Divining with a DECK OF CARDS

Did you know that you can read a regular deck of cards in much the same way that you read tarot? Well, there are some differences of course, but the point is that you CAN use a regular deck of cards that you get from the dollar store, for divination purposes! 

Is it just as accurate? 

The short answer is YES! A deck of cards is absolutely accurate for divination purposes! In fact, this form of divination is not new and has a name: CARTOMANCY... Divining with cards.

So, let's learn the basics of just how to do this method!

OK... There are FOUR Suites...

A deck of cards is simple. It has four suites. Each suite represents a different aspect of life, and are similar to the suite meanings in tarot. 

Diamonds represent money, success, power and energy. 

Hearts represent love, emotions, healing and pleasure

Clubs represent work, progress/growth, social interactions and business. 

Spades represent swords/struggles, hurdles, obstacles or decisions to be made.

Generally speaking, the diamonds and hearts will signify a positive answer or an easier road on the path in question; whereas the clubs and spades will signify a negative answer or a more difficult or challenging path. 

But the NUMBERS?!?!?!

Now that we have the suites and colors down, it will be important to look at the numbers and the court cards. If you are adept at numerology, you will find the numbers on each card fairly simple to read. However, if you are new to numerology here is a simple explanation. 

1. beginnings (the start of something new)
2. cooperation (two people generally cooperate with each other)
3. Expansion (as in a couple who has a child, expands the family)
4. security (a table is solid and secure with four legs)
5. activity (this indicates some chaos at times, things are way more active)
6. communication 
7. spirituality (7 is often a number associated with spirituality)
8. inspiration
9. changes
10. success (you've reached the final pinnacle)

Here is a good story to remember these number meanings (taken from Cartomancy: Fortune Telling with Playing Cards by Julian Moore)

We all begin alone (1). We couple up (2) and bring life into the world (3) before we make a home with four walls (4). There is much activity as the child learns and grows (5) and before long the child learns to communicate (6) and ask big questions about the world around him (7). Finally he is inspired to go out into the world (8) and make a difference (9) and be successful (10). He's now alone (1) and the cycle begins again. 

Court Cards... Oh, My!

We also have the court cards to deal with. These are not as difficult as you may think. They are generally speaking of people in your life, known or unknown at the time. 

Jacks, as in Tarot, are youthful characters. They are also messengers or speak of a message coming your way. 

Queens are female people in your life, and related to the suite that they appear. Thus a queen of spades may be a judge, police officer or someone who is an authority figure. Whereas the queen of hearts may indicate a female who is a motherly figure or a close friend. 

Kings are males in your life. Think: husband, father, boss or superior at work, a wealthy man you know. 

What about the joker? 

Well, there are many people that leave the joker out of the deck as he wasn't included in the original card decks until about 1870 or so. However, if you choose to leave the joker in the deck and use him, he would often be akin to the Fool in Tarot. This could mean being careless or carefree in life. 

When doing a simple spread, think of the first card as the subject of the matter and the second card will shed light on that subject. Each card reveals something about the card before it. Alternately, you can use spreads that you use for tarot readings if you'd like. 

Have you ever used divination with playing cards? If not, I challenge you to pick up a deck of cards at the dollar store and begin to play around with them! If you choose to, while learning, you can write the meanings on each card! Try simple 1, 2 and 3 card spreads and see how you do! 

Find me on the web at www.ravenhaze.com and on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/ravenhazehealingdivination. I will be posting a LIVE video showing this method in more detail during the week!

Are you in a CREATIVE SLUMP?? Add Fire!

Fire Qualities 

Have you ever sat in front of a bon-fire or fireplace and found yourself mesmerized by the flames? Or even lit a candle and found yourself getting into a sort of trance state as you focus on the candle flame? 

Fire gazing can actually put you in a meditative state. One of the qualities of fire is that it is both creative and destructive. Fire is one of the five elements (fire, water, earth, air and spirit). The element of fire can spark creativity within us and drive us forward with passion. Consider the old adage of "lighting a fire within her"; which speaks of that spark of passion and creativity within a person. Fire is a motivator! It is loaded with energy that is just begging to be released! This release could come in a destructive form; or, if directed so, can come in a much more creative and empowering form. 

DeviantArt.com

So, why should I care about this in MY life???

Often we may have a clear plan (for our business or spiritual life or relationship or whatever it is you're focusing on at the moment)... this is the earth element at work. 

But lack of forward progress, or feeling like you've hit a plateau, would mean you may want to add more of the fire element into your life. You need to get that spark of passion and get those creative juices flowing ~ and this is where the fire element comes in! And we've all been there! You know the steps you need to take to work your business or grow spiritually, but you're just not feeling it! Motivation has left the building! 

Every week I make a list of each of the things I have to do to work my business, for example. (Yes... every week it is- for the most part - the same items on that list!) But some weeks I'm just not feeling that spark to create a video, or even a blog post for that matter! I've hit a plateau. Nothing creative is coming to mind when I try to think of what I want to write about or speak about. And even worse than that, I am not "excited" about doing any of it! These are the times I need to add that fire element into my life! And I can tell you from my experience, that it is tremendously helpful!

How do you bring the fire element into your life?

In my opinion, the best way is to sit in front of a fire or even a candle flame and meditate a bit. Unfortunately, we don’t always have access to a bon-fire or even a fireplace in the home; but we often have candles around! While the heat is not nearly as intense, the flickering of the flame is just as mesmerizing. However, knowing this is not always practical and certainly not something that you can do all the time, there are some other ways to incorporate the element of fire into your life when you need a little more passion and spark!

Adding colors that correspond to the fire element to your wardrobe can have a significant effect. Wearing shades of red, orange, and yellow offer a constant reminder to your subconscious. Set your intention as you put that red shirt on in the morning, that you are asking for the fire element to be infused into your life today. 

Prepare foods with herbs that are associated with the fire element; again asking that as you consume these foods, that the fire element aids in bringing that spark back to your life that you desire. Some common herbs that are associated with fire include cinnamon, chili's, ginger and even garlic. 

Carry stones and crystals with you that are associated with the element of fire. It is best that they be near your body and touching your skin- if wear a bra they can be placed in there! If not, consider jewelry with these stones. You can place a few tumbled stones in your pocket and reach for them throughout your day, thereby touching them with your hands as well. Look for stones such as Jasper, Ruby and Bloodstone when looking for those associated with the fire element. Some of the less common options might be Volcanic Stone or Fire Opal. 

I challenge you to make a conscious effort to add the fire element into your life this week! Try one of the ideas we talked about above and watch the passion and creativity spark in your own life!

Share your experiences in the comments below! Check out my YouTube video which provides an overview of ALL of the elements!!

Find me on the web at www.ravenhaze.com and grab your FREE PDF file on developing your own clair-abilities! 
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Spirit Guides... say whaaaat???

We've all probably heard people talk about their spirit guides, but what - or who - are they actually referring to when they say that? 

It's been said that Spirit guides are incorporeal beings that are assigned to us before we are born that help nudge and guide us through life. They're responsible for helping us fulfill the spiritual contract we make with ourselves before we incarnate. (link here). And I believe this is an excellent description of who or what spirit guides ARE. 

Do they speak to us? Can we speak to THEM?

Spirit guides are here to help us to navigate through this life of ours. They are always available to us if only we take some time to listen to what they're saying and connect with them. They communicate with us in a variety of ways, primarily through our "sixth sense" or intuition. When you get those gut feelings (clairsentience) it is often the result of your spirit guides sending you a message about something or someone. 

Sometimes, spirit guides will speak to us by showing us physical signs. You may see a bumblebee at a time of year that bumblebees shouldn't even be around. Or you may see repeating numbers pop up each time you look at a clock or when you get a receipt back from the store. Looking up the symbolic meaning of the things you notice will help to clarify the message the spirit guides are giving you. 

Other times, our spirit guides may come to us in dreams. This is why it's important to keep a dream journal near your bed; so you can write it down as soon as you wake up and before you forget the dream! Later on, you can research the symbolic meanings of the various aspects of your dream to get clarity on the message! 

If you haven't already noticed, there's a theme here... Spirit tends to speak in symbols! This can make it a bit challenging for many people to determine the actual message, but the symbolic meanings are often easily found online when you take the time to look into them. 

So, how can you better connect with YOUR spirit guides? 

The key is to pay attention to the signs! Trust that the messages that you're receiving through your intuition or dreams is coming from a place of unconditional love and support for you. Speak to them. And even more importantly, ask them to show you signs and help give you direction. Alternately, you can easily find fabulous spirit guide meditations or sleep hypnosis tracts on YouTube which offer a guided method to connect with your guides. This is particularly useful for many of us who may have difficulties with meditation or even focus. 

I challenge you to make one small effort to connect with YOUR guides. 

Before going to bed at night, focus on a question. Ask your guides to show you a message in your dreams. And when you wake up, write it down right away! OR... ask them to give you a sign during your day regarding your question and make sure to pay attention as you go about your daily activities for any signs you may encounter. Be sure to thank them for the signs! 

Check out my web page for a FREE pdf file on developing your CLAIR abilities! www.ravenhaze.com and find me on Facebook! 

Do you support your people?

How can I show my friend that I support his or her endeavors in this digital age?

 1.  Click LIKE! 

 This means, click the like button on their PAGE, click like on their posts, click HEART on their Instagram pics, click the heart on their tweets, click thumbs up on their YouTube videos. Literally takes a second of your time.

 2.  SUBSCRIBE… 

 or Join… or whatever it’s called on whatever platform! Subscribe to their YouTube channel. Join their Facebook groups. Follow them on Twitter.

 3.  COMMENT. 

 Yeah... this will take a few more seconds of your time than clicking like; but it just kind of goes the extra mile or so. Throw down a comment here and there. It won’t hurt… promise.

 4.  SHARE their shit!! 

 I have connections that have blogs about working out. I hate working out. But guess what? I value my relationships more than I value my dislike for exercise. So, I share that shit. I have friends who do divination. I do divination. Guess what… I still share their shit! 

 There’s more than enough business in this world to go around! Sharing is Caring. And sharing is probably the absolute BEST thing you can do to show someone support!

 5.  REFER YOUR FRIENDS TO YOUR FRIENDS! 

 Have you ever been perusing a Facebook group and come across a post asking about a topic – and you automatically think of that one person you know who DOES that topic? 

 Just the other day, I saw a post inquiring about past life readings. I don’t do those. But I know someone who does. So, even though there were a few other comments, I piped in and gave my friends link. 

 Yeah, it took a few more minutes than clicking like. But I would hope that if someone saw a post where someone was asking about Reiki classes, or Medium readings; that one of MY friends would throw down MY name and info.

 6.  SHOW UP! 

 This is a part of just being “PRESENT” for your friends. I had a friend just the other day do a LIVE video on Facebook. It happened to be a topic I was already familiar with. In fact, I could have done that Live video myself. 

 You know what I did? I watched that video. And I invited others to watch that video. And I clicked the thumbs up and the heart buttons here and there. True, I was making dinner at the time. But I knew my friend was going to be doing the Live video and I knew that if it were me, I’d want the support of my friends- my tribe.  

 What will YOU do to show your support to your people? Your tribe? Those relationships you've developed online? What can you do today? Because, there will come a time when YOU will need that support... and you will be glad that you've already built a strong foundation. 

 It takes a LOT of work to market a small business on social media. It's not as easy as people make it look. It's time consuming for one thing. You become a graphic designer, writer, artist, financial guru, and advertising specialist. And that is in ADDITION to whatever product or service that person is selling! For many small business entrepreneurs; their business is their bread and butter. That is how they make a living. So... in an effort to prevent your entrepreneurial friend from knocking on your door one day asking to sleep on your couch because they are HOMELESS.. why not show them some support instead! ;) 

   

 If you've read this far... I love ya. I love my tribe. I love my fellow entrepreneurs. Let's help each other to GROW!

 Find me on the web at www.ravenhaze.com and on Facebook

Got Haters?? Good for you!!

Haters... we all have them! Even if you don't really KNOW you have them... it's most likely that you DO have at least ONE! 

For the most part, nobody likes the haters! We'd much rather surround ourselves with our tribe... our fans. Those are the ones who stand by us through thick and thin. They support our endeavors and encourage us to keep pressing forward. Those are our PEOPLE! 

But what of the haters? They make us feel crappy. They are completely un-supportive. They just lurk around, checking out what you're up to, so they can pass judgement. What can possibly be good about THAT?

Well, let's look at what's good about having a few haters! 

For one thing, haters love to see what you're up to! This means they are watching your videos and checking out your posts on social media! How does that help you? Well, they are actually increasing your view counts and helping to improve your analytics! Rock on haters!! 

Another way that those haters will help you is by sharing your stuff! Oh, now we know their intention is to share it with people they know to say "hey, look at what this psycho is up to now!"; but they are SHARING none-the-less! 

And what happens when they share? Well, the people that view THEIR shares are going to see YOUR posts and YOUR videos! And, they may be haters too! But they too are helping to improve your view counts and analytics! 

And sometimes, someone a hater shares to will take a look and think differently than the hater. Sometimes, that friend of the hater will be pretty impressed and wonder why the hater has so much hate. And that person will become an unknown ally; possibly a client. 

I know this all sounds pretty simplistic and easier said than done. The fact is that when a hater makes a negative comment or post directed towards you, it hurts. It's as though old wounds are opening and vinegar is being poured over them. It leaves a sting and that sting can send you crawling back into your hole filled with shame and fear of putting yourself out there again. 

But what if we changed our perception a bit? 

What if, instead of allowing those words from the haters to pierce the old wounds and re-open them; we altered our thinking and trained our brains to see them in a positive way?

What if we conditioned our minds to equate hateful comments with growth instead? Purposefully thinking, each time we encounter those negative people, that they are instrumental in our spiritual growth. So that rather than giving in to that "sting" we are able to push through it easier and in the process we become stronger. 

I challenge you to make a conscious effort to train your brain to associate the sting of a haters comment to personal growth and success. After all, we are in control of our mind and thus our emotional responses to our thoughts. So, take control! Run that "brain factory" the way YOU want it to be run... for YOUR highest good! 

Share your experiences in the comments below! Got Haters? That must mean you're on the right track!

Check out my web page at www.ravenhaze.com and find me on Facebook HERE! Make sure you check out my closed Facebook Group for more discussion! (Closed Group Raven Haze HERE!)

Can Kindness Heal?

Emotional Pain? Not I...

I do believe that many of our physical illnesses are made that much worse by the addition of emotional hurt and pain. I also believe that the only two (main) emotions that all of the other emotions come from; are fear and love. So, it makes sense to me that emotional pain stems from a place of fear and an absence of love, at a particular point in our lives. 

When someone hurts us it leaves an emotional scar deep in our inner most being. And this hurt and pain manifests itself in our lives through depression, sadness or withdrawn behavior. It may even rear its head through expressions of anger or resentment or even unkind words. 

Most days I don't consider myself to be in need of emotional healing. 'That's okay for others, but I'm good!' as I focus on growth and manifestation and all that positive stuff. But, then something happens. I may see a post on Facebook that is quite hurtful and hits a nerve. Or someone says something when I'm at the grocery store that has an air of nastiness to it. And it's at those times that I realize, that I, too, could use some emotional healing. Clearly, there are old wounds that open up during certain situations. 

Today I did some meditation as I normally do; but this time I took it a step further and channeled the goddess energy for insight. The primary message that I kept getting was to focus on love. But what the heck does that mean?? 

Often spirit speaks in a vague way! Mainly through symbols or short phrases, which can be a bit frustrating for left brain people! But what she was saying was so simple, in fact; that I just needed to accept it for its simplicity. 

She spoke of being kind and simply letting kindness enter your being.. your mind, your thoughts, your speech. As I am sarcastic by nature, showing kindness on a daily basis can be quite a challenge. That probably sounds very odd to the people that DO show kindness daily! 

So, what exactly does it mean to show kindness?

Part of showing kindness means to give of yourself. Even if all you can give is your time. By giving of yourself you are opening doors and making connections; human connections. And by showing kindness to others, you are in fact; showing kindness to YOURSELF. 

Not only does an act of kindness make someone else happy- it also does the same for you. When you show kindness, your brain releases a chemical called dopamine which produces happiness in YOU. Studies have also shown that acts of kindness can actually reduce stress levels; and we all know the health benefits of THAT! I was shown that this simple act can actually OPEN DOORS to emotional healing.

It sounds almost too simple. And yet, even though it IS simple; I realize that I have seen the effectiveness of it. You see, I use a pendulum to change energy in that way regularly. Using a pendulum, we can eliminate a negative and bring in a positive. When using it for emotional healing, we eliminate the negative emotion present and add in the corresponding positive emotion to replace it. 

Replacing emotional hurt and fear with love and kindness. 

But stepping outside of your comfort zone to show kindness can leave you open and vulnerable... vulnerable to even more hurt, right? No doubt, it is hard to show kindness when we are hurting emotionally. And yet, showing kindness is one way that we can begin to heal ourselves. Focusing on love and kindness rather than focusing on our inner pains and fears. Essentially, sending our energy outward to produce a positive effect INWARD. 

Just for today, let's be vulnerable and try to show some kindness to someone! In fact, let's challenge ourselves to make an effort to show ONE person some kindness each day. And watch the changes that occur in OURSELVES as we begin a journey towards emotional healing. 

Share your experiences in the comments below! What act of kindness did you show? How has it impacted YOU?

Find me on the web at www.ravenhaze.com and on Facebook HERE. Don't forget to join the closed Facebook group for more videos and discussions... Raven Haze Group