The power of images. I mentioned this photograph to my sister just the other day. Though she had forgotten it, I could actually see it in my minds eye & am so happy it still exists. It is a photograph of me giving readings at a party looking every inch the Irish Gypsy. We thought it had been lost in the mists of time. Then whilst my sis was sorting some old Christmas cards, what should flutter to the ground?. The mysterious black cat was called Chan, half siamese, she certainly used all of her 9 lives to the full. The crystal ball belonged to my mother & I have recently re-acquired it, it’s power is again energising our home.
The period of my life represented by this photograph, some 30+ years ago, corresponded to me finally discovering my passion, my purpose, my raison d’être if you will. In retrospect I should not have been unleashed at that party, I had recently been gifted my first Tarot & was just firing impressions that I was receiving. I remember telling one lady that a greenhouse was significant, ( it transpired that an event had occurred in a greenhouse that wasn’t exactly in keeping with the lighthearted atmosphere of the party). I told one gentleman that he drove a fire engine, the sirens literally ringing in my ears. He did not, but he did work on a council department that had recently been given responsibility for the fire department. I asked another gentleman to select a card & when he drew the Devil card I started describing his dark side that he kept well hidden. His wife agreed wholeheartedly, unfortunately this guy’s quite committed christian sensibilities were challenged & my readings were swiftly curtailed by our host.
After that party, I remember feeling elated, that I had discovered, finally, something that I really enjoyed. Interacting with people & giving readings was something I knew I was destined to do for the rest of my life.
Responsibility & encouragement
Now many years later, & after many 1,000s of readings I still have unbridled enthusiasm for giving readings. However, I now realise the responsibility involved in performing a reading. Though I was enthusiastic & excited to be entertaining the guests, I hadn’t yet worked out the dynamics of an empowering experience for my sitter.
Yesterday I was giving a reading for a lady & showed her this fabulous photo that had just arrived in the post. As the reading progressed I saw that what I was doing was completely different to how the boy on the photograph would have approached the situation. The card that kept re-appearing was the Eight of Cups, The Lord of Abandoned Success. Although this Lady talked continuously of how happy she was, how important her very corporate job was, how fulfilled she was, I sensed that maybe this was simply not the case. In this card, a figure turns from Eight stacked Cups. Behind the Cups a river needs to be crossed, the moon pulls at the emotions. As I discussed the imagery of the card with this lovely lady a strange transition occurred. She told me that she had indeed reached an impasse & realised that the job that absorbed most of her life had recently, & quite rapidly, lost all meaning. She wanted to follow her heart & carve out a more fulfilling career using her artistic creativity. She had discussed this with her partner & he was completely in agreement, full of encouragement & even said that he couldn’t wait to get the person he loved back, not the corporate robot who had recently invaded her body !.
The purpose of this post is this, in an ideal world, in order to feel fulfilled & to be successful. An individual needs to marry their drive, their passion, to every aspect of their existence. Sometimes they just need a little push to realise what it is that will finally make them happy.
Are you living your life, have you discovered what it is that makes you feel alive, excited?
When we discover what it is that drives us, we should do everything we can to make that our focus.
I wish you only success,
Paul.
