Hopes and Fears
Many traditional and modern tarot spreads have a position called ‘Hopes and Fears’. It is not one card for hopes and another for fears. Rather, it is a single card drawn at random to describe both hopes and fears at the same time.
For years I thought this was odd. How could hopes and fears occupy the same space?
Recently, the truth came to me. In a very real way, our hopes and fears are the same.
We hope that what we fear will not come to pass. We fear that what we hope will not come to pass.
We know that we cannot live life dictated by fear. Nor can we hang on to false hope. Yet, hope is often what gives us the courage to take next steps to fulfill our goals. Fear is also a motivator. Fear can hold us back, but fear can also move us forward. Sometimes our fear of losing spurs us on toward the win.
Perhaps hopes and fears are perfect partners, designed to give us every motivation to live the life we desire.
The StaarCorner
For StaarCon 2023, we are scheduling our Friday sessions a bit differently than we have done before. On Friday we will offer four intensive sessions, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. Attendees will choose one intensive to attend in the morning, and one to attend in the afternoon. Recordings for all sessions will be available during the AfterGlow.
Just prior to the opening ceremony we will have a sound bath with Jenny Stafford of Resonant Sound Healing. Jenny has studied, practiced, and taught multiple healing modalities for the last twenty-five years. She is also a passionate tarotist.
Jenny will guide us in using the healing frequencies of the sound bath in conjunction with specific tarot cards to set our intentions for our time at StaarCon.
After the sound bath we will have a short opening ceremony. The official events of the day will end with a Tarot Improv session led by Mitchell Osborn.
The tiki bar will be open for evening festivities for in-person attendees. Online attendees can gather in the Accelevents lounge for some after-hours social time before the four tracks of session begin Saturday morning.
Tickets will be available soon. You will be able to purchase tickets for single days, two days, or all three days of StaarCon 2023.
Interpreting Hopes and Fears
In my eleven-card Celtic Cross, Hopes and Fears is the penultimate card in the spread, Card 10. You may use a different sort of Celtic Cross, or a different sort of spread, that also has a Hopes and Fears position. You may also want to try a single-card reading for Hopes and Fears.
The question is, how do you interpret a card that is pulled to talk about both hopes and fears?
The key is entirely in the context of the card that is drawn.
Look at the card. What does it represent? Does it speak to something you have, something you want, something you actually hope for, or something you actually fear?
Think about your feelings about the card, and your relationship to those feelings. How does this speak to what is going on in your life?
When you look at a card from the perspective of hopes and fears, it can give a great deal of advice. A card drawn this way can help you understand your goals and reach them. A card drawn this way can help you mitigate your problems. A card drawn this way can help you acknowledge and verbalize your worries.
The Hopes and Fears card is truly a card of healing and attainment.
The Week in Review
I had a fabulous time on my Tampa Bay Area Tarot Tour this week! Thank you to everyone who had readings and hosted parties.
I will return to my regular schedule of livestreams on my YouTube channel in the coming week.
Tomorrow evening, Thursday, at 7 pm, all members of my channel are invited to join me for a free class on tarot magic!
From Around the Web
I was so honored that a card I pulled during a livestream inspired this great blogpost on LibraDoesTarot.com.
The Tarot Blog Hop for the Summer Solstice is well worth a read. Start with Joy Vernon, and follow the links to see what all six bloggers had to say.
Here is a new song inspired by tarot!
Join Us for Class Tonight
Tonight, Wednesday, June 29, at 7 pm ET, you can join us for a class called “What the Court Cards Want You to Know”. In this class we will learn all the different ways to interpret and work with the sixteen Court cards of tarot. That is, the Kings, Queens, Knights, and Pages. These cards are often considered the most difficult in the deck because they are so versatile.
You can attend the class on Zoom or in person in Palm City. Get your ticket and join us tonight!
Guidance on the Journey
“I need you to tell me that my worst fears will never come to pass in my lifetime”.
That is a request that a tarot reading cannot always fulfill.
Sometimes the cards can be very reassuring. In those cases, we can be very comfortable relieving our clients, or ourselves, of those dire worries.
Sometimes, though, the cards cannot confirm that the things we fear will not happen.
Divinatory tarot is powerful. Divinatory tarot has the power to help in every circumstance.
When tarot cannot assure us that we will not have to meet a challenge that we fear, tarot can do something even better.
Tarot has the power to help us find our strength, and our courage. Whatever life may bring us, tarot has the ability to help us meet each challenge, and each joy, the best way possible.
The key is in the questions we ask of the cards. Sometimes the best question is not, “Will this feared thing happen?” Sometimes the best question is, “If this thing should happen, what can help me handle it?”
By helping us know we will be able to handle any challenge, tarot can turn our fears into hope.
Upcoming Events
Card and Craft Academy
Classes presented by Christiana are available right now at Card and Craft Academy!
Christiana’s Eleven-Card Celtic Cross
Finding Meaning in the Minor Arcana
The Major Arcana, Magical and Mundane
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
Your Journey Through the Tarot Court
Tarot Stories, Trends, and Blends
Tarot Readings for Personalities and Relationships
Fearless Wisdom Tarot Workshop
Tarot Keywords and Interpretations Workshop
Tarot Spreads Tools and Techniques Workshop
Tarot for Magic and Mediumship
Tarot Communication for Clarity and Depth
Weaving the Tarot Reading Story
Minor Arcana Numbers, Elements, and Truth
Create and Interpret Custom Tarot Spreads
Catch up on your missed Zoom webinars and more!
cardandcraftacademy.com
About Christiana Gaudet
Card and Craft, Inc.
Southeastern Tarot Artists and Readers, LLC.
Christiana Gaudet
3559 SW Corporate Parkway
Palm City, Florida 34990-8152
On the web www.christianagaudet.com
Online classes www.cardandcraftacademy.com
StaarCon information www.staarcon.com
Private telephone, Skype, FaceTime, Zoom and in person readings and instruction are available by appointment.
Tarot parties at your home or office are available throughout Florida.
Call or text toll free 866-99TAROT (866-998-2768)
Palm City 772-301-0232
or call or text 561-655-1160
for more information or to schedule your event.
Agent inquiries are welcome.
Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 5 Issue 26
June 29, 2022