Psychic Cats And Other Seers

          There’s a guy in Santa Monica who sets up camp in the Promenade with his two sweater-wearing cats.  If you give him a buck, you can get a cat reading.  The cat will reach out and select a scroll, which you then read for the answer to your question.  Then he feeds the cat a spoonful of Fancy Feast as a reward.  I’ve done this now and then because I like supporting the efforts of kitty cats though it does feel a little like feline abuse to me.  Maybe I’m just jealous because my cats are chronically unemployed.

          Cat readings are rare, not the usual source of prognostication most people seek.  There are different types of readings, which you probably already know, but do you know the mechanics of how they work?  Here are the main ones:

          Clairvoyants are those who “see clearly.”  It’s the most seductive type of reading because if, after all, this person “sees” you doing something, then it must come true.  Sometimes it does.  But realize this, very often these readers are seeing something that represents a symbol rather than fact.  So if this psychic sees a car, it doesn’t always mean that there’s an issue with your car, that you will get a new car, or that a car will run you over.  It could mean movement, change, freedom.  What it means depends on the shorthand between the psychic and his or her guides.  Very often clairvoyants see things which do not materialize, either because they’re just wrong or because the symbols are being poorly translated.  Sometimes they get it right.  Mostly it depends on the communications skills of the reader, and that is always an essential ability.  Otherwise you will leave more confused than you arrived, something that is sadly not at all uncommon in a reading.

          Fewer people go to clairaudient readers—those who “hear clearly.”  They listen inside their heads and repeat messages from their guides for you.  It’s a similar process to what I do when channeling, which is to open up and listen to the inner hum of a person, living or dead, or the guides who’ve come to say something.

          Sometimes psychics will ask to hold something of yours, such as a ring, although not usually a watch, which has its own energy due to the quartz inside.  Holding this item, called psychometry, allows them to tune in more precisely to your vibration.  They could just hold your hand, but that could get sweaty.

          Trance channelers are very interesting.  They have the ability to—ok yes, go into a trance—but really they’re just floating out of their bodies as we sometimes do in a dream.  Then a spirit comes and sits in that body and speaks to a person or a group.  If the channeler is willing, your own guides could come and sit and speak to you.  It’s sort of like borrowing someone’s car.  The spirit inhabits the body for a while and gives a message.  Otherwise only those who can hear spirits could get that message.  I’ll talk more about the spirits around us in my next post.

          Tarot readers use a deck of cards imprinted with 78 unique images to translate symbols into information.  This is similar to astrology.  If you have questions like when will I get a job or will I ever lose weight, don’t consult the Tarot.  It’s not good at revealing timing.  And don’t ask the “will I ever” sort of question.  Ever is too indefinite a time frame.  When you’re ten years dead, you’ll surely be thinner.  Tarot is great for showing who’s around someone, such as your husband’s girlfriend.  Oh-oh!  Don’t jump to conclusions, though, because she could just be someone at work.  The key to gaining good information from the cards is the reader’s ability to synthesize the meanings of multiple symbols and extract pertinent and precise information from them.  And if you have no birth time, the Tarot is excellent at providing information that you can’t get from astrology without time of birth.  It’s also good for answering a variety of questions, of which there are as many as there are people asking them.

          Astrology is an intellectual pursuit.  There may be some dummies who are “into astrology” but if you encounter a dumb astrologer, run the other way.  There’s so much to learn and to juggle, it takes brains to do it.  And it takes wisdom to do it well.  A good reader should be able to give you the truth without making you suicidal.  Sometimes the news isn’t what you want to hear, but you should hear it anyway.  A reader who will say yes, you will be with that guy when she knows no way on earth is this happening, is just setting you up for greater unhappiness—and ultimately you will blame the reader.  Done well, astrology can provide more psychological information than therapy because there’s a tool—your horoscope—to reveal it.  A reader who can help you deal with issues can be far better than a therapist because the reader doesn’t have to wait for you to share the issues—she can disclose them to you.  Astrology is also excellent for timing.  It can reveal crappy periods you’re about to endure—and tell you when they’re ending.  This is good for your hair because it means you will be pulling less of it out.

          The key in having a good reading is having a conversation with someone who gets you and who can share information in a way you understand.  A reader should make as few pronouncements as possible and should share information in a way that is gentle.  Readers who take pride in being definite are doing a disservice to the client because if you believe it has to be true, you will do (whether consciously or unconsciously) something to make it true.  That would mean the reader is creating your future rather than predicting it.  Far better for a reader to offer potentials, choices, and possibilities about what can happen.  For any set of symbols, there are many potential delineations.  Nothing is set in stone.

          And that is the most important thing for you to realize.  A reading should give you insight into yourself and your life, but not be a precise snapshot of your future.  You are living your life and the choices you make today shape the future you live tomorrow.  Those are your choices to make, not your psychic’s.  Sometimes things will indeed “happen” but often it’s more about “do” than happen.  What you do makes something else happen and it’s better that way than if something is happening to you.  But if you know you’re in a good period, you can maximize on it by reaching for more opportunities.  If you know a bad period is coming, you can do what’s necessary to prepare for it.  And if you have a mate who baffles you, astrology can give you the insight into who and what this person really is.  Nothing is as good at psychological insights plus predictions for the future.

          The best thing about a reading is that it allows you to see intimately into yourself, from someone else’s informed perspective and to learn more about who you are and what your life is all about.

          Now it’s time for some lunch.  What should I eat?  Let me consult my trusty 8-ball.