BTP31: Tarot for Elevating Global Consciousness

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BTP31: Tarot for Elevating Global Consciousness

BTP31: Tarot for Elevating Global Consciousness

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Most of the time, we consult the Tarot cards for issues and concerns that relate to ourselves. For example, what do I need to know about my career or my relationship.

But did you know that Tarot can also be used for issues and concerns that relate to us as a global community?

In this podcast, you'll learn:

Why Tarot readings don't always have to be about yourself
How to gain deep insight into world events and issues
How to use Tarot to elevate global consciousness
My real-world Tarot reading on the topic of terrorism – it's a real eye-opener

Let's get into it…

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Podcast Transcript

Brigit: You are listening to the Biddy Tarot Podcast, and this is Episode 31: Tarot for Elevating Global Consciousness.

Voice-Over

Welcome to the Biddy Tarot podcast, where you will learn how to connect more deeply with your intuition and live an empowered and enlightened life with the Tarot cards as your guide.

Listen as Brigit and her guests share their very best tips and strategies to help you read Tarot with confidence. And now, here is your host Brigit Esselmont.

Introduction

Brigit: Hello and welcome!

Most of the time, we consult the Tarot cards for issues and concerns that relate to ourselves. For example, what do I need to know about my career or my relationship.

But did you know that Tarot could also be used for issues and concerns that relate to us as a global community?

In today's podcast, I'm going to show you how you can ask deep and profound questions about world events and themes, and in doing so, how you can elevate global consciousness through your Tarot practice. And yes – it truly is possible.

So let's get into it…

Brigit: This podcast has really been inspired by the two previous podcasts. In episode 29, I was talking about this connection between collective wisdom and individual wisdom. Particularly how it relates to Tarot and when we are working with Tarot we are connecting with both. On the collective wisdom side, there is also this idea of connecting into the bigger collective, the bigger group around us rather than simply just thinking about what's impacting or affecting ourselves. And then to add to that I had the conversation with James Wells, in episode 30, I am always enjoying my conversations with James because some how he always has me thinking of things in a very different way.

What stood out to me in that conversation was this idea of using Tarot, not just to ask loads of questions about ourselves, to ask these bigger questions about the world around us, bigger issues that might be impacting us. Because, I don't know about you, I have been thinking about myself and what is happening in my world and what is affecting me. More often than not, my Tarot readings just about me, me, me. That sounds terrible, doesn't it? I do hope that you can relate.

It takes a different level of thinking to go, “Well, maybe I could ask about what is going on in the world around us?” This isn't necessarily what is going around in my ex-boyfriends life, that kind of thing. I am talking about really big global things here. That is what I am focusing today's podcast on. How we can take that thinking with our Tarot beyond just ourselves and instead refocus it on some of these bigger issues in life.

I talk about elevating global conscientiousness, I suppose what I mean here is that the more energy and attention we can give to these bigger global issues, I think the more that we can change things from an energetic or a conscientiousness level. Not necessarily that we are having to get in there and do something, often times it is very hard with global issues, because you do feel that sense of helplessness and what can I do about this problem. Instead what we can do is we can tap into that collective conscientiousness. We can help transform and shift the level of global conscientiousness around these major issues. If that sounds like something of interest then definitely stick with me through this. I am going to walk you through a way that you can work with your Tarot cards in order to connect in with these global issues and understand what is going on with them.

Let's get into it, now if you have your Tarot cards handy, that would be awesome, if you don't, don't worry. I am going to walk you through this method along with an example Tarot reading.

The first thing you want to do is to think about a world event or a global issue. This might be something that you have been hearing in the news a lot perhaps, or could be something that you are truly passionate about. Perhaps, maybe it is child labour, and that is something that you want to see abolished or proactively dealt with. Perhaps, it is poverty, maybe it is the financial crisis. Whatever it might be, or you might tune in to an event, something that has occurred. Perhaps, a specific act of terrorism, or a major accident that may have happened. Maybe it left you a little bit unsettled or has left the people around feeling quite unsettled as well. Really, just choose something that has some level of importance to you and where you would like change and transformation.

Now, the issue that I have chosen for our example today is terrorism. It is not the friendliest of topics, but it is something that I think, that is coming into our view so frequently. Every now and then I check on CNN when I am tired at night and I have to look at the news on my phone. I look at CNN and it is most often about ISIS and the terrorism that is happening there and around the world. I can't help but feel that us as a society being impacted by this idea of terrorism. I think what affects me most, and affects others most, is there is a strong sense of helplessness, what do we do about these major problems. There is this level of fear, will I be affected by terrorism, and will my loved ones be affected by it directly or even indirectly. I have chosen terrorism for our topic today. Certainly not a light topic, that is for sure. Think about what topic you might choose.

Number two, is to brainstorm a series of questions about the topic that you have chosen. Now, the important thing when you are brainstorming these questions is to be curious and not fatalistic or dramatic. For example, I could go down the path of asking the Tarot: “Are we all going to die from terrorists?” or “Is the world going to end because of terrorism?” That is one path I could choose but I don't find that particularly helpful and I find my energy around those kinds of questions becomes quiet stressed and it is not where I really want to focus my energy.

Here are a couple of questions that I have brainstormed around terrorism. Again, coming at it from the prospective of being curious and trying to understand the concept of terrorism in this present moment.

One question might be: “What is terrorism?”

Another one might be: “What role does terrorism play in our world?”

“What lesson are we learning as a global community through terrorism?”

I know you might be listening particularly to those last two questions and thinking: “What are you talking about Brigit? Terrorism is awful, how can it even have a role in our world?”

I guess what I want to do is that I want to understand it's existing, this issue is here, and I am curious to understand why? Why are we experiencing this issue? What is it that we can learn from this issue?

Again, this might apply to anything, child labour, poverty, financial crisis. Why are these global issues present and in our conscientiousness right now?

Another question I might ask is “What does this world peace look like?” For me the absence of terrorism is world peace. And so, I wonder what that might look like, and in fact I could even ask the question of what does the absence of terrorism look like? Because, maybe it is not world peace, maybe it is actually something else; maybe I have made an assumption there.

Another assumption, I guess that I have made, with this question is:” What does acceptance look like?”

I am assuming that in the absence in terrorism there may be acceptance, of diversity of different cultures and so on. The last two questions that I have come up with here, more action oriented. The one thing that really frustrates me with global issues is I typically feel a strong sense of helplessness. There is nothing I can do, what can I personally do about terrorism? Well, that’s actually a question, that’s a question for the Tarot: “What can I personally do about terrorism?” Because I do feel this sense of helplessness, and I wonder, I am curious to see what does the Tarot have to say on this.

In a similar vein, what can we, as a global community, do about terrorism? I am curious to see what the Tarot comes up with for that.

Once you have brainstormed your curious questions, choose a few that you want to use in your Tarot reading. You might find that some sort of lap or you have more interest in some versus others. Just pick out a few that you want to explore.

Step number three, is select a Tarot deck. At this vein a couple of years ago, I would have just skipped this step completely because I would be using the Rider Waite, no questions asked, but as I have come to appreciate different Tarot decks, I also appreciate that different decks have different energy. When we are considering a particularly big topic like global issues or terrorism, it is important to choose a deck that resonates energetically with that issue.

Now, for us to think about this maybe I could use the Gaian Tarot, I love the Gaian Tarot and the reasoning being that it is quite soulful and earth based. Or I could you use the Rider Waite and I particularly resonate with its pragmatic energy. In this case, I have decided to go with the Rider Waite and I made a conscious choice about that. The thing about all of the Tarot decks that you own, which one would be most helpful for you in exploring this global issue.

Now we get into the fun stuff, and that is actually doing the reading. If you have your Tarot cards on hand and you have some questions that you would like to use about your global issue, then let's get right into it. I have my cards here, so I haven't prepared this one earlier. We are going to see what turns up as we go.

So the first question I am going to ask is: “What is terrorism?” I have to admit; I am little bit nervous about what is going to come up here. Who knows, we are doing these completely live, live right now, recorded once it is in your ear buds. Ok, what is terrorism?

The five of swords, interesting. As I am looking at the Rider Waite deck, and the five of swords, I see two people walking away, their swords are on the ground and it is as if a battle is over and has ended. There is another man in the foreground, who is picking up those swords and is sort of looking over his shoulder at the other two who appear quite upset about the battle being lost. And, this brings us back to what is terrorism, now interestingly the five's are about tension and conflict, that is pretty clear. The biggest energy that I get from this card is that it is about loss, and winning at all costs in some ways and making sure that someone else is losing. For me, this is a sign that terrorism is about winners and losers, and creating conflict in order for there to be losers. You can see how that starts to fit, and as you explore this global issue it just gives you a new lens to look at that issue. This isn't the one and only definition of terrorism, you heard it on the Biddy Tarot podcast, no, this is simply about giving you a deeper appreciation for these global issues.

The next question that I want to ask is:” What role does terrorism play in our world?” I am feeling somewhat nervous about what might come up, what role does terrorism play in our world?

The five of cups, again we have another five, another card about change, conflict and tension. In the five of cups, we again have this theme of loss and it is so fascinating to compare these two cards. In the five of cups, we see a man with his head down, very similar to the two losers from the five of swords, they both have their heads down, back turned and in that place of loss and grief. In the five of cups, there are three cups that are overturned, where as in the five of swords the two swords lay on the ground, they are kind of the missed opportunities or what has been lost. But as with the five of swords, in the five of cups, there are two upstanding cups, and perhaps coming back to what role does terrorism play in the world, in some weird strange way it may be giving us hope. Don't ask me where that came from, but I almost feel like the shadow side of terrorism is in the hope that it creates. That is really odd, but as we experience that fear and loss and grief around terrorism, there may be the emergence of hope, of a better world perhaps. Again, this isn't necessarily the be and end all answer, this is more to stretch your mind around these global issues. In this case, I am asking myself: “How does hope emerge from terrorism?” that is a really interesting concept, who knows.

The next question that I want to ask is: “What does the absence of terrorism look like?”

Let's see, what does the absence of terrorism look like? Strength, I love it when my Tarot cards play properly. The strength card, you know what I love, love, love about this card is this young maiden, she is soft and gentle and yet she can exert her power and influence over this ferocious lion. The absence of terrorism doesn't necessarily mean the absence of power and control, but it is that power and control are expressed in a different way, in a much more subtle persuasive way then through force, which we know is related to terrorism. I even get the sense of this divine feminine coming through and the embracing of sacred feminine energy and perhaps that is what might emerge in the absence of terrorism. Ah, very interesting.

Let's now ask: “What can I personally do about terrorism?”

This is, I suppose, that I feel that sense of helplessness, what can I personally do about terrorism? The world, hmmm, ahhh, this could be interpreted in so many different ways. I suppose in one way, it is a reflection of what we are actually doing here and we are looking at a world, global issue, and we are connecting our energy around that issue in a wholesome way. Perhaps, what I can personally do about terrorism is look at it from a whole perspective and in doing that, that may further my understanding of terrorism and that may energetically shift how I interact with this concept.

Let's see now, as a global community: “What can we do about terrorism?”

The two of wands, the thing that just occurred to me, when I look at the two of wands, I see the man in his castle, and he is firmly within the bounds of his castle. He is holding the world in his hand and he is aware of the world that is around him, but he stays where he is. Sometimes, I think this is about, I hope I don't say the wrong things here, but I think it is about knowing where our boundaries are and instead of trying to occupy other places that maybe where we are not welcome, then it is perhaps about staying a little more in our safety zone. Respecting that other communities or societies have their own zones as well. Now, I wish that we could live in a world, where it is completely borderless, and we are from the same place, absolutely, but I wonder if this is an interim measure to say: “You know what, as a global community, we kind of need to stick to our own area, but also have an appreciation for the world around us.” Not try to barge into other communities and societies and convince them of a philosophy or a way of thinking, but just be connected to how different societies operate, not having to necessarily change those different societies.

I also see, in the two of wands, very much around world summits, maybe we are going to see more world summits around terrorism and dealing with terrorism and particularly dealing with geographical boundaries in this card. They have, my goodness, I did not quite expect this to go where it went but I am so glad that it did. Because this is incredibly insightful and I really hope that whenever you do this reading for whatever issue you choose you will also find it very insightful too.

We have laid out five cards here, on the topic of terrorism; I want to wrap this up with a little bit more of a healing process. I am not going to use the Tarot for this, I am going to use the Rumi Oracle Deck, and I have chosen this deck because it is a very divine deck and the beauty of deck is that it also comes with a healing ritual. I am going to ask the deck: “What card do we need here, when it comes to terrorism, what is the message that this Oracle speaks, and therefore what healing process can we connect in with?”

I have chosen the card called the right choice; it appears to be an ascended master in this card. I am going to have a look, let's just see. Let me read to you, this is a poem from Rumi, which is related to this card and it says: “Stay close to those who know about the heart, chose the shade of the tree that is in constant bloom. Don't meander aimlessly among herb sellers and potion vendors. Go directly to the shop that sells nothing but sweets. Don't sit waiting by every boiling pot to have your plate filled. Not every boiling pot is cooking what you want, not every sugar cane is filled with sugar. Not every down has an up. Not every eye has vision. Not every sea contains pearls. And with this comes the advice, within you I recognize my most trusted friend, we go back a long way to before that moment when time began. We knew each other then even before time was born. So I say hello my old and dear friend, so lovely for us to meet again. And I feel how your heart responds with a wave of love for it is that love that is you, my most trusted friend.”

What I see here is the message with this card is that if we can come from a place of love, then this whole issue of terrorism goes away. And if we can align ourselves with that loving energy and people who generate loving energy then it almost fades away in the background and it really does come to making the right choice and a love based choice as well.

I want to share with you the sacred honouring ritual that goes along with this card. I want us to see this as a healing process around terrorism and using this process to help us heal on a global level. Turn the palms down towards the earth and say aloud:

“With gratitude and trust I release that which is not rightfully mine.”

Now open your hands upwards towards the sky and say aloud: “I give thanks for the grace that is bestowed upon me now as I accept my rightful divine inheritance.”

Now stand with your hands in prayer at your heart and say aloud: “I honour my heart wisdom, may my heart always be my leading light, show me the way of grace, so be it.” And you have completed your honouring ritual.

And that, my friend, wraps up this reading around terrorism and terrorism as a global issue. I hope that by sharing this with you, you are also inspired to create your own reading around a global issue that is important to you and use this as an opportunity, one to be curious and to elevate your level of thinking about that global issue, but also to elevate the global conscientiousness around that issue and to change the energy and the global vibration, I suppose, around that particular issue. I hope that you have enjoyed this, and just on cue we have a cleansing rain in the background, I am not sure if you are going to be able to hear that, but it is quite beautiful.

Wrap-Up

If you loved this podcast I would love for you to head on over to iTunes and leave a review. You can also subscribe to get the latest podcast. If you are not on an iPhone but you are on a different kind of phone, do they even exist? You can also download and subscribe via Stitcher, just search for the Biddy Tarot Podcast on Stitcher, as well. Or you can head to the blog at biddytarot.com/31 and you can continue the conversation there. I would love to hear how your readings have gone with this global issues Tarot spread that I have shared with you today.

All right, well that’s it for today and thank you so much and I look forward to connecting with you again soon.

Thanks and goodbye.