In the Biz, What to do When You Mess Up

Doing readings for clients is simply an amazing thing! I love it. Sometimes it's frustrating for me, the reader. Those of us that do readings professionally sometimes get stuck. It happens. Sometimes the client is the, er, issue. They're a skeptic/debunker and are out to "prove" you're a fraud, they're under the influence, they want to argue, etc.






But sometimes, it's you, the reader, who just, simply, messes up with a client. I am embarrassed and sorry to say this happened to me recently.

I had a returning client who left me a not so hot rating because I had not responded to her request for a reading, nor refunded her money, which she had paid for back in April! I have NO idea what happened, none, but for whatever reason, I had no idea this order was pending.

Naturally I felt awful. And the client --who could blame her for never coming to me again? All I could do was apologize profusely, refund her money, AND, here's the thing, offer her three readings using any decks, any type of reading, for free. That's the least I could do.

It's important to be honest with clients, and do what it takes to make things right. This is not the same as letting clients take advantage, that's a different scene. But in this case, I was dismayed to find I had let things get spacey and took this as a message to stay focused on my goals. Which, by the way, a recent reading I had done for me pointed out! Hmmm…

Tarot readers, psychics, etc. are human, just like everyone else. We make mistakes, goof up, -- we're not pure and magic and above making errors. But if and when we do, it's important to own it and do what we can to make it right.

Pit bulls, cats and raccoons . . . and a dove

As I've been writing about, I've been having a lot of dreams where Dog has visited. A few nights ago I had a dream: one of my recurring dreamscapes, where my guide -- the white haired woman -- appeared. This time, she was wearing blue hooded cloak. There was a little white dog running around, and she gave the dog to my husband, telling him she had a job for him. That she would pay him to take care of the dog. She seemed to believe that it was a done deal, and that of course he was going to take care of the dog, whether or not he'd be paid for it.

Sunday night, at approximately 8:50, we heard the most awful banging and thumping against our front door -- we opened it to find a pit bull attacking our cat, who was on the shelf on the porch where we keep our wood. It all happened so fast; the dog and cat screeching, in a ball, then our cat takes off. He went a good twenty feet up into the large apple tree. Here we are, trying to get him down, but of course he wouldn't come down. My husband tried to get him, but no use. Poor cat stayed out there all night and Jim was able to get him down the next day.

We thought Mango was going to be all right; we didn't see any external injuries and the cat seemed okay. But then he started to breath funny and wasn't moving much and was obviously not only depressed and freaked but in pain. We took him to the vets where he is now; x-rays, oxygen, overnight, etc.

This morning, walking the block and half from my car to work, I hear a dog bark. I look over and there in an unfenced yard, is a large pit bull. It isn't growling but barking at me, looking right at me, and taking a step or two towards me. I found that I was literally frozen, I couldn't move. I didn't know if I should go back to the car or keep walking towards my building. I was shaking and then I saw the owner; who was just standing there. I said "Is that your dog?" and he grumped "Yes," and reluctantly took the dog into the house. Then I saw another pit bull, also unleashed, who was standing there, looking at me. I looked at the man with a "Really? You're going to leave that dog out here while you're int he house?" look, and he took that dog in as well. When I glanced back as I walked towards my building, he gave me a dirty look.

I have walked past the house many times -- every morning just about since September -- and have never heard or seen dogs in that yard. This morning was the first time I had come across those dogs.

Just as I was nearing my building, I saw what I thought was a dog at first, then a cat (because it was small and moving oddly) then saw that it was a raccoon. The raccoon was walking slowly and then it stopped, looked right at me, and didn't move. I stood watching it -- there was something strange about the whole thing -- then it turned around and climbed up a tree.

By the time I got into my building I was almost crying. The interactions with those two pit bulls really got me.

One more pit bull synchronicity: a pit bull rescue and rehabilitation place has opened literally around the corner from our house, not even a block away. Coincidentally, I know the owners, having met them through a previous job.

So Dog again, and pit bulls. (It was a pit bull mix that killed our cat Roswell almost exactly a year ago.)

As we pulled into our driveway after leaving Mango at the vets, we saw a dove at the fence where the bird feeder is. The only time we have seen a dove around here was within the first few weeks we moved into this house over twenty years ago. A dove hung around for a couple of days then left. We never saw it again. While there are pigeons around in parks, etc. we have never seen pigeons around here in the neighborhood. However, both doves -- the one from years ago and today's -- were definitely doves and not your typical city park pigeon.

Synchronicity, Cat Killer, and Archangel Raphael: Be Willing To Forgive

Archangel Raphael: Be Willing To Forgive | Archangel Oracle ~ Divine Guidance: Archangel Raphael: Be Willing To Forgive: “Ask the angels to clear your mind and body of past pain in exchange for peacefulness.” ~ Doreen Virtue, Angel Therapy Oracle cards

This card is from Doreen Virtue's Angel Therapy Oracle card deck. It's not one I have; I do have her Angel Tarot and Healing with the Angels. (Also Magical Mermaids and Dolphins, Angel Dreams, and Mary, Queen of Angels.)

Just yesterday I was reading about how synchronicity occurs once you start working with oracles. And just a few minutes ago, I got into an altercation with a woman who lives down the block. Absolutely not a proud moment for me, but I am still hanging onto my anger and  deep sadness over the loss of my cat -- the cat that was killed in front of me by her two dogs last spring. Two dogs she consistently allowed to run loose in the neighborhood. Aside from the depression I am still feeling over my beloved cat's death, I am angry at this person's complete lack of compassion or responsibility.

Upset at myself for behaving so immaturely and lashing out, upset with her for being a scary, threatening and irresponsible person, upset at the death of my cat, I stormed into the house. Opened my email to find this post from the Divine Guidance blog: Forgiveness.

I realized that, yes, I am angry at this woman and her selfish idiocy, but I am also angry with myself. So not only do I have to forgive her, but I need to forgive myself. Forgive myself for indulging in holding onto anger towards her, forgive myself for making the decision to let my cat outside, forgive myself for behaving so reactively and immaturely.

(There is also the practical reason: the potential unstable nature of this person and possible escalation.)

Now that is a heavy lesson for the day!

But there it is. Forgiveness. Intellectually I understand the importance of forgiving, but as most of us have experienced, sometimes it is harder to understand this emotionally. So I welcome Archangel Raphael and ask for healing and the ability to forgive.

The Angel cards, whether by Doreen Virtue or other creators, sometimes have a "new age dippy" vibe. There are some things I don't like about them. Fluff bunny, I am not. On the other hand, I have had powerful readings with these decks, and continue to have powerful experiences concerning angels. In part I think those of us who all too easily see the "dippy" side of these things need to know there are moments when we need this comfort and healing. We don't have to be married to the whole show. Just accept what works for us and take it in in our own way. Interpret it in a way that fits. There may be sugary gooey parts but the message and the literal energy and actions from accessing what the Angels have to give us transcends any moments of self-consciousness.