What I Learned from Getting My Fortune Told

September 1, 2015

fortune-teller

Growing up, I was never exposed to fortune-tellers or psychics. In fact, I was warned to stay away from them. They were written off as “witchcraft” and therefore evil by most of my family and acquaintances.

This stigmatic idea is not uncommon- especially among those who don’t know much about Wiccan or psychic tradition. For skeptics, getting psychic readings seems like a lot of voodoo nonsense- or something much worse.

If you do some research, however, you’ll come to realize that most of these practices are quite tame. In fact, there can be a lot of value in receiving a psychic reading (even if you don’t believe in that sort of mysticism).

It wasn’t until about a week ago that I got my first reading done. It was being offered for donations at a recent gig/art exhibition I was at, so I thought “why not?”

My reading was done using Motherpeace round (feminist!) tarot cards, although there are many different types. The cards were pulled and then broken up into three sections: past, present and future.

tarot_cards

From astroamerica.com

The great thing about them is that they’re pretty vague/open to interpretation. So ANYONE can apply them to their lives, pretty much regardless of their experiences. You just have to take meaning from what you are presented with. From there, you have the ability to form your own path and shift your perception based on what you learn.

Here’s the general ideas that I took away from my reading:

Past:

-Let go of what no longer serves you: For me this immediately brought to mind my eating disorder. Since coming to Australia a few months ago, I’ve seen an enormous shift (for the better) in terms of my recovery. I accepted that to make the most of my life now, I must release the things that are holding me back- so this concept really hit close to home.

Present:

-Use the resources around you and you’ll be okay: This is also largely applicable to my life over the past few months. I’ve bounced from California to Mexico to Australia, and will continue onward. None of these places are home and none of them have all the amenities I’m used to. But I am learning to be alright with that. If you trust your environment and those around you, you will be provided for no matter where you end up.

-Bring something to offer wherever you go: Through my travels, I have met many new faces and visited many new places. It’s always great to have a skill, craft or trade when in a new spot in order to make money, network, or find others with similar interests. While in Oz, I have been able to offer up yoga lessons, vegan cooking skills, friendly conversation, and sometimes just a smile. It doesn’t really matter what it is, as long as you are willing to offer what you can.

-Know when to open up and when to take time for yourself: In a new environment like the one I’ve been in, it can be hard and scary to let your guard down. Conversely, it is sometimes easy to be too open, even if you don’t know if you can really trust the person. Finding a balance here is important. As I’ve made new connections (not just in Australia but also in my adult life) I have started to gain more awareness of boundaries and where to set them.

Future:

-Look for the good in the bad: This concept encouraged me to change how I look at negative happenings in my life. Every unpleasant experience is a learning opportunity and a story (I like to think). Going forward, I see the importance of keeping this mindset consistent. Optimism doesn’t need to be seen weak or naive. It can simply mean that you take life as it comes and work with the situations put in front of you.

-Put forth what you are trying to find: This final concept stimulated my thought about who I want to be as a person. If I want to find strength, I must first be strong. If I want to find love, I must be loving. It makes total sense to me and I’ve seen the idea work with others. Like attracts like.

As you can see, I chose to receive my reading with an open mind. If you are not open, you probably won’t take much away from the experience. If you are intrigued, however, it probably means you can adapt a psychic reading to fit within the context of your life. Fortune-telling may not explicitly lay out what your journey will be, but it can help you forge the path to get there.

What are your thoughts on fortune telling- baloney or worth a shot?

Related: Tarot Reading – New Age Therapy?

Check out Lunar-based bi-weekly astrology column Peaceful Moon!

Also by Quincy: 5 Free and Cheap Vegan Meals Around the World

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Photo: Vlasta Juricek via Flickr

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Quincy is an NC-based college student who is passionate about leading a healthy and compassionate life. Aside from classes, she fills her time with cooking, writing, travel, and yoga. You can find more from her on her blog Shugurcän and on Instagram.

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