"Shustah is my counseling focus," the Rev. Valerie Lucas told me."It is a symbolic interpretative system that I use to help guide and counsel people in regard to certain patterns in their lives." When asked about the similarity between shustah and the tarot, she pointed out that there were considerable differences as well!"Shustah is more feminine and fluid to work with. While I have never worked with tarot, it seems to have negative implications/connotations. I prefer to deal with more modern symbolism."
Lucas is an ordained minister through the Light of christ Community Church headquartered in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and has a nonprofit center in her home which is endorsed by the Association of Community Churches."Today we're seeing many progressive movements in older mainstream religions,"she noted."Old forms are dying-they are inadequate.In the US we are becoming spiritually bankrupt, although this isn't true of everyone. This is why so many people are turning away from mainstream religions and why there is such a boom in 12-step programs and other alternatives. I see many average, everyday people who have had unusual or psychic experiences and they cannot go to their regular clergymen to find any meaning in them. People like these want changes or other meaningful spiritual associations. In many cases, mainstream religions just aren't addressing these matters. People come to us for what they can't get elsewhere.
"In counseling," she continued,"we use many instruments and shustah is just one of them. I DO have a religious focus. I believe in Jesus Christ as the pattern of perfection for humanity. I view the Bible as one of many sacred scriptures that inspire me to a better path for living. I believe in the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. One of my main objectives is to work in the ecumenical movement to emphasize the similarity of all religions and enhance the unity of them all." Lucas added that she also believes in the promotion of goodness and kindness in all of life and 'most of the things I believe in I knew at a very early age.' She said that no one taught them to her and that with all these ideals and beliefs she approaches the shustah.
So who goes to her for a reading?"I get a real cross-section of society,"she said."Blue collar, professionals, housewives and students. I send cassette of my readings in every direction from Omaha." And is she good?"I have an 85% accuracy rate," she said, but my readings should not be seen as a kind of fortune-telling. A session with me is like a small worship service. I pray in the beginning and make a tape of what is said. People have told me they have gotten comfort from listening to these tapes," she noted."I lay the cards out in a symbolic astrology circle with three cards in each of the 12 houses. I talk about the different areas of the various parts of a person's life. And I tell people that nothing is set in stone. Free will does exist. I try to help people recognize unfolding patterns so that people can either work with them or change them.
"There are 12 astrological signs in a deck. The cards are shuffled and how they are placed shows what is going on at present in a person's life. Along with astrological signs, there are cards with classical symbols like lords, kings, pages or angels. There are also mundane symbols like candles, pots of gold, fish swimming,etc. Although it sounds complicated, I believe that anyone who wants to learn to read shustah CAN do it," she declared.
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