Intuitive Reading

Can anyone give me some tips on reading intuitively? I realize that is a loaded question.

My problem is that I am a very verbal thinker. I think in words, not pictures of emotions. For instance, when I think of an apple the very first thing I see is the word 'Apple' followed by a picture of an apple and so forth.

When I look at a Tarot card I naturally revert to what I've read about the card, rather than how the card makes me feel.

I need a way to shut this part of my mind off!

The best way to get that to stop, I have it too, is to start meditating. It will take you some practice to shut off that part of your brain. There are tons of free mp3s of guided imagery and meditations on the net to get you started.

Doing the meditations taught my brain to slow down and now I have images and feelings come up when I read. So, that's what worked for me.

I do that too, even when I'm having a conversation, I see the words in my head as I say them. Isn't that bizarre. I wonder why our minds do that.

just do it...

Teetering Tango,

Right on, I've had spells of such as well.

Rocking a scratch pad is my ticket -- and Sinduction's point about meditation is spot the Jack bird on as well -- my meditation rituals are contained in bottles -- brown bottles mostly, but I'll have a highball from time to time.

So yeah, everyone says, "Jacking DH, I can't draw a stick figure!"

Well, draw a box then, scratch out a big ink blob, or lots of round loops, or letters -- overlapping of course -- but whatever, making pictures brings pictures into your mind.

Drawing is the most underrated deal around, it's so killer!

I blast that action, and it brings it forward in my sparking gray beat matter.

Do drawing meditations and your onto a highbred. Yeah.

Durant "leave no paper clean" Hapke

LOL Durante... sounds like you have a lot of fun ! Brown bottles ?

Being serious here I wanted to say that when we think we do not think in words, ie English.

Thinking in thoughts is a deeper way and the second you realize it you put it into words. It has come into that part of your mind.. probably more day to day consciousness. When dreaming you are not using words but rather see images. Of course you can also speak in your dreams. You see pictures or imagery. You have to just catch yourself to realize this is happening.

In meditation I think we bring up this level so we are able to recognize it.

Drawing is a really good idea.

Hi tango,
I like to list off the things I see in my head and rattle off little cliches and phrases from them until a meaning coalesces.
So for example the six of wands from my Victorian Romantic.
Flags, prancing horse, soldiers, uniforms, shiny things autumn leaves.
Flying the flag, Ride a cock-horse, oh don't you look all polished there, there's flowers on the ground aren't you the popular one but the leaves are turning be aware that time and people move on so don't let the fifteen minutes of fame go to your head.

I know that rambles but that's the way I intuit meaning from a card.
Start up a conversation with the card in front of you rather than seeing it just as and object connected to book meanings.
hope this is interesting to you.
R.

I'm not good at visualising either, I have tried, I am more like you, I am more of a thought, even physical sensations and emotions. I find it quite common to pick up sayings, just silly ones (afrosaxon would laugh at this if she read this - I once said something along the lines of he wouldn't know his rear end from his elbow, or he doesn't know if he is Arthur or Martha). People are going to shoot me down in flames for this, but this goes back to the days when I used to study at University, I can't study in silence, and I have found that I think best when the radio or the TV is on. And sometimes, I pick up on what song is playing, and in some way that relates to the reading.

I do revert back to the original, or the LWB, meaning of the card from time to time. That's OK, just look at the card to see if anything jumps out at you. Look at anything and everything. One of my favourite things is to look at facial expressions and body postures if there is a person in the card. But if it is another deck, say the Thoth, then I look at it to see if there are any patterns than correlate to something else in real life.

Just a few hints. Give it time, and you will get it.



Bec

Tango - I think you may find it's not going to be as difficult as you imagine it will be.

Stupid question time, but have you actually tried working intuitively whilst reading for someone? You may be amazed at the results.

I'd strongly suggest that you join us in the Intuitive Readings Study Group - I joined for the first time last month and I was shaking in my shoes having spent all my reading life glued to the RWS system.

I got a brilliant partner to hold my hand and as it turned out, according to her, I did good.

Look at the cards, say what you feel and have faith in yourself.

As the others have said, meditation will help if you have the time and space (I always set off with such good intentions for meditations and then it falls by the wayside) but my own personal view is along the lines of other comments here - practise, practise, practise.


So - see you at the ISG sign up? We're a good lot, honest!

It's by no means necessary to "see" things in order to kick-start the right brain - the one that we use when we use our intuition. Any of the senses will do: hearing, smelling (smell is VERY underrated, but it's one of the most intuitive senses), touching, tasting.

Have you ever had a smell catapult you back into a memory, bringing back sensations, sounds, words, songs?

Words, in and of themselves are not a bad thing - you need them to verbalise a reading, after all - but they are insufficient on their own.

Try a few exercises. Here is one: take your apple. Durant Hapke gave you a great idea - draw! Buy yourself some coloured pencils and draw an apple, life size, but from memory, not from a model. Red, green, yellow - all colours! Just let it come to you. Have fun. Try not to take it seriously, it's just a game. Now - imagine the taste of that apple. Really go all out to taste it. Imagine its smell as your bite into it, the juice running into your mouth (or maybe your apple is floury, and you put it down again!). Imagine how it feels on your lips, your tongue, in your hand. Round your hand as though you were holding it. Imagine the sound it makes as you bite into it, that crunchy sound.

You can do that with anything - especially good is food, because it engages all your senses.

Next, try and do that without drawing - once you've drawn lots and lots of different things - apples, pies, flowers, cows, you name it - imagine simply what it looks like, and repeat the whole exercise.

These are exercises to train you to use your right brain, and it will have a knock on effect on your intuition. For the intuition proper, you can also do exercises. The imagination is the greatest helper of intuition. For instance, you can go out your front door, and try and "intuit" how many cars will go by before you see a red one. At first, you might be far off, but little by little, you'll get there. Don't second guess yourself, just go with the first number. "5!". "22!" Another good on is when you receive a phone call, bring to mind who might be calling you. The very first name that comes to you, without revision. "Mum!" "Cousin Bob!" "my boss!" You can use your imagination to invent all sorts of games like that, which will train you to use, and eventually trust, your intuition.

You can also play silly games with images, too- if meditation at first seems too difficult.

One thing that my boyfriend taught me is a memory-game type shopping list.

First, choose images that appeal to you, alphabetically from A to about K or thereabouts... (you don't want to overwhelm yourself!) Personally, I find animals work the best; ie. 'Alligator, Bison, Canary', etc. etc.

When you are going to the shop, assign the items on your list to the animals- the 'gator is getting the milk, the bison the bananas, the canary the toilet paper... and really try and visualise them doing it! My 'D' is a dinosaur... Tyrannosaurus Rex- and if I assign the eggs to him, I can see him causing absolute chaos- smashed eggs everywhere ; while the bison is trying to hook the bananas into the shopping trolley with his horns.

I find this improves not just my memory, (you'll definitely remember all the things on your list, even if you leave it at home!) but you're exercising your visualisation skills at the same time- and that will help to enhance your intuition because you do have to FEEL what those animals are getting up to, in order to 'see' it in your mind.

If that makes any sense whatsoever.

elnor

LOL, Elnor. I'm going to try that one myself!

**Goes off to imagine chimpanzees emptying the cereals all over the supermarket and wearing the boxes on their heads **