How PayPal helped take my tarot reading service to international markets

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the future of freelancing with paypal

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When I decided to set up my online Tarot reading services, I didn’t know of anyone else around me who was offering them online. Most people I knew of in India simply listed their services and asked people to get in touch to set up personal, face-to-face appointments. My approach was different. Like most international Tarot readers, I wanted the entire experience to be purely online – right from reading about the services, to payments, and delivery of the Tarot readings.

As I was doing my research for the various ways in which I could deliver this service, one of the main things I needed to figure out was the logistics of it – namely, how to collect payments! As I looked at the various popular options available in India, the thing that struck me was the high monthly fees that most of the payment gateways charged. For someone just starting out, with no idea about how these sessions would be received and what kind of revenues I could expect, a monthly fixed fee made absolutely no sense.

Added to it was the fact that integrating these gateways was really complicated. Since I was bootstrapping my website and doing everything myself, and since I am not a coder or software geek, I thought that my dream would remain just that – a dream.

But as I continued to do my research, I decided to take a look at PayPal. As one of the largest and most trusted payment processors internationally, I figured I couldn’t bury my dream until I at least gave the site a look. I had used PayPal often to make international purchases and found the user experience to be excellent, but I always assumed that their business services would be on the expensive side. But that was not the case! I was delighted to see that they had a service specially for freelancers – PayPal.Me. No monthly fees and a fixed per transaction fees – I almost couldn’t believe my eyes!Continue reading→

On my Art Table: Being Open to the Mystery of the Universe

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What does it mean to be open to the mystery of the universe?

This is a question I’ve been contemplating since a while. And as usual, when I have a question that requires deep contemplation, I take it to my art table. Through writing, throwing down layers of paint, playing with stencils and different mediums without any end goal in mind, I work through the question in my mind.

On my art table - being open to the mysteries of the universe

My answer comes through the marks I make on the page.Continue reading→

The Word: 2018

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My word of the year generally makes itself known to me around the end of November or start of December. This year, it was much harder to tease it out. There were a lot of thoughts swirling around in my head, and I reached November feeling pretty battered and bruised.

Illuminate proved to be a lot more intense that I had anticipated, and I knew that I needed to really absorb and live the big lessons I learnt, to stand more fully in my power, to reclaim my sovereignty. I felt the need, too, to step up and show up – there are so many ways in which I still hold myself back, allowing my inner critic, Prissy Missy, to have full reign over deciding what I can and cannot do.Continue reading→

2017: Looking back at Illuminate

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Illuminate. That was my word for the year.

Seems so benign and uplifting, doesn’t it? To illuminate the darkness within, to speak my truth, to shine my light while being firmly rooted in my own personal power.

And yet, this is not an easy path to follow – Illuminate shook up my world, broke me open and put me back together again. Where 2016 was about outward growth and manifestation, 2017 was about inward illumination and expansion.Continue reading→

Tarot Forecast for 2018

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Ah, how I love December! Taking the time to reflect on the year gone by, dreaming about the coming year, and looking at the energetics of what 2018 may hold. The year ahead reading offers a beautiful, in-depth, layered look at the yearly cycle.

Let’s dive into it, shall we?

Tarot Reading for 2018

Year ahead tarot reading 2018
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Author Terry Coffey on the research process for historical fiction

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I’m a sucker for well-written historical fiction. Add Egypt into the mix, and I’m all over it! So even though I am on a bit of a reading hiatus this month, I devoured The 18th Dynasty from cover to cover and loved it!

I’ve also been fascinated with how authors undertake research for their novels. And when it’s based on history, the inspiration and research process would be even more interesting. So that’s what I decided to ask author Terry Coffey about – his research process while writing the book, including any interesting anecdotes and suggestions for others wanting to attempt a similar genre. Over to Terry:

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Why is a tarot ecourse important for beginners?

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why is a tarot ecourse important for beginners“Why should I bother with a tarot ecourse given the abundance of information out there,” you ask? Let me list out the reasons…

The tarot is a powerful tool. In fact, it is one of the most powerful tools that I have in my toolkit. I use it in my spiritual practice to help with healing, growth and self reflection; in my art practice, as a jumping off point for colours and symbols and story telling; in my writing practice, to craft blog posts, manifest my desires, and meet myself on the page.

The tarot is an ancient tool. From it’s humble beginnings as a deck of 22 playing cards, the tarot has come a long way indeed. For one, it’s expanded into a deck of 78 cards. The images and symbols on the cards have been enhanced over the years, with every artist…every deck creator…adding their own unique perspective on the cards.Continue reading→

Magnify your intention with a word of the year

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Intention plus action equals magic! Decoding the year aheadOne of my absolute favorite things to do in December is to start planning for next year. Pen and paper, a hot cup of black coffee and some soft music set the scene, while I sit wrapped up in a quilt,  reflecting on the year gone by and planning for the coming year.

But it wasn’t always so

There have been years – more than I care to count – when the change of the year was met with a dreary ho-hum, couldn’t care less attitude. Years when I broke my resolutions within days if not months…years when nothing seemed to happen…nothing seemed to change.It all changed when I stumbled upon the concept of intentions and choosing a focus word of the year. To be sure, it wasn’t a dramatic, sudden change. It took some time for me to work out how having a word of the year works, and even longer to understand how intentions work. But work they do – sometimes in ways we didn’t even expect!Continue reading→