The best way to know if a reading is accurate? Start the reading based on something you can verify; Something in the present or past. I often like to start a reading with what I call a "reflection spread" reflecting the current situation, perhaps how they someone is feeling, or what the main worry is right now. That way I can get feed back straight away, and know that my connection & reading is accurate. In a face to face reading, this is a natural first step. It also helps my client focus on how I can help them. People often come to me with one question in their mind, and another in their heart. This initial reading can help them decide what they want the rest of the reading to focus upon

A topic with a lot of controversy! What is a third party reading? Any reading that is not directly focused on the person sat in front of you. I would say we all do third party readings To a degree I argue that all Tarot readers MUST include some third party readings, because every client I have ever read for has had a problem that includes "others" somewhere. Whether it is work colleagues, issues with parents from childhood, past partners or current relationships we are a mixed tangle of our relationships, and they have to be reflected & addressed in a tarot reading. It is a matter of "degree" The important distinction each Tarot reader must make, for themselves, is the degree of third par

The 16 court-cards are an intimate reflection of you. The different roles you play, the different sides of you. They can reflect the best, and the worst of you. Separate the 16 court cards from the rest of the deck. Now look through them, one by one and create a pile of those you don't like. I am asking you to be very subjective here. I know each card contains a balance of blessings, wisdom & difficulties.... But lets try and imagine they are real people; Which one would you dread being stuck with? (o.k if I was stuck in a lift the knight of wands or swords would be a nightmare- all that pent up energy...) Now, imagine you are away at a conference, you have to split into pairs and talk for t

Stav is the family wisdom tradition, based upon knowledge of the runes, of the Hfskojld family. They lived in a remote part of Norway and built the tradition over fifteen hundred years. Stav teachers can trace their teacher’s lineage back to Ivar Hfskojld. I was taught by Master Shaun Brass-field Thorpe, who was taught by Ivar. These are my thoughts on Stav, and I was (obviously) very influenced by Shaun. I am not holding this up to "be" the truth about Stav, rather this is my truth about Stav. A living tradition that has changed my life, and continues to be the foundation of everything I do. But what is Stav? I think of Stav as a multi-disciplined wisdom tradition, based upon the 16 rune

One of the best ways to understand the Tarot court cards is to connect them with your life, and people you know. Several years ago my husband and I decided to paint some rooms in our home. We agreed to paint one room each; I would take the kitchen and he would take the lounge. I am very much a Knight of wands when it comes to getting things done; Jump in, start straight away & work it out as I go along. My husband is the Knight of pentacles when it comes to jobs; Preparation is the key to success. So I (heavily pregnant and with 2 young children) painted the kitchen the next day. I found some old yellow paint, which I mixed with some left over white- to make it go a little further. I used th