Acceptance with a Side of Gratitude
Colorful hearts painted on a brick wall.
No matter who you are, how hard you work, how kind you are, or how lucky you are, it's guaranteed that you won't get everything you want in life. How we deal with our disappointments, hurts, and tragedies can be a significant predictor of our ability to heal and achieve overall success in life. Each challenge we face asks us to decide if we will let it make us better or bitter.
One of the most difficult spiritual lessons we must learn is about acceptance. It’s okay to be angry, hurt, or heartbroken, but it’s not okay to live there, or to let that hurt decay into resentment and victimhood.
Sometimes, we need to accept the limitations of another person. Sometimes we need to accept our own limitations, or that circumstances are not what we wish they were. Sometimes we have to accept an unthinkable event that will permanently change our way forward.
Many people who care about us will struggle with our grief and anger and try to calm us with toxic positivity and spiritual bypassing. We may even do that to ourselves out of desperation. Yet, there are positive messages that can help us in times of grief, not to deny our grief but to keep our perspective.
When we are dealing with grief or disappointment, acknowledging our pain and accepting our situation can also lead to a sense of gratitude emerging. In the face of loss, we might feel grateful for what we experienced before it occurred. We might have gratitude for our supportive people or resources. We might even be thankful that the situation wasn’t worse. How often have we heard people who walk away from terrible accidents celebrating their luck at being alive rather than bemoaning the loss of their automobile?
When something difficult happens in life, we need three things to get through it. The first is the ability to accept what is true. The second is the ability to acknowledge our uncomfortable feelings. Finally, we should be grateful for whatever we can.
Whether an upset is minor or devastating, these steps help us move forward in the best way possible.
The StaarCon 5 Imagining of Pixie Arcana. Art and composition by Stacey Williams-Ng, backgrounds by Animix.
The StaarCorner
Tomorrow, Thursday, August 14, please join Serena Fox and friends in the Meeting Hall Lounge on Accelevents at 5:30 pm ET for Mystic Lounging. Serena facilitates an incredibly healing, creative discussion involving the cards, the seasons, healing, and magic.
This Saturday, August 16, at 11 am ET, join Michelle Barrie in the Meeting Hall Lounge for a special meditative session to help you create positive change in your life.
Both Serena and Michelle have been dedicated and hardworking StaarCon presenters and volunteers since the beginning. We appreciate their willingness to share their talents with us. In many ways, that is what StaarCon has always been about. Even as we prepare for changes and growth, we will remain a group of talented healers, seers, mystics, and artists who strive to share, teach, and learn. We are excited to provide a new online environment for this to happen in 2026!
Marion Kirk presenting at StaarCon 5.
Major Arcana 14, Temperance.
The Five Cards of Acceptance
Within the second septenary of the Major Arcana of tarot is a run of five cards that I like to call ‘The Five Cards of Acceptance’. These cards are Wheel of Fortune, Justice, The Hanged Man, Death, and Temperance. They are numbered Ten through Fourteen. I believe that each of these cards teaches us something important about acceptance.
From The Wheel of Fortune, we learn to accept that we are all subject to the cycles of nature. Sometimes we are on top, sometimes we are at the bottom, and some things are beyond our control.
From Justice, we learn to accept that not everything will be fair or feel fair, but we must strive for fairness nonetheless. We cannot be bitter, even if we have been mistreated. We must work for the betterment of others, regardless of what happened to us.
From The Hanged Man, we learn that sometimes we find ourselves in an uncomfortable position over which we have no control. We must accept the situation, and from there, find the enlightenment that comes from a different perspective. We must be willing to wait for a change to the situation that we cannot ourselves create.
From Death, we learn to accept that everything changes, and many times those changes are not what we would choose. We must accept impermanence and mortality.
All of these cards bring us to the final card of the second septenary, Temperance, the card of art, time, and alchemy. In Temperance, which is Major Arcana Fourteen, the lessons of acceptance bring us to a place of creation.
Temperance requires us to accept that nothing in life is perfect. Temperance teaches us that with patience, creativity, and the right ingredients, we can create exactly what we need.
Global Tarot Circle Live on YouTube, Twitch, Facebook & Instagram - Wednesday, August 13 @ 7 pm.
The Week in Review
Tonight at 7 pm, please join us for Global Tarot Circle, our monthly online tarot meetup. We broadcast on YouTube, and multistream across several video platforms. Join us wherever you prefer!
On Tuesday, August 19, at 7 pm ET, I will livestream an all-levels class on the Major Arcana of tarot. Beginners will gain a strong foundation of knowledge, and experienced readers will gain new perspectives.
From Around the Web
Part of acceptance is self-acceptance. Here is a tarot spread to help with that.
This is from 2012 and stands the test of time. Try Theresa Reed’s Hateful to Grateful Tarot Spread.
As we work to accept difficult people, here is a tarot spread for people you can’t stand.
A group of friends reveling in a shower of confetti.
Communities
The friends who are by our side (physically or virtually) when times are tough can be our greatest blessing, and the thing for which we are most grateful. Whether it’s a meal, a kind word, or some practical assistance, we can really make a difference for one another.
When we watch out for each other, not because we have to, but because we want to or feel called to, we form communities, chosen families, and lifelong friendships. Sometimes this goes beyond the people we know. We contribute to crowdfunding sites and food banks to help those in need, often because we have received help in the past or because it feels good to be part of a larger community of kindness.
Sometimes we feel guilty because we can’t do more, and sometimes people try to manipulate us into doing more than we are capable of. The balance between needs and abilities isn’t always optimum. Yet, if we all do what we can, we must believe that, at least most of the time, we truly make a difference for one another.
Unseen hands leafing through a calendar.
Upcoming Events
Christiana reading an audience member's palm during a psychic gallery at a Celtic festival in Massachusetts, circa 2005.
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 33
August 13, 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.