This week I am thinking about how the past influences the future.

“Those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

The poet George Santayana gave us this brilliant quote, which we often use as an admonition for all to learn history. Is this warning true in the context of personal history, as well as in the history of nations and politics? I think this quote can speak to our tendency to make similar mistakes multiple times before we are able to change our personal patterns.

Even after we make a conscious effort to release the hurt and trauma of the past, very often old, familiar energies continue to congregate around us. Sometimes it can take considerable work, both energetic and practical, to learn to attract energies that are healthier than the energies of our family of origin, or of our early school experience, or our first relationships.

Very often I talk with people who hang on to a fatalistic belief that whatever was true in the past will always be true in the future. They believe this without question, even when it’s not a logical assumption, and even when the problems of the past don’t seem to be related to an unhealthy energy or pattern of behavior.

For example, a person who has had a hard time meeting appropriate people to date might assume the dry spell will always be the norm. A person who has always struggled financially might assume that their bank account balance will never improve.

I believe it is our responsibility to take active steps to not allow an unfortunate past to dictate our future. Sometimes this means having awareness of the problems of the past and consciously making different decisions. Sometimes this means working to heal from the past and release the energy of the past so as not to attract more of the same. Sometimes it means being willing and able to recognize our own growth, and to anticipate, expect and accept something better than we had before.

Discover Your Soul’s Past!

We can do a lot to improve our future by looking to the past!

Please plan to join me on Wednesday, April 24, from 7 to 9 pm in my conference room at 1025 SW Martin Downs Blvd, Suite 203, Palm City, FL, for an exciting Past Life Regression Workshop.

Come prepared for guided meditation. You may bring a yoga mat, pillow or blanket if you like.

There will also be a section on using divination to explore past lives, so bring your tarot cards, pendulums and oracles.

What you learn about your past may inspire you, heal you and free you to create your best possible future!

Class size is strictly limited. Class fee is $37.50. You may reserve your seat online on Eventbrite up to the time of class, or you may RSVP by phone or text by April 23rd 5pm.

New Thoughts on a Classic Three-Card Spread

So many tarotists and oracle diviners, both new and experienced, swear by the classic three-card Past, Present, Future tarot spread.

This is one of the first spreads we teach tarot students. Larger comprehensive tarot spreads often include these three positions as well.

Many readers, especially those who are newer, use the Past, Present, Future spread to answer virtually any question. I wonder about the efficacy of this method – sometimes a linear timeline doesn’t provide as much information as more pertinent and specific questions might.

Although this three-card spread is classic, well-loved and often used, we don’t spend a lot of time talking about its value or teaching how to get the most insightful reading possible from it.

The Past, Present, Future spread is a bit of a conundrum, because it offers only one card to describe a very large period of time. I have been on the planet for more than fifty years. How can one card sum up my past? Likewise, I hope to be here for just about as long in the future. How can one card describe everything that might happen?

The obvious answer is – it can’t. The purpose of the Past, Present, Future spread is not to quantify everything that has happened or will happen.

To get the most from this classic three-card spread, you must see the middle card, the Present, as the primary focus of the reading. The Past and Future cards should be read in relation to what we see going on in the present.

As an exercise, lay out this three-card spread for yourself, with a tarot or oracle deck. Rather than trying to make sense of it in order, look first to the middle card. How does this card describe something going on in your life right now? Is it a spiritual lesson? A current problem? A happy triumph? Find the way this card makes sense in your life.

Now look to the card at the left, the card that speaks to the Past. How does this card make sense as something that has led up to the situation addressed by the middle card? Do you see that you have built on something positive, or escaped from something negative? Do you see a pattern, either good or bad, that you are continuing, or trying to change?

Now look to the card on the right, the Future. Where is this taking you? Will the energy continue, or change? Does the Future card suggest something you want, or something you would prefer to avoid? How do these three cards counsel you, as you consider what to do to create the future you desire? How do they tell a story that is pertinent to your life as it is now, and your goals for the future?

I think we very often do these Past, Present, Future readings in a very static way, as if we have no control of the energies around us. Truly, these powerful three-card readings can give us a great deal of information about where our past actions have brought us, and how we can create the future we want, or avoid the future we don’t.

The Week in Review

This week I am happy to welcome a guest blogger to my Dark Forest Blog. Adam Durham has shared an informative article about the use of crystals and gemstones for mental health!

Around the Web

Have you ever been ghosted? It can be painful and confusing when a friend or romantic interest suddenly stops communicating with no explanation. Here’s an article from the New York Times to help you cope.

Chris Highland interviewed Byron Ballard, and it’s brilliant.

Here’s a new piece from Mary K. Greer about Pamela Colman Smith and a new tarot deck.

Cards for Your Consideration

This week I offer for your consideration one of my favorite cards for creating the future, the Two of Wands.

The Two of Wands speaks of our dreams, plans and goals. This card reminds us that everything takes time, and that there is a process and a path to every achievement.

When I was a freshman at an inner-city high school, I was impressed when a young community organizer named Jesse Jackson came to speak to us. He made us chant with him; “If I can conceive it, I can believe it, if I can believe it, I can achieve it”.

Whether we call this simple statement the power of positive thinking, creative visualization, the Secret, the Law of Attraction, or something else, its truth remains.

To achieve something in the future we must first have a vision, a goal, and a plan.

The Two of Wands reminds us of this important step on the path to success.

See Me in the Tampa Bay Area!

I will be returning to the Tampa Bay Area April 26 through 29. I am available for house calls and parties by appointment. If you would like to have an in-person reading with me or have me visit your home or office to read for your family and friends, simply call or text 561-655-1150 to schedule your appointment.

On Sunday, April 28, from 3 to 5 pm I will once again host an informal tarot meetup and workshop at Panera Bread, 23388 State Road 54 in Lutz. You may RSVP on our Meetup or Eventbrite, or simply join us at the meeting – it’s free to attend and everyone is welcome!

Upcoming Events

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 2 Issue 16
April 17, 2019