Did you know that each year has a corresponding tarot card? Because tarot cards are numbered, we can find cards that correspond to dates like birthdays, anniversaries, and years.

2016 is the Year of the Hermit. Major Arcana 9, the Hermit, is about the arduous, lonely journey toward spiritual enlightenment. The Hermit teaches patience, and is the archetype of “Father Time”.

At a time when our world is divided by ideology and violence, the Hermit offers a path to peace.

On January 5th, Mercury, the fastest moving planet, went retrograde. One of the best uses of the energy available to us during a Mercury retrograde is to go within, to cocoon, to meditate, and to withdraw from the world.

As you can see, Mercury is supporting the energy of the Hermit!

Add that to the natural tendency we have to retreat during cooler weather, and this week becomes a wonderful opportunity for introspection, reflection, creativity, meditation, and shadow work.

As we each take that brave journey within, we work to find balance, healing and inner peace. As each one of us finds that place of enlightenment, we bring a new light, and new hope for peace, to the world.

Five Ways to Take the Journey Within

There are many ways to look within and find answers, healing, balance and peace. Here are five that have worked for me.

Tarot: Of all the divination methods, tarot is unique in its abilities, due to its structure and symbolism. You can dialogue with your tarot deck to develop an understanding of your deepest fears and greatest hopes. You can design a tarot spread which will map out your inner journey. You can spend time meditating with the Hermit, and find yourself on the lonely mountaintop, holding the lantern of time and wisdom.

Physical Movement: Yoga, Tai Chi, bodybuilding, hiking and dance are all examples of physical practices that can transport us and transform us. Using repetitive body motion, postures and physical challenge, we can alter our consciousness and explore our inner world.

Dreamwork: Before you go to sleep, perform a ritual or set an intention that your dreams will take you on a journey of spiritual enlightenment, or a journey of self-understanding. When you awaken, write down everything you remember from your dreams. Spend some time analyzing and interpreting your results.

Guided Meditation: Sometimes the best way to go on a journey is to go on a journey! In meditation, visualize your journey to the top of the Hermit’s mountain, or to a sacred space to commune with your ancestors, or to a past life. You will be amazed at what you can learn about yourself and your path, using this method.

Ceremony: Alone or with a group, a ceremony of dedication to the Hermit’s journey can help set the tone and create the space for your exploration.

There are many ways to look within, and many ways to understand what we find there. Right now, we can use the energy that is available to help us make this important journey of self-discovery.

From My Desk to Yours

Over the next few months, I will be making some improvements to the Tarot Topics newsletter. You can expect more contributions from colleagues, and even some multi-media presentations. This new feature, “From My Desk to Yours” will take the place of the “Week in Review,” and will continue to share my blog posts and other creative projects, as well as some great things I’ve found around the web.

If you didn’t have a chance over the holidays, please read my review of our Holiday Open House.

If you are a professional tarot reader, or want to become one, you will enjoy “The Three R’s of Marketing Your Tarot Business”, on my Community Blog.

In case you haven’t yet seen it, I’ve added another tarot poem to my “78 Poems Tarot Project”. Read “The High Priestess”.

If you are interested in using tarot to do some inner journeying, you need my book “Tarot Tour Guide”. It’s available in paperback or for your e-reader!

From Around the Web

As we begin not only a new year, but also a new month, here’s some more wisdom from Zuri for the month of January. Here is her Archangel Guidance for January 2016, and here is her Numerology Forecast.

From Angelo Nasios on his Tarot Tube YouTube channel, here is his presentation of the Tarot School’s concept of tarot birth cards.

Song of the Week

From John Mayer, our Song of the Week is “Waiting on the World to Change.”

Resources for the Year of the Hermit and Mercury Retrograde

There are some fabulous resources online to help you understand and work with the energy of the Hermit, and the Mercury Retrograde.

From Jenna Matlin of Queen of Wands Tarot, here is “2016 is a Hermit Year”.

From Beth Owl’s Daughter, here is “Welcome to 2016, the Year of the Hermit”.

Here’s Zuri’s take on “The Year of the Hermit”, on AskZuri.com.

Also from Zuri, here are “7 Ways to Rock the Mercury Retrograde”.

Here are some thoughts on this Mercury Retrograde from a few astrologers on the Mystic Mamma website.

As you read these articles, pay attention to what resonates for you. Let that guide as you begin your inner journey.

Image from Pixie's Astounding Lenormand, by Edmund Zebrowski

Learning Lenormand

Card 30: Lily

Lily can represent age. That is, older people or time-honored institutions. Lily can represent wisdom, and is often associated with a father or older man.

On the other hand, there can be a romantic aspect to the card. Lily can represent an amorous older man who may prey on younger people.

This card can represent public officials like judges and lawyers.

Lily is a neutral card. Whether it’s message is positive or negative will be determined by the surrounding cards.

The playing card association for Lily is King of Spades, a Court Card. This can indicate an older gentleman.

Next week we will explore card 31, Sun.

Your One-Card Weekly Reading

Two of Swords

Appropriate for our theme this week, your one-card reading, drawn at random, is the Two of Swords.

Aleister Crowley called this the card of “Peace”.

The Two of Swords can tell us that there are decisions to be made. The Two of Swords can also suggest a time of truce, or an agreement to disagree.

Typically, the character in this image is blindfolded. This can indicate the need to look within to find answers.

The balancing of the two swords suggests that we must find peace with duality, and with different ideas. We must find a balance of ideology where there can be peace.

If we can do this within our own hearts, and within our communities, we can do this around the world!

Upcoming Events

Sunday, January 11, 3:30 pm
The Tampa Bay Area Tarot Meetup
Divination Exploration with Jean
Panera Bread, 23388 State Road 54, Lutz, FL, 33549

Jean and Jan will welcome you for a fun and insightful exploration of divination. Bring your tarot and oracles, and let Jean share some of her techniques and ideas with you! You can RSVP on the Meetup site, or simply join the meeting at Panera.

Saturday, January 16, 10 am
A Morning with the Tarot
Temple Terrace Public Library
202 Bullard Parkway, Temple Terrace, FL 33617

Join me for this free presentation as I share the art, history, culture and uses of tarot. Find more information on the library calendar.

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.