After hearing about this weekend’s What’s the Alternative? event, we thought it would be good to get a first-hand look at what their main attractions can do. Our hesitant Ed sat down with Amy Wall for a Tarot card reading…

 

Would I call myself a sceptic? I like to think I have an open mind, but yes, when it comes to The Mystical, I’m doubtful. I watch The Mentalist, I’ve seen Ghost; I’m well aware that there are tricksters out there taking advantage of those who want to believe.

 

Preparing to be told about a tall, dark, handsome stranger coming my way, I get on the phone with experienced Tarot reader Amy Wall.

 

First of all, she explains that there are no ‘bad cards’ in the deck and emphasises that no matter what comes up in the reading, it’s important to remember that each person is in charge of their own decisions. On that note, we kick things off with the question, “What do I need to know about my life right now?”

 

As Amy lays out the nine cards for my reading, she informs me that she is what’s known as an ‘intuitive reader,' which means she gets impressions or even images from the person she’s reading for. She tells me she’s sensed I’m a sceptic – I’m sceptical that her assessment had anything to do with mystical ability.

 

The first card she draws is Temperance, which represents healing and balance. She tells me that while I have very good health, I don’t take care of myself and I need to slow down and listen to what my body is trying to tell me. Right now it’s telling me it wants cake – looks like Tarot is working in my favour.

 

Next up is the Nine of Cups, which Amy gets excited about. “This rarely comes up in readings,” she informs me, going on to say that it’s known as the ‘wish card’. Paired up with the next card, it looks like I’m in for a windfall, as the Four of Pentacles indicates money is coming my way. Amy tells me it will come in the form of a gift – a gift that I will feel is too generous to accept, but that I should take nonetheless.

 

The next card is the Page of Wands, which indicates I’m a creative person. She also says this card indicates a dark-haired person who is a fire sign and gets restless easily (all correct). She says I get an ‘itch’ to start new projects regularly and like to try new things; a person always looking to move forward. The cards were also telling her there was something positive coming in my career…

At this point she asks me not to think she is a crackpot, but explains that because of the nature of Tarot, she gets impressions and images from spirit guides connected to the person she's reading for. She tells me she has been given a mental image by someone on the other side in relation to my reading.

 

I ask her to elaborate on the Spirit Guide and aware that I could give something away, I stay quiet and let her describe the person without any hints or indications on my part.

 

She describes a person without wavering or attempting to draw me out with generalised guesses. I was a sceptic, sure, but she hit the nail on the head. She describes a deceased person from my childhood with some really uncanny specifics and I have to admit she is spot on. Was there really someone out there?

 

We continue with the remaining cards and she goes back to focus on some specific sections she thinks need elaborating on. Throughout the reading she manages to hit on some sensitive spots and sceptic or not, there are a few moments when I actually feel a little emotional. Nearly everything she says resonates with me and not in a generic way.

 

Overall the cards were showing that a lot of change was around the corner, along with some overdue good fortune. The positive Ace of Wands was screaming that 2015 would be a powerful year, although I would need to work hard and make some quick decisions.

So am I a convert? Well I’m not completely U-turning, but if it is possible then Amy is the real deal. There was no hesitation or generic clichés. We chatted a little about my life now and again, but this is all part of the process, so the reader can make sense of the cards. They act as indicators to be applied to your situations and even your personality. Amy, who began learning Tarot as a hobby at 13, hit on a number of specifics for me and anything she predicted for the future all made perfect sense. At no point did I feel she was grasping or trying to manipulate me.

 

Real or not, it was the most entertaining 45 minutes I’ve spent in a long time. It was fun, a little spooky and actually quite therapeutic. I won’t try to communicate with the dead any time soon, but I would most definitely organise a Girls’ Day Out to the What’s the Alternative? event this weekend.

 

What’s the Alternative? takes place on Saturday, November 22nd in The Spencer Hotel Dublin and is an exclusive event, open to only 100 guests. Tickets cost €30 and are available online at www.eventbrite.ie

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