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| Marilyn D'Auria reading for a client |
Welcome to The Divination Nation blog!
We are Pleasant Gehman and Crystal Ravenwolf, a duo of divination divas, “spiritual sisters from another mister”. We’re life-long Tarotistas, obsessed with all things esoteric and paranormal. We’ve created this blog to share our knowledge and to connect with the vibrant worldwide metaphysical and paranormal community.
We hope this blog is as fun for you to read as it is for us to write…Enjoy!
Not that many Tarot
readers can say they’re enjoying a
career that spans four decades, but Marilyn
D’Auria can- she’s been a professional cardslinger since 1976. Her insight is nothing
short of profound, her readings straight ahead and on point. It’s no accident
that she called her website Tarot
Clarity…in her hands, the cards and their meanings are extremely clear and
focused. In September, 2000 Marilyn
became a Certified Professional Tarot Reader…though by that time, she’d already
been reading professionally for twenty
five years! In addition to her lifelong passion for Tarot, Marilyn is a
devoted wife and mother, an artist, a
silent film buff whose absolutely obsessed with Old Hollywood, and an avid world traveller.
We first discovered
Marilyn on Instagram, where she posts daily one-card readings. We were so taken with her thoughtful posts – not to
mention the many gorgeous decks she
owns- we thought we’d “share” her with
you!
Divination Nation: Please let our readers know how you embarked
on your Tarot journey…
Marilyn D’Auria: I began reading Tarot when I was
seventeen. I had just graduated high school and I was preparing to go away to
college, a professional art school in Philadelphia. I was an art geek in high
school, totally submerged in creating art and learning art history. One day
that summer, a girlfriend showed me cards that somehow came into her
possession. Her deck was the Rider Waite Smith, which had only fairly recently
became available in the US market. I had never seen a tarot deck in person
before but I knew what they were from watching the 1960s TV paranormal/occult soap
serial, Dark Shadows as a kid.
The cards I
remembered from Dark Shadows did not match these ‘new’ cards that my friend had,
so I realized right off the bat that the art on tarot cards varied from deck to
deck. Since they were visual and artistic, I was immediately drawn to and
seduced by them and I had to get my own deck, ASAP! So yes, it was an immediate
connection. Within no time I bought the only deck available in our local bookstore
that was the same deck that I remembered from Dark Shadows, the 1JJ Swiss Tarot
deck. I think I also picked up the only tarot book that I could find that day which
was Eden Grey’s book for the RWS deck. Obviously, the book wasn’t written for
the deck I had, but at least I had something to read to get an idea of how the
cards worked.
I read that little
Eden Grey book a few times before I left for college. There was no one in my
world that read Tarot cards, not even my girlfriend who first showed them to me
had any real interest. Anyway, naturally, I took my book and deck with me when
I went off to art school.
In a wonderful case
of synchronization, I made a visit to a museum and saw a few cards on display
that I guessed to be a deck of Tarot. I asked the docent about them she told me
all she knew about them and this is where I learned the name, Visconti-Sforza,
which became the Holy Grail to add to my then one-deck tarot collection. As it
turns out a commercial V-S deck would not be available for many more years. I
mention all of this because the cards just naturally fell into my life and I
was a willing and eager participant. But I was my own teacher, remember this was
nearly forty years ago and Tarot reading was not a mainstreamed activity. Whenever
I went to a bookstore or museum, I began buying and reading every tarot book or
other books related to reading the cards like numerology and astrological
symbolism that I could get my hands on. Most of the time the more serious
esoteric Tarot books that were available were on the Major Arcana only, and almost
exclusively based on the Tarot de Marseilles, which my 1JJ Swiss shared
similarities with.
DN: Tell us about your first official
gig.
MD: I immediately began reading from the cards as soon as I got
them and at college I pulled them out during the down times in my studies. I
kept it private because I did not want others to know I did it, until I felt
ready. Like most newbie readers I only read for myself or ‘pretend’ querents until
one of my college roommates caught me with them and insisted that I do a reading
for her and her friends, so I guess that was my first official ‘gig.’ I shocked
them by agreeing to do it - but only for payment. They expected a freebie. So
right out of the gate I communicated that this was a skill like any other and I
knew that if I started a precedent of free readings in the dorm I’d be harassed
for free readings. So charging was the smartest thing I could have done. It
restricted them to ask for readings only when they really felt they had a need.
And it was good discipline for me too because aside from earning a little extra
pocket money as a starving art student, it made me very aware of the
responsibility of doing the best readings I was capable of since I was being
paid.
DN: How do you prepare for your work?
MD: It’s evolved over the years and become remarkably simplified.
In the beginning I kept the cards under my pillow, and went through all kinds
of cleansing shenanigans preparing the cards before a reading. This is a
natural process that I think every reader goes through in their relationship
with the cards. There are so many rituals and I think the most important thing
is to decide what makes sense to you.
It depends on circumstances too. When I’m
trying to be discreet I don’t want to bring attention to myself by burning
incense or sage especially if I’m traveling in hotels with smoke detectors.
Nowadays, I have my own sacred space in my home dedicated exclusively to my
cards and readings. My cards are housed in their own pieces of furniture, which
are themselves filled with crystals and selenite and other wonderful natural
rocks and minerals that they are always charged and cleansed and at the ready
for use. I no longer go through any cleansing rituals before using them, except
that I wash my own hands before handling them. I only handle the cards with
freshly washed hands and there is no exception to this. My own little quirk I
guess. I always mix the cards many, many times with intense focus on the
question.
I never shuffle the
cards casino style. I treat my cards with respect. They are never lying around
the house, or anywhere need food, drink, or pets. They are my tools and even my
oldest decks are in pristine condition considering their ages. After
concentrating on the question that needs to be answered, for some unknown
reason I knock the top of the deck twice before pulling the cards. I used to
allow my querents to handle my cards, but now I see my cards as what they are,
my tools. If I were painting a portrait of someone they do not have to handle
my brushes or mix my paints for me to capture their essence and I have come to
feel the same way about my cards. They are my tools, which allow me to tap into
something that I seem to be a part of.
DN: What if any metaphysical
disciplines do you practice aside from Tarot?
MD: As I mentioned, I see the cards as a tool to tap into the energy
surrounding a situation. As a child, my parents referred to me as a ‘spooky
kid’ because I had experiences at a very young age that they could not explain.
I can walk into a space and sense the energies of what was there before. Once I
refused to walk into a room because it gave me a very bad feeling. I didn’t say
anything to anybody at the risk of sounding like a nut, but I later learned
that a person was murdered in that room a hundred years earlier when he was hung
from a beam in the ceiling. I have had many experiences like these but they are
probably not relevant to this discussion other than to illustrate that I seem
to be able to tap into something and tarot is the discipline that allows me to
use it to an end that doesn’t freak me out. So as far as other disciplines go,
I seem to have abilities that may or may not enhance my tarot skills.
I’m not sure if my
success with Tarot is a psychic ability that I have learned to fine tune using
the cards or if I’m just super observant and pick up on energies and impressions
of a situation in an acutely perceptive unconscious way; I don’t know. I don’t know how I do it, I’m only glad that I
can.
DN: What do you love most about your
job?
MD: Tarot is a natural extension of who I am. It’s a natural fit
for me and I’m good at it. It helps other people and that brings me great
satisfaction. It calms me and focuses my attention, and after all these years I
remain intrigued by the cards’ origins and still read every intelligently
written book of research on the subject and related subjects that I can find. I have met lots of people and have had some
wonderful and intense conversations.
I am still seduced by
the beauty of the cards and now have many cards in my collection and I read
from every one of them. I am very
particular and only buy a deck if I am aesthetically attracted to it or think
that it can bring something to my readings or tarot education so I probably
don’t have as many cards as one would think, but enough to need furniture to
house them!
DN: Tell us what you enjoy doing when you
are not working.
MD: Lol, I’m always working! I’m always reading or writing or
reading for clients or doing something Tarot related when I’m not working on my
business and other passions. I even dream about Tarot. Tarot IS one of the
primary ways that I enjoy my personal time.
I’m also an artist
and still occasionally paint, make jewelry, and engrave glass. I also love to
write. During my free time at home I am usually busy with one of these creative
outlets.
My husband is now
retired and since I own my own business, I have the luxury of scheduling my own
time so we can be flexible for things like travel. We go lots of places every
year, visiting friends or seeing new places, or even revisiting locations that
are special to us. So travel is a fun thing we like to do together.
DN: Would you please share some tips
and advice for our readers?
MD: My primary tip is to listen to instinct and follow your
heart.
It sounds like a corny cliché but it’s true.
It never would have occurred to me forty years ago that I’d still be doing Tarot
all these years later or get any recognition for doing it. There were a dozen
other ways I thought that I might have gotten noticed in the world. But Tarot
was one of the special things that I have done consistently throughout my life
because it was driven by passion. Obviously I’m not a household name, but enough
people know about me to keep me busy and doing one of the things that I love to
do.
So I guess I’d advise
to keep doing things you really love doing even if you can’t immediately make
them your primary vocation. Longevity in a field of interest means that eventually
those passions will take deep root in your life and provide opportunities for
great satisfaction and maybe even recognition.
And finally, for you
Tarot readers out there, charge for your skills from the get-go! When we give
away our skills (even as newbies) we communicate that there is no value to them,
that they are frivolous pastimes not worthy of compensation. But if you do
something well enough to do it for others, you have acquired a skill and in the
same way you would not expect a friend to cut your hair for free or dole out
free legal advice, it is important to communicate value for what you have to
offer.
#
Follow Marilyn’s daily Tarot posts on Instagram:
Check out Marilyn’s website and book a session with her here: http://www.tarotclarity.com
Marilyn’s blog is insightful and
amazing-read it here:
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| Lovin' life: Marilyn relaxing at home |
Visit our website to book metaphysical and occult workshops, Tarot readings, or have us come out for a paranormal investigation: www.thedivinationnation.com
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Connect with us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TarotAlimah
To find out more about Pleasant or request a reading or healing session, click here: http://www.pleasantgehman.com/
For more on Crystal’s background, or request a reading or healing session, click here: http://crystalravenwolf.com
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