A Tarot Reader's Perspective On Public Relations

Tarot - My Conversation Starter

I spent 2 days at a PR conference recently in my capacity as the head of corporate marketing and communications of a financial organization.  I met peers from different companies, some were multinational companies, and some were start-ups.  Throughout the conference, I made comments, and asked questions via Twitter.  Other PR professionals at the conference did the same and some engaged in a lively conversation with me about specific topics that were covered at the conference.

My Twitter handle is @SunGoddessTarot.  Obviously, my discussions at the conference were not about Tarot, but about the role, function, opportunities and challenges of PR professionals like myself.  My Twitter handle might have caused a few raised eyebrows because during the tea and lunch breaks, I had a lot of conference participants come up to me to ask what I actually did for a living, so I gave them my “holding statement” and told them that I was a Marketing and Communications professional by trade and a Tarot reader and Numerologist by accident. 

That became a great conversation starter, and perhaps explained why I came home from the conference with my handbag filled with business cards, and a headache from doing impromptu numerology readings for quite a number of new friends whom I had made at the conference.   When I looked back at the exchanges between some of these PR professionals and myself during the 2 days at the conference, I was gratified that I need not have to explain my passion in Tarot and Numerology like I used to have to do so years ago when I first came out of the closet with my intuitive gifts.  Everyone I spoke to who came up to me because they were intrigued by my Twitter handle, were very opened minded.  One of them said to me “ If I do not have to explain my passion in music as I sing in a local rock band outside of my day job as a PR professional, why should you explain about your passion in Tarot and Numerology?”  Bless him.

Public Relations And Tarot

The openness I had experienced within my circle of new friends within the PR industry spurred me to think about some lessons Tarot could teach about PR.  Encouragingly, this was not far different from what I had learnt at the conference.  Here are some key take-outs from that conference that resonated with me – explained from the Tarotist’s point of view.

Conversations Management – 5 Of Wands

PR is the art of managing conversations online and offline.   A great PR professional will need to juggle between the malleable nature of the different media within which these conversations are held, whether they are spontaneous conversations about our brand and what consumers think about it, fuelled conversations about any content our brand pushes out through the line about our products, programs, or services, as well as direct conversations which could include a customer query or complaint.

The 5 of Wands is a perfect card to describe this.  It is a card that points to an environment full of differing opinions that could potentially escalate to tension and conflict. Amongst customers,  there are so many target audiences with varying needs and have different experiences with the brand.  Amongst them some  are brand advocates, some are detractors and others just have a passive opinion about a brand if they actually have one at all.   Differing opinions should be artfully turned into productive conversations with the aim of positively influencing the customer’s perspectives about our brand.  

PR With A Purpose – Ace of Swords

In order to manage these conversations productively amongst  customers, it is a PR professional’s role to help bind the different audience towards a clear purpose, and create positive conversations about this purpose.  That is why I pulled the Ace of Swords into the mix.  The Ace of Swords is a card that reflects a clear direction, and clarity of thought and purpose. During that conference, Jonathan Sanchez from Unilever spoke about PR with a Purpose.  Take a leaf from Unilever’s campaign Project Sunlight which aims to create a #brightfuture for the next generation.  When companies and  PR professionals can think beyond the top line and bottom line to deliver content that binds customers and the company around a single purpose, it is powerful enough to turn a negative opinion about a brand into a positive one, and significantly improve the customer’s consideration to buy. 

Telling Compelling Stories And Creating Quality Content –  The Empress

Mastering the art of story telling in PR is key.  In telling compelling stories, PR professionals are helping companies to build strong relationships with customers by  creating differentiated brand experiences. Every piece of content that PR professionals develop, plays into the brand’s overall message.  I use the Empress  to illustrate this point because she is the epitome of creative expression.  The Empress asks that one leverages all senses including touch, smell, sight, sound and taste to create fulfilling experiences....in the case of a PR professional, that would be content generate from these differentiated experiences.  She encourages one to connect with others through open communication and through nurturing relationships with authenticity.  PR professionals are called to create opportunities for brand to proactively engage with the customers. The Empress knows the art of telling a compelling story to influence people's opinions positively.  PR professionals should take a leaf from the Empress in Tarot.

My Skills As A PR Professional And A Tarot Reader

I am privileged to be straddling both paths as a PR professional and a Tarot reader.  These respective paths have taught me invaluable skills that I use interchangeably within each of these roles.  Thinking back, I might have made a mistake by describing Tarot reading as my passion because PR is a passion for me too.   In both roles, I have learnt to engage my target audiences with the art of telling the right stories, for the right purpose that help connect them to my brand.

About The Writer:

The writer of this blog post is a marketeer by trade, and a tarot card reader by accident. She was awarded a Certified Professional Tarot Reader qualification from the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA) and is also a certified numerologist.  She is currently running a Tarot consultancy based in Singapore called Sun Goddess Tarot,  which provides confidential intuitive readings combining the metaphysical disciplines of Tarot, Numerology and Astrology via face to face and emails as well as readings at corporate and private events and workshops.  A member of the American Tarot Association (ATA) and the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), she is also a reader for the Free Tarot Network and mentors Tarot protégés on behalf of the American Tarot Association

Website:www.sungoddesstarot.com
Email: Joanna@sungoddesstarot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot
Twitter:www.twitter.com/SunGoddessTarot
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Trusting My Intuition

Sniffing Out People Quite Easily

When you were introduced to a new colleague, or an acquaintance, how many times have you shaken his or her hands and whispered under your breath, “This person is more than meets the eye.”   Since I was little, I often tapped into my intuition to assess a person or a situation to help me make better decisions.  Even at work, as I juggled multiple projects, responded to tight deadlines, some of which were moving deadlines, and managed a team, it was often a good measure of experience and technical skills mixed with a large dose of intuition that helped me make important decisions.  Some of these decisions were career-defining ones. 

Even when I had performed a Myers Briggs assessment which was a psychometric test to understand my personality type, the results came up indicating that I was one who took an objective approach to problem-solving and used facts and figures to make decisions.  I was only interested in what was real and factual.  I was glad that this part of me, this objectivity, had honed me as a good manager at work, but I was even more glad that  over the years, as I walked my spiritual path, I trusted my intuition enough to make me an even better manager.

The High Priestess

The High Priestess card in Tarot was always a fantastic muse to encourage me to tap into my intuition whenever I picked the card to respond to a pressing issue. A spiritually enlightened being, she leveraged divine wisdom and her knowledge of the universe, to open my heart and mind to the subconscious.  As she sat behind the thin veil that separated her from the conscious and the subconscious mind, she transpired her soft whispers of guidance into my innermost thoughts.  The High Priestess would speak in her softest voice such that when I heard an inner voice that said, “Watch out, there could be a treacherous bend up ahead.’, I knew I had to be prepared for it.  I often used this phrase, “I saw the writing on the wall” when I made tough work or project decisions, significant career changes, or re-organized the team structure and  scope.  Sometimes, these decisions might raise some eyebrows but I trusted the High Priestess’ energy in me to assure myself that everything would turn out all right in the end.

“It is through science that we prove, but through intuition that we discover.’ – Henri Poincare

Below this blog post is a picture of the High Priestess from my very own deck which is still work in progress at the time of publication of this post.


The Moon

The Moon card in Tarot was another wonderful card that encouraged me to tap into my intuition to formulate a response whenever I felt that a situation was not right. It was a card that waved a red flag at me to wake me up to the fact that I had to confront my fears and anxieties when I sensed that there were undercurrents suggesting that these issues were caused by the hidden agendas of other people around me.  The Moon card almost always showed up in the face of office politics and career crossroads.  However, my experience has taught me that fear and anxiety would cripple us into inaction and was highly unproductive.  Leveraging my intuition to deal with these issues proactively instead, meant that I would be backed by a solid plan to help me maintain my resilience as I sailed into the murky waters of uncertainty.

“Fear is an illusion that creates a false sense of isolation existing only in your imagination.” – Jeraldine Saunders

Below this blog post is a picture of the Moon from the Book of Shadows Volume 2 – So Below Tarot deck created by Barbara Moore

Queen Of Cups

The Queen of Cups was yet another card that encouraged me to trust my intuition. The Queen embodied one who was compassionate and creative, yet intuitive and emotionally balanced.  She was emotionally balanced and controlled no matter what challenges were hurled her way. I had an ex-boss who was very much like this Queen when I worked for a local bank some years back.  She nurtured her team with a sense of calm and collectedness.  She made decisions after ensuring that everyone’s opinions and concerns were heard and understood.  She was slow to anger, and instead of reacting to actions that were contrary to her expectations, she took time to think through, process the intent behind these actions within her heart and mind, before deciding on what she had to do next.  She was highly intuitive and read people like a book.  Her intuition helped her discern how she should be developing each and every one of her team members.  She had about 50 people  in her team, definitely not an easy job.  It was also her intuition that helped her anticipate the changes that evolved later when an organizational restructure turned the company into an unrecognizable foreign bank.  She had been my mentor for years and I had emulated my management style on the way she used to manage our marketing department.  Almost 12 years after, I am still learning from her.

“The power of intuitive understanding will protect you from the harm till the end of your days.” – Lao Tzu

Below this blog post is a picture of the Queen of Cups from the Rosetta Tarot deck created by M.M. Meleen.

Trusting My Intuition

Trusting my intuition meant that I could effectively juggle a career as a marketing and communications professional at a multinational corporation with my passion as a certified professional Tarot reader and Numerologist.  Over and on top the skills and experience that I possessed, I also had to have a large dose of intuition to make big career and life decisions including those that impacted my family.   

I was once put down by a fellow Tarotist who had 30 years of experience under her belt.  She said, “So what if you had a Certified Professional Tarot Readers qualification?  I have 30 years of Tarot reading experience under my belt.”   Her words did not rock my confidence, It only strengthened my resolve to use my intuitive gifts to better serve my clients.   As my intuition had carried me through the ebbs and flows along the journey of my life and had been my guiding light every time my ship approached the rocky coast of life-changing moments, I have built the confidence to use that same intuition to guide my clients through their own journeys.

About The Writer:

The writer of this blog post is a marketeer by trade, and a tarot card reader by accident. She was awarded a Certified Professional Tarot Reader qualification from the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA) and is also a certified numerologist.  She is currently running a Tarot consultancy based in Singapore called Sun Goddess Tarot,  which provides confidential intuitive readings combining the metaphysical disciplines of Tarot, Numerology and Astrology via face to face and emails as well as readings at corporate and private events and workshops.  A member of the American Tarot Association (ATA) and the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), she is also a reader for the Free Tarot Network and mentors Tarot protégés on behalf of the American Tarot Association

Website:www.sungoddesstarot.com
Email: Joanna@sungoddesstarot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot
Twitter:www.twitter.com/SunGoddessTarot
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The High Priestess from my own deck - a work in progress.

The Moon from Barbara Moore's Book of Shadows Volume 2 - So Below Tarot deck

Queen of Cups from M.M. Meleen's Rosetta Tarot deck

What Does The Empress Card Convey About Being Your Own Brand?

My Skills As A Marketing Professional

I do not have 20 to 30 years of Tarot reading experience and I have not had many years of experience running a Tarot business.  However, I had spanned a career of almost 20 years managing brand development, marketing strategy and communications, with more than half of these spent at multi national corporations honing these skills and contributing to the growth of these organizations.

So what I could speak most comfortably and confidently about at the upcoming American Tarot Association's first Online Tarot Conference this weekend, was about marketing.  I agreed to do a presentation on Strategic Marketing Techniques For Tarot Businesses, because along my amazing journey with Tarot, I had the privilege and the opportunity to help support the growth of some of my fellow Tarotists' businesses alongside my own, with tried and tested tips that I had picked up along the way as a marketing and communications professional.

Using My Skills To Market My Tarot Business

When I mentioned numerous times before that I loved welding my skills as a marketeer with Tarot, I finally understood why and how the Universe had conspired to make me the conduit of learning to help some of my fellow Tarotists who are either starting, or in the midst of growing their Tarot businesses.

Building Brand Authenticity No Matter The Brand Or The Business

One thing I had always been guided by in every decision I had made as a marketing and communications professional, was the goal of building brand authenticity.  When I was working at an insurance company Aviva,  I was adamant about constantly communicating proof points that affirmed Aviva's brand positioning then, of Nobody Recognizes You Like Aviva.   We did so when we managed the Aviva Ironman 90.3 sponsorship to imprint in consumers' minds that the company was always in every life-stage of each and every one of its customers, perseveringly holding the hands of its customers to meet their evolving needs.  We also did so when we sold targeted health products aimed at young families because we knew that a birth in the family meant joy, elation as well as anxiety amongst parents about how best to protect their children and themselves. We recognised the needs within that segment and wasted no time developing products and communicating their benefits to this segment of new families.

Just like that experience of managing Aviva's brand, the same principle applies to one's Tarot business.  When I established Sun Goddess Tarot off the back of a period of negativity in my life, I was determined to stay true to my expansive zodiac sign of a Leo which was ruled by the Sun.  I wanted to bring positivity, light and optimism to my clients with my Tarot and Numerology skills.  My brand, my reading style, my advice-centric Tarot techniques and even the way I engaged my clients ( what I call here, my brand voice) all had to be driven by my brand intent.  I wanted to stay true to myself.  What I lacked in-depth experience as a Tarot reader, I made up for it with every intent to genuinely bring sunshine to my clients when they needed it most as I slowly and steadily grew my skills and experience.

The Empress Card's Message About Brand Authenticity

I am going to use the Empress card as my muse when I talk about brand authenticity at my presentation.  I see the Empress as the Earth Mother, deeply nurturing and very much in-tune with herself.  She creates abundance in everything she touches.  She is highly intuitive and very connected to the spiritual realm yet maintains grounded-ness in the material plane.  She is highly creative because she is so in touch with her feminine side, lending beauty to everything that she creates.

I urge fellow Tarotists particularly those who are in the beginning stages of building their Tarot businesses, to leverage the energies of the Empress. Nurture and grow your brand by keeping it authentic. Your brand reflects you.  While there are many great Tarotists we can learn and emulate from, they have their own unique ways of communicating their brand intent to their customers, and so do you.  Learn from them, but not copy them because you would want your clients to know and trust your brand only because you are the one behind that steering wheel.  Unleash your creativity and know that creativity knows no boundaries. Try and try again different marketing techniques and never be afraid to learn along the way and finally deploy the best technique that fits your business best. Follow your intuition.  You know what is best for your clients and how best to build that affinity between your brand and your clients.

When My Job As A Marketeer And A Tarot Reader Became One

I can clearly define how long I have been a marketing professional.  My involvement with tarot is less clearly defined.  From the time I was a young girl causing trouble at the neighbourhood playground, till the time I was involved in helping large multinational companies build and manage their brands,  I knew I was good at reading people intuitively.  For years i wrote this off as being "good at my job'.  Once I had the confidence to start Sun Goddess Tarot as a business, I took a leap of faith and allowed my two selves - financial marketeer and tarot reader - to become one.

ENROL FOR THE ATA ONLINE TAROT CONFERENCE HERE

What I have touched on within this blog post is just a highlight of what I will be covering at my presentation on Strategic Marketing Techniques For Tarot Businesses at the American Tarot Association Online Tarot Conference 2013 held on 26 October 12pm EST or 27 October 12am Singapore time.  Do enrol by clicking onto this link http://www.wiziq.com/course/32291-ata-online-tarot-conference-2013

Acknowledgement:  I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the fantastic creative work of a friend, Nadim Van der Ros, who supported me through this nerve-wrecking experience of getting me ready for this upcoming presentation.

About The Writer:

The writer of this blog post is a marketeer by trade, and a tarot card reader by accident. She was awarded a Certified Professional Tarot Reader qualification from the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA) and is also a certified numerologist.  She is currently running a Tarot consultancy based in Singapore called Sun Goddess Tarot,  which provides confidential intuitive readings combining the metaphysical disciplines of Tarot, Numerology and Astrology via face to face and emails as well as readings at corporate and private events and workshops.  A member of the American Tarot Association (ATA) and the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), she is also a reader for the Free Tarot Network and mentors Tarot protégés on behalf of the American Tarot Association.

Website:www.sungoddesstarot.com
Email: Joanna@sungoddesstarot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot
Twitter:www.twitter.com/SunGoddessTarot

Add caption

The Empress Card  - the beginnings of my very own Tarot deck.

A work in progress and a labour of love developed 

from the visions of a friend and I

Re-telling The Story Of Beauty And The Beast

To celebrate the Autumn Equinox, many of my Tarot blogging friends wrote some beautiful blog posts which regaled us with stories about the myths surrounding Autumn. They also created Tarot spreads inspired by these myths, and shared some of their life’s lessons and transformational experiences that were an eye-opener for me. 

One of the Tarot bloggers Chloe McCracken from Inner Whispers took that opportunity to create a myth-inspired Tarot spread based on the story of Beauty and the Beast.  Do read her blog post here,http://innerwhisperscouk.blogspot.sg/2013/09/mabon-blog-hop-mythical-things.html.

Beauty And The Beast Tarot Spread

I loved the story of Belle and the Beast.  I watched the movie a gazillion times and could even play the song on my piano just by listening to the soundtrack for the very first time.  However, doing a Tarot reading with a Beauty and the Beast spread was another thing all together.  I used it on a reading for myself and was utterly bowled over.  I wished more Tarotists could create simple Tarot spreads like what Chloe had done.  
This was how the Beauty and the Beast Tarot spread went:

1) What is my heart’s desire at this time?
In the case of Beauty and the Beast, Belle wanted a single red rose which symbolically represented her desire for true love.

2) What price will I have to pay for it?
Belle had to leave her family to stay with the Beast in his castle.  That must have been a frightening experience for her.

3) What lesson will I learn in the process?
Belle learnt that true love was  about far more than appearance.
So, I applied the spread to my question which was "What insights could Tarot provide  about the direction for Sun Goddess Tarot?"  I used Barbara Moore's Book of Shadows Volume 2 - So Below Tarot deck for the purpose.  It was not a myth-inspired deck but it was calling out to me to be used for this spread.
What Is My Heart’s Desire At This Time: 8 Of Wands

The 8 of Wands reflected my desire to take action on some of my ideas that had been stewing in my mind for Sun Goddess Tarot.  The journey I had taken in the past few years was remarkable.  I saw my Tarot reading skills growing as I started learning from more teachers, mentors, and fellow Tarotists.  Being part of the various international Tarot communities had widen my perspectives on Tarot and when I was interviewed by established Tarotists, invited to contribute articles for established Tarot organizations, encouraged to share my knowledge and skills at various forums and asked to mentor other budding Tarotists, I started to gain even more confidence and assurance that the path I had taken, though difficult, was a very rewarding one.   

These experiences fuelled my intentions to take Sun Goddess Tarot even further. I was now ready to weld my 17 years of marketing experience with Tarot to guide other Tarotists to market their Tarot businesses with traditional and non-traditional marketing strategies that I had learnt and deployed over the last 17 years. The action-plan was to create a curriculum around marketing strategies for budding Tarot businesses.

I was also hungry to learn even more, expand my skills to other different metaphysical disciplines beyond the courses I had already done in Numerology and Astrology.  And even within these disciplines, I was not done studying yet.  My little mind and my time was limited.  I needed to expand my reach beyond Singapore but I felt I could not do enough on my own.  So I had planned to create a partnership with a couple of fellow Tarotists each specializing in their respective metaphysical disciplines, who were as hungry as I was and even more determined than I was to touch as many people as they could beyond our shores, to bring these people light.  The action-plan was to launch this partnership within the next year.

What Price Will I Have To Pay For It: 9 Of Wands Reversed

One of my greatest fears was the heavy responsibilities I was already piling upon myself.  I did not have much resources, let alone deeper and wider metaphysical skill sets unlike my counterparts who generally had 20-30 years of experience under their belt.  So I worked with whatever I had.  I did not want to take on too many projects and courses as I was afraid that I would be juggling too much and with the given responsibilities at my current job as a marketing professional at a multinational corporation and my commitments to my family, I was not prepared to give too much of myself and my time.  However, the Autumn season was possibly the best time for me to think about how one could harvest what they sowed.  If I had not made the effort to sow the seeds of growth and expansion with a clear vision of where I wanted to be in the future with Sun Goddess Tarot, I would of course not have much of a harvest. 

I believed I saw the light when I picked this card.   I had to be prepared to sacrifice my time and resources to build the type of business that Sun Goddess Tarot deserved to be. I needed to be prepared to take calculated risks.   It would take a lot of hard work, courage and plenty of personal time especially weekends to nurture this business through research, studies, business development and marketing.  I had to be prepared to reach out further by working on speaking engagements, workshops and webinars.  I also had to write more. I had been so erratic with my writings, that I only wrote when there was a Tarot blog hop or when I got truly inspired by something, like Chloe’s very simple Beauty and the Beast Tarot spread, or when I got struck down on the road by lightning and saw a vision…just kidding.  This erratic way of sharing my skills had to be replaced by discipline. 
That would be the only way to ensure that I could turn my ideas into viable action plans so that I could manifest my goals for Sun Goddess Tarot.

What Will I Learn In The Process:  The High Priestess

I need not have to write on.  This card was that “lightning” that struck me on my head.  I woke up with a jolt at that point because as professional Tarot readers, that was what we aspired to be – The High Priestess.  Throughout these few years of running Sun Goddess Tarot, the demands of my everyday life, my day job, my clients and my family, were the chatter in my head and the cacophony of routinal activities that caused me to be “stuck” where I was in terms of growing even more depth in my metaphysical knowledge and spirituality.  This card indicated that as I worked to grow and expand Sun Goddess Tarot, I would be learning to listen to my inner voice more, trusting my intuition more, and hence deepening my intuitive skills in the process. I believed that with effort and time, I would be establishing a new and more profound relationship not only with my Tarot cards but also with my clients.
I knew that in time, my growth as a Tarotist, would not just be driven by the educational experiences and classroom lessons that I had been going through all these years.  It would be driven by my trust of and surrender to the Universe.

A Transformational Lesson Indeed

I have Chloe to thank for, for opening my eyes to the fact that a simple Tarot spread could draw a profoundly impactful reading for me.  I would definitely be trying this spread on my clients in the future.

About The Writer:

The writer of this blog post is a marketeer by trade, and a tarot card reader by accident. She was awarded a Certified Professional Tarot Reader qualification from the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA) and is also a certified numerologist.  She is currently running a Tarot consultancy based in Singapore called Sun Goddess Tarot,  which provides confidential intuitive readings combining the metaphysical disciplines of Tarot, Numerology and Astrology via face to face and emails as well as readings at corporate and private events and workshops.  A member of the American Tarot Association (ATA) and the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), she is also a reader for the Free Tarot Network and mentors Tarot protégés on behalf of the American Tarot Association

Website:www.sungoddesstarot.com
Email: Joanna@sungoddesstarot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot
Twitter:www.twitter.com/SunGoddessTarot



Taken from Walt Disney's Beauty and the Beast



Autumn Made Richer With Lessons From A Myth

At the blink of an eye, ¾ of a year has almost gone by and we are in the throes of welcoming Autumn.  Autumn is a season traditionally surrounded in myths which in turn contribute to the different ways that various communities around the world honour the season. One of these festivals is Mabon.   As I wrote this blog post to celebrate Autumn, I found some lessons in one of the myths associated with the season.  So, I am glad you are visiting this blog whether you are a regular reader, or you had come from the posts on the same topic written by my fellow Tarot blogging mates.  You can find Cassandra's  at http://quickcardreading.com/fall-equinox/ or the ever effervescent Pepi's  at http://depepi.com/2013/09/22/inanna-and-the-journey-to-the-underworld/.  For rest of the posts on the same theme (Mabon - Divination and Myths) from other Tarot bloggers who participated in this blog hop, do visit http://tarottrends.com/content/2013-mabon-tarot-blog-hop-master-list

Celebrating Autumnal Abundance At Mabon

Mabon falls on 22 September, marking the start of the Autumn season.  It is a celebration of the equal division between day and night, when we see impending dwindling sunlight followed by the changing colors of the leaves from a lush green to a hue of rust red and golden brown. Autumn is a season that is traditionally associated with change and transformation.  It is also a season surrounded in myths.  In fact, the name Mabon came from an age-old Celtic myth about the Welsh god, Mabon who was abducted when young, and found again by King Arthur so that he could be reborn into the light. For more on the story of Mabon, do read it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabon_ap_Modron

Myth Of Demeter And Persophone

One of the myths I fell in love with as I started my Tarot journey some time back with the New Mythic Tarot deck by Liz Greene and Giovanni Casselli, was the Greek mythology about Demeter and Persophone.  Demeter was the Goddess of the harvest whose patronage had allowed the land to grow in abundance, bountiful crops were harvested throughout the year and fields were blooming with flowers and greenery. The myth goes like this.  Her daughter Persophone was abducted by Hades one day and because she had consumed a Pomegranate (the fruit of the dead), she had unwittingly submitted to become Hades’ wife in the underworld.  Angered by this, and grieving for the loss of her daughter, Demeter cursed the land and allowed crops to die, and the land laid barren and in darkness. Zeus then stepped in to mediate and through a compromise, Persophone was allowed to surface from the underworld to live with her mother for 6 months of the year, during which Demeter would once again allow crops to grow and light to be cast on earth.  For the other 6 months of the year though, Persophone was to return to the underworld to be with Hades and Demeter was allowed, in her grief, to turn the land into barren darkness.   For more on the story of Demeter and Persophone, do read about it at http://www.greekmythology.com/Other_Gods/Demeter/demeter.html

More Autumnal Myths – The Mooncake Festival
Around the same period when my friends celebrate the Autumnal abundance of Mabon, my family and friends over in my part of the world in Singapore, celebrate the Autumn Equinox with  the Moon Cake festival.  Like Mabon, it is also a festival surrounded in myths.One version of the myth is that in ancient China, there was an archer called Hou Yi who successfully shot down  9 out of the 10 suns that appeared in the sky to scorch and destroy the land.  He left only 1 sun in existence to provide light and life, not allowing the earth to fall into darkness.  Celebrated for his prowess, he became King and married the lady Chang Er.  Over time, Hou Yi became a despot obsessed about continuing his rule by searching for an elixir.  This elixir promised eternal life.  When the elixir was found,  Chang Er decided to consume it instead in a bid to prevent her husband from continuing his despotic rule forever.  She then transformed into a fairy and flew to the Moon on which she lived.    The grateful people on earth lighted their lanterns on earth so that Chang Er could see them from the moon.  That is why today, the Chinese hang lanterns around their homes during this festival.    Hou Yi grieved for his beloved wife so he put out a table of offerings of cakes and sweets to honour her every Autumn.  Today, the Chinese consumed moon-shaped cakes today with the same intent to honor her.   To find out more about Chang Er, do read it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27e . This was a story of loss, transformation and thanksgiving that had lived for generations.

Navigating Transformation

Whether you are celebrating Mabon, Moon Cake festival, or just celebrating a bumper harvest of carrots in your backyard, I would see this period as an occasion to celebrate transformation.  As you know Transformation usually involved a painful process of letting go the “what has been” to accept the “what is to come”. My son, Joel had been going through that, along with me.  As a mother, I held him through this transition from a schoolboy, through to his tertiary stint in Nursing school at a local polytechnic.  It was not a course he had initially opted for.  The course was allocated to him as a second choice because his grades were not good enough to allow him to do a mass communications course which he had indicated as a first choice in the admission forms.  I could see him struggling through the choices, and I still see him struggling with himself to accept the outcome and embrace nursing school as a journey of learning.

So this is a spread I created to get insights on Joel’s transformational journey through Nursing school.  I called it Demeter’s Journey Of Transformational Spread and I have used the New Mythic Tarot deck by Liz Greene and Giovanni Casselli to perform this reading for Joel.

Demeter's Journey Of Transformation Spread

Demeter's Grief - Self
The 4 of Cups was picked to represent Joel at present.  The card indicated that he was taking a step back to re-evaluate the direction he was taking in his life. He might be feeling disengaged and unmotivated by the Nursing course currently.  In fact, he had complained to me about the stress of his examinations and the boredom he was experiencing during his industrial attachment to the hospital.   However, he recognized that he was now committed to the course as he was in his 2^nd year.  So the card suggested that he needed to look deep within himself to understand what lessons this experience could bring to the table for him in the long run.  He must not get distracted by “noises” from friends and family.  Ultimately, only Joel was the only who could determine his own career directions.    I liked the number 4 because in numerology, it symbolized his need to use this experience as a period to build his foundation of skills, experience and knowledge for the future whether or not he would decide later, to pursue Nursing as a career.   I used this card to explain to him that he should learn to be grateful for the opportunity afforded him because besides the medical skills, he got to learn so much more from this course, for example, how he could interact and communicate better with people.

Persophone's Dilemma - Situation
The reversed Star was picked to assess the influence Joel’s emotional and mental state had on the situation.  As Joel felt disengaged and uninspired with the course,  he had allowed this feelings of negativity impact his relationship with us, his parents  and his attitude to life.  That explained why we had issues with him not being open and honest in communicating to us.  He had started out with great vision and enthusiasm for nursing in his first year, and then started questioning  his interest for it when the examinations came around the corner to pile the pressure on him. Furthermore, a fellow classmate dropped out of the course midway, and this had impacted Joel’s motivation even further.   From time to time, he seemed quite lost in direction, as if he was hoping to see a sign affirming that he was treading on the right path to a meaningful career.

Hade's deception – Obstacle
Death was picked to determine the stumbling block in Joel’s journey.  Death is a card of transformation and new life.  It was an apt card to pick for Joel as it indicated to me that the card was encouraging him to let go of his past when he had experienced poor academic performance, with lack lustre grades at school and even failure in the examinations during one of his secondary school years.  In fact, it was a less than stellar performance at the GCE O’ Level examinations that had led to the polytechnic allocating him into a course that was his 2^ndchoice – Nursing.  He did not get into Nursing school out of pure interest in the vocation.  While he attempted to embrace the course with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, he continuously harbored aspirations to be a marketing professional instead.  He enjoyed his vacation jobs interning at several advertising agencies and wanted very much to get back into advertising.  However, the Death card is telling Joel to let it go and put 100% focus into his Nursing course.  The aim is to complete the course with a Diploma then decide upon graduation what he wanted to do next.  We advised him not to pass over this opportunity at the Nursing course because of his stubbornly clinging on to the past.  Instead, finish the course and gain some hands-on experience with it to build a strong foundation of skills that could enable him to pursue a career as a marketing professional at the Health Promotion Board, the Ministry of Health or the private medical organizations.  There could also be a possibility that he could use his skills to establish a business venture in private nursing care which will give him opportunities to expand his skills to business development and marketing.

The Death card as an obstacle is a manifestation of  Joel carrying negative aspects from the past that may interfere with the opportunity he may have for a new beginning.  He was resisting the change necessary to mould him into a resourceful adult keen on viewing every aspect of life as an opportunity to grow.

Zeus' Mediation – Advice
The Page of Swords was picked to offer Joel some advice.  Joel, like the Page, is young and idealistic.  He has capacity for intellectual growth which the Nursing course can provide.  He was advised by the Page to continue his Nursing course with energy, passion and enthusiasm and not let doubt and distraction get in the way of the completion of this course.  He should leverage the energy of the Page to fuel his vision for his career and not take a short-sighted approach.  The Page of Swords is encouraging him to start thinking about his future career and  aspirations.  His ambition to be a marketing professional should not come to a dead end because of the fact that he is now studying for a Nursing diploma.  Instead, he should look at the Nursing diploma as an added advantage to his marketing and communication skills in future should he wish to pursue the latter as a career later.  There will always be challenges with whatever career option he chooses eventually but the crux of the message from the Page was that he needed to follow his passions and go with the path that he believed to be the best for him.  Also,  the Page of Swords warned that he should not take unnecessary risks with his opportunities for intellectual growth by quitting the Nursing course half way.

Demeter's Harvest - Outcome
The Page of Pentacles is a manifestation of the eventual outcome for Joel’s journey in his Nursing course.  It indicated that Joel will indeed come around from his dilemma, to focus on his goals.  He will be motivated to begin the process of creating tangible plans towards attaining his goals. Like this Page, he will view his Nursing course with a practical approach.  He will start to understand that beyond the medical knowledge gained, the course would also teach him interpersonal skills, accountability, resilience and resourcefulness, opening doors to contacts in the industry that could prove to be important to his career in future.  These are all practical skills needed in future, whatever job he lands himself with.    As he had mentioned about establishing a private nursing care business in future, the Page of Pentacles who is filled with young, entrepreneurial vision also reflects that he will come around to view his current experience as a stepping stone to future growth and expansion that could prove to be a lucrative business venture.

My Hopes For Joel

Like Demeter who worried for Persophone’s welfare in the underworld and rejoiced when Persophone returned to be with her , I am actually doing the same with Joel.  When he was feeling down, defeated and lost with his life directions, I grieved for him.  When he started to come around and tried his best at the 2^nd year Nursing examinations, I rejoiced at his determination and effort in trying to pave the way towards his goals.  I felt that this experience has slowly transformed Joel’s level of maturity. If I could not influence the choice of his career, at least, as a Mum, I hoped I had helped shaped him into a resilient adult.

About The Writer:

The writer of this blog post is a marketeer by trade, and a tarot card reader by accident. She was awarded a Certified Professional Tarot Reader qualification from the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA) and is also a certified numerologist.  She is currently running a Tarot consultancy based in Singapore called Sun Goddess Tarot,  which provides confidential intuitive readings combining the metaphysical disciplines of Tarot, Numerology and Astrology via face to face and emails as well as readings at corporate and private events and workshops.  A member of the American Tarot Association (ATA) and the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), she is also a reader for the Free Tarot Network and mentors Tarot protégés on behalf of the American Tarot Association
Website:www.sungoddesstarot.com
Email: Joanna@sungoddesstarot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot
Twitter:www.twitter.com/SunGoddessTarot

What Can I Bring From My Table To Enrich The Community

What Can I Bring From My Table To Enrich The Community?

Welcome to my blog post written to celebrate the harvest festival of Lammas.  You may be my regular blog reader, or you may be visiting this blog after having read Jordan's at http://jordanhoggard.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/tarotbloghop-lammas-tenders-wisdom. Or you may have worked your way backwards from Vivianne's blog at http://kismetscompanion.blogspot.sg/2013/08/tarot-blog-hop-lammas-2013.html.   Should the links be broken at any point or you would like to read the rest of the contributions from the other Tarot bloggers, please visit the master list of blog links at  http://tarotbyarwen.com/?p=10468

Today, as friends around the world celebrated the harvest festival of Lammas, I celebrated the fact that I came full circle with the Wheel of the Year as a member of this fabulous Tarot blog hop community.  It had been a critical component of my growth as a Tarot reader.  I had studied under various Tarot teachers and taken many Tarot courses in my attempts to raise the bar on my Tarot reading skills.  However, nothing beat the knowledge I gained and the friends I made within this Tarot blog hop community. 

The blog topic to celebrate Lammas was themed “What can we share from our table to enrich our community?”  It was not difficult to find what I could share with my community.   I knew I wanted to share my experience and expertise as a Tarot reader with those who are still at the beginning of their Tarot journey, the way my fellow Tarot bloggers did. They had been sharing so much of their bountiful experience and expertise with me about Tarot and life in general.  This Tarot blog hop community was exemplary of the spirit of Lammas.  Inspired by them,  Tarot mentoring and coaching became my biggest passion.  But they served only 1 group of people within my community, so what else could I bring to the table and to whom?

Celebrating Abundance At Lammas With The Queen Of Pentacles

First, for those unfamiliar with the festival, Lammas is a festival celebrated on 1 August throughout the world, to honour the first harvest.  It honoured the bountiful crops, the first gathering of grains and the first plucking of fruits and vegetables, and a table full of food brought in from the garden well-planted in spring.  In short, it meant Abundance.  Lammas was particularly special for me because it fell on my birthday.  There was nothing I wanted more on my birthday each year, than to know that whatever  gifts bestowed on me by the Universe, served the purpose of bringing abundance to people around me.

The Queen of Pentacles was aptly picked as the “Lammas Muse”.  I saw her as the epitome of a nurturing earth mother and a capable career woman providing financially, emotionally, physically and spiritually for the family and the people around her.  In the Radiant Rider Waite deck, the image on the Queen of Pentacles card depicts a Queen sitting on a throne decorated in luxuriously abundant flowers, fruits, animals and angels.  The tree in the picture and all around her are adorned with flowers and lush greenery. These are symbols of prosperity and wealth.   A rabbit is seen at her feet, a symbol of fertility.  The Queen was my inspiration.  As I juggled a career as a marketeer, my passion as a professional Tarot reader and my roles as mother, wife and daughter, I aspire to be as successful, as generous, as giving, and as selfless as the Queen of Pentacles.

The Abundance From My Table Tarot Spread

Using the Queen of Pentacles as my Significator, and acknowledging that I have been blessed with gifts that allowed me to perform my multiple roles in my life, I created the Abundance From My Table Tarot spread to gain insights on what I could “bring from my table to enrich the community”.  To me, the community was specifically focused on 3 groups of people most important to me.  They are 1) my family, 2) my team at work and 3) my Tarot and Numerology clients and friends.  The cards picked were from my Radiant Rider Waite Tarot deck created by Virginijus Poshkus and published by US Games. 

What Can I Bring From My Table To My Family?  - Temperance

Temperance is depicted by an image of an angel with one foot in the water and the other on land, representing his balancing the realms between the material and the subconscious world. This was a reminder that I had to strike a balance between what my inner consciousness tells me and my rational mind as I managed my day-to-day routine at home.  The angel is also seen mixing water, pouring it from one cup to the other, a reminder that one had to adjust to circumstances and people, approach everything in moderation, and proactively create balance and harmony in one’s life.    

I see Temperance as a card advising me to think long-term as I reevaluate my priorities in life. I had been putting my work, my clients and everything else outside of my home before my family. My daily routine was controlled by 4 devices, a laptop, an ipad, a blackberry and an iphone.  They formed my army of technological administrators, dealing with my Tarot reading appointments, Tarot coaching sessions, Tarot events,  creative agency briefings, work meetings, PR events, courses and industry networking events.  I have not yet added my visits to Mum and Dad, medical appointments, David’s jamming sessions, photography assignments and time with Joel.  Temperance knocked me on the head with 1 word – BALANCE. 

As Joel was starting to spend more time out of the home, David and I had to familiarize ourselves with our new roles as Pre-Empty Nesters. This should have been the perfect time for David and I to have more time with each other.  However, my multiple projects, mounting work pressures and Tarot appointments were getting in the way.  Even my weekends were filled with Tarot appointments and coaching sessions.  When David started asking me over facebook if I was coming home for dinner, i knew the messages of these cards were very clear.  What I had to bring from my table to my family was my commitment to get my priorities right, and spend more time with them by balancing my busy lifestyle and multiple projects. 

Temperance supporting the Queen of Pentacles were the perfect cards pointing to the desire for creating balance in my life for the sake of my family’s and my happiness.  I could not get a more resounding message than this for my role as a wife, mother and daughter.

What Can I Bring From My Table To My Work?  - Chariot

The Chariot card depicts an image of a charioteer steering the chariot with 2 sphinxes in front of him. The stars and crescent moon depicted in the card point to the spiritual forces at work supporting his quest to victory.  The charioteer is not brandishing reins but just a wand which signifies passion and determination leading him towards his goals. 

The Chariot card urged me to maintain focus and determination as I worked towards our goals with my team at work.  My team is a very lean team built on highly skilled and experienced marketeers managing brand strategy, product marketing, corporate social responsibility, sponsorships, customer communications,  public and media relations.  As one could appreciate, the scope is humongous so I likened the 6 of us in the team to circus acrobats, juggling many big projects all at the same time in our bid to meet the company’s growth targets.  The energy and camaraderie within this team had been my motivation to jump into the trenches with them to ensure that we exceeded expectations with the delivery of these project objectives.

I do get really exhausted from time to time because of near-impossible project deadlines, cross-functional team complexities, last minute changes in project plans and resource limitations.  However, the Chariot reminded me to ascertain what the end-goal was and to work towards it.

That was when I thought I saw the light with the Chariot card.  There are 2 sphinxes in the card, one in black and the other in white.  It resembled the Asian concept of balance between the forces of Yin and Yang. It was urging me to balance my inner consciousness and my rational self to manage the challenges at work. 

The Chariot supporting the Queen of Pentacles were the perfect cards reinforcing the need for me to balance my determination to attain my career goals while appreciating that journey (bumpy roads not withstanding) I was making towards my goals.  As one would say, it really was not about the goal, but the journey towards the goal that mattered.  I loved that journey with these girls I called, the A-Team. These cards reminded me to nurture my team with the same appreciation for the balance between attaining their career goals and their journey towards these goals.  That would ensure that they came to work every day, loving what they did and doing what they loved.

What Can I Bring From My Table To My Tarot Clients?  - Queen Of Cups

The image in the Queen of Cups depicts an introspective Queen holding on to a cup sitting on a throne by the sea.  The water symbolize emotions over which the Queen governs and the fish represents her inner consciousness. The cup is closed indicating that her emotions run deep and that she could also be a trusted guide and mentor who could keep one’s secrets.

The Queen of Cups supporting the Queen of Pentacles together provided me with a clear message that as I sought to balance the commitments in my life with my passion as a professional Tarot reader, I had to do it with a lot of compassion, patience, emotional maturity and sensitivity.  As the Queen of Cups is a highly intuitive Queen, the card urged me to trust my higher self as I gained intuitive experiences and spiritual wisdom through my Tarot journey.  My rational mind sometimes got in the way as I indulged in the questioning of the science behind these intuitive experiences.  With such doubt in my mind, I had limited the opportunities to expand my professional Tarot practice beyond what I was currently capable of doing.  So, the Queen of Cups assured me of my purpose.  With the intuitive gifts that the Universe had given me, beyond the Tarot readings that I had been doing for clients, I should be doing more to help mentor and coach beginning Tarot readers. 

When I was a beginner Tarot reader myself, I was very involved in the different Tarot communities like the American Tarot Association (ATA), Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), the Tarot Guild, Aecletic Tarot, and Biddy Tarot.  The immense knowledge I got from the more experienced Tarot readers within these communities was invaluable.  I am still involved in these communities and I hope I could give back the same to the beginner Tarot readers by contributing my own knowledge and experience.

Making Abundance Count

The Tarot spread created to support the "Queen of Pentacles" reminded me that whatever gifts and skill sets I have would mean nothing if I gave only “bits and pieces” of my time and effort to my community. The cards were resoundingly hitting me on the head with one word – BALANCE.  

I realized I cannot offer the best of myself to the people that mattered if I did not strive for balance and harmony in my life.  This was critical for me to perform my roles as wife, mother and daughter, as well as marketeer and professional Tarot reader and Tarot coach.   The dynamics have changed.  It was no longer about my needing to raise the bar with even more certificates and qualifications under my belt to enhance my skills as a marketeer, a Tarot reader and a Numerologist.  It was more important for me to optimize my existing skill sets and re-prioritize my commitments so that everyone within my community gets the best of me.

About The Writer:

The writer of this blog post is a marketeer by trade, and a tarot card reader by accident. She was awarded a Certified Professional Tarot Reader qualification from the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA) as well as a certified numerologist.  She is currently running a Tarot consultancy called Sun Goddess Tarot based in Singapore. A member of the American Tarot Association (ATA) and the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), she is also endorsed as a reader for the Free Tarot Network and is a mentor for the ATA.   She can be contacted at www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot or www.sungoddesstarot.com

The Abundance From My Table Tarot Spread

I Chose To Walk Two Paths

Blessed With 2 Passions

I believe I am indeed very blessed.  I am not sure how many people can boast of having 2 wonderful “jobs” that they are very passionate about.  I certainly do.  They are not even considered jobs.  I feel fortunate that I get to wake up every day to a life that allows me the opportunities to make use of my skills within these 2 passions.  Together with the support of my family, they create my 10 of Cups moment when I live in joy and gratitude for these gifts as a marketer and a Tarot reader.

I am a marketing professional in my day job, helping to develop end to end demand-led marketing and communication strategies to support my company’s profitable growth.  My other job is a Tarot reader, helping my clients uncover options within their respective situations, so that they could make the right choices to influence the outcomes that they want.

While often, I experience this 2 of Pentacles situation of having to juggle multiple appointments, priorities, projects and commitments, on the whole, I love both with all my heart. 

And here’s where I found similarities in both passions the day I went professional as a Tarot reader, whilst continuing my career as a marketer.

Combining Skills As A Marketing Professional With My Passion As A Tarot Reader

Insights
A marketing communication plan always starts with consumer research.  I am a strong believer of insights-driven marketing plans.  The most important bunch of people involved in the marketing communications process are not the media planners or the creative agencies, but the customers, their needs, their purchase behaviors,  their pain points and any information that could help influence their purchase.

In Tarot, I am involved in research in a few ways.  One is my continuous study of Tarot, examining different aspects of exoteric teachings.  The other, is my “research” about my client.  I often connected with them through an initial numerological assessment that will ascertain some information about their personalities, decisions that they had taken, lessons that they had learnt, the energies surrounding their situation and the response to these energies.  This usually created a more meaningful conversation between my client and I, and the interpretations of their Tarot spread become even more meaningful.

The Brief
Before we got started on the marketing communications planning, we would always create a marketing campaign brief.  This is important as it puts together all information that is necessary for the planning process.  Other than the insights about the campaign target audience, the brief would include the marketing objectives, the media objectives, the business objectives, key messages we want to communicate, as well as the campaign evaluation metrics.

In Tarot, that “brief” is created with that conversation between my client and I.  He or she would provide me with a background of the situation, information about key parties involved in the situation, the past decisions that he or she had made, the outcome or goals that he or she desired.  With this background information, I would overlay her numerological and astrological information before I designed a Tarot spread for the client.

The Plan
The marketing plan always involved the inputs of multiple parties from my internal and external customers when I put ideas through consumer focus groups,  the creative agency, the media agency, the social media agency and the public relations agency.  The plan would  consist of  the full marketing strategy which included, the communications roll out plan, the field marketing plan, the channel marketing plan,  the creative idea and the rationale, the social media campaign ideas and the through-the-line media plan.  This plan allowed the management to make an informed decision about how we sold our products, which target audience to focus on at which stage, how we talked to them in the process and the right time to talk to them.

As a Tarot reader, my plan involved my Tarot spread designed to get insights about the client’s past decisions, current situation, developments around the situation in the next few months, outcome, external and internal influences, fears and hopes and advice.   The interpretation to the spread would provide my client the ability to make informed choices to influence his or her outcome.

Not Too Different

You see, there are very little differences between the two paths that I had chosen to tread.  When my friends asked me if I had to eventually choose a single path, or if both passions conflicted with each other, I always told them that they complemented each other.  With these two paths, there was only 1 single goal -  the goal of doing what is right to cater to the needs of the clients by holding the hands of these clients through each milestone of their lives.

An example of such a milestone is marriage.  As a marketing professional, I sometimes created a marketing plan to sell a product aimed at newly-weds.  As a Tarot reader, I sometimes provided advice with my Tarot cards to a newly married couple hoping to find a positive direction to manage their marital relationship moving forward.

As both a marketing professional and a Tarot reader, I am very humbled that I have the ability to use the skills that the Universe had blessed me with to do something good for my community.  Both these passions provided me with a sense of fulfillment that no money could ever buy.

Note:  The Tarot card image used within this blog post is from the Radiant Rider Waite Tarot deck by Virginijus Poshkus, published by US Games 2003

About The Writer:

The writer of this blog post is a marketeer by trade, and a tarot card reader by accident. She was awarded a Certified Professional Tarot Reader qualification from the Tarot Certification Board of America (TCBA) and is also a certified numerologist.  She currently runs her own Tarot consultancy called Sun Goddess Tarot which is based in Singapore.   A member of the American Tarot Association (ATA) and the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), she is also endorsed as a reader for the Free Tarot Network and is a mentor for the ATA.   She can be contacted at www.facebook.com/SunGoddessTarot or www.sungoddesstarot.com