WE DID IT! - "Tarot Professionals" course gets accreditation.

Today we reached a big milestone, not just for Hedge-Witchery, but for professional tarot reading in general. I'm aware this is quite a bold claim, and I'm not usually the "look how awesome I am" type... but in this case there's been a major workload involved and to be honest I'm pretty chuffed with myself for doing it... so there! blows raspberry

Back in September Hedge-Witchery launched a new online “Tarot Professionals” course. Today I was greeted by an email confirming this course has been externally verified and accredited as a professional development course.

Anyone who's been reading this blog for any length of time, or following me on social media will have, at some point witnessed one of my rants about unprofessional practice within the realm of Psychic and Magical service providers. So when I decided to offer this course, it was always at the back of my mind that I had to make myself as accountable as I expect the people taking the course to be, so I decided it had to be externally accredited and verified.

As you can imagine this was no short task, and it was at this point I realized that there possibly weren't any other available accredited courses for a reason. However on we plunged, and luckily we found an accreditation organisation that was as keen to take the industry in this direction as much as I was.

Anyway, after months of work, lots of coffee, lots of begging feedback and favors off friends, and sending the accreditation company's head of assessments a tarot deck so they could join in with some of the lessons on the introductory courses... we have finally arrived at where we wanted to be.

The fact that these types of courses have approval from a mainstream coaching and training body, rather than purely within internally assessed groups and organisations, will give the subject more accountability and professionalism. It will also instill confidence in those seeking out this form and topic of study that the level of instruction they are getting is of a set standard.

This is just the start though, I'm going to enjoy the achievement for a few weeks, but after that, given we're now recognized training providers, we'll look to offer more accredited courses within esoteric studies. Obviously this will be a long term project and each course will take at least a year each to develop,  but our feet have found their way firmly on that path.

The course itself is available to all Full Members of Hedge-Witchery.co (membership cost a maximum of £2.99 per month), and one off registration fee for the course is normally £125, but has been reduced to just £75 until the end of February as a special members offer. The course it based online and can be studied at entirely at the individual learners pace.

The course doesn't just include the study materials and certification, it also includes first years membership to “Hedge Witchery Professionals”, which students will receive upon completion. This will give them £2million public liability cover, membership to a further professional body (T.H.I.N.), and online promotion of their services.

"SOULMATES" DON'T EXIST!!!

Yep... I said it... and in big shouty caps lock with 3 exclamation points so you know I'm serious.

This has now been a personal bugbear of mine for at least a decade of tarot reading, so I've finally decided to get the rant out there. I do re-iterate at this point this that this is a personal bugbear and I'm not trying to slam other psychic professionals that use this term... just put across an alternative point of view.

The term "soulmate" originates with Plato who told us of a time when there were no "men" and "women", but when humans had 4 arms, 4 legs, 2 heads and both sets of genitalia. At this point humans started to get a bit unruly so Zeus stepped in, split them in half and doomed them to spend the rest of their existence seeking out their "other half".

That's right. The term actually started life as a curse upon all humanity, that actually excludes LGBT couples. Believe it or not, over the last millennia or so since then, it's evolved into meaning something different, but that in my opinion is just as bad.

"Soulmate", along with the more recent "Twin Flame" have become buzzwords in the psychic community. For more unscrupulous psychic professionals it's become a power play to draw in less confident  people for readings they wouldn't otherwise get.

You've all seen the, "Are they your true soulmate?" type advertising. Well unless you both used to be a two headed monster, no, you aren't!

I may be being a little unfair as the term has now evolved. It is now generally accepted to mean something along the lines of: The person you were destined to be with. It is used this way by many very good psychics and readers... However, I still hate it!

My first major issue with terms like this is that they imply a non-controllable destiny to be with this other person.  The problem here is what happens if over the course of a relationship someones partner turns into an absolute nightmare? If they've been having readings telling them they have a pre-ordained fate to be with this person forever, are they going to address those issues, or leave if things get really bad? The whole point of having a reading, (again this is my opinion, I'm not stating it as fact), is to get insight into situations to help you make decisions about your future, not to tell you X, Y & Z is destined to happen whether you like it or not.

The term also implies that there is one person out there to complete you as a person. Sorry, I just outright don't buy it! Human energy is such a diverse adaptable thing, that the thought you could only be happy with this one special person just seems ridiculous to me... plus what if they got hit by a bus before you met? Are you destined to wander the earth alone?

The other issue is that the terms have acquired a compulsory-requirement status. I've done countless readings that have started something along the lines of: "I've met this wonderful person, so I need to know if they're my soulmate."

I can not count the times this has made me want to slam my head into the table! All I want to do is tell them how awesome it is, that they should embrace this as a big adventure, that I hope that it grows into that magical point when you decide to love each other, let your lives and beings combine and spend your lives together. That I'll happily do a reading to give them insight into areas they naturally have in common, areas they need to work on and forewarning of any hiccups along the way... but if you've found someone that there's a chance of having that wonderful life changing relationship with you do not need to have a random buzzword applied to validate it!

I met my husband 3 years ago and we've been married for just under 2 months. There is no doubt in my mind he is the love of my life. I can't imagine how we would exist apart, and being together has changed us both, irrevocably, and in the most fantastic of ways. So I'm afraid the die-hard believers in "soulmates" will not be able to play the "oh you don't believe because you haven't met them" card.

I have met the person I'm going to be in love with for the rest of my existence... and I wouldn't cheapen that by referring to him with what has essentially become a marketing term.

Update: April 2013

Websites and companies mentioned listed below:

www.Hedge-Witchery.co
www.Hedge-Witchery.com
www.Wyld-Fire.co.uk
www.kieldercampsite.co.uk
www.staykielder.co.uk
www.yha.org.uk/hostel/kielder

Poem: The Minor Arcana Rhyme

I put this together for the Tarot - Part 2 course I hope to be teaching later on in the year - (need to get some Part1 courses done first, lol). It's not my best literary work... but am a little impressed with myself that I got the meanings to rhyme... well, mostly! lol

Cups is the emotion, the joy and the cares,

it's both our elation, and our fears.

1 of cups, is abundance and gain,

2 of cups, the joy of another's name.

3 of cups is joy and happiness,

4 of cups says beware, of it in excess.

5 of cups re-assess, after the good gone bad,

6 of cups the past, may be, re-had.

7 of cups speak of ambition and hope,

8 of cups is disappointment, but widen your scope.

9 of cups is about, peace and contentment,

10 of cups is all that but with added achievement.

The Knave of cups is helpful, the Knight a lover and bright,

The Queen of cups creative and the King brings insight.

Swords are actions, often needed the most,

they slay our demons and, chase our ghosts.

1 of swords, is about achievement and success,
2 of swords gain, from having much less.

3 of swords, a door opens, paths are clear,
4 of swords a rest, from what you fear.

5 of swords shows struggle, and defeat,
6 of swords sees you, back on your feet.

7 of swords show hurdles, be brave and careful,
8 of swords patiences over comes what you thought fretful.

9 of swords failure, be steadfast,
10 of swords disaster, but it will end at last.

The Knave of swords is often clever, the Knight is strong like a soldier,
The Queen of swords quick witted, and the King brings order.

Coins are what we do on this earth,
our house, our home, what's in our purse.

1 of coins is prosperity, to have and hold,
2 of coins says a disruption may unfold.

3 of coins brings achievement in the intellectual
4 of coins show wealth, says we'll be successful.

5 of coins, is financial disaster and ruin,
6 of coins is help, something to stand firm in.

7 of coins success, but please be careful,
8 of coins, hard work will see you successful.

9 of coins is wealth and achievement driven,
10 of coins says there will be a gift you're given.

The Knave of coins is sensible, the Knight is just and true,
the Queen on coins is generous, the King advises to you.

Wands is the need to change, it is our passions,
bringing our ideas into worldly fashions.

1 of wands is inspiration, sees something new begin,
2 of wands sees good luck finally come in.

3 of wands success from being brave,
4 of wands success, and the popularity craved.

5 of wands says there may be, a set-back,
6 of wands gives encouragement, gets your will back.

7 of wands shows things aren't as bad as they seem,
8 of wands sees you closer to your dreams.

9 of wands be strong ,and hold your ground,
10 of wands, struggles may make you frown.

The Knave of wands is lively, the Knight energy beckons,

the Queen is practical, the King a force to be reckoned.

Catch up...

Hello,
        Thought I'd put up a quick post as it's been a hectic time lately and I've been unusually quiet on here!
Well, on a personal level we had a car crash and a house move to contend with just before Yule, and although things are pretty much settled down now, things are still as busy as ever!

       I'm just about keeping www.Hedge-Witchery.com up to date, and am in the process of bringing back the "Rocemmended Books" page. Hedge Witchery Books, is growing, we've got some fantastic new titles and some new writer coming on board, and even with Ricky joining the team things are mega busy, expect a website over-haul and some great new titles soon.

      Hedge Witchery Tarot, launched last month and we - (ok Ricky) - is in the process of making contact with all the psychics who've expressed an interest in joining the team. We're still looking for webcam psychics but expect to see the cool wall of live video streams - (and yes you can chat to them all at once... for free, lol) - to be growing soon.

     The follow up the Elemental Guided Meditation I released last summer is well in the works and should be being released around the end of February. The next handy little guide I'm writing, on divination using symbols through medative states, will land around June.

     We're hitting as many events as we can this Summer, there's an events page on Hedge-Witchery.com that they'll all get put on, and I'm hoping to catch up with as many people as possible. However, in order to do that the next few months will have to be spent firmly behind my computer desk... although I'm not complaining, the manuscripts I have the great pleasure of publishing are fantastic, and working with the writers who created them is an absolute pleasure.

    If I'm off facebook for more than 3 days, send caffiene!

Lily x