***How Divination and Meditation Help Us to Understand Ourselves and the World

I have intuitively read ordinary playing cards for nearly 30 years. It wasn’t until I took the time to learn and felt the power of meditation that I was able to bring a deeper and more meaningful dimension to my readings.

For instance, in terms of world affairs.

When I first started reading cards all those years ago, there wasn't a need at that point in time for cards to depict such things as "terrorism" or "global destruction" or even, for that matter, war perpetrated on the earth in terms of readings.

What I perceived most in those days concerned violations of human rights on a much smaller scale involving sexual or racial discrimination or lack of professionalism in the workplace, the "glass ceiling" where vast numbers of career futures were concerned.

Global terrorism, world suffering or the possibility for extinction hadn't come into play at that point at all.

From readings, I’ve been able to grasp that the world has yet to take a path toward its own future destruction - as much as this may go against the teachings of those who profess to "know all" and are insistent on dwelling on our own supposedly destined extinction as human beings in the coming future. (2012)

I have never perceived extinction and even now in meditations that involve war, terrorism and other global matters, I still don't perceive extinction. Suffering, yes. More terrorism, yes. Senseless, brutal killing, yes. But the world, in my view, is destined to survive and these evils will inevitably be conquered.

Why? Because there are enough wise, perceptive, profoundly-determined individuals among us putting forth the kind of spiritual energy and unconditional love and belief in abundance that will keep our world turning. Some are only children now. Plus there are our own intense beliefs as a people in Faith and Hope - to keep humankind flourishing. Not to mention, of course, the eternal, life-filled energy that comes to us from the Life Force.

Life Force - as in God?

Yes, as in God - if that is your point of reference. Or as in whatever you personally manifest within yourself as the spiritual essence of "who" and "what" we are in terms of our existence, including the enormous amount of creative energy outside of ourselves encompassing the expanse of the Universe as we know it. It's a different concept for everyone and essentially has nothing to do with organized religion.

What about those who deny the existence of God?

What I'm referring to when I conduct readings is the life-filled energy that comes from within and the creative energy to be embraced outside of ourselves through the Universe.

The "God concept" is a personal belief interpreted by those who choose such an interpretation. What I find in card readings is much more centered on the "You Concept." As in, "you" are the center of your own universe which is a part of the much larger Universe and that Universe is essentially “God.”

Whether that personal universe survives or dies has everything to do with your own ability to feel faith and hope within yourself and about the world. In the absence of both faith and hope, there is no life for the future. No inspiration, promise, strength - nothing. Think about it. Without faith and hope, we are basically future-less, empty beings walking the earth.

What do meditations tell me that we are to learn from life?

First that we are in command of our own self-worth and our own distinctive ability to extend ourselves lovingly and compassionately toward the greater good of mankind. We have each been blessed with uniquely special gifts - gifts which enable us to achieve higher understanding about ourselves and life in general, once we answer the call to do so.

Second, by opening ourselves to the immense possibilities the Universe truly has to offer, our own lives become transformed in incredibly powerful ways. The message I receive most often from the cards and in meditations in reference to the Universe is one of the most difficult things to do: "Take the risk and leap the abyss." In other words, follow your heart, listen to the voice you hear from within and most important of all, have pure faith that you will find not only true happiness, but completeness, when you reach the other side. And that by helping others – really extending ourselves toward others – that is where we begin, on an individual basis, to change the world for the better.

Plus if you allow yourself to freely embrace the Universe, it will speak volumes to you. Personal Prophesy card readings enable us to connect more readily with the Universe and learn more about our innermost selves. Meditation has enabled me to take perceptions from the cards and advance them to a hugely amazing level in terms of experience and awareness.

For instance, inherently selfish people will never know what it means to be blessed by truly giving. The cards will urge them to make important sacrifices. In meditation, I can clearly see how they can break chains of unhappiness in their lives simply by becoming more self-less. Heartbroken or lonely people will never know what it means to be loved if they don't reach out and take the risk to give love unconditionally. The cards will guide them in that respect. Meditations only expand more profoundly on those perceptions.

The more we listen to the interpretation of inspiration readily available to us through card readings and meditation sessions, the more we are able to live happier, more fulfilling lives as a result. And the more we are able to use the law of attraction much more effectively.

Recipients of my readings aren’t able to get all of this from just one reading. This is the reason why I encourage all recipients to learn this method of intuitively perceiving the future for themselves. Each and every reading becomes more descriptive, more "zero-ed in" on our individual lives and what we need to do to change them for the better.

One reading will give you an overall view...the second, a more intensive view...a third, an in-depth view...and so on. When you can give yourself these readings, you literally make yourself the master of your own destiny. You are able to guide your life by the intuitive interpretation of your own readings on a daily basis.

That kind of insight, if you think about it, is virtually priceless. I hope to be able to guide them, once I am more experienced and educated from these courses, in meditation as well.

I’m often asked what kinds of eye-opening insights I have achieved over the years in my readings.

There have been so many! For instance, the reason why people in middle age feel an urge to sleep a lot. The cards have told me, "Sleeping a lot is the body's way of preparing for death. If you want to live a long life, get active and exercise, stop sleeping so much."

Or why international conflict exists in this world. The cards have answered, "Men cannot live a complacent life. Women can, they are designed to peacefully nurture. Men, however, must always strive for 'more' of something. More power, more superiority, more - everything. Right and wrong aren't necessarily instrumental in the wars men engage in. Their urge is to conquer and they can't resist it."

And in answer to my question, why don't children listen to the voice of reason? The cards answered: "They are wildly creative beings who feel compelled to test the boundaries of the Universe. This urge has nothing to do with disobedience. It has everything to do with their own primordial tendencies to see just how far they can go within the physical world.

Also, will an avian flu pandemic occur as the world continues to fear? The cards reply is: "No, the current theoretical crisis surrounding the bird flu virus is only intended to be a dress rehearsal for a larger, far more horrific plague yet to potentially take shape in the future."

Anybody who comes to me for relationship help needs to know a few things.

First, understanding need: In terms of readings, need is an extremely powerful force. Need encompasses the deepest, most intense yearning of the heart to feel that sense of completeness which only one partner can provide.

Women are intuitively perceived to feel need much more swiftly than men do, because they tend to live their lives being more in touch with their own true feelings. Men, on the other hand, tend to be slower in terms of feeling need because they put so much effort into denying for themselves what they consider to be emotional weakness.

Second, finding Mr. or Miss Right: In all my years of experience with readings by this method, I have never perceived one particular individual as a "perfect mate" for anyone. Intuitively speaking, we all have the opportunity to enter into a multitude of relationships depending on how we choose to actually lead our lives from the emotional level.

Some of us choose a single partner for life, others may commit to two or more partners in a lifetime, and many simply choose to remain partner less, achieving personal happiness in Life on their own. These are choices we make for ourselves as we live our lives. It doesn't always mean, however, that we will find the happiness we search for in a relationship. More times than not it's a fruitless search, for the happiness we seek is ultimately only to be found within ourselves.

Third, we will all go through our own emotional paces. This is perhaps the hardest lesson of all in terms of divination with cards - allowing others to go through their own emotional paces to achieve that all-important, higher understanding they need in order to define true happiness for themselves. The best step we can ever take is strive to "let go" and allow a loved one the time he/she needs to become ready for a new start with us. In the meantime, it's important that we focus our attention on ourselves, becoming who we are intended to be in the future.

And lastly, good relationships aren't always easy: As much as I would love to say that, intuitively speaking, the best relationships in life are the "easy" ones, unfortunately this isn't the case. The more difficult relationships are in terms of quality, the more worthwhile they turn out to be in the long run. The more we are able to learn from them spiritually, the more we are able to become emotionally stronger as a result of them in the process.

If there was one piece of advice I had to share with anyone in search of love, success or just being able to live a happier life, what would it be?

I would urge that individual to learn how to meditate and to read ordinary playing cards.

Both will open your eyes and your heart to such a higher level of understanding and insight that your life will be incredibly deeper in terms of its layers in many different ways.

They will add important dimensions to your life that I cannot even describe. I perceive so much more in my readings as a result of meditation. Now I encourage all of my clients to do the same.

The insights have been invaluable. The lessons themselves have put me more in touch with my true spirit. I can’t imagine not using New Age thought on a daily basis or encouraging my clients to do the same. It has truly changed my life!