The Merry Month of May

A wreath of flowers for May Day.

This Friday is May First. In the Northern Hemisphere, the first day of May, or May Day, is widely celebrated as the definitive end of winter and the beginning of the easier and more enjoyable summer season.

As a young girl growing up in the 1960s in the East End of Long Island, I remember making May baskets with paper, string, and flowers to hang on my neighbors' front doors. If we tried to do that today, we might arouse suspicion!

Folkloric traditions about the month of May are why June is the traditional month for weddings. While May was a time for hearty celebrations, getting married in May was considered unlucky. The focus of the month of May was joyous and wild; energies not aligned with the Victorian era view of wedlock.

Many cultures have traditions and superstitions about love and romance in springtime, and very often specifically in the month of May. That may be the contagious nature of springtime fertility. Or, it may be a function of Maslow’s Hierarchy. Perhaps, during wintertime, our ancestors were too busy focused on survival to spend energy on courtship.

Modern times make seasonal changes less disruptive. Yet, the palpable joy of May is still present in our hearts. Perhaps we feel less stressed, more open, more social, or more creative. Maybe the gentler weather and longer days give us the opportunity to spend more time outdoors, with friends, having fun. There is something about watching the baby birds and bunnies that inspires me each year. Spring is the renewal of life, which brings new hope.

As we enter the month of May, we welcome new hope, optimism, relief, and renewal.

Pixie Arcana for StaarCon 6 by Pamela Steele.

The StaarCorner

We are continuing to plan for a next-level experience at StaarCon 6 in person and virtually. I am very excited that we will have three panel discussions at StaarCon 6. Two will be facilitated by Frank Kwiatkowski, and one by Mary Ellen Collins.  Mary Ellen is also our volunteer manager, with Frank as her assistant.

At StaarCon 6, our panels will take place in the Classroom, which will not be livestreamed. But, those attending StaarCon from home will still be able to enjoy the panels. Here is how.

In the months before StaarCon, our panels will meet on the new StaarCast platform to give a first version of their discussion. The questions asked by the facilitators will be on the same topic, but different than the questions they will ask at the conference. If you attend a panel at StaarCon 6 that you enjoy, you can watch the recording of the earlier panel discussion on StaarCast to get even more information and insight from your favorite panelists.

Panelists will be chosen from our roster of StaarCon 6 presenters, giving attendees even more opportunities to learn from our amazing teachers, authors, artists, and professionals.

Panel at StaarCon 5 hosted by Mary Ellen Collins.

Tickets to attend StaarCon 6 in person in Palm Beach Gardens are now available, along with guest rooms at the DoubleTree at a favorable rate. Get your tickets and book your rooms now! We look forward to seeing you in October!

Kate Mura attending StaarCon 5 virtually.

Frank Kwiatkowski and Christiana Gaudet.

Virtual Presenter Spotlight: Aerik Arkadian

Music, Myth, Magick — and a whole lot of runes

Today we’re shining the StaarCast Community spotlight on one of our favorite virtual presenters — and a dear friend of the conference — Aerik Arkadian. If you’ve been around StaarCon for a year or two, you’ve almost certainly seen him: he and Christiana co-lead our closing ceremony, and his runes workshops have become something of a tradition. This year at StaarCon 6, he’s back on the Live Track on Sunday morning with a brand-new session on the Elder Futhark.

So who is Aerik? Honestly, the short answer is: a lot of things. He’s a Third Degree Gardnerian High Priest, an aborisha, a coven leader, a Reiki Master, and an audio engineer. He reads runes and tarot, and he plays guitar, cello, and piano — and sings. He and his wife Selene run a coven together, along with an active prison ministry.

Outside of StaarCon, Aerik hosts the podcast and YouTube show Music, Myth and Magick, where he sits down with guests like Christopher Penczak, Deborah Lipp, and Jack Chanek to trace the lines between music, spirituality, and the occult. Every guest gets the same question — “How do you use sound or music in your personal practice?” — and the answers are always different, always interesting, and almost always something you’ll want to try yourself. If you’ve ever wondered why a chant works, or how a single bell ring at the start of a circle changes the room, this is the show for you.

What is he bringing to StaarCon 6?

On Sunday, October 4th at 10:15 am on the Live Track, Aerik is presenting a hands-on workshop tracing the journey of the Elder Futhark runes from written symbols to tools of divination. Expect to dig into basic meanings and translations, the cultural weight behind the rune poems, and how divinatory interpretations grew naturally out of those historical contexts. Fair warning: it’s a hands-on session. You’ll be working in small groups to develop your own modernized meanings for each of the runes, with the focus on the intuitive process rather than rote memorization. By the end, you’ll walk away with a richer set of insights — and a deeper sense of how the runes actually speak.

And of course, he and Christiana will close out the conference together in our closing ceremony — a moment we always look forward to.

Where to find Aerik between now and October

If you can’t wait until StaarCon 6, you don’t have to. Aerik writes regularly at aerikarkadian.com — essays, articles, and blog posts on magick, myth, and the modern mystic’s path. His book Fluid Condensers offers a thorough, accessible introduction to a tool that’s long been mentioned in occult traditions but rarely explained, with step-by-step exercises, discussion prompts, and sample recipes for a variety of magical goals. He also offers personalized rune readings, and his original music weaves spirit, sound, and story into something genuinely transformative.

Subscribe to Music, Myth and Magick on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube, and follow along on his site for the rest of his 2026 schedule.

About Aerik

Aerik Arkadian is a Third Degree Gardnerian High Priest, aborisha, husband, musician, coven leader, witch, Reiki Master, and audio engineer. He runs a coven and an active prison ministry with his wife, Selene. Aerik reads runes and tarot, plays the guitar, cello, and piano, and sings. He has brought music and workshops to a number of pagan festivals throughout South Florida, and he hosts the podcast and YouTube show Music, Myth and Magick, where he interviews remarkable guests and examines the spiritual mysteries of music.

StaarCon 6 Presenter Aerik Arkadian.

Presentation: From Words to Runic Wisdom: Building Divinatory Meaning from the Ground Up
Date: October 4, 2026
Room opens: 10:00 AM EDT
Session begins: 10:15 AM EDT
Duration: 45 minutes

A group of people reading tarot.

The Evolution of Tarot and of Us

Tarot is popular worldwide. Tarot is likely the most common form of divination right now. With an average of more than 650 new tarot decks hitting the market each year, tarot is big business as well as a profound tool for growth.

Given these facts about tarot’s popularity, one might think that tarot has the ancient pedigree of systems like the I Ching or Vedic astrology. The truth is the shocking opposite of that.

The reality is that tarot cards are only about 600 years old. Tarot divination is about 250 years old. The most popular tarot images are 116 years old. Our modern ways of viewing the cards were primarily introduced by authors in the 1970s.

What this all means is that tarot is young and constantly evolving. And tarot is here to remind us that we are, too. No matter our age, we are always growing and learning.

Our understanding of a particular card, or a particular tarot technique, will change over time. Tarot itself will change over time, too. It used to bother me to think that the tarot I know and love will be different in another hundred years. Now, I have come to accept and appreciate this as part of the unique path and process that tarot is.

I think it makes sense that a tool that helps us grow and change will also evolve over time.

Global Tarot Circle Live on YouTube, Twitch, Facebook & Instagram - Tuesday, May 5th @ 7 pm.

The Week in Review

TarotScopes for May are available for members on YouTube and will be available for everyone on May 1. You can also view the TarotScopes for May on TikTok.

On Tuesday,  May 5, at 7 pm ET, please join us for Global Tarot Circle, our monthly virtual tarot meetup. I will broadcast live on YouTube and multistream on Twitch, Facebook, and Instagram.

From Around the Web

Spring is here, so summer cannot be far away. Last summer, Healing Thru Tarot compiled a list of their favorite tarot decks to use in summer.

Benebell Wen has just made available her 2022 NWTS presentation on The Tarot Reader as Healer.

There is a full moon in Scorpio on May 1! Read about it, and get a tarot reading for each sign, from Theresa Reed.

The Four Tarot Aces.

Tarot Wisdom For the Week

The imagery of springtime, whether mundane or spiritual, involves planting seeds and hatching eggs. For me, the tarot cards that most clearly represent the potential of spring, the seeds waiting to sprout, and the eggs waiting to hatch, are the four Aces.

In tarot, Aces are new beginnings, potential, or source or essence. In the Minor Arcana of tarot, each suit corresponds to one of the Four Elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

This means that while each Ace can be a new beginning, or like a seed sprouting in spring, the sort of beginning, or the sort of seed sprouting, is determined by the suit, as follows.

The Ace of Swords is the beginning of Air. This may be a new thought or idea, a new discovery, a new writing project, a new conversation, or a new course of study.

The Ace of Wands is the beginning of Fire. This may be a new project, an inspiration, an attraction, or a motivation. The Ace of Wands is the anticipation of life as it waits to happen.

The Ace of Cups is the beginning of Water. This card may herald a new romance, a special friendship, a rekindled relationship, or a healed heart.

The Ace of Pentacles is the beginning of Earth. The Ace of Pentacles can represent new money or a new source of money, new self-care practices, or a new home.

When Aces appear in your reading, consider what seeds might be sprouting in your life!

Unseen hands leafing through a calendar.

Upcoming Events

Weekly Livestream Events

Monday 9:30 am: Your 3-Card Weekly Reading

Friday Noon: Your Friday Weekly Wrap-up

Saturday 12:30 pm: Saturday Psychic Sampler

Sunday 9:30 am: Tarot Topics Newsletter Recap

Watch on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram! (internet willing!) Schedule subject to change without notice.

Christiana presenting at StaarCon 5.

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 classeswww.cardandcraftacademy.com
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YouTube@YourTarotFairyGodmother
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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 9 Issue 17
April 29, 2026

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