What is Emotional Strength?
In February we contemplated spiritual strength. This week I am thinking about emotional strength.
I have noticed that many people conflate strength with the ability to conceal or suppress feelings. There are certainly times that a poker face can be an advantage. But is a poker face a sign of personal strength?
I think the ability to conceal emotions is a skill, but I do not think that skill is related to being strong. I do not think that emotional suppression is ever a sign of strength.
We humans possess a wide range of strong emotions. We receive all kinds of messaging that teaches us to embrace what we call positive emotions, such as joy, humor, reverence, and love. That same messaging often makes us feel shame for what we call negative emotions, like anger, fear, disappointment, hurt, and sorrow.
People often say, “I know I shouldn’t feel this way, but I do.”
Our feelings can sometimes reveal parts of ourselves that we do not want others to see, and that we do not ourselves want to confront. Yet, difficult emotions can serve us by showing us where we need to heal.
We cannot let our emotions be the driver of our decision-making. Yet, the courage to feel, acknowledge and appropriately display our emotions is never a weakness.
In fact, I believe that emotional strength is the ability to identify, honor, and process all our emotions in ways that do not cause harm to ourselves or others. In the proper setting, our ability to be transparent about our feelings is a sure sign of emotional strength.
The StaarCorner
We are very excited to welcome Dionne Monsanto to StaarCon 2024 as a first-time presenter.
Dionne is a life transformation coach, and an author. She creates many things, including inspirational divination decks and her own homemade Florida Water!
Dionne is a dancer and a yoga teacher. She is passionately dedicated to mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
We are thrilled that Dionne will be sharing her vision, her products, her talent, and her energy with us at StaarCon 2024.
Tickets will be available very soon. Make your plan to join us!
Diving into the Strength Card
Strength has the distinction of being the one of the two Major Arcana cards with two possible numeric assignments. In the Waite-Smith tarot deck, and all tarot decks of that tradition, Strength is card Eight. In other tarot traditions, such as Marseilles and Crowley, Strength is card Eleven and Justice becomes card Eight.
As a Waite-based reader I usually think of Strength as card Eight. The fact that Strength call also be card Eleven makes me think of the flexibility associated with the quality of strength.
Flexibility is an important component of physical strength. Flexibility is an essential component of emotional strength.
The traditional image of the woman and the lion is so important and meaningful. In a contest of physical strength, the lion would surely harm the woman. In the image, however, the woman has tamed the lion. She did not do this with physical strength. She did it with love, with compassion, and with patience.
From this we learn that love, compassion, and patience are key components of emotional strength.
We can see, too, that there is a relationship between the woman and the lion. Each has a reason to fear the other, and yet they have formed a bond of trust.
The ability to trust and to form relationships are also components of emotional strength.
Within each of us is a gentle woman and a lion. We need both. The lion is our fierce, wild nature. Here is our passion, our desire, our anger, and our excitement. We must not let these emotions rage out of control. Yet, we must acknowledge and deal with these feelings. The gentle woman allows us the strength to process all that we are feeling.
When we think of this interaction between the woman and the lion, we discover something else about emotional strength. Emotional strength requires balance, awareness, and self-control.
Emotional self-control is never the same thing as emotional suppression.
The Week in Review
If you are a member of my YouTube channel at the Star or Sun level, you may join us this evening for our monthly Stars and Suns Zoom Gathering. We meet at 7:30 ET. The link is posted on the Community thread, or you can email me for it.
Did you catch our workshop last Thursday, Mixed Media? We talked about different ways to combine divination tools. Catch the replay and try some of the methods we discuss and make up some of your own!
From Around the Web
May First is this Monday. This is a special day in many cultures. Those who honor traditional Celtic practices celebrate the first day of May as Beltane or Beltaine, a spring celebration with many themes mostly centered on love and fertility.
I searched for some Beltane tarot spreads for you try. I even found one from me!
From 2008, here is a five-card spread inspired by the crown of the May Queen from Llewellyn Worldwide.
Worts and Cunning Apothecary published a seven-card spread in 2015. This spread centers on the Fire energy of Beltane and exploring our heart’s desire.
The Butterfly Witch created this three-card spread in 2017. This spread focuses on what we want to grow and manifest in our lives.
In 2015, Ethony shared a very creative six-card spread that works with medicinal flowers that are associated with Beltane.
Now, here is mine! I created this in 2014. It is a four-card spread based on the maypole.
Creation and Divination
Whether you work with tarot or other oracle cards, it can be helpful and fun to practice creating your own card spreads.
You can create a spread for a specific situation. You can create a spread inspired by an event or a holiday.
For this exercise, play with creating a tarot spread to process your emotions.
So often we do not truly understand what we feel, why we feel that way, and what to do about it. Sometimes our feelings are not truly in reaction to something immediate. Rather, the recent occurrence might bring up feelings from a significant hurt of the past. This can offer a wonderful opportunity for healing, but only if we recognize it as such.
A card reading with a specifically designed spread can help you understand your feelings and their causes. Simply make a list of what you need to know in the simplest terms and assign a card position for each question.
When you design a card spread, you are engaging your intuition and your creativity. These energies will remain engaged as you perform your divination.
Upcoming Events
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
Clarity in Every Tarot Card
Tarot Flow Workshop
Making Magick with Tarot
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
The Elemental Major Arcana
Minor Arcana Numbers, Elements, and Truth
Personal Healing with Tarot
Create and Interpret Custom Tarot Spreads
What the Court Cards Want You to Know
How Spirit Speaks Through Tarot
Catch up on your missed Zoom webinars and more!
About Christiana Gaudet
Card and Craft, Inc.
Southeastern Tarot Artists and Readers, LLC.
Christiana Gaudet
3559 SW Corporate Parkway
Palm City, Florida 34990-8152
Email cgaudet@cardandcraft.com
On the web www.christianagaudet.com
Online classes www.cardandcraftacademy.com
StaarCon information www.staarcon.com
YouTube @YourTarotFairyGodmother
Instagram @christianatarot @staarcon
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.
Zoom parties and group instruction available almost everywhere!
Call toll free 866-99TAROT (866-998-2768)
Palm City 772-301-0232 x102
or call or text 561-655-1160
for more information or to schedule your event.
Schedule online at cardandcraft.10to8.com.
Agent inquiries are welcome.
Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 6 Issue 17
April 26, 2023