It is the first week of December! Somehow, this year more than ever, this first week of December feels like a special thing. It is not just about the holiday season. It is about the idea of beginning a new month that is also the last month of the year.

This has me thinking about endings and beginnings, and about how those two things almost always come in a set. That is, it is hard to have and ending without a beginning that follows.

Both endings and beginnings are things that we can anticipate with great excitement. They are also things that can fill us with dread and anxiety.

Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, said “Change is the only constant in life”.

In tarot, there are many cards that can speak of changes, endings and beginnings. Later in this newsletter I will discuss three of them.

There are so many songs and poems that speak of changes. Like it or not, changes are a huge part of life.

As we approach a new month, and look forward to a new year, we may also be embracing endings and beginnings on a more personal level. There may be things we want to end, and things we long to begin. Some of these may be things we have control over. Some may happen whether we want them to or not. Some may be things for which we must wait patiently.

I think that the calendar changes, like a new month or a new year, provide the energy to help us create changes in our own lives. This is a good time to ask ourselves some questions.

What am I ready to release?

What would I like to embrace?

The changing calendar can provide us both motivation and energy to make it happen.

The StaarCorner

The platform we have chosen for StaarCon 2021 Online and our hybrid conferences in 2022 and beyond is Accelevents. They offer a robust platform that is easy to navigate and offers great opportunities for interaction and networking.

This means we have switched our ticketing from Evenbrite to the Accelevents platform. If you happen to follow an old Eventbrite link, it will tell you that tickets are no longer available.

To get your tickets for StaarCon, simply find the ticket portal on Accelevents and use the code STAAR2021 to get a ten per cent discount on your ticket selection. Or you can visit the StaarCon website and go from there.

At StaarCon 2021 there will be times when you will have to choose which events you want to attend. Do not worry, though, because all classes will be recorded and made available to you to watch and enjoy after the conference is over.

Ticket prices for StaarCon range from $5.00 to $499, depending on which events you choose. There is guaranteed to be something that fits your interests and your budget.

I am excited about the talented presenters we have for StaarCon 2021, as well as the opportunities for networking and socializing, even in the online environment.

Recently added to the schedule are a Friday night event, The Tarot Show with Kate Mura. Our Saturday evening entertainment will include Tarot Improv with Mitchell Osborn. We have even scheduled some Saturday evening discussion groups and a Sunday morning Tarot Art and Artists Breakfast. Of course, you will have to BYOBreakfast, but we will provide the everything else!

I can’t wait to see you at StaarCon, so get you tickets now!

Tarot Stories, Trends, and Blends Live on Zoom

Join me Thursday, December 17, 7 to 9 pm EST, for a tarot webinar that will increase your ability to find meaningful information in every reading.

While a single tarot card can give a great deal of insight, the skill of tarot reading is in understanding how the cards work together to tell a story. This class will teach practical techniques for combining the meanings of cards and connecting the cards in a reading.

This will be the last Zoom class until February 2021, as we prepare for StaarCon in January.

Class fee is $37.50. Register now on Zoom.

Two-Card Tarot Spreads

In a time of endings and new beginnings, two-card tarot spreads can be very enlightening.

Pull a card for what is ending, and another for what is beginning. Or pull a card for ‘Goodbye’, and another for ‘Hello’.

Perhaps you might feel the need to pull a card to discover what you need to actively release, and what you need to actively pursue.

Look at the interplay between the two cards. Are they similar or dissimilar? Do they tell any sort of story?

The Week in Review

This week I shared a blog post about how tarot and poetry go together.

I have two free events on YouTube this week. You can find my upcoming and archived tarot meetups and free tarot classes on my YouTube channel. Make sure you subscribe while you are there!

My Facebook business page is where I do live readings most Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

I am also live on the StaarCon page on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

From Around the Web

A new month has arrived! Here is your December astrological forecast.

Barbara Moore shares her instructions for a Tarot Advent Calendar.

As we consider endings, here is an End of Day Tarot Spread from Nancy SageShadow, AKA Nancy Hendrickson, who will be speaking at StaarCon.

Cards for Your Consideration

So many tarot cards speak of change, endings, and new beginnings. Three that seem to do it most bombastically are Majors 13, 20 and 21. That is, Death, Judgment and the World.

If you happen to see all three of them in a spread, you know your world is being rocked, not necessarily in a bad way.

The question is, how do these three cards differ from one another? We know that they can all speak of endings and new beginnings. Here are some specific differences.

Death can refer to a specific life change, like getting married, having a baby, or getting a new job. The changes Death seems to ring in are often related the activities of daily life. On an emotional level, Death can be about coming to terms with the changes of life that are inevitable.

Judgement can involve looking to the past, to gain closure, perspective, and understanding. In this card we see the final analysis. Judgement can also be about a wake-up call that brings enlightenment and deep internal change.

The World is about attainment and completion. The ending here comes because the task is complete, the mission is successful, and it is now time to move on. The World can also ask us to change our perspective from the microcosm to the macrocosm.

Events and Tours

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 49
December 2, 2020