Forgiveness: Your Key to Success, Money and Happiness

Early in my psychic career, I gave a Tarot reading to a client who was deeply in debt and wanted to know how and when he was going to become wealthy. As we were talking about money, I expected cards from the suit of coins; however, in his reading it was mostly cups, indicating painful emotions and heartbreak. Worried that my cards weren’t listening, I asked him to reshuffle: I was dismayed to find I had laid out almost exactly the same spread.

It was only later that I realized that cups had everything do with his question about finances. He’d been through a devastating experience: his wife had had an affair, which led to divorce, and he’d found it impossible to forgive her and move on. I could see that he was still so angry and bitter years later that it affected every aspect of his life, including his ability to make money. He was completely blocked.

Of course, the last thing any of us want to hear when we’re trying to create abundance in our lives is “Is there anyone you need to forgive?” But the question is not as off-the-wall as one might think. Have you ever had the experience of vacuuming a floor or rug and no matter how many times you try to lift the dirt, nothing happens? You finally discover why you can’t pick up anything—something is stuck inside the hose. This is the effect on our lives of not forgiving. The universe is working all the time, trying to retrieve your good, but something is in the way—resentment, guilt, or blame—restricting the flow. Perhaps we need to forgive a parent who doubted our success or criticized us. Or we’ve sabotaged our own opportunities in the past and need to forgive ourselves.

This article was inspired by my own challenges with forgiveness, and a recent creative block I had. After a disagreement in my relationship, I was walking my dog Wilson when we ran into an unfamiliar dog in the neighborhood. The two dogs strained to reach one another. The other owner and I asked the usual question—“Is your dog friendly?”—to which we both said yes. We then allowed the dogs to meet. They sniffed each other curiously at first, began to growl, and finally to bark. As we walked away, I said to Wilson with exasperation, “I’ll never understand you animals. You yearn to be together as if your life depended on it, and then the next minute you try to rip each other’s heads off. What kind of life is that?” To which one of my spirit guides (a particularly sassy one, I might add) replied “What are you asking him for? You just described your own marriage.” I went home, worked things out, and found later that same afternoon that the block was lifted.

Life is about relationships. Sometimes we get hurt, or we hurt others, and we need to be able to understand that we’ve come here to learn how to forgive and be forgiven. If there is someone you haven’t forgiven, and you are stuck in your life in any area, the question to ask yourself is, “Is holding onto my resentment worth the abundance it is costing me?” Know that the universe doesn’t judge your good. It’s not concerned about whether you want a new car, a house, lots of money, or a new relationship—it just wants you to be abundant and happy and successful, because when you feel empowered, you heal and inspire others. So start forgiving: not only for the people in your life who need it, but because it’s the best gift you can give yourself. Remember: Your good is waiting.