What Intuition Is

Concept illustration of a blindfolded man looking for his intuition.

Diviners use the word ‘intuition’ with a very specific intention and meaning that is different from the word’s normal usage. In day-to-day communication, the word ‘intuition’ means the ability to understand or know something immediately, without conscious processing.

In the mundane world, intuitive people are those who possess quick cognition, knowledge and experience, and good pattern recognition. These qualities allow people to read the room easily and make wise decisions rapidly.

In the art world, an intuitive painter comes to the canvas with no plan, sketches, or color theory. Rather, they let their emotions and instincts guide their brushstrokes and color choices.

In psychology, it is often thought that those with good intuition, or those who identify as empaths, developed this to cope with unstable and unpredictable household situations in childhood. The idea is that if we can anticipate a caregiver’s mood or likely action, we can avoid trouble.

What, then, do we mean when we speak of intuition from a perspective of tarot, divination, or psychism? There was a time I would use the terms ‘intuitive’ and ‘psychic’ interchangeably. It was actually StaarCon maven (and my good friend) Serena Fox who suggested I was in error. From her, I learned to think of intuition as the inner knowing and psychic ability as what comes to us from outside ourselves.

It seems that, in mundane and psychological terms, intuition is a skill we develop based on the type of intelligence we have and the kinds of things we experience. In tarot terms, intuition means a lot more.

When diviners, tarotists, and spiritual seekers think of intuition, I think most of us see it as our internal guidance – the voice of wisdom within us that we can choose to hear or ignore at our peril. I think many of us see intuition as something above and beyond the mundane and psychological understanding. I think we see intuition as a way we connect with the Higher Self, and one of the ways we might discern our best path forward.

One major difference in these two ways of considering intuition is this. Mundane intuition can absolutely be off. If you read the room wrong, well, that might happen. From a spiritual perspective, I think many of us believe that intuition is never wrong. If we identify an idea as intuitive and it turns out to be incorrect, then we mistook our fear or desire as intuition.

Whatever an individual might believe about intuition, I think it is fair to recognize that fear and desire can masquerade as intuition, but can also make intuition a lot harder to hear.

From this spiritual perspective, I think intuition is the voice that whispers while other voices scream. If we can quiet the noise in our head, we can hear the intuitive whisper.

Pixie Arcana for StaarCon 6 by Pamela Steele.

The StaarCorner

This week, two returning StaarCon presenters have been added to the StaarCon 6 roster, and they are a married couple flying in from the Bay Area of California!

Kooch Daniels is an author and deck designer. She is an astrologer, tarotist, and palmist. Kooch traveled to India to study palmistry, which led her to become a professional hand reader and author of The Art and Magic of Palmistry.

At StaarCon 6, Kooch will teach us some palmistry basics and will show us ways to integrate palmistry into a tarot reading.

Kooch’s husband, Victor Daniels, is equally impressive. Kooch and Victor truly are a metaphysical power couple!

Victor is an emeritus professor of psychology. He has been a professional tarot reader for 30 years, primarily at corporate events and private parties.

Victor has been writing and publishing since 1976, about psychology, tarot, divination, and the world in which we live.

At StaarCon 6, Victor will present a profound and fun tarot session in the Mindful room. Tarot Group Process will be a unique workshop that explores how tarot speaks to each of us personally.

We cannot wait to welcome Kooch and Victor back to StaarCon. Please make your plans to join us!

StaarCon Presenter Kooch Daniels.

StaarCon Presenter Victor Daniels.

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!

Peter Coe in the Marketplace, StaarCon 5.

Mercedes Vasquez in the Marketplace, StaarCon 5.

Ben Tomlin lecturing at StaarCon 5.

Virtual Presenter Spotlight: Karen Winkel

Astrology, Tarot, and the Map That Makes You Uniquely You

Today we’re turning the spotlight on one of our Live Track presenters for StaarCon 6 and StaarCon 6 Virtual: Karen Winkel. Karen describes herself as an Electrical Engineer by degree and a Metaphysician by heart, and that combination tells you a lot about who she is. She has been studying astrology and tarot since the mid-1980s, spending decades honing her craft while building a career in engineering and raising three children. She stayed quietly in the broom closet for a long time, but in 2016 she stepped out, expanded her skills, and began the work of building a full practice. Today she offers astrology, tarot, Reiki, and chakra healing through Inner Quest Metaphysical Guidance, the business she opened in 2018.

Karen brings a rare combination of analytical precision and genuine spiritual depth to her work. The same mind that spent years as a corporate engineer now helps clients navigate birth charts, tarot spreads, and energy work with clarity and care. She is a Reiki master, a certified hypnotist, and a practitioner of crystal healing for manifestation. When she is not working or continuing to deepen her craft, you will likely find her spending time with her husband, her children, and what she affectionately calls her three FAAs: feline administrative assistants.

What is she bringing to StaarCon 6?

On Saturday, October 3rd at 2:00 pm on the Live Track, Karen is presenting Astrology 101: Meet Your Big 3! This is a session designed to open up the birth chart for anyone who has ever felt like astrology was bigger and more complicated than their sun sign alone could explain.

Most people can name their sun sign and rattle off a few traits that go with it. But the natal chart holds so much more. In this workshop, Karen will walk you through the Big 3: the Sun sign, which shapes your core identity and drive; the Moon sign, which governs your emotions, instincts, and inner life; and the Rising sign (or Ascendant), which colors how you show up in the world and how others first perceive you. Beyond defining each one, she will show how these three placements interact with each other to make you genuinely distinct from every other person who shares your sun sign.

Karen encourages attendees to bring a copy of their natal chart if they can. Free charts are available online at many sites, so there is no barrier to coming prepared. Whether you are completely new to astrology or you have been dabbling for years and want a more grounded understanding of the fundamentals, this session offers a warm, accessible, and genuinely fun entry point.

A StaarCon veteran returning for her third year

Karen has been a StaarCon presenter since 2024, and each year she has brought a workshop that reflects the full breadth of her practice. At StaarCon 2024, she presented Moon Magic: Using Astrology, Tarot, and Crystals to Manifest Your Heart’s Desires, a session covering the moon’s phases and astrological signs as tools for intentional manifestation, complete with guidance on building a manifestation altar using tarot cards, crystals, candles, and symbolic tokens.

At StaarCon 5 in 2025, she went deep into one of astrology’s most mysterious territories with Twelfth House Astrology: Shining a Light into the Shadows. That workshop explored the signs and planets associated with the twelfth house in the natal chart, how to lean into its positive influences, and how to work with the challenges it presents. Both sessions are available to watch on StaarCast for those who want a preview of her teaching style before October.

This year, with Astrology 101: Meet Your Big 3! Karen is taking a different approach, offering something that meets people at the beginning and gives them a strong, practical foundation to build on. It is a natural complement to the deeper dives she has offered in previous years.

About Karen

Karen Winkel is a Healer, Astrologer, and Tarotist who opened Inner Quest Metaphysical Guidance in 2018 after decades of studying astrology and tarot alongside a career in electrical engineering. She is a Reiki master, certified hypnotist, and crystal healing practitioner with a teaching style that is precise, warm, and grounded in genuine depth. Karen has presented at StaarCon since 2024 and returns to the Live Track at StaarCon 6 on Saturday, October 3rd.

StaarCon 6 runs October 2 through 4, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The Live Track is streamed live for StaarCon 6 Virtual attendees on StaarCast.com. Tickets are available at staarcon.com/tickets.

StaarCon Presenter Karen Winkel.

Presentation: Astrology 101: Meet Your Big 3!
Date: October 3, 2026
Room opens: 1:45 PM EDT
Session begins: 2 PM EDT
Duration: 45 minutes

A woman prepares for a tarot reading.

Intuition in Tarot Readings

How do we use intuition in tarot readings? From time to time, there are heated arguments online between those who believe tarot is best read with interpretation and those who believe tarot is best read with intuition.

I believe that this should never be an argument. There is room for both, and a reading will be best when the reader uses both.

Some readers use tarot but never study the cards. They develop their own meanings and techniques and are truly intuitive readers.  Many of them are very talented and give great readings, although I am not sure we could call them tarot readings. Perhaps, rather, they are intuitive readings facilitated by tarot images. Tarot images are indeed powerful and evocative whether or not you know their history, archetypes, and symbols.

When you study tarot, you discover that there are many ways that intuition enters a reading. We know that each card can mean many different things. Intuition can help us know which meanings will be most appropriate in a specific reading. Intuition can help us choose which deck, spread, and techniques we will use. Intuition can help us formulate our questions for the cards.

Another truth for most readers is that the more we work with the cards, the more intuitive we become. We activate our intuition in a tarot reading when we take time before a session to clear, ground, and center ourselves, and to create sacred space and consciously activate the third eye to awaken intuition.

Tuesday, June 16th, 7 to 8:30 pm - Third Tuesday Tarot: Suit of Cups - W Executive Suites, 770 SE Indian Street, Stuart, Florida.

The Week in Review

Our in-person tarot meetup happened this past Sunday at Panera Bread in Pam City. We had 22 people at the meeting. That is the same number of people as there are cards in the Major Arcana! Our next meeting is July 12, so make your plans to join us.

If you missed our livestream class last night, Tarot Tells the Vibe, you can watch the replay.

Our monthly in-person tarot class, Third Tuesday Tarot, happens in Stuart on June 16 at 7 pm. We will explore the suit of Cups. Get your ticket now!

From Around the Web

You know that I do a lot of livestreaming on YouTube. But who are other readers on YouTube that I enjoy and admire? Let me share three.

Joe Monteleone is a fabulous reader and teacher. He works with both Waite and Crowley tarot traditions.

Erika Robinson has been a guest on my YouTube channel a few times and has been a presenter at StaarCon. Erika is a Harvard-educated Black Lenormand reader and creator.

T. Susan Chang is an amazing tarotist and writer. She has presented at StaarCon twice. Check out her new Tarot Podcast!

The Hermit tarot card.

Tarot Wisdom For the Week

The two cards that most tarotists would identify as clearly speaking of intuition are the High Priestess and the Moon. That is for good reason. Both cards deal with the watery depths of the subconscious and what lies beyond what we can see with our eyes. But what about the Hermit? The Hermit is certainly a card of loneliness. He can speak of age, or old things. Like the High Priestess and Hierophant, he can symbolize clergy.

One word most people associate with the Hermit is ‘wisdom’. He earned his wisdom through the passage of time and through his deliberate choice of solitude.

The Hermit tells us that answers may not come easily, and that deep wisdom won’t come from a Google search. The Hermit shows us the way to our own intuition. We find our inner knowing with patience, in silence and solitude.

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.

Brenda Elizabeth, Christiana, and Donna at Cards and Conversation Tarot Meetup.

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
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 9 Issue 23
June 10, 2026

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