There's no doubt in my mind that what we think about comes about. Whether you call it the Law of Attraction, intention setting, conscious manifestation, or prayer, the underlying premise is the ability to be clear about what you want or need and to focus on that in order to bring it to yourself.

I try to begin each day with an intention for the day. What do I want or need in my life today? Do I need to communicate well? Do I need to be strong or creative or have insight into what others are saying or doing? Setting my intention involves seeing myself having, doing or achieving whatever it is that is most important today.  

That sounds simple enough doesn't it? But focusing on what you want to manifest in your life when we're constantly bombarded with competing thoughts can be very difficult. Sometimes we need a touchstone to bring us back to what we really want. I find that an actual stone, something real and tangible, brings me back much quicker than just relying on my mind to be quiet and focus. By placing the stone or stones that remind me of my daily intention in my pocket or beside my laptop on my desk helps me to remember my intention and bring it to the forefront of my mind. 

Below is a quick summary of the stones I use on a daily basis to "crystalize my intention" for the day. 

Root Chakra: Survival. 
Red Jasper: protection, tranquility, security

Sacral Chakra: Pleasure
Carnelian Agate: creativity, manifestation, luck

Solar Plexus Chakra: Power
Citrine: success, physical energy, self-assertion

Heart Chakra: Love
Green Aventurine: healing, friendship, peace

Throat Chakra: Self expression
Sodalite: communication, logic, discussion, truth

Third Eye Chakra: Transcendence
Banded Amethyst: calm, intuition, dreams

Crown Chakra: Spirituality
Rose Quartz: inspiration, love, bliss, gentleness

Divine Source: Connection to the Universe
Clear Quartz: power, raising consciousness, clarity

The question asked was if the person was on the right path career wise.  I chose a seven card spread as there are a number of aspects that influence one's career and it's suitability.  

Starting in the top left with the "Past" card which is "Surprise".  This says to me that their work has paid off unexpectedly in the past - a small effort has reaped big rewards. This has led to the present situation "Waiting" or a feeling that there is something better or great coming.  Maybe also a fear that they might be missing out on something or that there is something better out there. The third card "Enemy" is a peek into the answer and suggests that there is someone who is working at cross purposes that is unexpected or unseen (as the enemy is pictured hiding behind a tree).  As for the inquirer's state of mind, the "Priest" card says to me that this person is taking responsibility in this situation, they are trying to do the right thing (as in choosing the moral or just path).  The next card "House" is in the position of external factors and suggest that the surroundings and people around the inquirer are very stable and they have a firm foundation to build on.  The advice card is "Falseness" upside down which says to me if there has been any deception that it will come to light. The last card is "Young Woman" which signifies that the situation is not fully mature, but that there is no reason why it won't turn out to be very fine.  So my answer to the question overall is yes - the person is on the right path but the reason they may be questioning it is that they are reacting to the presence of someone who is false and possibly undermining their success.  My council is to be aware that this could be happening but not be looking to make a chance at this time. 

Questions about love and relationships are some of the most frequently asked.  In this case, the situation is described as one that is just not moving forward as the inquirer would like. 

The cards that appeared for this question reflected the inquirer's state of mind very accurately.  The card at the pinnacle (#4) represents the state of mind.  The "Love" card appears here reversed - a very accurate reflection of frustration in love or a relationship that is volatile and not going smoothly.  The spread starts with "Frivolity" the butterfly in the past position - suggesting that at some point the relationship was carefree but superficial.  The Present card is "Gift" reversed which indicates that the inquirer's situation is not getting better or possible deteriorating.  The third card "Falseness" reversed is a suggestion that there is a truth to be exposed, something that has not been as it seems will be shown in it's true light.  As for external influences, the "Servant" card adds some positiviity to the spread suggesting  that the inquirer has help and support from others in this situation.  The advice is the "Thief" card which warns that the inquirer should be wary because if they are not careful they could lose something valuable.  The last card, which is the overall answer to the inquiry, is "Conversation" reversed.  This suggests that things may continue to be unsaid, that things will not be, or possibly should not be, openly discussed at this time. The final card combined with the "Falseness" card could indicate that if this relationship is a clandestine one, t is not the time to disclose it to the world.

Connecting to the energy of the moment can be difficult to explain.  One method to help focus attention on these unseen energies is to use a physical object.  Like focusing our eyes on a candle flame using our vision to still the mind for meditation, the sense of touch can also be a method for that purpose.  

I use a set of  minerals that represent each of the chakras and one representing the divine source.  Here is the technique for using them to focus your thoughts before doing a card reading or meditation. You can get a set of stones like the ones I use on the "Shop" page of my website. 

With your eyes closed shuffle the stones in your hand. As you feel the smooth stones take long slow breaths and begin to quiet your thoughts.  Focus on the feel of the stones in your hand.  If there is a persistent question or concern allow yourself to acknowledge it, let it go, and go back to focusing on the feel of the stones in your hand.  When you feel you have been able to focus only on the stones, without opening your eyes, select the stone that you feel most connected to.  I sometimes place the stones down on the table and pass my hand over them to feel each individually in order to select the one that I am most drawn to.  

Whichever stone you chose, it is the starting point for understanding the energy that you are drawn to and is an indication of your area to focus on.  For my set of stones I have a list of the corresponding chakra for each and I use this to guide my card interpretation and meditation.  You can find my stone descriptions on my "Geo" pages.   

My simple answer is "Why not?". I admit I've struggled a bit to explain the incongruity of my interests that range from practical to creative to spiritual.   I've never been able to pick ONE favourite thing. So, I've come to the conclusion that my favourite thing is learning and trying new things.

I've been asked several time how I became a card reader? It started with breaking my ankle. Looking for a way to get my balance back, I started taking yoga classes from my now friend Jennifer.  Teaching is but one of Jennifer's talents, she is a gifted astrologer and psychic.  Each month she would use her interpretation of my astrology to develop a custom yoga routine for me.  During this time she observed in my chart that I was entering a transit where I would be able to develop my intuitive gifts and she decided to give me a set of cards to encourage me to do so. Jennifer told me that she felt strongly that she had to give me a particular deck; the Gypsy Oracle Cards. Incidentally, she also previously predicted I'd write a book in the future, which I dismissed at the time thinking it pertained to my career writing marketing communications.  

It was at this point where the researcher in me took over. I wanted to understand the cards and their meanings and how to do card readings.  There were no really good books for this particular deck of cards but I did find many websites and YouTube videos, mostly in Italian, and I began keeping notes on each of the cards.  I amassed a big file of stuff that was rather unruly, so I started typing up my notes. Once I'd typed up notes for all 52 cards it dawned on me that it was starting to look like a book.  Since there were no books on the subject I figured I might as well write one.  

That is how a scientist can become a card reader.