Went to a psychic reading today. She was an elderly caucasian woman wearing a matching cap and robe made of ornate woven fabric. Her eyes were a piercing blue/grey with dark green rings around her iris'. She had a pile of assorted items spread on a tablecloth that was divided in four sections (earth, mineral, water, fire) and one middle section (home). She began by pouring dirt and then water in a circle around the tablecloth, which she said was to cleanse it from the energy of the previous reading. She told me to move the assorted items counter clockwise with my dominant hand until she told me to stop. (examples of these items: a small feather that was supposed to represent my spirit, loonies, the neck bone of a snake, a small jade elephant and many small white shells). She then proceeded to tell me the meaning of each object and where it was placed in relation to the other objects as well as the sections of the tablecloth. The first thing she pointed out was a big black piece of coal wedged between a yellow stone and crowded by a big pile of the small white shells (representing my ancestors). She told me this means there is a big family secret that I must cleanse from my life so I don't receive bad karma from it. She then pointed out a green diamond shaped stone in the "home" section of the tablecloth, which she said means I need to focus on organizing my home space. She then went to the small white feather that was supposed to represent my soul, being crushed by a loonie which was beside a small tarnished ring (love interest). She told me that finances could be a stress on my partnership and that I should watch "Til' Debt Do us Part" with my boyfriend. At this point I felt the hilarity of this situation hit me. I'm sure she could feel my skepticism during this entire reading. She still proceeded to tell me to keep jars of earth from my hometown with me wherever I move, and to make a shrine to my ancestors. She was very scatterbrained and said things like "water genies like crystals and bubbles" in the most assured tone. I found her very endearing and funny, and though I don't think I will be making offerings of fruit platters to the Gods to leave in Point Pleasant Park, I'm glad I spoke with her if not just for the novelty of the experience and pertinent financial advice.

how sign traits manifest, when energies are focused outward vs. inward

ARIES
outward: snarky, charismatic, exuding an aura of confidence mixed with superiority, ambitious and willing to do whatever they can to achieve their goals, assertive, impatient, strong physical energies
inward: wildly intelligent, existential, well-intentioned and seeking to self-improve, thoughtful, loyal, frustrated and overly critical of themselves, desiring control

TAURUS
outward: stubborn, hardworking, super cute, patient, very committed and focused to whatever they’re doing at the moment, great listeners
inward: always excited about relaxation and downtime, those people who wake up in the morning and are already looking forward to climbing back into bed, hopeless romantics, fearful of change, emotional, analytical

GEMINI
outward: talkative, blurs of motion, excitable, lovers of debate and low-key always looking for a friendly fight, adventurous, internalizes stress to the point where it becomes physical illness, curious, expressive, fun-loving, adaptable and able to get along with many different types of people
inward: talks to themselves in the shower and goes over possible argument positions just in case someone tries to start shit. excellent writers, philosophical, thoughtful, always seeking stimulation and fulfillment, conflicted in their own thoughts, can often feel isolated within themselves and misunderstood

CANCER:
outward: heart-on-sleeve type of people, extremely supportive, excellent maternal instincts- the “mom” at all the parties who takes care of too-drunk friends, always looking to help others, easily teary, communicative, kind, thoughtful and excellent gift givers
inward: creative, sensitive, spiritually and karmically mature, understanding of their need to feel things fully, meditative, lovers of quiet and alone time, always seeking understanding from other people and genuinely deep connections

LEO:
outward: loud, bright and sunshiney, natural leaders, energetic, affectionate, extremely generous, proud, protective over and loyal to others, dramatic, flirty, demanding and resilient with a visibly strong spirit, able to naturally attract people, queen bees
inward: interested in making life better for themselves and for others, always trying to look at things positively, idealistic, highly emotional, perfectionists, constantly nursing their tender egos, constantly trying to fully understand themselves, relying on gut instinct

VIRGO
outward: skeptical and critical of the world around them, organized, clean, cautious, practical, hard-workers, naturally intelligent, visible perfectionists, fascinating people to talk to, dedicated, detail-oriented, looking for simple pleasures in life
inward: realistic, highly critical of themselves, able to remember a great deal of information easily, passionate about particular things that they love, can often feel a heavy self-imposed pressure to succeed, focused on the moment, prideful in the quality of their work

LIBRA
outward: flirty, people-pleasers, outgoing, charming and eloquent communicators, love to be shown affection, argument mediators, reasonable, graceful, those people who look like they never have an off day, dedicated to their appearances
inward: indecisive, understanding of others and very capable of understanding many different perspectives, calm, naturally inclined towards contentedness- and determined to find contentedness even when their situations seem shitty, hopeless romantics, creative

SCORPIO
outward: intimidating, magnetic, overtly sexual, hard to approach for many people but everyone wants to approach them anyway, impossible to ignore, often effortlessly the center of attention, masterful in their chosen disciplines, influential
inward: controlled by their emotions, constantly questioning themselves, seeking approval from others, can often be self-destructive, obsessive, determined, self-interested, sensitive, fighting spirit

SAGITTARIUS
outward: popular, jovial, spontaneous, effortlessly good with people and attractive to others, competitive, relentless with whatever they set their minds to, always on the go, notorious show-offs, feeling as though the world is their oyster and ready to work hard to find what it has to offer
inward: strong sense of self, unafraid of new things and taking risks, optimistic, independent, always thinking about the big picture, always craving understanding of themselves and the world, strong gut feelings

CAPRICORN
outward: hardworking and ambitious, down-to-earth, aloof exterior, mysterious, mature, always appearing in control, consistent, guarded, very responsible with a clear idea of what they’re meant to be doing at any moment, practical and methodical, self-sufficient, extremely capable
inward: traditional, level-headed, patient, realistic, excellent judges of character who rely on gut instinct to tell them who to trust, resilient, strong, courageous, with good humor and a genuine interest in others lying at their core beings

AQUARIUS
outward: very friendly and open, unique, independent, often seen as true individuals, original, creative, spirited and energetic, inspirational, with a universally accepting attitude towards all people, and a detached/thoughtful way of looking at the world
inward: sensitive, caring, opinionated to the point of stubbornness, open-minded, unwilling to let go once they commit to something, curious, always thinking and considering all possibilities, clever, capable of personal transformation

PISCES
outward: very mature, compassionate, loving, sensitive to the energies around them, instinctive with other people’s emotions, thoughtful with conversation and advice, receptive, gentle, always appearing as an older wiser soul despite actual age
inward: daydreamers, extremely reliant on gut instinct and uncanny abilities for prediction, idealistic, emotional, very intelligent, interested in culture, hypersensitive and will often absorb negative energy, observant to the point of feeling isolated or disconnected