Meet me at the PFNE Spring Convention 2008 in Leeds

I'm really looking forward to the Pagan Federation North East Spring convention in Leeds this year. Apart from the usual stalls, where people can indulge in some retail therapy, there will be some great speakers including Emma Restall-Orr (aka Bobcat, a high profile druid), a Molly Dancing Troupe called the 'Rhubarb Tarts' as well as interesting workshops on candle magic, wand making, tarot and more.

Also, I will be the resident tarot reader, and if you live around Leeds, why not come along for a reading? The price for a 20-minute consultation is only £10 - no appointments necessary, just come along on the day.

Date: Saturday, 10th May 2008
Time: 9.45 am - 5.00 pm
Venue: Swarthmore Education Centre (opposite Park Lane College, City Centre)
Tickets: £10 (non-PF members)
(all workshops and talks included)
For concessions and further info visit www.paganfedne.org

This promises to be a great day out, just like the previous conventions I attended - highly recommended!

Hope to see you there,

Christiane
www.cosmictarot.co.uk

How to Develop Your Intuition

Intuition is all about basic instincts, gut feelings and hunches. They usually don't rely on any facts or proof; it's just how you 'feel' about a matter that counts, when you use your intuition.

When I do tarot readings for clients, I always let my intuition guide me. After all, I have very little facts or solid information to consider.

If you are learning to read tarot cards, then you will need to get used to relying on your intuition again on a much larger scale, something you did as a child, but society conditioned you over the years to base your actions, thoughts and feelings on evidence and logic.

However, don't under-estimate the importance and power of intuition, not only regarding tarot but everday life choices; when you have to make split-second decisions, you will most likely follow your instinct rather than logic and reason.

How intuitive are you?

There are some key rules to identify your current level of intuition:

1. You recognise an object with very little time to see it properly, usually less than a second.
Try flicking through magazines and recall afterwards the images you noticed (without looking - what's on the image at the beginning of this artcile?). You can also look quickly at group photos of friends and family and identify afterwards specific people you noticed.

2. When you look at clouds, many images come to your mind.
Making creative associations through this kind of openness help you to generate new ideas and insights.

3. You can take in a scene quickly and recall details.
Look at a crowd scene and then look away. Ask yourself questions about details, perhaps individual actions, clothing, weather, surrrounding area, buildings etc. If your intuition works well, then you are not aware that you take in all this information. It all works 'automatically'.

How can you improve your intuition?

There are a few universal principles to help you develop this skill:

1. Become an expert
The more you know about a subject matter, the sharper your intuitive sense will be. So, the more you practise and read about tarot and absorb the information, the better your readings and accuracy will become over time.

2. Pay attention to your feelings
Don't ignore that inner voice telling you that something is not quite right with the person or situation you are dealing with. Let go of trying to find 'evidence'. Instead just act according to how you feel.

3. Trust your intuition
Relax; it's not easy to reduce the input of a conscious mind, but regular exercise will help you achieve improvement. Try pulling a tarot card at random and without hesitation come up with an instant message from the universe for yourself. Avoid censoring your thoughts; in that moment you stop using your intuition. If nothing comes up, pull the next card. Keep going until something 'clicks' in your head and ideas start trickling.

Have fun developing your intuition - and don't forget that when making some important decisions, a touch of logic in addition will not go amiss!

Christiane
http://www.cosmictarot.co.uk/