Visual intuition exercises

CharlotteK

toadwytch said:
That's an interesting concept. When you say the space between thoughts, do you mean it in a literal sense - the moments when you "space out" and don't really think about anything at all between two daydreams? Or something more metaphorical? A couple of other people mentioned buddist meditation practices here as well, I may have to look into it. The most I do right now is take a few deep breaths and try to banish any active worries I currently have.

Hi toadwytch

no not a space out - the opposite really. It's a more intense and real awareness because you're not stuck in the head and all it's egoistic stories. Abrac described it way better than me, but it's essentially the same thing. The spaces are what happens when we don't get sucked into thoughts. It's not thinking about anything, but not in a zoning out trancey way - being fully in the space between thoughts means being more connected to the moment and everything in that moment - physically emotionally and spiritually. It's the getting out of the headspace and the mind chatter that creates room for other more spontaneous things to rise up. As you've suggested, it's a lot easier to be aware of and tapped into these things without the distraction of being immersed in the stories we tell ourselves. I've found meditation massively helpful. I love visualisation meditation but the kind of objectless meditation Abrac describes and the Zen meditation I've practiced is great training for getting out of the head. Namaste

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toadwytch

SunChariot said:
Thanks for the info to you too toadwytch! I will make good use of it too, I did find it useful. I do in fact meditate. And I often think that I need to be in a meditative state of mind to read.

But I guess it would be better worded if if I said that I keep my thoughts in a specific direction, as I look at the card images. I suppose you could say that that is a type of thought. Where I think of the first word to come to mind, then that comes to mind in repsonse. Then how that fits into the question. Words are going through my mind so I guess that is thought.

I guess, to be more accurate, I meant that I don't allow myself to "analyse" any of what comes up or think about Tarot methodology. Just whatever comes up via my Rorschach method of readings IS the answer. Period. I have to trust in that 110% and not question it at all. I have to trust in the process 110%.

Just first thought that comes up as I look at the card IS the answer. Period. What THAT reminds me of next fleshes it out. And then I need to FEEL how it fits into the answer or how the story builds. That is all felt, so really it is completely following my intuition wherever it does and trusting it will give me THE answer.

IF I start to analyse in any way shape or form, like "What if it DIDN'T mean A and it meant B instead? I literally have to scrap the reading completely.

I then need to stop, take a break and start again later when my mind is clearer. Or if I start to think about reading techniques...eg What if I use this method instead of that thought. THAT kind of thought also ruins the reading for me.

The minute either of those enter the picture I am done. The reading is over, ruined.

For me it's all intuitive. Of course it's easy for me to stop a reading and walk away i fi need to, as I do not read in person. But that is how I read. That is the kind of thinking I do not allow myself to do in readings. As once those thoughts are thought, they will affect what my intuition tells me as I see the card image. And it muddies things. Like trying not to think of pink elephants. The more you try not to, the more they come to mind.

Of course with practice and experience, that almost never happens now. I just don't start thinking of other methods as I have mine down cold. And I have also learnt not to question what comes up and to trust it implicitely. I trust my method to work best for me personally. I honestly do get told often that my readings are "scary accurate"

What I also like to do is have tons to Tarot decks. And I use them all. I do it purposely so that I may only see an individual card image come up once in 3-4 years. But then I've already forgotten what it said to me last time. I don't want that kind of association. I would not want to see the exact same card in a reading that I got just a week ago and remember what a symbol meant to me in the reading then. As that could come to mind as I look at it now, instead of being able to see it fresh. So having lots of decks helps avoid that, if you know what I mean, so my imagination can soar.

Intuition and imagination are very closely related I find. When you are really in your imagination I think you are also in intuitive mode.

Babs

Babs

I guess that kind of self-trust really only comes with time. That's a goal I'm working towards, though! I still tend to jump from meaning to meaning in my mind if I don't force myself to back off a little and look at the big picture first, but when I do get a feel for the general meaning first, my confidence in the rest of the reading improves drastically and I trust my gut more instead of unintentionally trying to 'pick' meanings that make sense with one another.

I'm still in that stage where I'm exploring my first deck, and while I love this particular one and have a lot to learn about it still, I can see how a "change of scenery" so to speak could help keep your interpretations fresh and active. I'm currently using the Fountain tarot, which has a very strong RWS background but more abstract imagery that I love reading. Very emotional, but I noticed that it lacks the detailed scenes that I've seen in some other decks and I've been thinking about picking up another one to see how that style feels. If you have any you recommend, I'd be happy to hear it! Someday I'll have enough money for a decent collection

celticnoodle

Abrac said:
Vipassana meditation is a Buddhist technique you might find helpful. Regular practice trains the mind to simply observe without judgement; this allows you to gain a deeper insight into reality, or "intuition" if you will. It took me a while to get the hang of it but it's well worth the investment.

The practice involves sitting quietly and comfortably and usually observing your breathing; not a hard concentration but just noticing. When you notice chatter arising, or your mind wandering away, notice it then gently let it go and bring your attention back to breath. At first you'll not even notice the mind start to wander until you're well into a daydream, you'll have to draw it back to the breath over and over. But gradually you'll get better at catching the mental noise. Eventually you'll be able to maintain attention with minimal interruptions. It's easy to maintain attention when we're engrossed in something we're very interested in, but maintaining it by choice takes training and practice.

There are a lot of good Vipassana books and websites. You might even be able to find an instructor in your area. I was able to find a course at a local University that was very inexpensive.

This is what I do in meditation and it has been very beneficial to me. It took me awhile to really get the hang of it and then suddenly one day, I was able to get where I wanted to within just a few very short minutes of sitting quietly. Its a wonderful way of meditation. Now and again, I will still find my mind is wandering to things that I need to do, etc. but after I notice them, I just allow it to go away. It works. Took me about a month to get to that point, doing this daily. I started slow, 5 minutes at a time then increased the time as well. 5 minutes doesn't sound like long--but starting out and trying to get use to it, it felt long.

HeavenlyOne said:
I do a visualization exercise when I have the time that really helps me to listen to my intuition more.

I picture a stairway, in my mind I have designed it as beautiful to me and with each step I take I am stepping away from my logic and what I think I know into my subconscious. My stairway has 7 stairs and at the top one is a big impressionable wooden door. When I walk through that door I acknowledge and believe that I have crossed into my intuition and anything that comes to mind from here is meant to be.

My readings are more in depth once I walk my stairway and I'm sharper at picking up hidden or unknown things that may be blockages.

A few times I've had only enough time to stand on the top step amd go thru the door which still helped but nothing like walking ul all 7.

This is another lovely way to meditate and do visual exercises. Dancingbear use to have her own site, where we did psychic exercises as well as hold psychic circles on. This is very similar to a meditation exercise she shared with us. She had us imagine we were walking down a path to a tree w/a door in it. At the door was also a locked box. We'd stop at the box first and empty all our thoughts into the box and lock it to pick up after we were done meditating, pick it back up and go on our way.

But, also, after we emptied our thoughts into the box and enter through the door. Inside this door is a chair for us to sit in--very comfortably and a television on the wall that once we are settled into the chair, we can look at the television and see what we need to see.

It did work well, but I am more comfortable just doing the meditation as mentioned by Abrac.

toadwytch

CharlotteK said:
Hi toadwytch no not a space out - the opposite really. It's a more intense and real awareness because you're not stuck in the head and all it's egoistic stories. Abrac described it way better than me, but it's essentially the same thing. The spaces are what happens when we don't get sucked into thoughts. It's not thinking about anything, but not in a zoning out trancey way - being fully in the space between thoughts means being more connected to the moment and everything in that moment - physically emotionally and spiritually. It's the getting out of the headspace and the mind chatter that creates room for other more spontaneous things to rise up. As you've suggested, it's a lot easier to be aware of and tapped into these things without the distraction of being immersed in the stories we tell ourselves. I've found meditation massively helpful. I love visualisation meditation but the kind of objectless meditation Abrac describes and the Zen meditation I've practiced is great training for getting out of the head. Namaste

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I'll have to look into it more and give it a go, then. Never tried meditation in a serious way before, and I'm surprised it never occurred to me! That's pretty much exactly the mindset I'm looking for when I go into a reading; feeling the cards spontaneously instead of analyzing them.

"It's a lot easier to be aware of and tapped into these things without the distraction of being immersed in the stories we tell ourselves" - you nailed it

toadwytch

celticnoodle said:
This is another lovely way to meditate and do visual exercises. Dancingbear use to have her own site, where we did psychic exercises as well as hold psychic circles on. This is very similar to a meditation exercise she shared with us. She had us imagine we were walking down a path to a tree w/a door in it. At the door was also a locked box. We'd stop at the box first and empty all our thoughts into the box and lock it to pick up after we were done meditating, pick it back up and go on our way.

But, also, after we emptied our thoughts into the box and enter through the door. Inside this door is a chair for us to sit in--very comfortably and a television on the wall that once we are settled into the chair, we can look at the television and see what we need to see.

It did work well, but I am more comfortable just doing the meditation as mentioned by Abrac.

I do like the "thought box"! That's an interesting idea. From what I remember of when I used to do self-hypnosis occasionally, I'm more comfortable with allowing myself to step out of the visualization at a doorway. I open the door, and feel the "barrier" between my imagination and reality ooze around me and strip away the things I don't need at the moment as I walk through - doubts, fears, whatever. I can't maintain my imagination for long once it reaches a static place like a chair in front of a TV

CharlotteK

I like the thought box too! If I'm really struggling with intrusive thoughts (I can be a somewhat obsessive overthinker) I sometimes visualise them as wispy clouds in a blue sky and watch them physically dissipate in the sunshine. Sometimes it also helps to label things when you notice them. So if you notice you've been lost in a pattern of thoughts you can step outside them, almost as an observer, and say mentally to yourself "thinking" or "worrying". I guess it's a different way of boxing them up. Noticing you've been 'lost' in thought and bringing awareness back is very powerful.

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celticnoodle

Yes, sitting in front a tv like that isn't great for me either and I'm really NOT a big tv watcher! Maybe that's why the sitting meditation is better for me--as Abrac shared. However, Dancingbear had some really wonderful ideas for us to find our intuitive side easily. I so miss her site!