to concentrate on the question?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 14 Nov 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

pandora	14 Nov 2004
It’s Sunday, cold and raining, and I am curled up by the fire reading one of my favorite books “The Tarot” by Richard Cavendish, and a passage from section 3, Divination, made me sit and go hummmmmm…. what an interesting thought. The book had been discussing mental states, the importance of meditation, and how people acquire ‘knowledge not accessible through the usual channels of the senses.’ And went on to say: “ …… recent experiments suggest that clairvoyance and other psychic faculties are sometimes developed or released in meditation. One phenomenon which may occur in unusual mental states of this kind is psychokinesis, or the direct action of mind over matter ……” “Psychokinetic ability is more often exercised unconsciously, however, and there is a possibility, though it still seems a remote one, that the shuffling of a pack of cards before they are ‘consulted’ is sometimes affected in this way.” ……. “Remembering that the reader has the ‘meanings’ of the cards in his head to begin with, it is conceivable that he might psychokinetically affect the shuffle. The effect would be to arrange the cards, without any deliberate intention of doing so, in an order related to the question or problem at issue, and perhaps unconsciously calculated to produce the answer or advise which the reader would like to obtain. It is interesting that one or two of the textbooks contradict the usual instructions and tell the reader to keep his mind blank while shuffling.” Concentrate on the question or not while shuffling, do you think it does makes a difference? Hope it is not just me who finds this thought provoking and would love to hear your opinions Pandora

Lurea	14 Nov 2004
I'm no expert but I find that if I need to keep my question or issue clearly in mind while I shuffle and cut. I've done readings where I couldn't keep my mind focused while shuffling, a million thoughts popping in and out of my head, and the cards were similarly all over the place, scattered with no focus. Even if it's just a daily reading, I keep the uniqueness of today's energies in mind, and also concentrate on the tarot itself-the feel of the cards under my fingers, the sounds of the shuffling--all those things keep me focused on the business at hand. :D

Astraea	14 Nov 2004
Personally, I find that readings are more helpful if I hold the question or situation gently and loosely in my mind as I shuffle -- for me, a tense focus or attempt to concentrate "strangles" the reading.

WhiteRaven	14 Nov 2004
As a Eclectic Wiccan, I'm already attuned to putting myself in an altered state of mind for rituals and spellwork, thus when working with the Tarot I do ground myself and go into much the same state of mind as if I were to do a ritual. Once I've reached that point, I begin to shuffle the cards and pose the question. If I'm in a setting where it's literally impossible to do step one then I take the time to ground myself and then commence shuffling with the question in my mind. I've found, however, that if the cards have a specific message that needs to be received there isn't anything one will be able to do to alter that. You can sit there and shuffle and concentrate for an hour on one particular question and the cards, if they want to tell you something, will do as they please.

Michelle	14 Nov 2004
Hi WhiteRaven, I hope it's okay to ask this on this thread. Would I be imposing to ask you to share with me your method of grounding / reaching an altered state ? I find that sometimes when I sit down to read - my thoughts are so scattered , I have a hard time focusing. And while reading your post I got the strong impression that you could offer great advice. Thank you !! Love & Blessings, Michelle

WhiteRaven	14 Nov 2004
Michelle wrote: Hi WhiteRaven, I hope it's okay to ask this on this thread. Would I be imposing to ask you to share with me your method of grounding / reaching an altered state ? I find that sometimes when I sit down to read - my thoughts are so scattered , I have a hard time focusing. Hi Michelle This could very possibly be moved out of this thread but for now I will answer here. First of all, you would NOT want to go into the "altered state of mind" I am referring to if you're going to try and read something and you have a hard time centering your thoughts. This state of mind is not used for that...trust me...you can deal with the mundane world at that point but at a very unique level..hmmm..I can't explain it much better than that. Grounding...this is different. It's a form of meditation where you envision yourself becoming part of the earth...growing roots into the earth..roots of light from your inner "chi"...ummm...often the same principal is used when one uses a shield of protection or a dome of fog...I hope I'm explaining myself well enough here...anyone else is welcomed to hop right on in here and add some commentary... Does this help some Michelle?

Keslynn	15 Nov 2004
I only lightly focus on the question, if at all. The question has never been as important to me as the answer the tarot is giving. And what if it's a general reading and there is no real question? I've also found that if I focus too hard and emotionally on a question, the results are as crazy as my emotions are at the moment. :) Kes

seaofclouds	15 Nov 2004
pandora wrote: “ …… recent experiments suggest that clairvoyance and other psychic faculties are sometimes developed or released in meditation. One phenomenon which may occur in unusual mental states of this kind is psychokinesis, or the direct action of mind over matter ……” “Psychokinetic ability is more often exercised unconsciously..." I'm sorry, this may be a silly question, but it's something that I'm very interested in... Does this suggest that one is not "conscious" in meditative states? Because I sit zazen regularly, and can say that for me, I'm acutely aware of every little thought that is buzzing through my head when I practice. Maybe I am doing it wrong! Does it idicate what is meant by "unusual mental states"? Terms like this also throw me off. I think I understand about the psychokinetic ability exercised unconsiously-- example, I am very angry, and a dish falls off the table and shatters on the floor (this doesn't really happen to me, lol). But that seems like a physical manifestation of emotional response. I mean, I am not thinking of the dish. Whereas when I shuffle the cards, I am thinking of the cards. Hmm. I think I'm confusing myself more! But I am interested in knowing more about the meditation stuff if someone could clarify a bit... Thanks, Sea

WolfSpirit	15 Nov 2004
WhiteRaven wrote: Grounding...this is different. It's a form of meditation where you envision yourself becoming part of the earth...growing roots into the earth..roots of light from your inner "chi"...ummm...often the same principal is used when one uses a shield of protection or a dome of fog...I hope I'm explaining myself well enough here...anyone else is welcomed to hop right on in here and add some commentary... I found this website also helpful: http://www.psipog.net/activepsy/contents.html For "Grounding" scroll down a bit under "Basic skills" in the left column.

pandora	15 Nov 2004
I didn’t really want to discuss meditation other than by recognizing many people do so before consulting the cards to “open the door” which allows the “acquisition of knowledge not accessible through the usual channels of the senses.” What I found interesting in the book was the notion that “through meditation we may be developing or releasing other unusual states” such as “psychokinesis, or the direct action of mind over matter ……” and that although this is “more often exercised unconsciously” “the shuffling of a pack of cards before they are ‘consulted’ is sometimes affected in this way.” Perhaps while concentrating on the question while shuffling we may be affecting “the cards, without any deliberate intention of doing so, in an order related to the question or problem at issue, and perhaps unconsciously calculated to produce the answer or advise which the reader would like to obtain.” …. Psychokinesis! Before I read I do meditate by shutting my eyes and picturing myself before a closed door holding out my right hand. When I am truly focused someone appears and we start to walk hand in hand towards this door. If I can maintain this picture and we go through the door it is then that I start to shuffle the question into the cards. Now if there is any truth to meditation opening up psychokinetic ability while shuffling perhaps it would better to keep my mind blank so that I do not unconsciously manipulate the cards and hinder what they are trying to communicate to me. I read more for myself and have often queried my ability to do so objectively. I also find it humorous and frustrating when my cards repeatedly move back to issues I don’t want to deal with or point out areas I know I need to work at but am desperately trying to ignore and avoid. Perhaps it is not the cards but myself that keep going back to these topics. Psychokinetic shuffling …… what do you think? Pandora

Michelle	15 Nov 2004
Blessings White Raven, Yes !! Your post is very helpful . Thank you . I think I have the same concept of grounding - although my method may seem odd. When I sit down in a chair to do a reading I picture tree roots growing from my body into the ground. I also use White Light protection. But, I still sometimes have a hard time focusing. Perhaps I am trying too hard. Thank you for your help ~ Love, Michelle

Michelle	15 Nov 2004
Blessings WolfSpirit ~ Thank you for the website - it has great information. Love, Michelle

SunChariot	15 Nov 2004
pandora wrote: “Remembering that the reader has the ‘meanings’ of the cards in his head to begin with, it is conceivable that he might psychokinetically affect the shuffle. The effect would be to arrange the cards, without any deliberate intention of doing so, in an order related to the question or problem at issue, and perhaps unconsciously calculated to produce the answer or advise which the reader would like to obtain. Thanks for sharing pandora. I found that article interesting. I know the cards work. but some days is seems like a mystery how they do it. :-) But I think, in my experience, I have been not just getting the answers I what to hear, but I have been getting the truth. And the answers are giving me just what I need to here to improve my life as much as possible. A nd these have not been always things I have been consciously wanting. Sometimes they have told me things I really really did not want to hear, but it turned out that was the best for me and was more condusive to my ultimate happiness. And I know at least for me, the more I study Tarot the more I see strange synchronicities happening. And/or I will do a reading and two minutes later a Tarot newsletter ofmy horoscope shows up saying the exact same thing. I feel that the Tarot just lets you plug into a deeper sourse of wisdom, connects you to all. My favourite explanation is from the first oneline site I read on Tarot. http://www.learntarot.com/course.htm#lessons To me this is still what I think it is. "If there is a meaning in a reading, where does it come from? I believe it comes from that part of ourselves that is aware of the divine source of meaning. This is an aspect of the unconscious, yet it is much more. It acts as a wise advisor who knows us well. It understands what we need and leads us in the direction we need to go. Some people call this advisor the soul, the superconscious, or the higher self. I call it the Inner Guide because that is the role it plays in connection with the tarot. Each of us has an Inner Guide that serves as a fountain of meaning for us. Your Inner Guide is always with you because it is a part of you. You can't destroy this connection, but you can ignore it. When you reach for your tarot deck, you signal to your Inner Guide that you are open to its wisdom. This simple act of faith allows you to become aware of the guidance that was always there for you. We are meant by nature to rely on the wisdom of our Inner Guide, but somehow we have forgotten how to access it. We trust our conscious minds instead, and forget to look deeper. Our conscious minds are clever, but unfortunately, they just don't have the full awareness we need to make appropriate choices day by day. When we are operating from our conscious minds, we often feel as if events are forced upon us by chance. Life seems to have little purpose, and we suffer because we do not really understand who we are and what we want. When we know how to access our Inner Guide, we experience life differently. We have the certainty and peace that comes from aligning our conscious will with our inner purpose. Our path becomes more joyous, and we see more clearly how we bring together the scattered elements of our lives to fulfill our destinies. I use the tarot because it is one of the best tools I have found to make the whispers of my Inner Guide more available consciously. The ideas, images and feelings that emerge as I work through a reading are a message from my Inner Guide. How do I know there is a message, and it's not just my imagination? I don't, really. I can only trust my experience and see what happens. You do not really need the tarot to access your Inner Guide. The cards serve the same function as Dumbo's magic feather. In the Disney movie, Dumbo the Elephant really could fly on his own, but he didn't believe it. He placed all his faith on the special feather he held in his trunk. He thought this feather gave him the power to fly, but he found out differently when it blew away, and he was forced to fall back on his own resources. The tarot cards may help you fly until you can reach your Inner Guide on your own. Don't worry for now about how this might happen. Just play with the cards, work through the lessons and exercises, and see if you don't experience a few surprises. " Hope you find some of this interesting.:-) Bar (aka bardia)

TheLovers2	17 Nov 2004
SunChariot wrote: You do not really need the tarot to access your Inner Guide. The cards serve the same function as Dumbo's magic feather. In the Disney movie, Dumbo the Elephant really could fly on his own, but he didn't believe it. He placed all his faith on the special feather he held in his trunk. He thought this feather gave him the power to fly, but he found out differently when it blew away, and he was forced to fall back on his own resources. The tarot cards may help you fly until you can reach your Inner Guide on your own. Don't worry for now about how this might happen. Just play with the cards, work through the lessons and exercises, and see if you don't experience a few surprises. Bar (aka bardia) Bardia/SunChariot: I enjoyed and agreed with much of what you said. I do want to add that, indeed, I feel that the Tarot is a tool to help connect with, but, I do not rely on that tool to access intuition, divine knowledge, revelations, etc. I definitely do not place my faith in Tarot, although, I interact with the Tarot faithfully. Well, I do everything with faith in mind, much the way someone might who is a believer in a positive mental attitude. :) I may not refer to "an inner guide," but, regardless of the moniker, it is more or less the same thing and I can say I was accessing it long before I became involved with Tarot. I have always been introspective and have gotten a great deal of a similar sort of information through prayer. I use the Tarot along with prayer, now. I agree that one does not NEED it, but, it is a very good aide. Well, then again, maybe some might in order to "get them tuned in." As for the original post of this Thread: definitely interesting to ponder and I'm still at it. :) TL2 :TLOVE

SunChariot	17 Nov 2004
seaofclouds wrote: But I am interested in knowing more about the meditation stuff if someone could clarify a bit... Thanks, Sea Here is a quote from my Mary Greer book (my favourite Tarot book :-) ) called Tarot for Your Self--a Workbook for Personal Transfomation. She calls it a relaxation/grounding exercise and suggests you do this meditation before a reading: "Take 3 deep breaths: pull the air first into the bottom of your lungs and slowly fill them to the top. Your stomach should expand. Hold for 3 counts. Exhale by pushing the air from the top of your lungs, expelling until the bottom is completely empty and your stomach is pulled in. Hold for a count of 3 before inhaling again. Continue to breath in the same slow careful way. On every exhalation visualize all your cares and tensions leaving through the soles of your feet. On every inhalation, draw up revitalized energy through the soles of your feet. Picture yourself as a tree drawing up nourishment from Mother Earth and releasing the waste matter of your life. Continue to do this until you have established a regular, even rhythm to your breathing. Try to maintain this even breath through the rest of this exercise. Next, as you inhale, visualize bringing the vital energy or sap from Mother Earth all the way up through your body and out through the crown of your head, releasing it into the atmosphere around you as sparkling golden dust, creating an oval cloud around you. Feel the sensation of well-being and health that this energy brings. On your next inhalation, connect with a point of light about 18 inches above your head and draw down a ray of light into your heart. When you exhale, this ray of gold radiates out from your heart in all directions." Hope you find this interesting. Bar (formerly bardia)

SunChariot	17 Nov 2004
PS, For obvious reasons , it's less effective if you have to stop and read while doing this. You can tape record it, and or just keep practicing until you remember the steps. Bar

The to concentrate on the question? thread was originally posted on 14 Nov 2004 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.