SpiritualWellnessAndHealing

Zener cards are a tool that is used in many applications: magicians often use them to prove that they can read an audience member’s mind (but their way often involves slight of hand or trickery), they can be a simple application used for developing your intuition, or something to test one’s compatibility, such as finding a lover, or destined soul mate.

So just what are Zener cards? In a nut-shell, they are a deck of cards with simple shapes on them, often including: a circle, a star, squiggly lines, a cross (like the addition sign), and a square. They are made to be simple, but varied enough to have multiple applications and choices when being “guessed”.

As you might guess, the Zener cards were named after the fellow who first brought them to market, Dr. Karl Zener in the 1920′s. Originally, he used them as they are still used today by the majority, as a tool to prove how developed one’s intuition (psychic ability) really was. Not relying on just chance or being “lucky”, he created his Zener cards to have a way to measure, track, test and improve upon results.

Most often, although there are many variations on the basic concept, there are twenty five cards in a deck, and 5 different suits – each represented by the five basic shapes I shared with you above. Sometimes the variations within the suit are different colors of the shape, size of that shape, different color back grounds, thickness of the line art, etc.

A couple weeks ago I wrote about how your emotions when heightened can better hone your intuitive ability. Of course, there are two sides to that coin, right? Your emotions, if you are not mindful can get the best of you, robbing you of all the abundance around you right now, at your feet.

Since that post, a few people have cited it in conversation and asked if I “really” thought somebody could increase their psychic ability, or not. And the truth of that matter, is absolutely yes. I thought just saying so last time was enough, but when you go into a subject matter with doubts before hand, perhaps restating a position is necessary.

As we talked, more questions came to the surface, many of which circulated around the “HOW” to improve one’s intuition or “psychic ability”. Here’s something else I wholeheartedly believe: if you want your muscles and physical ability to improve and work for you rather than against you, you need to work said muscles. So, true, is putting your brain through a work out.

Scientists have repeatedly proven that disease and mental deterioration can be slowed or prevented by simply exercising your brain, actively calculating figures in your head, reading, playing games that require eye-hand-head coordination, and a slew of activities that encourage you to stretch for more. Basic science states: if you are not growing, you are dying. Thus, think of your intuition as a muscle, too. If you don’t use it, practice with it, and / or develop it, how in the world can you expect it to get better?

So, the next logical question, is well…just exactly how are you supposed to DO that?!

Here are some ways you do that, today, if not right now…

And there are two versions of each “test” you should experiment with. One with little emotion invested, and one with a lot more invested. Specifically, do one of the psychic tests / intuitive ability tests below with somebody you have a close, emotional bond with (such as parent/kid, or siblings, or BEST friends or your soul mate):

1. Gather a number of small objects that can be closed and hidden in the palm of your hand. Don’t let your intuitive test partner see it, of course, and get him or her (or it if you are channeling your pet giraffe) to tune into you and visualize what you are holding.

Instead of just guessing, be open minded and talk aloud describing what you are visualizing, perhaps even offer clues to help the process, but don’t put words in their mouth, like “it’s round.”

Ideas: binder clip, hard candy, a crystal, yarn, a small bottle, etc.

There are several variations to this same test. Such as picking cards from a deck of playing cards (but, you do have a 1 in 52 chance of guessing right, intuitive ability or not), so may draw a picture, or use tarot or oracle cards that can more illustrative. Try to be creative with the object (and the more potential guesses the better, to really test your intuition).

Rob

The word psychic in today’s world conjures up less than flattering images and practices of many, including those who are skeptics and some who simply have a fear of the unknown.

And while the term is often tossed around haphazardly, or in jest, few people can deny examples of moments or events that made their mark on your memory, alerting you to trouble, alarm, something being “off”, an important decision being made or perhaps even an almost eerie moment that was out of the usual.

Ordinary, every day folks speak of moments in their past when they “sensed” that something was wrong, or when they entered a room and felt danger, despite any visual threat. Mothers and Fathers relay tales of “knowing” when their children are in trouble, never mind distance between them, or absolute where-abouts. Twins finish the sentences of their like sibling, and can sense the nearness of their brother or sister. Important decisions made in business or one’s personal life, often get decided only, because of a feeling in one’s “gut” that pulls you in one direction or the other.

Does that make YOU psychic? I don’t know. I don’t have your answer (hint: you do).

But, each of the above examples have two things in common. One, if you don’t like the term “psychic”, then another way to approach said subject is to speak of tapping into one’s intuition – - of which I am a believer all people have the ability to do. Being intuitive. Sure, I’ve met more than a handful of folks whose “intuition” seems to be tucked away in a dark cave somewhere, permanently hibernating for the winter, spring, summer and fall, and wouldn’t recognize common sense if it dropped from the sky and bit them on the nose! But, I digress…

The second link to the examples above is the power of emotions. Emotions don’t get much “press” and aren’t written about too much in the sense of how they so often are the exact, direct culprit for your actions. Truth be told, the majority of people in the world act and react based on emotions rather than logic.

Long story short, take an ordinary decision needing to be made, or the desire for an answer that is effective and has your best interests at heart, and add emotion, something simple quickly becomes complex.

It’s this emotional charge that can fuel the power of one’s intuition, honing it and harnessing it like wind in the sail of a ship cutting through waves three times its size.

When you feed your intuition with raw emotion often undeveloped intuitive ability can go from dull to sharpened in a split second, like everything being just fine and dandy to having the hairs on the back of your neck stand up straight at full attention, and “just knowing”.

Perhaps, you feel that to be labeled intuitive yourself, you need to be predicting lottery numbers, world disasters and birth dates of women who are pregnant, and maybe that’s the more common thinking, but there lots of ways to tap into your own intuitive ability, or intuition and use it as a tool in your life: keeping you safer, being your guide, being something you can rely on and trust.

Take a few minutes and…

Think back to a moment or a decision in your past that was the direct result of using emotionally charged intuition, like one of the examples shared above. How could have things turned out differently?

Would your outcome have been better or worse if you had allowed yourself more “faith” in what your intuition was broadcasting to you?

Did you learn lessons from that decision? Can you honestly say to yourself that your intuition is stronger or less reliable based on results delivered in your life, now that you are focusing on the potentials of your intuitive ability?

How could you improve or better harness your intuition next time?

Rob