What Readers Can Do  
 It soon became apparent to us that there are a significant number of people practising various forms of "fortune telling" who greatly exaggerate their capabilities. Some of these people have become household names, and yet they still tend to exaggerate their claims. We believe that this is a disservice to those serious practitioners of divination. It creates an unrealistic expectation in the minds of those who seek our guidance, and in some instances can actually be harmful to those who seek our advice.
Let us seek to put to rest some of the mistaken beliefs which surround the art of divination.
1. Nobody speaks for God
There are two distinct forces at work in the universe, "fate" and "chaos". Fate is the underlying themes and patterns that form our lives, the lessons that we have to learn at any given point. Chaos is the random events which occur, both good and bad, which are not a part of the divine plan - simple good luck and bad.
A reader can only work with the fatalistic elements of any specific question or situation. We can analyse the natural trends and leanings of things, gather information which may be beyond the conscious grasp of the person who seeks our services and form a prediction of what we feel will occur based on this information - in essence arriving at an educated guess.
In all situations chaos, which sometimes takes the form of "free will", will play a part. In some cases the chaos produces little change from the prediction, but in some cases the changes can be extreme. This is why no reader, no matter what they claim, can give an absolute prediction about what will happen in th
This, however, does not mean that the process is not worthwhile. In fact, a person can not plan their lives on the basis of luck, so knowing the natural leanings of a situation is most useful in making decisions about whether to invest time or resources towards any specific goal.
2. Not everything can be answered when asked.
At times in life, key decisions will often bring us to a crossroad. Sometimes a client will ask a question the answer of which will depend largely on a decision that has yet to be made. Let us suppose that someone inquires about their career in hopes of a prediction of success. Let us assume that they are also dating someone seriously in their personal life who happens to live in another country. Let us suppose that the intent of the two people is to marry and for one of them to relocate to be with the other - and yet they have not decided which will move. In this case, it may be possible that the reader will be able to gauge the persons career up until the point where the decision has to be made on whether they will relocate or not. At that point, so many factors will change, depending on the decision they make, that the reader is left looking into a "void". In essence, the person does not have a career, for all intents and purposes, until after they begin down one path or the other, at which point all the circumstances will begin to once again form for them.
Of course, a good reader may be able to help to determine which location may be more beneficial to their career - but sometimes it is just a big blank until a crucial decision is cast.
3. I see a tall man with dark hair...
The further out into the future we go, the more we tend to work with things which have yet to begin the process of manifestation. We work on a realm of energy - which does not have "black hair and brown eyes".
I often hear psychics on television describe what someone will look like when the person meets them. In fact, this is nothing more than manipulation of their will. The reader is planting a strong suggestion and if the subject is susceptible enough they will conjure up the situation to fit (at least closely enough) what the reader is telling them.
It is true that a gifted clairvoyant may be able to accurately see physical things which are in the process of manifestation or which have occurred in the past. The usefulness of this in the future is only usually a matter of days or weeks at best, and sometimes not even that. When looking at the future a good reader may see an energy which is conducive for "forming relationships". When this energy enters the life of the person it will tend to fill in any gaps that may exist (remember, nature hates a vacuum). Thus, if the person is without a significant romantic partner this energy may produce one. If they already have someone special in their lives then the energy may produce new friendships or working relationships.
We believe that it is better to simply help our clients to become better aware of the energies at play in their lives and then to allow them to decide how best to use those energies.
4. Careers are more predictable than relationships.
As a general rule, anything that contains structure is more predictable than anything lacking structure - common sense. Careers (in particular people in traditional fields) tend to have a great deal of structure. The demands of a job are defined and fixed, the talents of the individual are determinable, and thus we can guage their suitability for a particular career and their potential for success. There are lots of rules, regulations and even laws which will create a great deal of structure.
This tends to make these types of things very predictable.
Relationships, on the other hand, tend to lack many of these things. They exist as an exercise of "free will". If someone is looking to find "Mr. Right" then all the reader can work with is the compatibility of the energies moving into their lives. These situations are very unpredictable.
If the two people actually know each other for a brief period, the relationship starts to become a bit more predictable. At least we can determine if there is an attraction between the two of them and whether they tend to fit well together.
The longer the two people spend together, the more predictable the relationship will become. This is because people who spend lots of time together tend to develop "habits" and these habits actually create predictability and structure.
Even with new relationships, getting a reading can be a useful exercise. It is a good way to gauge the potential of the situation. A skilled reader can deduce the compatibility between the two and sometimes project whether the relationship will have a natural tendency to draw closer or drift apart over time.
5. I see a dark cloud...
Please watch out for excessive negativity in a reader. There is a principle in the universe which states that things have a natural tendency to deteriorate over time. Predicting failure is much safer for a reader than predicting success.
Imagine that someone seeks the advice of the reader on the corner concerning a relationship. The reader advises them that it is doomed to fail. In many cases, by being convinced that the relationship can not work, the person will simply put less effort into making the relationship healthy and productive. The reader can't lose making these types of predictions. If the relationship falls apart the client will believe that the reader was right - if it works out then they will be so happy that they will not care if the reader was wrong (and probably won't even remember).
It is important for a reader to be honest. If a person is going to face a lot of challenges on a particular path then it is better to discuss these things so that the person can adequately prepare themselves. If the reader dismisses these things then they are setting the client up for failure. The reader should not overly dwell on the negatives either though, but should present the situation in as full and complete a manner as possible. They should examine the potential for both good and bad, striving to keep a balanced perspective.
Krista and I believe that a person has a right to follow a path, no matter how difficult or how little their chances for success may appear to be. Besides, remember our old friend Chaos. Who is to say that the person may not catch a few lucky breaks along the way.
Some things to watch for in readings.
1. The reader does not appear to have all the answers all the time.
It is a good sign when a reader will occasionally say "... I don't know." This is an indication of honesty. Be wary of any reader who claims to be infallible or who seems to have all the answers.
Some readers claim that they know who you should be dating or what kind of work you should do. Just for a second, contemplate these questions. There will soon be 7 billion people on Earth, and the reader is claiming that they know just the right one. How many jobs are there that people do, and how many people do things we don't even know people do? These things are simply overwhelming questions which can't be answered.
A good reader, however, may be able to better understand yourself throught the reading. This can give you a better understanding of what is important for happiness in the work you chose, or may help you to better understand what you really need in a loving relationship to find happiness. They can compare your ideas against the profile of energy in the reading to see how well something may suit your, or gauge its chances for success.
2. The reader presents a balanced view, discussing both the challenges and the potential for success.
Quite often in life, a situation will not be entirely black or white. A good reader should discuss the pros and cons of any given situation and be aware of the complexities surrounding many things. They should not be seeking perfection, but should be helping you to determine your best options at any given point in your life, and they should be mainly concerened with your ultimate happiness, not your immediate comfort.
3. The reader does not ask too many questions before conducting the reading.
It is always best for a reader to have a neutral mind when approaching a reading. Normally I only ask what boundaries the person wishes to place on the reading (are we talking about their career, personal life or a general overview of everything), and this primarily only to assist with phrasing. Other than that, I would prefer to let the cards show me what is going on and where things stand. Besides, it is quite possible that the client may not be examining their own situation in an objective way and may feel that it is better (or worse) than it really is.
Occasionally, I will ask a question to help me clarify an energy. For example. the expectations for how someone will feel after dating for 2 weeks will be strikingly different at a future point in time. If someone is unsure if they wish to marry a person they have been dating for less than a month, that's pretty normal. If they have been dating for 2 years and they are still not sure, that could be a problem.
It is also important for readers to be very sensitive in avoding planting a suggestion that may influence the client in a negative way. For example, if a reader starts discussing a new realitonship, and you are already dating someone, you may get the idea that the current relationship is not going to work out. This could cause you to create issues in a relationship that don't need to be there.
Any question the reader asks, however, should be done only to help them clarify what they are saying, and should not change the basic nature of the thought. They should also take the time to explain to you why they are asking the question.
4. The reader is firm in their opinion.
Readers should never force their opinions on anyone, but need to have confidence in what they see. It is better for a reader to give a solid opinion and then be wrong if that be the case, rather than changing their minds to tell the person what they wish to hear. After all, the reader was consulted to give an objective opinion.
5. The reader is passionate about what they do and gets excited talking about it.
Not always true - but would you not prefer to get a reading from someone who loves what they are doing and will put their best energy into it.
6. The reader has the right priorities.
I always tell my students that the most important thing in a reading is the health and well-being of the person consulting them, not their reputations as readers or the fee that they are charging. You have a right to expect this from the people who read for you and should accept nothing less.
7. The reader does not inflate or exaggerate their claims.
The best research I have seen suggests that a gifted reader will be correct in predicting the outcome of an event about 70% of the time. Anyone who claims to be 99% accurate is simply lying to you right from the start - and why would you want to get a reading from someone who is going to lie to you?
8. Trust your own impressions.
If you feel comfortable with someone then that person should be able to give you a good reading. If you feel uncomfortable then you probably should look for a different reader. Always trust your impressions.
9. Do your own work.
If a reader suggests that they can fix your problems by burning candles or some other means (usually for the modest sum of $1000 or more) then that is a bad sign. A readers job is to help you to uncover information upon which you base decisions. It is not their place to fix your problems.
10. A readers job is to help guide and work with you, not to run your life.
Beware of a reader who tries to take control over your life or determine what you should do about situations. This is your job.
In the end, remember that it is up to you to create your future. A reading can help to show you what is "possible", but if you make no effort to achieve your goals then nothing will come of things. If you have a reading that indicates that you have a great possibility of getting a new job or finding a new love and you spend the next three weeks watching television, don't be surprised or blame the reader if you are no better off. Life is for those who chose to live it. A reader will always make the assumption that you intend to make your best effort to accomplish your goals. |