Hello, everyone. Some consider symbols the language of the soul. I am among those who believe that images provide vital nourishment for our well-being. When we consult oracles, we begin to learn our spiritual language. Another part of our being--whether we call it our Self, spirit, soul, unconscious, or the divine--is heard. A shift of energy occurs between us and the image. Like breathing, we expand and contract with this invisible power, and another piece of ourselves falls into place. The great joy in divination is that it causes us to see beyond the ordinary reality of our everyday lives.

Take palmistry, for example. How many of you pay attention to the lines and shape of your hands beyond nail polish, rings, and dry skin? Have you ever noticed new lines forming in one or both of your palms in a place where your hand doesn't naturally bend? This does happen. Our palms reflect the conditions of our lives just as much as a tarot reading or astrology chart does, but it's only when we choose to focus our attention on their patterns that we "see" differently. If there wasn't anything to divination, it would have perished long ago. Whether you are reading rune stones, coins, sticks, or tea leaves, you will undoubtedly receive a message that was meant for you.

Even though most of us, myself included, have received readings that were bogus from readers who were too self-absorbed to perceive anything beyond their own issues, we still don't turn our backs on divinatory methods. Why is that? Are we just fools wasting our time and money? I don't think so. On a deep, instinctual level, we long for a connection to something other than our thoughts, and it drives our minds crazy that this is so. Depending on our personality, the length of time varies before our intellect finally wears out and we take a nap, listen to music, go to a movie, have some wine, or go outside and stare at the clouds. If we're lucky, we allow the nonverbal in. The message we received seems to be everywhere. If we saw a sailboat in the clouds, all of a sudden a program on sailboats is on TV. We go to work and someone is talking about her vacation where she went sailing. In the beginning, we might have to be hit over the head with references and images of sailboats four or five times before we start to think it's not a coincidence anymore, and then we have the time of our lives on a sailing vacation that we would have never considered before we saw it in the clouds, because it wasn't practical.

And then, my friends, you're hooked, and you've joined the rest of us fools who see signs in our coffee rings, pencil shavings, and dust bunnies. Okay, maybe not the dust bunnies, but you've got to admit it's a lot more fun than cleaning!

If you feel you've been on a spiritual diet, I've put some oracles and books on sale for you to sample. For all of you tarot enthusiasts out there, join me at the 2006 Readers Studio on April 21-23 in NYC.