There is a traditional three-card tarot spread where the first card represents the past, the second card represents the present and the third card represents the future. We’ll talk more about the tarot spread and how to use it later in this newsletter. These three words are often used together to advertise psychics who want to give you information about all aspects of your life, the past, the present and the future.

Even outside of the world of oracles, there is a great deal of focus on dealing with the past, living in the present, and looking to the future.

Very often, the things that happened in the past seem to affect our present in ways that don’t serve us. It’s also true that we are taught to worry about the future and plan for the future in ways that sometimes make the present seem less important than the mythical future we are working toward.

Sometimes we get stuck in the past, feeling a longing for days gone by, or regret for something that we can’t find a way to make right.

It’s interesting to consider how the past influences the future. Anxiety comes from worrying about what might happen in the future. Sometimes remembering our past successes can quell our fears for the future. Sometimes the opposite is true. Past trauma can cause us to live in fear, thinking the same things might happen again.

There are ways in which the past might predict the future, but other ways in which it is better to think that it can’t and won’t.

The recent trend toward mindfulness teaches us to live in the present moment; not looking ahead to the future, and not staying stuck in the past. This is a good practice, to a point.

The truth is that the past is always with us, and we have some ability to try to take control of our future by thinking about what we want to manifest and taking those steps.

I think truly successful people learn from the past, enjoy the present and look forward to the future, all at the same time. Keeping that balance can feel like mental gymnastics, but the results are always worth it.

Back in Palm City!

My June 2019 Northeastern Tour is over, and I am back in my Palm City office. Thanks to everyone who had parties, came to workshops and had private readings with me. Once again, thanks to True Bikram Yoga for hosting me.

I’ll be back on tour in the Northeast in August. In July I will spend a little time in the Tampa Bay area, as well as in Fort Lauderdale.

I miss my office when I travel and am happy to be back for a few weeks. Make an appointment to see me while I am here!

How to Make the Past, Present, Future Spread Work for You

Whether working with tarot, runes or any oracle deck, the three-card Past, Present, Future spread is one of the first we learn.

Often, I see newer readers employ this spread with poor results. This is usually because the spread doesn’t fit the question. If, for example, you are wondering about a new relationship, there is no ‘past’ to see.

If you want to use this spread, make sure you phrase your question in a way that utilizes the timeline of your life. With the example of the new relationship, the question should instead be about love relationships in general. Then, we can see what was in the past, what is now, and what may be in the future.

Another confusing aspect about this spread is that it’s hard to sum up one’s past in only one card. The same can be true about the present and the future. Phrase your question and set your intention so that the card reflects some important component of each time frame that is pertinent to your question.

When you perform your reading, it is helpful if you use the names of the positions aloud. Say, “In the past, this is what was true. Now, I am experience this. In the future, I must be prepared for this”. Put the three cards together to tell a story.

Finally, remember that the ‘Future’ card might be a prediction, or it might speak to an energy that will be available to you, or something you should work to either manifest or avoid.

When used thoughtfully, the Past, Present, Future spread can help us understand our past, manage our present and manifest our future.

The Week in Review

This week I shared a tarot exercise that I used in my presentation for Tarot Tuesday at the Book and Bead Outlet on June 4.

Did you catch my Three-Card Weekly Reading for this week? I do this every Monday on my Facebook business page, Christiana Gaudet. You can find it in archive on YouTube.

From Around the Web

StarCat Tarot has shared a post about my favorite card, the Eight of Cups.

On Tarot Awakenings, you can read a comparison between the Four of Wands and a Beatles song!

Here’s an interesting article on Using Tarot to Work Through Trauma.

Cards for Your Consideration

This week I would like you to consider some cards that can speak to your timeline, and about time in general.

The Six of Cups can be a card of looking to the past, longing for the past or processing the past.

The Two of Wands can invite you to consider what you would like to manifest for the future.

The Four of Cups can ask you to consider if your present is what you want it to be, and, if not, what you might like to do differently.

Every tarot card can speak about any moment in time. Some of the cards have a particular relationship with time. The Hermit, Temperance, and the Nine of Wands can all ask us to be patient. The Knight of Pentacles can suggest things will move slowly. The Knight of Swords, and the Eight of Wands, suggest swift motion.

Whenever you work with the cards, consider if they might be speaking about issues regarding your past, present or future, or your relationship with time.

Upcoming Events and Tour Dates

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 2 Issue 26
June 26, 2019