What is Dowsing?Written by Sam Stevens
Dowsing is definitely an intuitive art and one of oldest forms of divination in world. Perhaps oldest and most familiar image we have a dowser is what is called a field or map dowser. This person walks over a landscape using a Y shaped or forked stick (sometimes called a doodlebug) to locate subterranean sources of water, oil or even precious minerals. The stick vibrates, crosses or shakes when substance is found. Some dowsers will use two sticks held in one hand, and when sticks cross, it signifies that a subtle astral or geopathic force has located natural resource. This kind of dowsing is also used to locate things such as buried treasure, lost persons, missing jewelry and stray golf balls! However, kind of dowsing we are concerned with in this article would be for purposes of divination. To do this you need to purchase or make what is called a “bobber” or a “pendulum”. This is simply a pointed object made of metal, crystal or wood that is attached to end of a string or a rope. Crystals make excellent pendulums. To diagnose disease, use a rose quartz crystal. For general divination, a silver, lapis, wood or hematite pendulum works well. A pendulum can be anything that appeals to you, that is personal, feels like it conducts energy and can be hung from a chain or string. For instance, I have a little silver acorn charm that works perfectly as a pendulum. Some people use keys or talismans or charms such as a crucifix or ankh. Pendulums can be bought commercially online and in New Age or Occult Stores. There are no strict rules around practice of dowsing, however there are two methodologies behind purpose of it. The first methodology involves using pendulum to answer a yes or no question. Some practitioners use a chart or a map, usually a square of paper with a circle drawn on it with words YES or NO written at four quarter points of circle.
| | Basic Tarot for BeginnersWritten by Sam Stevens
If you would like to learn to read tarot cards, but have no idea who to ask to teach you or how to go about it, following tips should help you get started on your path to telling fortunes just like a pro! Your first challenge is to choose a deck from 8,000 or so published brands of fortune telling cards on market. What works for one person often doesn't for another. Some people are comfortable reading several decks and others only identify psychically from a single brand. Your local bookstore will probably carry several choices of decks and online store at Psychic Realm also has a selection of introductory Tarot. However, I highly recommend going to a store, picking up a deck and seeing if you like feel of cards. The feel, weight or look of cards often "speaks" to you. If you a feel a connection with images on cards or even how they feel in your hands, then that is probably deck that you will relate to best. I also recommend a deck that comes with a small book inside package or box so you will have something to quickly reference if you should get lost in meaning of cards. When I first read Tarot, I typed myself up a one sheet that a resembled a chart on a computer so that all meanings of each card right side up and upside down were apparent to me at a glance. Your next step would be to get acquainted with your cards. The best way to learn is to study image on each card, one at a time, while memorizing it’s meaning. Be patient. There are usually 78 meanings to learn so this is not always a fast process. Some tarot teachers recommend that you put deck of cards under your pillow at night so you can get better acquainted with them. The idea is that your subconscious will absorb meaning. You can also meditate or dream upon individual cards in same way by placing them under your pillow. Some people like to charge their cards after they first get them, either by praying or meditating over them, passing them through smoke of incense or placing them in light of full or new moon for a night. Finicky readers believe power of cards is enhanced if they are placed inside a special box, pouch or wrapped in a silk pouch. I personally don't think this makes much of a difference but pomp and circumstance is supposed to add to power of all ritual and magic, so if storing your cards in a special way or in a special place helps you read them better than by all means do so. Also many readers protect their cards by not letting anyone touch them. There is a belief that others can "infect" cards with their beliefs, fears or anxieties. The cards do act as a portal through to other side, so keeping them away from other people may be a good way of preventing people from accidentally "touching" you through cards and passing along possibly toxic energy. This however brings up issues when it is time to decide who is actually going to shuffle cards. Some readers hand cards over to questioner and others prefer to always do shuffling and never let cards be tainted by another's hands. My personal take on this is that if you don't like person's energy, shuffle them yourself or even -- don't do reading at all! Most Tarot decks consist of 78 cards: 22 Major Arcana, and 56 Minor Arcana cards. The Minor Arcana consist of four "suits”, just like a deck of regular playing cards... The four suits are, Pentacles or Coins, which deal with work/money/success issues, Wands, or Staffs, which deal with more spiritual issues, Cups, which deal with emotional issues, and Swords, which some see as representing negative experiences and loss. When starting out, I highly recommend making your life easy, and getting person to ask you a question out loud. Both parties should focus on question while you shuffle cards. As you get more experienced or confident with cards, you won't care if they ask a question, but repeating questioner's question out loud yourself does seem to assist divination process. Shuffle cards until person you are reading for feels it is "right" to stop or until you feel it is right to "stop”. After you are done cutting, you need to cut deck. Most readers divide deck into three piles. At this point you can either have person you are reading for pick which pile to pick up as top of deck, or you can pick them up in an order that feels right to you. Another option, is to fan cards out face down, and have person you are reading for pick out cards they want you to read Two Simple Spreads: The Three-Card Spread: This spread is good for yes or no questions. After you are done cutting deck lay cards out from left to right. The first card to left represents past/issues affecting problem. The second card in center represents present/problem. The third card to right represents future/outcome. The Celtic-Cross Spread Lay out cards on table in following order:
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