If you asked me about this stuff five years ago, I’d shudder in horror at the thought of engaging in such “sinful” activities. I wouldn’t have even cared to learn about it due to the common misconception that it was demonic or meaningless fun. How could cards, numbers and stars predict or dictate the stages of my life and their significance? It didn’t sound logical by any means and I wasn’t intending on partaking in any activities related to it.
That was until November 2017. A local store that sold crystals, The Bodhi Tree, attracted my and my mother’s attention. And while it was fun to look at the stones and crystals said to attract certain energies, a tarot reader providing her services at the store was what drew us back to the store a week later. At the time, I wanted nothing to do with the craft and only went in order to observe the reading.
Right away, this woman named Amy revealed future travels coming our way in the next year. She even highlighted a significant trip that involved three of us traveling to meet two people, who lived far away. In December 2018, we ended up doing just that; my mom, my brother and I planned a trip to London with my aunt and cousin, who lived in another country. Some of her predictions coming true was the first step in drawing me into spirituality; I started seeing it in a more positive light.
I was never one to get frequent readings due to how expensive they are, and one can never be too sure about a reader’s true intentions. Some are scammers trying to abuse the craft for financial gain or customer exploitation. After my experience with Amy, however, I became more open to the idea of receiving readings for fun. I also became drawn to the idea that someone could predict my future. However, I could only focus on such matters for a number of years, until the coronavirus lockdowns trapped me indoors. Everyone can surely agree that COVID brought out some eccentric habits and hobbies in people. My eccentric habits and hobbies were essentially an overwhelming dose of pick-a-card readings on YouTube and a deep dive into astrology.
Almost two years have passed since I embarked on this journey of spirituality, and this process continues to fuel my soul and teach me wise lessons about life and why it happens the way it does.
Originally, Tarot captured my eye due to its ability to “tell me my future.” However, now that I’ve actually purchased cards and am learning the craft myself, I can attest that this specific perception is untrue. What Tarot is capable of doing is giving you advice regarding a potential future if the present vibrations are maintained. This means that the outcome can change if one chooses to change their path in the present, further validating free will. Tarot’s messages are also largely interpreted from visuals, which tend to symbolically reflect the nature of each card and its significance. In this way, a tarot spread tells a story that is meant to provide clarity to the subject of the reading. Each card has a unique meaning and way of interpretation, and its messages are dependent on the context and formulation of the question and situation. Tarot is not black and white, which is why readers can take years and decades to perfect their craft and eye for the cards. Readers can also reference astrological placements during their sessions, which is what increased my curiosity in astrology.
One important component of astrology is understanding that a person is more than their sun sign. We are, in truth, a multitude of signs: Moon, Venus, Rising, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury among others. We can see these signs collected in a unique arrangement referred to as a birth chart. In order to calculate this information, all you need is your birthday, birth time, and place of birth. Birth charts also reveal twelve houses, which each represent an area of life. Houses, planet placement, and signs in each house affect one another significantly and leave room for interpretation regarding their influence manifesting. There are also different types of astrology from culture to culture. Western astrology, most commonly used in the Western world, bases charts on the four seasons. Vedic astrology, the traditional Hindu system of astrology, makes calculations based on the changing constellations. Perhaps one of the key lessons in understanding astrology is no placement is inherently bad, and no one is stuck to “follow” what their chart says. Each placement comes with its own challenges and eases, and everybody has the free will to live their life the way they wish.
Overall, I can say that I have grown an intense need and desire to know that there is something greater than myself that keeps us all in order. Because of my intense inquiring about these matters, I’ve grown more peaceful about the feeling that I am not alone. I feel like I can always seek help in times of difficulty, and am grateful for all of the good and bad in my life.