How to Choose a Tarot Deck – How to Buy a Tarot Deck

How to Choose a Tarot Deck

 

Being in the metaphysical store business for 15 + years, I have often had customers tell me that they would love to learn how to read tarot cards but they must be gifted with a deck.  I don’t have any problem with it as long as you have friends and family that you can open up to about your beliefs and interests and that they would take it upon themselves to buy you a deck.

 

My personal opinion is that you should be the one to choose your own tarot deck. I also believe that you should start off with one of the Rider Waite decks even though there are hundreds of gorgeous decks from which to choose that would better reflect your energies, beliefs, interest and lifestyle. I recommend the Rider Waite decks so that you can build a strong foundation that will allow you to evolve towards other tarot decks that reflect who you are. The Rider Waite decks are not the most attractive decks. The reason I want you to start out with one of these decks is so you will have a deck that corresponds to most tarot books and tarot workshops. These decks are very similar in symbolism, numerology and color. Books and classes are designed to teach you to interpret all of these aspects for not just each card, but also the combination. One book will undoubtedly lead to numerous others. By choosing the best selling decks, you will be able to follow the instruction. A tarot reader doesn’t just look at a card. She studies it. A card isn’t just a picture. Rider Waite has people and animals on almost every card. What are they doing? Which way are they facing? What are they wearing? What are they doing in the picture? What emotion do they show? What is the number on the card? What colors are there within the card? My favorite part is the small details that are easily missed. Perhaps there are symbols on their clothing, a chalice or sword in hand. Those aren’t decoration. Those are hints or reminders of what that card represents. All these aspects are to help open you up to an opportunity to communicate guidance via the cards laid out in front of you. To the client, those cards are pretty or scary pictures. As a tarot reader, it is your job to translate the message to them. As you study and come familiar with your Rider Waite deck, you will start to understand how it all comes together. At that point, you may wish to choose a deck that you find more appealing. Start with a good foundation and all other decks will be much easier to interpret.

 

I offer numerous tarot decks and a variety of tarot books that I have read and recommend.

 

http://www.alleghenycandles.com/tarot.html

 

http://www.alleghenycandles.com/tarotbooks.html

 

 

 

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How to use an Oujia Board, Talking Board or Spirit Board

Ouija Board Instructions
Do Ouija boards really work?

An ouija board can be a useful spiritual tool to glean information from the spirit realm. With practice, this mystical divination tool can help you open the doors to your own natural psychic ability. Most who use an oujia board do not take it seriously. But… if you are serious about learning how to communicate with spirits through the Ouija board and you are willing to practice, you may find the results to be very interesting.

How does an Ouija Board work?

An ouija board is a divination tool to help you learn how to communicate with spirit and to jump start your natural psychic abilities. The goal should be to get to the point that you can work without the board . Once you learn how to connect with spirit and interpret the messages, the board will slow you down. You may not get to that point because you don’t have time to practice or you may not have a group that is as focused as you are on learning. There is nothing wrong with that.

Are there dangers in using an Ouija Board?

Yes! Information that you get should not be taken too seriously. Don’t ask questions like “when am I going to die” or “should I quit my job” or “is my husband cheating on me?”. Don’t ask legal or medical advice. If you have questions of this nature…. Ask about the outcome of the given situation. But take all messages and advice with a big grain of salt.

Always work with positive energy. You are opening a door for spirits to enter your home. Like energy attracts like energy in the spirit world. You may get more than you bargain for if you want to be scared. Work with a mature group of adults. If things start to go off track, call it a night.

I don’t believe in allowing kids to use an Ouija board. I hope you would not consider one as a gift for someone else’s child. I would be furious if someone gave my child an Ouija board. That is a choice that only a parent should make. This isn’t a toy. If your child wants to use the board, make sure he/ she uses it with you or an adult that you trust their judgment.

Getting Started

1st – Place Ouija board in the center of a small table. Place planchette (pointer) in middle of board. Rest fingers lightly on the planchette to allow it to move freely and easily.

2nd – Only one person ask questions at a time. Ask a clear question and wait a few minutes for the planchette to move. It will probably start off quite slowly and you may have to wait several minutes for that much. As it gains strength, it will point to letters to spell words out.

3rd – For best results, you need to stay focused on your questions and stay within the same topic. Everyone must be mature about this session or you will get confused or garbled messages. Remember – like energy attracts like energy. If you are not serious, then you will not find a spirit that is reliable.
4th – Keep your board in good condition. Store it in a cool, dry place. Keep the surface clean and smooth (I like to use a soft cloth with a tiny amount of Pledge)

5th – Remember to “close the doorway” when your session ends. Thank your spirit helpers for their guidance. Send them on their way with a blessing. Announce aloud in a firm voice “this session is ended and this doorway is now closed”. Feel free to say a prayer or ask for a blessing from god(dess), angels, spirit guides etc…

Ouija Board Hints

· Have someone sit out and take notes. If there isn’t an extra person, tape record the session. It not uncommon for messages not to be clear until it’s written down and you can see the message and decipher it. If you can video the session, you may pick up orbs or other ghostly images.

· Use your Ouija at night when the world begins to quiet down.

· If at any point you feel afraid or uneasy about what is happening, tell the spirit to leave in a strong and loud voice. If you are very scared.. end the session as mentioned above making sure to “close the doorway”.

· Often, especially in new boards, the planchette won’t move. Slowly circle it round and round until a spirit takes over. As you do that, you may ask a prayer for help in drawing a good and helpful spirit. If your board doesn’t work after that, you may want to try it again another time.

 

Ouija Board suggestions:

 

· Wipe your board clean with a soft cloth and furniture polish (we recommend Pledge) before each use

· Before and after each use, smudge your board with a sage bundle or any purifying incense http://www.alleghenycandles.com/sage-smudge-stick.html

· Smudging is the Native American version of a “smoke bath” and is used to cleanse and purify negative and residual energy.

· Participants should take a moment to relax and ground their energy. A guided meditation that allows you to balance your chakras is a good idea.

· When everyone is settled down and ready to work, light a white candle.

· State, in a clear strong voice, that no negative or harmful energies be attracted to your Ouija Board. Tell any negative forces present that they are now banished and dismissed.

· Some people believe that a prayer is a good protection before an Ouija board session. Ask for a helpful and positive spirit to assist you on this night.

· You can use an Ouija board alone. However, it is very difficult to draw the energy needed when working alone.

· Remember, the Ouija board is an open door for spirit communication. When your session is over, thank the spirit(s) who have aided your spiritual work and send them on their way with a blessing. Close the “door” by stating aloud that the session is over and the door is now closed to spirit. I suggest that you smudge the board and do a prayer of protection.

· Store your board in the box when not in use. Do not place anything on top of it as it may mare the surface.

Things you should know before working the Ouija board.

Ouija Boards are not evil nor do they attract the devil. It is merely a tool with which one connects and communicates with spirit. It is what you do with the board that can bring positive or negative results.

With a new board, you will probably need at least 4 people to get it going. It takes a lot of energy to get things moving. Make sure you have 4 to 8 mature adults that have a genuine interest in communicating with spirit. You want people that you trust and that share your ethics and goals for spiritual work.

Try to meet at least monthly – the full moon is believed to be the night where the veil between the physical and spiritual is at it’s thinnest.

Working the Ouija board is a type of automatic writing. Between sessions, you could work on automatic writing to hone your skills.

NEVER allow anyone that is under the influence of alcohol or drugs to participate or even be present. Anyone that is sick, depressed, unduly stressed, worried etc…. should not participate as they can draw in a lower vibration spirit.

You may wish to try other kinds of divination in order to get confirmation or clarification from spirit on ouija messages (tarot, runes, pendulum and crystal balls… etc…).

Ouija boards are NOT a suitable or appropriate gift for child or unsupervised teens especially when they are not your own kids.

Messages can come in other forms than just words. You may feel, smell or taste “messages”. Make sure you make note of that. It is often the signature of a spirit. I had a little boy that died in a fire that came with the aroma of smoke. Don’t let it scare you… it is just another way they try to reach you. Not everyone will experience this extra message which is why you should share it with everyone.

An Ouija board session is very much like a séance. If an object appears… this is called an apport. It appears to come from “nowhere”. This is a very rare a special gift.

Always call spirits for whom you are searching by their given name or nickname. Just keep in mind… most women are known to someone as “mom”.

Suggestion for an Ouija Board that doesn’t work:

Ouija boards don’t work every time. Here are some suggestions when nothing seems to be happening. But remember, if you have tried these suggestions and nothing is happening, you may want to call it quits and have another go on a different night. It’s mostly a matter of practice and discovering what works best for you. We give instructions on use to get you started and from there… just practice.

If not much is happening:
· try bringing new people into your group that you can trust
· try putting different combinations of people on the board to see if things improve
· try various locations (members homes… especially those that have had psychic activity)
· try different locations in a home… attic, basement, barn etc…. It seems that places that have been empty for years become more active. I have heard of people using their board in a cemetery. Only your group can decide if that’s appropriate or not.

I wish you good luck in your new quest for spiritual wisdom.

Magick, Spells and Ritual

Magick with the “k” refers to ritual magick rather than illusion magic. Illusions are used to fool the eye into believing that something impossible has just occured for entertainment. Magick is a conscious effort to manipulate energy toward a specific goal. Everything has energy, even thoughts. Your thoughts can be used to change the energy of a situation (I’ll get into this in another post). However, most magick is performed by the use of spells and/or ritual.

A magick spell is generally an easy series of gestures and incantations. It may require candles, incense, herbs, crystals, photos etc…. A spell may be done alone or within a ritual.

A ritual is a ceremony that can be quite detailed. In a Pagan ritual, certain things may be done. A sacred space is cleared and prepared for the ritual. This is done physically by cleaning the space of clutter and dirt… and then spiritually by clearing out negative and residual energy. This may be done by working counterclockwise to banish unwanted energy with a ritual broom which is followed by smudging with sage or ringing a bell, sprinkling salt (a good option for those who can’t tolerate smoke). Once the space is cleared, a circle is drawn clockwise. This might be an actual circle created with a rope… or a circle of salt… or a chalk line. It might just be drawn with the point of a ritual knife (athame) that creates an invisable line. Either way is just as good. In most rituals, the 4 directions/ elements are called and honored as teachers, protectors and guides. Often, candles and a symbol of the element is used in each quarter. Lastly, the deities are called to the center of the circle which might hold an altar of some sort (or a cloth). Most Pagans honor both male and female deities. They may have a favorite.. or call upon one that has certain qualities that might be helpful in the covenor’s request.  EX: If you wanted to become pregnant, you might called upon Gaia, Kwan Yin or Astarte. Candles and / or incense may be lit to honor and respresent the god/dess. Now the circle is complete so you are divinely protected and can use this protected space to work magick spells and / or do divination or to handle special needs. EX: consecrate tools, dedicate a covernor, send healing to someone etc… Most Pagans first raise energy through chanting, drumming and/ or dancing and then focus the energy raised to the activities done in circle. Ritual sex can also be done to riase energy when it’s appropriate. When you complete your work, you generally do the opening in reverse. Thank the gods and release them (extinguish candles representing them)… thank the elements and directions (extinguishing their candles and releasing them) and thank all energies that have offered their assistance. Remove the circle by working counterclockwise.

The good thing about doing ritual is that it empowers you greatly. Rather than sitting in church and observing a communion with God, you become your own priest(ess). You are in the driver’s seat. You learn and grow in ways that you would never believe. You directly commune with God.

The bad thing about ritual is that it is labor intensive and time consuming. This is especially true for those who have to work around family who doesn’t support their faith or those with small kids. So…. as far as magick is concerned, I encourage folks to do spells when they need them and to fit ritual in on important times of the year. It is better to do ritual less and be in a better frame of mind, then to do it because you feel like you are required to in order to have success.  I don’t want you NOT to do magick because it seems like too much work. Keep it simple and really make those rituals count when it’s important.

What does magick do? Magick is an advanced form of prayer. By working a spell or ritual, your mind is focused for that period of time. Magick can be performed through meditation. Unfortunately, most people do not meditate because it’s a challenge to keep the mind focused. Magick… keeps us focused with words and gestures.

How does magick work? This is my own opinion. I am a Virgo and have a very logical brain. I personally cannot wrap my brain around gods and spirits fixing my life because I lit a candle or recited an incantation. What I do believe (feel free to disagree) is that since everything has energy (including thoughts), I am consciously manipulating the energies that are connected to my issue in order to change them to suit my desire. I believe that the deities are simply energies that are related to my desire. So I can do a beauty spell to make me more attractive. It probably won’t change me physically, but it might make me FEEL more attractive. AND…. there is NOTHING more sexy than confidence! In this new confidence, I might start to lose a few pounds or feel and urge to get a make-over.  Basically, nothing has changed but my perspective. BUT…. in that shift, comes the desired affect. I feel more attractive and I become more attractive to others.

What a spell can’t do. A spell can’t make you an Olympic gold metalist if you are a couch potato. Magick can’t make you rich if you make bad financial habits and don’t like to work. Magick is NOT a quick fix or a cure-all. It brings awareness. But ultimately, it is all up to you. If you want change, then change your habits, choices and behaviors.  Use spells to help you help yourself. And while I have your attention, PLEASE do not believe in anyone who guarantees their spells and charges large amounts of money. Don’t you think they would be on Oprah if they could work these miracles!? The best person to work magick for you is YOU!