I began studying astrology roughly 6 years ago, well real astrology. The astrology that includes all the planets and signs in our birth chart, not just the typical sun sign astrology most are familiar with. It wasn't long after that that, I was in a book store and the tarot cards called my name. Often astrology and tarot are connected and even though there are correspondences, they aren't really similar or is there much reason to study one and the other. But knowing one helps learning the other easier. Of course the next logical step I took was into numerology, which will help anyone reading tarot immensely.
I live in a small West Virginia town. There are one or two new age shops in my area, but it's hard to make friends with similar interests when your interests are "occult", (the meaning of which being secret, arcane, hidden knowledge). So as most do, I took to reading. I have read almost every free piece of information, and even some you pay for, online. I spent a lot of time by myself practicing with the cards. I memorized the traditional meanings for the cards, and learned how to tap into my intuition. I learned to connect the cards to real life situations that were happening in my life. I learned to relate the court cards to someone I knew or different aspects of my personality. I got better and eventually I started a tarot page on Facebook.
Eventually, I also got a business license to read tarot in my state. I started a Google business page and shared the links with everyone I knew.
Over time my readings greatly improved! People were starting to get impressed, especially those I had read for in the beginning, a little nervous and unsure, still looking up meanings with no clue how to really tie the cards into a cohesive story or relate them to real life. Suddenly, people were shocked with my accuracy and impressed by my improvements and ability to connect the cards to their real life situations and problems. I was no longer afraid of being wrong. I just read what the cards said and realized that weather I understood what they meant or not, the querent would know what situation in their life was being referred to and hopefully heed the advice or warnings the cards gave.
Sometimes, I still have trouble reading for people I know well. I feel like because I know their personal details so intimately that they will assume I am just telling them things I already know. I feel like they think I'm a charlatan because it's easy for me to get their details correct or for me to connect the cards to things I know are going on. So, it's easier for me to read for someone that I have no prior knowledge of their situations to blur the lines between what I know and what the cards are trying to tell me. It's hard for anyone not to include their own personal biases on things we are emotionally invested in or already have an opinion about. That's why so many readers don't read for themselves, so I have gathered. Many books warn that when we have an emotional attachment to the outcome of a reading we may not get accurate answers. We either see what we want so much to be true; or we find our biggest fears revealed in the cards. The energy we are projecting influences the cards in these situations and doesn't always reflect reality. I think it's ok to read for yourself for self understanding or self reflection or a daily check in, even. And it can be comforting at times to do readings especially when that may be the only thing we can control or influence about a situation. Of course each situation, scenario, reader, and client is different. I learned to adjust accordingly. No two readings will ever be the same, even if the same cards turn up.
I tried to start posting regularly on my pages, and was growing a small following of people who tuned in regularly. I even did a live show on Facebook for "divination night", a weekly show that had a different tarot reader on every week to help new readers practice and advertise.
Along with learning tarot, my original passion grew as well. I learned quite a bit about astrology and became comfortable reading a birth chart. I know the glyphs for all the signs and planets; I know what the houses mean and the characteristics of all the above as well. I understand the aspects and can give you a fairly accurate description of your personality just by gauging the ratio of element and modalities in your chart. I can tell you the main areas of your life that will be prominent based on which houses are highlighted. I can look at a birth chart and give you an accurate description of your strengths and weaknesses and personality type. I can't really make predictions persay but I can look at the transits occurring in the sky now and recognize which part of your chart is going to be affected so you know what energy is coming your way.
Suddenly, it felt like I was speaking a foreign language from anyone I knew. I was the "weird" lady who talked about the stars and wanted to know what time you were born, so I could see your chart. My friends didn't get me any more and that was ok with me. They didn't understand my new language anyway and that made it hard to share my interests with a lot of people I knew because tarot and astrology had become a part of me now.
Unfortunately, as I was getting my groove with the online world of tarot, I had some pretty tragic things occur in my life. I moved to Ohio, thinking it was a good decision for my personal life. Long story short, it wasn't and I lost everything I owned, partially to a fire, along with some other disappointing events. All my cards, my crystals, my boxes, and bags, and all my clothes and personal belongings were gone. Things I had made or sewn, books I was working on, things that can never be replaced or replicated, even my tarot and astrology journals and logs, binders full of meanings and connections, my crystal intentions and wishes and other items or notes I collected on my metaphysical journey.
I spent about 9 months collecting things and trying to replace the missing pieces in my life when something else came along and took everything away again. Finally, now I am back in West Virginia, my home. I didn't grow up here, but I spent enough of my adult life here that it just feels like home. I am in a safe place that's stable and am working on getting my life back together. But I still had the ache the missing parts of my life. So finally I tossed pride to the side, and I got on the tarot groups pages that I was a member of and I told a brief highlight of my experiences and asked if anyone had any cards they could donate me. The response was overwhelming and inspiring! Probably 20 people responded with well wishes and half or better offered to mail me something. I am anxiously awaiting those treasures now. I want to thank everyone who responded, weather you were able to send anything or not and there really aren't words to express the gratitude I feel for the ones who have mailed me cards or crystals or whatever you sent! Please know they will be treasured and have made it to a good home.
I am passionate about tarot reading and astrology and I am delighted that I will soon be able to continue my journey. I have tried to remain positive and tell myself that the universe has big plans for me and it removed everything from my life to make room for something greater and it wanted to make sure that I had no reminders of the life I left behind. I'm taking the message "don't look back"from the things I went thru and moving along. Some commented that maybe I should take losing my cards as a sign as well. I look at it like if my cards were the only thing I had lost them maybe I would heed that warning, but I don't believe I lost everything and I should take that to mean don't read tarot anymore or the stars. They are to engrained in who I am now, that I can't imagine not having astrology and tarot as hobbies, at the least.
So now I begin the next chapter of my life, a little wiser, a few more battle scars, but with a wealth of knowledge and information and a desire to continue learning about all things metaphysical or "new age". I enjoy the "new age woo-woo"!!!
My tarot page on Facebook is: https://www.facebook.com/tarottellall
My Google business page website is: https://sunshinesmiles.business.site
~ Jennifer Walker
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