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Beyond the Shuffle: Tarot, Life & Everything In Between
Beyond the Shuffle is a podcast where tarot meets real life. I’m Adrienne Amari, a tarot reader, clarity coach, and past life regressionist, and each episode, I use the cards as a starting point for honest conversations about mindset, self-understanding, and growth. It's all about settling in, getting curios and seeing yourself more clearly - one card at a time.
Beyond the Shuffle: Tarot, Life & Everything In Between
Conversations with Cards with Brandon Croud
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What cards do you think we'll be talking about today?
Conversations with Cards are special episodes of Beyond the Shuffle where I welcome on a guest to chat about two cards that we randomly pull.
This lends to authentic, thoughtful, and interesting conversation about what makes the tarot real, and grounds it into our lives.
This week, we're joined by Brandon Croud.
Find Brandon Online
- The Awakened Croud: https://theawakenedcroud.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theawakenedcroud/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@awakenedcroud
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61577034338928
- Alden And The Light That Blinked Back: Buy on Amazon
- The Awakened Croud Podcast: https://brandonyi.podbean.com/
- Check out Episode Three: https://brandonyi.podbean.com/e/episode-3-tarot-choosing-from-alignment-with-adrienne-amari/
Resources & Links:
- Book a tarot reading or coaching with me to explore more of your own path at https://www.adrienneamari.com.
- Sign up to receive weekly tarotscopes and energy updates straight to your email at https://www.adrienneamari.com/tarotscopes
- Join The Tarot Lab: https://www.thetarotlab.com
Social Media:
Which two cards do you think we're going to talk about today? Hi there, and welcome to Beyond the Shuffle, a podcast where we explore this wild ride of the human experience through the lens of tarot. I'm Adrian Amari, your host, guide, and someone who loves to talk tarot with others. So settle in, open your mind, and let's go beyond the shuffle. This week on Beyond the Shuffle, we are doing conversations with cards. And I have Brandon Crowd here with me, metaphysical practitioner. We're going to pull some cards and chat about them. But first, Brandon, thank you so much for doing this. Welcome to Beyond the Shuffle. And tell us a little bit about what you do.
SPEAKER_00It's awesome to be here with you. I have enjoyed getting to know you a little bit over the last few months. And um, you know, had a great time when you came on my podcast, which was awesome. So I'm looking forward to this uh very much. I think we're gonna have a lot of fun. Um, I I've got a unique background, uh, at least that's what I've been told a lot lately. Um 20 years corporate America, um, a long journey of podcasting, actually. I have published over 350 shows. Um, but most of that was in a completely different realm. Um, I did a NASCAR podcast for eight years and since starting my spiritual practice, I have started a podcast um called the Awakened Crowd Podcast, which is the name of my practice. And I love puns, my last name crowd. Um it had to be the awakened crowd. I have a uh small catering company that is called Freeze a Crowd. So anytime I can work a pun into something, I am gonna do it. Love that. Um thank you. My my awakening journey was was an interesting one in that I always knew there were spiritual gifts present and active within me, but I suppressed them for a very, very long time. And um, my wife and I, we have a four-year-old son, and he's what cracked me open. Uh, was when we had him, I started remembering so much from my childhood and things that I could see, feel, and do. And everything just started coming back online, and I embraced it 150%. And uh that led me to embracing my inner nerdom, if you will, and went and got a PhD in metaphysics because I wanted to understand, you know, not just okay, I know I can do and feel and uh understand these things, but I wanted the background, I wanted the the history, I want I wanted the the quote unquote science to this, because I I truly believe it is a science basis, if you will. I know a lot of people don't in the secular world, um, a lot of people maybe don't appreciate or uh think metaphysics is a true science, but I think as the collective conscious continues to awaken, I think it's going to become a much more accepted uh phrase, practice, science, terminology, all of the jargon um as as things continue to develop over the next you know few years. So I am um yeah uh happy to be here helping and serving the humanity that resonates with me.
SPEAKER_01I love that. And I uh yeah, I 100% agree, agree. I love the kind of where the spirituality and the science comes together because I think the more that we go into this, the more we're finding that they are intertwined. And that is a fascinating, but also very comforting in a way for me. Um, I don't know if you feel the same in the comfort sense, but yeah, there's just something to it where you're like, ah yes, like it makes sense.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, the amount of aha moments that I have, either, you know, in my own inward journey or when I'm working with people, like, you know, it's amazing watching and experiencing someone else have that aha moment. But and I'm sure you've experienced this too, having those aha moments while working with other people for yourself. And it it's it truly demonstrates the uh universe mirroring back what we need, you know, all of those things. And it's it's it's magical to see happen and watching it unfold in real time.
SPEAKER_01Totally. I was just talking about that the other day too, where it's it's interesting that a lot of the times you get clients who are mirrors in some way, where they're either mirroring a past thing, like a past version of yourself, where you're like, Oh, I've been that, I know how to help you through this, or they're kind of mirroring what you're going through, and it helps you kind of release or explain or understand in a whole new deeper level. And it's I love that. Like, I love those things that comes from that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, one of the things that happens a lot for me is you know, it's so easy to coach somebody through something, and because it's not you, and when you uh face that same issue or challenge or problem, whatever you want to call it, it's like, well, wait a minute. I I said with conviction the same circumstance, what this person needed to do. Why am I having such a hard time accepting that? And and it forces you to do some work, and that's that's the what I really love about it, you know.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and you need to, and it because we always continue, we continue to grow, we continue to learn, we continue to expand. And I think if you don't take the time to really contemplate that as well, then you do stagnate, and it's not helpful to anyone.
SPEAKER_00No, no, not at all, not at all.
SPEAKER_01All right, cool. So I know you have a tarot deck with you. So can you tell us a little bit about whether you're interested in tarot or the deck that you have, which deck are you using?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So um I I use tarot in my practice, whether if people like want just a reading, or if I'm doing a a like a spiritual coaching session with somebody, um, I will end the session with a mini reading for them to kind of see where their current energy is at and you know, kind of where their next steps and where they're being called to take that energy as they're you know moving through their journey. Um, and I use it for myself. Um, when I was first going through my awakening and stuff like that, I dove into tarot because I remember, you know, in my early 20s, I would go get a reading from someone that was very well respected locally here in Metro Detroit. And I love the card. I was fascinated by the cards. I was fascinated by the accuracy. And when I embraced this path for me, I'm like, I have to learn. I want to learn this now. I don't want it to be the mystery, I want to be able to do it for myself. And so I dove in and I was attracted to this deck. Uh, I've got a few, but this is definitely my favorite. It's Y Spells, Wild Reflections. Uh, I love the deck from the artistic uh piece of it on each card. One thing I I've told people about why I still resonate with this deck is it's like a movie I've watched a hundred times. I can get the same card or I can see a card, and something random will pop out to me from the artist's work that I never noticed before with the deck. And so I keep getting drawn back to that deck. It's the one I used the most, and I love it.
SPEAKER_01I love that. Yeah, I have a couple, I I call them security blanket decks. Uh the one I chose today is not a security blanket deck. Yeah, I feel like it's getting there. Um, but I chose the Terra Volatile only because I think the art is really cool. I thought it'd be a really fun deck to use for us chatting today. So we're going to both pull a card. So go ahead and shuffle up. If we pull the same card, one of us can pull again.
SPEAKER_00If we pull this, has that ever happened?
SPEAKER_01No, not yet.
SPEAKER_00No, okay, all right.
SPEAKER_01But it would be kind of wild if it does, wouldn't it?
SPEAKER_00That would be fun. I mean, you want to talk about a mirrored reflection if we both pull the same card at the same time.
SPEAKER_01Well, so right. So let me know when you pull Jared when you're good.
SPEAKER_00All right. Oh, okay. Um if if we're gonna go the reverse route, it is reverse. It is a it is the reverse knight of wands.
SPEAKER_01Oh, okay. We'll talk about it both ways. Um, just because I think there's so much to talk about it, and I don't want to limit it by just looking at it in one way. So we'll definitely go both ways. I love that you pulled the you pulled the knight you said, right? Of wands.
SPEAKER_00Yes, the knight of the water.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I pulled the page of wands.
SPEAKER_00That was the one I had on my reading earlier this week. Was or no, it was the page of swords. Page of swords, I pulled. Page of swords.
SPEAKER_01Page of swords is one of my favorites, but like funny that we are very, very close here.
SPEAKER_00We are very close. Yes, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Um, so let's start with the page only because they come first in the rank progression, if that's okay with you. Um, absolutely. I always see the page of wands as new adventures, the one who is ready to set out on something new and exciting, but they're a little bit nervous. Like there's a little bit of that anxiety energy because they're like, oh, can I do this? And they want to be brave and they want to follow the ambition and they want to go forth, uh, but there is like building up the courage to actually get on with it. So that's I always kind of feel that energy. How do you normally see the page?
SPEAKER_00So I mean, the the page, I kind of feel like it's it's the fool of the the knights or the the the the royalty cards, if you will, right? Like when we think of the fool, um, you know, it's it's the young, curious, naive energy. And, you know, here we have the page who has that same energy. He knows he's in line to go and do some things, he's getting ready to maybe have more authority as he continues to grow and develop. And um I I think you know that's how I approach the page cards, are from that curiosity perspective. Like they're they're responsible, but they're still gonna have some mess ups every now and then just because of that curiosity.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I always feel like it's like a young energy, not that you have to be young to receive the card, but it's more of a fresh energy that's you know, still kind of figuring out how does this element feel. And with the wands, we have fire. So I can see why they're be like, okay, I'm so excited, I'm so ready for this. Oh my god, am I actually ready for this?
SPEAKER_00Right, yeah, yes. Like I I also view the page, especially the wands and even somewhat of the swords. Um, and and I'd love if it uh to throw this back to you from a question perspective. Um, the wands and swords to me have a lot of similar energy in terms of you know, they're they're both of those suits are very action-based and very action-heavy energy. Um, the page of wands, I I feel like that's uh he's trying to build, he's getting ready to build, or he wants to uh it's project-based curiosity from some degree, I feel like, with the page of wands.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I always think of it as ambition, dreams, desires. Where it's something that actually like lights yeah, like it lights you up. It's not just like I'm doing this for the sake of doing it, it's like I'm doing it because I want to be doing it.
SPEAKER_00Yes, like he's gotten his nudge, I feel like, from his his team, his guides, like he knows he's supposed to go and build something. He might get distracted along the way, um, but he's he's he he is focused on the end result, I feel like.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I always say too, and this actually goes a lot into the knight of wands as well, but with the page, the knight, and the wands in general, we need a funnel. If you think of fire, fire can burn everywhere and it can also burn nowhere, right? Like it could do so much damage, or it can be channeled and get something done. So I feel like that page of wands energy, it needs a little bit of that plan to channel it in some meaningful way.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, no doubt about that. I feel like too, like I feel like he's more connected than the page of swords sometimes. Um you know, from a channel perspective, from an intuitive perspective, I think would probably be the more the the sharper phrasing to use than, for example, like the page of swords. I feel like the page of swords is a little bit more um, you know, quick to react, but it's not necessarily an intuitive quick to react. It's more maybe reacting to the uh environment around, which maybe doesn't always it may prolong the uh end result.
SPEAKER_01But as someone who identifies very strongly with the page of swords, I feel like you get stuck in the thought process part. Like I find the blands so much more instinctual, where the swords is much more like that rational and logical. So you get the idea, but then like you go down that rabbit hole. And I feel like the page of wands doesn't have the rabbit hole in that way.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, I agree, I agree, yes. Now, and if I'm gonna get ahead, like from a reverse perspective, yes, you know, and now mine was reverse, yours wasn't, but like how would you from your perspective, is does reverse always mean blockage, or how do you interpret or just distinguish between whether it's a block or another potential meaning behind the reverse cards?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's a great question. And that's one that you can get so deep into. I honestly have to admit, I don't read it the same way every time because I think context really matters. And I think you can tell which way it's leaning depending on what's around it, who you're talking to, what the conversation's like, all that sort of stuff. So it could be a blockage or a delay where it's like, yes, we're ready to start on this new adventure, but not quite yet. Like we need to like finish this before we're ready for this kind of next new thing in our lives. Uh, but it could also be we're getting in our own way where we're too scared to take that step, or we're really in the idea phase and we're not in the action phase quite yet.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. Does that make sense? Does it matter for you? Uh, or how much of a of an impact does that have for you, depending on the type of reading that you're doing, in terms of like whether, you know, maybe it's a Celtic cross reading or a specific energy reading, or the your client wants focus specifically on a certain topic kind of a thing. How does that impact for you at all?
SPEAKER_01For sure, yeah. Because I think everything's like everything's a story, right? And it can just change the way that you look at the story or that it's influencing the story. So I think it does depend. I mean, you would read it differently in a career reading versus a love reading.
SPEAKER_02Sure. That's right, especially if it's reverse.
SPEAKER_01Like if it's reversed in a love reading, I'm in maturity. That's where I'm going. We're going right to being mature.
SPEAKER_00All day long. Yeah, that's it.
unknownThat's all you got.
SPEAKER_00Next card. Right. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01How about you? How do you usually see it reversed? Um page or cards in general.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So I I again I I I'm with you on the context side of things. Um it's funny because if if my if the person I'm doing the reading for, you know, doesn't want to give me a lot, I totally get it. That's fine. Uh, but that's normally when I'll go the blockage route, because they probably have either maybe a little stigma or they're testing me, um, which I understand because you're not really testing me, you're testing yourself to some capacity. You know, so if they're not, if they don't want to give, which I under like I said, I understand. I I typically lean more on the blockage side of things. Um, and then like you, no, it just depends on, you know, I'm a big, you know, let's tell the whole picture. Like, let's look at the cards individually, and then as you know, we we're wrapping, I I paint the picture and wrap it up in a nice little bow. And so then it's like, okay, if, for example, you know, there's only one reverse card and it's in the middle of the spread, well, then I'll go clockwise around the rest of the the cards with them and say, you know, this is reacting to this from this way, this, you know, and kind of go around and tie it together. And then I'll also sometimes take it a step further, depending on what other cards are around, and go, here's how you can flip it around so it isn't reverse, you know, by adjusting the energy or adjusting the thought process or, you know, how you react or move, could flip this the other way, especially if it's about like someone's if if the the reading is going a lot on emotion or how they react and respond to things, a lot of it's probably doing or having to deal with a lot of inner work that they need to do themselves and how they can flip that and change the direction and you know, give it more of their make it more of an empowerment thing for the person getting the reading.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I love that too with the reversals. I was I did a bachelorette party this past weekend and I was doing like Celtic crosses just because it's a nice general reading and like everyone kind of gets the same amount of time. And uh for hopes and fears, I did have one lady get the two of cups reversed. Um, and you know, I was like, Are you afraid of being in a relationship? Like, are you afraid of being alone, really? And she's like, Yeah, I am. And I was like, Well, giving into the fear is not gonna help that though. Like, we don't want it reversed, we want it upright. We want we want the hope. So, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I think the the the two of cups and the lover's card, I think could be interpreted very similar, similarly together, especially if it's reverse. It's a lot of more of that self-love. You need to be okay with yourself to be able, you. I mean, you can have all the relationships you want, but if you want to have healthy relationships and you want that reverse, you're you want to flip that reverse two of cups, you know, you you got to be good with yourself before anybody else can be good with you.
SPEAKER_01Well, and also not give into the fear of being alone or the fear of being hurt again, right?
SPEAKER_00Sure, yeah.
SPEAKER_01It's easy to do, it's not a criticism. I'm sure we've all been there, we've all done it.
SPEAKER_00Oh, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01When is the time in your life where you felt like the page of wands?
SPEAKER_00Honestly, I kind of feel like it right now, if I'm being honest, because I am in a kind of a rebuild phase in some capacity. I know my business is about to take a new direction. So I'm very curious. I'm very excited. I know there'll be some hiccups and you know, uh trial and error periods along the way. But as I kind of was saying earlier, where I think the page of wands is a little bit more in tune, I am listening to myself more now than I ever have. So it's gonna be an exciting journey as I move to the knight and to the queen and to the king.
SPEAKER_01I thought you're already planning to move up all the rings.
SPEAKER_00So like I've got right, that's right.
SPEAKER_01That's wonderful.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01So I think that's one of my favorite things. Oh, yeah, I was thinking that's one of my favorite things is to see how we see ourselves in the cards. And for me, I always think of when I was going to Japan for either time, really. Uh, the first time I went on an exchange and I had never traveled by myself, let alone traveled halfway around the world by myself.
SPEAKER_00Sure. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I remember getting on the plane and like I was so excited, and it was like, new adventure, brand new new horizons, like great opportunity to experience all these exciting things. And then I panicked. Why am I on this plane? Turn around. Like it was, you know, that kind of that doubt or that anxiety very much swelled up. Um, but once I settled down, I was like, no, this is gonna be great for me. Like this will be good. Uh and it was, it was a really good experience. I'm glad I did it.
SPEAKER_00That's awesome. How long ago was that?
SPEAKER_01Um, I well, that's a loaded question. Um, I went there one year from university and then I graduated university and then lived there for five years. So I actually moved to Japan kind of twice in my life. Oh, okay. But I've been back in Canada for 11 years now.
SPEAKER_00So okay, that's cool. It was I knew you were in Canada, yes. Yeah, not to completely go sidetrack, but you know, here in Detroit today it was 97 degrees.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, I think we're 90 degrees Fahrenheit. So for my Canadians, like 33 Celsius.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I was gonna say, like, you gotta do the conversion.
SPEAKER_01Always. I have it on my phone, so I don't have to do the math. And I love that it's so hot and we both pulled wands, so I feel like Yes, with a fire.
SPEAKER_00Uh-huh. Uh huh. Yep. Yep.
SPEAKER_01All right. So that's our page. I think we've done the page pretty, pretty good. So let's move into what you pulled our Knight of Wands. So love for progressing. So this is the page grows up a little bit.
SPEAKER_00Yes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And I get to the night.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So I'm going to show, I'll show my card. So that is the Knight of Wands.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yours is a much more chill night than mine. So just for anyone listening, Brandon's is in a boat with a dog. Mine is on some kind of skeletal beast with fire and flags.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, that is a much more aggressive night.
SPEAKER_01It's a little bit more of an intense night. Still valid either way.
SPEAKER_00Right. Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely. Oh. So for me, I love this card. And I actually feel like it was given in this with intention because, you know, like you said with mine, it's it's a guy in a boat with a golden retriever. The water is calm and it's it's smooth. You know, he's not overly rowing. You know, he is being guided and and led and not forcing any action whatsoever. And I think, you know, as we talked about, you know, the page to the night, right? Like it's that graduating step. Like he's not trying to control or force. He knows he's going to get where he's supposed to go. And the fact that I pulled this reverse, as I'm talking about me being in this new season, this new journey, this new building. Um, my one of my biggest faults is if I don't catch myself quick enough, my mind will spiral in the chaos and the noise of the 3D and all of that kind of stuff. To where when I got this reversed, the first thing I thought about, why would I be paddling upstream? Like what sense does that make? Why resist? Why make it harder on myself? Just let the current take you, you know, and and relax and release some of that chaos and the frustration and the noise within our minds of you know, the life, the responsibilities, all of that, you know. And I know it sounds cliche, and for those that don't understand, you know, oh, sure, anyone can say let it go, and just you know, how how the hell am I supposed to do that? And and then that gets into the whole new ball of, you know, well, why don't you trust? And we all have reasons why, you know, trust has or is an issue depending on the triggers and all of that stuff. So for me, getting that card was very eye-opening for me of hey, you know, you are like you just said, you are trusting yourself and listening to yourself more than ever. Trust that and let the current take you.
SPEAKER_01I love that though. I love the don't paddle upstream. That I like that a lot. Because when I see the Knight of Wands reverse, the first thing that always comes to mind is, oh, you're frustrated. Like you're making yourself frustrated, you're making it harder on yourself. It feels like it's a little bit out of control because you're either chasing too many ideas or too many things at once instead of just allowing yourself to kind of trust the process and go with what you want to set out to do. It's very easy to get distracted with some of those things.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yes, right. Like that's part of, you know, I I think, you know, especially if you're in an awakened journey, I I think um the the lessons hit a little bit harder, and they also I think sometimes take a little longer to land sometimes because we we know better in some capacity. We know we know. Do we do it? That's a different question. We might know that, but do we follow it? Exactly. Exactly. And so that's part of the I I think, you know, we we can we can cliche and joke about the matrix or the game of this reality that we're in, but I've always said, you know, the cliches are cliches because they're real. Yeah, and I feel like you know, once you really break it down and someone goes, Oh, is it really that simple? Yeah, it it's supposed to be that simple, but preconditioned and society and and all of the external noise and factors of the world have forced us to complicate things way beyond what they're supposed to be. Yeah, you know, so when you strip it down, yeah, it is that simple. But again, I can tell you that, and you know, you can tell someone that until it's like, oh shit, I really gotta reel this in for myself, you know.
SPEAKER_01Exactly, yeah. And I mean it's the awareness of it too, because at least you can recognize when you're doing it most of the time.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, how about in a more upright position? How would you look at it?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I in in the upright position, I'm I'm viewing it as is you are listening to yourself, you are going with the intuition, you are being led versus chasing. And um, I I I think chasing is a word that's used a lot in the spiritual community, I feel like. So I just I'll break that down from a context perspective in terms of you know, when we talk about chasing, it's trying to force things, you know, whether it's you know, um money, career, house, relationships, anything that you feel like you are trying to force or manipulate an outcome on, that's the reverse of the card. That's you resisting what's being naturally given to you, or you're being naturally led through, and you're resisting that. And so the more you resist, that's where when people say, Oh, you know, when it rains, it storms, kind of a thing, because it's the that's the universe mirroring it back to you harder and harder and harder until you either pay attention or you finally just hit rock bottom and you fully release and give into that, and that's when things end up typically rebuilding or going along that road. So the upright, you're in tune, you are aligned with your path, with whatever the topic or or conversation is that's being discussed in that reading. You you're good. You are keep doing you at that point.
SPEAKER_01And I always see the Knight of Wands with that bold action. Like he gives no Fs, basically. They're gonna go and change what they want to go for, and they're not going to let something or someone else stand in their way because they have that dream and that desire and that kind of gumption behind them to be like, no, like I can do this, and I will take the bold action, the intentional action to get there. Because they do want to become queens and kings. That's the right. Uh, and I think he can be, because I think it's like there is a restlessness to kind of just act.
SPEAKER_00Okay, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's how I always kind of see it. Cause like that with that heat and that fire. Uh, and I always see them as kind of charming too, though. There's a bit of charming.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, like I I can see that. I think the n I think I get that with a lot of the nights though, throughout the deck, um, because they're they're beyond the you know, they're not 19 anymore. They're you know, they've maybe had their career for a minute, if we're gonna, you know, use a little bit more, you know, 3D terms. Um you know, they've they've been around the block a minute, they've done their partying days to some degree. They like to hang out on maybe a Friday night, decompress from the week, but they know if they stayed in the party mode, you know, it just pushes their the dreams and the aspirations further down the road, and they're ready for it. So they're they're they're a little bit more responsible.
SPEAKER_01For sure, yeah. And I think it's also part of the night's journey or lesson is finding the balance in that too.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yes. Because they don't have mastery yet, right? Right, yes, yes, yeah.
SPEAKER_01So uh can you think of again a time in your life or maybe a person uh or a character that you think of the Knight of Wands?
SPEAKER_00Ooh, that's a good one. Um it's funny, I would uh and this may sound a little maybe hypocritical to some degree, but I felt like I was in that path in my corporate America journey. Like I thought, you know, oh, I'm I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. But then when I had my awakening journey or when it started and I realized I wasn't, like I it helped me understand the difference between why I felt I was in an aligned journey versus now looking back and actually really being able to realize why that was more of a facade in terms of where I was going and this kind of like how I said, you know, I had suppressed a lot of things about my my spiritual gifts and things like that. Um was I was able to apply that to where I thought I was going and why I wasn't going on the journey that I was supposed to be on. And so I I it it kind of doesn't make sense because of what the card represents, but that's really kind of how I felt at that time, like I was on the right path.
SPEAKER_01And I I think the knights believe they are too, and it doesn't mean they can't pivot down the line, sure, right? Like that's also part of life, to be honest.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, yes, yeah. So um, and then I I would say my my wife definitely plays a knight role. Um she plays the knight and queen role because you know, when we think about the queens being very creative, my wife is a very creative person, um, but she also can reel me in when I start, you know, going off, whether it's on a tangent, regardless of what it is. Uh, you know, she can she can reel me back in back onto path, if you will. So she definitely plays a night role. Correct course.
SPEAKER_01Oh goodness. For me, I attribute a little bit of the Knight of Wands. My dad has some of that energy for sure. He's okay very much like the kind of person who he throughout my life with him, of course, has tried so many different things. Uh, some things stick, other things do not. Um, but when he has an idea, that's it. Like that's the idea that sticks, and that's the ambition, and that's the goal, and we're gonna make progress towards it. Sometimes we burn up before we get there, because you know, such is life. Um, but he definitely has that, it's like that spark of an idea, and it's beyond the page because he actually takes action on it.
SPEAKER_00Awesome. I love that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I don't always have to follow through, but I feel like that's also very night energy where you're so into it and you're so passionate, and then you're like, I'm just not quite feeling it. And it's knowing that now I have to pivot course and giving yourself the ability and grace to do so.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Uh very, uh I'll take it 90% and it's like damn near perfect. And then if I lose interest with that last 10%, yeah. I'm out.
SPEAKER_01I can't judge that.
SPEAKER_00I'm out.
SPEAKER_01It's not worth the last 10% push.
SPEAKER_00Nope, nope.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that's awesome. I love that.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely.
SPEAKER_01But yes, any last thoughts on our pair?
SPEAKER_00Um, I just I I love the fact that we pulled, you know, in order cards of the same suit. I mean, that just that just speaks volumes, I think, to uh the the journey, the fun of doing something like this. I uh absolutely I don't, you know, all the cards we could have pulled, right? There's no majors, no variation in the suit, back-to-back cards we pulled in two different countries.
SPEAKER_01And just context and no one was here. We were talking just before we started recording, but we were talking about oh, what if we pulled the same card? Wouldn't that be hilarious? And we got pretty darn close.
SPEAKER_00We've got we did damn close. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So I mean, there's no closer thing than doing than what we did here.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. Um, yeah, what do you think these two have to say for like the collective as a whole? Or what what how can these cards help people?
SPEAKER_00Love that. Yeah, I I would say uh I think in and this is from just an intuitive nudge, as well as what I see from people and my clients that I work with, the Facebook groups that I'm in. I think people are becoming more and more open to the ideas and to the concepts, but I think they are still a little hesitant and scared to maybe admit it even to themselves. And a lot of it has to do with their circles and fear of being judged by their circles. And I think these two cards speak very well to that in terms of don't be afraid to express and experience the curiosity behind some of the things that you're feeling. You know, whether you want to still keep that to yourself, that's fine. There are a ton of support groups online. Uh, and I say support not in terms of, I mean, there is support for you. Uh, Adrian and I are here. Um, but there are groups of us that the like-mindedness to where you don't have to feel the isolation and the aloneness and the fear of being judged. Uh, I think that's more on the page of one side of things. And I think on the night side of things is once you get to that point and you start to see it, um, you you will really send and start to get a sense of peace and you know, inner inner safety, if you will, um once you start giving yourself the permission to explore the curiosity of those things that you may be feeling.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I love that. And I love that, like just trusting and being bold and experimenting, even like pages don't have anything figured out, right? So, like it's giving yourself that permission and that courage because it can take courage, especially if you live in a place where these kinds of ideas are maybe not so supported. I understand why people hide away from it, or you know, sure who wants to be judged, who wants to be feeling like an outcast? But with the wands, it's like be bold and be brave in your pursuit, and that spark will ignite. And doesn't it feel so good when that spark ignites in like the pit of your stomach and you just go like, no, this is where I'm meant to be going?
SPEAKER_00It's so you will yes, you once you once you start to truly understand your intuition and understanding the nudges and trusting your gut. Again, another cliche phrase. Once you start to to follow that and to understand it, and you know, you you you take those baby steps, you know, you then then you'll start walking and then you'll start running, and then you will you'll get to that night energy, and you know, you're off to the races at that point.
SPEAKER_01And you might trip or fall along the way, but it's like you pick yourself back up because you have that bravery within you, because you have that fire within you to do so. So, like allow it to burn a hundred percent in the best of ways, like burn in a good way.
SPEAKER_00A hundred percent. Yeah, cave out there, yeah. Awesome.
SPEAKER_01Well, thank you so much for doing this.
SPEAKER_00Thank you for the invite.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, how can people find you or work with you? I'll put your links, of course, below. So if anybody wants to check out Brandon's work, please look below and click away.
SPEAKER_00Awesome. Yeah, so my website is theawakenedcrowd.com. Um, I my podcast is the awakened crowd as well. It's on all platforms. I am taking a break over the summer because I want to add a video piece to it. So I'm looking to fire that back up uh late August, early September. But there are 15 episodes out there right now that are still available. And then if anybody, as I mentioned when I started, you know, my awakening journey started with having my son. Um, I wrote a children's bedtime story called uh Alden and the Light That Blinked Back, uh, that's available on Amazon. Um, it's a beautiful bedtime story that helps kids and parents as a tool to be able to help them understand intuition from an early age and and how to start trusting like those little tummy flutters that we all get and to embrace that and to help explain that uh through a a gentle bedtime story.
SPEAKER_01So I love that, and I love the idea too of like allowing children to explore at such a young age because they're so much more apt to be able to expand and really dig into their intuition because their brains are just like sponges and nothing is scary or forbidden or taboo or weird at that point. So the more we can encourage that, I feel like the better, the better our world will be.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, a hundred percent, no doubt about that. Yes, yes. But no, thank you for having me on. I absolutely love this. Uh, I look forward to having you back on when I uh get things started because I have a bajillion questions because I love this time, I love tarot, and you know, I love to do it, but I'm there's still so much knowledge out there to be learned from tarot and how to use it as a healthy uh permission slip tool, whatever phrasing you want to use. Um, and you have a wealth of knowledge. So I love when we get to interact.
SPEAKER_01Me too. I I always have a great time chatting with you, and I appreciate you coming on and chatting cards with me because you know I will talk to you forever.
SPEAKER_02I love it, yes.
SPEAKER_01Um, and for sharing insights, I really appreciate it. So if you're listening or watching, make sure you check the notes and you can find all of our links down there. Uh, Brandon, thank you again so much for being on. Of course. And we'll chat you out there.
SPEAKER_00Of course, yes.