Misha Hoo's Blog

I entered the expansive marble hall just in time to grab a spare seat at the back and settle in for the opening address from the festival founder, Janet DeNeefe. The theme for this year’s Ubud Writers and Readers Festival is Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of Wisdom and Knowledge, and as a student of literature and religion, I was keen to discover just how much the rich spirituality of the Balinese culture would feature in the four days of densely packed festival activities.

Just then the crowd was hushed by a loud gong as a troupe of Balinese dancers swept into the room, holding us captive with their fierce posturing and dark kohl eyes. Off to a great start. Although the program promised that DeNeefe’s welcome speech would “unwrap the theme” of the festival and explain why Saraswati embodies the spirit of Bali, the goddess received only a cursory mention before the keynote speaker took over to present his environmental position on the deforestation of Indonesia. A little disappointed, I hurried to the next venue, determined to secure my place at the “Myths of our Making” discussion, where I was hoping to hear more about the relevance of mythology to “modern times and cultures”.

In a breezy room overlooking the deep jungle ravine, Indonesian writer Faisal Oddang opened the discussion, explaining that traditional Balinese folk religion is nature-based and that many of their ancient animistic practices were later assimilated into Hinduism, with or without the local’s consent. Indian author Krishna Udayasankar followed, voicing her mission to recast the Mahabharata in a modern context, believing that mythology has been layered over historical events and employed to excuse the unsavory actions of humans. Lastly, Icelandic storyteller Sjon gave a passionate account of the ancient Germanic appropriation of early Greek mythology, making the bold statement that for him, “the Nordic gods are not fantasy, they are real”. When I asked him to clarify, however, he retreated behind a vague explanation that the gods are all around us in the natural environment and refused to confirm whether he viewed the Nordic gods as existing in a separate realm that humans can relate to, or whether he believes that the gods literally walk the earth among us.

The next day offered another discussion on mythology, this time centered on the “making of monsters”. Indonesian blogger Absurditas Malka led with a strong environmental message, claiming that the only real monsters in the world are the politicians and businessman responsible for polluting and ravaging the natural environment. Sjon followed with a contradictory but equally humanistic approach, arguing that branding Hitler a “monster” was akin to providing an excuse for his inhumane behaviour. As the host steered the discussion into creative process, New Zealand comic book creator Tim Molloy revealed that his stories are often cathartic for him as a writer, as he works out his childhood fears in horror tales filled with scary monsters. Molloy also revealed that he had explored various spiritualties, including the Occult, which prompted me to wonder whether he had considered the potential ramifications of instilling evil, horrifying creatures in the minds of his readers.

The discussion ended before I had a chance to ask, so I posed the question to a friendly Jungian psychologist seated behind me, and we both agreed that writing is a powerful tool that can be used to either heal trauma or magnify it in the collective unconscious. Malka concluded the session by leading the audience to visualize the earth as an apple with ourselves as worms who eventually devour the entire apple, effectively planting the seeds of global destruction firmly in a couple of hundred attentive minds. I rapidly countered with abundant butterflies and walked away convinced that for writers who supposedly know something about mythology, those three knew very little about magic or the power of manifestation.

The lunch crowd safely navigated, I settled in to hear Maori writer Patricia Grace recount her unexpected success telling the everyday tales of ordinary folk in her community. Grace’s work filled a cultural void, providing stories for her people to identify with, and she spoke briefly about the lack of Maori role models in her upbringing. She also recalled that she had written a fictional story about a local family who lost their ancestral land to an expressway development, and a couple of years later she found her own land threatened in exactly the same way. I asked her whether she had any sense that writers can create the future through their writing, or that writing itself can create reality and she brushed the question aside, merely replying that “it’s strange when things like that happen”. The host Nic Low, also of Maori heritage, interjected with a comical quip about how nice it would be if we could just write the ending that we wanted in real life, how easy would that make things? I remained silent. Clearly neither writer felt that their words held any power to effect change beyond the social and political arenas.

After pausing to watch a street procession which was part of the local Hindu temple’s colourful celebrations, I took my seat for the afternoon session I had been eagerly waiting for; an analysis of the goddess Saraswati and her unique position within the Balinese mythology. American scholar Ron Jenkins enthusiastically explained that Saraswati, originally the Hindu goddess of wisdom and knowledge, also created the alphabet. According to Balinese legend, Saraswati gave the alphabet to humans, placing the letters inside the body to connect us with the divine. Each of the letters in the alphabet corresponds to a specific part of the body and is connected to a particular deity, as well as each of the nine directions in the physical world. Thus the letters have a mystical power that connects humans both above and below, in fact, it is the power of the alphabet that distinguishes humans from the animal kingdom, bestowing a level of consciousness and sovereignty which defines our very humanity.

As the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival continues to present highly acclaimed and emerging international authors over the next few days, I hope to meet some writers who profoundly appreciate Saraswati’s gift of the mystical power of words, and are willing to take responsibility for the world they are creating with the words and images they choose.

Writing is, after all, known as a creative process …

“I don’t really believe in this kind of thing,” the Frenchman said as he waved his hand theatrically over the table.

“Tarot, I mean, how can it work?” his face showed distain as he surveyed the cards spread out in front of him. I moved quickly to gather the cards into a pile and straightened the deck, holding it out to him with all the cards facing down.

“Just pick one card for the day,” I suggested, “just for fun, see what you get”

He looked at me sternly for a moment and then relaxed, gave a shrug and took the cards, mumbling slightly to himself as he shuffled. He chose one card from the deck and turned it over, his face becoming serious again as he studied it carefully.

“Criticism”, he announced and then paused, his mouth turned down at the corners. He seemed to be turning the idea over in his mind.

“Yes… well… I am French,” he reasoned, waving his hand again in an impatient gesture, “I can be critical, of course…”
Impressed by the accuracy of his chosen card, he examined the book, asking questions about how it was written. He later purchased a deck, keen to discover more about the Tarot. The following day he called out to me as I was on my way to lunch.

“Genius”, he exclaimed, “you’re a genius! Can you sign the book for me please?” I obliged, flattered and pleased that he was so happy with his new Tarot. As I watched him walk away I wondered about how we often criticise something when we don’t fully understand it and just what makes us do that…

The thing about new information is that it can threaten our status quo and we require a firm foundation within ourselves in order to be open to new ideas. I’ve often seen people pause out the front of my stall, glancing hesitantly up from reading my information board perhaps to see if I have any warts on my nose or if my broomstick is poking out from under the back of my dress.

The nervous ones hover, alternately looking away with the hope of finding something a few stalls further down to distract them, then looking back at me, their attention drawn to the cards, the symbols, the possibilities of the unknown. Those ones usually end up walking away, shaking their heads and muttering something like, “I don’t think I really want to know anyway…” They are happy with their belief system, their take on reality and they don’t want it challenged.

The most difficult people to read are the non-believers. They don’t communicate, their energy field is closed, often their arms are folded across their chests while their whole persona is saying “Yeh, go on, show me something good” They don’t last long in my chair.

When a person’s defences are raised so high it is exhausting to even attempt direct communication and a more subtle approach is required. So I urge them to take just one card and to reflect on its meaning for the rest of the day, hoping that the part of them that genuinely wants to grow, the part that made them sit down in the first place despite their attitude, will whisper to them just loudly enough that they can hear.

When we use criticism as a defence we effectively close the door to new knowledge and we have to ask ourselves exactly what we are protecting. In order to grow we need to take a good look at who we are and how we do things and see where our attitudes or behaviours require adjustment. If we continue to operate on the same beliefs and behaviours we have used in the past we will continue to get the same results.

If we want better opportunities, better relationships or a better cash flow then we need to create a new perspective, find a fresh approach and we need to be open to new ideas, including the realisation of where we may be sabotaging our potential.

The most successful artists, athletes and entrepreneurs are the ones who are not afraid to try new things and are willing to learn from their mistakes. If we are overly critical of ourselves when things don’t go as planned, then we quickly lose our enthusiasm to try again.

We all have moments when we criticise, when something or someone doesn’t live up to our expectations or we are unimpressed with the results of our efforts. However focusing on the way we think something should be cuts us off from truly experiencing it the way that it is and as personal development guru Byron Katie explains so well, “if you argue with reality you will lose, but only 100% of the time”

Next time you find yourself criticising, may I suggest you try giving a ‘critique’ instead - an impartial assessment of strengths and weaknesses, a list of alternative ideas and healthy, helpful suggestions about how improvements could be made.

For questions and tips about reading Tarot ~ Ask The Hoo

“I had a dream that I was riding my bicycle across Australia,” she said as she looked at me seriously. I nodded, remembering a crazy Israeli friend who had done just that. Then came the question, “Do you think I should sell my car and get a bike?”

When her youngest daughter decided to move out of home unexpectedly, this woman’s whole life changed. She quit her job, sold off most of her belongings, packed the car and headed for the coast. A rewarding journey of valuable solo time and volunteering at festivals emerged as she surrendered to the unknown, guided by intuition and good fortune. Now it seemed that wasn’t enough as her dreams prompted her to downsize further. It didn’t surprise me at all when the Destruction card was the first one she picked out of the deck.

Brave are those who answer the call for change. It takes courage to give up certain structures which have made us feel secure and we often rely on our jobs, houses or relationships to provide that structure. However every structure that supports us will eventually become limiting as we outgrow it and then we need to expand, renovate or sometimes break down the structure completely in order to build something new. We can see then that Destruction is not a negative quality but rather the power to deconstruct, to disassemble, to pull apart in order to rebuild anew.

I often see people going through these significant changes at puberty, just before 30 and at midlife, however they can happen to us at any time throughout our lives. The midlife change has perhaps received the most bad press, often being misnamed ‘midlife crisis’ and yes indeed it may feel like a crisis as we look around and wonder what has happened to our childhood dreams, our grand plans or our waistline…

Life rarely happens exactly the way we want it and sometimes we get caught on a rollercoaster of work and responsibilities, becoming so busy that we have little time to reflect. When we do stop and look within, we may find that we are unhappy with our accomplishments, disillusioned with life or we might feel misunderstood and resentful of the ones we love the most. The purpose of all this angst however, is to make us reassess our values, to take a good hard look at where we are now and then decide what comes next.

Whilst this process can happen quickly, it certainly need not happen thoughtlessly. Feeling cramped in a relationship or lifestyle is a poor excuse to heartlessly ditch it and set off in pursuit of something more fun. In order to grow we need to honour our responsibilities and consider deeply any changes which will significantly affect those close to us. However there are times in our lives when we feel the pull of change, when life is asking us to move on, when we know that we have done enough, contributed enough and it is time for something new. It is when we become stagnant that our souls will call for change and it is that call, that whisper in our ear, that pull on our heartstrings that we need to listen to.

Sometimes our lives get deconstructed for us, like the man I did a reading for last week. His house had been demolished by fire, all of his possessions were gone and he was left with literally just the clothes on his back. He had no further need for spring cleaning. He was philosophical in nature and whilst he admitted to feeling sad over losing photographs and personal items which held sentimental value, he mostly felt as if a big burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Without the attachment of all his possessions and with a sizeable insurance pay-out, he headed for the airport, ready to take that long vacation he had been meaning to find time for.

The more in tune we are with the cycles of our lives, the more freely we can flow with the changes. Are you in a period of laying foundations, building or breaking down structures? Is it time to consolidate, or time to deconstruct? Where are expectations, attachments or fixed beliefs limiting your growth?

For questions and tips about reading Tarot ~ Ask The Hoo

Most Sundays I have the privilege of waking up to see the sunrise over the ocean, from my luxury 5 Star Toyota Hiace Zebra. However I suspect that my favourite beach spot will be overrun this week by spectators who have travelled to the Far North to watch the Full Solar Eclipse on Wednesday. With thousands of tourists expected to flood the Cairns and Port Douglas region and over 10,000 tickets sold to the Eclipse 2012 Festival at Maitland Downs Station, the question has to be asked, “What is so special about an eclipse?”

From the perspective of Tarot, the Sun represents our inner source of vitality and our personal expression in the outer world. We were born to shine our light, to show who we really are through our actions, choices and personal style. When someone is truly happy we say that their face is “all lit up”, they are “beaming”, or “glowing with joy”. These common sayings demonstrate our instinctual understanding that we carry our own personal light within us. When we are doing what we love, when we are following our heart, fulfilling our potential, that is when our light shines the brightest.

The Ancient Egyptians worshipped the Sun God Ra who was considered the supreme ruler, the giver of life and, represented by the well-known Egyptian Eye symbol, the source of consciousness itself. I watched a documentary on the ABC recently which explained that every element on the periodic table, the chemical basis of all known life on Earth, is born in the dying stages of a Sun going super nova. The increasing pressure and heat creates our basic elements such as carbon and oxygen, the heavier metals such as gold being the last substances produced. These elements combine over millions of years to form our planets and atmospheres as well as the cellular structure of our bodies.

So not only does our Sun provide us with the heat and light every day which makes life possible here on Earth but the very substance of our being was created within a Sun. It doesn’t seem quite so primitive then, to consider worshipping the Sun as the source of life.

When the moon passes in front of the Sun on Wednesday morning, cloud cover notwithstanding, we will be treated to the visual spectacle of a Full Solar Eclipse. Our constant connection to the Sun will be momentarily interrupted and the sky will darken as we sit in the shadow of the moon. In the Tarot the Moon represents the unconscious, the world of dreams, feelings and intuition. Symbolically we will be able to see what hidden or unconscious forces may stand as obstacles to the full manifestation of our potential. We may realize hidden patterns of self-sabotaging behaviour or see where our fear prevents us from truly shining our light. We will also have a chance to pause, to reflect on our lives and then reconnect with fresh intention as the Moon’s shadow passes.

Another theme to consider is integration and the merging of masculine and feminine energies. With its outward expression, the Sun is regarded metaphysically as yang or masculine and the Moon which cycles every 28 or so days, represents the yin or feminine principle. During the Eclipse these two powerful forces will move into alignment with each other, giving us the opportunity to consider the balance of those qualities within our own lives.

Do the physical demands of your daily work and routine dominate your life, leaving little time for deep feeling or introspection? Do you care more about your personal goals and ambitions than you do cultivating awareness, sensitivity and compassion? If so, then you may wish to meditate on connecting with your feminine side, spending time in nature or sharing with others. To be truly fulfilled, we need to balance success in our outer lives with the depth and meaning that comes from looking within and listening to our inner voice.

Are you overly emotional, making decisions impulsively with little regard for the consequences? Do your creative ideas fizzle out before they manifest tangible results? Or do you find yourself lost in daydreams, distracted from doing the work you know you need to do to create success? Your homework then, is to reconnect with your powerful solar vitality within, to exercise your yang muscles and take your visions out into the world.

Observing astrological events such as the Solstices, Equinoxes and Eclipses connects us to the big picture, the cyclical nature of life and the abundant opportunity for change that greets us with every new sunrise. From the luxury 5 Star Zebra parked by the lake, Happy Eclipse and may you be showered in celestial blessings.

For questions and tips about reading Tarot ~ Ask The Hoo

A newsletter from a self-development colleague arrived in my inbox this week and I opened it enthusiastically. I always enjoy his updates which usually feature some good food for thought - helpful hints, inspiring quotes and challenges to my perspective. The headline “The real meaning of Passion” caught my eye.

The article explained that the origin of the word Passion was in fact Suffering (a fact I quickly checked in the online dictionary) and questioned the common advice to ‘follow your Passion’, asking “Why would you want to choose Suffering?” Further investigation revealed the early Latin root passio refers to the sufferings of Christ as well as his crucifixion. Well that got me to thinking about the things we sacrifice and what we do it for…

We’ve all had experiences of sacrificing small things for a greater goal, like curbing our spending to save for a big trip, or cutting out tasty treats in order to lose weight. Anyone who has undertaken a difficult course of study, physical training or brought children into the world knows that in order to enlarge our life we must move outside of our comfort zone. If something is important enough to us, if we are Passionate about it, if we love or desire it enough, we are willing to sacrifice for it. Whilst we might occasionally fantasize about winning the lottery or catching a lucky break, in truth we know that nothing of real value is accomplished without hard work and a certain degree of sacrifice.

Where I see problems arise is when our sacrifices are made out of fear, guilt or belief in lack. Those sacrifices make our world smaller rather than larger. Many of us regularly sacrifice our personal freedom for the security of a full time job, for example. When the sun is out and we are dreaming of being out on the water, riding our bikes or soaking up the sunshine we are often sitting in an office or shop doing the work which will pay the bills.

Time and time again I counsel clients who have a deep desire to follow their Passion, whether that is starting their own business, quitting their job to take a trip around the world or commence full time study and their fears are holding them back.
“What if I fail?” they ask, eyes clouded with doubt. I urge them to think like my favourite Greek heroine Antigone, who risked her own life to give her brother a proper burial on the battlefield, proudly declaring, “When I have tried and failed - I shall have failed!”

Very few things in life come without risk. We go to bed every night assuming that the sun will come up tomorrow to dawn on another day of the same old routine and yet, here we are, hurtling through space on a giant rock with just enough atmosphere to keep us alive. Anything could happen, really. Since my last post of the Death card, two well-known spiritual teachers in Cairns passed away unexpectedly and many are gathered in prayer for Gabrielle Roth; world renowned teacher, author and creator of The Five Rhythms dance modality, as she exits this life and dances into the Light. These women lived their Passion and shared it with the world; their influence will be felt for many years to come.

Really, life is too short to make fearful compromises. To follow your Passion requires courage and sacrifice, true, but seriously – would you prefer the alternative? To live a small life, quietly, safely, conservatively? To never risk failure or defeat is to never give yourself the chance to discover what is truly possible. I saw a quote in a boating magazine which says succinctly; “A ship is safe in the harbour, but that is not what ships are built for…”

In this adventure called life, what are you truly Passionate about? If I could wave my magic wand and anything was possible, what would you choose? What would you do, create, learn, discover or achieve if money was no obstacle? What does your heart truly desire and what are you willing to risk in order to follow it?

For questions and tips about reading Tarot ~ Ask The Hoo

Yep. Here it is, just as I promised – the Death card. There’s no avoiding it, there’s one in every Tarot Deck….no point in looking away either, Death is inescapable…or is it?

“We all walked around here on Earth but no one could see us,” he said, “and when I tried to pick something up my hand just went straight through it, just like a ghost…”

The man sitting in front of me was over sixty years of age and looked to be in his late forties. His manner was calm, serious, his gaze was intense.

“When I woke up in the hospital all the cancer was gone, they did a bunch of tests but they couldn’t find anything wrong with me, it is like I was given a new body…”

He continued with his story, describing his experiences of crossing over into Death and then returning, surprised, “I didn’t want to come back, I was peaceful there, so now I am wondering why am I here? What is my purpose?” His sincerity was unmistakable and I didn’t doubt him for a second.

A few years ago I did a reading for a man who survived a tragic car accident in Saudi Arabia. The single vehicle rollover killed all of the passengers except him. He was single with no real obligations or responsibilities, whilst many of the others had children or dependants. He was asking similar questions, “Why me?”, “Why did I survive and not someone else?”

Very few of us get a second chance at life and those who do often struggle to make sense of it. The thing about Death is that it is unpredictable and it doesn’t always make sense. We expect Death to be consistent, predictable, fair even, but Death doesn’t play by those rules…

Of all the characters that we encounter on our journey through life, Death is probably the most feared and the most misunderstood. Death reminds us that our time here on Earth is limited and no matter how well we think we have things figured out, we are not really the ones who call the shots. As a Tarot Reader I have found that asking the Universe “Why?” rarely returns a satisfying answer. We do better by asking ourselves, “What can I learn from this experience?”, “What is my next step forward?” or “How does it get any better than this?”

Turning up the Death card on the table however, doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is going to die, and this is a common misconception. I am quick to remind people that there is big Death and there is also little Death. Finishing a job, moving house or ending a relationship are all little Deaths which we negotiate quite frequently throughout our lives. Even changing a habit such as giving up smoking, forgiving your ex or choosing to let go of judgement are little Deaths in themselves. In letting go of the things which no longer serve us we make space for new things to emerge. When we refuse to allow Death we stay stuck, clinging to the past and unable to move forward with our lives.

One of the most unsettling things about Death is that it leads us into the unknown. Whilst there are some who will return to tell their tale of experiences on the other side, more often than not, Death is final. However the real purpose of Death, big or small, is to make way for new life to be born. When we resist Death we block our vital life force energy and we stay stuck in our fear, resisting change, wanting things to stay ‘the way they are’ and unable to see the bigger picture…

If we look to nature we see that life is a series of Deaths and Rebirths and in the deepest part of our being we know this to be true. As we watch the seasons come and go, our bodies lose cells and create new ones every single day. If we live as we breathe, we take in and we let go, we find a rhythm that is in tune with the wholeness of life; and Death is an essential part of that wholeness.

To live a truly successful life, we must become intimately acquainted with Death. In a quiet moment, consider asking yourself, “What does Death have to teach me today?”, “Which things in my life need to die, so that they can be reborn anew?”, “How can I honour my life by honouring Death in its rightful place?”

For questions and tips about reading Tarot ~ Ask The Hoo

Tarot is old, really really old. As a spiritual system it is intimately connected to the ancient Tree of Life. It has roots in the Kabbalah and possibly the ancient mystery schools of Egypt and, like all good spiritual systems, it doesn’t preach but rather invites you to investigate, to decipher the metaphors and stories for yourself and to live the teachings until you discover your own truth.

I use Tarot as a mirror to reflect the self, to access inner knowing, develop intuition and reveal hidden insights. From the modern perspective, Tarot provides a map of the human psyche and a path of personal growth from innocence to maturity – something which can be sorely lacking in contemporary culture.

We begin our journey in life as the Fool, enthusiastically (if a bit naively) setting out to discover the world. On the way we meet challenges, experience soul lessons and encounter archetypal characters and initiations. If we apply ourselves sincerely to the tasks presented, we emerge transformed - reborn with a new wisdom and the tools to deal with whatever life brings us.

So the journey through the Tarot is a journey from Beginnings to Wholeness and when I decided to write my own tarot deck, it was this path of personal transformation that I wanted to share with others, including those that “aren’t really into tarot”.

In writing the Tarot in Black & White, I have focused on the qualities of the characters and what we can learn from them. The High Priestess for example, initiates us into the Sacred Feminine and shows us how to use our Intuition whilst the Hierophant teaches Knowledge; both self-knowledge and greater spiritual knowledge. The Wizard teaches us the power of Manifestation and the Hermit shares his love of Solitude…

I felt it was important to make the deck gender balanced, so I have used Prince and Princess cards to give these characters equal footing rather than the traditional Knight and the ‘Page’, who is really a kind of girly boy. Also my perspective is modern, so the traditional Devil card becomes Temptation, the Judgement card becomes Rebirth and the Hanged Man is expressed as Surrender.

One of the things that is difficult when learning Tarot is remembering the meanings of the cards and with crop circle designs this is doubly difficult! Therefore I have named the cards so that you have a quick reference to connect to. I find this especially helpful when choosing one card for the day, as it gives you a simple focus, one word to remember as you go about your daily activities.

The cards chosen, the book written, I sat down with Jakob to choose the crop circles. We researched a couple of hundred crop circles through the internet, finding exactly the right aerial photographs to give us the images we needed. We chose the crop circles together, intuitively, to marry with the meanings of the cards. It was easy, effortless. I have always felt that the test of a good creative process is in how well you follow the flow of energy. The Major Arcana fell together like lovers reunited, the Court Cards happily arranged themselves in harmonious families and lastly the Pip Cards lined up in organised rows. Both perfectionists at heart, neither of us was willing to settle for second best and when a few cards were left without a matching image, we searched further…

I personally believe that the crop circles have messages of their own; they are geometric designs and like all the structure in the world around us, they are patterns which contain information. Our DNA, cellular structure, the configuration of the planets, the frequency of sound waves are all interwoven patterns which communicate on different levels. The more you use the cards, the more they will speak to you and this adds another dimension entirely to the Tarot in Black & White

Jakob created each unique black and white image in fine detail, and we worked together to design the cards and layout of the book. Synchronicity was our best friend and all together the creation of the deck took us less than 6 months. We printed the first few copies at the local copy shop and we actually made the first few decks by hand, covering them in sticky contact paper and cutting out the cards. There’s nothing quite as satisfying as holding the very first deck of cards in your hands…I still have mine and I shuffle through them occasionally just to remember the very beginning...

For questions and tips about reading Tarot ~ Ask The Hoo

"Wow these cards are different!" she said as she slowly shuffled through the black and white cards.
"I've never seen Tarot cards like these before."
"No, I made them," I replied proudly and thought back to how I first got the idea...

I was sitting in one of my favourite cafés in Amsterdam; Gary’s Muffins, which actually sells a lot more bagels than muffins but grew from humble beginnings as a coffee and muffin place and to this day has kept the name. The business was started by a couple of American expats so you can get as many toppings as you want as well as great service which is rare in the Dutch cafe scene.

I’d been reading Tarot cards for a while and used to set myself up in the massive Vondelpark on a sunny day, sitting on a blanket under a shady tree on my favourite corner of the winding path. The park was the closest thing to a beach there, and girls used to lay around in bikinis, guys were walking their dogs, playing ball, jamming on guitars, people were smoking joints and generally having an awesome time.

When I read Tarot for people I always explain the meaning of the cards, as well as the position in the spread, like “this is the goal, the principle, the idea position, this is what you are headed towards, and here you have the Fool card. So you need to reclaim your trust and innocence but be careful that you are not being naive….” I mostly used the Osho Zen Tarot when reading for others - it is a fairly contemporary deck and I found the pictures were easy for people to understand. A client would ask me what was holding them back and then the Guilt card would come out, complete with a picture of a scary, crazy woman with black eyes and long fingers scratching at her own hair, racked with guilt. They got the message loud and clear.

I had thought a lot about writing my own Tarot deck and the idea returned to me that day over caramel latte. Writing came easily to me and it had long been my personal passion. Words flowed into my awareness during quiet moments, sentences and paragraphs arranged themselves in my mind as I lay in bed at night. I wanted to write a modern Tarot deck, one that everyone could understand, a Tarot deck that might intrigue those who ‘weren’t into that stuff’, might influence someone to look further, dig deeper to find answers...

I was pretty confident that writing the deck would be easy enough, but illustrating it was a different story. All the Tarot decks I knew had detailed, intricate illustrations, some even reproduced oil paintings and all were way beyond my level of skill at the time. I considered my options as I stirred my coffee. I thought about the cards I knew and loved, the Medicine Cards popped into my mind – totem animals from North America illustrated with a bright yellow lightning bolt on the back of the cards. The lightning bolt is also the Japanese Raku symbol used in the ancient healing art of Reiki. It means manifestation, connecting heaven and earth, bringing inspiration into form.

It was then that I saw them – black and white symbols, circles, spirals, interwoven patterns flashed through my inner vision. I had seen these before somewhere…yes, at my friend Jakob’s house. He was a graphic artist and designer and really into geometric shapes. He had been working on some black and white designs of crop circles, had a couple printed and hanging up on the wall.

“Black and white? Really?” I thought. I had never seen a black and white Tarot deck. Then a clear image came – a black card with a white symbol; a pentagram interwoven with triangles like a Celtic knot. I recognised the image instantly; it was Jakob’s art logo, his own symbol of creation. It was perfect.

I pushed my chair back and stood up, quickly gathered my things and hurried out the door. His apartment was a short bike ride away and I couldn’t wait to tell him about my great idea.

Tarot in Black & White: A Path to Personal Transformation

For questions and tips about reading Tarot ~ Ask The Hoo

In the ancient art of numerology the number seven indicates change, innovation and magic. The Tarot suit of Air represents the mind. Put the two together and you have the opportunity for sudden insight, inspired solutions, ingenious strategies or perhaps…..trickery.

We all have an Inner Genius, the part of us which is capable of coming up with great solutions and imagining the perfect strategy to get us where we want to be. You know when your Inner Genius is at work - it’s when you think “A-ha!” and then immediately wonder “Why didn’t I think of that before?”

We are complex creatures however, and we also have an Inner Trickster which has the uncanny ability to completely confuse us, to make us believe in the ridiculous or to sabotage our best efforts. You know that you are in Trickster mode when you lie about where you were last night, fantasize about being a rock star when you’ve never picked up a musical instrument or forget where you parked your car.

A client last week was getting himself waaaay too close to a married female friend. He was convinced that as soon as she realised that she needed to leave her husband to be with him, all would be well, she would fall into his arms and they would live happily ever after…

His Inner Trickster was in full swing.

As I pointed out the various inconsistencies in his plan he became less and less interested in listening – the sunglasses went on, he leaned back away from me, folding his arms across his chest. He was a goner, I may as well have been talking to a brick wall. Fortunately, my mission is to speak the truth rather than win any popularity contests…

We are powerful beings gifted with a rich imagination but we need to be realistic in what we plan and we need to ensure that our objectives lead us to fulfilling our highest potential rather than our short term desires. The Strategy card cautions you to check your motives and warns that there may be shadow influences at work. Someone close to you in your home or working life may have a hidden agenda or you may be expertly fooling yourself.

If the Strategy card turns up when you are involved in business negotiations then it is wise to check your contracts before you sign and if something doesn’t feel right, hold off on your decisions until you have examined your options further. Take a look at where you are not willing to be 100% honest with yourself, where you dodge your responsibilities or make excuses for your own laziness.

If you have been stuck in indecision for a while, the Strategy card urges you to get clear on what you really want and create an effective plan. Ensure that your plan is flexible and allow for changes as you go along. Your intuition will guide you to your goals and urge you to direct your energies wisely.

When the Strategy card appears it is time to ask yourself; “What attitude or approach should I use now?”, “Are there hidden agendas at work here?” and more importantly, “In what way could I be completely kidding myself?”

For questions and tips about reading Tarot ~ Ask The Hoo

"Oh I am not Artistic at all!" she exclaimed, throwing herself back in her chair and folding her arms across her chest. "I am no good at painting or art or anything like that!”

Sadly this is one of the most common and yet completely inaccurate self-criticisms I hear from clients during a Tarot reading...

“So…do you cook?” I ventured, and received a shrug in response.
“Yeh, a bit,” now we’re getting somewhere…
“Garden?”
“Nope,” ok I should have guessed that.
“Change your hair style?” she looked at me blankly. This was getting difficult.
“Dress yourself every morning?” I’d had enough.
“Look, creativity is not just about doing art; it’s about how you express yourself, how you dress, how you think or how you solve problems. Some of the most creative minds in the world have never so much as picked up a paintbrush!” I exclaimed. I held her in a steady gaze.

“So,” I settled back in my chair, determined not to let this one get away, “in what way do you express yourself creatively in your life?”
“Well….I kind of like photography…” she said timidly and finally we had a place to start…

I often see this reaction when the Artistic card comes out on the table. It seems that we are indoctrinated in high school (or even earlier) to think that if we don’t excel in the classic arts like drawing or painting then we are artistic failures, and this is a difficult mindset to undo.

I remember getting told off in the second grade for colouring in outside the lines. It didn’t work at that young age to try to explain that I hadn’t meant to stay inside the lines, that I was doing my own drawing rather than the one which had been laid out for me. Later I could look back and see my Aquarian rebelliousness starting to cut its teeth, but back then all I knew was that I was being told I was wrong. Grrrrrrr.

More than ever before, we are in an age of self-expression. We get to create our own image online, style our own avatars on Facebook and MySpace and join a host of blog sites and online forums where we get to create who we want to be and how we want others to see us. A quick scroll through YouTube will reveal how keen even the nerdiest nerd is to show you their latest trick online.

So with all this rampant self-expression going on, why do I see talented people dismiss their abilities and put down their own creations again and again?

My gut feeling is that somewhere along the way too many of us have bought into the idea that to be artistic you have to be someone special. We have been convinced that only certain people are born with a magical ability that makes them artistic or musical and that creative talent is a pre-determined genetic thing that can’t be found in the average person.

I used to model for art classes which gave me the pleasure of being paid to sit around :) and the opportunity to absorb a fair bit of drawing and painting technique. One teacher had a favourite story. When she mentioned to anyone that she taught drawing classes she would invariably hear the comment “Oh, I can’t draw!” to which she would ask, “So can you play the piano?”
“No, not at all,” was the usual reply, which she would counter with, “and why not?” The flustered answer would inevitably come back, “well, I have never had lessons!” and there the case rests...

A friend of mine (who went to art school and was very good at securing grant money for her projects) told me that art is artificial. So technically, anything man made is art…and that definition would explain a lot of things in the contemporary abstract section of the art gallery… one man’s junk is another man’s art, it really is just a matter of taste.

Seriously though, as human beings we are constantly creating ourselves and our lives by our choices. Even our bodies are naturally creative, forming new cells every day. So the Artistic card is really asking not if, but how? As the artist of your life, how do you choose to express yourself? What limits do you put on your own artistic expression? How much do you recognise and appreciate your own creativity?

For questions and tips about reading Tarot ~ Ask The Hoo