Why am I doing this?
Why the cryptic 'nom de plume'?

Well, those of you that know me already know the answer to both of those questions.

So... here goes, let's start with the last one first; Why the cryptic 'nom de plume'?

Regardless of what I think, I work in an industry where using a tarot deck, or any other pictographic symbolism adapted to evoke and invoke a guided conversation about 'one's-self' with 'one's-self', is just not 'de rigueur'. In all truth, it would probably be considered both a liability and a successful career-limiting pastime.

However, I am not one to accept the social norms of those that may have neither the grounding nor understanding of why their social norms exist, or why they feel compelled to follow them.

I have learned to believe that this is the healthiest routine for me:
Wake up in the morning, be thankful you made it through the night, be thankful for the day ahead of you, and then question everything you see, hear, or experience if it cannot be substantiated. Relentlessly seek out the dark corners of what you are being told, fed, and cajoled to believe. Then spend time with your loved ones and those that enrich your life, sleep and repeat.

Well... that ain't gonna work in the cloisters of corporate mediocrity; and I am blissfully aware that I am neither senior enough nor powerful enough, and I do not have the time or the inclination to waste my energy to argue any different and come out on top.

So... voila... 'le lapin blanc vit'!

Why am I doing this:

During the lockdown, our world came to a halt.
It was an unprecedented* moment in our lives. For some, the enforced solitude and stillness around us provided an opportunity to reflect on our inner selves, yet many people found it challenging to confront their thoughts and emotions. I would often talk to my friends and, at times, their acquaintances, since conversation was all we had.

Many of my friends were aware of my interest in tarot cards and my somewhat 'unorthodox' perspective on how they may be used, and asked if we could 'get the cards out' while we were talking. I would only agree to this if they absolutely agreed that this was a conversation, and it was not fortune-telling by proxy. For many, tarot readings have often been associated with fortune-telling and predicting the future. I personally consider this to be a a narrow perspective on a tool with much deeper potential. Therefore, once we had laid the ground rules, my friends and I embarked on a conversation using the images and interpretations of the cards as triggers for them to ask the innermost questions of themselves.

In conversations over Teams and Zoom (remember, we were 'proper locked up' for a while), we discovered that we were able to use the tarot cards to trigger the conversations they really wanted to have, and what the solitude of lockdown was forcing them to face or discover within themselves. The images and our interpretations of the cards helped them to reflect on their thoughts and feelings. We had already agreed that this was not a 'scry glass' into the future; this was simply a conversation between two friends that was going to be a little bit deeper than the normal small talk.

Thankfully, for the most part, this turned out good! Since the lockdown ended and the experience of almost every living soul who lived through it became a chapter in history for future generations to discuss, I have continued to speak to my friends and even managed to see most of them again. 

I believe, and most of my friends agree, that these conversations allowed them to gain a new perspective on their situation and experience. For some, the conversations triggered a 'dormant strength' to accept and address these issues; they developed the courage to make difficult decisions about themselves and, in some cases, their situation. They learned to trust their intuition and instincts, recognizing that they had the power to shape their own destinies.

This has led to them frequently asking me to share some thought triggers for their day. I cannot do this every day for everyone, so as a result, I've learned how to build a Google Site and use Blogger so that before I go to work, or last thing before bed, I can post at least one group of thought provoking triggers a day. Don't take them to seriously. They are here to help you think, not to tell you which horse will win at 3.30pm tomorrow.

In a time when the world seems unpredictable, I believe that guided conversations we are able to instigate with ourselves may provide a means for us all to reclaim trust in our own instincts and personality by looking inward. Using the cards as no more than triggers, we can uncover wisdom and guidance that lies at the centre of every one of us. 

The tarot is not a crystal ball, but a window to the self– a tool that, when used with the right intention, can help us navigate our inner labyrinth and emerge wiser, and more connected to the people and experiences that make life worth living.

Do not hold yourself back, or let others try to do this to you. "Laisse ton propre lapin blanc vivre librement!" 

'*' For some inexplicable reason, it has become almost impossible for a lot of people to refer to the lockdown period without at some point using the phrase "unprecedented." I didn't want to disappoint.