I Ching or YiJing

I’m currently writing a soon-to-be-released app for Android devices dealing with the I Ching or YiJing. But, the friends whom I’ve talked to are unfamiliar with the YiJing.

(I’ll be using YiJing instead of I Ching because YiJing is based on Pinyin, the ISO standard for transliterating Chinese.)

Summary

The YiJing is a book also known as The Book of Changes, The Classic of Changes or the Zhouyi (“Joe-Yee”). It is one of the oldest Chinese texts and dates from the Shang Dynasty. It contains a system of fortune telling and is primarily used to tell the future. It consists of a collection of comments on, and interpretations of, a set of 64 symbols or hexagrams consisting of six lines. Each line is either “Yin” or “Yang”, represented by broken and solid lines.

The YiJing can be consulted by opening a version to a random page and reading the interpretations. But, the more common method is to randomly generate the lines that compose a hexagram. The hexagram is built from the bottom up, so the first line that is determined is the bottommost line while the last line is the top.

How to cast the lines

Several methods have been devised to generate the lines of a hexagram in recent years, but two methods are the most traditional.

Tossing Three Coins

This method is the easiest to perform and the tools needed are readily available. Because of its convenience, it the most popular and has almost replaced older methods.

All you need are three coins. You can buy specialized coins that have a square hole in the middle or you can use coins of the same value, for example, three quarters. You concentrate on a question  and toss the coins in your cupped hands. You release the coins onto a table and take note of how many heads or tails appear.

The four possible combinations of heads and tails have the following values.

Combination	Line Value	Symbol
All heads	Changing Broken (Old Yin)	-x-
All tails	Changing Solid (Old Yang)	-o-
1 head, 2 tails	Stable Solid (Young Yang)	- -
2 heads, 1 tail	Stable Broken (Young Yin)	---

The changing values and which of the lines should be noted. See below to understand what their importance is in the reading. The next section will talk about how to interpret the changing lines.

Splitting the Yarrow Stalks

Another method, splitting the yarrow stalks, is older than the three-coin method previously mentioned. It, too, replaced an older method where a question was written on a piece of bone or turtle shell. And then, heat was applied to the bone or shell to produce cracks. The cracks were then interpreted for an answer.

In this method, you take a bundle of yarrow stalks and split them into two piles. Each pile is counted by taking four stalks out of the pile at a time. The remaining stalks are set in front and the pile set aside. The total number of stalks from each pile will result in four or eight. The two piles are recombined, split and counted to determine the number of remainders. The remainders are set in front like the previous count but separate from it. The process is repeated with the remaining stalks to produce a third set of remainders. The number of four- or eight-stalk remainders are tallied and determines the value of the line. The entire process is repeated for the next five lines. Because of the long process, it takes much more time to produce a hexagram.

Remainders	Line Value	Symbol
4,4,4	Changing Solid (Old Yang)	-o-
4,4,8	Stable Broken (Young Yin)	- -
4,8,8	Stable Solid (Young Yang)	---
8,8,8	Changing Broken(Old Yin)	-x-

As in the three-coin method, the changing lines should be noted.

How to Interpret the Hexagram and Changing Lines

Once all the lines are cast, you look up the interpretation of the hexagram. You read the main text of the hexagram to get the overall meaning. The changing lines add to or, even contradict, the overall meaning, so their interpretations should be considered. Unless, there are no changing lines, this is your first hexagram and represents the current situation.

The next step in the process is to convert the changing lines to their opposite values. The changing broken lines are converted to stable solid lines; the changing solid lines are converted to stable broken lines. You write down the resulting hexagram and look up its interpretation. This is your “result” or “future” hexagram and represents how the situation will evolve.

My app follows the same method of consulting the YiJing, but it take a different approach with the changing lines. In his book, The I Ching Handbook: Decision-Making with and without Divination, the author Mondo Secter proposes a different approach to the changing lines. Instead of changing all lines, only the first line is changed to produce a “transitional” hexagram. If this transitional hexagram still has changing lines, its first changing line is converted. The process is repeated until a hexagram where there are no more changing lines results.

Hopefully, this blog entry gets others interested and gives a very basic understand of this type of fortune telling. Additionally, I hope that garners interest in the Android app.

Android App

The Android app, it is now in the beta testing phase. If you would like to participate and give feedback on an app that will be released, please let me know. Otherwise, expect to see it hit Google Play by the second quarter of 2013. I’ll write another blog entry about the progress on the app and why I decided to write yet another app dealing with the YiJing when there are several already on Google Play.

Ghost Tour: Pioneer Square, Seattle, WA

I’ve always wanted to go on a haunted tour. I'd like to see a couple of people get touched my unseen hands, accuse the person next to them of trying to talk to them and what not. When I was in Las Vegas, we had a mind to take the Haunted Vegas Tour, but decided against it as we were having paranormal experiences in our hotel room. But, when I got back, I started asking around for something similar and what I found were tours in Seattle: "The Spooked in Seattle Tour", which took place in historical Pioneer Square and the “Market Ghost Tours and Espresso”, in the Pike Place Market. When I brought this up to Eric he suggested that we bring along a few friends, too. He’d already told his co-worker Sam, who was also interested. I let a few of my friends know, but there were no other takers. So, I was just the three of us: Same, Eric and I.  We talked about each tour decided upon the Spooked in Seattle Tour.

We booked the 8:15PM tour. It started at the Ye Olde Curiosity Shop on the waterfront. But, we got there early just in case we needed to find parking or there was traffic on the the way there. Luckily, we arrived one hour early. The Ye Olde Curiosity Shop had some interesting pieces, so we passed our hour looking at the strange knickknacks all about the store. There were desiccated bodies in the back. One, that went by the name of Sylvester, was particularly creepy; I felt like he was staring at me. There were animal “oosiks”, penises, hanging right above the front entrance. There was a collection of shrunken heads, and there were double-headed baby animals that did not survive past a few days.

Shrunken head replica

Our tour guide, Jerome, was great. He was very enthusiastic, almost theatrical, and knowledgeable of Seattle history. He had with him a tablet that he used to show the crowd videos and play EVP’s, electronic voice phenomena, associated with some of the stops on the tour. We were joined by 20 others.

When we started the tour we walked south on Alaskan way to our first stop: Ivar’s. It is reported that his guitar playing and singing can be heard. As we proceeded south on Alaskan Way, our next stop was the Seattle-Bainbridge/Seattle-Bremerton ferry terminal. It is reported that the daughter of Chief Sealth, Princess Angeline, can be seen on one of the ferries coming from the Seattle side, but she is never seen on the side of the Kitsap peninsula.

Haunted religious relics

Our first in-door stop was at the Merchant Café, the oldest restaurant in Seattle. According to our guide, an episode of The Dead Files was filmed in the lower floor which used to be the first floor, and that there were some significant findings during the show. After hearing that news, we awaited to see the episode when it airs within the next few weeks.  When we were at the lower bar, I had a “déjà vu”, although I have passed by the bar, I have never gone inside, nor have I descended into the lower floor.

One of our stops was just across the street from the Pergola. As the guide told us the story of a nearby hotel, Sam and I could smell clove cigarettes. There was someone smoking nearby, but the guy was down wind, and he was smoking either menthol or light cigarettes. I happened a few more times and then it disappeared. It was the first creepy occurrence that night. But, the creepiest events happened in the “Spooked in Seattle” headquarters.

Note the chalk marks

They had been at the location for approximate two months. It is below street level and at one time an Italian restaurant evident from the “Ristorante” signs. The space laid vacant for several years after the restaurant closed. There is a section of the space that opens up to the Seattle Underground, but since it had rained that night, it wasn’t the most comfortable area to visit; water was seeping down into the area. When the guide started to tell about their headquarters. I whipped out my phone and started my EMF (Electromagnetic Field) detector app. He told us about a chair that would move over night. The last time the chair moved was a few weeks before. My app showed no spikes and read 400 mG (milligauss) which seems to be normal. But, when the guide mentioned an EVP of children in the area, the EMF app for my Android phone started to register around 500 mG! 500 mG is what my monitors at home emit. But, there were no electronics within range of where we were standing!

We looked around at the shop after the tour ended. Their headquarters had a few artifacts enclosed in tall glass cases. One of them was a small wooden box with a few religious relics. When I waved my EMF detector toward those items, once again it registered around 500 mG! Again there were not electronics nearby that I knew of. No other items had such a high reading.

All in All, It was a great tour where you learn the haunted history of Seattle, and get to tour historic Pioneer Square where the city started. In hindsight, I think that they could have divided the crowd up, say 10 people per group so that we could better hear the guide, hear EVP’s and see things he wanted to show us on his tablet.

Besides the walking tour they have ghost hunts. The latest is every third Saturday aboard the allegedly haunted USS Turner Joy in Bremerton, my home town. Eric, Sam and I might give it a try.

Summary
Website:	http://spookedinseattle.com/
E-Mail:	SpookedinSeattle@gmail.com
Phone:	(425) 954-7701
Available Activities:	Walking Tours Bus Tours Private Tours Ghost Hunts
Notes:	Book a few days in advance to maker sure get you and your group a spot.

Professional Psychic Spotlight: Toni

I met Toni when I shared a booth with her and another psychic at Northwest Women’s Show at the CenturyLink Event Center (formerly the Qwest Event Center). Ever since then, she and I have kept in contact over the past few years.

 

Toni

Ever since she was a child, Toni has been clairvoyant.  When she was young, she would receive impressions by touching someone or something that they own. For example, when she was about nine-years old, she and her parents were moving out of their apartment in Gardena, CA. At the same time, the new tenants, a husband and wife, were moving in. The man had a treasure chest that he wanted to part with, so he offered it to Toni. When Toni touched the chest as the man was giving it to her, a flurry of images entered her mind. She tried telling the man that he would be dying, but her mother was so embarrassed that she ordered Toni to be quiet and to go inside the car. Sadly her prediction came true - the man died in the apartment within the week.

 

As she grew older, she was able to pick up impressions without necessarily touching people or their belongings. Now, she receives impressions at almost any time of the day, whether she touches an item or not – For her, it is a common occurrence. She will often see people in something new, be in a new relationship, a new home, a new car or a new career.

 

Toni has been practicing for over 20 years as a professional reader. Her services include Tarot and oracle card readings, chicken bone readings, water readings, home energy readings and ritual work.

When clients call to arrange for a consultation over the phone, she can sense the energies surrounding them. Issues that they may have been repeatedly thinking about may come through which she puts together into a “movie” in her mind.  Sometimes, the spirits of friends and family come through. So, before meeting, she might already “know” certain facts about the client and what the client wants to look into. When the client arrives, she receives more information not only from the client but from Spirit. And, once again a “movie” starts to play in her mind.

But, meeting with Toni is like going to a good friend for advice. She sets the mood with her welcoming personality and keeps the conversation light-hearted and lively. If the client were feeling uneasy, upset or uncomfortable before, they would begin to feel much better and lighter as if a weight is lifted off of them. So, expect to have a pleasant time chatting regardless of the subject. Nevertheless, when it comes to more serious concerns, she is very attentive and genuinely listens. The client will come away feeling more at ease and more in control by the end of the reading. Her goal is to help. And, to make the client more comfortable, makes the process all much easier for her and the client.

During the Northwest Women’s show, I witnessed Toni’s expertise and abilities first hand. A woman and a young lady were next in line for Toni’s table. They both sat down, and as soon as the woman started to talk, Toni mentioned that she felt like it was hard to breathe as if she were drowning. Both women started to cry immediately. They were mother and daughter, and they came to make contact with one of the daughters who passed away from drowning. During their session, Toni was able to lighten up their mood and ease their pain. And, as many tears that were shed, there were as many laughs to be had, too. It was so infectious, I was laughing at the table nearby. After they were done, you could see the relief on both mother’s and daughter’s face as they left.

 

Toni is a firm believer that, for their own benefit, the client should be engaged in the process as much as possible – She’s talking about the client’s life, so they should have more of a part in it. So, after the reading, she may have something for the client to do. Sometimes they are mental exercises that need to be done daily for a few days or longer, or she will give the client a ritual to perform.

Toni's favorite heels.
(She put me up to it.)

The mental exercises vary. They may be visualization of what the client wants to see come into their lives, meditation or chanting of certain phrases, or mantras. These exercises are designed to help the client align their own energy with what they want and to be better connected to Spirit. Clients have reported that after following the exercises, they are pleasantly surprised to find a definite improvement in their lives.

Rituals are another “prescription” that Toni may give to her clients in addition to, or in lieu of, mental exercises. Rituals are set of actions that must be performed in a specific order. Sometimes they involve buying or making certain item. Sometimes they involve saying a phrase while performing an action. Rituals may be very simple as writing on a piece of paper and keeping it on an altar or sacred area of your home or bedroom for a specific period of time. Others may be more elaborate where certain steps must be carried out at a specific date or time and/or in a specific location. If the client has any questions or issues carrying out the instructions or if there is a “tool” that the client needs for the ritual, Toni is always willing to help.

Toni

Years ago when I  came to Toni for help, I was looking for a partner in my life. At the time, I was striking out. I kept finding people who were not a good fit for me. Either I wasn’t attracted to them, or when I was attracted, they just didn’t return my affections. Toni gave me a combination of mental exercises and two rituals. The exercises were easy, but some of the items for the rituals were a bit hard to find. I was determined. In the end, I persevered and found all that I needed to complete the rituals. Once I finished the exercises and performed each step of the ritual, I was able to find someone that I fell in love with that was right for me.

Another example of how Toni has helpful was with a client here in the Seattle area. A woman invited Toni to her house for a reading. Toni saw that her client would leave her current well-paying position and become involved in legal proceedings where she would later come into several million dollars. The woman was dumbfounded and at first  dismissed the idea. Six months later, the client called Toni to let her know that everything that Toni saw came true.

Lastly, Toni also provides energy readings for your home. Similar to Feng Shui, she can sense the vibrations in the client’s home.  She will then suggest where furniture should be placed, if there certain items or colors should be added to a room, or if there are items that should be removed. In lieu of visiting your home, the client can submit photos and she can assess what needs to be done from them.

So, if you decide to turn to Toni for some spiritual advice, please, let her know that “Joe” sent you.

Reader Summary and Contact Information
Name:	Toni
Experience:	20+ years
Services:	Tarot card readings Oracle card reading Chicken bone readings Water readings Mind exercises Ritual work Supplies for ritual work Home energy readings
Prices:	VARIABLE Call for more information
Payment:	Call for more information
Languages:	English
Place for Readings:	At the reader’s home At the client’s home Agreed meeting place
Parties & Gatherings:	YES At least on month’s  advanced booking
Location:	California, US
Travel:	YES Call for more information
E-Mail:	ic4u@live.com
Phone:	(425) 220-4669 Please leave your name (first ONLY) and number. Responds w/in 12 hours.
Phone Readings:	YES
Additional Notes:	N/A

My First Ghost Encounter

In the early 80s, I lived with my aunt and grandmother on a small, 5 acre berry farm in Port Orchard, Washington. I moved in with them to fulfill a promise that I had made with my late uncle. He asked if I would like to live with my aunt if something were to happen to him. Being a child of three or four I didn’t know what death was, so I agreed. One rainy day he was tending to the berries and caught cold. He died of pneumonia a few weeks later.

Living there, I always had an uneasy feeling going to the bottom floor of that split-level house. It was my uncle’s refuge, his “man cave” as they could call it now, where he spent much of his free time in his recliner watching basketball games on his large Zenith TV when he wasn’t tending to the berries. After his death, my aunt had the TV moved up to the living room on the upper floor sometime after I starting living with them.

A small jar of Vick's VapoRub

One night my aunt and I were watching sports on that TV. I remember that it was sometime in the fall because it was around 7PM and it was already dark. My grandmother had turned in for the night. I also remember that the Seattle Super Sonics were playing, my late uncle’s favorite basketball team. Sometime in the middle of the game, the intense smell of Vick’s VapoRub started to come from the stair well next to the couch my aunt and I were sitting in. The smell was so strong; it was as if someone brought a jar right up to my nose. My uncle used Vick’s to ease his congestion when he first became ill. As the scent lingered, the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. My aunt had noticed the scent, too, and she started to speak to whomever it was, ”Honey, we are doing well. You can go back and rest. Go now, go back and rest.” As soon as she said those words, the scent disappeared about as soon as it had started. We went to bed shortly afterward as if nothing happened, and my aunt woke up my grandmother to tell her about what had just happened. We didn’t finish watching the game.

We never talked about it very much. I vaguely remember my aunt talking to my grandmother about it the next day. The incident rarely came up in conversations with friends or relatives. As a child, I didn’t quite understand what had happened. But after having had a few similar experiences, I have a better understanding: It was the spirit of my uncle coming to visit. Maybe he was wondering where his TV went? Maybe he was curious about the game? Maybe he wanted to root for his favorite team one last time? I don’t remember if that date had any significance to him or to my aunt. Could it have been their wedding anniversary? Was it my late uncle’s birthday? I will never know.

Spirits of the deceased sometimes linger for whatever reason. His last worry was the berry farm before he died and might have been why he remained, and quite possibly in the lower level where he spent so much time watching TV

Later on, after moving out of that house, I heard other reports of his presence, especially in the lower floor. My aunt remarried and her new husband moved into that house with her. He would find all the lights on in the lower floor when no one had gone down. A cousin, told his mom about a customer looking for berries in the house, who he described as an old, bald man, coming down the stairs to the lower floor. It was summer and berry picking season, so it gave his mother the chills. The man that my cousin described fit my late uncle’s description to a tee. My uncle had died some years before my cousin came to live in the US. In fact, my cousin was born after his death. The same cousin also saw a man in overalls and a straw hat walk into the pump house by the pond where they got water from to irrigate the berries plants. Again, matching my uncle's description. During Thanksgiving another year, a relative saw his image sit next to her in a large mirror. It vanished when she turned to tell my aunt.

I haven’t heard of any other sightings of him within the past few years. He might be at peace now that the berry bushes no longer there. Where there were once rows for berries, trees now grow. I wonder if he misses them.

Celebrity Ghost Stories [Show]

I started watching Celebrity Ghost Stories when its first season aired on the Biography Channel a few years ago. And, since then I have tried to watch each new episode because most have caught my attention in one way or another. The show is a reality-base where celebrities narrate a paranormal event that they had experienced.

Celebrities include actors, Corbin Bernsen (L.A. Law), Joan Collins (Dynasty, The Colbys) and Christopher Knight (The Brady Bunch);  musicians, Vince Neil (Motley Crue), Marilyn Manson (Marilyn Manson) and Jermaine Jackson (Jackson Five);  sports stars, Sugar Ray Leonard (Olympic Boxer); and other personalities, the late Phyllis Diller (Comedienne), Paul Shaffer (Late Night with David Letterman) and Margaret Cho (Comedienne).

In each hour-long episode, each celebrity segment lasts between 15 to 20 minutes. The only exceptions have been the “Scariest Moments” episode where they show the most frightening scenes from previous episodes and the Loretta Lynn episode showcasing the haunting of her ranch in Tennessee. As the celebrity narrates, the story is reenacted with live-action shots and stop-action-like stills. Now in the show’s fourth season, each celebrity has shared one story. Excluding any special episodes, there are few of the celebrities that have been featured more than once.

Vince Neil told the story about how his manager died and helped his band find his replacement and how he was contacted by his dead son. Karina Smirnoff (Dancing with the Stars) told about her run-in with a dybbuk (a spirit from Jewish folklore) during a visit to a Summer home in the Ukraine and how she saw her grandmother roam the halls of her home after passing away. Carnie Wilson (Wilson Phillips) told how she became sober from experiencing the ghost of a drunken barber and her experience with a strange apparition when her sister Wendy comes to visit. Ana Gasteyer (Saturday Night Live, 1996 – 2002) recounted how she was visited by the victims of a fire while playing the role  Elphaba in a production of Wicked: The Musical and her experience with the ghosts of a hotel.

There are so many celebrities and so many episodes that I am amazed. It reminds me that the paranormal discriminates against no one. It is hard to find just one favorite episode, but there are many hits and misses. Nevertheless, one of the more memorable episode featured Shirley Jones (Oklahoma!,The Partridge Family), Mykelti Williamson (Forrest Gump). Shirley Jones and her ex-husband Jack Cassidy rented a sea captain’s former home in rural New York state. When her husband left for Los Angeles, she experienced the ghosts of the captain’s children. When she left for California, the house mysteriously bursts into flames. Mykelti tried visiting his mother several times only for her to send him away. He finds out that his mother did not want him to visit just in case he were to run into a childhood friend. His mother said that the look of death was too strong on Mykelti’s friend. After hearing this, Mykelti’s dinner with his girlfriend is interrupted by a phone call from the same friend. The phone company has no record of the call.

Whether you believe the existence of ghosts and the paranormal or not, this is one show that shouldn’t be watched alone late at night.

Biography.com banner

Other reviews:

• Variety TV Review: Celebrity Ghost Stories
• "Celebrity Ghost Stories" Review: Joan Rivers Made Me Believe in Ghosts

Current schedule on the Biography Channel is 9/8 Central. Episodes are available online, but more are available on Hulu.

Website: http://www.biography.com/tv/celebrity-ghost-stories

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebrity_Ghost_Stories

Kaso ti Pasahero nga Al-alia

The Iloko version of the post has been moved.
Ti bersion ti daytoy a paskil ket naiyakar.

Kaso ti Pasahero nga al-alia

Otro caso de un pasajero espectral

The Spanish version has been moved to a new blog.
La versión es español se ha movido al nuevo blog.
Caso de pasajero espectral

The Lingering Scent of Vanilla

"... The first thing to hit me was the strong scent of vanilla. I commented to Mike about the vanilla scent asking if it were a new car freshener. That's when Mike just came out with it: He had an attachment!"

In this story, a friend had a paranormal experience in his early twenties under a bridge known for suicides. Fast forward years later, he wants to experience the same "thrill" of having a paranormal encounter, but this time he makes a serious mistake and the spirit attaches to him.

Another Trip to the Bridge

Last year, I hosted a small impromptu dinner of a few friends. It was October with Halloween drawing near. Our discussions around the table centered around ideas of what costumes we were going to wear on the 31st, if we were going watch the latest Paranormal Activity movie and the retelling of ghost stories. As usual for this time of year I told the story of the uninvited passenger to my guests, and how it was the closest encounter with the paranormal I had ever had. My friend, Mike, shared a similar experience where a back seat of his car depressed on its own as if someone had sat down. (I posted his story a few days back.)

It was well past midnight when Mike's face lit up and he goaded us to take a drive to the bridge where he had his experience. 

"Do you wanna go? Do you wanna go?", he chided. 

We all figured, "Why not?" and got into his four-door sedan. We were soon headed for West Seattle. But not before we grabbed some coffee at a nearby 24-hour drive-through Starbucks, of course.

We arrived at the bridge sometime before three o'clock and parked at one end. We walked across surveying the depth of the narrow ravine that it spanned peering out into its darkness trying to figure out the road below. We all could sense an air of despair that cold Autumn night. The west sidewalk of the bridge had “hot spots” where you could feel it more strongly. Is this where the jumper in his story contemplated the last moments of their life? Once three o'clock approached closer, we filed into Mike's car and made our way to the road below.

We were surprised that there were other people who wanted to witness something (or, so we thought) and get a sighting of the ghost as we did. Since it was a weekday, there were only one or two other cars. Mike parked off to the side of the narrow street and we could see the bridge loom tall above us. Mike turned off the lights and turned the engine off as we waited for the appearance of the specter of a suicide. It was cold that Autumn night, so we stayed in the car sipping on our coffees and chatted instead of venturing outside. We were apprehensive and felt safer among our own company than that of outside. Once three arrived we quieted down and waited expecting to catch a glimpse of someone or something paranormal.

Fifteen minutes must have passed without much fanfare. Mike drove back to my house and recounted his story, how he dared the spirit to show itself. There were so many cars parked on my street that he was able only to find a spot a couple of blocks away. We got out of the car and entered my house where we talked for a few moments more. When our other friends left, I walked Mike back to his car. On our way we passed the eerie house that had not been occupied for months on my block. I jokingly warned him that he might have an attachment as a result of our foray to the bridge. Little did I know what would become of my warning.

Nice Perfume. Is it Vanilla?!

Feng Shui talisman

 

The following week, Mike came by to pick up me at work for a coffee break. He came over within a few minutes because our office buildings were mere blocks away from each other. I hopped into his car, and the first thing to hit me was the strong scent of vanilla. I commented to Mike about the vanilla scent asking if it were a new car freshener. That's when Mike just came out with it: He had an attachment! (Or, an "atachamente" as we liked to joke from a Filipino film we had recently watched.)

During coffee we talked about how it attached to him and from where. We speculated that it did not come from the bridge but from somewhere in between. He said that he had started to notice something after dropping us off at my house that night. The spirit followed him to work the next day where his coworkers noticed the strong scent, commenting on his "choice" of cologne. Later that day, when he came to the realization that it was indeed a spirit attachment, he asked that the spirit leave. It started to emit the scent of something burning, instead. He asked me what it could be, but I had no answers to give. 

The experience that I had with a strong scent from a spirit lasted less than an hour. In addition, the spirit in my car was not following me, but my friend Tina. I had no idea of what to do. The best I could do later that day was to snap a shot of and send him a Feng Shui talisman, a wall hanging that prevented wayward spirits from entering the space where it was deployed. I figured that if it helped Tina in the past, it would help Mike. He set it as his smartphone's wallpaper and printed it out. Then, he hanged the printed copy in his room. Mike reported that it worked well. The smell, or the spirit for that matter, never ventured there.

In the following days after our talk, Mike continued to smell the scent of vanilla and experienced different phenomena. Luckily, none of them were malicious or caused him any bodily harm; it was a nuisance at worst. The family dog, he mentioned, did act peculiar as animals do since they are far more sensitive to the paranormal. The dog would growl at something Mike could not see. Or, the dog would not come out of his kennel out of fear. While his parents were out running errands, he took the dog out for a walk. He returned home to a typical occurrence in many paranormal stories: All the kitchen drawers and cupboard doors in the house open!

Unattachment

Not knowing what else to expect, the week after, he contacted a pastor from his church and explained the situation. The pastor was very empathetic and advised him to beware of such things in the future. That evening, the two of them prayed to release Mike of this attached spirit. After his pastor's visit, the scent of vanilla stopped and life returned back to normal. Yet, things weren't back to how they used to be for Mike.

 Mike recognized that he had become more sensitive to the unseen world; this sensitivity was more acute. A couple of months afterward, he mentioned how he could sense something behind a tree we sat by at a local park. He is now aware that he can inadvertently attract spirits very much like my friend Tina. And, especially, he knows now that it is the most unwise to invite spirits because, as he learned, they might overstay their welcome.

Tarot Card Reading: The Business, Part 3

So, this will be my last post to wrap up this series…
When I started to think of how to structure my business, I looked at some examples. Eventually, I decided to go with a single member Limited Liability Company or LLC. For some of the following reasons:

• Liability – My divination business and I are two separate entities. I have to make sure that there is a definite distinction. For example, I must have a separate bank account for the business. When signing documents, I have to specify that I am signing as a representative or executor on behalf of the business. Also, in terms of legalities, my personal assets are not on the table, only assets of the company.
  
   
  This was my biggest factor. In a worst case scenario, a client interprets my reading in such a way that gets him or her in trouble, so they decide to sue. I'm sure that there are "safeguards" when it comes to this business, such as disclaimers stating that the reading is for "entertainment purposes only". I just didn't want to take that chance.
  
   
• Ability to be a single-member corporation – I wanted the legal separation, but didn't want the 100% liability of a sole-proprietorship. In Washington State and other states, a single member can form a single-member LLC, unlike an "S" or subchapter S corporation or a traditional "C" corporation where there must be most than one to form… At least how I understood it.
  
   
• Pass-Through Taxation – In a traditional "C" corporation, the corporation will be taxed and the dividends or any earnings that the members are taxed also, in other words, I avoid double taxation. This can be accomplished with an "S", but once again, I would need partners. Something, I chose not to have.

There is one point though that is rather risky:

• LLC's DO NOT have legal precedent – LLC's are so new that there are no records, if at all, about them in litigation at the federal level. I'm sure that there have been at the state level, but I haven't done due diligence in that area. I figure that as long as I'm following the law to the letter I won't be the poster boy for such a precedent.

These are just a few points why I decided to incorporate as an LLC. Now, I'm just an example, and I don't recommend doing what I did, if you decided to get into the divination or metaphysical business. Consult with a Tax attorney for the state in which you plan on incorporating or starting your business.
Once I decided on the structure of my business, the next challenge was a name.
The name had to be catchy, but not already in use anywhere in the State of Washington or in U.S., to be sure. It had to "mean" something, at least to me. And, it had to be "open". In other words, it wasn't restricting. For example, I know of a business in the Philippines known as Shoemart. Well, according to what I've heard is that the company started selling shoes, now they sell more and is a department store chain in the islands. I had juggled in my head several names, some weird, some plain eventually a stroke of luck came along and pointed me towards the name I should use.
Sometime in late May I visited my mother regarding a small "sari-sari" or miscellaneous mart that her friend was opening up in Bremerton, call "Jean's Kitchenette". Afterward, we went to the local Clearwater Casino, run by the Native American Suquamish tribe on the Kitsap peninsula. At first I figured that I would just walk around and look at the games, or follow my mother around. Whenever I went gambling, I always lost the money that I put in. I know better than to "chase" the money, especially when it comes to the video machines. So, usually, I'd play and then stop once the money I intended to spend was used up. She always said that I brought her "good luck". Mother and I went separate ways; she off to some $0.05 video machine; me, to the cafeteria. At the cafeteria, a particular machine caught my eye. It was called "Gift from the Gods". It had a Greek mythological theme about it and played like many of the video machines. The more "credits" you bet, the more chances you may line up the various icons in the game and "increase" your chances.
I always found it funny how the $0.05 or $0.02, machines are advertised in the casino. You see how much each credit is about the area in which they reside. When you play them, you soon realize that if you bet the maximum, that $0.05 or $0.02 is multiplied several times. You really only spend X amount if you bet one credit.
"Gift of the Gods" caught my eye. I proceeded to the ticket machine. I inserted about $30.00 worth and began to play. After playing for about 15 minutes, I won big. At the time I didn't know how much I won. All I saw was that I had won over 100,000 credits. I figured that I must have been $100.00, or so. The entire time I kept imagining the annoying dinging sound made when a credit was added to my card. I kept imagining that it sped up or lasted a long, long time. I kept thanking the machine and trying to "influence" the machine using my mind. I monitored my thought so well that when I won a large number of credits, I made sure that I said to myself "I believe it!" instead of the "I don't believe it!" I kept thinking and welcoming more credits. I made a "deal" with the machine that I would reach 150,000 credits and I would stop. I reached the "agreed" number of credits and decided to "renegotiate". When that happened, I lost a bunch of credits. I "apologized" and soon I was back up to the agreed number.
Mother and I agreed to stay only an hour. When that time came along, I printed out my ticket and was pleasantly surprised to have won over $300.00! I went to the cashiers' booth and cashed out.
It all made sense to me. I had in the back of my mind a Greek word that meant "fortunate". It had a "Y" in the name. According to what I've read or heard, names with "K", "Q", "X", "Y" or "Z" was more appealing, so I went with naming my company Eutyches Enterprises, LLC.

Tarot Card Reading: The Business, Part 3

 

Around the time that DM and I were interviewing, I was looking into the business structures that were available. They were:

• Sole Proprietorship
• General Partnership
• Limited Partnership
• S Corporation
• C Corporation
• Limited Liability Company

The above a just a few of the business structures available.

 

Sole Proprietorship

As a sole proprietorship, I would be the product. I was responsible for everything. Not only was I the reader, but I was the accountant, the receptionist, the janitor, etc. I had many hats to wear. But, I didn't have to listen to anyone else, or wait for someone else's approval before I did anything. Sounds great!

Most small business start out this way because it is relatively inexpensive to get started in Washington State. All you need to do is file for a Master Business Application, wait for it in the mail and you're in business. Depending on where you live you may also need to obtain permits for your locality. Christine Jette, the author of Professional Tarot, mentions this in her book, but does not get into detail about it. Nor does she get into detail about the other business structures. But, I just wanted to keep researching...

What I found is that in a sole proprietorship not only are you responsible for the myriad of things, but you also become directly responsible for any law suits that may be filed against you. For example, let's say you invite a client to your home for a reading on a Winter's day. You didn't shovel the snow from the path leading to the house and it has become icy. You client walks out of her car toward your front door. She slips and falls breaking her hip. (Let's assume that she's an elderly woman.) She decides to sue and now everything that you own maybe on the table. Yes, everything, because you and the business are the same. If she wins, you, your business and possibly your possessions, even the house you live in, can be placed on the altar of the judiciary system.

In addition, when it some to taxes, the business is basically an extension of you. Any earnings you get will be taxed, just like your regular job.

Also, if you have creditors nipping at your heels, they are nipping at your heals. Once again, under the law you and the business are view as one and the same. If you business gets into bad debt, as a result you get into bad debt.

Really, you're just saying that you have a license to sell products or services and that's it.

I decided against being a sole proprietor. Just on the grounds of litigation. Even if I were to have all the most water-proof disclaimers and releases, there are always loop holes. And, crafty lawyers will find them.

 

Partnerships (General and Limited)

This time around, I disregarded the idea of starting out as a partnership of any kind. I was going this alone. Although, when I was considering starting with XB and YP, this structure sounded good.

In a general partnership, two or more people bring in themselves. But, like the sole proprietor, the law makes no distinction between you and your partner(s) and the business. You have to really trust the people that you are in business with because if they run the company to the ground, you go down with it.

In a limited partnership, one or more of the partners is silent. In other words, they just have a stake in the business, but don't make the decisions. Essentially, one or more of the partners can do whatever they want with your money. And, like the a general partnership and sole proprietorship, if you get sued or have bad debt, the law doesn't see the dividing line: what is the business and what is you.

Know When to Run: My Experience with a Scam

The New Age industry is like any industry - you find great people and great service who genuinely want to help you, and there are those who tell you that your situation is not so good and want you to pay them to removed the spell, vex or curse that's impeding your happiness. Unfortunately, notoriety of outfits such as "Psychic Surgeons" and the infamous Miss Cleo, just don't make us who work in this industry look any better. I don't ever think that the media has run a story involving how psychics help police solve cold cases.

Today, I want to focus on how I was had by a true charlatan…

There were several things that I should have taken into account that the woman was not genuine. These lessons I want to pass on to you.

I had always driven by a big neon sign on one of the major roads in north Seattle that advertised a psychic and palm reader. But, I never had the curiosity to investigate, nor did I ever bother to look into the business. 

Looking back, I now know why…

When I contacted the business, I was in bad shape mentally. I had just broken up and I was not working. I needed some guidance. I drove by that same sign and decided to give them a call. The lady on the phone gave me a different address than what I expect. She had me drive down to an different address than what I had gotten the number from.

When I entered, I spoke with her and told her the truth of the situation she said that she could help. She began with a Tarot reading, but she told me that she didn't read the cards like other readers.

1. When your adviser tells you at the beginning of a Tarot reading that she doesn't read them according to convention…
   Now, I knew the cards and that many readers read the cards differently. But, she was really, really off. She basically proceeded to tell me what I had already told her and that the cause of all my suffering was because of a curse.
   
2. When your adviser tells you that you have a curse placed upon you by people who envy you (psychic attack)…
   She gave me bath salts and oil to "cleanse" my body and spirit. She also instructed me to "cleanse" my apartment with consecrated water. But, to genuinely lift the curse, she could remove it or at least alleviate it for a fee.
   
   
3. When your advisory tells you that she can remove the curse for a fee…
   At the time I was willing to try anything, so I agreed.
   
   
4. When your adviser tells you to buy "items" that would help her provide some assistance…
   She then gave me a list and explained what she was going to do with all the items. She told me to bring them to the next session. They were: Laundry Detergent, Paper Towels and Spray Pre-Wash Treatment?! What the hell? She's not going to lift the curse of help me, she's going to do some laundry. I left after maybe paying her an additional $100 to remove the spell.
   
   Days before the next session, I went and bought all the items for about $70 total. I went to the next session, but things didn't seem like they were getting better. So, she said that she needed to do more meditation and prayer and more contacting the "angels" regarding my situation. She also mentioned that for more money she would try another spell or meditation because the curse was just so strong. Her next list of items were silk scarves of a particular color that corresponded to the chakras of the body. She didn't want the scarves themselves, but gift certificates from Nordstrom's! According to her, they would be expensive…
   
   
   
5. When your adviser tells you to buy more expensive items so she can lift the curse…
   That was the last straw. I had heard of such things. I thought that the laundry stuff was actually for my situation, while, in fact, it was for hers: dirty laundry. I decided to never see her again.

I had read or watched similar stories where many people were scammed out of a lot of money, by preying on the false hopes and fears of their "clients" (read: "victims"). They just kept telling them what they wanted to know and that more needed to be done, more needed to be done. I think that one charlatan scammed thousands of dollars from one victim. Now, I was one of them… The only person to blame was… me.

I fell for it. I was the one who sought for her "help". I was the one who kept returning. I was the one who went to the local Fred Meyers to buy all this stuff and with my unemployment money! I got mad at myself. I was truly ashamed and never spoke about it for several years. It is only now that I have decided to bring my story out into the light.

This woman knew that I had limited funds. But, instead of letting me leave with something simple or with real advice, she gave me false hopes and her f**king LAUNDRY LIST! She gave me a "reason" for me to return, for more of the same BS. Nope… no scruples, scruple less.

I victimized myself through this woman.

On the day that I was scheduled to meet with B, I called because I finally got around to recognizing that I was being had. I wanted to cancel and never schedule another session with her. When she answered the phone she was having dinner and she had forgotten about the appointment. I never called her again, nor did she call me. Obviously, she forgot about her "customer"/"victim".

In the end, I believe that I had spent too much on "advice" and miscellaneous items. I know of some who were scammed out of much, much more.

I let the idea of "false" hope to take over. Many of the things that she claimed to do for me, I could have easily done for myself and it would have been so much more powerful. Also, keeping mind of certain spiritual ethics would have stop me from going forward with some of the things that I wanted to see happen. But, it's all water under the bridge, and my lesson I would like to pass on to you.

So, here it is to the reader, look out for the above signs. And, for those who choose to go into business, beware of such unethical conduct. Please, please pay attention to what your adviser wants you to do. A good reader will show you how you can help yourself; a charlatan will have you pay them to do it. And, to keep you coming back, they will tell you that it's not getting better and that you need to continue to use their services.

To this day, I'm surprised that she is still in business. I'm sure that eventually Dharma will catch up to her considering all the Karma that has come about.

A while back while talking to my cousin, she consulted with a spiritual adviser  At the end of the reading, he asked her if he could "help" remove the "blocks" in her life… for a fee, of course. Luckily, my cousin was much smarter than I, and declined the "offer". I did a reading for her, and now she is re-inspired to pursue hobbies/dreams of hers, helping children and drawing. Hopefully, when she has time we can work on a non-profit Tarot deck.

Eventually, I found a very credible woman who worked with me and my finances because she was truly and willing to help me. She's inspired me to be the same. Thank you, Maria.

To my readers LOVE, LIGHT and LUCK.
-- Eutyches

Tarot Card Reading: The Business, Part 2

At a party a few months ago, I met up with a fellow diviner.

It all began when we were all sitting at my friends Jason and Peter's dining table. We started talking about what we were doing, or planning on doing with our lives. My fellow diviner, Denise, mentioned a few projects that she had in mind… and she mentioned that she was thinking about taking her Rune reading pro.

At that moment, the old thought came back, "Is this a sign that I should start working on getting a Tarot business up and running?" I had done a lot of research. I, with my former partners, called around for what divinatory services that others offered, how much they charged, etc. But, all that information was just sitting there… somewhere. "Maybe, I should dig it all up?" I asked myself later.

I mentioned to Denise at the party that I knew of a book that dealt with that particular subject. Although Professional Tarot (ISBN: 0-7387-0217-X) by Christine Jette is specific to Tarot card reading, its insights and brilliance would easily apply to Denise's Runes. I have not seen a similar book to date, that relates to the subject and covers it so well.

Denise and I talked a little bit more about her plans and the book before she left that evening.

About 2 months passed and another friend, Jorge, came by to introduce me to another business… I was thinking, "Is this some kind of hint from above?" Once again, it sparked the two-year old ambition of Tarot reading at a professional level.

I knew how to read the cards. I had been reading ever since I "found" the cards way back when I was in middle school. I didn't always read them; I read them on occasion for fun or to help a friend or relative out. I had always picked up a book at the local Barnes and Noble and thumbed through the pages to find more insights into the cards and how to read them. I knew that I had learned much during some of the free readings that I gave when my partners and I were trying out the waters. I had given strangers readings and they were always pleased and grateful for the reading. I knew that I had tact and that I didn't sound "dumb" to the client. But, what I didn't know yet was how it felt to have someone come to me for spiritual advice… and pay for it.

I contacted Denise and we talked about how things were going in general and especially how she was progressing with her business. She was in the process of waiting for the book I mention, but we had a lot more to talk about.

There I was again, doing research making calls to readers in the area and asking about the same information: How much do you charge? How long is your session? Etc. I also sent out emails to readers in the area, stating that I was doing research since I was in the process of starting a similar business. Sadly, I was only able to get any relevant information from two out of the 10 that I called or emailed in the Seattle area.

According to Christine Jette, when you ask around for help and advice from other readers in the area, tell them the truth. If they help you, then the least you can do to say thanks is to keep them on a list of referrals. To both of those who were kind enough to help me, I pledged to refer a potential customer to them if they wanted a reading that I could not provide. For example, if a client came to me asking about astrology, I would give her information about local astrologers. As a way of saying thanks, I hope that anyone who reads this and is interested in a reading contact Psychic Eyes and Music and Christopher's Lamp in the Seattle area. Tell them that you read about them on my blog.

Thank you ladies! I love the both of you for helping me with the information that I was looking for. Thank you again!

For those who never replied or cut the message that I was leaving on their answering machine, I won't mention them. I don't want such energy associated with my business. And, so regarding them, I'm done.

Now, I do want to especially thank, the owner of Psychic Eyes and Music, Maria. She passed on to me information about an event at a local casino. (I do wish I could mention which casino, but I just don't want to get in trouble with them.) The event paid rather well and they were interviewing. I immediately let Denise know and for the several days before the interview we practiced on each other and with friends. During the interview, Denise and I were interviewed together, but by two ladies. Long story short, Denise and I will be at the event! Thank you, Maria!

The interview marked a beginning for me and for Denis. We both felt, acknowledged as metaphysical professionals. We will be included in their directory of professionals should the casino have a future event with a similar theme.

That'll be all for now. To all my readers, LOVE, LIGHT and LUCK.

-- Eutyches

(c) 2012 Joseph S. Maza

Tarot Card Reading: The Business, Part 1

I've been using Tarot Cards for 20 or so years. Just lately, I've decided to go professional. The idea of going professional started about two years ago.

I met Yvette through my other friend Tina. Tina worked at a local casino in the Seattle/Shoreline area. It was there that she met Yvette. After getting to know each other, they found that they shared a common interest in Spirituality and other New Age topics. Yvette had started to dabble in using the Tarot and told Tina about it.

Tina and I didn't know each other that well at the time, eventually the same topic of Tarot cards came up and I started to teach Tina how to read the cards. Tina introduced me to Yvette and soon a "partnership" of sorts started to form.

Yvette had the idea of opening up a business. Tina and I thought that it would be a great idea as well. We found the book Professional Tarot by Christine Jette and began reading. All the while, I started to take a look into the legalities and other formalities of establishing a business in Washington State.

I was between contracts for my usual job in my career, so we met almost every day to discuss ideas about how to advertise, how to conduct business and how to read for customers. We got together a stack of note cards to write one and just started to brainstorm. After the brainstorm session ended, we organized the cards into several piles, such as "Business Conduct", "Advertising", "During Readings" and "Wish List". We can up with a lot of ideas and many of them were just brilliant. We started to put things down on paper, regardless of Yvette's protests.

I wanted to put it down in writing on how to conduct "our" business so that we would be on the same page and to prevent any misunderstandings amongst the business' members. Yvette protested that we didn't "need" to, or that it was just a formality. It was a good thing, however, that I wanted to put things down in writing before we applied for business licenses or corporation status. Certain issues came to light that I didn't agree with.

To begin, the way that I imagined the way profits were to be divided would be uneven. As each of us started to create a list of clients, our clients would be most comfortable with one of us as an advisor. Because, we had our own client lists, that member should receive a majority of the profit made from a particular reading. My reasoning was this would encourage some friendly competition amongst us and it would drive up sales. For example, the reader would receive 70% percent of the fee collected from the reading; the other 30% would go to advertising, taxes and other expenses that we could share. Yvette thought that such a set up would be "unfair".

What she had in mind was similar, but it differed in how the profits would be split. Yvette imagined that the fees would be split three ways. Each member would get one third of the profits. Her only reason what that she thought that it would be "greedy" for only one person to receive the fees for the reading. But, underneath that statement, she was jealous that Tina and I could read much better than her, not only in terms of knowing the cards, but how we interpreted them for the client. We had a tactful approach especially when it came to any negative cards that would show up in the reading. Her approach was rather brusque and, at times, insensitive. Another, reason why her way would not be feasible is that any one of the members could sick back and receive money, regardless of the amount of work they put in since it was always split three ways. It is because of this possibly scenario that Tina was more agreeable to the idea than Yvette.

Another issue that came up was where we would conduct business. Per Christine Jette, she suggests meeting the client in a quiet but public place, instead of renting office space. Or, find a psychologist or psychiatrist who would be willing to lease their office space by the hour. I was fine with that, and also the idea that if we were to go to the client's house, at least two of us would go, never just one of us. Yvette had other ideas for that. In Yvette's mind, we would work for her boyfriend in his pool/billiards hall.

Hello… we're self-employed!

In essence, she missed the point of being self-employed or running our own business. You might work for someone else but as an independent contractor, not as an employee.

Yet, another issue was how Yvette conducted herself. She constantly was looking in the book. She didn't project the feeling of confidence; she was always saying things such as "I don't know…" or "I guess…" She didn't handle negative issues well. For example, she did a reading for a woman who worked at a local casino. She saw some separation or that her husband would leave her. All the while she was acting like it wasn't important; she wasn't sensitive to how the woman felt. She'd say "Oooo, he's going to leave you…" or something rather insensitive. Later on, word got around and the woman's husband committed suicide. I thought then on, that she would need to shape up, or I would not want to do business with her. She, herself, was a liability.

Eventually, issues, such as how profits were used and how the definition of "self-employed" was applied, split the team apart, not to mention certain other factors regarding Yvette in the personal arena.

So, the idea of starting a business with the Tarot Cards, faded away until very recently a friend of mind started me thinking, yet again…

To all my readers, LOVE, LIGHT and LUCK.

-- Eutyches

(c) Joseph S. Maza