Christmas to New Year, End of 2009...

Quite a lot has happened in 2009. The biggest issue for the world this year could be the global warming and the prediction of 2012, end of the world. As we move toward the end of 2009, many would be pleased to see the new year 2010 arrive as soon as possible. However the end of 2009 may not go away as peaceful as we would like it to be, since both Mercury and Mars are retrograding into the new year. Also we have two eclipses right in the beginning of 2010 and two weeks afterwards. Well I guess 2009 just could not leave without showing us its ugly tail.

The first (lunar) eclipse is gong to hit in the sign of Cancer and the second (solar) eclipse will come two weeks later in Capricorn. The lunar eclipse in Cancer is going to be a serious hit as the energy of the moon would be directly involved and Cancer is the sign of the moon and the sea. Most people would be hit by strong emotion outbreaks and I strongly suspect an earthquake that would shake the land and cause the tsunami somewhere on earth. The solar eclipse would probably be a bit easier on most, except those who are touched within its range in their astrology charts.

With this in mind I also examine my own charts of the eight characters and Chinese astrology. It should be a fairly good year and help opening up a new career for me, but I still have no idea of how it is going to happen and work out on my behalf. Life is alright for me... Could be better but not much to complain about. A new aspect is going to open up for sure as 2010 is supposed to be one of the best year in the best time period in my life. I just have absolutely no clue of how it would happen and unfold on its own...

So now I get into the Tarot cards. I have an opportunity to teach a course of Tarot in the local community college, but it would be for the better that I do not actively promote the craft as most modern people would not have the right mindset to explore Tarot. If they choose to learn on their own that is none of my business, but I do not want to bring people to this art only to fail in their own spiritual journeys. That simply brings bad karmic interactions back to my own life. It should only be for a selected few that have proven that they can deal with what Tarot has to offer without screwing up their own life. Perhaps I would start with writing a Tarot book for publishing, but even for that I am afraid of causing thoughtless mistakes for the careless readers. After all, Tarot is also known as the book of the secret arts for some very good reasons...

Moving on with life...

Just accepted a new tutoring student, but the kid has not picked up much so far. I have thought long and hard about how to improve the kid's interests in learning, but it seems to be really beyond my control. I will have to take it one day at a time. Maybe it is only a matter of time that we go toward separate ways. Whatever blocks the kids from getting his interests up may not disappear for a while, and I might have to bear with that for a bit longer.

From the Tarot readings, I sensed an authority figure that I thought would be his father, but it appeared to be a retired high school principal who would spend some time helping the kid every Monday. I am hoping he can give the kid some structure and disciplines in life. However from cards in my drawing I am not out of the picture yet, although I hope I can gracefully exit the whole situation altogether.

It happens that I will have enough tutoring work till the first half of 2010, and then I might have to look for some new work to support myself. I am setting the time frame to be after the summer, so I can visit my sister in the states and share some quality time with her and the kids. I do not know what will come and I might have to give faith to the unknown and believe something would eventually come my way when I get back in Taiwan. Maybe it would also be wise to take a one day at a time approach for this.

I have sensed the energy to help my life moving forward for a while, but I still could not figure out what it is. I might have to sit and wait out for this one. Already bought a new laptop and for now a bit short of cash for the big screen 32" full HD LCD TV I long for. It would look so nice in my bedroom, but how am I going to find a place to put the 22" LCD TV it would replace? Perhaps it is time to turn down the big screen envy and stay practical and environmental for now. After all, I probably just want the big screen TV for watching DVD's. It would take out the whole desk to actually fit it in my room...

Heaven, Earth, and Human...

Modern Tarot readers would like to think that they are capable of predicting all matters for the future. Many of them would have talked much about national, regional, and global events such as politics, weather changes, earthquakes, and the future for the mankind etc. as if they were given certain supernatural powers to foresee anything in the future by their Tarot cards. It becomes a common belief that one can predict anything as long as he or she has mastered the skills of Tarot, which could be learned in a few months if one truly works hard on it.

In the tradition of predicting the future for the communities or nations, people would consult true spiritual practitioners such as High Priest/Priestess. He or she had spent many years learning meditation and spiritual knowledge since early youth. In addition it was probably the minimum requirement for a priest/priestess to communicate with the spirits. Many of them were very gifted and talented in meditation and spiritual practices. On top of their gifts and talents they still had to meditate and work every day to gain more spiritual understanding and power. There would be definite ways to test their abilities before they can be trusted as the specialists to predict the future trends that involved a tribe or a country.

As 2012 comes near all of us, people try to gather the information for the future to avoid the possible disasters or gain the grand benefits. Now we come to realize that this kind of information could bring great advantages to those who obtain it. Because all the spiritual knowledge comes with responsibilities, it could not be easily possessed. Therefore matters such as lotto numbers and the fortune of a nation or a region are surely guarded unavailable to common people to prevent abuses. Only through the right kind of spiritual practice will the information be revealed. Even then it is usually forbidden to be presented to the public as it would cause unnecessary damages to those who do not know how to react.

Some people believe that the Tarot cards have magical powers, while others tend to think of the cards as useless or evil. Both sides are wrong. It depends on the person who uses the cards. It is only a tool that can help us decipher the future. What we do with that information makes the differences for our life. To obtain the information comes with responsibilities. If one can not make the best of such, usually it would not be given to him or her. A lot of Tarot readers should think long and hard about whether they themselves are worthy of certain revelations from the above. There are still a lot to learn before people know how to apply the spiritual knowledge correctly.

Wheel of Fortune: Life woven by the Divine...

A good friend of mine started a heated discussion about how to maintain one's blessings and prosperity in life. Being psychic and keen to the vibrations of the spiritual realms, he insists on avoiding interfering with others' fortune this month, because it is well known as the month of ghosts in the Chinese Taoism tradition. Also he was worn by certain signs that it is definitely not a good time to get involved with certain matters in other people's life. Just about now, Mercury has slowed down and getting ready for the retrograde. That on top of the traditional Chinese month of ghosts is more than enough for most people to stay low, let alone working against the energy of such dark month by helping others.

We have been on different patterns of thoughts for a long time. He knows that I am using Tarot for helping friends to get over the current rough time, and I see it as a way of my spiritual practice. Recently I have failed the tests to become employed by the Chinese telecom. According to him this is due to me sticking my neck out to do the tarot reading for people. The reasoning behind this is one has to trade in his good karma in order to help others escape the grasp of misfortune. He even warns me to stop my practice until the month of ghosts are done and over with, which could really save me from further danger in his opinion.

It really brings me to the cross roads of whether to give up Tarot or not. I know the knowledge is genuine and I can use it to help others, but his view of life and related matters is also very true and it has been written in the sutra that fortune telling is not a good way of spiritual practice in Buddhism. It is either give it up all together or keep on practicing and ignore his warnings. I do feel strongly about the tarot, but I also want to make advances in Buddhism. I visited a psychic before and she has supported my practice of Tarot. Now it seems that I have to think long and hard about whether to go on the path of Tarot or not.

All of the sudden, I think of the Wheel of Fortune in Tarot. One of its interpretations is Life itself woven by the Divine. The three Goddesses of time --- the past, the present, and the future --- all work together in weaving what we come to know as Life itself. I decide to call on the power in this path to reveal the clues of my life. Perhaps it would do me some good to see how I was, am and will be. I do not know what this may bring. Also calling on such powerful magic entities during the Mercury retrograde might create some chaotic events for me. I figure I have not done much of the path working for a long time. It might be a good time to refresh the lessons. No matter what comes from this, it is one thing that might give me more information, so I will give it a shot and see what the practice may bring...

On the edge of September and Mercury retrograde...

It has been a long while since I get time to sit down and write about anything. I attended the test for an employment in Chung Hwah (Chinese) telecom and have been wrapped in their schedule too much. Barely passed the written test and a bit slow in their face to face interview meeting, I should not be surprised that I did not get to pass the final round to win over the employment position. After all, they are looking for some sharp and clever employees who are very keen to the vibe of the market.

It would be a bit upsetting to fail after such personal efforts to get in. However I was a bit shocked when I saw what their employees looked like. Never in my life have I seen so many conservative people in a gathering! I guess that would be expected for certain for a company like the Chinese telecom. People from that company do not usually give me a good impression because they seem to be lack of the flexibility to the modern world. The impression I got from the interview proved that they were not looking for marketing people, but only for sales. Perhaps this is for the best in the end. As I grow to learn, I definitely have to fit in the culture of the company to enjoy the employment. From what I felt from the interview, I doubt I would be a good fit for them anyway.

So now I am back to the square one for job searching. After visiting my sister and going through the Chinese telecom interview, in September there comes the Mercury retrograde from Sep 7 to Spe 28. Due to the characters in such astrological events, it will be definitely stretched to cover all of September. Could it be that they have made a huge mistake so I end up getting in the Chinese telecom? I doubt that, but the readings and signs point out to a very likely opportunity for employment in the second half of the year. Therefore something may pop up for me to obtain a good employment. I still want to keep my faith up for a good job coming soon.

The cards I draw for the coming months are pretty positive. I guess it might have to do with me trying to keep my hopes up. One thing at a time, I would think. After three eclipses so many things are coming into conclusions. Maybe the mercury retrograde would pick up the pieces left and we can all move onto the new life cycle once and for all...

Recent astrology events...

It is no surprise by now that we have two lunar eclipses coming back to back in one month, with a solar eclipse right in the middle of both. This period of eclipses is surely very potent and powerful for most people in the world. In astrology the energy in this period will set many matters in our life moving at a very fast pace. A close and dear friend of mine has gone through most of it and is still waiting for the last lunar eclipse to close the curtain down upon some important past issues.

I have done a few Tarot readings for him and one was really popping out to tell the story among those who have been involved. The Moon represented people who held on the past and would not let go and adapt themselves to big changes in life. The Star spoke about the energy which was invoked by my friend and those who were willing to help him through the current rough period in life. However it would be the Sun that is about to bring everyone forward because that would be for the best concerning the karmic path of one precious child. The kid, while helpless and depending on the adults to protect his future, does have a good karma to give him a good life and perhaps a good chance to grow in spiritual sense. Maybe it will be all proven in the end of the last eclipse coming on August 6.

As for me, I took an employment exam on July 5 so now I am waiting to see if I passed the first round of exam to get in for the second round interview. To be honest I did not study hard for it as I should be, and it was more than obvious that I had screwed up in the third subject. The matter of the fact was that the hiring rate was unbelievably low --- less than one percent. Just the top three percents could have a chance of being interviewed for the job. Since I did not really study for it and pretty much messed up in the third subject, I should not even hold hopes for getting the interview anyway, let alone the job itself.

A quite psychic friend of mine told me that the night after the exam he had dreamed of people asking him to hand me over some special Chinese vegetables, which were the well known good luck symbols, to me. I also got two very good draws of fortune telling from the Long Shan Temple in Taipei. My own Tarot readings have pointed out my new job is coming soon for a few times. Several signs like these had me hope for the lady luck would be on my side for winning the job from the largest telecommunication provider in Taiwan --- the Chung Hwa TeleCom. People who work there can also be granted an extreme stable job till their retirement. That would surely help ease my mind of making ends meet for the second half of my life, plus a decent retirement and maybe purchasing a home of my own later on.

As I am visiting my sister and her family in Detroit, MI, USA. My good local friend Chris also told me that he would move to NYC in September for a master program and hopefully a good job offering. The unemployed rate in Detroit went up to about 15% recently, so most people have to move to somewhere else if they want to find a job to live on. I would remain hopeful for all my friends to find a good job to support themselves because the time is certainly getting rough in the near future. It would be very hard to watch everyone to go through economy downturn in the coming years...

Taking the employment exam before visiting USA...

As many of my local friends may already know, I usually get to visit my sister in Detroit, MI, USA for a few weeks once a year. This year I plan to go there on 2009/7/8 and come back on 2009/8/15. It is always fun to visit my sister and her family. Both kids of hers are certainly very adorable, though quite a bit on the naughty side. ;)

What makes this year's schedule a bit weird is that I also decide to take the employment exam of the Chung Hua telecom. The ratio of hiring for such employment exams is very low, about around 1% in general, not to mention that rumor has it that some people's names are already on the hiring list if they can manage to pass the written exam. When taken into account, it cuts the hiring ratio to an unbelievable 0.5% to 0.66%, which means it would require almost a perfect score combination of all three subjects just to pass the written exam.

If all go as planned, I will take the written exam and then visit USA. Afterwards I have to head back for the oral exam, if I manage to be among the top 33 in scores for the written exam of the job post. Although I am quite confident of my ability in English, the other two subjects would be quite a challenge. There are still 3 weeks left for cramming everything into my brain, which has been incapable of holding huge amounts of information since my mid twenties... I am surely in need of the lady luck to be on my side to actually get a job from them, and that would probably be the only way.

Now it comes to pull cards for the events about to happen in July. Again it is a strange and unpredictable combination. I will have to wait and see if the exam would change my life. If I get the job, would it be for the better or worse? What kind of turns will it present me on the spiritual path of mine? As we all come to learn in life, what comes as sweet things in life might end up bitter in the end... Perhaps I should just start a class of teaching tarot in the local community college instead. :P

What comes after a little progress in Tarot readings?

It is great for me to report that I have made some little progresses in deciding time during my taort readings. Some friends of mine may already know that I developed the I-Ching spread to overcome the limitations of Tarot readings concerning different time and locations. Most people do not understand the technical side of reading for the future. In the Chinese tradition the information would be divided into four categories: personal partnership, money, off-springs, and fame. Another way to organize the information is also set in four categories: people, events, time, and locations.

In the past I have made an important break-through in reading for time and locations in my I-Ching spread for Tarot. Just recently the inspiration has come to me that there is another way to improve the reading accuracy of the information about time. It was certainly a nice surprise since I was a bit burned out dealing with Tarot and decided to take a short break from it. Soon afterwards the idea came to me all of a sudden and I would have to check the method over through time and practice in the near future.

I always believes that the more spiritual blessings one gets, the more duties and obligations one should take into consideration. After all, there are a lot of karmic effects which come from the information concerning anyone's life and the choices made for the better or worse in the future. A lot of fortune tellers thinks very little of the weight their advices might carry. It is definitely not any simple or light matter. One should give as much caution and care as possible when give others advices about their future. Careless and thoughtless predictions, on top of false sense of authority from those who assign themselves as messengers of God, would in no way bring anyone a good understanding of reality and what could be the right things to do for it.

This mercury retrograde was followed by the full moon, which was proven to bring harsh news for me and some of my friends persoanlly. I have been worned about the coming eclipses coming on July 7, 2009. Although unsure of what is eventually going to happen, I am certain it will push many people into the second half of the year in a big way, me included. The second half of this year, in my opinion, is surely going to be in the fast pace for a lot of people, since the first half brings most guys plenty of setbacks...

Mercury retrograde in May and the Lunar eclipse in July...

As the month of May is getting close, the Mercury retrograde that would be very close to the full moon will become the focus of many people's life. Life in a regular month cycle usually follows the changing energy and phases of the moon; therefore whatever coincide with focus points of the moon energy cycles --- the new moon and the full moon --- would definitely get a strong boost of the energy and people are going to feel the greater effects of such events from the astrology point of view.

Two months later in July we will have the lunar eclipse coming at the full moon. For a friend of mine who has been going through a lot of tough matters during the recent full moon periods I am afraid it is going to bring him more shock and personal issues to deal with. Also this lunar eclipse in July falls on the birthday of a very close friend of mine in USA. Let's just say it would surely bring a lot of different matters to the surface for further examination and improvement.

After starting my Tarot reading business it has been going quite slow, probably due to the service fees which are set in the middle to high ranges. I would think that it is for the best as I do not want to deal with people who just want to check things out while they have nothing else better to do at the time. It is a serious matter for me to read Tarot and give life related advices for people in need. I have rejected a couple of guys who just want a free sample of my Tarot services over the MSN chat. I have thought long and hard about charging for reading Tarot, and it has to be this way so people would not take the information lightly since they have paid a decent price.

Due to the modern education they receive, most young people I run into do not know how to respect and appreciate the art of Tarot, or any other spiritual practices. Some think it as bunch of nonsense that only the uneducated fools would buy into. Others, while might believe in its true nature and power, get to rely upon it too much for almost everything they do in life. I tend to take it as just some different information that could be helpful for people who are in a difficult period in their life. What I learn about the truth in life tells me there is no free lunch after all. Every decision one makes is upon certain compromises given away. The art of life planning and management is to understand what to give for what is taken, not to get the best one desires and "beat the game". The latter would be known as manipulation, which never brings anything decent or beneficial in the long run.

One misunderstanding of Tarot that is made by most is to think it as pulling a card in the deck (or only in the 22 major arcana cards) and reading it to see the future. This is due to the shallow depth of the people who practice Tarot in Taiwan. I always would explain how important a spread is for people who are serious of learning Tarot. The learning curve of Tarot is not hard at all, but such over-simplification would lose the depth in the meaning of the cards. Furthermore, would anyone take the advice of life seriously if it comes from readers who can read just one card by memorizing the books?

Pick a Tarot deck + book combination...

As we all know there are many decks and books for studying Tarot. However some of them are not quite as good as others. I personally would recommend the Universal Waite Deck for beginners because it is a very good modern update of the original Rider Waite Tarot images for the beginners. There are many good books that teach how to do readings using the Rider Waite deck or the Universal Waite deck.

Some of the great books for beginners in English are shown above. The last one is specially listed for the Chinese students. It is a book and deck combination that basically gives the Chinese book away for free. For those students in Asia who think of getting a cheaper deck printed in China or Taiwan, I would seriously advice against such practices because the decks made in USA usually are MUCH MUCH BETTER in quality. They have better a feeling of touch and can surely last longer. Believe me they would definitely worth the differences in prices.

I would for sure use the book and deck combination as my text book and deck for teaching Tarot in Taiwan. For those who want to get to learn more about the essence of Tarot I would recommend the two books above. If one ever heard of "Path Working" and would want to do the work, the book by Dr. Robert Wang is surely the BEST guidebook I know of. Sorry for those who can not read English, though. It is absolutely essential for anyone who wants to get onto a higher level of Tarot studies.

Personally I will set three levels of understanding in Tarot. The first level just know how to read the cards and predict the future. They might be excellent Tarot card readers (and yes, there are many good readers in this level who can give better readings than anything I can ever dream of), but they really just know how to use the cards and maybe some know a little bit more on Tarot card spreads. Unfortunately in Taiwan and many parts of Asia even some of the very good readers know very little about the Tarot card spreads. Due to the lack of studying materials in Asian languages most of the good readers can not improve themselves other than doing their best to give readings.

The second level of Tarot practitioners knows about the design of spreads and also the knowledge of path working, which is the essence of using Tarot in western style magic rituals. The third level would understand the connections between Tarot and the western spiritual practice traditions, what are the karmic effects of studying Tarot, and how to use it for spiritual improvements. I believe most of the spiritual knowledge from Tarot (which I also believe is the knowledge of the Piscesean Age) is already lost as a matter of the modern development of the new religion of the Aquarian Age --- what we all know as "science".

It is my goal to pass the torch to the coming generations to further enhance the Tarot studies. I myself have taken the path of buddhism but I feel the knowledge has to be passed on. Leaving clues on my blog can be a good way of setting the records for future Tarot practitioners. To be honest people can always study the books listed and obtain the same knowledge I have gained over the years. For those who would not bother themselves to do all that hard work they could simply take my courses, which are surely worthwhile if we take the time and work done into consideration. Until then I guess I would still stand alone on the hill as the Hermit waiting on my final time to come...

Getting the name card done...

After a long time of reviewing and hesitating, I finally got the name card of my Tarot reading business done. However it might be a while for me to start reading Tarot for people professionally. Considering what people expect and what might come from Tarot, I probably still need some time to ease myself into the business.

The responsibility of predicting the future is greater than what most people would expect. The karmic effects really bother me enough to stay on the semi-professional side of the business. It might be for the best for myself and others. I just gave a cruel but direct reading for a friend of mine. Honestly I do not think people are ready for the true information from Tarot anyway.

Well so there it is. I will take a step into the field with caution. Hopefully it would not be something that brings me regrets in the future. Maybe everything can finally be settled with karma and time. I will have to think about whether it will be possible to get into the business and make the world a much better place...

Mysterious Tower...

I have dreamed Mom and Grandma (who passed away a few years ago) waving their hands at me and a friend from MI, USA (Max). In the dream everything happened in MI. Max and I went upstairs to meet them but in the end of the dream we went for the shop next to where they stayed on. It is a bit worrisome because it is considered a sign of going away to another world if seeing some relatives who have crossed over.

Also I have been seeing the TOWER card showing in several of my readings. It could be quite unnerving. I really hope it would be something personal for me to grow from, but not something involving anyone else. Again only time would tell.

Even though I have not planned to start a relationship for the rest of my life, obviously the cupid had something different in his mind. After months of dating, I have decided to begin a journey in life with that special someone, who also commits himself on the path of Buddhism. I do not know how the future would bring us, but I am willing to take a leap of faith and go along with what karma has brought around. To my surprise, I have gained the benefits of holding the five basic precepts better. Therefore I am really thankful for the kindness life has granted me. :P

As the current world turns on the rough side for each and everyone involved, let's do the best we can according to the great teachings from the people of wisdom in the past --- to conserve and cherish the human life we have worked so hard in the past lives to obtain. We will only receive from what we put out, so let's start to improve our own spirits and achieve personal growth for the better. The universe has to be improved one person at a time. ;)

Solar Eclipse on the 1st day of Lunar New Year...

It has been a while for me to write on the blog. Not much has been going on other than the economy downturn and all. However there is a solar eclipse on the first day of the lunar new year. This is the most interesting event in the recent astrology calendar.

Since this eclipse has fallen on the first day of the lunar new year (Chinese new year), many local specialists predict that there will be a lot of sorrow during the new year of 2009. Meanwhile we have been under a Mercury retrograde. The sun represents the future of the self and soul. When it is blocked by the moon (past/emotion) during the Mercury retrograde, it will probably bring many people a way to look back into their life and find a new way to move onto the future.

This is my first year to stay in Taipei instead of staying home. I am very curious of what to do during the holidays. I decide to choose Tarot cards: the Sun and the Moon to reflect the most impressive astrology event in the lunar new year. The third card I choose is the page of pentacles from the reading I did. We will wait to see what the new year brings for every one involved...