Thank you all for following along in our first ever 30 Day Challenge here on the blog and on our Twitter and Facebook pages. 
A special thanks to Lady Aconita for joining us in the challenge!

Day 28 of the #30DayDivinationPic Challenge is Stars
Above are cards from the Rider-Waite, Steampunk, Hidden Realm, and Chrysalis decks. 

Are you New to our #30DayDivinationPic Challenge? Be sure to check out the details of the challenge on the Day 0 post and browse some of our other photos! :
Day 25: Fairies
Day 24: Priesthood
Day 23: Tarot Spread
Day 17: Jewelry
Day 13: Death
Day 10: Tarot Collage
Day 9: 9 in Numerology
Day 7: Cards & a Cup
Day 5: Favorite Oracle Card/Deck
Day 4: Pendulum
Day 3: Candle with Divination Tools
Day 1: Selfie with Your Soul Card

Day 25: Fairies
While I am more of a Brian Froud fan when it comes to images of the fae, I couldn't help myself with this whimsical and light image of the New Opportunities card from the Healing with the Fairies oracle deck by Doreen Virtue and one of our small fae altars around our home. 
On this altar are two little fairies that were gifted to me by family, one from my blood relatives and the other from my in-laws. The stones pictured are amethyst and angelite - both great for communicating with not only the fae but most types of other-dimensional beings such as angels, ancestors, spirit guides, and totems (as well as great for energy work and spirit-body healing). Also included in the photo is one of our pendulums - ametheyst and silver. Framing the image on both sides are snowy pine cone/mushroom knick knacks from a craft store that I just love - mushrooms in general are great for fae work.

Card Meaning: Be aware of a huge new opportunity being presented to you. It is safe for you to trust and enter into this new realm.
A momentous opportunity is being presented to you. It could be in the form of someone making a business proposal to you, a new idea that enters your mind, or an investment opportunity. It could even come in the form of a loss, in which you are about to gain something even more suitable. 
Even though you may feel intimidated or unqualified to move to the next level, be assured that heaven is reaching its hand through the window, guiding and protecting you as you soar upward. If you need help trusting the validity of the new opportunity, pray for spiritual guidance. You will soon believe in the trustworthiness of this gift, and you know that you deserve heaven's help. 
Affirmation: I notice and embrace the new opportunities that are now in my life. 

I found this card quite apropos given that we, here are Seer&Sundry, are working on a new opportunity when it comes to our business. We are creating a line of metaphysical products that will be available to our online customers this November. Pendulums, tarot bags, spirit boards, and more are part of this product line and we are super thrilled and super busy with their creation. If you would like to know more about this product line and get sneak peeks on the creation of the pieces that will be included (and have a chance at some upcoming giveaways) then please follow us on Facebook and Twitter and sign up for our New Moon Newsletter! 

Are you New to our #30DayDivinationPic Challenge? Be sure to check out the details of the challenge on the Day 0 post and browse some of our other photos! :
Day 17: Jewelry
Day 13: Death
Day 10: Tarot Collage
Day 9: 9 in Numerology
Day 7: Cards & a Cup
Day 5: Favorite Oracle Card/Deck
Day 4: Pendulum
Day 3: Candle with Divination Tools
Day 1: Selfie with Your Soul Card

Tarot readers have a really interesting job. Even the ones that don't get paid sit in this odd in-between of mystique and counselor, entertainer and wise advice giver. We hear client's problems, their worries, their dreams. We develop relationships with them and can even find ourselves invested in the outcome - wondering if everything will turn out alright for them and if they are doing ok days and weeks after a reading. 
Sadly, this position that we are in can put us in a precarious place in the minds of some clients. We start to become, in their minds, a friend, a therapist, or someone responsible for their happiness. This is not only unhealthy but can be down right dangerous for some readers who have attracted a client who isn't quite stable. 
How do we deal with this?

The creation of professional boundaries not only help protect readers from needy or unstable clients but also protects clients from overly curious or prying readers. (I mean, what cleint wants to run into a reader at the super market and get bombarded with questions about their marital problems in front of their kids or strangers in the produce section?) 

In the end, I had to cut them off. I told them I would no longer be reading for them, that our professional relationship was becoming a struggle for me. I dealt with tears, name calling, and more. I'm sure these clients have nothing kind to say about me now, and partially I am responsible for what happened because I didn't set healthy, professional boundaries. 

Sure, cutting off clients is somewhat drastic, especially for tarot readers who make a living off their craft. I want to say first I don't think cutting off an annoying or strange client should be your first step at all! This was simply something I had to do in order to regain control of that part of my life. Since then, I have changed a number of ways in how I handle clients. 

Be clear on when and where you will provide discounts, refunds, and, if you do bill or invoice a client, how long you will wait for a payment. 
Sadly, even with clear policies, you might still run into those clients that will push for a "friendly discount." Each person must figure out what is comfortable for them in how to deal with these matters just as each situation will depend on your relationship with that customer. 
Another matter regarding policies is a Privacy Policy that keeps the client safe. 

By making it clear what days and what hours of the day you are available to clients, you can prevent them from contacting you during personal hours when you are with family, friends, kids, sleeping, appointments, etc. 

(Oseaana has a great video about this on her Business Alchemy series on YouTube). 
Putting out there when you're having a bad day or even a bad week gives the message that you are a mess and that will draw in people who are attracted to chaos and messes, not people who want clarity and calm via your spiritual practice. 
This doesn't mean that you can't write your personal story or blog posts about how you've overcome difficulties. It simply means don't complain about the issue in the moment and then plaster that complaint all over your business social media. If you're gonna share your life issues, share them in a way that you're showing how your practice helped you overcome your problems. 

In businesses where the services are of a spiritual and emotional nature, whether its tarot reading, reiki healing, or life coaching, creating boundaries can be very difficult when it comes to emotional attachments between professional and client. 
In one direction, the professional can become too involved in the client's life, problems, and worries. Taking these matters to heart can cause stress and unnecessary worry for the professional and cause them to either go over a client's boundary by being nosy or pressing matters or allow clients to cross boundaries and take advantage of the professional's sympathies. 
In the other direction, the client can come across as cold, unfeeling, and hard. Clients want to be able to connect with those they hire for their spiritual services and if they cannot connect, they won't return. 
Finding the balance takes practice and can be difficult to find with some clients. In the end, we can fall back to our boundaries and policies to help us when we find ourselves lost in our sympathies for a client.

Everyone needs a support system. People who encourage you, who you can go to for advice, who  you can bounce ideas off of and just outright be yourself first and your business second with. 
Make sure the people in your support system are trustworthy. This will change from person to person whether your support system is your mom, your husband, your best friend since high school, your business coach, or your reverend or high priestess. Be careful who you show your weaknesses and your ideas to. Don't leave chinks in the armor for someone who is unhealthy and who does not have your best interest at heart. 

Day 24: Priesthood
The image above is of the High Priestess and the Hierophant from the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck.
These two cards are also called the Papess and the Pope. 

Often we match the Magician and the High Priestess together but I wanted to show these two because when it comes to priesthood and initiation into a group of study or practice, these two seem to go better. The Magician, I imagine, is more of a solitary practitioner - one who might join in a group ritual but is perfectly happy and able to practice on his own. He is also the trickster that is often not trusted in groups. 

The High Priestess and the Hierophant both rely on traditional methods of learning in that the HPS holds in her hand the book or Torah (some even say she holds the Tarot - seeing as the last letter is sometimes hidden depending on the image you are looking at). She may rely heavily on her own intuition, however, she does uphold the value of study, research, and traditional guidance. The Hierophant is the epitome of tradition - he is the teacher and guide of those who desire not only to learn but to rise up through a path of discipline and dogmatic structure. 

It isn't a coincidence that the High Priestess and the Heirophant frame the Empress and the Emperor. While the Empress or mother figure and the Emperor or father figure both relate to matters of the home, of child-raising and guiding the people - the High Priestess and the Heirophant separate from all of their children those who are worthy of initiation and study. On one hand we have religion, dogma, traditional study, patriarchy, and high ceremony while on the other hand we have mystery, intuition, femininity, and the border of chaos (the realm of the Magician). Neither choice of priesthood is wrong and neither is inherently good or bad - the outcome is in the heart of the student. 

New to the #30DayDivinationPic Challenge? Check out some of the the previous pictures:
Day 23: Self-Created Tarot Spread
Day 20: Favorite Tarot Storage
Day 17: Jewelry
Day 13: Death
Day 10: Tarot Collage
Day 9: 9 in Numerology
Day 7: Cards & a Cup
Day 5: Favorite Oracle Card/Deck
Day 4: Pendulum
Day 3: Candle with Divination Tools
Day 1: Selfie with Your Soul Card
Day 0: The 30 Day Divination Picture Challenge

Day 23: Self-Created Tarot Spread 
Here is my favorite tarot spread that I have ever created. I collaged this piece for my book of shadows out of scrapbooking material and stickers - it is far more legible than my drawing/handwriting during the first draft of this layout. 
The purpose of this tarot spread is to help guide the querent when their free will or desires are at odds with the Divine Plan they were born into. 
Many of us have found ourselves in situations where we are struggling between what we should do and what we feel like doing. Sometimes the added issues of family, friends, or bosses/coworkers telling us what they think we should do also causes confusion. In the end, we are at a crossroads and often unable to decide without advice or guidance. 

This spread is made up of 7 cards
The Significator (representing the querent as they are now)
That which crosses them (the question or problem they are trying to decide on)
The Divine Plan (what the Divine or the Universe/Fate has plotted out for them in this lifetime)
Their True Will (what it is they want to do in their heart)
Advice
Outcome
Often times, when we think our free will is at odds with the Divine Plan, we find that we were wrong and that our true will, that which we most desire in the world, goes hand in hand with what fate has in store for us - if we will only look to see. 
When we go against the divine plan, we might not always get what we think we want. That road tends to be rocky, difficult to see, and full of obstacles. I'm not saying the road that the Divine lays out for us is an easy one, but it does have the added help of knowing this is what you were meant to do. 

If you are interested in ordering a reading from me regarding your Divine Plan and True Will - please check out our Tarot Readings Page! When ordering, simply mention this tarot spread and we will work together to see what Fate has in store for you!

New to the #30DayDivinationPic Challenge? Check out some of the the previous pictures:
Day 17: Jewelry
Day 13: Death
Day 10: Tarot Collage
Day 9: 9 in Numerology
Day 7: Cards & a Cup
Day 5: Favorite Oracle Card/Deck
Day 4: Pendulum
Day 3: Candle with Divination Tools
Day 1: Selfie with Your Soul Card
Day 0: The 30 Day Divination Picture Challenge

I have a pet peeve, which has led to a rant that I have made offline more than once. It isn't a well-liked opinion by some and it outright causes rage in others, but its the simple statement of the truth and a warning I give to my friends. I consider you my friend, reader, and will share this same simple fact with you:
Your DoTerra and YoungLiving essential oils rep is NOT a Certified Aromatherapist... unless he or she is. 

Why does this fact bother me and so many others? 
Well it bothers me because I have met and talked with many sellers of essential oils in the last year or two. It seems the oils are the new Avon and Mary Kay and everyone wants in on the deal. No complaints, I'm a fan of essential oils for the most part and making them more available to the public outside the one natural foods store in town is great. The thing is, some of these sellers are giving some advice on the use of the essential oils, including medical use, without disclaimer and, in some cases, without common safety sense. 
I have seen sellers tell possible customers that they will soon be able to stop all of their medication and just use essential oils, tell customers that essential oils ("because they are natural") are safe to ingest and put directly on their skin, and pull out essential oils and start applying them to themselves and others without once asking the room about allergies or asthma. 
(As for making medical claims regarding essential oils, the FDA is taking great issue with this already and sending warning letters to both companies for their medical claims. Read more about this here.)

In my studies of essential oils I have learned quite a bit over the years - the most important is how to use the oils SAFELY. Essential oils are a Highly Concentrated form of a plant. To make just one small bottle of the oil hundreds if not thousands of plants are used. The end result is volitile (evaporates and reacts quickly) and can have a very strong effect on people that use it. Because of their highly concentrated properties, many, MANY oils are NOT safe to put directly on your skin. 

For example: 
Cinnamon essential oil can be very dangerous to put on your skin or even to try and dilute in water (essential oils are not water soluble but can be diluted in a base oil such as olive oil or jojoba oil) and if it does touch skin it is best to rinse and clean the area immediately as the oil can burn (it will usually have an immediate effect). Think of the burn in your mouth when you've eaten cinnamon candy and times that by 100, on you skin...not pleasant. 
Other oils can set off asthmatics just by opening a bottle of the substance around them and if you are allergic to a certain plant it is pretty safe to say that you should use any products made from that plant with caution, including the essential oil. 
Other health conditions can also be irritated or caused to worsen by the presence, application, or diffusing of essential oils including most lung problems (COPD) and diabetes. 
Don't get me started on the reps that were pushing oils on me without any knowledge of which ones were safe for pregnant women...

Sadly, when I've attended hosting parties and classes where essential oils are sold, most sales reps will not even touch on these matters. I usually leave the class worried for every other person in attendance that they will purchase a kit of a variety of oils and go home and essentially harm themselves. I have asked reps if they have taken classes on the safety, use, and medicinal properties of the oils and was told that they do have some pamphlets and usually they just Google the oils if a client has a specific question. 
When the discussion of diluting the oils came up in some of these little seminars the reason for the dilution was "a little goes a long way" and "by blending your essential oils in a base oil or a diffuser will extend the life and use of your oil" and was represented in a money-saving capacity alone. My head ached at this point as none of the safety measures of diluting the oils were discussed such as by diluting the essential oil in a base it is diffused throughout so no part of your body is exposed to the pure compound and irritated. 

Even those friends of mine and readers of the page who only use essential oils for their magickal properties and for the general aromatherapy diffusing in their home should have a basic understanding the safety precautions of using these essential oils. A general lesson in diluting, which oils are safe, how to handle a spill of a caustic oil on your skin or elsewhere, etc. Most books on aromatherapy will have some general knowledge of these matters. 
To help you in your studies of the uses and safety of essential oils, I have put together a small resource list that I use. I hope that you all continue to be safe. 

Resources:
The following three books are ones that I use regularly in my home. I enjoy having all three as the information provided is different in each. The first book is recommended by my herbalism and natural medicine instructor - Marjah McCain of Herbal Healer Academy - 

If you are a representative of an essential oils company, it is my hope that you practice and sell safely, keep all of your customer's needs in mind, and are prosperous. 

**Disclaimer - just as I am NOT a Certified Aromatherapist, I also want to say one other thing. This article is written based on my own experiences. I am sure that there are many, MANY sales representatives for DoTerra and YoungLiving and other brands of essential oil who are very conscientious and good at not only their job but also in the responsible care of their customers in regards to the advice that they give. This article is only in response to the experiences that I have had. 
*Affiliate ads were used in this blog post. 

Day 20 of the challenge is to post a picture of your favorite tarot box or tarot bag. 
Here is the box I pyrographed (woodburned) and decorated with rhinestones to house my Matthews Steampunk Tarot Deck. 

New to the #30DayDivinationPic Challenge? Check out some of the the previous pictures:
Day 17: Jewelry
Day 13: Death
Day 10: Tarot Collage
Day 9: 9 in Numerology
Day 7: Cards & a Cup
Day 5: Favorite Oracle Card/Deck
Day 4: Pendulum
Day 3: Candle with Divination Tools
Day 1: Selfie with Your Soul Card
Day 0: The 30 Day Divination Picture Challenge

Day 18 - theme is On the Rocks
Here are a couple of my favorite cards from the Rider-Waite deck with a bouquet of yarrow my husband picked for me and some of the crystals that normally hang out on my reading table - smokey quartz, clear quartz, and selenite. 

New to the #30DayDivinationPic Challenge? Check out some of the the previous pictures:
Day 17: Jewelry
Day 13: Death
Day 10: Tarot Collage
Day 9: 9 in Numerology
Day 7: Cards & a Cup
Day 5: Favorite Oracle Card/Deck
Day 4: Pendulum
Day 3: Candle with Divination Tools
Day 1: Selfie with Your Soul Card
Day 0: The 30 Day Divination Picture Challenge

The thing is, the people complaining about 101 books on the market are not beginners, so of course they do not need a 101 book. They are not who the 101 books are written for. Beginners books are written for beginners and with the wide range people new to magick, each one is bound to be looking for something a little bit different. 

I hear this all the time among the spiritual community, we don't need another witchcraft or Wicca 101 book. We don't need another book for beginners on tarot. We don't need another basics of crystals and healing book.
I know, I know, this is coming off as a bit of a rant. It might be. I'll try and restrain myself a bit. However, I felt the need to acknowledge this complaint as I just read it again the other day in a forum with the complaining party discussing how a writer s/he knows is working on a beginners books for witches. My first reaction was annoyance and a little bit of anger, I must admit. Writers should be encouraged, not broken down because of the subject of their writing. 

The same goes for books on tarot and astrology, especially in regard to relationships. Our society is evolving and changing. Our diversity is starting to be celebrated more and more and our books need to reflect this. No longer can books on romantic tarot spreads and astrological compatibility only cover heteronormative couples. We need books and spreads that also talk about same-sex couples, polyamory, and gender-queer querents.
New witches and spiritual seekers need new information (and, lets be honest, our veterans could also do with a return to the basics in new light every one in a while).  

That all being said, one more reason that the "Not another 101 book" argument is simply silly. Each writer, publisher, illustrator, editor, etc is different. Each one is going to create a very different book. This is great because each reader is different and is looking for something that speaks to them, not the masses. It is very unlikely that there are as many 101 books out there as there are new people to magick. 

After all of that, I do want to say that I get it. I get it. It is like 500x easier to find a beginners book on a topic than it is to find one for a more advanced practitioner. This goes for nearly every topic and category on the market. There are simply more writers and publishers creating content for new people than those developing their current audience for the most part. I personally am overjoyed when I find books that teach more than basic card meanings and the Celtic Cross spread (yes, these books do exist, they're just hard to find...like unicorns).

I have often wondered why it is that there aren't as many intermediate and advanced books on the market. 

• For one, it is indeed easier to write what you know and most practitioners who are writing have the basics down already. 
  
• It is easier to re-invent the wheel than it is to, say, reinvent the whole car. Writing about something already fully developed by others is going to give authors more ideas and they will see their own angle easier when they can see the whole box. 
  
• There already are advanced books on the market. With the complaints about 101 books being what they are, the publishers and authors of the more advanced books might not want to have the same objections raised towards their category. 
  
• Authors that are advanced and could write books on the intermediate and advanced levels are busy. I have this image that the advanced masters of the craft are occupied with studying the mysteries of the occult and have no time to explain their findings to us mere journeymen. Or, more likely, they are busy at the conventions, gatherings, and books signings. (This is probably far far from the truth, but its an idea I had and thought I would share.)
  
• Lastly, authors and publishers might simply not be aware there is a market for advanced books. There certainly isn't much of a section for them in the store that I've seen. Maybe they simply need to be aware that their readers want more. 
  

I have other theories, each more silly than the last. In the end, it all comes down to letting the author and publisher knew what we want. So when you browse the Llewellyn or Azure Green catalog, or peruse the local book store, and see a new 101 book on the area of your interest, don't bemoan it. My suggestion is, instead of being frustrated at the flood of beginner books on the market, make it known to your favorite stores, publishers, and writers what you are looking for - intermediate or advanced books on the subject of your interest. Remember, we are magickal people that bring our desires into being and manifest changes in our lives. This is relevant to the information we seek as well. 

Blessings,
December

P.S. I do want to thank writers like Raven Grimassi, Patricia Telesco, Raven Kaldera, Eileen Connolly, and the many others who do write amazing books and resources not only for those just starting out but also for those practitioners wanting to deepen their magickal experience and go further. Thank you, thank you. 

What is your favorite intermediate or advanced book on magick, divination, healing, etc? 


*affiliate links are used in this post.