Tarot Gift Certificate Redemption

Lucky you!  Some nice person gave you a gift certificate to show you how much they care.

I suppose you’d like to redeem it now, huh?

Just follow these simple instructions:

1.  Send an e-mail to tarot.hedder@sympatico.ca with the following information

• Your name
• Your birthday, including the year. (I promise I won’t tell anyone how old you are, but I do need the year as I incorporate Numerology into choosing the cards).
• The serial number on your gift certificate
• The name of the person who gave you the certificate
• Your question for the Tarot cards, or a little bit of information about your situation.

2.  You’ll get a confirmation e-mail from me indicating I’ve received your request.  I’ll let you know the approximate time frame for when your reading will be finished.  This generally never exceeds 3 days.

3.  Once it is complete, you’ll receive your reading as a PDF file via e-mail.

Things to Keep In Mind

To get the most out of your tarot reading, it’s important to have a clear question or issue in mind. If you prefer not to say your question/issue out loud, that is fine. The cards will decide which issue needs to be explored, and I will tell you what the reading seems to be saying to me. It may not coincide with what you were thinking, but it is information you need to know.

When choosing a question, avoid closed ended questions such as:
Will I become a millionaire?
Is my partner cheating on me?
When will I get my promotion?

You can get a simple yes/no answer from the cards, but that is just the problem. The answer is simple. It gives you no insights as to what you can do to help things move along, or what forces are working for or against you.

Instead, try phrasing your questions like this:
What do I need to do to improve my financial situation?
Why has my partner been acting so secretive lately?
How can I help myself be more successful in my career?

If you are still stuck, consider these 10 questions (take from Tarot Tips, by Ruth Ann Amberstone & Wald Amberstone):
1. What do I need to know about….?
2. What is the next step I need to take to achieve….?
3. What can I do to help…?
4. What is standing in the way of my….?
5. How can I best overcome the obstacle of ….?
6. How can I be a better….?
7. Which is the best choice between…. and …..?
8. What can I do to support myself while …..?
9. When is the best time to …..?
10. Who am I?

Keep in mind that each reading should focus on ONE particular issue. This is especially true for short spreads that use less than 5 cards. If you have problems with your love life but are also facing confusion at work, pick one of those issue to focus upon. We can come back to the other issue at a later date in a separate reading, if you wish.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Tarot

So what exactly are Tarot cards?
The Tarot is a deck of 78 cards, organized into two Arcanas (from the word arcanum, which means 'secret'), the Majors and the Minors. The Minor Arcana is further divided into four suits of 14 cards each: Swords, Cups, Wands and Pentacles. Each suit has cards numbered 2 through 10, plus an Ace, Page, Knight, Queen & King.

You can see how the four suits of modern playing cards are similar to the Minor Arcana's suits (cups = hearts; pentacles = diamonds; wands = clubs; swords = spades). Although its exact origins are a mystery, it's believed the Tarot cards were originally a game. They became associated with the Occult and fortune-telling sometime in the late 18th century.

The 22 cards in the Major Arcana are considered archetypical images. In my own words, that means that each card represents a particular phase or aspect of personality that is common to all people at one time or another. They form the heart of the Tarot deck. A reading that consists mainly of Majors is considered a 'strong' reading.

Each suit in the Minor Arcana corresponds to certain areas of life, and each individual card provides detail into an aspect of that area.

Cups = love, happiness, emotions, the subconscious, natural instincts
Wands = growth, creativity, energy, new ideas, personal enterprise
Swords = aggression, force, ambition, struggle
Pentacles = property, finances, rewards for labour

Is this some kind of witchcraft, voodoo or devil-worshiping?
No. While some people who read Tarot cards are also involved in the above mentioned things, I personally am not. The Tarot cards themselves are not inherently evil.

How does the Tarot work?
While there will be as many answers to this question as there are Tarot readers, I believe the Tarot works through a concept called synchronicity. Simply put, synchronicity is a phenomena that occurs when things happen that seem to be more than a mere coincidence or just good luck. The cards are laid in a seemingly random way, yet the ones that come up are perfectly suited to the situation.

What do 'reversed' cards mean?
When a card is reversed, it does not necessarily make the meaning the opposite of an upright card. Sometimes a reversed card means the same thing as the upright card, but to a lesser degree. Sometimes reversal makes the meaning of the card more intense, almost like the card is trying to draw attention to itself by standing out.

What can I expect from a reading?
You can expect to gain some new insights into your personality and motivations, and those of the people around you. Often you will have some questions about the things that come up during a reading, and this is expected. During an in-person reading, these questions can be answered on the spot and may take the reading in a new direction. Since my readings are done by e-mail, your immediate feedback isn't available. Therefore I will gladly answer a few follow-up questions by e-mail, if you should have any.

After your reading, you will see things from a new perspective. Many of the people I read for respond with "Wow! I never thought of it that way!" If you are having trouble making a decision, a Tarot reading can help you see each side of the situation from an impartial standpoint, thereby aiding you in making your choice.

You can expect total professionalism and confidentiality on my part. I will never share the details of your reading with anyone. Any samples of readings on the webpage are presented with the Seeker's permission, or they are fictitious and for example purposes only.

What if I don't like what I hear, or the reading is wrong?
Sometimes a reading may not relate at all to the question you asked, but if you look deeper, it will fit another area of your life. The cards will speak of what is most important to you in your life at that time. I have done readings where half-way through, both myself and the seeker realized that the cards were guiding us towards a different, more pressing issue than the original question.

At other times, a Seeker may simply not get the answer they were hoping for. While I always try to put a positive spin on things, if something negative does appear (a 'warning' card, I call them), I will not lie about it. I have an ethical duty to tell my clients the truth about what I see in a reading, even if that truth may hurt a little bit.

Very rarely, the reading makes absolutely no sense to the Seeker at all, and all information seems completely inaccurate. If this is the case with your reading, please do not be embarrassed to tell me. We will work out a solution. My goal is to have a satisfied customer.

Are you a psychic?
The simple answer is, no. I make no claims about being a psychic or a fortune-teller. Truthfully, no one is able to accurately predict the future because the future is always changing. Everything you do today, every decision you make, from what colour socks to wear to what you'll eat for breakfast, affects your future. The Tarot is not a tool for predicting a future set in stone, and it is unethical to lead a Seeker to believe otherwise.

What the Tarot can do is paint an accurate picture of your present circumstances and tell you what will probably happen if you stay the present course. Sometimes I do get strong feelings about a certain event or situation that is about to manifest in the Seekers life, and these feelings have proven to be true, but I prefer the term intuitive to psychic. I prefer to think of the Tarot as a counselling tool, rather than a divination (or fortune-telling) tool.

I feel more comfortable being read to in person. How can I find a reader in my area and what should I look for so I don't get ripped off?
Look in the phone book for a local metaphysical bookstore. They usually have listings or postings about local readers. Because they are knowledgeable about Tarot, they should not refer you to anyone that they themselves wouldn't get a reading from. Avoid finding a reader through the classified ads. You know those 2 or 3 line ads -- "100% Accurate" "Guaranteed Predictions" "Let me tell your future". As discussed above, no ethical reader will make guarantees about accuracy, because we respect that the cards do not tell the future -- they tell the present, and the future outcome based on the present course of action.

Prices will vary according to the area you live in, the length of the reading and the experience of the reader. A full, 10-card Celtic Cross reading should take about an hour. Any price in the range of $40-$80 an hour is fair. Watch out for readers that claim to have more information but can't tell you what it is unless you buy extra time or extra cards. The initial price you agreed to (ex. $45 for a 10-card spread) should be the final price.

Be wary of a reader that tries to rush you, but at the same time, be a courteous client. Avoid asking extraneous questions that are unrelated to your original issue, especially if you see you’ve already gone over the initial agreed-upon time period.

I want to learn more about Tarot. What are some books or websites you can suggest to get me started?
There are literally hundreds of books about Tarot, and there are just as many different decks. If you are beginning to learn Tarot, I suggest you start with a classic deck, such as the Rider Waite deck. Once you are familiar with the symbolism in those images, you can move on to other decks. There is a deck to suit everyone. I own several decks: The Mythic Tarot (based on Greek Mythology); The Lord of The Rings; The Herbal Tarot; the Whimsical Tarot (for children, the images are based on Fairy Tales); Shakespeare's Oracle, and of course, the Rider-Waite deck, which I use for most of my readings.

The best two books I have on the subject are:
Power Tarot by Trish MacGregor & Phyllis Vega
It's all in the Cards by John Mangiapane

Check out your local library. You may find some great books there, and you can't beat the price!

Here are some helpful websites:

http://www.llewellyn.com/
The official website for Llewellyn Publishing. They produce many books on Tarot as well as many different decks.

http://www.learntarot.com/
A full, on-line course about Tarot. It's a bit dry, but if you are committed to learning, it's a great source of information.

http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/
The Aeclectic Tarot. Check this site before buying any book or Tarot deck. There are thousands of reviews and summaries.

Disclaimer

I am not a medical or mental health professional. Tarot card readings are for entertainment purposes only. If you are facing a serious medical or emotional issue, I urge you to seek the appropriate professional help. I reserve the right to refuse to read for someone who is extremely distressed. I will direct you to an ER.

Confidentiality is of utmost importance to me. I absolutely will not share any personal information about you with anyone, or disclose any of the details of your spread. I will not save any personal information about you on my computer. I do save copies of the readings for my own personal reference, but I remove your name and use only a number to identify you. You may use this number to request a copy of your reading in the future, should you ever lose it.