden Rule

Recently,  in  quite a few of my readings,  people have complained about how unreliable other people are becoming.  Not necessarily just on dates,  but also friends, family, adult children - everyone seems to be hedging their options, saying yes and changing it to maybe,  or just ghosting arrangements. 

Covid has had many strange after effects, and NYC was always a city scared to commit,  incase something better came along,  but hey,  let's all try to remember the golden rule - treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves. 

I know,  I know,  life is complex,  and we want to do something and say yes and something weird happens and we can't.  But we should immediately tell people that we can't,  and we should look at our lives if weird things are happening too often. Maybe we are overwhelmed,  maybe we are over committing.  Maybe we should have a quiet weekend and do nothing.   Nothing wrong with saying "I'd love to,  but I can't." 

And if everyone is flaking on you,  then stop making plans with them!  One woman said then she would never see her friends,  if she didn't make the plans,  and then we both stopped and looked at each other.  So you make all the plans and they flake 50% of the time?  Maybe let them go a while and see if they reach out,  I suggested softly.  And if they never reach out... well what are you willing to tolerate to keep them in your life?  Not this,  she said..

And that's the second Golden Rule.  People will treat you like you let them.  If they treat you badly,  and you stop letting them,  and they are no longer in your life,  well,  that's your answer.  

when the cards and I disagree

When people come to a reading seeking clarification, they are meeting two sources of opinion - me, with an extensive background in therapy and life experience,  and the cards.  And sometimes the two sources disagree.  

One of my regulars was an actress in her late 30's who hadn't quite cracked it yet, managing only a small job or two a year.  And she kept asking me, should she give up.  I, personally,  wasn't so sure that this was a good track for her,  with diminishing returns. But the cards were relentlessly upbeat and never wanted her to quit.  So I told her that - she wasn't ready to give up, the cards kept saying keep at it.  And the cards were right!  She has found her niche and doing many more acting jobs in her early forties than she ever did in her thirties. 

So if I and the cards disagree - I always tell you what the cards say - they are reading your truest energy,  and they definitely know more than me! 

How I do my Readings

Every so often I put up this kind of post,  to let new readers know how I do my readings.

I've read tarot cards for decades now.  When we moved to Tribeca,  I started Tribeca Tarot Reader in 2008 and this blog in 2009.  When we returned to Sydney,  I switched to virtual readings.  I skype/zoom/facetime you and read for you that way.  But because of the way I read,  I find the magic is in the shuffling - you have to handle the cards,  you have to move and select them,  your energy shifting them one way or the other.  

So most of my readings are for established clients who know the way I work,  and are willing to buy or borrow a deck and shuffle and do the layout for me,  and then we do the reading,  in the quiet and privacy of where you chose. 

It's actually worked out very well,  and my regulars,  who have readings once or twice a year,  or once every two years or so,  find me,  buy a deck - usually the Rider Waite,  but any deck with 78 cards will do,  and have a reading.  And continue being my regulars.

Even if you've never read with me before,  I'm happy to do a reading for you.  Just get your hands on a deck and we'll find a time and start.  And if you want to know more about me, just browse though the blog and you'll get a feel for how I read. 

Also,  to simplify matters,  I start all my readings with a cold reading - where I don't know what's going on in your life,  and just tell you what the cards tell me.  We layout the cards in the shape of a Celtic Cross.  I find it helpful to remind people of what that looks like - 

We lay out the 10 cards together and then I start to talk...   

I encourage people to record the readings,  we go through a lot of information. 

Email me or text me if you like a reading,  

liat@albanyconsult.com  or +61 477 043 555

Looking forward to it,

warmly

Liat

January 2024

This is traditionally a busy time of year for me.  People want to know what the next year will hold.  People want some reassurance.  And I want to be reassuring!  Recently a woman asked me not to tell her any bad news.  But I said,  that's not how I read. 

For one thing,  we often don't know good or bad news when we first get it.  Sometimes not getting the job we really wanted, means we were available for a job that was much better.  Sometimes getting something we thought we really wanted turns out to be doubly disappointing.   One medical student I read for was disappointed in his hospital placement. But it turns out the placement he thought he wanted was very political and difficult (as others reported back to him)  and the placement he received was a much better fit.    So there's that.

And for the second thing - I read what I see.  That's the joy of coming to a stranger.  I actually do more accurate readings for strangers than family.  With family I'm too invested and can tweak the outcomes to suit what I want for them.  With strangers,  the cards tell me what they see,  and I just report back.  And with that,  we can have a more in depth discussion as to your hopes and fears,  and how to best bring about the outcomes you want.

So nothing here is set in stone,  you can change your cards,  but it takes a lot of thought and energy to do that.  So let's see what the new year will bring and what you need to focus on  and where your strengths are in this forthcoming year...

These pretty cards are by Alexandra Elena