Seeing with New Eyes
The writer Marcel Proust said that “the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes”.
The idea of seeing with new, or different, eyes is relevant in so many ways. Not only will those metaphoric new eyes guide us in discovery, as Proust said, but also in compassion, in self-understanding, in creating unity, in psychic development and in divination.
Each time we do a tarot reading, we must come to the cards with new eyes. The cards never speak the same way twice, do they?
There are even tarot cards that speak of a new perspective, maybe most prominently, the Hanged Man.
Sometimes our new eyes change our perspective of another person, when we see what someone else sees.
Sometimes we need a new perspective regarding our own lives, our skills, our abilities and our sense of self-worth.
But how can we learn to see with new eyes?
We must be willing to release the past, and the patterns that we have developed.
When dealing with others, especially those we inherently don’t trust or don’t agree with, we must first enter into a state of open-minded compassion that remembers that each person is the sum of their experience – much of which was beyond their control. Then, we can see life through that person’s eyes, or see that person from a new perspective that might lead to greater understanding and communication. We may not like the person any better, but a new understanding of them is helpful.
We may wonder why they, themselves, can’t rise out of their programming or move beyond their past. It ‘s important to remember that people heal at the rate they can. Be grateful for your own new eyes, and don’t be frustrated with those who can’t yet see.
Often, having new eyes is the same as changing the story you tell yourself. For example, if you feel you’ll never meet an interesting person in your small town, you may need to change how you see your town.
If you feel you are too old to be hired for a new job, you may need to change your perception about how your skills might be valued.
Being willing to change how your see things is the first step to seeing things with new eyes.
Tarot Technique for New Vision
How can tarot help us find our new eyes, have new vision and new perspective?
My favorite way is with a fluid question-and-answer dialogue, rather than a specific spread.
Although, one could have a lot of fun designing a “New Eyes” spread. (If you are so inspired, make sure you send me a copy!)
Here’s my technique for new perspective.
Consider the problem that is on your mind – generally an issue that has given you some anxiety.
Set your intention for your work with tarot toward releasing old ways of seeing things, and embracing a new vision.
Then, for your first card, ask a question like this:
What is true about this situation that I’m not seeing?
Pull a card, or a few cards, in answer.
From that answer, you will derive another question, and, after shuffling all the cards back together, you will pull another card, or a few cards in answer.
Let this process continue as long as it needs to, until your situation is reframed and your perspective changed.
Other questions you might ask of the cards include:
What do I have to release in order to gain new eyes?
What will my new eyes show me that I have not seen before?
What is something that I can discover with new eyes?
From My Desk to Yours
This week, on my 78 Magickal Tools blog on PaganSquare, I shared a new post about tarot magick and divination, “Two Cards, One Goal”.
I worked on the Services portion of my website. Take a look to see the many services I offer!
I also made available downloads of recordings from some past Global Tarot Circle meetings.
From Around the Web
From the Huffington Post, and article about the same Proust quote that inspired this newsletter topic about new eyes.
From The Wild Hunt, a recent news article about a tarot reader fighting for her rights in West Virginia.
From Gaiam Life, here are Three steps to Creating Your Own Yoga Retreat.
Song of the Week
Here’s a fun video of David Bowie performing “Changes”.
Orbifold Tarot
with Michael Bridge-Dickson
Breaking Down Tarot’s Elements Part 4 — Air
From the abstractly subtle Element of Space, we continue on to the least dense of the Four tangible Elements: Air. The most diffuse of these tangible Elements, it fills Space whenever the denser Elements are absent, and disperses the denser Elements to redistribute them into some of he most obscure Spaces. This affinity with Space lends many similar qualities, especially those relating to subtlety. But despite Air’s subtlety, it can be incredibly powerful: a strong gale can unroot a mighty oak, and a single thought can change the world.
In Part 2 of this series, we established that our experience of Air itself is light, cooling, quick, changing, free, and uplifting. It can also be harsh, deflating, cutting, diffuse, and erosive.
These natural qualities of Air, as we saw, begin to translate into daily life with regards to speech, travel, dreaming, thinking, and feelings of lightness — it inspires us and carries us along our journeys, affecting whether we fly, drift, float, or soar.
This power and direction changes at a whim, though, as Air is the least consistent and most difficult to sustain steadily. But this is also part of Air’s strength: in this changeability, in its potential to quickly adapt to circumstance, Air finds creative and unique solutions when dealing with the unexpected.
The mental aspect of Air is the one we most associate with when reading tarot, because the mind is also very subtle: ideas, intellect, thought, dreaming, and imagination all exist in the subtle realm of the mind, at least until they are expressed. We don’t really know what the mind is, and yet there’s no denying its reality because, for the most part, we believe that everything originates from thought — every action, every deed, every creation, every physical object. The things we have and do in our world usually originates in our minds or the minds of others.
Further, nothing is real to us unless and until it is filtered through our mind and nervous system — whether at the level of cognitive thought or sensations processed by the brain. By the same token, the mind is capable of creating things within that seem just as real, if not more so, than the world around us. The mind’s potency is this shift between the subtle and the real, where imagination can make the impossible happen, and where doubt tenaciously chokes even the most obvious paths. But, just like Air, the mind can switch in an instant and what seemed real one moment dissolves the next; what was once only a dream materializes.
This adaptability is also key to experiencing the denser Elements. As thought becomes reality, we move from Air through to Earth, facing the logistical challenges from inspiration to fruition. It is in this cycle of Air that we plan out details, find creative solutions, and in the process branch off new ideas.
Ideas breed other ideas, and this process is bolstered by the expression of the mind with others, through many forms of communication. We utilize Air when we use language, whether it is through speech, writing, or other forms of symbolic expression and communication. The power of Air is harnessed when we communicate clearly and powerfully, when ideas are transmitted from one mind to another. This communication takes us away and carries us along throughout our journeys — both through sheer imagination when reading and sharing stories, or planning and examining our lives.
It’s this unpredictable subtlety that makes Air/Swords a typically challenging suit, in a similar way that understanding our own minds and the minds of others. A heavy, obstructive mind is often shown in the higher numbers, but this abundance of Air or thought, can also exhibit a process that is sailing along, full of detail and well planned with the substantive force to be fully realized. Similarly, while the Ace can denote the clarity of single-mindedness, the ability to focus Air’s dispersive quality, low Air cards can show anything from the ease of a gentle breeze to a feeling of lack and the deflation of defeat.To really understand Air in readings, think of how the Element changes as its intensity increases or decreases: try not to see any degree of Air as being positive or negative. Instead, look at these varying degrees as aids or hindrances to the topic at hand. Look at not only the value of individual Air cards, but also how much Air is present overall, and if it’s a situation in which greater or less Air is helpful to the situation, and whether drastic changes of value among Air cards is showing necessary adaptability, or flights of fancy that distract the querent.
A useful exercise in learning any Element is to separate that Element from the deck. In this case, looking at Air, separate all the Air cards from your deck. If you are working with a deck that has Elemental associations for the Majors as well, use those if you wish, but if it is too confusing start with just the numbered cards Ace to Ten. Once you’re familiar with the exercise, add the Air Courts, then the Majors also associated with Air. Using only the Air cards, lay out two or three in a line and observe their interaction.
What is the story?
•If the mind were a bird floating on the wind generated by these three cards, what would the flight be like?
• If the three cards were a snapshot of your mind currently, would it be focused, distracted, creative, adaptable, fickle, indecisive, sharp, flexible, stuck?
• Do they show a mind lost in fantasy or dreaming constructively, planning ahead or ruminating over the past, inspired or absent of ideas, chatty or silent?
• Perhaps most importantly to look at as a reader is, if those same three cards, in the same order, were the snapshot of a different day or a different person, would they denote the same thing, or something else?
In the examples below, from The Orbifold Tarot, see where your interpretations agree and differ, and try to find an alternative interpretation:
Six of Air, Four of Air, Ace of Air
Inspiration opens up into several related ideas that appear to support each other. After this initial burst, some ideas are consolidated and settled upon before finally focusing on expressing these ideas as a single message.
Five of Air, Eight of Air, Seven of Air
Confusion over an imbalanced interaction leads to stubborn rigidity. Letting go of a firmly held belief may result in some clarity and individual empowerment.
Next entry, we’ll look at what happens when Air condenses and combusts into Fire!
I'm grateful to have Michael Bridge-Dickson as a guest contributor to Tarot Topics. Check out the Orbifold Tarot and Michael's work!
Announcing the The Spiritual Path of Tarot Telesummit 3 - Tarot Wisdom
I am excited to share with you a new FREE event I'm going to be a part of: The Spiritual Path of Tarot Telesummit 3 - Tarot Wisdom.
20 Tarot teachers are coming together July 25 through August 5, for two one-hour calls every weekday, to show you how to access your wisdom & higher guidance through deepening (or re-energizing!) your understanding of the Tarot.
Host Kim Wilborn has asked every teacher to speak about the tarot topics they find most meaningful, with each presentation focused on helping you engage with the wisdom of the Tarot in a deeper way.
I’ll be speaking about tarot as a tool of healing.
I chose this topic because, over the years, I have seen so much healing come out of tarot readings, tarot study, and other tarot techniques. I am so excited to share the ways tarot heals us with you.
Each call will be like a mini-class, complete with guided meditations! You’ll be able to listen to live calls online, by phone, or via skype, and free 48-hour replays will allow you to listen at your convenience. (Low-priced recordings are also available to make it even easier!)
I hope you’ll be my guest at this one-of-a-kind event and experience for yourself a deeper connection to the wisdom of the Tarot.
I’m excited about the good company I am in for this summit! Look at this list of presenter~
~Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone – Birth Cards: A Powerful Tool for Self-Knowledge
~Lisa de St. Croix – Tarot Visual Journaling
~Scott Martin – Tarot Goes to Acting School
~Robert Place – History of Divination with Cards
~Sheilaa Hite – The Fool, The Hermit & the 4 Knights - Energetic & Spiritual Soulmates on the Quest to Discover their Own Personal Legends
~Brigit Esselmont – Reading with Reversals Without the Doom & Gloom
~Kooch Daniels – The Magic of Birth Date Tarot Spreads
~Suzanne Corbie – Ancient Wisdom for a Modern Age
~Ferol Humphrey – Loosening Up - For Starters & Sophisticates
~ Pamela Eakins – Claim the Power of your Birthright: Tarot of the Spirit. The Tree of Life. The Ancient and Future Mystery School
~Lisa Allen – Timing with Tarot Cards
~Katrina Wynne – Dreamwork in Tarot
~Gina Thies – The Keys to Multi-Awareness Tarot Readings
~Christiana Gaudet – The Healing Tarot: Tarot as a Tool for Cultivating Well-Being
~Ellen Goldberg – Influence your Personal Evolution by Activating the Major Arcana Archetypes
~Kim Wilborn – Access the Guardian Energies of the Tarot to Express Your Life Purpose
If you would like to deepen (or refresh!) your alignment with a spiritual tool that can bring you clarity and insight while it lights your way to joyfully fulfilling your personal Soul Purpose, register today for our telesummit!
Image from Celtic Dragon Tarot by Lisa Hunt
Your One-Card Weekly Reading
Justice
Your one-card reading this week is Major Arcana 11, Justice.
This indicates a need to be fair and balanced. That includes the need treat others fairly, and the need to make sure that you, yourself are treated fairly.
You may be challenged to strike a balance in some situation in your life.
The appearance of Justice can reference legal matters, or the need to attend to legalities.
This week, let fairness and balance be your guides.
Justice reminds us to do the right thing.
Upcoming Events
Sunday, July, 10, 3:30 pm
Tampa Bay Area Tarot Meetup
The Four Elements and the Minor Arcana
Panera Bread
23388 State Rd 54, Lutz, FL 33549
Bring your tarot cards! I'll be presenting this interesting and informative class. You can RSVP on the Meetup!
Monday, June 11, 2016 6:00 pm
An Evening of Tarot Especially for Teens!
Temple Terrace Public Library
202 Bullard Parkway, Temple Terrace, FL, 33617
Young people, and the young at heart, will enjoy this presentation of the art, history and culture of tarot. visit the event listing on the library calendar.
July 25th - August 5th
The Spiritual Path of Tarot Telesummit 3 - Tarot Wisdom
Sign up now to participate in this amazing opportunity!
Coming Soon:
I will be available for private readings and house parties in Connecticut and surrounding areas from August 3 to August 17. Call 561-655-1160 to get on the schedule now!
TarotCon (Florida) 2016 will take place October 8th and 9th, with a special Professional Development Day on the 7th, in Palm Beach Gardens. Make your reservations now!
About Christiana
Christiana Gaudet
Origins Spa and Wellness Center
1537 N Dale Mabry Highway #102
Lutz, FL 33548
Private telephone, Skype and in person readings and instruction are available by appointment.
Tarot parties at your home or office are available throughout Florida.
Call 813-948-4488, toll free 866-99TAROT,
or text or call 561-655-1160
for more information or to schedule your event.
Agent inquiries are welcome.
