building your intuition

[MandMaud]

Not very long ago, AnemoneRosie said this:

So many people try to make Tarot out as complicated and involved. There's no need for that. Reading it is very tiring on your intuition and if you exhaust yourself then you won't like it very much. You need to build your intuition first to have the stamina to be able to handle a ten-card (or twelve-card) spread.

So... sounds like building up muscle, and/or physical stamina, by exercising. Can this really be done with the intuition? If so, how would I set about it?

I should say that I'm not asking how to guard against being drained or taking on the other person's problem. I'm competent in that kind of defence - boundaries, I suppose. But I can only read tarot so much for others, and then the energy fails. I haven't found a way of putting less into it. I can do less reading than healing - but I'm more experienced with healing so maybe that's why.

If I only knew what I'm doing differently, to avoid exhausting my intuition, I could practise to do more of it so as to exhaust my intuition less.

I think my "problem" with the idea of building up the intuition like muscle is that the thing we need to build with the intution has never struck me as being strength, exactly.

(I should also say that this isn't a question about reading the cards - it's about the intuition, using (and not abusing) it.)

 

[starchaser1277]

Not very long ago, AnemoneRosie said this:


So... sounds like building up muscle, and/or physical stamina, by exercising. Can this really be done with the intuition? If so, how would I set about it?

I should say that I'm not asking how to guard against being drained or taking on the other person's problem. I'm competent in that kind of defence - boundaries, I suppose. But I can only read tarot so much for others, and then the energy fails. I haven't found a way of putting less into it. I can do less reading than healing - but I'm more experienced with healing so maybe that's why.

If I only knew what I'm doing differently, to avoid exhausting my intuition, I could practise to do more of it so as to exhaust my intuition less.

I think my "problem" with the idea of building up the intuition like muscle is that the thing we need to build with the intution has never struck me as being strength, exactly.

(I should also say that this isn't a question about reading the cards - it's about the intuition, using (and not abusing) it.)

I have strengthened mine through meditation. Everyone groans at this, myself included at first, however it works. I find time in the morning to connect with the Spirit, and time before bed. It opens your third eye up. Mine was squinting prior to meditation, now I feel it opening itself up. The cards feel different to me now, and I sense a clearer message from them. Try also googling the third eye chakra searching for strengthing this chakra for advise as well. Crystals can help with these exercises

 

[Padma]

Another good way to practice and strengthen is to check your intuition before checking the time on your watch - try to see if you can "see" the time in your mind's eye first. Or sit with one of your tarot decks, and see if you can divine which card it is you are about to turn over. Or to guess who is calling you without looking at the phone screen. That kind of thing. Sort of like a guessing game, but it works very well to strengthen the intuition over time

 

[celticnoodle]

I have strengthened mine through meditation. Everyone groans at this, myself included at first, however it works. I find time in the morning to connect with the Spirit, and time before bed. It opens your third eye up. Mine was squinting prior to meditation, now I feel it opening itself up. The cards feel different to me now, and I sense a clearer message from them. Try also googling the third eye chakra searching for strengthing this chakra for advise as well. Crystals can help with these exercises

I agree with meditation. Something I also groaned about--and still do, but I do feel it is essential to do this.

Another good way to practice and strengthen is to check your intuition before checking the time on your watch - try to see if you can "see" the time in your mind's eye first. Or sit with one of your tarot decks, and see if you can divine which card it is you are about to turn over. Or to guess who is calling you without looking at the phone screen. That kind of thing. Sort of like a guessing game, but it works very well to strengthen the intuition over time

ooh-good idea, Padma with the timing thing. I do try to do this whenever the phone rings, and am pretty good at it. I have always tried to do with this the cards, and its something I've done since a child. I can still remember when I was about 2, my father made up a card game where I had to guess red or black and he'd turn it over and if I was correct, I would 'get' the card and if not--he would get the card. Then, once going through all the cards, whoever had the most was the winner. Little did he know he was helping me develop my intuition!

I will also add that with practicing and with meditation, it is also a good idea to make it a daily practice to cleanse and balance all the chakras and pay special attention to your sixth chakra--the 3rd eye area--known for your intuition, (obviously).

and another great exercise is to go through each of your senses - (perhaps while doing a tarot reading for someone) and pay attention to what you 'see', 'smell', 'taste', 'feel', etc. I remember when I was reading for someone via the net and she responding to it the same way once--and I was amazed as I could smell & taste chicken noodle soup cooking! More amazed when I mentioned it and she was shocked because she WAS cooking chicken noodle soup for her kids for lunch! I think that was the first time when I realized that I could smell and taste the food. I always knew I could 'smell' spirits--(perfume, cigarettes, etc. when they came--but not LIVE people and what they were doing while I was reading for them.)

So, do run through all your senses and pay attention to them. Don't be afraid to tell it--you may be very surprised!

 

[BodhiSeed]

These posts by Teheuti were helpful for me:
http://www.tarotforum.net/showpost.php?p=4113295&postcount=44
http://www.tarotforum.net/showpost.php?p=3799173&postcount=65
http://www.tarotforum.net/showpost.php?p=3799271&postcount=68

 

[MandMaud]

Thanks, Starchaser, Padma, Celticnoodle and BodhiSeed! And Teheuti, vicariously - even the titles of the books she references are useful.

It seems I wasn't clear. I don't mean getting clearer messages from my intuition, etc (and in fact I use / have used, just about everything you each suggest!).

I mean increasing the intuition's stamina. Not sure if 'stamina' is an appropriate word, but maybe. I can't do more than one reading per day, if reading for others and doing it "fully" - giving it my full attention, my intuition's full focus. I don't know how to read without "doing it fully", and don't think it would be useful if I did so. But for some reason my intuition flakes out if I do more, except very occasionally when I can do two.

It's the same part of me that is fatigued by counselling, and by healing. But I last better with those than with reading the cards.

I feel that if I knew what exactly was being fatigued, I could practise/exercise that specific thing (skill, talent, approach...?) and increase my capacity.* Being physically tired certainly comes into it, but it isn't the only factor.
* And then, of course, write the best-seller on how to do this!

Actually I forgot to send AnemoneRosie a PM saying I'd nicked her wording for this thread. I'll do that now, and see if she has experience to share.

 

[celticnoodle]

Thanks, Starchaser, Padma, Celticnoodle and BodhiSeed! And Teheuti, vicariously - even the titles of the books she references are useful.

It seems I wasn't clear. I don't mean getting clearer messages from my intuition, etc (and in fact I use / have used, just about everything you each suggest!).

I mean increasing the intuition's stamina. Not sure if 'stamina' is an appropriate word, but maybe. I can't do more than one reading per day, if reading for others and doing it "fully" - giving it my full attention, my intuition's full focus. I don't know how to read without "doing it fully", and don't think it would be useful if I did so. But for some reason my intuition flakes out if I do more, except very occasionally when I can do two.

but doing all those things will increase your stamina, MandMaud. The more you use it the stronger it will get!

It's the same part of me that is fatigued by counselling, and by healing. But I last better with those than with reading the cards.

I feel that if I knew what exactly was being fatigued, I could practise/exercise that specific thing (skill, talent, approach...?) and increase my capacity.* Being physically tired certainly comes into it, but it isn't the only factor.
* And then, of course, write the best-seller on how to do this!

Actually I forgot to send AnemoneRosie a PM saying I'd nicked her wording for this thread. I'll do that now, and see if she has experience to share.

Well, as I mentioned, I feel doing all those things mentioned will help to increase your stamina and make you stronger to handle all the side effects that come with it.

Plus, also being in as good of top notch health as you can be. I know for myself, a few years back I had some really HARSH things to deal with that brought my health down big time. I had to stop doing medium readings and limited my tarot readings and psychic readings also, to give my body a time to rest and recuperate. I'm only now, years later feeling up to slowly adding back what I use to do. Still not there--because I allowed my health to really go into the toilet, but I'm coming back! slow but sure.

 

[MandMaud]

Well, as I mentioned, I feel doing all those things mentioned will help to increase your stamina and make you stronger to handle all the side effects that come with it.

OK... so far I haven't noticed that. Practising those things, and other variations of them, has enormously increased the information I get from my intuition (and hence trusting it) and the clarity of that information, but so far I haven't found that I can do more or do it for longer, of the stuff that takes intense tuning-in.

Maybe that has also increased and I haven't particularly noticed. Or maybe it will increase. I'll try more of that kind of work, and come to think of it, I'll try setting a clear intention that this time it's specifically to increase stamina.

Plus, also being in as good of top notch health as you can be.

Yes, I've certainly seen the same effect. That kind of trouble gave me writer's block too, when I was writing, and I've known other writers have this happen when they were badly overloaded or under various kinds of stress.

 

[AnemoneRosie]

I do the same as Padma - use little intuition "games" to keep it honed. I agree that keeping it honed is not the same as strengthening it, however.

So here's what I meant originally, using myself as an example:
I find that I only have so many "energy hours" worth of intuition. I can read for x number of hours before getting tired. So I could read, say, two celtic crosses, or a few 7-card horseshoes, or a handful of five-card spreads, or a lot of three-card spreads. Or I could read one celtic cross and quite a large number of three-card readings. Or I could a fair number of 7-card spreads if I didn't have to read anything larger.

My intuition is also made tired by other things, such as ritual. That's one of the reasons that I don't incorporate ritual into my Tarot - it eats into my x number of reading hours. If I were to dedicate myself a ritual then I'd not be able to read as many spreads.

If I wanted to read a very large spread (say, 22 cards) then I likely wouldn't be able to use my intuition for the rest of the day as it would just be spent. So sometimes I'll read 2/3 of a larger spread, keep notes, and come back to it later.

The more that I engage the limit of x the more that it becomes x+1 more spread or x+2 more cards although it can also be affected by things like my overall health. The more that I keep myself healthy in other ways (like sleeping, eating vegetables) the more x gets a boost. The more that I engage in ritual the more that I drain x. Some people find that ritual boosts x.

So if you want to know how to strengthen your intuition you may find it to be individual. I don't do meditation per se but I engage in somewhat meditative activities and find that helpful for boosting x. As is overall health (fitness, nutrition, sleep). As is a balance of being social and alone. Etc.

Does that make any sort of sense?

 

[MandMaud]

Hi AnemoneRosie! <waving>

I do the same as Padma - use little intuition "games" to keep it honed. I agree that keeping it honed is not the same as strengthening it, however.

I was hoping you'd say they aren't the same!

So here's what I meant originally, using myself as an example:
I find that I only have so many "energy hours" worth of intuition. I can read for x number of hours before getting tired. So I could read, say, two celtic crosses, or a few 7-card horseshoes, or a handful of five-card spreads, or a lot of three-card spreads. Or I could read one celtic cross and quite a large number of three-card readings. Or I could a fair number of 7-card spreads if I didn't have to read anything larger.

That's exactly what I find. Like having a weekly quota that gets used up. Like using up health points to cast magical fireballs in a roleplaying game, lol.

My intuition is also made tired by other things, such as ritual. That's one of the reasons that I don't incorporate ritual into my Tarot - it eats into my x number of reading hours. If I were to dedicate myself a ritual then I'd not be able to read as many spreads.

If I wanted to read a very large spread (say, 22 cards) then I likely wouldn't be able to use my intuition for the rest of the day as it would just be spent. So sometimes I'll read 2/3 of a larger spread, keep notes, and come back to it later.

I don't engage in much ritual myself, but I do get this effect of "using the quota" when I do healing or counselling. (Or applying emotional sticky plaster for my sons, which is counselling of course.)

The more that I engage the limit of x the more that it becomes x+1 more spread or x+2 more cards although it can also be affected by things like my overall health. The more that I keep myself healthy in other ways (like sleeping, eating vegetables) the more x gets a boost. The more that I engage in ritual the more that I drain x. Some people find that ritual boosts x.

So if you want to know how to strengthen your intuition you may find it to be individual. I don't do meditation per se but I engage in somewhat meditative activities and find that helpful for boosting x. As is overall health (fitness, nutrition, sleep). As is a balance of being social and alone. Etc.

Does that make any sort of sense?

I think it does! You're saying that it's very similar to building physical stamina - running for 10 minutes for a week, then 15 the next week, and so on. Judging when and by how much to increase the time (or repetitions of an exercise), according to your body's response: if you hurt badly, the step was too big. This is what you mean?

That's something I can do. Great! And I know exactly what you mean about social/alone time, health, etc, I find the same effect. The only difficulty will be time... unnghhh. We need the discipline of a professional athlete, too?

Thanks for elaborating on your thought. When I read those words about stamina I recognised this as my main obstacle and now there's hope. I'll add 'stamina' to the thread title (if I can), see if that brings more people in with further experiences.