Faith

A flower growing in the crack of the pavement.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, and our thoughts turn to gratitude. Of course, one of the things I am most grateful for is the work I do. Thank you for making that possible and for being a valued part of my community.

Something else I am thinking about this week is faith. I have been actively embracing two pieces of wisdom about faith.

One tricky thing about faith is that it is the hardest to have when we need it the most. This can be true whether we need faith in ourselves, in an outcome, or in something bigger than ourselves.

When we are experiencing a difficult time, we need to remember that the difficulty will make it harder to have the faith we need. So often, we compound our problem by feeling guilty and bereft that we are having trouble mustering faith. Normalizing this struggle does a lot to help us find the opening that lets the light of faith shine in.

The second bit of wisdom is specific to my work with tarot cards, but the concept is spiritually imperative for all of us,

The work I do requires me to have a lot of faith. I must believe in myself, my skills, the magic of the tarot, and the guidance of those in spirit. My integrity requires me to believe fully in the process I use for my clients. The trust others put in me deserves nothing less.

So, every day, I intentionally start the day with a healthy dose of skepticism. It doesn’t feel like a sad loss of faith but rather an open-mindedness. Each day, I ask the universe to prove my work is valuable, accurate, and appropriate. This gives me full faith and confidence in what I offer others.

When something earns our faith, it is important to question it regularly over time. High-control religions discourage questioning things of faith. The church I was raised in taught me something different. If where we place our faith is worthy of faith, it can stand up to rigorous questioning.

The StaarCon 5 Imagining of Pixie Arcana. Art and composition by Stacey Williams-Ng, backgrounds by Animix.

The StaarCorner

StaarCon 2024 AfterGlow

The StaarCon 2024 AfterGlow continues until January 20. Until then, you can watch recordings of StaarCon presentations, shop at the expo, and meet your friends in the lounges.

Stay tuned for more exciting events! We will have at least one more scheduled lounge event before the end of the AfterGlow. Keep an eye on this newsletter, the StaarCon website, and our Community Group on Facebook for all the details.

57 Days Until StaarCon 5!

Katrina Wynne, a beloved tarot reader with many decades of experience, has been an integral part of StaarCon since our inception.

In tarot, we have a “Year Card,” which is derived numerically and gives us guidance, wisdom, and inspiration for the year. Since StaarCon happens in January each year, Katrina has taken on the task of helping us understand and utilize each year's card in her presentation.

During 2024, the Year of Strength, Katrina hosted quarterly meetings in her lounge so StaarCon attendees could gather and discuss how the Year of Strength was going for them.
2025 is the Year of the Hermit. Katrina will explain this in her StaarCon presentation and then host quarterly meetings in the AfterGlow.

We are grateful to Katrina for creating this fabulous StaarCon tradition and are so excited that she will help us make the most of the Year of the Hermit.

StaarCon presenter Katrina Wynne.

A woman reading tarot for herself.

What Faith Do You Have in Tarot?

I don’t like it when people talk about “belief” in tarot. I do not need to “believe” in tarot any more than I need to believe in my stove or my automobile. Tarot exists, and I use it.

Faith is a different story. How much faith should we put in the cards’ ability to speak to a situation? How much faith should we put in our ability to interpret and intuit the correct message?

If we expect the cards to give clear and obvious answers to every question, we are likely to be sorely disappointed. If we put too much faith in a simplistic idea of tarot, we limit the value of tarot and the information it can give us.

Tarot can help in any situation and speak to any problem, but we need to be nuanced in our thinking about how the cards work.

Sometimes, the cards speak so clearly and easily that their accuracy blows our minds. Other times, interpreting a reading may feel like walking through mud.

The way we experience the reading should become part of our interpretation. A quick, clear answer requires swift, clear action. A muddled reading indicates a need to take time and consider all aspects carefully.

Sometimes, the cards speak so clearly that some people have too much faith in their ability to always derive quick, straightforward answers and are disappointed when that doesn’t happen.

Sometimes, the cards speak in riddles, causing some people to think there is no truth to be found within them.

The more we learn to work with the cards, the more faith we can have in the value of tarot to give information and insight.

Happy Thanksgiving collage.

The Week in Review

This is an excellent time to let you know that I remain available for Zoom, phone, FaceTime, and Skype sessions throughout the holiday season.

If you would like to see me in person in Stuart, Port Saint Lucie, or West Palm Beach, please call or text 561-655-1160 as soon as possible to get on the schedule.

If you are a member of my YouTube channel, did you catch our members-only livestream on Monday? You can watch the replay to learn how family dynamics show up in tarot.

From Around the Web

Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving Day or not, these Thanksgiving tarot spreads can help you find your gratitude and understand your family.

From Autostraddle, a Thanksgiving Tarot Spread to Help You Survive Family Gatherings.

From Tarotteachings.com, a Gratitude Tarot Spread for Thanksgiving.

From Emerald Lotus, a tarot spread for Aligning with Gratitude.

A sad woman looks in a mirror covered in affirmations.

Making Magic

Here is something you can do when you are struggling to find the faith you need.

Faith, like anything else, is an energy. Faith has a specific vibration and specific energetic signature.

Which tarot cards speak to you of faith? Although many choices exist, I like Strength, the Fool, and the Two of Wands.

Which herbs are good for strengthening faith? Rosemary is a favorite of mine.

Which crystals help us find our faith? I like amethyst, but again, there are many.

So often, when we need to muster our faith, we turn our energy to the thing we are trying to accomplish. It is so much easier and more direct to first invoke the energy of faith. From there, everything gets easier.

Global Tarot Circle on YouTube Live - December 4th @ 7 pm.

Upcoming Events

Weekly YouTube Events

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

Thursday Noon: Tarot Topics Newsletter Recap

Friday Noon: Your Friday Weekly Wrap-up

Saturday 12:30 pm: Saturday Psychic Sampler

Card and Craft Academy

Card and Craft Academy will close permanently on November 15th.

Look for Christiana’s new and improved academy soon! Until then, Christiana is offering personal mentorship classes in person and online.

Existing students of Card and Craft Academy will be offered a similar course in the new location as soon as the course becomes available. Students who take advantage of the offer to access the new course will also receive a coupon for a free month of our new all-access subscription when the full site is available.

If you are a Card and Craft Academy student, your invitation will be mailed to the email address you used to log in to the old account. If your address changes, you can contact Christiana to recover your account.

Christiana Gaudet takes a selfie in her Palm City office, circa 2017.

About Christiana Gaudet

Card and Craft, Inc.
Southeastern Tarot Artists and Readers, LLC.

Christiana Gaudet

770 SE Indian Street
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 classes www.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 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 7 Issue 48
November 27, 2024

Christiana Gaudet Your Tarot Fairy Godmother banner.

Equanimity

When I was young, I wasn't aware of emotional intelligence. It just wasn’t something we talked about. I believe life would be better for everyone if we were all taught emotional knowledge, understanding, and skills.

Since many of us weren't taught these things as children, we must learn them later in life. This can make it difficult for people to handle their emotions and achieve their goals while also managing adult responsibilities.

One skill of emotional intelligence that seems particularly important is equanimity. Equanimity, from Latin, literally means ‘even mind’ or ‘level spirit.’ Equanimity is the ability to remain calm and non-reactive in challenging or distressing situations.

This does not mean that we do not acknowledge and respond to distress. Instead, it means we have the skill to do so in a level-headed way that offers solutions rather than drama.

The concept of equanimity appears in many spiritual traditions, including Buddhism and Christianity.

Practices of equanimity include nonattachment, mindfulness, and self-compassion. These are also good divination practices.

By taking responsibility for our energy, responses to triggers, and reactions to situations, we increase our ability to find solutions, navigate challenges, and cultivate meaningful relationships.

It's all right if we can't always maintain complete equanimity. Setting a goal to achieve equanimity helps us move toward peace and balance.

The StaarCorner

Mary Ellen Collins has been a part of StaarCon from the planning stages forward. She is a stalwart volunteer as well as an excellent presenter.

At StaarCon 2024, Mary Ellen is offering a Friday Intensive option called Tarot Plus! Divination Combos.

This intensive is for tarot enthusiasts who want to learn to integrate other forms of divination into their tarot readings.  Mary Ellen will teach Tarot Plus! In three sessions. Session One is Cards and Stars, where you will learn simple astrology tools to personalize your tarot readings.  Session Two is Cards and Charms. Here, you will learn charm casting and ways to combine charms with tarot. In the third session, Cards and Crystals, you will learn the basics of lithomancy (reading crystals) and several methods to combine crystal divination with tarot.

Whether you enjoy this intensive with Mary Ellen in person or online, live or during the AfterGlow, you will be thrilled with how these techniques power up your tarot practice.

Equanimity Tarot Exercise

Here is an exercise to help you find a sense of equanimity as you learn more about your tarot deck.

First, think about the qualities of equanimity – peace, calm, serenity, patience, balance, etc.

Then go through your tarot cards, face up. Pull every card from the deck that you feel represents a quality of equanimity or makes you feel equanimous.

Now look at the cards that you have pulled. Divide them into suits and see what similarities and differences you see in the cards in this subset of the deck you have created. Is one suit predominant? If so, what message do you take from that? Is a suit missing? Are their repeated numbers? What do you learn about equanimity from these things?

Pay attention to what comes into your mind as you play with these cards. Pay attention to how the group of cards you have chosen work together and what messages and insights come to you from these images when you view them as a group.

Now, take this group of cards and shuffle them together. Do not include other cards from the deck; shuffle only the cards you pulled out initially. Pull three cards from this shuffled group at random to give you personal insight into your relationship with equanimity.

The Week in Review

If you missed Global Tarot Circle last night, please watch the replay. Tomorrow evening, Thursday, at 7 pm ET, members of my YouTube channel are invited to join us for our monthly members-only livestream. This month, we will focus on the Court cards.

From Around the Web

StaarCon presenter Nancy Hendrickson shared this fabulous post about omens.

This interview with tarotist Jessica Dore in the LA Times is very interesting.

Here is a free download of equanimity practices (it mentions tarot!) from the Association of Reflexologists.

Creation and Divination

Can we use tarot to create a healthy headspace? Very often, I think we can.

I can think of three ways to use tarot to create equanimity. The first is tarot study. There are so many cards that admonish us to be patient. Many cards encourage us to find balance. As we learn the cards, we naturally embrace their messages.

The second way is through divination. When performed mindfully, divination with tarot can help us find the perspective and understanding that leads to calm.

The third way is with tarot magick. We can find the cards in the deck that most represent the energy we want to embody. For example, the High Priestess and Temperance embody the practices leading to equanimity for me.

Once you have chosen your cards, you can meditate with them, write about them, or look at them with a soft gaze and breathe their energy into your being.

Try these three techniques and see how your mood and tarot practice are improved!

Upcoming Events

Card and Craft Academy

Classes presented by Christiana are available right now at Card and Craft Academy!

Christiana’s Candle Magick
Christiana’s Eleven-Card Celtic Cross
Finding Meaning in the Minor Arcana
The Major Arcana, Magical and Mundane
Practical Tarot Techniques
Psychic Tarot
Personal Tarot: Reading for Yourself
Sharing Wisdom: Reading for Others
The Meaning and Magic of Tarot Reversals
Journey Through the Major Arcana
Your Journey Through the Minor Arcana: Numbers, Elements and Truth
Tarot Beyond the Veil
Your Journey Through the Tarot Court
Tarot Stories, Trends, and Blends
Tarot Readings for Personalities and Relationships
Clarity in Every Tarot Card
Tarot Flow Workshop
Making Magick with Tarot
Fearless Wisdom Tarot Workshop
Tarot Keywords and Interpretations Workshop
Tarot Spreads Tools and Techniques Workshop
Tarot for Magic and Mediumship
Tarot Communication for Clarity and Depth
Weaving the Tarot Reading Story
The Elemental Major Arcana
Minor Arcana Numbers, Elements, and Truth
Personal Healing with Tarot
Create and Interpret Custom Tarot Spreads
What the Court Cards Want You to Know
How Spirit Speaks Through Tarot

Catch up on your missed Zoom webinars and more!

cardandcraftacademy.com

About Christiana Gaudet

Card and Craft, Inc.
Southeastern Tarot Artists and Readers, LLC.

Christiana Gaudet

3559 SW Corporate Parkway
Palm City, Florida 34990-8152

Email cgaudet@cardandcraft.com
On the web www.christianagaudet.com
Online classes www.cardandcraftacademy.com
StaarCon information www.staarcon.com

YouTube @YourTarotFairyGodmother
Instagram @christianatarot @staarcon

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 available almost everywhere!

Call toll free 866-99TAROT (866-998-2768)
Palm City 772-301-0232 x102
or call or text 561-655-1160
for more information or to schedule your event.
Schedule online at cardandcraft.10to8.com.

Agent inquiries are welcome.

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 6 Issue 28
July 12, 2023

Invoking Energy

Many religions and spiritual practices include invocation. In mundane terms, to invoke is to appeal to an authority for help or support. In spiritual terms, an invocation is calling on a spirit in prayer, to witness and attend, or for inspiration.

I have come to believe that we can invoke spiritual energies as well as spiritual entities. Here is why that matters.

I have noticed a curious pattern in myself and others. Engaging in spiritual and creative practices helps us stay motivated and inspired in our everyday lives. However, we require inspiration to begin and maintain these practices. This means that the very thing that inspires us also relies on us being inspired. This might be why we often get stuck in a loop where we regret abandoning our practices, but we are not motivated to restart.

Invocation may be the practice that can get us unstuck and remotivated quickly.

Everything that we feel is an energy. Love is an energy. Peace is an energy. Creativity is an energy. Joy is an energy. If we want and need to feel a certain thing, it is possible to call that energy to us.

If we are anxious and need to be calm, we can invoke calm energy. If we are without creative ideas, we can invoke our inspiration.

Of course, there are obvious limitations to this. A person going through the grief process cannot simply invoke joy to replace grief permanently. However, a few moments of joy could be a reprieve that would help the process.

There are many ways to try invoking energy. As with any work involving energy, your breath is an essential tool. You can remember the feeling you want to have, focus on that feeling, and inhale while you visualize bringing that feeling into your heart.

You can write an invocation and speak it aloud. You can use colors, herbs, flowers, and stones to invoke. You can use tarot cards or other images for invocation.

The most important part of the process is this. Think about the energy you need, focus on that energy, and breath that energy into being within you.

The StaarCorner

We are so excited that Anthony Perrotta will be presenting at StaarCon 2024. Multi-talented Anthony has a background in fashion and interior design. He runs and operates his magazine, The AstroEdit.

Anthony is an astrologer who specializes in making the abstract feel more tangible. Because astrology is at the heart of everything he does, he has created intersections of art, design, fashion, dreamwork, and poetry with astrology.

We look forward to learning from him and spending time with him, at StaarCon 2024. Get your ticket now and join us, either online or in person!

Tarot Invocations

There are two ways that tarot intersects with invocation for me. One is the invocation I perform before divination. The other is using tarot cards to invoke energies.

I perform an invocation before every tarot reading. Most readers do, although many might call it a prayer or a meditation. Before a reading, I call in every energy and entity that I believe will be helpful in the divination. That includes the Four Elements, my guides and guardians, and the guides and guardians of my client.

We can also use tarot cards to invoke what we need in life. We might use a single card to bring a jolt of energy when tired. Or, we might lay out an altar of many cards to create an energetic shift.

Which cards bring what energies?

As with most things tarot, your intention for the card matters.

The Aces are fabulous to invoke their elements. You might use the Ace of Swords to invoke brilliant words and clear communication. You might use the Ace of Wands to invoke creative inspiration or the Ace of Cups to soften your heart when you are angry.

Reviewing your tarot deck and deciding what energy each card might invoke is a good exercise. You will discover some cards you will avoid invoking and others you will often use in your invocations.

The Week in Review

It’s a new month! Make sure you check out your July TarotScopes on my YouTube channel.

If you happen to be on the Treasure Coast of Florida, or in Palm Beach County, please join us this Sunday at 4 pm ET at Panera Bread in Palm City for our Cards and Conversation Tarot Meetup.

From Around the Web

I love all the ways that tarot and poetry combine. You can imagine my delight at discovering that Camelia Elias is using tarot to create haiku and wants us to join in!

I also love the ways that songs and tarot correlate. On TikTok, I am doing a series that turns song lyrics into tarot readings. I was thrilled to find that Modern Witch connected Björk's songs with tarot cards.

Did you know that StaarCon presenter Brenda Elizabeth AKA Lady Lenormand offers free online Yoga Nidra meditations?

Creation and Divination

Every creative person sometimes finds themselves devoid of inspiration. Every spiritual person will occasionally have a crisis of faith.

At even the most uninspired times, you can create a tarot altar to invoke the energy you need.

Simply find the tarot cards that represent the energy you want to feel. Arrange them in a way that feels right. Add stones, incense, or anything that feels meaningful. Burn a candle if you like, and welcome in the energy your altar brings you.

If your altar is in a safe place, you may leave it assembled for a few hours or days. Or, you may set it up, spend a few moments with it, and then pack it away, knowing it will continue to bring energy to you.

Upcoming Events

Card and Craft Academy

Classes presented by Christiana are available right now at Card and Craft Academy!

Christiana’s Candle Magick
Christiana’s Eleven-Card Celtic Cross
Finding Meaning in the Minor Arcana
The Major Arcana, Magical and Mundane
Practical Tarot Techniques
Psychic Tarot
Personal Tarot: Reading for Yourself
Sharing Wisdom: Reading for Others
The Meaning and Magic of Tarot Reversals
Journey Through the Major Arcana
Your Journey Through the Minor Arcana: Numbers, Elements and Truth
Tarot Beyond the Veil
Your Journey Through the Tarot Court
Tarot Stories, Trends, and Blends
Tarot Readings for Personalities and Relationships
Clarity in Every Tarot Card
Tarot Flow Workshop
Making Magick with Tarot
Fearless Wisdom Tarot Workshop
Tarot Keywords and Interpretations Workshop
Tarot Spreads Tools and Techniques Workshop
Tarot for Magic and Mediumship
Tarot Communication for Clarity and Depth
Weaving the Tarot Reading Story
The Elemental Major Arcana
Minor Arcana Numbers, Elements, and Truth
Personal Healing with Tarot
Create and Interpret Custom Tarot Spreads
What the Court Cards Want You to Know
How Spirit Speaks Through Tarot

Catch up on your missed Zoom webinars and more!

cardandcraftacademy.com

About Christiana Gaudet

Card and Craft, Inc.
Southeastern Tarot Artists and Readers, LLC.

Christiana Gaudet

3559 SW Corporate Parkway
Palm City, Florida 34990-8152

Email cgaudet@cardandcraft.com
On the web www.christianagaudet.com
Online classes www.cardandcraftacademy.com
StaarCon information www.staarcon.com

YouTube @YourTarotFairyGodmother
Instagram @christianatarot @staarcon

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 available almost everywhere!

Call toll free 866-99TAROT (866-998-2768)
Palm City 772-301-0232 x102
or call or text 561-655-1160
for more information or to schedule your event.
Schedule online at cardandcraft.10to8.com.

Agent inquiries are welcome.

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 6 Issue 27
July 5, 2023