TAROT BY KEN

In nearly every Tarot date I do, I include my client’s Meditative practice or Prayer in the reading. I do this because they are vitally important to maintaining true happiness. And although I spend time discussing this in readings, I never have long enough to discuss the great benefit of these practices in everyday life. So, let’s BLOG about it!

Meditation or spending time in what I call, “Prayer State” is vitally important to maintaining a positive mindset. A positive mindset should be the goal in everyone’s life. You can have a house that is beautiful, money in the bank, living the big life, but it all means NOTHING if you are deeply unhappy. Ask the celebrities who, “have it all,” but turn to drugs and alcohol because they are still unhappy. Basically, unhappy mind means an unhappy life.

Let us start by discussing “Prayer State.” I coined this term for people who use Prayer as a form of meditation. Prayer State is defined by a deep, meaningful period of time spent connecting your spirit to the divine through prayer. In Prayer State, you can prepare yourself for the day ahead, connect to the divine, and bring fourth peace from within your spirit.  In Prayer State, do not fear asking the divine for things that will help you along your day; for example, peace and strength. These blessings are immediate and they are your right for being a spiritual being on a human journey.

There are many different types of meditation: Single-Focus, Analytical, Transcendental, Mantra, and what I call “Walking Meditation”… to name a few. In Single-Focus meditation, one focuses on a single thought or image that brings fourth something from within their life. In Analytical Meditation, you use reason and logical rationale to bring about peace of mind.
Transcendental meditation is a widely used method for developing the mind through repeating certain sounds. Mantra meditation is what I do and I have received great benefit from doing it. Finally, we come to something I call Walking meditation. This is when you can meditate while wide awake and going about your day.

Meditation is extremely important and should be done several times throughout your day, starting in the morning. Why is it important to begin your day this way? Because your mindset at the start of the day will determine how you go about the rest of your day. If your mind is right, fresh and free, you will be more resilient as you go about your day. Conversely, if you ignore this part of your day, your mind is already off balance and you are more likely to lose your goods over the smallest of things. So, please start your day, every day, with meditation or Prayer State.

How does one meditate? You begin by finding a quiet spot in your home and withdraw from any distractions… this includes your phone. I think we can all agree that nothing is more unsettling than the information that comes through Social Media, News, and gossip. The very worst thing you can do is start your day staring at your phone or watching the television.

After you have withdrawn from the distractions of the world, take a deep breath and begin. Your eyes should be soft and gently open. While it is best that your eyes be open, that isn’t the only way to start your meditation. Closed eyes make it easier to block the world around you and more quickly dive deeper into your meditation. The main goal is to focus so hard on meditating that you are indifferent as to what your eyes are doing. So, don’t make a big deal out of this. But ultimately, your goal is to meditate with eyes open so that you can achieve peace of mind while wide awake; fully taking in sensory information and stimuli. This is a key part of Walking Meditation.

Once you have achieved this step, breathe. Breathe in love, breathe out hatred. Breathe in positivity, breathe out anger. Breathe in joy, breathe out anxiety. Focus on your breath, slow it down and allow it to take you deeper into your meditation. This may take several minutes, but it is a vital step. Nobody achieved enlightenment by breathing like they have just swum the English Channel. Slow, steady, mindful breathing is best.
Next, you will need to decide what you would like to bring forth from your life. What are your options? I think the following are the most important traits to focus on: wisdom, compassion, courage, peace, forgiveness, love, and life-force-energy. Focus on each of these one at a time, until you embody them all.

If you need to conjure an image that helps you do this, that it fine. Many people use the Buddha, as he embodied all of these traits. Others use Jesus or Muhammad; especially, if they are using Prayer State as their form of meditation. I myself use an honorable object of devotion, or a Gohonzon; a scroll that embodies the very best of the Buddha and his highest teaching, the Lotus Sutra. I focus on the Gohonzon and repeat the Mantra, Nam Myoho Renge Kyo. Use whatever works for you! If you find that you do not need an external point of focus, develop an image that conjures compassion, patience, and love. Regardless of what works for you, devote all of your focus on that image or thought.

Do not allow your mind to be swayed by past or future events. Do not allow yourself to focus on things that seem beyond your control. Having said that, our minds are so clogged up with other stuff, it is hard to keep such determined focus. If your focus wavers, do NOT judge yourself or think you are failing at this practice. Instead, simply return to your image, thought, or point of focus. If you are just starting out meditating, this may prove to be the hardest part. The more you devote yourself to this, the easier it will be to maintain focus. Again, this won’t be easy and it will take effort. Stay calm and mindful, bringing your point of focus back to the forefront.

After you maintain this point of focus, allow yourself to be enveloped by it. Allow the harmony to sweep over your body. Allow compassion to wash away your indifference. Allow the joy to conquer your depression. Do this for an extended period of time. Don’t get a glimpse of greatness, think you’re done, and then move on with your day… Instead, sit with your joy, compassion, and forgiveness. Ingrain the goodness into your spirit, soul, and mind. You want to do this with such determination that you have stamped these wonderful qualities into your life.

During Single-Focus meditation, you would go one trait at a time. For example, if you need more forgiveness in your life, focus on forgiveness. Do not stop until you feel that forgiveness resonate throughout your entire being. Once you have achieved this, seal it into your spirt, and then move on to the next point of focus. If you are using analytical meditation, find reason why you need love, and peace of mind in your life and how you can live better by embodying them. Analyze what these things are and why the world would be a better place if we all lived in them. In Prayer State, do not stop praying until you feel the love, compassion, and joy.

Quickly, we’ll discuss Walking Meditation. Walking meditation is done in a similar way. You focus on what you need, breathe, and calm the mind, but you do it as you are going about your day. Say your boss is giving you Hell and you are about to snap. Immediately, stop yourself from losing it. Focus on them, find compassion for them, and then go on about your conversation. What if you struggle with road rage? Soften your eyes, breathe, keep both hands on the wheel and know that you WILL reach your destination and that this experience is only temporary. Is this easy? NOT AT ALL. But with more practice, you will find yourself happier and happier, no matter what happens throughout the day. Personally, I see something displeasing happening and I quietly chant to myself. I breathe, maintain awareness, and focus on bringing the meaning of that Mantra into my actions; right then and there. With enough practice, Walking Meditation becomes easier and easier.

Meditation doesn’t always need candles and incense. They are nice additives, but are not absolutely necessary. Similarly, Prayer State does not require a church, a Priest, and a Choir. When I chant, I light 2 white candles, make various offerings, I ring a bell… the whole 9! But, if I were without these things, it would not stop me from practicing. This is because I know that the goodness I seek is inherently present in my life. I know that I don’t need a building with stained glass windows and a room full of people to bring forth my highest potential for greatness. The same goes for you, you are no different. The goodness, peace, love, and joy you seek are already inside of you. Reach into your spirit and bring them out! 

In closing, I hope that this has helped you understand meditation a little better. I hope that you take my advice and start your day by bringing forth the best version of yourself. I hope that you take these various forms of Meditation into your life, incorporate them, and allow them to help you make your life better. At the very least, I hope that this entry brought you peace and closer to your ultimate happiness.

All My Love,
Ken
xoXox

P.S. At the end of your day, you should always pray or meditate on the gratitude you feel for making through another day. Doing a morning meditation and an evening meditation will bring a rhythm to your life! Close your day and open your day like this, you will thank me once you have accomplished it!
 

Recently, I received an email that wasn’t the most positive I have ever received. They had several things to say, none of it was pretty. But because I am not one to shy away from being open and honest, I am gonna have to BLOG about it.

“Ken Boggle,
I am not writing to request a reading from you. I don’t know why anyone would want one. You are a self righteous and self absorbed (BLEEP.) My friend had a reading with you and she says that you were rude, interrupted her and mean spirited. You don’t care about people. You didn’t care about her or any of the people you read. Stick to reading tweets and stop reading Tarot.”

Let us rip this apart, shall we? First of all, the last thing anyone could say is that I don’t care about the wellbeing of those I read. After each and every reading, I make it a point to stress that I am available to my clients 24/7. If there is ever a moment in their life that they are struggling with, they know that I am only a message or call away. I have responded to clients as late as 3 or 4 in the morning. I do this because many other readers take your money, read your cards, and then say “Good Luck!” I do the very opposite of that. I spend hours and hours a week interacting and supporting my clients. Please ask anyone of them.

“Stick to reading Tweets and stop reading Tarot.” I gotta say, that is very smart! I do love a Tweet, I will never deny that! But I will say that I am daily sent messages from people that confirm my readings and the great benefit those readings have on their lives. Just yesterday, I received a phone call from a client who said, “Ken, do not ever doubt your talents. You are a gifted reader and nailed my new boyfriend and our first date to the smallest detail.” Again, I do love a Tweet, but my talent for doing what I do cannot be denied. If you would like confirmation of this, go check out the Testimonials Page on this site. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

In the email, she says that I interrupt and that I am rude. I am sure that it may seem that way. This is because I have a very short period of time to read for people. If you book me for 30 minutes, I have got to give you your money’s worth and leave you with profound information that will positively affect your life. If I empathically pick up that you are dancing around an issue or being dishonest, I will call you out on it. I do not and will not coddle people. I am not going to waste your time and I ask that you don’t waste mine. If all I have is 60 minutes, I have got to get to the point. Other readers will permit this so that they can coast through a reading and do very little to earn their keep, that ain’t me.

As for being self-righteous and self-absorbed… this is only someone’s perspective of me and I cannot change that. Is it rooted in truth? Maybe a little. Why do I say that? Because the great Lucille Ball said something once that I have engrained into my soul: “You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world. Love yourself first and everything else falls into place.” So, that is what I do and what I encourage all of my clients to do. If we are going to make anything out of our lives, we have got to love ourselves. And for that, I will never apologize. Do I consider myself to be higher than anyone else? Not at all. But I will say, I do not suffer people who do not respect themselves or those around them. If that makes me sound high and mighty, so be it. My intensity, time, and interest are reserved for those that reflect it back at me.

Having said all of this… I must admit that I tracked down this person and her friend. I understand the source of all of this and I find it amusing. This is a person who came to me with all of her problems and zero ambition to change any of it. She wanted me tell her what she wanted to hear, tell her it was everyone else’s fault, and that she was amazing. Well, that didn’t happen. I put it to her straight: most of this is your fault and if you aren’t willing to change, nothing positive will come from any of this. Needless to say, she didn’t care for that. Do I regret how I handled it? Nope. Sometimes in life, you need someone to look you in the face and get real. You need someone who tells you that you are up your own ass and that you need to do something about making your life better. That person is me.

If you want someone to hold your hand, tell you what you want to hear, and waste your time… go somewhere else. I don’t have the time, energy, or patience for all of that. But if you are looking for someone who will teach you to love yourself, be there for you, and be real with you, I am your guy. I am not a Parlor Trick, nor am I a one trick pony. I don’t half-ass anything and I refuse to take someone’s hard earned cash without giving them the absolute most I possibly can. I proudly stand behind who I am, what I do, and how I do it. Keep those e-mails coming!

All My Love,
Ken
xoXox