I love the Hierophant, it is one of the cards that is my greatest inspirations, and has shaped my whole approach to Tarot... The pair of crossed keys- owner of wisdom I find this to be one of the most important images in the card, a pair of crossed keys. Keys represent power, and ownership. The Hierophant owns his knowledge, and he has laid both keys on the floor in an open gesture of giving. What do the keys represent? The keys to heaven & earth, inner & outer journey, sun & moon?- perhaps they are all different ways of saying the same thing. What matters is the Hierophant is offering you both keys, not holding one back for himself. A true Hierophant will not only teach you, but will teach

As a Shaman healer it is often my job to take a symptom (ear ache, back pain, lack of self esteem, depression etc) and trace it back- into the unconscious & possibly past life to find the core wound. What pain, or shock, or trauma happened that is now reflected in the symptoms my client is showing? This isn't about replacing a health care professional, it is appreciating that we are complex & many of our problems are rooted in our emotional & energetic bodies. Part of my shaman's journey is too look deeply at my own shadow self, because if I don't then how can I help others on this journey? Sometimes it can be a difficult path, especially when I have built friends, family, habits, a charac

I've reflected on the most common reasons people have a Tarot reading with me, and how I am able to help them... #5 Validation & honest acceptance. We all need to connect with some-one who will listen to our truth. Life is complicated, and often it is hard to be really honest about our feelings, fears, sadness, regret, or a multitude of other emotions. I have found that when I reflect how someone is feeling- through the tarot- it is a very useful part of the reading. I can empathize with your feelings, and you can be completely honest with me. No judgement, no criticism, just honesty & acceptance. "I just don't have adequate words to thank you. I do feel I can be honest with you Maddy. I'

I have come to be very aware if the Devil crops up with either the ace or 8 of wands (& sometimes both!) they are "light-bulb" cards, let me explain, Over the years certain cards have taken on quite personal meanings. Often these are the cards that were prominent in a reading for me that I din't fully get until after the event. This is of course the main advantage to a Tarot journal, often the readings make even more sense when you can look back on them and compare them to what actually happened in your life. Some years ago I was stalked by the 8 of wands. None of the traditional interpretations seemed to make sense, yet there it was time and time again. I had a very close and good friend, w

I wanted to reflect and share some of my experiences with shaman healing. Often one of the first things I offer a new client is a check for psychic daggers. It is a gentle start to the session allowing me and the client to connect. I had never really considered Psychic Daggers before they were covered on the course I am attending with Evelyn Brodie. I did believe that focused words & thoughts can harm others, even if the sender isn't aware of this. It's just not something I had ever taken the time to think through. When I check for psychic daggers I use my pendulum to dowse a clients body. Everyone's pendulum is different, I know there is a psychic dagger because the pendulum will stop rota

As a shaman & a tarot reader I see my skills blend, there is no clear line between the two. One of the healings I regularly carry out is a “soul retrieval” A client will present with an issue- perhaps difficulty in trusting, high anxiety, low self esteem. My job as shaman is not to treat the symptom, but to journey back to the source wound. What originally happened to my client to cause this reaction? Often it can be something quite simple that happened in childhood & was mis-understood at the time. What was a great way of coping at the time has now become a self-limiting habit. I want to make it clear, the vast majority of the cases I work with are not abuse of any kind, just simple childho

#1 I don't have enough experience Honestly- this is an excellent reason not to go pro ( hear me out) because being a professional tarot reader can be tough. However many times you say to clients "I am reading to help you to make the right decisions" clients will make decisions based upon your reading. That is a huge responsibility, and I think it is important to take it seriously. When do you have enough experience? Only you can really answer that (no certificate can replace inner awareness). But be very mindful of the responsibility you hold as a professional tarot reader. How can you gain experience? This is the one area I don't think there are short cuts. The only way to gain experience

What is shaman healing? What happens, and what can you expect? The joy of shaman healing is that the shaman will adapt his tools to exactly meet your needs, and your belief system- so no two healings will ever be quite the same. I know what you should expect- to be respected and to feel safe. I have to be honest and say I have been to healers in the past where I did not feel this, and I am very cautious now about who I trust. So let me share a little about my healing session, with no expectation that if you book a healing session with a shaman it will be similar. This was my experience, and right for me. I'd like to say straight away that I felt totally respected and safe with George. I am u

I love the court cards, they are my favorite group of Tarot cards. I see Tarot reading as engaging in some one's life story, as a Tarot reader I try to help my client understand their story. So in many ways court cards are the most useful cards- they literally bring the spread to life. So here are my top tips for the court cards; Think of the court cards as a set. There are 16 court cards. How do you understand the knight of wands? By understanding how he is similar, yet different to the other knights. And the other wands. I always teach the court cards by comparing all 16, find how each card is similar, yet different. Each card is easier to understand with in the group of court cards. Think

I spend a fair amount of time driving my children around, and waiting for them in the car. I have always been a radio 4 addict. I don't listen to any other channel, I love the comedy, Archers, and the total mix of topics covered. Yesterday I heard John Cleese taking about the value of mistakes. He explored how acknowledging mistakes, and looking to learn from them was the secret to his success. It is easy when life is busy to plough headlong on, working harder and harder hoping that things will muddle through. I certainly struggle with the self discipline of spending time reflecting & planning. If I am not "working" (i.e doing & earning money) or creating content I would rather be with my fa