The struggle is real.

As children, we are all creative people. We color, paint, and work with clay. We sing and play instruments and act in plays that our parents have to come see. Not just the most talented of us, but all of us.

At one point in our personal history, we were all wonderfully creative and original, whether or not we identify ourselves that way today.

Perhaps, eventually, the pressure to conform and fit in overwhelms the desire to be unique and creative. We want to dress like our friends, and act like our friends.

Within each of us are two desires in conflict with one another – the desire to be truly unique and authentically original, and the desire to fit in with everyone else.

There is a great deal of power in originality. To do something that no one else has done may be the goal for every ambitious person. At the same time, coming up with a creative, original idea can be a daunting task indeed. Sometimes people resort to taking credit for the work of others due to their own lack of inspiration. Sometimes truly talented people feel as though they can never find a niche, or an approach, that isn’t already played out.

The Universe can be a limitless, constant source of inspiration and new possibilities. At the same time, many of us come up with the same ideas at the same time, even when there is no desire to duplicate. We read the same books, and converse with each other about our topics of interest. It’s not unusual that we are all often on the same wavelength. We inspire each other, sometimes on a psychic level.

We sometimes need to question how we can nurture our own individual talents. How can we tap in to inspiration? How can we have confidence in our vision? Can we give ourselves permission to be original, in a world full of copies?

Use Tarot for Creative Inspiration!

Tarot is a great tool for creative prompting. If you are having a hard time deciding what to write about, or what your next art project should be, or how to tap in to your creativity, simply ask the cards!

Whether you do this as part of a journeying meditation, or simply pull a card in frustration at your easel, pulling a card for inspiration will very often give you the spark you need.

When you pull the card, simply look at it and breathe. Rather than thinking about a classic interpretation, think about what the card is saying to you. Open your mind and release logic in favor of intuition, just for a moment.

Let the card speak, and inspire you!

From My Desk to Yours

This week, I shared a piece for pro tarot readers on my personal blog. Do you ever do “Performance Tarot”?

From Around the Web

From Luna Luna, here’s a new review of “Arcana: The Tarot Poetry Anthology”. I’m happy to have two poems published in this great book.

From The Tarot Lady, Theresa Reed, here is her monthly “The Hit List”. Her topic this month is particularly thoughtful, and, I got a mention!

Monica Stark shared this helpful piece on “Energetic Self Care.” This is a topic I think we need to talk about more often.

Song of the Week

Here’s The Kinks, with “I’m Not Like Everybody Else”.
 

Image from Pixie's Astounding Lenormand, by Edmund Zebrowski.

Learning Lenormand

Card 33: Key

Key is a positive card that points to what is most important. This card can predict success, and can accentuate the importance of surrounding cards.

When you see the Key, look to the cards around it to see if they represent something that is missing, that is, something you need to attain. The Key represents your need and ability to do that.

Key can be about access – look to the surround cards to see what it is you have access to.

Key may also suggest a secret, or a missing piece of information that must be revealed.

Key is associated with the Eight of Diamonds, a card that can represent motion and travel.

Next week we will explore card 34, Fish.

Three Tarot Cards about Creating Something Original

It’s fun to think about individual tarot cards that have a significant message in common. When we compare and contrast cards, we get a better handle on our own understanding of the individual cards, as well as the way the cards might work when they come up together in a reading.

Let’s look at the Ace of Wands, The Empress and Temperance. All three can have “creativity” as a key word. All three can speak to the creation of something entirely new. How are they alike, and how are they different?

The Ace of Wands is the birth, essence and source of Fire. Metaphysically, Fire is what burns within us; our passion, our creativity, our anger, and our inspiration.

The Empress, an Earth card, is a pregnant woman, waiting to give birth. What could be more creative than that?

Temperance has the word “art” as a key word. Here, we are performing alchemy, mixing together the right ingredients to make something new.

Sometimes these cards will come up in a reading to encourage us to be creative. Sometimes we will see these cards as inspiration.

Sometimes these cards will help us access and embrace our originality.  Whether we see them in a reading, or choose them for visualize and manifestation, these cards will help us in our struggle to claim our originality.

Image from Gilded Royale by Ciro Marchetti.

Your One-Card Weekly Reading

The Devil

Your one-card reading this week is Major Arcana 15, the Devil! In some modern decks, this card has been renamed things like “Chains”, “Materialism” and “Temptation”.

Typically, the Devil refers to the things we attach ourselves to that don’t serve us. This card works well within the context of our topic this week.

Do you have beliefs about what is possible for you that keep you from being the original, unique person you want to be?

Are you tempted to copy others, rather than nurture your own creativity?

Are you worried that others won’t appreciate your originality?

When we see the Devil, it is often time to evaluate the thoughts and behaviors that are holding us back, and release them!

Upcoming Events

Sunday, February 7, 3:30 pm
Tampa Bay Area Tarot Meetup
Archetype Facets and Shadows
Panera Bread, 23388 State Rd 54, Lutz, FL 33549

Join us for fun, fellowship and food as we explore the tarot archetypes with Brenda. Brenda has just finished teaching a beginner tarot class at Ashes and Alchemy in Lutz, and did an amazing job providing readings at our Holiday Open House.

Bring your cards and a notebook, and expect some deep exploration of the cards, and of yourself.

You can visit this event on my calendar, or RSVP on Meetup.com.

Save the Dates:

Sunday, March 20, 3:30 - 5:30, Tampa Bay Area Tarot Meetup special class with guest teacher Marcy Currier at Beef O'Brady's.

Sunday, June 5, 10:00 - 4:00, Tampa Bay Area Tarot Meetup Retreat Day at Mitchell's.

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.