Conscious Breath

Conscious Breath

The power of breathing with awareness.

If you’ve ever taken a class in yoga or meditation you are well aware of the importance of conscious breath; or bringing awareness to your breathing.

Of course, we are breathing all the time. It’s an autonomic function. ‘Autonomic’ means something we do unconsciously. When we bring consciousness to something that we usually do unconsciously we can create a great deal of power.

Beyond the physical aspects of conscious breathing associated with properly-executed exercise, there is a strong spiritual component to conscious breathing. Conscious breathing is the first important step in psychic work and the spiritual work of prayer, magic, manifestation and working the Law of Attraction.

We can also use conscious breathing to change our mood, and to regulate our physical responses to anxiety or upset.

In psychic development classes I tell my students that the breath is the magic carpet on which all psychic and spiritual work rides.

In tarot classes I ask students to literally breathe in the energy of their tarot cards. I know how silly that sounds. Yet, the power of it is real.

Even in our mundane lives, we know the power of breath. Friends tell us to take a deep breath before we respond to someone anger or make a decision we might later regret.

Conscious breathing is an important part of checking in with intuition. It’s also a necessary part of chakra healing and energy work.

Conscious breathing aligns us with the element of Air, whose metaphysical properties include clarity, logic, intelligence, integrity, communication and all powers of the mind.

By breathing with deliberation, slowly and deeply, we change our energy, and attune ourselves to the rhythm of the universe. From there, anything is possible.

Get Your Autographed Copy of Tarot Tour Guide!

After much patience, I am happy to announce that the Second Edition of Tarot Tour Guide is now available.

First published in 2012 and out of print since 2016, Tarot Tour Guide is a comprehensive tarot book that offers beginners an understanding of the cards and how to use them. It also offers experiences readers techniques, exercises, spreads and meditations to deepen your tarot practice.

This Second Edition is gently edited and expanded.

To get a signed copy with a dedication you can buy the book on line at christianagaudet.com.

If you prefer my first book, Fortune Stellar, I have plenty of copies in stock. Why not get both!

The Suit of Swords

As you may know, the Four Elements figure prominently in tarot understanding; each suit of the Minor Arcana is associated with an element.

You may also know that, of the four tarot suits, the suit of Swords, associated with the element of Air, contains the cards that are most often feared and disliked. In many decks, the illustrations on some of those Swords cards can be brutal. That is why, I think, so many people fear them.

Yet, if we get past our fears and think of those Swords as related to Air, and to the breath, we can find truth and understanding in these cards, rather than fear and upset. Of course, fear itself, as a mental process, is also a thing of Air, and therefore of the Swords. So often in tarot our natural reactions to the cards can reflect their traditional meanings!

Imagine how your understanding of those darker Swords cards might change if you think of the Swords that imprison the woman in the Eight of Swords as her own thoughts and beliefs, for example. Perhaps the ten swords that impale our hero in the Ten of Swords are the unkind words of others. Perhaps the nine swords that hang over the bed and prevent sleep in the Nine of Swords are simply unfounded fears and worries. The Four of Swords might be a reminder to simply take a pause and breathe.

The next time you see a Swords card that disturbs you, take a deep breath and remember its association to the element of Air. This will help you in your interpretations, and help you to more fully understand the important role that element plays in tarot reading, without bringing fear and upset into your tarot reading process.

Book Now for my June Northeastern Tarot Tour

It’s almost time for my June Northeastern Tarot Tour, June 12 through 25. Once again, I will be available for readings at True Bikram Yoga in Madison, Connecticut. I am also available for parties and house calls in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. I will be teaching a tarot class on June 16th in Madison, and a chakra healing class on June 23rd in New Haven.

Please call or text 562-655-1160, or email me, to schedule your time with me, to book your party, or to get more information about classes.

Since I will be teaching tarot during my Connecticut trips I have started The Connecticut Tarot Study Group on Meetup.com for my Connecticut friends. Please join if you are interested in tarot and live in New England.

I will look forward to seeing my Northeastern friends this June.

The Week in Review

This week, in honor of Mother’s Day, I shared a post about the way motherhood appears in tarot readings.

I also shared my three-card reading for the week on Facebook and YouTube.

Every year around Mother’s Day I like to share my Roots and Wings Tarot Spread. I just discovered that the Tarot Alchemist found this spread and shared a reading with it for Mother’s Day last year, so you can see that as well.

From Around the Web

The Tarot Blog Hop happened again at the beginning of the month. The theme was “Tarot Continuing Education”. Here is the Master List, where you can begin, and then follow the links to read what each blogger had to say.

This article from Tiny Buddha about how learning new things can be challenging because we aren’t good at them yet really resonated with me.

Here’s another article about how tarot is coming back into vogue. Gee, I never knew it had gone out of fashion!

Join Us Tonight for Global Tarot Circle

It’s that time again! Once a month tarotists from all over the world gather on Facebook live to share readings, information and ideas. To join in, all you have to do is be on my Facebook Business Page, Christiana Gaudet, tonight, Wednesday May 15, at 7 pm Eastern time. Hit ‘Like’ while you are there and look for the live feed.

If you are a tarot reader, have your cards with you. If you have a question and would like a reading, or would like to learn more about tarot, jump in the conversation and we will be happy to do a reading or discuss your concern. I’ll have some tarot exercises to share as well.

Conscious Spirit Oracle Deck Copyright (c) 2013 US Games Systems Inc. Used with permission.

Cards for Your Consideration

In honor of Mother’s Day I’ve chosen a card from my favorite oracle deck, the Conscious Spirit Oracle Deck by Kim Dreyer, published by US Games.

The card I chose is card 10, Sacral Chakra. The sacral, or second chakra, is related to our connection to our mothers and our children. It’s interesting that the affirmation included on the card is not specific to family issues, but rather to self-love and sensitivity to others. I think that is a very important point because so often we pour out love and care to those for whom we have responsibility but forget to do the same for ourselves.

The Conscious Spirit Oracle Deck is interesting because includes cards for the chakras, the elements, and many aspects of spirituality and nature. The affirmations on each card are meaningful, and the artwork is lovely.

For me the sacral chakra is all about nurturance. This card reminds us to nurture ourselves, just as we nurture others.

Your Personal Tarot Practice: Reading Tarot for Yourself

Make plans now to join me on Wednesday, May 22, 7 to 9 pm, in my conference room at 1025 SW Martin Downs Blvd, suite 203, Palm City, FL, for a very special tarot class.

Whether you are a new reader or an experienced enthusiast, you have probably struggled with your own self-reading.

This class will help you discover your personal tarot cards – specific cards that have a special message for you, and that provide a mirror to help you understand yourself.

You will also learn techniques to help you stay objective as you read for yourself. You will learn ways to derive information, enlightenment and personal growth from your tarot practice.

Seating for this class is limited. Tickets are $37.50 and available from Eventbrite. Call or text 561-655-1160 for more information.

Upcoming Events

 Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 2 Issue 20
May 15, 2019

The Journey Home

The Journey Home

Gratitude for the trip, and for the return home.

My wise mother, who loved to travel, often said that one great reason for going away was the joy of coming home.

It’s become clear to me that I truly have two homes; Connecticut, where I got married, began my business, raised my children and lived for most of my life, and Florida, where I have happily worked and resided for the past eleven years. I feel so blessed to be able to live in one beautiful place, and commute regularly to another.

Spring Tarot Tour Northeast 2019 was a huge success. I am so grateful to everyone who had readings, hosted parties and attended workshops. As always, I am appreciative of True Bikram Yoga for their support of my tour.

My Midsummer Tarot Tour will be June 12 through June 25. If you couldn’t see me this time, or if you just can’t get enough, reach out now to make your plans with me for June.

I am happy to be back in Palm City and looking forward to seeing my Florida friends in my office for readings and classes soon!

The regular Tarot Topics newsletter will be in your inbox next week with all of your favorite features.

I’m looking forward to a spring and summer filled with travel, tarot and teaching. Wherever in the world you are, know that I am available to you for readings, mentorship and tarot goodness.

Thanks so much for your support of my work, and for letting my work support you.

Join Us for Global Tarot Circle

Wherever in the world you are, you can participate in our monthly Global Tarot Circle. Meet with us for an hour, share in readings and informal tarot instruction.

Global Tarot Circle allows you to practice your own tarot skills, receive readings, and learn from tarot friends around the world.

Our next meeting will Tuesday, April 16, 7 pm to 8 pm EST. We meet on Facebook Live.

Simply like my business page, look for the live feed, and join in!

The Week in Review

A highlight of my second week of Spring Tarot Tour was teaching a workshop about the metaphysical uses of essential oils with Robin Brace at True Bikram Yoga New Haven. I’ve shared some thoughts about essential oils, along with the oils we featured in the workshop and their special properties on my Dark Forest Blog.

I’m excited to be teaching a Past Life Regression Workshop in my conference room this month. Here’s a blogpost from a few years ago that speaks to some of my methods, and some of the things I think are important to any sort of divination. Read Imagery and Energy: The Importance of Imagination in Divination, Magick and Healing.

From Around the Web

Did you happen to catch the Tarot Blog Hop last month on the first day of spring? Here’s the Master List. Follow along and see what a group of tarot bloggers had to say this time around!

Are you in Washington DC, or planning a trip there? This DC bar looks like an amazing place!

It’s a new month, so here are some Tarotscopes for you!

Tarot card image from The Gilded Tarot Royale by Ciro Marchetti. Used with permission.

Cards for Your Consideration

The Ten of Pentacles

There are a few tarot cards that can speak of ‘home’. The Ten of Pentacles is one of my favorites.

Known as the ‘Castle Card’, the Ten of Pentacles can reference the purchase or sale of a home, or any matters having to do with the business of real estate.

This is also a card that speaks of generational energy. When this card appears, it may be a reference to your ancestors in spirit, and their presence in your life.

The Ten of Pentacles asks us to consider what we have learned and inherited from our elders, and what legacy we are leaving for future generations.

The Ten of Pentacles can also be a reference to wealth, security and family. Within this card we see the many blessing that are afforded us when we make the stability of home and family a priority.

Past Life Regression Workshop with Christiana Gaudet

Please plan to join me on Wednesday, April 24, from 7 to 9 pm in my conference room at 1025 SW Martin Downs Blvd, Suite 203, Palm City, FL, for an exciting exploration of your soul’s history and purpose.

Come prepared for guided meditation. You may bring a yoga mat, pillow or blanket if you like.

There will also be a section on using divination to explore past lives, so bring your tarot cards, pendulums and oracles.

What you learn about your past may inspire you, heal you and free you for your best future!

Class size is strictly limited. Class fee is $37.50. You may reserve your seat online on Eventbrite up to the time of class. RSVP by phone or text by April 23rd 5pm.

Upcoming Events

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 2 Issue 15
April 10, 2019

When Lightning Strikes

When Lightning Strikes

The Only Constant is Change

One of the most startling images in tarot is Major Arcana 16, the Tower, also sometimes call the ‘Falling Tower’, or the ‘Blasted Tower’.

Regardless of the deck, the Tower is almost always depicted the same way. Lightning has struck a building, now on fire and crumbling. Very often the Tower’s interpretation is equally startling. This card often appears at times of great turmoil.

We tarotists refer to traumatic events as ‘Tower moments.’ Tower moments may be health events, sudden changes in relationships, or job loss. It’s that moment when suddenly, everything in life feels changed.

In these moments, we remember that the lightning that strikes the tower down is enlightening. A sudden change may bring about a new opportunity. Something that wasn’t serving us may be swept away. We have the opportunity to prove we have the strength we need to withstand great loss and change.

Lightning has also been used as a metaphor for sudden inspiration. Sometimes the lightning that strikes us is a wonderful idea, or a new understanding. We even use the word ‘lightning’ to describe a strong attraction between people.

Whether a flash of inspiration, or a life-altering event, sudden change happens to everyone. Whether the change is ultimately positive or hurtful, it’s usually stressful. While lightning strikes suddenly, its effects take time to process. Tools like meditation, divination and yoga help us process changes that occur, and keep us ready for whatever might come next.

Tarot Classes in Madison CT and Palm City FL this Month!

I am excited to be teaching two in-person tarot classes this month; one in my Palm City office and the other at True Bikram Yoga in Madison, CT.

On Sunday, March 24, from 4 to 6 pm, I’m teaching Tarot Keywords and Interpretations in my Conference Room, at 1025 SW Martin Downs Blvd, Suite 203, Palm City.

In this exciting workshop, I will teach you some easy-yet-insightful systems for interpreting any combination of cards in any situation. More importantly, you’ll learn to find the way your own intuition and spiritual guidance can lead you to find truth in every tarot reading.

Seating for this workshop is limited. Tickets are $37.50, reserve yours now.

I’ll be traveling to Connecticut on March 26 and staying through April 9. During my time there I am available for private readings, house calls and parties. Call or text 561-655-1160 to reserve your time.

One of the exciting things I will be doing in Connecticut is presenting a class called The Journey of Life: The Major Arcana of Tarot on Sunday, March 31, from 7 to 9 pm at True Bikram Yoga, 1347 Boston Post Road, Madison, CT.

Join me for a fascinating exploration of the Fool’s Journey, the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana.

Whether you are a tarot enthusiast, a spiritual seeker or simply curious, this workshop will teach you something about tarot, something about life and something about yourself.

In twenty-two images, the Major Arcana expresses the lessons of life that every human experience. Learn what those lessons are, and how these cards might speak to you in a tarot reading.

Tickets are available from True Bikram Yoga.

I hope to see you at a tarot class soon!

Two Tarot Spreads for Healing

This past Sunday, at our monthly ‘Cards and Conversation’ Tarot Meetup at Panera Bread in Palm City, the discussion topic was ‘How Tarot Forces Us to Heal’. In the course of that conversation we created the following two small-yet-powerful tarot spreads.

Healing Triggers Spread

Card One: This is what triggers me, or the source of that trigger.

Card Two: This is how I can heal the wound that is responsible for that trigger.

Three-Card Healing Spread

Card One: What do I need to let go of?

Card Two: Where in my life do I need healing?

Card Three: What can I change that is under my control?

The Week in Review

This week I traveled to Portland, Oregon, for the Northwest Tarot Symposium. I was excited to be an organizer and presenter for a Professional Development Day as an extension of the symposium.

You can read some of my thoughts about NWTS, and see a few pictures, on my personal blog.

From Around the Web

Check out the blogs of my friend, Dominique Tate. She’s an Uber driver, a Reiki master, and an advocate for kindness everywhere.

Learn how to calculate your Tarot Birth Card and understand what it means. Much like your natal chart, your birth card is yours for life.

I’m too much of a Northeasterner at heart to not be excited by the new Philly Tarot Cards!

Cards for Your Consideration

As we contemplate the lightning that brings unexpected change, I want to talk about the Fool and the Tower, and how they might relate to one another.

At first glance, these cards don’t share many common associations. The Fool is Air, the Tower is Fire. The Fool is merry, the Tower is fraught.

Yet, the message of the Fool is to take a leap of faith, even though we can’t see what lies ahead. In the Tower, people are leaping as well. In both cases courage is required.

In a reading, both these cards could convey the message that a change is coming or needed. Both these cards might suggest a quick exit; or prepare you to move forward into uncharted territory.

Of course, each card speaks in an entirely different voice. Yet, we can think of them as part of the same journey, and a similar lesson. We can find the Tower within the Fool, as a warning against poor risks. We can find the Fool within the Tower, as the hope that comes after the dust has settled.

Psychic Gallery at ZeroPointe in Fort Lauderdale

Join me for an exciting event in Fort Lauderdale on the first day of Spring!

On Wednesday, March 20, 7 pm to 9 pm, I will present a psychic gallery at ZeroPointe Healing Foundation, formerly Center for Inner Wisdom, located at 4849 N Dixie Hwy, Suite 2, Oakland Park, FL 33334.

I love doing psychic galleries, because the energy of sacred space, and the energy of a group united for a single purpose, can create the perfect environment in which to receive powerful messages from Spirit.

In a psychic gallery with me, each person receives pertinent information and insight. Group members hold space and support each other, and benefit from hearing and witnessing every message.

The energy of the vernal equinox will add a powerful dimension to the readings on this special evening, bringing the opportunity for each of us to find balance and initiate new beginnings.

Tickets are $30, and seating is limited. Register now!

Global Tarot Circle on Facebook Live

Once a month, tarot friends from around the world gather for a livestream on Facebook. We read for each other, share ideas about the cards, and do a short tarot workshop or exercise.

Our next Global Tarot Circle is on Monday, March 18, 7 pm to 8 pm, EDT.

To join, simply like my business page and look for the live feed at circle time.

You can also ask to join the Global Tarot Circle Facebook group so you always get notice of our next meetings.

Christiana’s Eleven-Card Celtic Cross Spread Online!

I am very excited to share a new tarot class with you, appropriate for tarotists of all levels of experience. In this class you will learn my eleven-card Celtic Cross tarot spread.

As many of you know, this is by far my favorite tarot spread. If I have every read for you, you’ve seen this powerful spread in action.

This class is designed to teach you to perform this spread, but also to teach you a great deal about working with tarot spreads in general. As you take the class you will perform this spread for yourself. Along the way you will add a number of important tools to your tarot toolbox.

The first one hundred students will receive a $10 discount on the $35 class fee, so sign up now!

Tarot Topics Newsletter Volume 2 Issue 11
March 13, 2019

Making the Connection

Making the Connection

In divination, as in life, the connections we make matter.

Spiritual work is full of all sorts of connections. That’s why many healers and diviners are very sensitive to the energies of Mercury retrograde. Mercury, of course, is all about connections. In retrograde, those connections need extra attention and care. (The next Mercury retrograde begins March 6.)

Effective divination, whether with tarot or any other tool, requires us to make connections. Let’s use tarot as an example to explore the different connections we make to deliver meaningful messages.

First, we must make a connection with Spirit, Higher Power, or our own higher consciousness. Diviners vary widely in their spiritual beliefs but tend to agree that there is a higher energy we connect with in divination, whether than energy emanates from within us our outside of us.

If we are reading for another person, we must make an energetic connection with that person.

We must connect with the cards we’ve pulled in a number of different ways. We connect with the images; we see how the images make us feel and the things of which we are reminded when we look at the pictures.

Readers who value the wisdom of classic tarot knowledge know that we learn the cards by making connections. Each card has a number of classic keywords that often feel widely divergent. Consider the Ten of Pentacles. The Ten of Pentacles can predict love. The Ten of Pentacles can indicate wealth. This same card can also speak of heritage and legacy. It is also the card of real estate, predicting buying or selling property, home renovations or a career in real estate. The Ten of Pentacles can suggest you love your home and are happy there.

The way we get a handle on the essence of a card’s energy is by finding the thing that connects all those keywords. In the case of the Ten of Pentacles, the connecting point is family. In the Waite-Smith image, the connecting point is the grandfather.

Try this process with each tarot card to stretch and solidify your understanding of the card.

The trickiest connection, and the one that separates mediocre readers from truly talented ones, is the ability to make the connection between classic keywords and card interpretations and what is happening in the querent’s life. There is an intuitive process that allows the reader to extrapolate the card meanings in a way that applies and resonates.

Even in our mundane lives, the connections we make are important. That is especially true of our social connections, our professional networks and our intimate partners. We need to connect with one another.

Often, our points of view and opinions can be a huge disconnect when we don’t see eye to eye. When we look past our differences and focus on our human commonalities, it becomes easier to make important connections with everyone.

What is true in human interaction is also true in divination. When things seem misaligned, the key is in finding where the connection truly is.

Make Your Plans to See Me During My Northeastern Tour!

I will be in Connecticut March 27 through April 8. I am available for parties, groups and house calls in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York City.

I am also offering private readings by appointment at True Bikram Yoga in Madison.

To make your appointment, please call or text 561-655-1160.

I will be teaching two workshops while I am there.

In Madison, on Sunday, March 31 at 7 pm I am teaching ‘The Journey of Life: The Major Arcana of Tarot.

In New Haven, on Sunday, April 7 at 7 pm I am teaching ‘Oils, Intuition and Manifestation’. Learn more about these workshops, and register in advance!

Two Tarot Exercises to Help Make Connections

The key to a good tarot reading is flow. Intuition must flow, and the story must flow. Flow is fostered, in part, by the connections we make. Here are two exercises to help you find those connections and find your flow.

Dig into the Cards

Look at each card and speak aloud about it for as long as you can. What are all the things you know about this card? How does this card make you feel? What can this card mean in a reading?

As you are speaking of the card you will notice that your own understanding of it expands and deepens.

The Seventy-Eight-Card Story

Shuffle the cards. Turn over the top card and use it to begin a story. Move quickly on to the next card, letting that card continue the story. Let your story grow as you look at all seventy-eight cards. Let the story be fanciful, silly or outrageous; just let the cards inspire your imagination and your words as the story flows from one card to the next.

The Week in Review

This week I shared a post on my Community Blog called “Group Readings: The Performance Aspect of Tarot”. One of the amazing things about tarot reading is that there are so many different ways we can do it!

From Around the Web

Here’s a new post from Jamie Morris, one of my favorite tarotist writers. If you are also a tarotist writer, you will enjoy this writing prompt.

As I mentioned earlier, Mercury Retrograde is on its way. From Astrostyle, here is a guide on how to survive it!

From Maddy Elruna, some thoughts on when tarot does not work out as expected.

King of Cups from Art of Life Tarot by Charlene Livingstone, Copyright 2012, U.S. Games Systems, Inc.

Cards for Your Consideration

Let’s contemplate the King of Cups. Here we see this image from the Art of Life Tarot, which pairs a work of art with a quotation to illustrate the energy of each card.

I chose this particular illustration because it echoes my own take of the King of Cups.

The King of Cups is often somewhat maligned in a way that almost feels misandrist to me. It’s easy to see him as one who drinks too much, or as a whiner.

Yes, each Court card, when representing a person, can represent one who is demonstrating either positive behaviors or negative ones. There is an up and a down to every card at any moment.

Tarotists so often describe the King of Cups as alcoholic or wussy. Yet, if we break it down to the barest of elements, the King of Cups, as the King of Water, is a man who understands and communicates love; one who makes emotions a priority.

Can the King of Cups represent an undesirable guy? Of course, but for me that is not the baseline interpretation.

I think that all people need to be able to understand and communicate their emotions, and all people need to understand the paramount importance of love in all its forms. That a man is in touch with his emotions should not automatically cause us to think of him as weak. This should be true in life, as well as in the cards.

For me, Kings in tarot are the highest expression of their element. As the king of water,  the King of Cups can be one who is a master of understanding love.

We can all embrace our inner King of Cups by working to stay in the high vibration of unconditional love as we interact with the people around us.

When the King of Cups does not represent a person, this card may instruct us to take the lead in a situation in a way that is loving and considerate of the feelings of others.

Psychic Gallery at ZeroPointe in Fort Lauderdale

Join me for an exciting event in Fort Lauderdale on the first day of Spring!

On Wednesday, March 20, 7 pm to 9 pm, I will present a psychic gallery at ZeroPointe Healing Foundation, formerly Center for Inner Wisdom, located at 4849 N Dixie Hwy, Suite 2, Oakland Park, FL 33334.

I love doing psychic galleries, because the energy of sacred space, and the energy of a group united for a single purpose, can create the perfect environment in which to receive powerful messages from Spirit.

In a psychic gallery with me, each person receives pertinent information and insight. Group members hold space and support each other, and benefit from hearing and witnessing every message.

The energy of the vernal equinox will add a powerful dimension to the readings on this special evening, bringing the opportunity for each of us to find balance and initiate new beginnings.

Tickets are $30, and seating is limited. Register now!

Join us for Global Tarot Circle on Facebook Live

On Wednesday, February 20 from7 pm to 8 pm you have the opportunity to join tarot friends from around the world on my free monthly webinar, Global Tarot Circle on Facebook Live.

Each month we gather on Facebook to share readings, conversation and tarot study. You can join in on your smartphone, computer or tablet.

To join, simply like my business page and look for the live feed.

Tarot Topics Newsletter Volume 2 Issue 8
February 20, 2019