Depth and Definition
A thoughtful woman studying at her computer.
I often get the feeling that our world is a lot more complicated than it used to be. We have access to more information, we are in contact with more people, and sometimes it feels that the requirements upon us are weightier. I am not sure how much of this is my perception or everyone’s reality, but this is the premise I am working with when I consider how often it seems that we are all just skimming the surface when we try to absorb information, solve a problem, or explore an idea.
Social media is filled with memes telling us that things are just not that deep. Yet, social media is also filled with novices pretending to be experts. Could it be that the more voices we hear speaking on a specific topic, the less nuance we can hear and understand about that topic?
Tarot provides a perfect example of what I mean. When we study tarot (or any random token divination system), we quickly become aware that each card has keywords that act as descriptors and mnemonics. When we first start reading tarot, we may lean heavily on those keywords for our interpretations. Very quickly, we realize those keywords do not suffice as card interpretations within a reading. That is why they exist as memory devices and should never be considered the full depth and definition of the card.
Yet, many readers never move beyond the keywords in their studies. Instead, they decide that the simple explanation of the cards is enough. And for them, it may be. However, in doing so, they lose a great deal.
Not everyone has the time, capacity, or interest to learn to read tarot, and that is fine. But consider how often we see people dumb things down in all aspects of life. Sometimes simplicity is best. However, sometimes oversimplifying something can change it drastically.
In such a complex world, simplifying things can be a lifesaver. Yet, failing to understand the nuances in a situation may lead to an incorrect strategy. If we accept simplifications of layered concepts, those concepts may lose their meaning altogether. This is especially true when studying either history or theology.
We do not have the time and energy to consider everything in our lives from a deeper perspective. Yet, we must maintain a sacred relationship with certain things. Part of any sacred relationship is the commitment to take the time and mental energy to dive deeply and understand every aspect.
We cannot let the rigors and conveniences of modern life keep us from embracing the depth and definition of the things that matter to us most.
The StaarCon 5 Imagining of Pixie Arcana. Art and composition by Stacey Williams-Ng, backgrounds by Animix.
The StaarCorner
This Thursday, tomorrow, join Serena Fox in the Accelevents Meeting Hall Lounge for another edition of Mystic Lounging at 5:30 pm ET.
This monthly gathering is open to all thoughts, paths, modalities, interests, and passions. Come together to talk cards, to share and contemplate meanings, associations, and more, to discuss runes, I Ching, astronomy, astrology, mythic adoration, along with any and all queries and curiosities.
Serena has been an integral part of the StaarCon team since its inception. Over the years, she has been a virtual presenter, graphic designer, and lounge facilitator. Join your StaarCon friends tomorrow evening for some divination and discussion. Check out her website to learn more about Serena!
Ciro Marchetti speaking at StaarCon 2023.
A woman reading tarot in her kitchen.
Is Tarot Always Deep?
There are so many ways to understand tarot, and no two tarotists have the same relationship with the cards. However you work with the cards; if you find them helpful and truthful, you are doing your tarot practice correctly.
There are certain cards, such as the Hermit and the High Priestess, that prompt us to look more deeply into ourselves or a particular situation. Yet, no matter the reader or the topic of the reading, sometimes a tarot reading requires us to dig deeply, and sometimes it does not.
How do we know when we are conducting a reading for ourselves or someone else, when we should ask probing questions of the cards to reveal hidden truths, and when we should simply give the most obvious answers and look no further?
Sometimes, the venue in which the reading is taking place answers that question for us. I have done many quick readings at parties that I knew would turn into hours of deep exploration if we had the opportunity. In these cases, I often give a list of questions for the client’s further exploration, should they choose. Sometimes the best thing that comes from a tarot reading is the questions it advises the client to consider.
Intuition can guide us as well. Sometimes it is clear that the client is not ready or willing to engage in a deep exploration. As a younger reader, this often frustrated me. Now, I have learned to be patient, knowing that people are not ready until they are.
It is also true that sometimes the most profound reading can be a simple answer. Sometimes it feels that the cards have a sense of humor, and this is so often reflected when we take the cards at face value without looking too deeply.
A good reader knows when to take the cards deeper, and when to sit with a simple answer. Tarot always has depth, but not every reading needs to go there.
Cards and Conversation Tarot Meetup - July 13th @ 4pm.
The Week in Review
Join us tonight, Wednesday, July 9, at 7 pm ET, for our monthly Global Tarot Circle. We will broadcast on YouTube and multistream across several platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitch.
On Sunday, July 13, we will host our monthly in-person tarot meetup, Cards and Conversation, at Panera Bread in Palm City at 4:00 p.m. Please join us if you can.
July TarotScopes are now available on YouTube and TikTok. Be sure to check out your sun, moon, and rising signs!
From Around the Web
Mary Ellen Collins has shared some astrology for the United States, since we just celebrated our 249th birthday!
I love it when writers share their positive experiences with tarot readers. This story from The Spinoff is a quick, fun, read.
Here is great advice from Daily Tarot Girl Kate. What should you do if your mind goes blank during a reading?
Illustration of trees and their interconnectedness.
Communities
We now know that trees live in community with one another. They communicate with each other and assist one another. When a ring of mushrooms pop up, we know that they are all connected to one another underground.
We can learn much about how good communities work by observing nature. Very often, the community we spend the most time with is not a club or congregation, it’s our friends and family. So, in a way, a friend group or a family is like a forest or a mushroom ring. We are individuals, but we are all interconnected.
The problem is that friends and family can vary in their ability to be supportive of us, and their ability to receive support from us. It is important to know which of our friends and family members are able to stand with us, like the trees in the forest, and be with us in a loving and supportive way, and which ones are not.
We do not owe every person we care about detailed information about our lives, even when they ask for it. The circle of trust we keep our closest people in is not for everyone. It’s not even for every friend and family member.
When we talk about support from friends and family, we don’t necessarily mean financial support or services rendered. What we need most from our friends and family is the ability to be authentic and have them see us, understand us, and love us.
When we can discern who is able to truly support us and who is not, we can develop friendly relationships with those who are less able, and deep connections with those who are able.
Unseen hands leafing through a calendar.
Upcoming Events
Christiana with her granddaughter Aubrey, December 2023.
About Christiana Gaudet
Card and Craft, Inc.
Southeastern Tarot Artists and Readers, LLC.
Christiana Gaudet
770 SE Indian Street Suite 10
Stuart, Florida 34997-5604
Locations in Port Saint Lucie, West Palm Beach, and Stuart, Florida!
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
TikTok @christianagaudettarot
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 are available almost everywhere!
Call toll free 866-99TAROT (866-998-2768)
For business or agent inquiries, call 772-301-0232
For appointments, call or text 561-655-1160
Schedule Appointments, Mentoring Sessions, or Purchase Gift Certificates Online!
Schedule your private reading or mentorship session, or purchase gift certificates at https://christiana-gaudet.as.me.
Agent inquiries are welcome.
Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 8 Issue 28
July 9, 2025
Christiana Gaudet Your Tarot Fairy Godmother banner.
Join us for "Autumn Arcana Class Three: Spread the Word!" on December 16, 7-8:30 pm at W Executive Suites, Stuart, FL. Discover ways to perform a tarot reading.