Charlatans In Our Field

by Vikki Anderson

I rarely take gigs in NYC, however, if they are early enough in the afternoon or evening, I can take a bus to Port Authority and a cab to the destination and it has seemed to work out.  This is what I had done just a few weeks ago when I did tarot reading for The New School in NYC.

I always arrive approximately 2 hours ahead of time in case of traffic or some mishap, but this time the bus driver must have tried out for the role on the movie SPEED since we were almost falling out of our seats and purses and brief cases were flying all over the place.  So in essence, I was so early, I called my fiance to chat and ate a bagel at Port Authority and then looked around for awhile before getting into a cab.

Upon getting there, I was told that this particular party was a block party about two blocks away.  That would be all right normally but I have a fractured bone in my right foot so I wasn’t that happy with walking the distance, but managed nicely.

I waited and waited for the person organizing the gig and 50 minutes later, the New School’s representative arrived.  She found me a table and had to find a few chairs, but then the astrologer came and she asked if we could share.  I don’t like sharing tables, but I agreed.  I didn’t know her but it only took me a few minutes to realize what kind of reader she was.

I asked if she had a computer for charts, she said no.  I asked if she brought an ephemeris, she replied no again.  She said she had a good grasp on sun signs and that she could bluff her way through it and brought tarot cards in case I needed help!  Why, thank you.  I told her why didn’t she just use the July 21st eclipse and give the effects of that eclipse to each sign and she said she didn’t know how to do that — so here we are, on the same table with someone (myself) who has taught metaphysics and parapsychology for over 38 years and someone who didn’t know as much as my students who had taken a 6 minute lesson with me.  I was furious.

The readings were loud (and I constantly tried to quiet her down to no avail) and awful.   She had astrology cards and was asking her guests to shuffle the cards and then she READ right off of the cards.  She asked if I knew of these cards and I said that my friends designed them.  Yes, I think I knew them, but they are mostly for individual guidance, not for a big event where you are getting paid big bucks for your expertise.

She left to get water (I brought mine as any event reader would), she had to get a cookie, then she had to make an important phone call.  My opinion of this reader that she didn’t know what the hell she was doing and was doing everything in her power to waste time.  Why would I say that?  Well, people sign up for readings, but sometimes they leave to see what else is going on and come back.  Then you just have them cross off their name no matter where it is on the list.  She kept calling out names in order and wasting 5 – 10 minutes waiting to see if that person was in the area.  I told her several times how to do it, but now my line was growing to over 50 people standing in line and she had 7.  I asked people to go over to her and have an astrology reading, but no one moved from my line.

This reader told me her life story (not a good time to tell me when I am working, nor did I care) and I could tell she has many issues – doing astrology is just one of them.  I complained to the event planner’s rep and she understood, but said it was just for fun anyway.  Well, I know that many people take readings for granted so if you give them bullshit information, what do they have to make positive decisions with?  I complained to the event planner when I called in after the gig, but haven’t heard from them.  Maybe I was being too sensitive; however, I heard her say to these talented writers, musicians and dancers that within 5 years they would all be famous.  I hope it is true; however, what are the odds that a 20 year old will be famous at 25 – and almost all of them at that?

I read the card she gave me when she said she would call me (I can’t wait!) and found out the reason that she was such a bullshitter.  She does music, singing, dancing, DJ, emcee, karaoke, tarot, psychic, fortunes, magic, games, stories, character telegrams, balloons, face painting, arts and crafts, puppet shows and get this – she’s also a clown.  Somehow being a clown and doing tarot readings just doesn’t work for me, but that’s the difference between someone who does this for a living and loves helping people and others who are charlatans and just want to make money, give bad advice and move on to their next victim.  Clown and tarot readings!  That’s a new one for me, but with that said, I guess I don’t have to say anything else.  LOL

Living in Fantasy Land

by Vikki Anderson

The issue with doing my spiritual work is that you try very hard to help those in need.  The people who won’t face reality, who live in a world of their own and who get so angry when you try to bring them back to reality, that it is scary.  Some of them need anger management classes and others just need reliable therapy.

This happened to me so I thought I’d share my experience.  I had a lovely tarot student who is my daughter’s age of 26.  She was very pretty, had a great personality (although very shy, no confidence nor self esteem) and was extremely overweight for her age.  She is in love with, let’s call him Micheal.  Michael sounds like a good guy although a Virgo (pardon me, everyone, but I do have some issues with Virgos!  LOL) and she’s a Libran.  Librans are the suckers of the zodiac.  They hate confrontation, but when you put their backs up against the wall, they are the sign of open warfare — thus, I did get her wrath when I was trying to let her see reality in this relationship.

Sometimes, a reader gets close to a client, like I did with this one because she was so helpless and clueless about life.  My daughter is extremely the opposite, so I thought that maybe I could help her come back to live in the third dimensional world that we were all born into; however, it back fired on me.

Here, let’s call her Jane, loves this man Michael.  They’ve been going out for two years and he hasn’t proposed, hasn’t suggested moving in together or any other type of commitment.  She had been a regular tarot client and then a tarot student.  She was not that adept to tarot, but she was coming along slowly but surely — her insecurity and lack of belief in herself made her doubt her readings.  Jane had two more lessons to go to be certified as a beginner in the Totally Tarot Method.

Jane went on a cruise with Michael and she said they had a great time.  I was so happy for her.  She had hoped that he was going to propose on the cruise, but he did not.  In fact, he always uses work as an excuse and is not around as much as a boyfriend, especially one in a committed relationship, should be.  He also was looking for a two family house (coincidentally, he cannot find one that satisfies him….hmmm…) for them to live in someday with his mother living up or downstairs.   Sounds like a great future already, doesn’t it?

So, I emailed her and asked how the cruise was and if she was engaged.  I knew she wasn’t or she would have emailed me, but there was always hope.  (PS:  I did a tarot card spread and know he will not marry her, but that’s another story).  She had also told me that she would like his children whether or not they were married and I tried to tell her that even though she had children with this man, it did not mean that they would be together forever.  I wanted her to think logically, something this woman seems to have a problem with.

Then Jane told me she was having nightmares because of the tarot and I suggested that if she were (which is most unlikely) that she should look at the cards or symbols coming out in her dreams as they might be a message for her to use or act upon.  I told her that I thought it was all subconscious stuff that was finally surfacing about the lack of commitment in her relationship and the chaos it caused, but my words were not heard.  She heard what she wanted to hear…fantasy, illusion and delusion.  Anyway, I also informed her that I would be moving in with my boyfriend in October after knowing each other for 8 months and she went ballistic on me.  Could it be that she realized that being with this loser for 2 years without a commitment was a reality gone wrong?  Perhaps.

She told me to mind my own business and to never contact her again.  She told me that I was manipulative and that Michael and she were happy and fine and he was committed to her.  I wrote her back that I just wanted her to live in reality and that I wished her well for her future.

Reactions like these are common in people who need lots of psychological help in dealing with reality.  I thought I was kind enough throughout our many weeks of individual classes together to give her clues about her ill fated relationship and to make her understand that she should not wait forever for this man.  I know, she will wait 50 years for him even though he brings nothing to her life.

She is in therapy and I hope it continues.  I feel sorry to say that I felt like I lost a daughter, but in reality, I have only one daughter and I love her very much.  I try very hard not to get involved in my clients or students’ lives, but sometimes you just feel that you are needed and you do what you can to help.  Sometimes, like this particular instance, it backfires.

Unfortunately for both of us – we have gone our separate ways and I sometimes wonder if I should have just left her living in a reality where everything is sunshine and roses and negativity doesn’t exist.  For some people, this is where they spend a lot of their time rather than dealing with life as it happens and coping with decisions and consequences about their own futures.

To Jane, I say, I wish you the best and hope that you do marry Michael one day.  I hope it is also in a time frame when you can have the children you desire so much.

September 2009 Horoscopes

MOON PHASES	DATE	DEGREE, SIGN & MINUTES	TIME
Full Moon	04	12 Pisces 15	12:03 PM
Last Quarter	11	19 Gemini 28	10:16 PM
New Moon	18	25 Virgo 59	02:44 PM
First Quarter	26	03 Capricorn 15	00:50 AM

Planets in the morning sky:  Mercury from the 28^th, Venus and Mars.

Planets in the night sky:  Mercury thru the 14^th and Jupiter.

Retrogrades:  Mercury from the 7^th and goes direct on the 30^th, Jupiter, Uranus  and Neptune all month and Pluto goes direct on the 12^th.

Change of Sun Sign:  Sun enters Libra on September 22.

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ARIES – March 20 – April 18

You will spend this month chatting to everyone asking their opinions on decisions you need to make.  Love life can cause some irritations; possible changes in love may occur if you let things get out of hand.  Friends also seem to be opposing some of your ideas and goals.  Be strong in letting others know that once you make a decision, you will not change your mind. Discussions about general finances may make you re-examine your own savings and investments.  Unexpected expenditures may find their way in to your pocket book so keep your home and car in good repair and get those health check ups so that there are no financial surprises down the road.

TAURUS – April 19 – May 19

Personal and business partnerships shine and although there is much work to be done, you will be able to accomplish much now. Personal health and health related issues will be dealt with quickly in a positive way and you will feel relieved when you find out that you are on the road to good health once again.  Stress and nerves may have been all that was wrong with you.  Calming down and prioritizing your never ending “to do” lists will help you fully finish everything that needs to be done.  Working hard and perhaps doing a lot of background work will help you get to the answers you need faster than you had anticipated.  Career choices are important now so make good ones.

GEMINI – May 20 – June 20

Partnerships stay strong, but misunderstandings shake things up a bit.  Communication is the key to happiness.  Looking over your important documents would be a good step towards getting everything organized and prearranged to your future wishes.  This is a challenging month filled with lots of hard work and reorganization of debt, creditors, priorities and options.  Your impatience makes things harder than they have to be.  You may be looking for more work or trying to secure a part time job to supplement your income.  If successful in obtaining a new position, this will certainly help you move ahead on paying down debt and keeping you in better spirits.

CANCER – June 21 – July 21

New fresh energy is coming your way so you can go in a different direction and make some very positive progress towards accomplishing your goals and dreams. Deciding on long distance travel locations or higher education seems to put you in the right frame of mind. Your procrastination is frustrating to those around you, so make a decision so you can finally allow others to make plans.  There are many karmic lessons and situations coming your way, so try hard to learn from these tests or you may have to go through them again in the future.  Your attitude is positive and strong and ready for anything that the universe can throw your way.

LEO – July 22 – August 21

Career issues and direction finally become apparent.  You may wish to start thinking of changing your career path.  Travel may be on your mind.  If so, be sure to double check everything as there seems to be little aggravations or incidents that may put a damper on plans.  There is an interest in love life now so be open to opportunities that could bring this prospect into your life.  Your attraction to others is very apparent now since you have more confidence and charisma –but be sure to use your charm wisely.  Creativity and imagination can help you accomplish much, so be sure not to waste this energy in idle dreaming.

VIRGO – August 22 – September 21

Take care of important business in your career and personal life.  You can accomplish much now with determination and perseverance. Being centered will also help you accomplish your much needed goals and dreams.  Do not be too critical of others as you seem to think you are right all of the time and it may rub people the wrong way.  Even though you have wonderful insight in the work place, there may be things going on behind the scenes that may hurt you if you don’t try to get along with everyone.  Be gracious, listen to those around you and then make your plans.

LIBRA – September 22 – October 22

Friends are very important so include them in major decisions; go out and socialize to keep your connections strong.  You will try to be so diplomatic that it will make you feel like a pushover.  Stand up for yourself and stick to your guns.  Set boundaries!  You have wonderful ideas and are brilliant on many levels – share your wisdom with others.  Be careful not to talk too much as someone seems to be watching and may find your chatter a bit annoying which may cause trouble in the future.  You are pulling yourself together and trying to make things easier for yourself now, so be strong and make those hard decisions.  Do what is right for you.  No one else matters now.

SCORPIO – October 23 – November 20

You are trying very hard to have a new perspective on your life; however, your secretive nature still keeps many things hidden that are important to you. You do not wish to burden family and friends, but isn’t it about time that someone listens to your issues rather than it always being the other way around?  Career issues are confusing and you may be thinking about your work options or early retirement.  All you want is a stress free life.  Things do seem to be blown out of proportion with family, but there are also positive and happy times in which all of you can connect, resolve issues and enjoy the month.

SAGITTARIUS – November 21 – December 20

Money issues make you want to travel somewhere to escape all of your responsibility; however, you will start to re-examine your financial security and make some important positive changes.  Money will be needed for responsibilities and obligations; you will also be thinking about paying off as much debt as you can because your debt is making you very unhappy.  Trying to get into or learn about sports, philosophies or religion in some way will help you get out of your doldrums.  You need a change, so go out with friends to a matinee movie, out for coffee or just a refreshing walk in the park where you can sit, chat and catch up on each other’s lives.

CAPRICORN – December 21 – January 18

Family issues need to be discussed so that you can deal with them and move on in a positive manner.  Money is an issue; how your family is wasting it or taking it for granted grates on your nerves.  You are trying to be so careful and plan for each expense.  You also seem to be in a procrastination mode but it’s probably not your fault.  You just don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel, although it is there.  Thinking in new ways and being more creative about your debt and goals will help show you that you can accomplish anything you need to.  Saturn’s positive influence over Capricorn is forcing you to work harder, but you will become more organized, cautious and happier than you have been in some time.

AQUARIUS – January 19 – February 17

Even though you think of yourself as a logical person, emotions run rampant and you feel as if you are out of control.  You are so emotionally invested in someone in particular that you can’t think straight.  If this someone has a serious health issue, of course, do all that you can to help him or her; however, you also need to rest and take care of yourself or you won’t have the energy to continue to help those you feel need your help.  Situations around you are very confusing and deceptive.  Things may not be as they seem to be, so double check important information so that you are sure you are making positive decisions based on solid information.

PISCES – February 18 – March 19

Changes in your home life seem difficult and adjusting to them is harder than you thought, but if you give yourself time to think things through, you may find that this is the proper decision and in the best interest of everyone involved.  You may go through some emotional highs and lows but the rollercoaster will finally come to a full stop and you will be able to think more clearly than you have in a long time.  Just remember not to be too hasty in making decisions and try to be more logical than emotional in all that you do.  Once you make a decision, stick with it or the energy will continue to go back and forth again and again continuing to confuse many issues around you.

Copyright (c) 2009 by Vikki Anderson and www.vikkianderson.net.  All rights reserved.  You may use the above horoscopes providing the writer is acknowledged.  Contact Vikki Anderson at  www.VikkiAnderson.net or 973-492-3110 for confidential astrology and tarot consultations.