Peter Denvid Wright
Frequently
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Frequently Asked Questions (with links to answers below)
How did you get a name like Denvid?
It's a
long story. In short, what happens when you compromise and combine the
names Dennis and David?
The
tarot deck is a deck of 78 cards that is often used to look into the
future. Tarot can also be used to look into the past or into one's
self. Tarot can be used for meditation or to increase one's self
awareness or sense of self.
Aren't tarot cards demonic or satanic?
No.
Categorically, undeniably, definately not.
What I find
ironic or odd is that the only people who ever make this claim
are people without a knowledge of tarot. That would be like living in
Russia or China and saying America is decadent and immoral. Someone who
did that would be making a statement without any first hand or true
knowledge of the subject. If I were raised in a religion that taught to
kill unbelievers and that other religions are false, then I would
consider Christians, Jews, Moslems, Hindus, Buddists, and members of
all other religions unspiritual and evil. I would be judging all those
groups without knowing anything about them. Making a statement about
tarot being demonic is just as ignorant and prejudiced.
Do you really read tarot cards?
Yes. I read do. I enjoy it. I also teach classes. I'm available for private consultations, parties, group activies, lessons (both group and private), and I'm also available for leading workshops on using tarot cards to learn more about yourself and others.
Do you really believe in tarot and all that stuff?
I wouldn't have written a book on tarot if I did not believe it. I am sincere in what I believe and do. Ten years ago I was an athiest and believed in nothing more than the physical world. I have had the good fortune of seeing mysteries revealed to me piece by piece, as I was ready to accept and understand. When I was a teenager, I promised myself I would always look for the truth and I would always follow it wherever it went.
Do tarot cards really tell the future?
That question is about as complex as, "So what really happens in quantam physics?" Yes and no. Tarot cards, when used properly, can tell us what forces are acting on us and what to expect in the future. They cannot give us the time and date we will meet the love of our life or tell us how many children we will have and what their birthdates will be. I explain tarot by comparing time to a river. If I jump off a rock and into a river, as I do quite often down at the Pony Pasture, the river currents will carry me on a set path. If, before I jump, I cast sticks into the water, I can watch the sticks. The motion of the sticks will tell me which way the current is flowing and how strong it is. Once I am in the current, I can let it take me down the river and through time. I can also swim to the side and leave the current and make a new future or, if I am stubborn I can even try to swim against the current. It is hard, but I may break out of it. Tarot cards are like the sticks we can throw into the river. They tell us what currents are acting on us and which way we will be pulled. We can always use free will to fight it. For example, all summer I had cards telling me I would find a good job soon. Then I was offered one. I had the free will to turn it down. In that case, I let the current carry me. I like getting paychecks.
How did you get started reading tarot?
I got a reading. The woman seemed to be describing someone I knew when she told me there was a relationship coming up. The description was close, but not exact. When things didn't happen like I was told they would, I erased the tape of the reading and promised to forget it all. A year later I was driving and suddenly realized the relationship and job I was in (both of which had just recently started) were exactly what I was told to expect and had come about just the way I was told. I have seen and been told things to expect that came true with too much accuracy for me to accept coincidence. (Yes, I'm aware of the self-fulfilling prophecy. I'm simplifying everything. There are some things you just simply can't influence that much.)
Do you do other consultations, like astrology or channeled consultations?
I have been studying astrology for several years. I doubt I will ever do astrology consultations professionally. Although I think astrology is a powerful tool, it is not what works best for me. I do have to say I wish I had birth charts for my students when I was a teacher. At that time I didn't believe in astrology, but since then, I've seen how powerful a tool it is. If I had birth charts when I taught emotionally disturbed students, I would have had much more information than the tests we used could supply.
Now I do tarot and intuitive consultations together. You could also call it channeled consultations. The basic point is that the information comes from sources on the "Other Side." I use tarot and intuitive consultations together, since both are tools. I believe when I am working with a client, if I have a full bag of tools, it is my responsibility to use all the tools I can to provide as much information as possible.
I've never heard much about Friends (Quakers). What can you tell me about them?
The
Religious Society of Friends, members of which are often called
Quakers, was started by George Fox in the 1600s. We believe there is
"that of God" in all humans and "that of God" in each of us must be
honored and respected in all that we do. Friends have four main
testimonies. They are Peace, Equality, Honesty, and Simplicity. If
there is "that of God" in each of us, then killing or inflicting pain
on others is an act against God and treating others as less than equals
is the same. It also follows that lying to another is lying to God.
That is a simply way to explain the Peace, Equality, and Honesty
Testamonies. The Simplicity Testimony is to help people live with and
understand God. If we let our lives get cluttered and complex, where is
the room to listen to God and follow God's ways? (See also The
RSF WWW, two sites with information about the
Religious Society of Friends.)
I have included, here, an excerpt from my letter asking to join Richmond Friends Meeting (dated August 17, 1994). It is the best way I have ever found to express why Quaker is what I am. Because of its length, I have included a separate link to it. Click here for excerpt.
How can you be a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) and believe in tarot?
Friends believe there is "that of God" in each of us. That means we have to learn to listen to "that of God" within and to follow where we are lead. This is not a justification for any action any individual wishes to excuse. In my case it has been a long, circuituous, and fascinating journey. I have been led to tarot in my quest to better understand God.
Where do you get your ideas for your writing?
There's a sprite with gossamar wings that is perched upon my right shoulder that whispers ideas into my head. She's my muse, whom I call Calliope. (And if that's not true, it's the only explaination I can think of.)
What gave you the idea of writing sonnets about tarot cards?
From my muse. Where do any of us get any ideas? If someone can tell me, we'll all know.
Seriously, once the idea came to me, I spent a lot of time thinking about it. The more I thought about the idea, the more I liked it. Writing about the cards in verse gave me a chance to tell about the cards, but to still leave room open for interpertation. Rhymes also help people remember what they have read and are learning.
What kinds of writing do you enjoy most?
I love writing free verse, but I also love my sonnets. I also love writing screenplays. At one time I was pitching ideas to Star Trek: The Next Generation, but I never followed up on that opportunity. I am working on a novel that follows the structure of tarot and re-writing a screenplay about a man in the 1990s that falls in love with a ghost from the 1920s.