Strength of Spirit
A seance tarot reading at the Haunted Antique Shop
Some of my favorite tarot readings include spirit communication. I like passing along messages from people who have died, because they comfort the people they left behind — and because I never really know what the spirits are going to say.
Not too long ago, a cheerful-looking woman and her grown daughter came into the shop. The mom was around my age: fifty-something. They saw our newly redecorated reading room — which looks stunning, by the way — and both asked for a ten-minute reading. Both said I could share their readings here on our blog.
The daughter wanted to know how her teaching career would go, especially given the fact that Covid has disrupted school systems all over the world. The answer, which came through the Four of Wands, was short and sweet.
Teaching will always be her calling. She might find new ways to pursue it, but she is married to her work. She loves it. It’s her passion. She will never be forced to find a new career against her will.
So far, so good, right? The young woman was happy to hear it.
Then it was her mother’s turn.
“Can you do mediumship?” the mother asked. I nodded as I shuffled the cards.
“I want to know about my father. No, wait. My first husband. What can you tell me about him?”
I kind of laughed to myself, because once you call a spirit into a reading, you can’t slam the door in its face and tell it to go away. In that instant, I realized the woman had called in both men.
“They’re both passed?” I had to make sure, because the woman didn’t look old enough to be a widow.
At that moment, as if on command, two cards fell out of the deck.
I will say that cards normally don’t come tumbling out when I shuffle. When they do, it’s significant.
“Yes,” she said. “My husband died on December 8, years ago. I think about him a lot.”
“Let me tell you about each card,” I said, “and you can tell me which is which. The Two of Wands is a businessman, an entrepreneur. He was at the top of his game. The illustration shows a captain of industry who sent out his ships and is now waiting to see what they’ll bring back to port. Is that your dad?”
She nodded.
“The Strength card shows a man who conqurered his demons, who tamed his wild animal nature. And this is an infinity symbol above his head … so this must be your husband, because he’s on your mind so much.”
“Yes. He had a lot of demons.”
“Did they have anything to do with how he died?”
“Yes, he killed himself at the age of 25. He had some addiction issues, some mental illness, some bipolar.”
I felt her late husband’s spirit agree. Oddly enough, he didn’t disavow those demons.
“He says those issues weren’t weaknesses. In fact, he says they’re part of what made him strong. And now he’s timeless.”
Those thoughts weren’t mine. They came from somewhere outside of me, and I relayed them as soon as I heard them. The woman was starting to get emotional, but she was able to say she understood completely.
Then there was one more message.
“He says he always thought you were beautiful. He still does.”
The woman, who was crying now, could only nod. Her daughter smiled warmly and said, “It’s so funny you say that, because she’s always asking, ‘Am I pretty?’”
I was glad to hear the message resonated. We had time for one parting thought. I like to ask spirits how they’ll continue to communicate, and they offered their signs.
“Both men say they’re still around you,” I relayed. “Your dad, the businessman, sends money. Coins. Literally, pennies from heaven.” Both women laughed, because the mother apparently has a habit of finding loose change wherever she goes. “And your husband sends red flowers.” That was new information, but they liked hearing it. “Whenever you see red flowers, he wants you to remember him.”
Corrine Kenner is the owner of The Haunted Antique Shop. She’s an author, astrologer, and certified tarot master. She’s written more than two dozen books, including Tarot and Astrology. She’s also a medium who trained with James Van Praagh, the “Ghost Whisperer” behind the long-running TV series.
