I started divination with channeling rather than cartomancy and found that very helpful in developing a free-flow of thought that doesn't come from the conscious mind but the subconscious. Channeling requires putting aside the thinking mind and letting it all come from somewhere, else.
This is great, Absynthe! You hit on a very important item here. That is to put aside the thinking mind. Not easy to do, but essential.
These days I will spend upwards of 1-2hrs a day in meditation as part of a specific therapy I'm engaged in. I used to positively yawn anytime someone would mention meditating, as if it's some tedious thing that's kind of unnecessary like a ritual just for the sake of it. But I was wrong about that. I've experienced some pretty incredible insights into my own life as a result this practice. I hardly use a tarot deck now, I've gone back to an oracle instead as it seems to match my free-flow of thoughts better these days.[/QUOTE]
Meditation is very beneficial in many, many ways, if you can make it a regular part of your day. I think to get the most out of it, you must be willing to devote time daily to this practice. When I use to, it was great for me. Unfortunately, I somehow got out of daily meditation like I use to do & trying to get back into it again. It's not easy for me this time to dedicate time on a daily basis. But, I keep trying.
Daily meditation can lead one to many gifts, including improving your intuition. But it doesn't stop there. Bravo to you devoting 1-2 hours to this daily!