Honor and Release the Past

Mercury goes direct on June 23, concluded another cycle of Mercury retrograde.

One of the most helpful aspects of Mercury retrograde is that it offers support for reviewing the past, and for releasing the pain of disappointment and trauma that many of us carry.

Our relationship with our own past, and with history, can be defining of who we are as individuals, and as families, cultures, and nations.

We often find ourselves torn between maintaining time-honored traditions and creating new ways that are more helpful and supportive.

Happy memories of the past are bittersweet. It is easy to compare the stress of our current situations with the way we remember the past. When this happens, we may find the present lacking.

It can be hard to acknowledge our trespasses of the past. That is, things we did then which we regret now.

As individuals and as communities, we are constantly reinventing ourselves. We cannot change the past, nor can we return there. We cannot spend the present mired in either the trauma of the past, nor in nostalgia. Neither can we deny our past wrongdoings.

We must find a way to honor the past, learn from it, and release the pain of past trauma.

Only then can we find our way to a better future.

Processing the past can be difficult. We hold such a variety of emotions about the things in our rear view mirror. We may regret our actions, or the actions of others. We may wonder how things in the present would be different if we had made different decisions in the past.

Perhaps the best way to process the past is to appreciate that, with all its beauty and its flaws, it is what has brought us to where we are, and who we are. If we can embrace our journey to get where we are, we can have some measure of control about where we go next.

The StaarCorner

StaarCast is back!

StaarCast is our podcast about all things StaarCon. You can listen to StaarCast wherever you get your podcasts, or you can watch the episode in video form on our YouTube Channel.

In this new episode, Beverly Frable is my guest. She shares some great advice about ways to get more information from your tarot card reading.

We also get a sneak peek at what Beverly will be presenting at StaarCon 2022.

Did you miss Making Magick with Tarot?
Take it now in archive at Card and Craft Academy on Teachable!
Includes the class materials and a recording of the live webcast.

Our June Zoom Tarot Class

On Thursday, June 24, 7 pm to 9 pm ET, join me for the Fearless Wisdom Tarot Workshop on Zoom

Are you a fearful tarot enthusiast? Are there specific cards that make you nervous? Do you want to read for yourself or others, but worry about the cards that might appear?

Join me for a workshop that will help you embrace the healing power of each card, and your own skill and wisdom as a tarot reader.

In this two-hour workshop you will take a deep dive into the cards that disturb you the most.  You will learn new ways to process dark images and find the healing and helpful truth within them.

You will learn some best practices for fearless and wise tarot reading, including setting your ethics and boundaries, invoking spirit and creating sacred space.

Register for this workshop now.

Back and Forth to Tampa

Thank you to everyone who made my Tampa Tarot Tour so successful. This was my first Tampa tour in eighteen months. It took me to see wonderful people in St. Petersburg, Gulfport, Sarasota, Apollo Beach, and, of course, Wesley Chapel.

I will return for a Summer’s End Tampa Tarot Tour August 26 through 30, which will include a tarot meetup at Panera Bread in Lutz.

Please reach out now to schedule your psychic house parties, house calls, and private readings in Wesley Chapel.

Tarot Spread to Honor and Release the Past

Try this spread with any tarot deck, or even with your favorite oracle deck.

Arrange the cards in any way that feels right to you.

Let Card One represent something that is a gift to you from your ancestors. This could be genetic, a specific talent or family trait that serves you.

Let Card Two represent ancestral and generational trauma that you need to release.

Let Card Three represent a happy memory from your own past.

Let Card Four represent a valuable lesson from your past.

Let Card Five represent a way to heal and release ancestral and generational trauma.

Let Card Six represent a way to heal and release sorrow and trauma from your own past.

Join me at Masters of the Tarot at Omega Institute

I am glad to be one of the five teachers presenting the Masters of the Tarot conference at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY, this summer. The conference is July 23 through 25.

Founded in the late 1970s, Omega is a unique retreat center that is known and loved by many in our community.

Mary K. Greer and Rachel Pollack have presented a tarot conference there every summer for decades. Of course, last year Omega was unable to open.

I am very excited to be a part of this iconic event as the world begins to restart. Make your plans to join us there!

The Week in Review

This week I wrote a blogpost about the voice of intuition. Contrary to popular opinion, the first thought that comes to you when you are in divination or seeking truth may not be the voice of intuition.

Because I was traveling this past week, I was unable to keep my regular schedule of live broadcasts on my YouTube channel. I will be back this week with live readings, and a free tarot class!

From Around the Web

From Psychology Today, here are 9 Steps to Healing Childhood Trauma as an Adult.

Emerald Lotus Divination has a tarot spread for releasing trauma.

For an Understanding of the Future, Look to the Past. Check out this informative article on Medium.com.

Northeastern Summer Tour

From July 26 through August 9, I will be based at True Bikram Yoga in Madison, Connecticut. I will be available for house calls and parties throughout Connecticut, and for private readings in Madison.

I will be able to travel to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York for parties and larger gatherings.

Dates are already booking quickly. Please call or text 561-655-1160 to get your party date or private appointment on the calendar.

Cards for Your Consideration

Any tarot card can appear in a reading to help us understand and process the past. Yet, there are two tarot cards that can speak specifically of the past.

The first and most obvious is the Six of Cups. The Six of Cups is the card of nostalgia, reunion, and happy memories.

A less-often mentioned card in this context that speaks of the past is Major Arcana 20, Judgment.

Judgment often appears to discuss the need for emotional closure when difficult changes happen. Judgment can describe the process of evaluating our past performance, and of recognizing our past success. Judgment can refer to the final analysis and the end of an era. Judgment offers the opportunity to heal from past trauma.

Upcoming Events and Tours

The Palm City office is now open to the public, so make your appointment now!

Card and Craft Academy

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

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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

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Catch up on your missed Zoom webinars and more!
cardandcraftacademy.com

About Christiana Gaudet

Card and Craft, Inc.

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 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 4 Issue 24
June 16, 2021

When Is Becomes If

One of my favorite poems is “one winter afternoon” by ee cummings. It begins:

“one winter afternoon (at the magical hour when is becomes if)”.

I’ve always thought of that magical afternoon hour as dusk, when the light dims and it becomes harder to see what is solid and what is shadow.

As we come to the close of a strange year, and cautiously inch toward a (hopefully better) new year, I can see midnight on New Year’s Eve as that magical hour.

Just as 2020 was like no year we had known before, this New Year’s Eve feels different for many of us as well.

New Year’s Eve is one of my favorite holidays. To me it is a spiritual and magical event where everyone in the world opens themselves to the possibility of better things ahead. New Year’s Eve is a global exercise in manifestation.

This year we need that manifestation magic more than ever. We need to make room for the wonderous ‘ifs’ that offer possibility. When we can imagine something better than what now is, we open ourselves to real improvement, and a new way forward.

As we enter a new year, let’s consider the possibility of wonderful things for ourselves, our loved ones, and for the planet. Let’s worry less in this moment about what is, and open ourselves to the magic of asking ‘What if’.

The StaarCorner

One of the highlights of my lengthy professional career in tarot was my conversation with Mary K. Greer for this week’s episode of StaarCast. I have often told my tarot students that without Mary’s groundbreaking work, tarot would not be what it is today.

When we first began planning StaarCon, my greatest wish was that Mary would be able to present for our first event. I am delighted that Mary will indeed be presenting this January.

You can watch my interview with Mary on the StaarCast YouTube channel, or download it wherever you get your podcasts.

StaarCon is less than a month away. Get your tickets now!

Have a Reading for the New Year!

The beginning of January is a wonderful time to check in and see what information and insight a tarot reading can offer. I am available during New Year weekend, and throughout January. I can work with you to help you make and keep your resolutions, get a glimpse forward, and manifest the best year possible.

You can call or text 561-655-1160, or schedule directly from my website.

Tarot for the New Year

What is the best way to do a tarot reading for a new year? There are so many techniques, the best thing to do is to try the ones that appeal to you, and see how they feel. Over time you might develop a special new year tarot reading ritual that is perfect for you!

You can try a new year spread, or make one up for yourself.

I like to do a twelve-card spread that is simply one card for each month.

You can also make a list of questions you have for the upcoming year, and pull cards to answer each question.

You can figure out your personal card for the year by adding the digits of your month and day of birth to the digits of the year. Keep adding the digits together until you get a number that is twenty-one or lower. Find the Major Arcana card that corresponds to that number. This is your year card. Consider how the energy of this card might inform your year. Compare your year card to the card of the year overall, which is, this year, the Hierophant. How does the Hierophant work with your personal year card? What can you learn from this?

The Week in Review

In the last week of each year, I usually make some predictions for the upcoming year. This week I discussed how New Year predictions work, and how they don’t. I made some predictions, too.

Read my blogpost, “Should We Even Try to Predict a New Year? Of Course We Should!”

Join me on my Facebook business page, my YouTube channel and the StaarCon Facebook page for regular livestream events.

From Around the Web

Here are some astrology predictions for 2021 from Vogue.

The Guardian spoke with some tarot readers and psychics to get their take on 2021.

Little Red Tarot offers five tarot spreads for new year readings.

Cards for Your Consideration

I love to think about Major Arcana 20, Judgment, as we approach a new year.

In a reading, Judgment can speak of awakenings, spirit communication, a wake-up call, or a final review of a job well done.

One of my favorite ways to look at Judgment is as a card that calls for closure to the past. In this card we can see the kind of healing we get when we process the past and are able to look to the future with hope.

Upcoming Events and Tours

Connecticut and Tampa Tours Resume Fall 2021

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 53
December 30, 2020

Endings and New Beginnings

It is the first week of December! Somehow, this year more than ever, this first week of December feels like a special thing. It is not just about the holiday season. It is about the idea of beginning a new month that is also the last month of the year.

This has me thinking about endings and beginnings, and about how those two things almost always come in a set. That is, it is hard to have and ending without a beginning that follows.

Both endings and beginnings are things that we can anticipate with great excitement. They are also things that can fill us with dread and anxiety.

Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, said “Change is the only constant in life”.

In tarot, there are many cards that can speak of changes, endings and beginnings. Later in this newsletter I will discuss three of them.

There are so many songs and poems that speak of changes. Like it or not, changes are a huge part of life.

As we approach a new month, and look forward to a new year, we may also be embracing endings and beginnings on a more personal level. There may be things we want to end, and things we long to begin. Some of these may be things we have control over. Some may happen whether we want them to or not. Some may be things for which we must wait patiently.

I think that the calendar changes, like a new month or a new year, provide the energy to help us create changes in our own lives. This is a good time to ask ourselves some questions.

What am I ready to release?

What would I like to embrace?

The changing calendar can provide us both motivation and energy to make it happen.

The StaarCorner

The platform we have chosen for StaarCon 2021 Online and our hybrid conferences in 2022 and beyond is Accelevents. They offer a robust platform that is easy to navigate and offers great opportunities for interaction and networking.

This means we have switched our ticketing from Evenbrite to the Accelevents platform. If you happen to follow an old Eventbrite link, it will tell you that tickets are no longer available.

To get your tickets for StaarCon, simply find the ticket portal on Accelevents and use the code STAAR2021 to get a ten per cent discount on your ticket selection. Or you can visit the StaarCon website and go from there.

At StaarCon 2021 there will be times when you will have to choose which events you want to attend. Do not worry, though, because all classes will be recorded and made available to you to watch and enjoy after the conference is over.

Ticket prices for StaarCon range from $5.00 to $499, depending on which events you choose. There is guaranteed to be something that fits your interests and your budget.

I am excited about the talented presenters we have for StaarCon 2021, as well as the opportunities for networking and socializing, even in the online environment.

Recently added to the schedule are a Friday night event, The Tarot Show with Kate Mura. Our Saturday evening entertainment will include Tarot Improv with Mitchell Osborn. We have even scheduled some Saturday evening discussion groups and a Sunday morning Tarot Art and Artists Breakfast. Of course, you will have to BYOBreakfast, but we will provide the everything else!

I can’t wait to see you at StaarCon, so get you tickets now!

Tarot Stories, Trends, and Blends Live on Zoom

Join me Thursday, December 17, 7 to 9 pm EST, for a tarot webinar that will increase your ability to find meaningful information in every reading.

While a single tarot card can give a great deal of insight, the skill of tarot reading is in understanding how the cards work together to tell a story. This class will teach practical techniques for combining the meanings of cards and connecting the cards in a reading.

This will be the last Zoom class until February 2021, as we prepare for StaarCon in January.

Class fee is $37.50. Register now on Zoom.

Two-Card Tarot Spreads

In a time of endings and new beginnings, two-card tarot spreads can be very enlightening.

Pull a card for what is ending, and another for what is beginning. Or pull a card for ‘Goodbye’, and another for ‘Hello’.

Perhaps you might feel the need to pull a card to discover what you need to actively release, and what you need to actively pursue.

Look at the interplay between the two cards. Are they similar or dissimilar? Do they tell any sort of story?

The Week in Review

This week I shared a blog post about how tarot and poetry go together.

I have two free events on YouTube this week. You can find my upcoming and archived tarot meetups and free tarot classes on my YouTube channel. Make sure you subscribe while you are there!

My Facebook business page is where I do live readings most Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

I am also live on the StaarCon page on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

From Around the Web

A new month has arrived! Here is your December astrological forecast.

Barbara Moore shares her instructions for a Tarot Advent Calendar.

As we consider endings, here is an End of Day Tarot Spread from Nancy SageShadow, AKA Nancy Hendrickson, who will be speaking at StaarCon.

Cards for Your Consideration

So many tarot cards speak of change, endings, and new beginnings. Three that seem to do it most bombastically are Majors 13, 20 and 21. That is, Death, Judgment and the World.

If you happen to see all three of them in a spread, you know your world is being rocked, not necessarily in a bad way.

The question is, how do these three cards differ from one another? We know that they can all speak of endings and new beginnings. Here are some specific differences.

Death can refer to a specific life change, like getting married, having a baby, or getting a new job. The changes Death seems to ring in are often related the activities of daily life. On an emotional level, Death can be about coming to terms with the changes of life that are inevitable.

Judgement can involve looking to the past, to gain closure, perspective, and understanding. In this card we see the final analysis. Judgement can also be about a wake-up call that brings enlightenment and deep internal change.

The World is about attainment and completion. The ending here comes because the task is complete, the mission is successful, and it is now time to move on. The World can also ask us to change our perspective from the microcosm to the macrocosm.

Events and Tours

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 49
December 2, 2020

Hear Your Calling

We use the word ‘calling’ to describe an internal or spiritual pull we feel toward a particular vocation or career. Some people feel clearly called to public service, or to the arts, or to ministry or medicine. Others discover a calling later in life that may lead to a career change, or a new hobby or path of study.

It’s frustrating to feel the need for a change in life, but not be able to tap into any sense of calling. It’s equally frustrating to feel called to do something that seems impossible or impractical.

How we characterize the source of our calling differs depending on our spiritual belief set. Yet, most people can identify that sense of path and purpose.

If we listened more closely, or checked in more frequently, might we be more often inspired to new things?

Very often, when we talk about finding a calling, it’s a singular experience in life we are talking about. The day you knew what you wanted to be, or what you wanted to do. The day you knew who you were, and who you were going to be.

It occurs to me, though, that we can be called to learn many things, and do many things, throughout life, not all of them career-related.

When we feel that we are living our calling, we feel we are living life with purpose. Arguably, the more we listen for, and respond to, that sense of calling when it appears, the more our lives will be filled with purpose.

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!

Find Your Calling with Tarot

Whether you are looking for a new career, figuring out what you want to be when you grow up or simply looking for your next chapter in life, working with tarot can help you tune in, hear your guidance and find your next calling.

Breathe, ground, and ask for guidance. Remember that the more energy you put into creating the environment for divination, the more likely you will be to receive divine inspiration.

Think about how you want to phrase your question. It could be simple, like ‘What is my calling?’ It could be career-specific, like, ‘What sort of job is best for me?’ It could be related to an area of expertise, like, ‘How am I meant to use my art?’

Once you have your question, ask it, and pull a card.

Take a moment to contemplate the card, and see what answers come to you.

If you like, you may pull another card to give further information.

You can then shuffle all the cards together again and ask a final question. ‘What can I do to move forward on this path?’

The Week in Review

If you are a tarot pro, here is something I wrote for you about how you talk about what you do.

From July, 2013, here is a post I wrote about hearing your calling.

From Around the Web

Benebell Wen has launched a new video series called “Sight-Seeing the Tarot.”

Tarot and mental health are in the news again!

Here’s a rebuttal to John Oliver’s take on psychics.

Cards for Your Consideration

Since we are talking about hearing your calling, let’s focus on Major Arcana 20, Judgment.

Archetypally, Judgment depicts the Judgment Day; the Rapture.

A primary image associated with this card is an angel blowing his horn.

Keywords and meanings for this card include closure, the final analysis, and rebirth.

Because of the prominence of the angel’s horn, we can also see this card as the call to awaken the sleeping hero. Judgment can be a wake-up call. Judgment can indicate mediumship, and communicating with the angels. Judgment can tell us to get the word out about something.

Sometimes, Judgment shows up to discuss hearing one’s calling.

If you are trying to hear your calling and find your guidance, spend some time in meditation with Judgment. Can you discern the voice of the angel’s horn? Where is it calling you?

If Judgment appears in a reading, know that it might be speaking of hearing your calling, or being called to service.

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!

Tarot Meetup at Panera in Palm City

On Sunday, March 10, from 4 to 6 pm, we will hold our Cards and Conversation Tarot Meetup

Panera Bread, 2894 SW Town Center Way, Palm City, FL.

Tarot enthusiasts of all levels of experience are welcome to join us for readings, conversation, study, exercises and tarot fun! It’s free to attend. Bring a tarot deck or borrow one at the meeting.

New Video Class Available: Christiana’s Eleven-Card Celtic Cross Spread

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 10
March 6, 2019