SEERS AND SAGES: AN INTERVIEW WITH TAROT READER FATHER OF WANDS, AKA SEBASTIAN AKESSON

 Father Of Wands aka Sebastian Akesson at work

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. Look for our forthcoming book, “Walking The Tarot Path” in 2017.

 We’ve created this blog to share our knowledge and to connect with the vibrant worldwide metaphysical and paranormal community. We hope it’s as fun for you to read as it is for us to write…Blessings!

  Father Of Wands, aka Sebastian Akesson, is a Tarot reader, numerologist and astrologer.  He’s also somewhat of a celebrity on Instagram, which, not coincidentally, is where we discovered him.  His daily Tarot draws have garnered him thousands of devoted fans because of their gentle depth and  compassionate tone. His interpretations  seem to be consistently spot-on for many, but it is his writing that really weaves a spell.  His  descriptions of each card are heartfelt and complex, full of such beautiful verbiage, it’s hard to imagine that  English is his second language!  He only recently moved from his native Sweden to British Columbia, where he now resides with his new wife, Amanda.

  Here’s what he has to say…Enjoy!

 Divination Nation: Tell us about how you started your spiritual practices-and how long you’ve been reading Tarot, how old were you when you became interested in the metaphysical…were you self-taught, did you have a mentor, or take classes?

 Father Of Wands: Spirituality has been with me since early childhood, I remember saying prayers and praying to God with my mother before bed in my childhood homeland of Sweden. Growing up I pretty much discounted organized religion as an institution developed to control the masses but the seeds of spirituality, which it had planted in me, grew and developed into a strong belief of interconnectedness and the unlimited power of the Universe. As always seeds grow and evolve over cycles of time and between being where I was and where I am now I had time to explore strange lands, both Inner and outer. At times I lost myself along the way, only to rediscover a different me, and finally reaching the stable plateau of Spirituality where I now find myself.

Stumbling upon the Tarot was pure happenstance, I’d actually taken a course in journalism thinking that would be my cup of tea as it was something I’d wanted to do when I was younger. As it turned out it wasn’t even my pot of tea. I started looking for more inspiration, this time in my childhood, and I remembered that I did a stint of work experience in a metaphysical store in my hometown as a teenager. The crystals always fascinated me, the dusty old books intrigued me, and the smell of incense and of course the astrological natal chart the lady prepared for me. An artifact I still happened to have squirreled away at home, some fifteen years after receiving it… At the time of thinking back to those teenage days I lived in Sydney, Australia, and so I looked for any courses in the vicinity of anything to do with the metaphysical. I found a course in learning how to read the Tarot and instantly applied. My teacher and mentor for the year to come was an incredibly nice chap from South Africa who’d lived in Australia for many years. At first I was slightly apprehensive and a bit skeptical but the things he taught us and the things he could discern from the cards were nothing short of amazing. I fell in love with the practice, the aspect of helping people in a tight spot, the Magic of it all. And so began my fascination with everything metaphysical, esoteric and  the interconnectedness of everyone and everything.

I’ve been reading cards and studying the esoteric sciences for three years now and I learn something new every day and every time I read someone’s cards. It’s an incredible journey and one I foresee myself enjoying for the rest of my days…

Divination Nation: How did you decide on the name “Father Of Wands”?

 Father Of Wands: At the time of starting out I was looking for a name which was tied to the tarot, one that would evoke trustworthiness and dynamic power, I looked through the deck and played around with some names before I decided on Father of Wands. It seemed to me that the name was arrived at by part logical deduction and part chance. As I later discovered nothing ever happens by chance, the king of wands, which the name is taken from, is linked to the fifth sephirot on the Tree of Life. The sephirot of Geburah and that’s where my consciousness rests in this lifetime as I’m a ruling number five in numerology.

 DN: You practice many types of divination:  you read cards, do numerology and astrology many types of divination…  what is your favorite, and how do you think they inter-relate?  

  FOW: It’s quite a few different types of divination and I’m always looking to learn new ones to add to my arsenal. I find that every single one of them is interrelated and knowing one adds to the complexity and understanding of another and vice versa. Picking a favorite is difficult as each of them have their own charm and work well in different situations and with different people. What I really love about all of them though is that they all increase my understanding and respect for other people and their situations; they help me see more clearly that we’re all One and in fact not separate beings.

 DN: How do you prepare for your work?

 FOW: Depending on whether it’s an in-person reading or a distance reading I have different rituals but they involve crystals, grounding, lighting candles, burning essential oils and brewing tea. It’s always about creating a comfortable and sacred space for the querent and myself. If I’m doing a numerology or astrology reading I like to prepare and research the day before I see my client.

 DN: You moved from Europe to Canada very recently; have you noticed a difference in the way metaphysical arts are practiced in Europe as opposed to North America?  If so, can you please elaborate on it?

 FOW: I found that spirituality here in North America is very much in your face, it’s become commercialized, a consumer product to sell, with t-shirts and gift shop items aplenty. Back home it’s subtler, and not as mainstream. That’s popular spirituality as a whole. In terms of serious practitioners of different types of spirituality and divination techniques, I find the community to be very welcoming and warm-hearted wherever you go in the world. A wonderful world of magic to be part of!

 DN: What do you love most about your job?

 FOW: I love helping people through difficult times, through blockages and to break repeating patterns of lessons so that they may rise above them to grow and transform. I also love hearing back from my clients, months and even years down the line, telling me about their successes and where they’ve ended up.

 DN: Tell us about what you enjoy doing when you’re not working.

  FOW: I love drinking  (and smelling) new types of tea and coffee. I really enjoy cooking and I love gardening, exploring the biodynamic principles set out by Rudolph Steiner. There is something incredibly satisfying about gardening in accordance to the rhythm of nature and the heavens. And most of all I love hanging out with my best friend, who also happens to be my wife. And our dog Sprite of course…

 DN: Our readers are interested in several types of divination, so would you please share some of your favorite tips and advice for our readers? 

 FOW: In terms of exploring the arts of divination, the best teacher is yourself and your inner voice. Practice and actively tune into your intuition, it’ll be your greatest ally, and not only during sessions but all throughout life. Read that which interests you, remember the information that speaks to you, and discard the rest. Find ways of connecting with your inner child and have fun exploring the metaphysical…

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   Visit Sebastian’s website here: http://www.fatherofwands.com/

 Check out his Instagram feed: @fatherofwands

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To find out more about Pleasant or request a reading or healing session, click here: http://pleasantgehman.com/tarot.html

 For more on Crystal’s background, or request a reading or healing session, click here: http://crystalravenwolf.com