Embodied Intuition

A recurring theme I’ve been moving through this year is the connection between intuition and embodiment.

It’s something I was recently talking about in one of my tarot classes, and it’s something that’s come up through conversations and teachings I’ve had with other practitioners.

One experience that really drove it home for me was when I was studying with Mary Grisey earlier this year, in her psychic mediumship training.

When we think about intuition, channelling, or psychic experiences, there’s a tendency to assume these are things that will happen to us through “higher” or external influences. But instead, these are experiences that often start from within.

If you’re familiar with my work, you’ll know I take a practical approach to tarot and divination. I believe that readings of all kinds are an acquired skill that can be developed and improved with time, practice, and process.

But there’s also an intangible quality to skill, too – an instinct that moves through practitioners, or a subtle nudge in the gut that tells them to go this way, not that.

Which is something that also comes with time and development.

Whether you’re sitting down to read cards, or hashing out a big decision at work, or sketching out an idea for a new art project, there are parallels running through each of these moments.

There are usually several answers or options you could choose from at any given time. In a tarot reading, you might intellectually discern that there could be several ways to read the cards, but only one answer feels right. Just as when an artist stares at a blank canvas and chooses to let one colour to lead the way over others.

One thing I’ve often been asked by budding tarot readers is, “How do you know what to do? How do you get to that point where you’re confident putting the right words around the cards? How do you know which direction to take a reading in?”

This is where your instinct as a reader gets sharpened – in being able to make a judgement call on how you’re going to frame your interpretation.

How do you start to hear yourself think?

How do you get clear about what you’re seeing, thinking, sensing in your reading?

Some of this work comes from being calm and centered within yourself. Which isn’t always easy these days when we’re often pulled in so many different directions.

Maybe the to-do list in the back of your mind is calling to you constantly.

Maybe you find yourself scrolling through social media more than you’d like to, and it’s leaving you with little time to clear your head.

Maybe you feel ungrounded at times, caught up in your thoughts and disconnected from your inner compass.

Sometimes, getting into that deep inner knowing starts with giving yourself the opportunity to just come back to yourself.

If you’ve been feeling scattered lately, or want to set a simple intention before you sit down to read your cards (or perform any activity that requires you to be here, now), here are a few small practices that might help:

1. Call yourself back to the here and now. Do you ever feel like your head is in ten places at once?

You’re thinking of a conversation from earlier today that’s still bothering you. You’re figuring out what to make for lunch tomorrow.

You’re wondering whether you’re have time to get the laundry done before bed tonight.

You’ve got 25 tabs open on your laptop at any given moment, and just as many half-finished articles or podcasts to circle back to.

Whatever multi-tasking is on your mind, take a moment to call the parts of yourself back that are (mentally busy) doing other things. Name them if it helps. Even if you are physically here, your mind might not be aligned with your body. Match them up as best you can by naming the other places you’re mentally stuck in: “I’m coming home from work now. I’m getting offline now. I’m leaving the laundry for after.”

2. Notice how your body feels when you’re reading your cards. I find that when I’m reading tarot for others, my body responds to the messages that are present. For example, I might feel a tightness in my throat for a client who is having trouble speaking up at work.

Other times, I might feel my heart beat a little faster if something exciting is coming up in the cards. These small, physical cues can become part of the overall message that is being delivered. Tune into your body to see what you’re sensing in a reading.

3. Does it feel like a yes, or a no? When I’m making decisions, or wondering if an opportunity will come through, I often check in with my heart to feel if there’s an opening, or a contraction there. In other words, does it feel like a yes, or a no?

This has something that has come with time and practice for me. I first noticed it come up in certain meetings and interactions with people who wanted to collaborate or present ideas to me when I was working in the charitable sector. My teams often got approached by people who had ideas for fundraising and marketing that they wanted to share with us. Sometimes, people came in with generous offers – but I started to notice that I didn’t believe some would follow through.

I couldn’t say why. I just didn’t see it happening. And more often than not, those hunches were right: The ones I felt were a big “yes” came through, the others didn’t.

Other questions you can take within include, “Does it feel easy? Does it feel open, or closed? Does it feel like it’s happening, or not?”

These are small, subtle steps you can add into your tarot practice – and to other day-to-day experiences – to help you develop an embodied relationship with your intuitive self.

Give one or two a try this season and let me know if it’s helping you.

Until next time,

Liz

p.s. Are you feeling stuck or blocked about something and you need some extra help? Book a tarot reading with me to see what we can shift for you. Details are here.