Did you ever have a moment when something just felt off about a particular situation? Maybe it was a gut feeling that you needed to leave a place or a uniquely weird string of coincidences that you couldn’t shake. Either way, you knew something or someone was trying to tell you to get out of Dodge.

Gavin de Becker’s The Gift of Fear talks about how important it is to actually listen to your gut instinct and how it can save your life. But, what if it’s not your gut telling you something’s wrong? What if it’s just a series of coincidences?

Sometimes, the universe sends warning signs to keep you out of danger. Other times, it’s a deity or an entity that wants to give you a heads up. But how can you tell if a spirit is trying to warn you of danger around the corner?

Speaking as someone who was recently warned, it can be pretty subtle. Here are the signs that suggest a spiritual being is telling you it’s time to watch out.

#1: You get strangely on-point messages.

I was once in a relationship that I felt like I had to be in because I felt indebted to that person. That person was good to me when I needed a friend and it slowly turned into something more romantic. Truthfully? I didn’t want to be with him.

Around that time, I saw an article that said, “Don’t marry the help.”

That article stated that people are sometimes put in our lives to get us to a better place. Those people are “the help,” you often might feel overly indebted to them, and that you are not supposed to marry them out of a sense of obligation.

Then, the article basically showed the path that I was headed down: first things being okay, then the “help” getting worried that I’d leave, then resentment creeping in, then the “help” feeling increasingly unworthy of being with me, then a feeling of being stuck with someone I’d resent.

I didn’t quite heed the warning until someone actually pulled me away from my ex and gave me a “come to Jesus/Satan” talk. Looking back, there was a guardian spirit out there trying to make me realize that my attraction to others mattered and that I needed to stop being guilted into relationships.

#2: Religious items suddenly break.

Here’s a true story from my recent years. My friend Callie* and I recently tried to work with a specific deity who we’ll call Sam*. (Yes, I’m keeping the deity anonymous because I feel like this is a private matter and I don’t want people to feel some type of way about the deity. It’s a matter of respect.)

We were both being pushed toward Sam by a mutual friend of ours named Jason*. Jason basically made himself out to be a very devout follower of Sam who had a special connection to her. We decided to give a quite reach to her by wearing items with her name on it.

Well, long story short…

• I ordered a ring, put it on, and it literally vanished within five minutes. I bought a spare, and it kept falling off me. Eventually I just stopped trying to wear it. The ring disappeared overnight.

• Callie tried to wear a necklace with Sam’s symbol on it, only to have it break. No matter how many times she tried to fix it, it wouldn’t stay fixed. She gave up on wearing it.

• We both felt like this was a warning, so we asked Jason. Jason’s advice made zero sense to us.

We backed off from Sam because we felt like Sam was warning us to stay away from her. Yet, something also felt very off about the way that Jason talked to us about Sam. So, we started watching him a little closer and boom…

We caught Jason behaving in a sketchy manner with both of us, specifically in a way that seemed like it was trying to sabotage our relationship. That was actually clearly against the ways that Sam would want him to act toward women.

Now, both Callie and I have backed away from Sam and Jason. If Sam wants to reach out to us, she can. However, I can’t help but feel like Sam was trying to warn us that Jason really wasn’t her follower—and that he was not to be trusted.

Generally speaking, breaking religious items is a sign that a deity or spirit is trying to warn you or protect you. The idea is that the item in question took the damage instead of you.

#3: Strange coincidences keep blocking your path.

This is a classic sign that something isn’t right: thing just keep fucking up your route. A good example of this was what happened to me and my ex when we were supposed to go to a house party.

First thing that happened was that my phone died. So, we had to wait until my phone got enough juice to get to the car and start navigating. It was annoying because my phone never acted up and it just randomly drained that day.

Then, my car started to act a little funny. We almost had to get a jump to continue on our way to the party. My ex even noticed that my car started to skid around curves in ways it never did before.

After that, a massive, floody, torrential rainfall happened. Streets started to close and it got to the point that even I-80 started to shut down. We got worried that we were going to lose control of my tiny sedan if we tried to go any further down the road.

As soon as we turned around, the path back home became a cinch. We even made it back in record time. Later on, we found out that the party we were supposed to go to had a shooting occur.

Had we gone, we likely would have been shot.

Those blocks? They were warnings telling us to stay away.

#4: Or, things keep getting worse.

Let’s say that you’re stubborn as me and you keep trodding the path ahead when you’re dealing with #3. Now, all of a sudden, the warnings stop being minor inconveniences and start being full-on breakdowns.

When you’re going the wrong way in life, life will find a way to make you stop. If you don’t listen to that, you’ll keep losing everything and everyone in your path until you literally have nothing left.

To be fair, if you get to this point, it’s no longer a warning. It’s a deity or the universe basically forcing you to pump the brakes or die.

#5: You’re getting recurring dreams of the dead.

In my family, a common belief of a spiritual warning happens when you dream of dead people smiling at you, telling you something, or worse, telling you that they are coming to see you soon. These are often omens of death.

In the part of Romania that my family is from, the dead only do visitations with a smile when they are about to come collect you. If the dead are telling you something, then it could be a visitation to comfort you or it could be a warning they’re trying to impart.

A famous story about dreams of the dead happened when I was a kid.

After my best friend was sent to the Moonie camp near the North Korean DMZ, I was suicidal in my first middle school. The bullying wouldn’t stop and I decided that I had enough. I had made the decision that I was going to take out others with myself. It was going to be my final act of revenge for the cruelty they put me through.

I hadn’t told a soul about this plan.

A week after I started planning how to kill off my classmates, something happened. My dad dreamt that all of the recently deceased family members sat down at the dinner table—all my grandparents, my dead uncle, my mom’s cousins, as well as my dad’s grandparents.

They all said, “This is about your daughter. You need to remove her from the school NOW. Or she’ll die.”

Dad replied, “We don’t have the money.”

They all said in unison, “Figure it out! She will die! Get her out! Get her out! Get her out! GET HER OUT!”

Dad woke up in a sweat and told mom. They took out a loan and took me to a sushi restaurant. My parents told me that they were pulling me from my middle school and placing me in whatever private school they could find.

Around the same time, the principal told my parents that it’d be “really great” if they could just…pull me out of school because parents were worried that I’d do something drastic. My parents and the principal worked together to get the recommendation letters required for a top-tier private school.

I threw my plans in the trash. My behavior improved greatly and I didn’t even beat up anyone for the rest of the year. That dream saved my life and the lives of other children. My parents didn’t tell me why they pulled me out until long after it happened.

#6: Spells keep going wrong.

Subscribe now

If you’re a practicing witch, watch what happens with specific spells. I’ve noticed that if a spell fails repeatedly when you ask for something, it’s often a sign of a deity saying, “No.”

That “No,” isn’t because you’re not worth it. It’s often because the price you’d have to pay is too high for it to be worth it for you. Or rather, it’s because they are trying to warn you that you don’t really want the thing you’re asking for.

I’ve taken this as a deity telling me, “Hey, hey…Watch out, you really don’t want what you think you want.”

#7: You’ve gotten recurring nightmares.

This is a classic warning that you might have heard over and over again: recurring nightmares. We’ve all heard of people who had nightmares of a specific event happening—perhaps a beatdown, maybe a specific crime, or even a specific moment in life.

Though many of those recurring dreams seem to happen no matter what people try to do to prevent them, there have been cases where those recurring dreams were warnings. When people heeded those warnings, be it by refusing to engage with certain people or taking the long way home, they often found themselves saved from certain death.

No one understands how dreams work. No one can explain how certain nightmares seem to predict the future. Yet, it seems to happen frequently enough for it to be a major issue.

Still, the message is clear. If you keep having realistic, recurring nightmares, it may be time to keep an eye out for things that could happen in your future.

#8: Something straight up paranormal happens to you that prevented you from doing something.

Let’s just face it: some spiritual warnings are not subtle. In fact, they’re blunter than a baseball bat to the face. Let me give you some of the more obvious examples here below:

“STOP!”

I’ve heard quite a few stories of people who were driving down lonely roads, only to hear a disembodied voice yell at them to slow down or stop. Without even thinking, the drivers do as they are told. Lo and behold, a large truck speeds right by them, narrowly missing them by inches.

Disembodied voices often end up being spirits or entities trying to warn people from something that would cause certain death. If you hear something, listen to it.

The Nonexistent Sign

A friend of mine had this happen in the 2000s. He was going to a concert venue and the GPS stopped working. He panicked and decided to keep driving forward until he’d see a sign. He saw a sign that pointed him to the city (Philadelphia). Relieved, he followed the sign.

40 minutes later, he was nowhere near Philly so he stopped at a gas station. The GPS started to work again. He asked the gas attendant what was up with the sign and where he was.

The attendant told him that there was no sign pointing to Philly on the road he turned off from. In fact, the sign had been telling him to go the wrong way. Later on, he found out that the road he was taking had to be shut down because there was a major flood that night.

Had he stayed on the road, he likely would have drowned. That sign? It never existed, but it somehow saved his life.

Psychic Warnings

I’ve often had moments where I’ll get intrusive thoughts about something I have to do: almost like a nagging voice. I’ll keep hearing, “Hey, you need to do this! You need to do this NOW!"

Then, one of two things happens: I’ll either do it and later find out it saved me somehow or it’ll snowball into something disastrous. Every time I’ve ignored that nagging voice, I’ve regretted it. Just saying.

When in doubt, take the safe route.

Listen to the little clues that the universe gives you. Listen to your gut. You’ll be surprised at how well those warnings can serve you if you decide to actually listen to them.

Back in the time when my father was diagnosed with cancer, I was laying the cards almost daily. So was my mom. We must have spent about $400 on psychic readings. And only a handful of psychics told us the truth: he didn’t have much time to live.

One also mentioned that there might be a cure for him, but because it was so horrible, he would eventually refuse it. That’s precisely what happened. Chemo was so awful to him that he chose to die.

Oddly enough, it was my mom’s personal cards that warned us something horrible was going to happen. For months before his diagnosis, dad’s cards would come out with horrible omens—often right on top of him. Yet, his day to day seemed normal. Until it wasn’t.

A lot of people tend to wonder if tarot can predict a death. The answer is pretty layered. Let me explain.

Can tarot cards predict an actual death?

Yes, tarot can theoretically predict a death. However, this does not mean it will always be 100 percent accurate. Since a reader’s emotions and energy can muddle the readings, these emotionally-charged readings can get skewered into wishful thinking.

As a person who has grown up around tarot readings and superstition, I swear that cards can predict a death. I’ve seen it multiple times. However, there are issues that come with trying to predict a death through tarot. These include:

• Wishful thinking. We tarot readers have always had that moment when we didn’t like that first draw we got from the cards. So, you end up pulling more cards. Or doing backflips to try to get a reading that has the outcome you want. Or you pray so hard you’ll get the outcome you want that you start to question if that’s the real reading or the reading you willed into existence.

• Emotions. Cards, in my opinion, pick up emotions. If you’re very emotional, the reading will suck in terms of quality.

• Timing. As a personal rule, you should never, ever try to predict with timing involved in your readings. Everyone dies. How long it takes is not something cards are good at figuring out.

• Strange interpretations. I should explain this later.

Generally speaking, most psychics do not want to do these types of predictions. However, as someone who has seen these warnings in readings before any inkling could have revealed anything, I admit the cards can give you a heads up.

Subscribe now

Read more

TikTok has a major economy in the tarot reading world. So, did you know that Paramore (yes, the band) actually referenced a TikTok tarot reader in a recent song? I was surprised to hear about it too, but it was a thing.

It’s true. Hayley Williams, the emo icon, referenced Alex Reads in a recent album she came out with. Only months later, Williams was shocked to find out that Alex Reads ended up changing her brand to go toward hardcore Christianity.

Williams was totally shocked since Alex apparently used to “read the shit outta [her].” So, she was apparently a client to some type of extent. And despite being a low-key cultural icon, Alex Reads has decided to abandon tarot in favor of Evangelical Christianity.

She’s far from the only one to have this happen. Many TikTok tarot fans have noticed a growing number of famous readers have suddenly (and often blindsidingly) said they now make Christian content, denouncing the very work that made them famous.

What’s going on here?

As a professional tarot reader (yes, you can buy my services), I get very leery of people who are TikTok tarot creators. It’s not just that they tend to be very weird about their craft, nor is it how often they use “shticks” to make their brand popular.

It’s because they are often heavily money-driven, to the point where many of them are doing this without even believing in what they do. In other words, TikTok is often “sellout central.”

Are all of them like this? Nah. Not all.

However there are enough people going in for the money that you have to take into account the finances of it. So let’s talk about it.

Right-wing Evangelical churches are using TikTok to recruit new members for both political and spiritual movements.

This is not a secret. This is a known action taken by right-wing groups as well as specific right-leaning churches like the Mormon church. It’s been documented, heavily too.

Right-wing think tanks are not stupid. They know how to recruit people into their movements, how to convince people to vote against their own self-interests, how to gain power, and how to keep people in their movements.

They realize that there is serious power in “cool.” Influencers literally make money off being cool and influencing people’s purchases, public opinion, and yes, spirituality. And the reason they make money is because brands and groups pay them to tout them.

Once again: brands and groups pay them to promote them.

So, you can imagine what this means in terms of how they operate. Even South Park did an episode on this: any influencer is up for sale. And the way they get paid can be pretty dodgy and cagey, which makes it hard to trace by official means.

That helps influencers appear “genuine” while also giving them ways to get money from dark interests.

It’s no secret that right-wing Christianity has deep pockets.

Actually, a lot of these right-wing groups have deep pockets—like super deep. The Mormon Church alone owns billions in business equity. Many other subsects have pretty fat bank accounts too. Considering some of the payouts that influencers have gotten, one thing is clear: there’s gold in them hills.

When you’re a tarot reader who doesn’t fully lean on corporate deals, there are only a handful of ways to make money:

• Readings. These take time as they are individualized. You can do generic readings, but you won’t get paid by the hour at the same rate.

• Media. This includes what I do (articles and guides) as well as those “pick a deck” generic readings that you see on YouTube and TikTok. This can be done via ad revenue or subscription models. Contrary to popular belief, media is not passive income. You have to keep it up to make it work for you.

• Media Showings. Basically, this is when you get hired to be a media personality on a show or on an interview.

• Merchandise. If you make your own deck, boom. This is it. Once again, this appears passive until you realize you have to market it and spend revenue marketing it if you don’t do it yourself.

All of these can and do add up, but let’s just face it: one massive influencer-sponsorship deal is big enough that it would likely replace at least two of those income streams alone.

More importantly, it likely takes way, way less effort.

What you end up seeing is a lot more people looking at their influencing like a business model. They want to cash in. They want money. Influencer incomes have been on the decline for a hot minute, so some might feel the panic already setting in with the economy being the way it is.

Do these influencers really believe the Christian rhetoric they’re touting?

For the vast majority of them, my money is on a hard “NO.”

Most of these influencers are there because they want to make money. Many of the most notorious right-wing influencers are fairly well-known for allegedly not believing the stuff they spew in real life—including Pearl Davis.

Heck, many Christian influencers who didn’t quite manage to get a slice of the Christian pie also came forth and admitted it was a cash grab once they realized their fan base wasn’t buying it. If I remember correctly, “Christ With Cali” was a good example of that. (I might be wrong, though.)

When shticks don’t work out, most influencers and content creators will drop it and try to repair their image. It’ll happen here too. In the political sphere, some right-wingers actually had the audacity to say they were “duped” into working for Russian assets.

Subscribe now

However…Not all are non-believers.

I’d wager that for every 10 influencers who suddenly drop all things New Age for Christ, one might be legitimately converted to whatever denomination or belief system they adopted from their patrons.

A good example of this would be Doreen Virtue. You might’ve seen her oracle decks all over spirituality shops. She penned decks like the Goddess Guidance Oracle deck below. She was (and to a point, still is) a staple in the New Age and Spirituality worlds.

She was kind of a trailblazer. Virtue was a major name in the Wicca community, a staunch pagan, and a major proponent of card readings. Then, she found Jesus. And that’s when she started to spin her oracle decks into more angelic and Christian tones.

Eventually, she disavowed card readings altogether and called them artifacts of “spiritual deception.” She truly seems to believe what she says, too—much to the annoyance and chagrin of those who bought her decks.

While most other major names who went down the Jesus path seem to have been monetarily pushed that way, I don’t think Virtue was part of that movement. There are some who, for one reason or another (including personal traumas) drop spirituality entirely.

What should you do if you notice your favorite tarot influencer going Evangelical?

Simple: recognize the times we’re in and what this is most likely a sign of. Specifically”

1. They most likely got bought out or decided to make the business decision to switch brands.

2. They are no longer offering services you like.

3. Supporting them means you’re likely supporting right-wing dark money wrapped up in a Christian costume.

4. There is a decent chance they never believed in what they said or the readings they did. (Sorry!)

Unfortunately, that’s the reality of trusting influencers. If they flip-flop, it’s because they no longer can sell the honest product.

Once again, I ask that you look for warning signs of dishonest influencers.

Yes, if they seem over the top or use algorithm vibes, chances are high they are just looking for a buck. Yes, if you never seem to get a way to book a reading or have never really sat with them for a reading, chances are that you might be dealing with a grifter in tarot artist’s clothing.

Here are some of the biggest warning signs of dishonest influencers:

• They seem newish to the trade. They don’t talk about their journey. They don’t seem to know what the cards mean.

• You notice starfucking. Do they seem to try to reach out to other influencers or look super sexy for no reason? Yep. Starfucking.

• They dial up the magic vibes to 11. Actual readers who work intuitively tend to be a lot more low-key. They don’t go for theatrics.

• Dishonest influencers tend to have a more corporate veneer about them. If you’ve ever watched a channel go big on YouTube, you know what I mean. There is structure, there is a certain rigidity, and to a point, even the way the influencer talks changes.

• You’re getting cult vibes. Uh, TikTok is now considered to be the epicenter of a lot of new cults. Cults are actively using TikTok to recruit and some of them can be fairly dangerous—if not downright destructive.

• You notice they cash in on all the new trends. One minute, they are talking about how big they are on voodoo. The next, they say that Kali has a reading for you. Then, they talk about how angels work or how Lilith is rooting for you.

Use discernment. Use judgment. Spirituality is not a one-size-fits-all thing and if they try to make it seem that way, I got news for ya…

As many of you know, I do a program called “Tarot for America” on Havs of Bast, and formerly, my main site . This is a program where me and a bunch of my friends pull tarot cards to read the potential future of the United States and answer questions about what we see in the future.

Whenever possible, the notorious hops in with astrological heads ups about where the trajectory of America is going. (July 4, 1776 means that it’s a Cancer nation, by the way.)

So far, we’ve had some hits as well as some misses. These included:

• Ukraine would still survive. I saw Russia losing the war.

• Trump having serious problems. Yep, I saw health problems. I don’t think he’ll finish his term, honestly.

• The Epstein Files causing more and more political divisions. We also called that a man and a woman were doing a lot of the heavy lifting when it came to hiding the Trump affair.

• Pam Bondi getting removed from office. Yep. Called it.

• An offer of money related to the Epstein Files. I think this was bribery to drop the pursuits. In Tarot for America 5, I actually said Trump would likely die before he gets charges hit him.

As per usual, I am going to point out that tarot is not a foolproof way to read the future. However, I’m a believer that they offer a good “snapshot” of the energy that’s going on right now. It shows you what would happen provided that everything continues the way it is.

We all have free will. You can generally change the outcome if you try hard enough—at least, most of the time. Maybe, actually. I haven’t figured out if fate is a thing quite yet, though I’m starting to believe it is. With that said, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Ever.

What tarot cards could indicate a war?

I figure I should say which cards would indicate a war, a societal collapse, or a major moment of mayhem. Here’s the ones that come to my mind.

The 5 of Wands

The 5 of Wands is known as the “Valor” card because it’s meant to be a card indicating a competition among men. This is a card that doesn’t really look like a competition. It looks like a bunch of people fighting and beating each other up.

Valor is often associated with war. So is fighting. ‘Nuff said.

3 of Swords

This is often a card that comes up with heartbreak (hence the three swords being driven into a heart). It’s also a card of betrayal. From personal experience, this is a card that comes up whenever an event occurs that causes serious, life-altering losses to the subject.

If you see this, it’s likely a particularly violent war that causes devastating losses to the querent. I also sometimes read this as an assassination card.

10 of Swords

The 10 of Swords is a card that tends to indicate the aftermath of a disaster. This is the sign of people “counting the dead,” in this case possibly literally. Now is the time to rebuilt.

The Tower

I’ve always thought that the Tower card looked like a card that involved bombs going off. In the case of a war reading, it could also denote a sudden, abrupt change in circumstances—such as an unexpected invasion, a blitzkrieg, or a terror attack.

The Moon

The Moon is a card that is all about clandestine affairs, illusions, and sketchy behavior. This is the card that I always end up pulling when all is not what it appears to be. I’ve also pulled it when I had people speak ill of me or when mental illness played a role in the trajectory of a particular event.

When I think of wars, I think of both deadly invasions (like Russia + Ukraine) and situations like the Cold War. The Moon is a “Cold War” card that suggests most of the battle will involve propaganda, espionage, and intrigue.

What cards suggest two countries making peace?

If war can be detected in cards, so can peace. Let’s talk about the major cards I associate with it:

• 2 of Cups. This literally is the “Marriage” cards. This might be a card that gets pulled if two countries end up peacefully uniting as one or two countries decide to pull an allyship.

• 3 of Pentacles. This is the card that always pops up with paperwork and documentation. Peace treaty time!

• 3 of Cups. I sometimes think of this as a group of people making peace after an argument and partying. Maybe this is a victory party after a war?

• 2 of Swords. It’s called the “Truce” card by tarot gurus for a reason. This is a truce, or rather, a stalemate that tends to just end in an uneasy peace. From what I’ve noticed, the 2 of Swords doesn’t always stay peaceful.

• Temperance. This is a card that is often shown as a card of peace. It’s a sign of people mellowing out.

• Strength. See above. This is a card that might indicate a need for very, very wise counsel and diplomacy to establish peace.

• The Sun. The sun always shines on peace, right? The new baby on the horse tends to be a sign of a new era of peace.

Some final thoughts…

Really, tarot can be used to bring in a read on almost anything. However, it’s all subjective. So while I use these cards for my readings, it’s about what you see.

This time around, we tackle what we see in terms of Trump’s presidency, Epstein, and the evil Mr. Thiel!

Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Get more from Havs of Bast in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

As many people know, there was a guy who I really thought I was into who ghosted me on Valentine’s Day. During that time, I didn’t know what to think. Was he going to call and tell me he was wrong? Was I going to get what I felt was owed to me for the planning and buying I did? Or was he going to stay a ghost?

Well, I hit the cards quite a bit.

And I also asked other people to lay the cards.

So, here’s what happened: everyone said that the chapter is not closed, but he hasn’t called yet. And frankly, I’m at the point where even if he did call, he wouldn’t be welcome in my life again. I don’t take kindly to people who ghost me when I need them or don’t actually follow through on their shit.

My cards showed something interesting though. Unlike others’ cards, my cards showed a different spread that suggested a permanent walking away. What I realized is that it was showing the real ending of my time with this guy.

A lot of people tend to ask the cards about whether or not an ex will come back. Speaking from prior experience, here’s my take on it using the Rider-Waite deck.

Legal Notice: Never put full stock into cards, because they can always be wrong. Or rather, they can always give an answer that doesn’t tell the full story or get influenced by what you wanna see. With that said, let’s get this party started.

What tarot cards show an ex reaching out to you?

Let’s start off with the single cards that reveal outreach and potential reconciliation.

8 of Wands

I use this card as the go-to for getting news from other people. Each of the wands denotes a flurry of communication, often coming from far off places. I usually get this when there’s going to be a lot of people calling me up, emailing me, DMing me, or texting me.

This doesn’t always necessarily mean that there will be a direct text from your ex. But it will mean there will be people potentially talking around it.

6 of Cups

This is the ultimate reconciliation card. Often called the “Nostalgia” card, this is a card that shows a little boy giving flowers to a little girl. It’s a card that harkens back to the sweetness of your first love—and often denotes that at least one of you wants to go back to “how things were.”

This is a major reconciliation indicator, or at the very least, says that someone wants to reach out to you and start over again.

Temperance

Temperance is one of those cards I often have a hard time reading, but I’ve seen people mention that it’s a card of emotional healing. I usually have seen it drop when people have someone who wants to get the peace settled.

Temperance can also come up when you’re dealing with someone playing the peacekeeper between you two. So if you have a buddy who wants to try to get you two talking again, that would be this card in a nutshell.

2 of Cups

I’ve said it before: the 2 of Cups is the real “Lovers” card. This is a card that literally shows two people uniting as lovers under a Caduceus: the symbol of healing. If you are looking for a good indication that things are going to be getting better with your relationship.

This card also indicates marriage, falling in love, and reuniting with a spouse after a long return. Basically, if you get this card, expect to hear something sooner rather than later. A happy ending is usually around the corner.

Wheel of Fortune

The Wheel of Fortune is what most people would call the “fate” card. This is the card that gets pulled when a chance meeting ends up blowing up into something a little crazier, more long-term, or more impactful. That’s why it’s a popular card among gamblers.

This card is one you might pull if you run into that ex out of sheer luck, then have him start to call you to see if you’re good. I want to point out that this IS a gambling card, so make sure that the reconciliation is one that’s worth the risk. Not all are!

Ace of Cups

Any time that you get an ace card, expect to be given something out of blue sky. With the cups suit, you’re talking about an emotional offering. This is a card that says something emotionally rewarding is coming your way, being offered to you.

In a lot of cases, I’ve pulled the Ace of Cups when a major mea culpa is going to happen. This is a card I’ve pulled when people came up, admitted wrongdoing, said sorry, and actually followed through with their apologies.

5 of Cups

Did your ex fuck up? Like really badly fuck up? To the point that they feel remorse and guilt over how they behaved? This card suggests that they may be hung up on you and embarrassed or guilty over how they behaved.

HOWEVER…

I’ve also gotten this card when I was grieving a relationship that I should have walked away from. If you’re the one who is unreasonably hung up on a person, now is the time to stop trying to wait for them to come back.

Subscribe now

What tarot cards suggest that your ex won’t come back?

Now you know what’s up with reconciliation, but let’s be real. Not everything is always meant for a happy ending. These tarot cards suggest your ex is gone for good.

8 of Cups

This is your tarot deck’s equivalent of shaking you and saying, “BITCH, HE LEFT. GIVE IT UP.”

4 of Cups

The 4 of Cups is a card that indicates a person who’s being offered reconciliation but is declining it. You’re offering, no one wants it. It’s disillusionment, dead ends, and maybe a bit of depression. In other words, it’s a no go.

Death

The Death card is an ending card, plain and simple. In it, you see people pleading with the Grim Reaper begging to be saved. They’re still dying. This is a good allegory for your relationship.

It’s a card that warns you to stop trying to resurrect a dead relationship. It’s a “dead end,” so to speak.

The Hermit

He’s sitting there, alone, waiting. This is a sign that you might have to wait for way longer than you’d want to before anything happens.

10 of Swords

This is a lot like the Death card in terms of relationship meanings. The guy on the ground is dead. He’s donezo. There’s a new dawn approaching, but the actual dead guy is not coming back.

This is a sign that the person hurt you a lot. You’re bleeding out, emotionally. Now is a time to just try to heal. Don’t try to fix the dead guy.

9 of Pentacles

I often get this as a “suggestion” card from my deck. It’s a sign that you need to take time to be solo, live it up nicely, and work on your finances. This is the most polite way your deck can tell you to “drop the subject” and move on.

So what should you know about that tarot love reading?

It’s simple. Cards can show you what the energy looks like at any given point, but that energy can change. Moreover, just because YOU want the relationship to continue doesn’t mean it’s a wise choice or that your ex wants it.

I’m of the school of thought that tends to say it’s called a breakup because it’s broken. So rather than ask the cards, move on unless they show serious, long-term work.

Not too long ago, my friend’s marriage was dead. In fact, this friend (who we’ll call Kathy*) noticed a lot of things were going wrong in her life. Her friends were icy to her. She was unusually lonely. Any time she tried to make her husband talk to her, it was met with icy, snappy remarks.

She was having mental breakdowns on the regular. She was desperate to know what she could do to fix things—and she was deluded to try to think that they could be fixed. But, she wasn’t ready for that news at the time.

Kathy asked me for a reading. I obliged. I pulled cards asking about the future of her marriage. The reading kept having the same three cards over and over and over again: Ace of Swords, Tower, and 8 of Cups.

Long story short, she discovered messages on her husband’s phone that showed some really horrible behavior from everyone around her. Her “friends” hated her. Her relationship was not salvageable at all, despite the hints her spouse gave. It was all a lie.

They’re now divorced. She refused to speak with anyone who betrayed her, though she did confront them. Stories like this happen every day. Truth has a way of revealing itself, especially in tarot. If you’re hoping a secret will be revealed, watch for these cards.

Legal Note: Tarot is a highly subjective method of divination, which means that any card can mean anything—provided that the context is there. It’s also worth noting that you should not make major life decisions based on your readings alone. When necessary, consult a therapist, a private eye, or an attorney.

Tarot Note: I’m doing this based on Rider-Waite deck interpretations. If you use other stuff, just give me a heads up.

Which tarot cards suggest secrets being revealed?

Like with all tarot, any card can mean a secret being revealed. So, always use a little bit of discernment when it comes to what you’re discussing and think about the context clues around the discussion. Oh, and always listen to your gut. With that said, let’s get it on.

7 of Swords

If there was ever a card that talked about deception, it’s the 7 of Swords. In it, a crafty thief can be seen walking away with a pile of pilfered swords. In the background, soldiers can be seen watching him as he walks away.

The message here is clear, especially if you’re the one pulling the fast one: people are likely already aware something is up, if not totally aware of what you’re doing. Expect shit to hit the fan sooner rather than later if you’re doing dodgy stuff.

Ace of Swords

Like all Ace Cards, this tends to be seen as a big deal—and a generally nice card to have. This is a card that is meant to signify breakthroughs, new opportunities, or major life-altering revelations.

In the case of Kathy, the Ace of Swords was still kind of a good sign despite it heralding the end of her relationship. It forced her to look at the reality of the situation. Once she saw what was what, it was much easier for her to walk away from it all.

The High Priestess

Perhaps it’s just me, but I’ve noticed that the High Priestess tends to come out whenever secrets are being held. Unlike other cards here, this tends to be a nudge that tells you, “Hey, you know what is going on. Your intuition is telling you that truth and you need to stop questioning yourself.”

If the secret-keeper is female, you also might find this card being an admission of guilt.

Tower

The Tower card might be the scariest card in the deck. When this keeps getting pulled, you know shit’s about to go down. Let me explain it in the classic spiel I used:

Towers fall when they need to fall. Fighting it does not help. From personal experience, the Tower card tends to happen when you’re not expecting it—a job gone bad, a relationship that has cheating, or similar stuff. It gets revealed. And it’s not pretty.

The Moon

Ah, the Moon. There was an old belief that the most secretive of plans always happened under moonlight. The Moon card in tarot has a lot of meetings, often somewhat convoluted.

This is a card that often has something to do with the theme of illusions, delusions, mental illness, or deception. More often than not, it’s a sign that something isn’t right. Whether it’s your own mind playing tricks on you or your own entourage doing the same can often be revealed by the cards.

For example, I’ve pulled the Moon card when it came to Kathy’s attitude about her marriage—a sign that she was delusional. I’ve also pulled it when I asked about my former boss’s intentions with me. He pulled a fast one on me.

2 of Swords

This is often a card that I get when I am stuck in a crossroads or when I should see the clues in front of me but I refuse to. The blindfold and guarded stance of the person is a metaphor for being the guy who shouts “LALALALA I’M NOT LISTENING!”

Eventually, that blindfold has to come off. The question is, will it be willingly or unwillingly.

The Magician

So, I’ve noticed that the Magician can be a card that comes with a lot of different meanings. It can mean an exceptional, savant-like worker. However, it often means someone who has a way of flim-flamming other people.

By itself, the Magician tends to be a sign that someone isn’t who they appear. However, when combined with other cards associated with betrayal, it can often point to the guilty party who did you wrong.

Read more

Most of my life was spent in a spiritual struggle that made no sense. I’d go to church, have horrible things happen to me, get treated like shit, lose faith, then guilt myself into working with the “light side” again. It was a sick, vicious cycle.

Things got easier when I found paganism, yet that same struggle kept happening. Don’t get me wrong. I started to see my life get better once I started working with Bast. Bast is a gentle goddess.

Sekhmet, on the other hand, treated my life like a whirlwind—and left me sifting through the wreckage once she was done tearing down everything that was not meant for me.

It was only fairly recently that I actually started to see my spirituality click into place. It was when I started working with Lilith, Asmodeus, Sitri, and Belial. Things just got easier. And now I actually feel the full benefits of a healthy spiritual journey.

Ever wonder if you’re on the right path? Let’s talk about it.

#1: The weird guilt trips you felt no longer bother you.

One of the key signs you’re on a bad spiritual path is when you feel like you’re a bad person for just existing or doing natural things. A loving god would never create a being, then say that they’re horrible for being gay, trans, or even just horny. That’s fucked up.

I spent most of my life trying to be the best “good girl” I could. Every organized religion told me I was wrong in one way or another. I’ve heard things like:

• “You’re tempting men to sin!” Uh, didn’t Jesus say men who are tempted should pluck out their eyes? How is this a “me” problem?

• “You’re worshipping the wrong God/you’re worshipping the wrong way.” I got this regardless of how I’d worship.

• “You’re a sinner.” Uh huh, as are you…

Basically, it made me feel awful. And that was a bad sign that I was not on a good spiritual path. Spirituality should uplift you, not break you down. Be honest with yourself. Are you being lifted up by your practice? Do you feel more comfortable in your skin as a result of religion?

If not, it’s time to bounce.

#2: Luck just seems to keep rolling in.

I’ve said this before, but when you’re on the right path, the universe seems to make you feel like the world is your oyster. People give you free stuff, just because. Your business starts to boom. You get let off of a ticket when you should have gotten points on your license.

It. Just. Works.

Having recently experienced this since I started working with Lilith, Asmodeus, Sitri, and Belial, I can honestly say it’s a beautiful thing. I feel better. Life treats me better. Even when the odds are against me, things just seem to work out better.

#3: You find strange coincidences tied to your religion around every corner.

True story: when I went to see in South Carolina, I took a train. I was nervous because I was going through my No Man’s Land area. Almost immediately, a woman approached me about my outfit.

She was wearing Lilith’s sigil.

I go back home, and another woman approached me about my outfit. She then looks at me, cocks her head, and I kid you not, says, “You know, you have a really powerful succubus energy around you. You’re demonic.”

We’re now friends. Yes, she’s got the same patron demon that I do. No, the chances of seeing that at random are almost zero. Think about it. I was in the Deep South, where demon lovers are not exactly treated kindly. To have someone just approach you like that? It’s rare AF.

Or, we could talk about the other coincidence I had.

I had a very rough day due to a certain issue and I got so angry that I chucked my sigil necklaces at the ground. Yanni and I found two, but not the third. It was as if the sigil melted into the earth! We went back every day, looking for the sigil.

It was only when the situation I was upset about turned around that we found that sigil. The craziest part? It was on the pavement, at the parking lot we had searched daily for three days. There was no way we would have missed it.

#4: You start seeing things make sense.

Here’s a big one I noticed: the spiritual path you choose (or are destined for) tends to make you feel more guided. You get a better idea of where you want to be in five years from now. You start realizing who was really your friend and who wasn’t.

When you’re on the wrong spiritual path, it almost feels like you’re walking through a fog that you can’t get out of. You’re hazy. You’re kind of walking from one day to the next, trying to make sense of everything. You’re stressed. You are always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I’ve personally found that the right spiritual path makes everything make more sense. It’s helped me make sense of why certain doors closed, why I kept getting called back to certain industries, and why the “right path” everyone kept telling me to take felt so wrong.

#5: You finally feel at peace—and you start following your gut.

I mean, this one should go without saying, but if you’re finally feeling a sense of peace and trust in the universe, you’re doing right. You’re right where you should be to do what you need to do.

I’ve also noticed that a lot of the people who finally feel spiritually aligned tend to learn how to finally “trust the process” of the universe. This is true, even when you’re going through massive changes or major problems in life. It just all feels better.

Many people tend to start doing (positive) things they often wouldn’t dare doing prior to getting in touch with their religious side. They often start new college programs, new exercise programs, and even stop using drugs.

#6: You start wanting to do good for others.

“Good” can mean a lot of things for a lot of people. For those of us who were harmed by certain religions, it often means giving others a safe, non-judgmental harbor away from the tyranny of “God-loving” people. For others, it could mean feeding the hungry or helping the poor.

A good spiritual path will make you want to pay it forward for others, no matter which path you take.

#7: In some cases, you might start getting new abilities.

I’ve heard of people getting a lot more psychic than before. A former friend of mine started getting more clairvoyant since she started working with angels. Another became a lot more clairsentient.

An increase in psychic ability is not a must-have sign for being spiritually aligned, but from personal experience, it’s definitely a pretty telltale sign.

#8: Things that would have seemed crazy before just feel natural.

Yanni and I are both living examples of this. We’re getting legally married almost immediately after my divorce is finalized, which is totally batshit these days. Yet, it feels natural to me. We already completed the religious side of it between each other.

It gets crazier. If someone would have told me that I would:

• Leave the entire underground rave scene behind.

• Pack up and go to South Carolina, live in a small cabin for five days, and eat fried foods.

• Cross through Washington DC and Baltimore without having a full psychotic break.

• Marry an older, heavyset white guy who worked in country music.

• Want to go back to college.

I would have laughed my ass off at you. In fact, I would have asked you to share whatever drugs you were on with me because they had to be the “good good” stuff. Yet, here I am. It happened. And I love it.

The moment I saw Yanni, it all felt so natural. I felt like I belonged right next to him, even though I did not fit in with the local vibe at all. I felt like I had a higher calling—and a higher blessing—just to be with him.

And Yanni? If you would have told him he would:

• Marry a porn star with color-changing eyes.

• Quit his radio show and move out of South Carolina.

• Start a content creation career at 45.

• Enjoy his new exercise routine.

He probably would have laughed too. Yet, here we are.

#9: Looking back, your life seemed to be setting the stage for the path you’re on now.

Months ago, I was in the worst state of my life. I had gotten cripplingly addicted to kratom. My husband left. My “friends” hated me. I was lost, adrift, and spat out of the very world that once was my raison d’etre.

Then, I met a hot guy named Scott who seemed like he’d be perfect. We met on a sugar dating site. I fell hard. We’d dated for a minute, then he ghosted me on my first Valentine’s Day as a divorced woman, because of course he did.

I think that’s when I hit my rock bottom.

I had prayed to God, so frequently, for a fucking loving husband—a man to be my partner. I had prayed for a social scene. I had prayed for financial stability. I prayed to other gods for it. It felt abundantly clear that no “positive” deity was willing to give me what I wanted.

So, I turned to demonolatry. I felt desperate. I felt defeated. The moment I started to give into that side of me was the moment I found a new clique of Left Hand Path people. They were the majority of the people who made me feel happy and beautiful and safe again.

Looking back, I never would have chosen this path if I had not lost everything. It had to happen for me to see the Satanic light. I’ve seen similar stories from people suited to other spiritual walks, including Christianity and Norse paganism.

Sometimes, your patron deity sets the path for you to walk—and that path ain’t always pretty. There’s no other way to say it, is there?

Man, what a week it’s been. I had a rough one. Many others did too.

After exploring the cards that reflect the pain and upheaval of job loss, it’s time to turn the page toward more hopeful territory. Tarot is not only a watchdog for hardship — it is also a beacon of light for better days.

Just as certain cards can signal an ending, others carry the unmistakable energy of a fresh start in one’s career. Whether you are actively job searching or simply wondering what lies ahead, the following cards are ones you will want to welcome in a reading.

So, let’s dive in about the best cards to get when you’re looking for a job.

What tarot cards indicate a new job offer or a new job on the horizon?

Ah, a new job. That’s the light at the end of the tunnel, no? A new job can make a whole world of difference. Let’s talk about the most notorious cards for this.

Note: Quick reminder, I use Rider-Waite for the basic interpretations of these cards. If you use a different deck, then you might have a different result and a different interpretation. Use your eyes and your gut with tarot! Always.

Ace of Pentacles

I often call this the “Golden Opportunity” card. It’s a card that is literally the job offer you’ve been hoping for being handed to you, often in a surprising manner. From personal experience, I’ve noticed this as a card that you get when you’re dealing with well-paid opportunities.

Three of Pentacles

Ooh, this is the “teamwork” card. Most of the time, I pull this when I see contracts being signed or when you’re about to pick up some contract work. If you’re looking for gigs or 1099 roles, this is one of the best cards that you can pull because it means you’re getting that contract signed and you’re getting integrated into the team.

Ace of Wands

Generally speaking, all Ace cards tend to be generally positive. The Ace of Wands is a card that appears when doors are opening—and not the small ones, either. These are often the giant, bow-on-top opportunities that can transform your life.

However, I’ve noticed that this can also display an “opportunity” that isn’t really that big of an opportunity. Rather, the people offering it can see you as a source of free labor. So take a look at the cards surrounding it. All that glitters is not gold!

King of Pentacles/Knight of Pentacles/Page of Pentacles

These all tend to be cards that are used to denote people, such as a boss, an intern, or a coworker in finance. However, if you’re not in finance, you might see this as a sign heralding new contracts or a new benefactor.

Generally speaking, the older the guy, the more likely it is that you’ll get a large sum of money from him. It also can indicate that you’re growing in your career—a great sign for you to have!

Six of Wands

I mean, the card kind of speaks for itself. A triumphant knight is being paraded around a street, to the cheers of onlookers. This is called the “Victory Card” for a reason. It’s all about being recognized and rewarded for the work you did and the battles you fought.

If you had a very difficult time getting a job so far, this is the card you want to see. It’s a sign the war’s over.

Ten of Pentacles

Ah, what’s not to love about all this? An older man looks over as his son and daughter-in-law dance. Pets are happily resting nearby, in a beautiful garden filled with coins. This is a sign of stability in the future, often a sign that the job will be able to help cement yourself and your family for the long run.

In some cases, this can also denote a family business.

Nine of Cups

A man proudly displays his nine filled cups in the air, right in front of a golden background. He’s happy. This card is one of two “wish cards” seen in the standard Rider-Waite tarot deck.

This is a sign of a wish being granted. If your wish was to get a new job, that’s a sign that it will happen sooner than you think.

The Sun

The Sun is one of those cards that is hard to hate. It’s bright, sunny, filled with golden flower, and also features a baby riding on a horse on the way to the viewer. This is a card that is meant to evoke feelings of optimism. Cheer up, buttercup!

The new baby often indicates children but in a career, it often indicates new projects or opportunities. It’s all about nurturing your opportunities here. Oh, and since it’s the Sun card, I’ve noticed that most jobs that get this tend to show that they are on the up-and-up.

Want to get a deeper read into your career? Want to hear my personal thoughts on this tarot reading vibe? Subscribe as a paid member to read the full spiel.

Subscribe now

Read more

offers up her insights on manifestation as well as updates on her life, the difficulty of losing a pet, and being proud of raising amazing, empathetic children. She’s excited about her podcast tomorrow with the awesome —a must-see show for fans of feminist creators.

has the scoop on what the New Moon in Taurus means for us all—a lot of self-love, earthly delights, financial advances, and physical recuperation. Along with awesome astro insights, Karen gave us an amazing money spell.

Simple Money Spell

To attract more money, place some cash underneath your doormat. Any time someone walks over the mat, it’ll bring more money to your house. An alternative is to place coins on your window sill at the new moon. Collect them all once the next lunar cycle starts.

, High Priestess of the Havs of Bast, offers up advice on manifesting as well as a story about how her ex’s dog reincarnated as a cat, plus a quick spell to call a pet back.

Pet Reincarnation Spell

It’s not always guaranteed that pets can come back. A lot of animals and people need a long time to rest before they come back to this realm. However, you can always shoot your shot.

1. Clear out your home of energy. Sage works well but so does dragon’s blood or frankincense.

2. Play soothing music. You want to be able to feel calm.

3. Light a white candle. Wait for the candle to be lit and try to feel for a chill in the air. This is often the sign of a spirit nearby.

4. Invite the pet to come back to you. Tell your pet how much you love them and that you want them to be your pet again, in a new body. Offer them your home and ask for a sign that they’re back. Mention that it’s up to them to choose if they’d want to return, but that they are always welcome.

5. Let the white candle burn out completely. When you go to sleep that night, you may also get a visitation dream.

A reincarnated pet will often have unusual similarities with your old pet, especially personality-wise or habit-wise. In some cases, they may even look similar. From what I’ve noticed, reincarnated pets tend to arrive in very happenstance, seemingly random ways.

If your pet doesn’t return or show a sign, don’t despair. That often means that your pet might simply be healing, reuniting with other animals, or just doing spirit things. It doesn’t mean your pet doesn’t love you or anything like that. It just means it’s not the right time or that another pet might be waiting to be born so that you can get ready to adopt it.

Thank you , , , , , and many others for tuning into my live video with and ! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Get more from Havs of Bast in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

As a person who works part-time as a psychic, I noticed something about clients. Most people will ask about one of two main themes: relationships and money. It makes sense. Those two elements make a huge impact on how our lives go and how happy we are.

With the economy swirling the drain the way it is, it makes sense to keep an eye on your income. More specifically, it makes sense to make sure your income doesn’t vanish underneath your feet.

Because I know a lot of people are feeling shaky about their jobs, my next tarot guide is going to talk about how to see if the cards are trying to warn you about a pink slip in your future.

Legal Note: Tarot is a highly subjective method of divination, which means that any card can mean anything—provided that the context is there. It’s also worth noting that you should not make major life decisions based on your readings alone. When necessary, consult a therapist, a private eye, or an attorney.

Which tarot cards suggest that you might lose your job soon?

All tarot cards are subjective, so make sure to keep an eye on what you asked and how you asked it. Here are the ones in the Rider-Waite deck that raise my hackles when it comes to the job market and job stability.

7 of Swords

Most of us (kind of) have an idea when we’re on the chopping block. We start getting written up more. Rumors of a layoff start swirling. People start giving you this weird vibe that they know something but don’t want to tell you. People avoid eye contact.

Then wham, boom!

You’re let go.

The 7 of Swords has that energy. You know something is afoot. You see the workings. Maybe you see someone stealing credit or sabotaging your work. This is your sign to act strategically so you don’t have a hard landing.

5 of Pentacles

Tower aside, the 5 of Pentacles is my least favorite card in the deck. It’s the card of poverty. Two injured people are seeing trudging along in the snow. They’re wearing tattered clothing. They’re hungry and sick. They are also locked out from the warmth of the church in the background—or perhaps, going there for sanctuary.

Nicknamed the “Poverty Card,” this message is clear: you’re going to have a bad time in the realm of finances. You’re going to suffer. It will be clear to others around you that you’re hurting for cash. And if you’re married, it often means that you will bear an unusually heavy load for you and your partner.

Speaking as someone who kept getting this for the past three years, I can say it was rough.

5 of Swords

Whenever I see this in a job spread or a career spread, I tend to warn people. Much like the 5 of Pentacles, this is generally a bad card to pull. In it, you can see a person walking away with (clearly stolen) swords while two others cry over it.

This is a card that suggests that you might get pushed out of a job, perhaps by a bully. It’s regularly pulled when you’re in a toxic environment. If you get this one, you may want to leave your job before you’re booted out.

The Tower Card

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the Tower Card is a sign you'd better brace for impact. Your shit’s about to go down. If you pulled this asking about your job, there’s a very good chance that your “totally solid, not going anywhere” job is going to evaporate.

On the other hand, the Tower can (theoretically) be a good card to see if you are dealing with a wall of problems that you must overcome. It could be a sign that the “Ivory Tower” keeping you out might come tumbling down. It’s just that I don’t really see that interpretation too often.

A good rule of thumb is that you should look for employment if you notice that you got the Tower quite often in your career.

Death

I think this is self-explanatory, right? Death is all about endings and transitions. If you pick this when asking about your job, you’re going to end something. Even if the job itself isn’t over, the energy around it says you want out. It’s a “Dead-End Job.”

10 of Swords

Oof. This is basically a combination of the Tower and the 5 of Swords. It’s a guy being stabbed in the back, 10 times, by swords. He’s dead. The situation is over. There’s the dawn of a new day happening. It’s peaceful because he’s at rock bottom.

This is a card I’ve pulled when I’ve been betrayed by coworkers and forced out of a job. There’s no more fight there. It’s all done. All you can do now is just leave.

Judgment

Maybe this is just a “me” thing, but I also noticed that the Judgment card tends to be a sign of a job ending. While it has a reputation as a “second chances” card or a “wakeup call” card, I’ve noticed that it also can mean something quite literal: they’re judging you.

If they don’t like what they see, this card can indicate that it’s time to look for new opportunities.

3 of Swords

Do you adore your job? Like, is it your raison d’etre? If so, watch for this card. This is a heartbreak card. (I mean, c’mon. Three swords through a heart. Ouch!) Expect this if there’s an office betrayal, a sudden layoff, or being booted from your job.

8 of Cups

Not all tarot cards that indicate a job loss are cards that suggest that you’re going to hate losing your job. The 8 of Cups is one such card. This shows a person leaving a stack of cups of his own volition as the moon looks onward in a slightly annoyed manner.

In other words, this is a card that indicates you might say, “Screw this shit! I’m going home.”

The World

Most people read the world as a “happy ending” card. You’ve finished this stage of your life. It’s the end of the game and you have to level up. You need to make sure that you’re ready to tackle the next gig in line.

Yes, you might lose your job. No, it might not always be your choice. But yes, something new is coming.

Which tarot cards indicate career sabotage?

Great question. I’ve noticed that many of the cards that come from the main job loss pile tend to suggest career sabotage and issues. More specifically, the ones to watch for include:

• 3 of Swords - Considered a “Betrayal” card

• 5 of Swords - Considered a “Office Bullying” card

• 7 of Swords - Considered a “Obvious Fuckery” card

• 10 of Swords - Considered a “Betrayal” card

However, there are other cards that might suggest problems in the workplace. Here’s what you might want to keep an eye out for…

Magician/High Priestess + 7 of Swords + 5 of Swords

Be careful! These cards suggest that a man or woman might be pulling a sleight of hand in your office that will screw you over. This is also a sign of a toxic workplace that you might get tossed from.

5 of Wands + King of Swords/Queen of Swords

Generally speaking, you should never anger a “Swords” leader in the workplace. It will fuck your life up. They tend to be the type of people who will cut you down to size and get your ass thrown out.

Moon + 5 of Swords

Most tarot card combinations are a little more overt about the way they show sabotage. This is a sign that the office bullying is covert in nature. You might think everything is okay, but it’s not.

This often means that you’re secretly hated at work. Or that you’re about to get slapped upside the face by a cruel reality check.

Ever since I was a little girl, I had a lot of weird dreams involving France and Germany. French came damn near natural to me. German did too—though there were other reasons for that.

I often had a strange fascination with World War II, almost as if some of the historic figures felt a little too familiar. They reminded me of people I knew. Growing up, I was often given media from the 1920s through the 1960s for entertainment.

Laurel and Hardy, the Honeymooners, jazz…that was how I grew up. Lots of classical music too. And as I grew older, something strange started to happen: people started to mention that they had a feeling about a past life of mine that was in France and Germany.

Right before my marriage ended, I dreamt about a place in Europe.

I dreamt I was in a large three-story house by a river in a forest. The house was wrecked, as if it was mostly blown to pieces or torn in half. I saw my then-husband and two of my cats (the Siamese ones) in there.

I was wearing 1940s apparel and somehow I knew I was dead. We were all dead and standing in this broken house. I remember just getting flashes of me walking through the forest at night, hearing a Nazi saying, “ACHTUNG!”

And I remember pretending to be doting on the Nazi. I remember kissing him. Then I took his gun and shot him in the head. Somehow, I knew that particular man experienced soul death. He wasn’t just dead. There was nothing left of his soul.

I dreamt that I said, “Ugh. I hated that fucker.”

Then, the dream cut back to me staring at my husband in the house.

And I remember telling my husband, “I know. We messed up. We didn’t learn. We didn’t get it right.”

He looked at me, “I’m sorry. This was my fault. Maybe we could have lived longer if we had fled earlier.”

I looked at him and said, “It’s okay, my love. I’m just happy to see you again, even like this. We have the next life, and the life after that one to get it right. I love you.”

He looked at me, “I love you too. Are you ready?”

I'm looking in our hands. Two chocolates appeared, one in each of our hands. His was in the shape of a cat. Mine was in the shape of an owl. We kissed. And I nodded to him and said, “I’m ready.”

We ate the chocolates and saw this beautiful golden light that we walked through. I knew somehow that it was supposed to be a reincarnation—or some kind of portal to a spiritual world.

That dream made me try to keep our marriage together for a short time, though the message seemed muddled. Something didn’t seem right about what I interpreted.

Recently, I had another dream.

This time around, I dreamt I was in a concentration camp. I was not a prisoner. I still had my hair. I was wearing a brown skirt past the knee, a jacket, and a light blouse. And I was pushing my two Siamese cats in an old school stroller.

I was in a room somewhere off in a building when I bumped into an SS guard. I remember dropping a paper and he had rolled his eyes at me. He scolded me that people would see me messing with the paperwork and that the cats might distract the guard dogs.

He kissed me and said, “Besides, you don’t want the cats to get taken by prisoners.”

I remember dreaming that I smirked and said they “knew what would happen” if they messed with my cats. He laughed. I looked down and noticed mud on my shoes. I remember saying I was going to make someone shine the shoes.

I woke up and thought that the dream was unusually vivid. I immediately knew that I was a Nazi wife in this dream.

On a hunch, I searched up if there was ever a Nazi who brought cats in a stroller.

This is a screenshot from my search on my phone. My jaw dropped. There was a woman who was apparently rumored to have brought cats in a stroller to a concentration camp: Ilse Koch, the Bitch of Buchenwald.

Words can’t describe the chill I got down my spine when I read that. I did more research and found uncanny parallels:

• She worked as a stenographer at a bookstore. I work as a professional writer and was a former librarian.

• She was attracted to violent men. My dating history is notoriously peppered with felons.

• She was nine years younger than her husband. My husband was nine years younger than me. She outlived her husband. Maybe this time, my ex will outlive me.

• Neither of us has a college degree. She was a wife and had no credentials.

• Her home was a three-story home, about five miles away from a river. This would match what I saw in my first dream.

• She was a noted sex addict who clearly took out her anger in others, often via jaw-droppingly sadistic behavior. And I am a noted sex addict who gets very angry during dry spells. While I would never kill someone to get my jollies off, I can be a very sadistic top (as a switch) in BDSM scenes. I just make a point of actually talking things out so that things remain consensual, safe as can be, and sane.

I felt sick to my stomach. Could that have been me?

Bro, was I a monstrous war criminal?

I obviously don’t know for sure.

Though there is some evidence of reincarnation and life after death, thanks to visionaries like Dr. Long, there’s no official way to say that we reincarnate. Moreover, there’s no way to fully know for sure who we were in our past lives if we do reincarnate.

Part of me wants to pick this stuff apart. I do not want to believe that I was someone like Ilse Koch. I kept looking for accounts of the cats in a stroller story online, but couldn’t find it. So maybe it was AI going haywire, but still, how small are the chances that something would coincide with the dreams I had?

I did, however, find out she had a zoo that was right on the outskirts of Buchenwald—only used by the SS and families. She was apparently known for being an animal lover, though I am not sure she ever had cats.

Moreover, she didn’t have connections to France, while I definitely felt a strange pull to 40s France alongside my weird dreams about Germany. So not everything matched up, though an unsettling amount of it did.

Though there was always the chance that it was just a fluke, just realizing the parallels made me feel sick. Why was I getting those dreams? Why do so many psychics regularly mention Germany AND France as my past life?

Why did they seem so uncanny, so real?

Thinking about the implications terrifies me.

If I were Ilse Koch in a past life, one would have to wonder why I did what I did and why I chose that path. I think most people would wonder the same thing. And worse still, realizing that if it was you in your past life, doesn’t that mean you did those crimes?

It all started to hit me. Was that who I am, in real life? Am I meant to be evil to the core? A sociopath? A cold-blooded killer? Could I have chosen to not be an evil bitch? Was Ilse who I am now? Am I still that evil, deep down inside?

Then I started to wonder: am I capable of doing that level of extreme evil to people in this lifetime? And if not, what changed? Was it my own inner work? Am I still meant to be a monster?

I felt guilt. Horror. Shock. Dismay. And total bewilderment. And guilt. So much guilt.

I often joke that I had to be Hitler in a past life as a result of the hell I was put through. Sometimes, I’d say I was “double Hitler,” just to drive home how bad things got at times. Well, this discovery might have just fucking proved that hunch to be relatively on point.

If I actually was Ilse, then I deserved every horrible thing that has happened to me in this lifetime. All the trauma, the hurt, the abandonment…it wouldn’t have made up for what I did before.

And that’s when I realized something about life before life.

It’s said that we choose the lives we live right now to learn a lesson or a number of lessons. I’ve also had dreams that said certain things can kill a soul—and I believe the Nazi I dreamt I “shot” after death was a person who lost his soul.

For the life of me, I can’t understand how mass murders wouldn’t kill your soul outright. Perhaps that’s something that I can’t fully explain, or that is beyond one’s comprehension.

One thing I often wondered was why we weren’t allowed to know who we were in past lives. Well, I figured it out now. If we knew who we were, we’d still carry the old relationship dynamics into new bodies. And if you reincarnated from a monstrous person, you likely would never live it down—literally.

We’d still carry the same scars, the same privileges, and we would stagnate. A new slate allows us to learn a new way of seeing things. It also allows us to recognize how nuanced life is, provided that we remember everything on the other side.

Here’s what I realized about my life lesson related to Ilse.

Ilse was a cold-blooded bitch. If I am her soul reincarnated, I know I would likely be here to learn empathy. I can’t always empathize with people very easily, especially those that I feel hurt me.

Realizing that I might have been the one who hurt them first in a past life, made me think about things. While I might not always be friendly with people from now on, I do want to learn to better sit in others’ shoes and help others do the same.

I won’t lie. I do not like the possibility that I was a Nazi murderer in a past life, but knowing that’s a possibility gave me a goal. After putting two and two together, I realized I want to be the opposite of Ilse.

That’s my goal—and maybe that’s why I got a glimpse of a past life in the first place.

At its heart, it’s a pagan fire festival. The fires were the centerpiece: massive communal bonfires that were believed to carry protective and purifying power. It was a trial by fire…literally,

The traditions that survived into the modern world — maypole dancing, flower crowns, decorating doorways with hawthorn — all carry that same basic energy: spring is here, everything is alive, let’s make it weird and awesome.

If you want to actually celebrate it today, you really can’t go wrong with:

• Building a fire and gathering people around it

• Picking or buying seasonal flowers and making a crown (hawthorn and rowan are traditional, but honestly anything yellow works)

• Candle magic

• Eating fresh, seasonal food — think spring greens, early strawberries, dairy

• Dancing, ideally around something tall

See how us Lilithians celebrate it. Come join us for a cool ritual, intention setting, and discussion about the fact that this May Day is on a full moon!

Thank you , , and many others for tuning into my live video with ! Join me for my next live video in the app.

Get more from Havs of Bast in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

The other day, I met a woman who was fresh out of a relationship with a guy who described himself as a left-leaning pagan guy. Unfortunately, it became clear that she was with a man who was using those “beliefs” that he allegedly had as a cover to be an abusive jerk.

While we often hear about the sexual abuse that goes on in the Christian church, we don’t always talk about what happens with the pagan community. All in all, my personal experience has been that pagans are far less predatory than Christians tend to be.

However, that’s just my experience. Not everyone has the same experience as I do and there seems to be an issue with a lot of people running into “sex-positive” pagan groups that basically act as a front for free-range sex abusers.

As a pagan, we have to stop this.

Sex abuse comes in two major flavors: purity culture and faux sex-positivity.

I am not going to talk too much about how purity culture is a type of sex abuse. I’ll leave it at this: ignorance is not bliss and shaming people for healthy attractions does not make for healthy relationships.

What we need to talk about is faux sex-positivity. Sex positivity is the radical concept that you should not be ashamed to love who you love, feel lust, or have kinks that are safe, sane, and consensual. It’s sex worker-friendly. It’s trans-friendly.

Oh, and it’s vehemently against pressuring people to sleep with or date people who they don’t want to be with. It’s vehemently against trying to twist people’s hands into doing things they don’t want to do under the guise of religion or work.

Faux sex-positivity is basically early 2000s “feminist pop culture” in a nutshell.

If you’re old enough to remember the 2000s, you might remember how Hollywood treated women. Hollywood was all about showing how “feminist” they were and how “inclusive” they were, but…

• If a woman got raped, it was her fault. Women who spoke out got blackballed from the industry. It was her fault no matter what. Men just slid away after ruining women’s lives. They never faced accountability.

• They talked about how good it is to love yourself, but would also cut women down. The fat-shaming was next level. Even if you were a size 0, being the wrong race would kill your chance at getting hired as a model. No one was ever enough.

• It was “feminist” to have threesomes with other women, but “creepy” if a woman wanted it with two men. That was the interesting thing about the 2000s. All the “feminist” sexuality moves always seemed to benefit men and if women didn’t go on with their “suggested program,” they’d be shamed for it by men.

• It was “feminist” to go 50/50 on dates but somehow it was not good for men to be expected to plan a date. Uh, so when do men actually make an effort in a relationship? Oh wait, right…They don’t.

• You were told not to have sex because that’d make you a slut, but if you didn’t agree to sex, you were frigid. It’s almost as if you can’t win.

• You can “have it all” by being a wife, mother, and entrepreneur/successful career woman. But remember, you shouldn’t rely on your husband for anything, even childcare.

• Sex work was bad but weirdly glorified. I’ll never understand this.

Basically, women were told that they could just “have it all” if they were perfectly white, blonde, skinny, and willing to put out to the right men. If it sounded like a rigged game meant to benefit men, it’s because it was.

That was never feminist. That was a frilly pink bow on misogyny that managed to dupe generations of women into thinking that they had to work harder just to earn the prize that is a man picking them. Ugh.

Well, faux sex-positivity is that same vibe. It’s that weird belief that feminism is only worthy when it benefits men more than women, tells women what to do with their bodies, and gives men a way to blame women for things men do.

Why is faux sex-positivity creeping into some pagan communities?

It’s creeping in for the same reason that we’ve seen it corrupt churches past the point of reputational repair. Predators love to hide under the guise of being the perfect, pure, good guy who would Never Do That (TM).

Most of the men who do this shit already know that most Christian women who are devout will only have sex when they’re married—and then, would never have sex with other women or do kink. That doesn’t excite a lot of predators.

A lot of these men are guys who want to get themselves hot, wild pagan sex. And they decided the best way to do it is to manipulate women who have already experienced harm at the hands of Christians into doing it.

How do predators target pagan women?

They do the pagan version of what a lot of these Christian freaks do. They don the “Understanding Pagan Priest” disguise, listen to them earnestly, then sink their teeth in.

Most of the women I’ve met who have gone down the path of paganism or demonolatry tend to be people who have been badly burned by mainstream Abrahamic religion.

Many of these women dealt with a lot of self-loathing that was encouraged by church leaders or even just silent social standards. This is particularly true of women who are formerly Christian—including myself.

A lot of pagan women, especially newbie “baby witches” are vulnerable to predators, TikTok scammers, and more. They’re trying to heal and the wrong person could give them a very bad experience.

If this sounds like cult leader behavior, that’s because it is.

In recent years, there has been a lot of focus on the damage that comes from Christian cult members. You know the type: the guys who “found God,” started a shill of a church, and now are asking everyone for money as a way to promote their God?

In America, Christianity is a business for most of its exceptionally vocal proponents. However, it’s also a method of control and coercion. If you’ve been burnt by it, you already know how cruel and horrific those communities can be.

For decades, if not centuries, it was the biggest open secret in American culture. Now the secret is out and those same people who are done capitalizing on Christ are going to turn their eyes onto other religions. The same can be said of the sex abusers who hid under a cross to harm women.

Good news: we can do something about it!

The best way to avoid getting brought into the fold is via education. Know the warning signs of a pagan predator:

• He keeps talking about how great he is, how sex-positive he is, how close to a deity he is, and more. The more a person has to say they’re great, the more likely it is that they are a horrible person. They shouldn’t have to sell you on how holy he is.

• He seems unusually charismatic. There’s a reason why “charisma preachers” are the worst offenders. Just saying. Don’t fall for the spell. Call it out.

• Somehow everything turns into a sales pitch or a pitch for sex/dating/love. Does he seem unusually fixated on sexuality? Does a large part of his teachings involve having sex, getting partnered with certain people, or “fated attractions?” BITCH. RUN.

• Others have warned you that he’s not good news. I am going to point this out because a lot of people don’t: reputations matter in the spiritual world. If you’ve been getting warnings from others about their behavior hear things like “Yeah, that group gives me odd vibes,” listen to them.

• You notice that you get penalized if you don’t go with his program. This should be a major warning sign of any cult.

Finally, I want to point out that TikTok is rarely ever a good source of anything spiritual. It’s generally not a good idea to get onto the witchy side of TikTok because of that fact.

If you’ve met someone who acts like a predator, warn others.

Yes, I hate to say this, but it has to be said. The pagan community is one that already has a lot of stigma. As Christianity starts becoming unprofitable for these vultures, they are going to look for new “watering holes” to find victims.

The best way to stop this shit is to nip it in the bud. So if you see something, say something. The sooner it stops, the better.

Stick around for:

• Three different readers taking on the same question. Is there a sign of similar pulls? Let’s find out.

• Kvetching about drug use and spirituality. Mushrooms? LSD? Weed? Let’s do it.

• Talk about our pasts. How did we learn about tarot? How did we find out how it works for us.

• Lots of laughs! Because duh, we’re goofs.

Get more from Havs of Bast in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

In recent years, I noticed a large trend online: kitchen witch stuff. What’s a kitchen witch, you ask? A kitchen witch is a spellcaster who uses food, herbs, and handmade goods as a way to help cast spells.

Food and herbs are the biggest focus of a kitchen witch. When they want good luck, they may add extra basil to a pizza and say a quick chant. If they want to get a new lover, they may start focusing on foods with apples and cinnamon to lure them in. If they want to spice up their love lives, they are the ones who will handmake a new soap with spicy perfumes to make it happen.

You get the picture, right?

I know, I know. If you’re new to spellcasting, the idea of making dinner as a spell seems a bit…odd. But, it’s a thing. And I figure I might as well talk a little bit about what kitchen witchcraft is and how effective it is.

Are you a kitchen witch?

From personal experience, kitchen witches tend to be a very unique bunch of people. You can usually tell a person who fares well as a kitchen witch pretty easily. The typical kitchen witch…

• Is obsessed with good eating, recipes, and gourmet food. They often have at least an interest in the culinary arts as a career.

• Are a little hedonistic. Seriously. They make sinfully delicious meals.

• May have a home garden. They are the type of person who will have basil plants in pots all over their kitchen windowsill and a small tomato plant that rests near their doorstep.

• Are really, really into herbology and herbalism. These are people who love to read books talking about the many healing traits of plants and flowers.

• Tend to like “witchy” decor in a home. Yep. That’s a thing.

• Own a lot of cooking gadgets. And I do mean a lot.

How does kitchen witchcraft work?

It’s simple: it’s creating something made by your hands with intention. At the crux of every successful spell is thought and intention, combined with a little effort. Kitchen witches find that it is just relaxing and easier to focus when the product you’re putting your spellcraft into is something edible.

A kitchen witch will often make a point of picking certain recipes that include herbs said to promote certain types of luck. For example, basil is known for money luck as well as general good fortune. Roses, perhaps a bit obviously, are associated with love. And for protection? Salt. Always salt!

How kitchen spells work really depends on the type of spellcraft involved as well as the witch doing it. Here are some of the more common ones…

Cooking Magic

Sometimes, the easiest spells are the ones that you can do while prepping breakfast or dinner. Most cooking magic will fall into this category. This involves cooking dishes featuring herbs and veggies that encourage what you want to happen, often while saying a prayer or spell out loud to enforce that intention.

Some witches will go so far as to also take their stirring into consideration. Counterclockwise stirring repels, and clockwise stirring is said to encourage its entry. Oh, and of course, consuming enchanted food is said to carry out the spell. So if yiu’re not the intended target, don’t eat it!

Soap Making And Candle Making Magic

Since both of these crafts also tend to happen in the kitchen, I might as well include them here. This is basically the same premise as cooking magic, but the soaps and candles tend to be used in longer, more complicated spells.

Kitchen Gardening Magic

I don’t need to get into this too much, but kitchen gardens are a thing. Many cultures believe cultivating certain plants can change the type of luck that you have. Sage, for protection, and lavender for love, are two of the most common options out there.

Altar Offerings

Baking a sweet treat for your favorite deity? Oh my, yes!

Egg Cleanses

These have become incredibly popular in recent years and have their roots in Spanish and Latin brujeria. The idea is simple: you’re transferring any negative energy (and curses) from your body to the interior of an egg.

You can use an egg cleanse to remove light curses, get an energy overhaul, and at times, also get a snapshot of what’s going on in your life. It’s interesting stuff for sure.

Tea Magic

Tea magic has been a thing for millennia—and it’s a phenomenon known throughout multiple major cultures. The idea is simple: you mix and match herbs into a tea that is consumed, often as part of a bigger ritual.

Most witches make a point of making combinations

Before you witch out…

Understand that every single type of witchcraft involves a lot of prep work—and yes, that includes kitchen witch stuff. Do not underestimate how wacky a spell can go if you do not prep correctly ahead of time.

For example:

• Do not try kitchen spells when you’re zoned out, sick, or otherwise unable to focus. This will usually null the spell, in my experience.

• Always clean your kitchen before and after. This includes energy cleansing too. You need a tidy place with fresh energy and fresh countertops. I suggest opening up a window, smudging the place down, blasting some music, and wiping down counters with lemon.

• Ingredients matter. Yes, I’m talking about freshness. The same can be said about food safety. Just because you’re doing a spell thing doesn’t mean that you’ve got the right to use spoiled food. Think about it. Energy fades as things rot. Do you really want to use rotten food to send out energy? While it might work for a curse, it won’t work for white magic.

• Always have a recipe or a plan in mind—at least, when you’re a beginner. This is just common sense, right? It’s hard to whip up something without a plan in mind and have it turn out well.

• Remember that getting spell-specific herbs and fruits and vegetables are great, but that intentions matter more. You do not have to get the most exotic, crazy expensive food to make a good kitchen spell. As long as the dish you make tastes good and feels right, you likely will get at least some results.

• Use common sense. For example, don’t use nightshade in a recipe you want to eat. Don’t make food that is poisonous for pets as a dog food spell to make your dog healthier. Do not leave candles unattended. Practice safe cooking. Magic is not protection from foolishness.

• Finally, cooking vibes matter. If you’re cooking a housewarming spell, put on some cozy music and light a candle that makes you think of a happy, warm autumn home. If you’re cooking something for a love spell, wear lingerie under your clothes to spice things up. You get the deal, right?

Get cookin’!

Welp, that’s my intro to being a kitchen witch. Get your apron on and have a little fun!

Join us today for a Crone Cocktail Hour filled with fun, laughter, updates about intention settings, as well as advice on how to set your intentions for one of the strongest New Moons in the year.

Aries New Moons don’t play around. So, grab a drink, watch Ossiana guzzle sparkly water, and do the thing! Come crone with us!

Get more from Havs of Bast in the Substack app

Available for iOS and Android

Get the app

In recent weeks, I started to notice something interesting in pagan communities: most pagan deity followers tend to fall into a stereotype. If you hang out with a lot of pagans, you might have noticed that worshippers tend to start adopting traits of the gods, entities, and goddesses they work with.

Here are some of the stereotypes I’ve noticed in my circles:

• Bast. Yeah, we’re known for being crazy cat ladies, so to speak. We also tend to be horny, perfume-obsessed people. Many are also deeply pro-Africa.

• Aphrodite. Every single follower of Aphrodite I’ve met has experienced love issues in one way or another. They tend to be very seductive, extremely good-looking, and unlikely to dress like a stereotypical witch.

• Luciferians. They tend to be known for being highly intellectual, often the deepest thinkers in the room. Oh, and they also tend to have a deeply rebellious streak. Oddly enough, most of the Lucifer lovers I know are also big into Dungeons & Dragons. (No, I don’t ask why.)

• Baron Samedi. Every single voudoun practictioner I’ve met who is a fan of the Baron is a good-looking person who loves to party.

• The Goddess. I’ve noticed that a lot of pagans just worship a Goddess along with a central God. These women tend to be older, have been pagans for ages, and really go hard into girl power. They are believers in the Maiden-Mother-Crone life cycles.

• Anubis. These folks are fiercely loyal friends who also tend to be able to calm down almost anyone.

• Odin. Usually male, usually really into strength. Unfortunately, this god has been co-opted by Nazis. A lot of actual worshippers can’t stand this and make a point of being vehemently anti-racist.

• Lilith. Feminism and dark sexuality ooze off these folks. They generally do not identify as men. They are either women, transwomen, or nonbinary people. They rightfully detest gender roles. Do not get a child of Lilith angry.

• Dionysus. Hedonists to the core. They can always drink everyone under the table, but they can get a bit loopy at times. They’re often best friends and lovers of people who follow Lilith, Asmodeus, or Bast.

• Asmodeus. I’ve noticed that almost every person who works with him tends to be highly sexual in nature. They also tend to have experienced love and sex trauma before they got involved with him. He’s a healer who helps us embrace dark sexuality.

Well, that’s what I noticed around me. And I later found some posts that seem to back up those observations by others. The more I network, the more I realize that stereotypes seem to be pretty noticeable in almost all pagan pantheons.

What’s the deal?

So, with almost any group of people, there will eventually be stereotypes about them. Some of these are benevolent, others aren’t. It’s just a part of human nature. We tend to categorize people and then make generalizations about people who fall into those categories.

Are those stereotypes all correct? Nope. Some are total lies and misconceptions. Yet at the same time, these can persist for years. It’s human nature to categorize people, especially when it comes to belief systems.

However, when we’re talking about magic, it often deals with energy. Those stereotypes often carry a certain energy that can be picked up by others.

This got me thinking about how deities choose their people and vice versa.

This is my own personal belief: I think deities and entities tend to choose their worshippers and vice versa. In other words, worship is a two-way street. A god has to choose you and you have to agree to worship them.

If you don’t worship them, you might get a bunch of signs that they’re interested in a bond with you, but those will peter out. If you worship a deity that isn’t interested in you, they likely won’t answer your prayers or give you a sign of life. (Go ahead, ask me how I know.)

One thing is for sure: you do have to be in sympatico with the deities you work with. In other words, those deities have to resonate with you. You need to feel bonded to them in one way or another…and that brings me to my main point.

Would you worship a deity that had nothing in common with you?

In theory, I would. A lot of others would. However, in practice, this is not what would work out well. I’ve often got the feeling that deities have a tendency of working with people who have things in common with them: interests, attitudes, similar struggles, etc.

It makes sense. It’s like choosing a spiritual bestie. You want to be able to connect with the deities that you work with—and while we always hear about friends who seem to have very little in common with one another, they’re often the exception rather than the rule.

I’ve noticed that people tend to pick up traits of their deities, the longer they practice.

Ever notice how certain people tend to slowly assimilate the beliefs of a religion over time? Or how people tend to adopt the behavior and personalities of the gods they worship?

This got me thinking that it’s a “chicken and egg” type of deal. Did the energy attract the deity or did the deity attract the energy? It’s hard to tell. One thing I noticed is that the deity’s energy you focus on will grow the longer you work with them.

For example, I’ve noticed that my friend who worshipped Dionysus became a much more party-hardy person. I really leaned into my succubus energy with Asmodeus and have been getting laid quite a bit. Heck, I’m currently in a hellishly good throuple!

Maybe it’s because they are connecting with that energy for a long period of time. Maybe it’s because that deity or entity is finally giving them the permission they needed to actually bring out that side of them.

With stereotypes comes problems—and a need for awareness.

Not all stereotypes are correct or rooted in fact. However, there is that weird slippery slope that can occur with all types of worship where you become a stereotype and lose yourself in your beliefs. Or worse, you end up using those stereotypes as an excuse to be a dick to others.

Remember: as a practitioner, you have to remember to be grounded in both yourself and the real world at all times. Refusing to do so will give you a bad name among others, embarrass you to society, and also potentially get some really awful side effects from your deity.

After all, stereotypes don’t just piss off other people. They piss of the gods too.

So, stay grounded. Stay yourself. And recognize when you’re taking things too far.

As a pagan who is terminally online, I noticed a lot of TikTok content involving guides telling you how to tell if a deity or other entity is calling you to their side. Had it not happened to me, I would have honestly scoffed and said, “How arrogant to think a god or a demon would take time out of their day to talk to a human!”

Well, honestly, it happens. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it seems to be happening quite a lot more frequently these days than it was in the past. It’s almost as if our world is going through a massive spiritual re-awakening.

It seems like the old gods, angels, demons, and new gods are all listening. They’re ready to help us grow as people. Some even call out to us. So, how can you tell if you have a deity or entity trying to reach out to you? Oh, there are always signs…

#1: You’ve been having dreams about them.

A friend of mine found Christianity because he had a dream that Jesus appeared to him and told him something deeply personal. He never told me what it was, but it rattled him so much that he changed his life.

At the time, he was a drug addict. Within three months, he was sober off cocaine. I’m happy he found Jesus because he’s still a great guy and I honestly think it saved him. However, not everyone finds Jesus when this happens. I found Bastet and Sekhmet through this manner.

#2: Your media feed keeps coming with random allusions to a certain deity, angel, or entity.

Around the time I had my spiritual awakening, I started to get a lot of weird coincidences occurring with my media feeds. Along with my regular feed of Helluva Boss cartoons, I started noticing an uptick in games involving owl-faced characters, random blurbs about Asmodeus, a Spotify band known as Sitri, as well as Reddit posts mentioning demonolatry for beginners.

Long story short, I started to notice that there were a lot of demonic references that just so happened to fit in with the lowest part of my life. Several names and beings made themselves particularly noticeable in my music, reading, and TV feed.

Sure, we all know there are a lot of spiritual hucksters that create TikTok videos saying that a certain deity is calling you, but when you’re starting to see a specific deity mentioned by people other than those types at random, you might want to pay a little attention.

#3: You start to notice symbols related to that deity/entity showing up in your life.

So, one of my patron demons is Sitri, a prince of Hell who is known for making people fall in love, having great sex, and also being a person who outs secrets of women when angered. I’ve also heard of him being linked to fashion, though that was anecdotal.

Well, I asked Sitri for help with my love life. That week, I got gifted a ton of designer clothing—much of it featuring leopard print. I fell in love with shortly after. It’s been great.

While this happened to me with a demon, it also can happen with deities. For example, a friend of mine got called by Anubis, the Egyptian god of the afterlife. Anubis is a jackal and was said to be the patron deity of dogs.

You might wonder what happened with my friend. He started to notice an uptick in dogs showing up in his life. He also started to see anime characters that were modeled after Anubis. At one point, someone even randomly gave him an Anubis statue with no idea that he was being called.

#4: You had an “imaginary friend.”

This is something that typically happens to kids with psychic abilities. They have imaginary friends that they stop seeing after a while. Only later to they find out their “friends” somehow perfectly reflected specific deities or entities in terms of description.

If you remember having an “invisible” bestie named Freya or Aphrodite or Lilith, maybe she was an actual goddess…and not so much just a childhood imaginary friend.

#5: You’ve started to get very strange coincidences and messages that encourage you to do better in life.

Imagine the following situation. You live as a teenager who deals with bullying. You live on a college campus at the time, since you are a freshman. People call you a pushover.

You are at school and get to class. The teacher just assigned each student a deity to do a report on. Yours is Ares, the Greek god of war. You go to the library, and notice that you just passed by a new book title on a stand called God of War. Then, you sit down, only to hear a brief tune.

That tune? You hone your ears a bit and realize that it’s “Aries Man” by Aldous RH. You wrap up your report at the library and go back to your dorm, only to overhear one girl swooning to another over a guy they like. Wouldn’t you know, he’s actively involved in Greek life on campus.

Then you get online. You see a new “fight song.” You’re starting to feel like you should fight back a little when it comes to the way people treat you. If that type of coincidence string has played out in your life, it’s a sign a deity might want to offer some advice.

#6: You have experienced some visitations during meditation sessions.

Do you meditate to the point that you’ve experienced visions? Some of us do—including some of my closest friends. If you have a vision of a deity during meditation, there’s a good chance they are trying to reach out. This is doubly true if the vision involved a friendly chat or a conversation you needed (rather than wanted) to hear.

#7: You’ve become inexplicably drawn to a certain god or entity.

That was my major sign. Something in me just told me to read more about certain entities. I kept getting these thoughts about cracking open the Ars Goetia to read more about Asmodeus. When I heard his name, I felt a warmth—like he was the big brother I always wanted.

The more I tried to fight the temptation to reach out to him, the more intense the urge got. All things said and done, I am very happy I did. I feel like a lot more things make sense now and that’s precisely what I need in my life.

#8: People who don’t know each other but worship the same deity come to help you out when you’re at your worst.

Contrary to popular belief, spiritual awakenings are not typically fun, lighthearted moments. They’re usually horrific. They often happen when people are at rock bottom, questioning their own beliefs.

Watch who actually shows up to your aid when you’re in this type of situation. At the very least, it shows who your real friends at. However, this can sometimes be a sign of a spiritual awakening assisted by helpful friends.

If you notice that an unusually high number of people helping you out have a background in a specific religion you’ve been getting signs from, it may be time to talk to them. That’s how I had one awakening hit me.

Author’s Note: I want to note that a lot of predatory religions (such as Jehovah’s Witness and Mormonism) are famous for recruiting people who are at their worst. They often will send multiple people to slowly convert targets to their religion, often opening the door by offering financial or social help. Use common sense, people.

Not every friendly face has your interest in mind—and you need to use discernment to choose wisely. A good rule of thumb is that this tends to be a spiritual sign if…

• A: It’s not a religion noted for using socializing as a recruitment tool. In other words, if you’re having this happen with folks from the Mormon Church, no, it’s not a sign. It’s a carefully crafted plan to get you in. The more fringe and anti-recruitment the religion in question is, the more likely it is that it’s a real sign.

• B: They don’t ask you for money or get pushy about their religion. Real friends won’t ask for money nor will their friendship be conditional on church affiliation.

• C: There are other coincidences you noticed that align with that specific religion. If you see other signs on this list related to that religion or deity you’re curious about, it’s a green light.

• D: The people in question have sage advice dealing with things you’re struggling with. Yep. I asked people who helped me at my worst about my spiritual path and loss of faith. I’ve blossomed since.

#9: Others have mentioned the nagging feeling you have about a deity’s outreach.

When in doubt, it’s okay to ask the deity for a specific sign that could confirm their outreach. Some have had it confirmed via tarot readings. Others have had it confirmed by asking for a specific sign if the answer is a “Yes.”

I’ve seen people get their hunches confirmed by psychics, tarot readings, as well as other people. Simply put, if you feel like you’re getting contacted, you might want to check that out. You may be surprised at how many confirmations you get from the universe.

#10: You feel it.

Have you ever felt a presence with a spiritual bend to it? Or a spiritual connection that was way more profound than it initially appeared to be? If you have a deity reach out to you, there’s a good chance that you will feel it on a visceral level.

You’ll likely know. It will feel right. It will feel like you have a bond that makes sense. And if you’re very psychic, you might even be able to actually feel that deity hanging out with you from time to time.

Pro-Tip: If you feel a good vibe and your pets react to it, that’s a definite sign of something trying to reach out.

#11: You had an experience that goes beyond scientific explanation.

We’ve all heard about those dramatic stories that involve things like possession, recurring dreams, or even seeing entities defy the laws of physics. Or stories about people having wild paranormal events occur to them, only to have a deity they previously never heard of help them out.

I’ll be blunt: these things do happen. They’re real and they can be signs that you are absolutely indicative of a deity trying to make themselves known to you. The phone is ringing. Why aren’t you picking it up?