The word ‘intention’ comes up often in many types of spiritual thought.

When I was growing up, I heard a phrase about intention quite often.

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

That means that our intentions don’t matter. Rather, what matters is our actions.

On a mundane level, I have found this to be true. For example, I once rented an apartment that turned out to be unlivable for me because of some of the on-premises landlord’s actions. When I spoke with her about how those actions were affecting me, her answer was, “That is not my intention.”

That she did not intend to inconvenience me meant nothing to me. I was still inconvenienced and chose to move out as soon as I could. Her intention did not matter.

In many ways, our actions matter more, much more, than our intentions.

I have heard people excuse their use of hurtful language by saying, “I am not using this word with the intention of hurting anyone”. Yet, their words still cause hurt.

In the spiritual community of which tarotists are a part, we talk about intention a lot. We use the word ‘intention’ as part of the practice of manifestation and magic. We use the word ‘intention’ to indicate a goal that we are setting, and to bring spiritual power to assist us in achieving that goal. In this way, an intention becomes akin to a prayer.

When we take a yoga class, we are often asked, at the beginning of class, to dedicate our practice to an intention. Typically, the intention does not involve mastering yoga postures. The idea is that the energy we raise during our yoga practice will be directed toward manifesting our goal.

Does this really work? Does the act of consciously setting an intention as part of a spiritual practice help us to create our reality? Do the intentions we set in this way matter?

I believe that they do, under this one important condition.

Our mundane actions must be in line with our spiritual intentions.

Mundane actions without the spiritual process of setting intentions may be effective. Yet, adding the spiritual ritual and energy of setting intentions will likely bring success more quickly and easily.

Setting spiritual intentions without the mundane actions will very likely not matter much.

For example, I could set the intention to lose some weight. However, without diet and exercise, my intention would likely not make a different.

Intentions matter when we are willing to do the work to bring them in to being.

Intentions can help in another way, too. When we set an intention, we put our attention on that intention. Where our attention goes is where our energy goes. This may be true on a lot of different levels. Using my weight loss example, simply setting the intention may call in the power of the universe, and my own higher self, to motivate me to do the mundane actions that my intention requires.

In this way, intentions matter a great deal.

The StaarCorner

Episode Twenty of StaarCast is available now, and you are going to love it! I had so much fun speaking with Serena Fox about the magic of herbs, cards, and art. Watch the interview here, or download it wherever you get your podcasts.

For the next few weeks, StaarCast will be on hiatus. We will be back in April with some great new features.

Over this next month we will be solidifying our early plans for StaarCon 2022. Expect tickets to be on sale shortly! We have some wonderful things in the works for our next conference, which will be January 21-23, 2022, both online and in person in Palm Beach Gardens.

Please join our Facebook group, StaarCon Community!

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Set an Intention for Your Tarot Reading

When we work with intentions from a spiritual perspective there are many ways that we can involve tarot. Here is one simple yet profound way.

We can use the energy of intention to bring power to our divination practice. We always begin a tarot reading with a question. Even if we don’t have a question, the unspoken questions are “What’s going on?” or “What do I need to know?”

We refer to readings that don’t begin with a spoken question as ‘general readings’. Even that name, though, is inherently describing a question. We are asking to know what is going on, in general.

If we state our question at the beginning of a reading with the focus of setting an intention, we will bring our energy and attention to the reading in a deeper way. Consider that your entire work with tarot could be enhanced by this simple shift in perspective and practice.

The Week in Review

This week I wrote a blogpost exploring the tarot Nines. I also taught a class on YouTube about using a pendulum with your tarot cards.

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From Around the Web

Emerald Lotus Divination has a tarot spread for setting intentions.

Dr. Wayne Dyer is primarily responsible for our use of the word ‘intention’ in our modern spiritual practices. Here are some of his thoughts about it.

Here are some thoughts about setting intentions with moon phases from Wayward Inspiration.

Cards for Your Consideration

Are there any tarot cards that speak specifically about setting an intention? Certainly, the Magician would be an obvious choice here.

I also think that both the Two of Wands and the Seven of Cups can speak of the process of manifestation, which includes setting an intention.

The Seven of Wands might speak of sticking to our intention even in the face of difficulty.

Sometimes the Six of Wands will appear to tell us to keep our eyes on the prize and keep working to achieve our goals.

Tarot is a book of magical tools, as well as a book of spiritual wisdom, and a tool of divination. As such, we can use the cards to help us set our intentions. We can use the cards to bring energy to our intentions. And, in a reading, each card may speak of our intentions in specific ways.

Upcoming Events and Tours

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Card and Craft Academy

Classes presented by Christiana are available right now at Card and Craft Academy!

Christiana’s Candle Magick
Christiana’s Eleven-Card Celtic Cross
Finding Meaning in the Minor Arcana
The Major Arcana, Magical and Mundane
Practical Tarot Techniques
Psychic Tarot
Personal Tarot: Reading for Yourself
Sharing Wisdom: Reading for Others
The Meaning and Magic of Tarot Reversals
Journey Through the Major Arcana
Your Journey Through the Minor Arcana: Numbers, Elements and Truth
Tarot Beyond the Veil
Your Journey Through the Tarot Court
Tarot Stories, Trends, and Blends
Tarot Readings for Personalities and Relationships (New)

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Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 4 Issue 9
March 3, 2021