Why is it Important?

Firstly, and most importantly, because when we conduct a reading, we are engaging with something higher than ourselves (however we define it), and we need to be able to correctly hear and transmit that message. This should be true whether we are reading for our own sake or for a querent relying on our abilities.

A major pitfall for us is the impact of pride. I don’t mean a quiet acceptance of one’s abilities and honing them for the benefit of ourselves and those who come to us. I mean that small-ego aspect that tries to take credit for the gift and even the messages conveyed. This small ego seeks validation in the gift and wants to be praised for what is said.

For example, we could try to market or promote our gift so we can maximize our income from it. I’m not saying that those who do such readings shouldn’t be fairly rewarded, especially when the person paying us appreciates our honesty and integrity as truth-tellers. But if we place our gift under the control of our little ego and its desire for material security, then we are in danger of altering the message to extract a higher fee (whether by falsely promising good news, or else putting the querent in a fear that triggers additional payments).

It could also be that we end up selecting our clients purely on the basis on who can bring us the most benefits – or else setting our fees so high only the wealthiest can afford us. Pride that regards our gift as ours to monetize as much as possible could easily result in us being unavailable to some who need us, unable to clearly hear the questions being asked, or else deaf to the answers being provided.

Another concern is that while we are entrusted to convey knowledge and wisdom that sometimes requires the querent to re-examine their own motives or priorities, we are so wrapped in “Being the Reader” that we forget to follow the dictum “Healer, heal thyself”. How can we ask others to accept being challenged to their core if we are not equally open to being called to account – and even more so because of our higher calling? We should already be in the habit of introspection and self-examination – not to fuel a morbid sense of guilt or shame, but so we have the humility to gently help others following a similar path. We walk with them not as someone who is “superior” or somehow “better”, but as a someone who is also flawed and wanting to improve as a person.

An additional concern is that we also need to “test” what we hear – to be sure what we are hearing is the actual knowledge we are supposed to pass on. Are we sufficiently aware of ourselves to challenge our own biases? Are we sure we aren’t saying something comforting to protect our own egos – or not cause upset when the truth would be more healing? Sometimes what we call compassion can be an unwillingness to call out an unacceptable attitude or behaviour. 

Worse, is it possible that we are being misled, not because of our own unconscious or subconscious issues, but because of some negative energy which wants to cause confusion or disruption during the reading. It may be an entity attached to the querent, or one linked to us, or else to the place where we are conducting the reading.  While rare in my experience, this is a possibility we need to be aware of, and to practice spiritual cleansing whenever we do a reading – even if it’s just visualizing a protective wall of light around us. 

What Should a Spiritual Practice Achieve?

Firstly, I think any practice should help us to recognize our place in the greater web of reality – whether we see it as the creation of a divine being, a Gaia Web of unity, or just understanding we are also “created creators” and caretakers. Such a perspective can provide a healthy counterbalance to the small ego’s desire to control everything, while also enhancing our daily sense of wonder and gratitude. We are all miracles, with complex inner worlds, and this holds true for everyone we encounter as much as it applies to us.

Secondly, I think any good practice will encourage healthy curiosity and even skepticism. Blind belief is a sure-fire way to have such an open mind that our brains fall out. We should question ourselves and test what we see and hear, even as we trust that we will find a measure of truth if we keep our eyes and ears open.

Thirdly, we should be encouraged to honestly and authentically address our shadow side. We all have aspects that cause us shame, anxiety or even self-doubt. Burying those aspects, the “shadows within”, is not healthy – although we also need to ensure we have access to expert help when serious work needs to be undertaken. Failing to address our shadow side could result in us projecting our issues onto others, undermining our integrity, or becoming trapped in a cycle of spiritual bypassing where we use “spiritual practices” to pretend all is well inside.  

What Spiritual Practice Should I Follow?

Ultimately, only you can make that choice. A E Waite, who was the writer responsible for the Rider-Waite-Colman Tarot Deck was brought up in the Catholic faith, while the artist Pamela Colman Smith converted to Roman Catholicism by 1911. Tarot and I Ching author Benebell Wen writes extensively about her practices and links to Taoism, while my own spiritual path started with me being brought up as a Roman Catholic while I am now firmly a Norse Heathen. 

What is more important is that your practice is authentic to you – one you feel a genuine emotional connection to. While many people tend to choose a path they are culturally comfortable with, that by no means precludes someone “crossing cultures” if so called. We are not here to gatekeep anyone’s spiritual development, but to provide insight and guidance if requested.

Above all, don’t choose something lightly, or for show, and take the time to engage wholeheartedly. In the same way one could go to a gym to improve one’s physique, take up swimming for stamina, or join an art class to learn to draw, so one’s spiritual path should result in self-development and spiritual growth – not become an idle pastime or interesting hobby. 

Conclusion

I do recognize that even if you reach the end of this blog, you may still decide this isn’t for you – and I am grateful you took the time to read my words. It’s not for me to decide when and how you follow your own spiritual path, even if you don’t believe you have one. But if you want to become a more effective and intuitive reader, and also delve deeper into yourself, then hopefully I have encouraged you to start on your own path – or maybe take-up a previous path you left a while back.