Holidays, elections and world events can really turn up the heat when it comes to our relationships with others. Sometimes even our closest friends say or do things that trigger us.

Often, holiday celebrations require us to be on our best behavior with family members whom we try to avoid most of the year.

At work, ideological differences and holiday stress can turn even the most productive office into a battlefield.
Suddenly, a season that seeks to promote a sense of peace, fellowship and gratitude sets the stage for anger and hurt feelings.

There are also times, regardless of the season or world news, that we just don’t have the emotional capacity to deal with drama, even the drama of people we love.

What can we do when people irritate and trigger us?

The first thing we must do is remember to hold love in our hearts, even when we are angry.

The second thing is to acknowledge our own need to take space from the situation.

Finally, we must always remember to choose our battles wisely.

When people start to drive us crazy, chances are, the problem is with our own perspective. Once we get past our own anger and irritation, we can usually find a way to grow and heal. Even the most difficult people serve a purpose in our lives by giving us this opportunity to grow.

Eight Tips for Handling Difficult People

We are all children of the Universe, and we are all equally valuable. However, the truth is that we will perceive some people in our lives as difficult.

We might have a difficult family member, friend or coworker. It may be that everyone’s experience of our difficult person is the same. It may be that we are the only person to find a particular personality problematic.

Here are eight tips to help us handle the difficult people in our lives.

Figure out why you perceive the person as difficult. Take responsibility for your own triggers, and for your own perceptions.

Remember that we must accept people where they are, not where we wish they were.

Appreciate that difficult people challenge us to be our best.

Remember that sometimes our frustration with difficult people can cause us to make decisions that are not in our own best interest.

Remember that is it always a choice to take things personally.

Keep your own goals at the forefront. What is it that you most want from this encounter? Act accordingly.
Remember that not everything in life is fair. Do not let something that you perceive as an injustice keep you in a state of anxiety and irritation.

Approach with compassion. Hurt people hurt people. Sometimes the most difficult people are the ones who need love most.

Image from Gilded Royale, by Ciro Marchetti.

Your One-Card Weekly Reading

Your one-card reading this week is the Queen of Swords. This is a remarkable random draw for a newsletter about coping with difficult people.

You see, the classic interpretation for the Queen of Swords is a sharp-tongued woman who can’t be trusted! She, herself, can be interpreted as a difficult woman.

I think the reason the Queen of Swords gets such a bad reputation is that she is the queen of Air. Air is the element of communication and integrity. Therefore, the Queen of Swords is a woman who speaks the truth. Often, women who speak truth are considered ill-behaved or unpleasant.

This week spend time thinking about what is true for you. Nurture your own truth, and speak it when necessary. Do not fear your truth, but neither be angry with those who are not ready to hear what you have to say.
Whether or not your honesty is appreciated, do your best to stay in your own integrity.

The Week in Review

This week I shared a post about tarot reading on my Community Blog. What is the difference between Major Arcana and Minor Arcana cards in a reading? Not as much as you might think! Read my post and find out why!

From Around the Web

There’s a fun quiz on the U.S. Games, Inc. website. Take it to find out which tarot deck might be best for you! (When you do, use a browser other than Internet Explorer to make sure it will work for you!)

From The Unbounded Spirit, an interesting perspective about living in difficult times.

Here is a good article about “grounding the root chakra”. This can be very helpful in maintaining our health, wealth
and happiness!

Song of the Week

I’ve chosen an oldie but goodie for this week. Even if you know the song, make time to listen to it again! The song is “Everyday People” by Sly and the Family Stone.

Image from Under the Roses Lenormand, by Katrina Hill and Kendra Hurteau.

Learning Lenormand

Card 26: Book

Book, or Journal, is a neutral card. In a very literal sense, this card can refer to books, ledgers and studying.
The card can be an indication of knowledge, or education.

On a deeper level, Book can indicate secrets, even secrets that will soon be revealed.
When this card appears, it can indicate that a particular secret is being kept, or that there is more information for you to discover.

The playing card association for Book is the Ten of Diamonds, a card of motion and changes.
Next week we will enjoy a special holiday edition of this newsletter. We’ll be back the following week with card twenty-seven, Letter.

Use Tarot to Understand People

At work and at home, we end up dealing with people whose opinions are different than our own, and with people whose personalities don’t meld with our own.

Sometimes it’s hard to simply “agree to disagree”. Sometimes we feel insulted. Sometimes we have a legitimate need to stick up for ourselves, or to speak truth to power.

The next time you find yourself in a disagreement, spend some time with the cards to help you fully understand the situation.

Ask questions of the cards such as:

What am I to learn from this encounter?

Why did this person’s actions make me so upset?

What is my desired outcome in this situation?

What is this person’s experience of this situation?

Why is this person in my life?
What sort of relationship is possible between this person and me in the future?

Should I stand up for myself in this situation?

Upcoming Events

Sunday, November 22, 3:30 pm
Tampa Bay Area Tarot Meetup
Fortune’s Esoteric Lenormand Class
Panera Bread
23388 State Road 54, Lutz, FL 33549

Professional reader Bridget Fortune will be sharing her Lenormand techniques with us. Bring your Lenormand deck, or borrow one at the meeting.

Visit the event listing on my website, or RSVP on the Meetup site.

Sunday, December 6, 3:30 pm
Tampa Bay Area Tarot Meetup
Madam Lenormand’s Tarot Soup Recipe
Panera Bread
23388 State Road 54, Lutz, 33549

Professional reader Michael Newton-Brown will share his technique of using tarot and Lenormand to create a comprehensive professional-quality reading.
Join us at Panera for food, fellowship and a great learning opportunity. Visit the event listing on my website, or RSVP on the Meetup site.

Tuesday, December 8th, 11 am
The Fool’s Journey
Port Tampa City Library
4902 Commerce St, Tampa, Fl. 33616

Join us at the library for a presentation of the Major Arcana of the Tarot. Visit the event listing on my website for more information.

Save the Dates:

 On December 20, from 1- 5 pm, the Tampa Bay Area Tarot Meetup will host a Holiday Open House in support of Feeding America Tampa Bay. Read about it on my calendar.

TarotCon (Florida) 2016 will be in Palm Beach Gardens October 8-9. More information will follow soon!

About Christiana

Christiana Gaudet
Origins Spa and Wellness Center
1537 N Dale Mabry Highway #102
Lutz, FL 33548

Private telephone, Skype and in person readings and instruction are available by appointment.

Tarot parties at your home or office are available throughout Florida. 

Call 813-948-4488, toll free 866-99TAROT,
or text or call 561-655-1160
for more information or to schedule your event.

Agent inquiries are welcome.