Tarot News blog has news and information of interest to the tarot community.
The Choices We Regret
"To err is human, to forgive is divine". How can we process the choices we later regret? How can we learn to trust ourselves?
We all know that everyone makes mistakes. Alexander Pope, in “An Essay on Criticism” said that “to err is human, to forgive is divine”. Perhaps the hardest part of forgiveness is when we must forgive ourselves.
When we are young, we fear mistakes because we want the praise of others and fear criticism. As we age, the mistakes we made along the way become woven into the fabric of our lives so that we can’t really regret them without losing who we have become. Our mistakes are part of the story that brought us to where we are.
It is easy to say that if we had not chosen that or done this our life would have turned out better. Yet, that is only speculation. We could just as easily say that in the moment we chose the best or only thing we could, and no other choice would have landed us in a better place.
It can be good to learn from our mistakes and make better decisions going forward. However, we need to be able to do that without beating ourselves up.
The worst mistakes are those that hurt others. When we are aware that has happened, we must admit to our wrongdoing, and try to make amends whenever possible. And still, we must also forgive ourselves.
The thing is that mistakes aren’t planned. We call them accidents, not on-purposes. When we make a decision, we rarely know if we will regret it later. If decision-making makes us anxious because we fear a bad choice, we get stuck in the paralysis of analysis. All we can do is make the best choice we can and do the best we can. That choice will always be based on the information and resources that we have available to us in the moment.
It this this very practice that gives us the grace to forgive and understand our past mistakes. The most likely thing is always this. In each moment, we have always made the best choices we could have, based on what was true for us in that moment.
It is easy to look back and think of the thing we could have done better. Hindsight is twenty-twenty. In reality, most of the time, most of us do the very best we can in the moment.
The good news is this.
The older we get, the more experience we have, the more ability we have to make better choices going forward. Our past mistakes can be valuable education. In that way, rather than suffering regret, we can appreciate the knowledge that guides us toward a better future.
The StaarCorner
This year StaarCon will offer a beginner class on angels! Karin Maynard Eberly is certified by Hay House as an Oracle, Angel and Tarot Card Reader. She has certifications from renowned author and Angel expert Kyle Gray as an Angel Guide, an Angel Card Master, and Certified Crystal Energy Guide. Karin is a Certified Angel Tarot Reader by Radleigh Valentine, a Certified Oracle by Colette Baron Reid, and is certified in Reiki II and Animal Reiki. She has been certified as an Angel Reiki Level One and Crystal Healer by Margaret Ann Lembo.
Karin will be sharing information and exercises to help you connect with angels to power your readings, and your life.
You can attend StaarCon in person or online. StaarCon 2023 is fast approaching. Get your tickets now!
Healing From Past Decisions Tarot Questions
We all live with regret. Very often our regrets from the past make it hard for us to be present in the now, and trust future decisions. Here are some questions you can ask your cards to help you process and heal past decisions that did not work out the way you had hoped..
Pull one card in answer, or pull a few. You can also use these questions to inspire a tarot spread.
Why did I make the choice I did?
In what way did that choice help me?
In what way did that choice hurt me?
What other choices were available to me?
What might have happened if I made another choice?
What do I need to know in order to forgive myself?
What can I learn from this experience?
The Week in Review
Tonight at 7 pm ET please join our YouTube Tarot Meetup!
If you are a member of my YouTube channel, you can watch the replay of our Tarot and Chakras Members-only Livestream.
If you missed my appearance on Good Journeys Tarot on YouTube, you can watch the replay. Rosemary is doing 78 cards in 78 weeks. The card we discussed was the Page of Wands.
There is still time to vote for me in the WDA awards. I am nominated for Best Tarot Reader and Best Tarot Teacher. Voting closes September 30.
From Around the Web
Here is a great story about a professional tarot reader.
Moving on From a Mistake, from TinyBuddha.
The Simple Tarot shares some mistakes that new tarot readers often make. I found many of these sorts of articles and agreed with very few of them. This one gets my basic seal of approval.
Guidance on the Journey
I think the tarot Fives can each give us information about the way we process mistakes.
The Hierophant, Major Arcana 5, reminds of the rules we must follow, and the rules we should sometimes break. This card can also speak to us about the way we feel when others judge us.
Temperance, Major Arcana 14, is a Five card because when we add the digits 1 and 4 we arrive at 5. Temperance reminds us that it takes time, caution, and creativity to come up with something that is a perfect blend or perfect balance. Of course, there may be mistakes along the way.
The Five of Pentacles can speak of the regret of missed opportunities. The question is, did we really miss the opportunity, or can we find what we need even now?
The Five of Cups speaks of the things we have lost. It reminds us to hold space for grief, even while remembering that there are still good things in life.
The Five of Swords speaks of the battles we must fight. The key decision is to know when to fight, and when to walk away.
The Five of Wands speaks of the inevitable conflicts and decisions that come from building something.
You can see that in each of these cards, a mistake, loss, or a poor decision is a possibility. Sometimes these cards will appear to warn us to choose carefully. Other times they will call on us to reframe the way we think about our past decisions that did not turn out the way we had hoped.
Upcoming Events
Card and Craft Academy
Classes presented by Christiana are available right now at Card and Craft Academy!
Christiana’s Eleven-Card Celtic Cross
Finding Meaning in the Minor Arcana
The Major Arcana, Magical and Mundane
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
Your Journey Through the Tarot Court
Tarot Stories, Trends, and Blends
Tarot Readings for Personalities and Relationships
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
Minor Arcana Numbers, Elements, and Truth
Create and Interpret Custom Tarot Spreads
What the Court Cards Want You to Know
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
On the web www.christianagaudet.com
Online classeswww.cardandcraftacademy.com
StaarCon information www.staarcon.com
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.
Call or text toll free 866-99TAROT (866-998-2768)
Palm City 772-301-0232
or call or text 561-655-1160
for more information or to schedule your event.
Agent inquiries are welcome.
Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 5 Issue 39
September 28, 2022
The Awkward Number Five
It is impossible to achieve success without take a leap of faith and courage.
This week our newsletter is Volume 5, Issue 25. I thought it would be fun to discuss the energy of the number 5 in honor of that milestone.
Five, in tarot, is an awkward number. To make friends with the Five cards we need a lot of nuanced thinking, and a lot of faith and courage.
When Five is your personality number, you might be social and fun-loving, but you could also be very changeable.
The number Five is associated with Mercury, so we can see the importance of communication and social connections, but also the possibility for tricky behavior.
If you are seeing multiple Fives around you, interpret this as a head-up for changes that can lead you to success. Look for opportunities around you.
When we look at the numbered cards in the Minor Arcana of tarot, we can see that Four cards can indicate stability, while the Six cards can indicate success. Here we see the way that Five cards, and the number Five in general, can be troublesome.
To get to the place of success, we must leave the comfort zone of Four. Five is where we are on our way to success but have not quite made it. We are no longer in the comfort zone, and not yet successful.
In that place of Five we must be comfortable with being uncomfortable, knowing that our success is coming, and is worth our hard work and sacrifice. We must believe in ourselves, and in our journey. We must see the future, and work toward it, without the structure we have known in the past.
It is probably impossible to become successful without passing through that awkward phase. Whatever your goal is, know that you must sometimes leave comfort behind, and live in a space that feels unstable, on your way to success.
See Me in the Tampa Bay Area This Week
There is still time to get a private reading, house call, or group session with me in the Greater Tampa Bay Area this Thursday through Sunday.
Make sure you join us at Panera Bread in Lutz at 3 pm on Sunday for a tarot meetup, too!
If you have questions, or want to schedule something, please call or text 561-655-1160.
The StaarCorner
We are excited to welcome Tikashi Denour Lacoste to StaarCon 2023. I have known Tikashi for several years online and on the telephone. I am looking forward to meeting her for the first time in person in January.
Tikashi is a Certified Crystal Healer and a graduate of the Debra Silverman School of Astrology. She has studied contemporary and medieval astrology with Bernadette Brady and Darrellyn Gunzberg.
Tikashi is a natural intuitive, as well as a tarotist. She combines all her skills in her work with clients. We are thrilled that she will be sharing her knowledge with us at StaarCon 2023.
Four, Five, Six Tarot Spread
Here is a three-card reading that can give insight on your way to success. It is extra auspicious if you get a Four card in the first position, a Five card in the second position, or a Six card in the Third position.
Card One: What you need to give up or move away from in order to succeed.
Card Two: What you need to know while you are working toward your success.
Card Three: What your success could look like.
The Week in Review
Did you catch our Summer Solstice event on YouTube yesterday? You can watch the replay if you missed it. I have also shared a new rant for you!
Remember that all our members are invited to join us for a members-only class on tarot magic on June 30th!
From Around the Web
Here is a Summer Solstice Tarot Spread from The Seasonal Soul.
Here are some tarot rituals for the summer solstice from Tarot Parlor.
Here is your astrological forecast for the summer solstice from Well and Good.
What the Court Cards Want You to Know
On Wednesday, June 29, 7 pm to 9 pm, join us for a hybrid tarot class about the tarot Court cards. You can attend in Person in Palm City or online on Zoom.
The sixteen Court cards, typically called Pages, Knights, Queens and Kings, can be some of the most confusing cards in the tarot deck.
This is because these cards are very versatile. They can reference the people around you. They can also reference parts of yourself. They can behave like any other tarot card and offer advice, comment, and prediction.
In this two-hour class you will learn easy ways to understand and work with these sixteen cards.
You can join us in person or online. Every student will receive access to a recording of the class. Visit EventBrite to purchase your ticket.
The class will be available at cardandcraftacademy.com after July 8th.
Guidance on the Journey
Major Arcana 5, the Hierophant, teaches us some important lessons about nuance and critical thinking. These lessons are necessary when we are going through ‘5 phases.’ That is, when we are going through a time of discomfort on our way to eventual success.
The Hierophant represents spiritual leadership, doctrine, and dogma. We know that spiritual study and mentorship are important. But we also know that dogma can be limiting, and mentors can become abusive.
It is so tempting to try to make something either fully good, or fully bad, fully helpful, or fully unhelpful.
Nuanced thinking requires us to be able to hold space for the idea that something, or someone, can offer things that are positive and necessary along with things that are difficult and troublesome.
As humans, we all have that mix within us, but have little patience and understanding for that mix outside of ourselves.
One of the lessons of the number 5, and the 5 cards in tarot, is to find the blessings in the difficulties, and tolerate the difficulties in the blessings. We also need to know when the difficulties should not be tolerated, even if that means sacrificing the blessings.
Upcoming Events and Tours
Card and Craft Academy
Classes presented by Christiana are available right now at Card and Craft Academy!
Christiana’s Eleven-Card Celtic Cross
Finding Meaning in the Minor Arcana
The Major Arcana, Magical and Mundane
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
Your Journey Through the Tarot Court
Tarot Stories, Trends, and Blends
Tarot Readings for Personalities and Relationships
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
Minor Arcana Numbers, Elements, and Truth
Create and Interpret Custom Tarot Spreads
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
On the web www.christianagaudet.com
Online classes www.cardandcraftacademy.com
StaarCon information www.staarcon.com
Private telephone, Skype, FaceTime and in person readings and instruction are available by appointment.
Tarot parties at your home or office are available throughout Florida.
Call or text toll free 866-99TAROT (866-998-2768)
Palm City 772-301-0232
or call or text 561-655-1160
for more information or to schedule your event.
Agent inquiries are welcome.
Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 5 Issue 25
June 22, 2022
Gratitudes and Complaints
Emotional balance means acknowledging our joys and our sorrows.
My daughter said a very wise thing to me the other day.
“It’s okay to complain about something you are grateful for.”
She’s right.
I think it is very important to express gratitude, and to hold gratitude in our hearts. I believe that the more grateful we are, the more blessings we will manifest.
Yet, sometimes things become irritating. Even the very things for which we are most grateful in our lives can cause us stress and give us reason to complain.
No one likes a chronic complainer. It’s never good to be the person who always sees the cup as half empty.
It seems, though, that we need to be emotionally balanced. It can be a good practice to acknowledge both our joys and our stresses, and to laugh at the number of times those joys and stresses are generated from the same source.
It can be a good metric as well, to keep track of the joys and stresses. A situation that regularly brings more stress than joy might be catalyst for change.
In our prayers and meditations, we are right to bring our gratitudes and our complaints to Spirit. The more we acknowledge the things for which we are grateful, the more we are able to build on those things and nurture those things. The more we can clearly state our complaints, the more we can focus energy on making positive changes.
When I was young, I used to believe that if someone complained about something, it automatically meant that the source of the complaint was disliked or unappreciated. Clearly, my daughter is wiser than I was. She knows that there is always a balance. Just because we express frustration doesn’t mean we aren’t truly grateful.
The StaarCorner
We are happy to welcome Nancy Hendrickson to our roster of speakers for StaarCon!
Nancy is a San Diego-based Tarot author and distance healing practitioner. Her book, Ancestral Tarot (Red Wheel/Weiser) will be released Spring 2021, drawing on her decades of working with those who have passed over.
You might have read Nancy’s articles in one of our favorite magazines, The Cartomancer.
Make plans now to join Nancy, and the rest of us, at StaarCon!
StaarCon Presenter Nancy Hendrickson
Tarot Author & Healer
Gratitudes and Complaints Tarot Spread
Here is a tarot spread to help you sort out your joys and stresses. You can arrange the cards in any shape you prefer.
Let the first card offer thoughts, support or ideas about something that is a complaint for you right now.
Let the second card help you see the reasons you have gratitude for this person, thing, or situation.
Let the third card show you ways to mitigate the problems that are caused here.
Let the fourth card offer ways to maximize the positive aspects of the situation.
World Divination Association Virtual Conference
I am very excited to announce that I will be presenting at the World Divination Association Virtual Conference to be held this weekend on Facebook Live.
This unique conference is being organized by Toni Puhle, who has also agreed to be a speaker at StaarCon.
The line-up of speakers over the two-day virtual conference is impressive, and includes other StaarCon speakers such as Mary K. Greer and Mitchell Osborn. We will be joined by luminaries around the world.
The cost to attend the virtual conference is under $40. All speaker videos will be available to watch for a week after the conference so you can catch up on those you weren’t able to watch live.
You can sign up, and learn more, on the World Divination Association website.
The Week in Review
This week I shared a post on my personal blog that relates, in part, to our newsletter topic. Read “It’s Okay to Feel What You Feel”.
Each week I do at least three live broadcasts on my Facebook Business Page. Visit me there and hit ‘Like’ so you can be notified when I go live there next. You can also see the archived videos of my past broadcasts there, and on my YouTube channel.
From Around the Web
Benebell Wen will be a headlining speaker at StaarCon. Watch her latest YouTube video, which is a spirited discussion on the ins and outs of intuitive tarot.
One of the greatest tarot voices of our day belongs to Theresa Reed, The Tarot Lady. Check out her “Hateful to Grateful Tarot Spread.”
Here is a tarot spread from Phoenix Lotus to help you deal with difficult people.
Cards for Your Consideration
The Five of Cups can suggest a mood or situation that is sad, grievous or disappointing. When we see this card in a reading, we know that something has not gone well. It may be time to hold space for grief, or to offer comfort.
The three cups that have spilled represent something that has been lost. Yet, we also need to focus on the two cups that remain standing.
Sometimes this card cajoles us to stop crying over spilled milk and make the best of our situation.
I think this card can be a very good illustration of a situation where we might have some complaints, but also something for which to be grateful.
Events and Tours
Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 22
May 27, 2020
How Do You Hold Space for Yourself?
This week, hold space for yourself with tarot and meditation, and try a tarot writing prompt from Jamie Morris!
“Holding space” is a term we hear often. We hold space for others with acts of service, with prayer and intention, with the support of our company and our empathy. We hold space for others by actively working with energy to surround them with healing light and hold them in comfort. We hold space for others by refusing to judge, and by standing in compassion.
When there is a tragedy or hardship, it’s nice to have others hold space for us. At the same time, it’s really important that we be able to hold space for ourselves.
Even on a daily basis, we need to show up for ourselves in this way.
We hold space for ourselves every day when we practice good self-care. In yoga, there is a physical and energetic process of actually creating space within this body. This can be an excellent way of holding space for yourself, as can other forms of exercise and energy work.
Working with your tarot deck is another great way of holding space for yourself. So is meditation.
Giving yourself the gift of time is another way of holding space. Take time out of your schedule to do the things you enjoy, or to simply rest.
Seeking healing services, such as massage, tarot reading, or Reiki, is another way to hold space for yourself, and to allow others to hold space for you.
Sometimes holding space for yourself means disciplining yourself to do something that is difficult. Sometimes holding space for yourself means just the opposite; cutting yourself some slack.
It’s also really important to practice non-judgment with yourself, and to not hold yourself to standards higher than human.
Holding space for yourself can also mean setting boundaries with other people, without guilt.
When you hold space for yourself, you are showing up for yourself. You are nurturing yourself, forgiving yourself, and believing in yourself. You are being a good friend to yourself.
Holding Space with Tarot
Some tarot cards advise self-care, or that you put your own needs first. Other cards may suggest holding boundaries with others. Here are some specific card interpretations in context with holding space for yourself.
When you see these cards in a reading, recognize that they may be reflecting the need to hold space for yourself. When you need to hold space for yourself, spending time with these images in meditation can help create the space you need.
The High Priestess suggests meditation, looking within, and finding internal spiritual insight and strength.
Strength encourages you to hold space for your anger, and your wild nature, but to keep it under control.
The Hermit tells you to take time apart, and hold space for yourself in quiet solitude.
The Hanged Man advises surrender, to hold space for yourself in a time of discomfort or indecision. This card also advises yoga!
The Star reminds you to avail yourself of healing.
The Four of Pentacles advises self-care, and good boundaries.
The Seven and Nine of Wands can also suggest keeping good boundaries.
The Nine of Pentacles can suggest finding happiness in your own company.
Perhaps every tarot card could be interpreted, in context, to advise some sort of self-care or conscious activity to support well-being. These are some of the cards that most specifically discuss these things for me. Which tarot cards do you see as speaking about holding space for oneself?
The Week in Review
You may notice that a lot of change is happening on my website, ChristianaGaudet.com. That includes a brand new look, and new indexing so you can find stuff better. However, the process takes time, so be patient, and check back often! It will take a while to get all that material sorted and posted!
On my Community Blog this week, I shared some Advice for Pro Tarotists. Do you know who wants tarot readings? Everyone!
From Around the Web
I participated in a survey about Major Arcana 15 on James Bulls’ Tarot website. See what I, and colleagues like Jenna Matlin, Ginny Hunt and Benebell Wen, have to say about this important card. James Bulls has some different views on tarot and spirituality, and does a really good job discussing each person's answers from his perspective. Whether or not you agree with his views, you will find this an interesting exploration of Major Arcana 15.
I’ve just discovered the great website Speak of Secrets! Check out “Shadow Aspects & Tarot”. It’s Part I of what promises to be a very helpful series.
Here’s an article from Heather Plett about holding space.
Song of the Week
In honor of the Autumnal Equinox this week, here is Lisa Thiel with Mabon.
I'm thrilled to welcome Jamie Morris to my growing list of newsletter contributors.
Jame is a writing coach and developmental editor. Check out her website and see how she can help you be the writer you want to be!
For the next five weeks, Jamie will be supplying us with tarot-themed writing prompts.
The connection between tarot and creative writing goes back centuries, to the early practice of composing tarot-inspired poetry, which we believe to be the origin of tarot divination.
Today, many writers use tarot for inspiration and story development. Many tarotists use writing to help understand the cards, and themselves, better.
I'm grateful to Jamie for sharing her skills with us, and hope you enjoy this creative tarot exercise!
Image from Gilded Tarot by Ciro Marchetti
Strength: Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty
The Strength card typically shows a beautiful woman gently closing the jaws of a fearsome lion. With Strength, we talk about taming our inner beast, controlling our impulses, or harnessing our own strength to face challenges. But we rarely talk about how the killer instincts of a lion might preserve us in times of danger or how some people won’t listen to us unless we roar!
For this writing prompt, let’s try turning tarot convention on its soft-and-fuzzy ear. Make a quick list of times you’ve loosed your own inner wild cat. (Aim for five examples.) Now scan that list. Is there one that still makes your hackles rise?
If so, grab that incident by the scruff of the neck and toss it onto a new page. Write about what incited you. Start by describing the scene. Where were you? Who else was present? Who said what to whom? Was there a moment when you felt yourself getting ready to spring? What was the trigger? What happened next?
Finally, after all was said and done, did you feel you used your strength for good? Or ill? Or some nicely complex combination of both?
Tarot Mentorship Packages Available
I have space in my schedule to offer my custom tarot mentorship package to three new students. Your mentoring package is designed for your needs. We can work on simply learning the cards, and learning to give great readings. We can work on building your tarot business. We can use the cards to find deep personal healing, or we can take your tarot study to the next level. We can accomplish whatever you, as a tarot student, need.
Your package must be ordered and paid for by October 3. Your mentorship program must begin after November 10, but before December 15.
The Mentorship Package includes three ninety-minute study sessions with me, by phone, Skype or email. You will be assigned homework. The tuition is $350.
To be considered for this next round of mentorship, please email me, or call or text 561-655-1160.
Image from Gilded Tarot by Ciro Marchetti
Your One-Card Weekly Reading
Five of Cups
The Five of Cups acknowledges some loss or grief. In the context of holding space, this card can indicate giving oneself some space to grieve.
At the same time, the Five of Cups cautions us against getting stuck in that place of grief.
While three cups have spilt, two remain standing. We must have the strength to remember what good remains, and to make that good our ultimate focus.
Upcoming Events
Sunday, September 25, 3:30 pm
Tampa Bay Area Tarot Meetup
Panera Bread, 23388 State Rd 54, Lutz, FL
Michael Newton-Brown will lead this meeting.
Bring your tarot decks and be prepared for some great tarot games!
You can RSVP on the Meetup, or simply meet us at Panera.
Wednesday, September 28, 7 pm
Global Tarot Circle on Facebook Live
Join us online for a free hour of tarot fellowship, readings and study. Simply LIKE my Facebook Business Page, and visit the page to find the video feed at the appointed time. You can chat in the comment section..
If you can't be with us for the live feed, you can watch it in archive!
Coming Soon:
October 7 Professional Development Intensive
October 8-9 TarotCon (Florida) 2016
October 14-23 Christiana's Trip to West Palm Beach. Call or text 561-655-1160 to schedule your party, house call or private reading.
About Christiana
Christiana Gaudet
Origins Spa and Wellness Center
1537 N Dale Mabry Highway #102
Lutz, FL 33548
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.