Tarot News blog has news and information of interest to the tarot community.
For the Win
Friendly competition can be fun and can help us build skills. Yet, when we fail to acknowledge our wins, we set ourselves up for loss.
One of the earliest things we learn in life is that there are winners and losers. We are encouraged to compete and win in sports, creativity, and academics.
In adult life, the stakes become higher. We want our favorite sports teams to win, but we also want to win deals, promotions, awards, and recognition.
There is nothing wrong with friendly competition. There is nothing wrong with striving to win.
The problem is that we often do not recognize the little wins in our lives. Other times, we don’t think we can win, so we don’t even try.
When someone is not doing well in life, unkind people will use the term ‘loser’ to describe them.
I believe that, secretly, many of us feel like losers, at least sometimes. Part of this is that we only sometimes see or acknowledge our wins. This happens mainly in the face of disappointment.
When we fail to obtain the win we were hoping for, we must remember to look for the inevitable blessings that come because we tried.
Sometimes, other people set goals for us. They want to use a metric to judge our success that is different from our own. This can make us feel small and unworthy.
When it comes to the game of life, we each get to judge our own wins and losses. When we see ourselves as winners, no matter how small the victory, we welcome greater success.
The StaarCorner
Mitchell Osborn has been a beloved tarot coach and divination teacher in our community for many years. He has been an important part of the StaarCon community since our beginning.
At StaarCon 2024, Mitchell will present “Reading Tarot in Layers”.
In this workshop, you will learn important techniques that will help you give readings that are comprehensive and thorough.
We are also excited that Mitchell will be your host for the Thursday Evening Dinner Excursion. If you are joining us in person and are at the hotel by 6 pm Thursday evening, join your StaarCon friends and take the hotel shuttle to Rosemary Square for a lovely meal together.
We are looking forward to seeing Mitchell, and you, at StaarCon 2024.
Tarot For the Win
Which tarot cards specifically speak of winning? Which cards tell us that we are achieving our goals?
My favorite card for winning and competition is the Six of Wands. I also see the Three of Wands as a card of success.
The Three of Pentacles can speak of recognition for professional success.
The Nine of Cups speaks of happiness and wishes fulfilled.
The Ten of Pentacles can speak of wealth, generational wealth, and success in real estate.
In the Major Arcana, the Empress, Emperor, and Hierophant all speak of authority. The Chariot speaks of mastery. The Star speaks of hope and fulfillment. The World speaks of completion.
Many tarotists will have a favorite card that speaks to them personally of their own success. Mine is the Queen of Wands. What’s yours?
The Week in Review
We had a great time at Panera Bread this past Sunday. Wherever you live, check to see if there is a tarot meetup near you. If there isn’t, why not start one?
I am excited to be nominated for the 2023 World Divination Association Awards in three categories. We have until September 28 to vote, so please cast your vote for me, and for your favorite StaarCon diviners.
Tomorrow, Thursday, September 14, please join us on my YouTube channel at 7 pm ET for a special class with guest teacher Erika Robinson. Erika will be teaching “Lenormand for Tarot Readers.”
From Around the Web
In the US, the beginning of autumn means football season. Can we use tarot to predict the outcomes of sports matches? Different readers have different opinions. Tarot author Anthony Louis wrote about this in 2014.
Parade magazine recently interviewed several members of the tarot community. Check out these five tips for your first tarot reading.
StaarCon 2024 headliner Benebell Wen has a new book coming out on the I Ching. Here is a video and blog tutorial she has created to help you get ready to learn I Ching.
Creation and Divination
Arguably, the tarot suit that speaks the most clearly about competition, winning, and losing is the suit of Wands. When we study the suit of Wands, we can see within each card something about winning and losing.
Here is a poem from my 78 Poems Project about the Nine of Wands. This is a card I often call ‘The Wounded Warrior.’
If you would like to submit a poem, essay, or short story for publication in this newsletter, please email it to me.
Nine of Wands
The soldier keeps his vigil, though he appears at rest.
He is a patient guardian, strong and able for the test.
No need to seek a battle that may never come
His battle is within now, until the war is done.
His duty is to wait, to conserve and to defend
To stand long at his post, his battle scars to mend.
With the knowledge of the Hermit he awaits what might arise
And values now diplomacy; his wounds have made him wise.
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!
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 37
September 13, 2023
The Power Number Nine
It is the beginning of the ninth month, and we are talking about the power of the number nine.
September First marked the beginning of the ninth month. That is a fun coincidence for me because lately, I’ve been contemplating the significance of the number nine. In some spiritual belief systems, nine is considered the most powerful number because it is three times three, and three is a deeply meaningful number representing many sacred trinities.
In mathematics, nine is considered a magical number because the sum of the digits obtained by multiplying nine by any number will always reduce to nine.
The number nine is considered lucky in many cultures.
Nine is, of course, the number of months for human gestation.
In Norse mythology, the universe's structure is organized into nine distinct realms, including Asgard, the home of the deities.
In numerology, nine is the highest and final number, symbolizing completion. Those born with nine as a life path number are thought to be compassionate and charitable.
In many spiritual and magical rituals, a task is done nine times specifically. This is meant to add the vital energy of the number nine to the magical working.
How can you harness the energy of the number nine in your own life? There are endless ways. Say your affirmations nine times instead of only once. Put nine stems of flowers in a vase, or nine stones or nine shells in a dish, and let that be a blessing to your home. Wear a necklace with nine beads to give yourself the power of nine.
How will you bring the energy of nine into your life during this ninth month of September?
The StaarCorner
You may know Frank Kwiatkowski from his earlier StaarCon presentations. You might know him as my co-host on The StaarCast Variety Show (watch for an episode to drop soon). You might know him as the author of Rise and Shine: A Guide for Experiencing Your Midlife Awakening.
Frank's love for the Beatles is well-known, regardless of how you know him. His presentation on the connection between the Fab Four and tarot at StaarCon 2022 was a huge hit.
Frank’s presentation this January will be Famous Foursomes: A Celebration of the Elements!
In this presentation, Frank will lead a discussion of famous groups of four people in pop culture and find the elemental connections in each group.
Don’t miss this and all the other excellent presentations at StaarCon 2024.
The Tarot Nines
Six cards in the tarot deck are associated with the number nine. There are the four Nine cards in the Minor Arcana. There is the Hermit, which is card Nine in the Major Arcana. Finally, there is the Moon, which is card 18 and, therefore, numerologically associated with Nine.
It is an excellent exercise in tarot to group cards together according to a shared association and discover what similarities and differences you find within these cards.
When I look at all the Nine cards in tarot, one thing I find they have in common is a sense of personal experience, growth, exploration, and accountability. I see a similar theme with the Sevens. I like to think that the Nines are an evolution of the Sevens in our journey toward personal growth.
What do you see when you look at the tarot Nines as a group?
The Week in Review
It is a new month, so look for your TarotScopes on my YouTube channel and on TikTok.
Tonight, join us on my YouTube channel for Global Tarot Circle at 7 pm ET.
If you happen to be on or near the Treasure Coast of Florida, please join us this coming Sunday at Panera Bread in Palm City for our monthly tarot meetup at 4 pm.
From Around the Web
StaarCon presenter Marion Kirk recently shared a wonderful post about her tarot origin story. Read “Is Tarot My Wonderwall?”
Aerik Arkadian, my favorite new podcaster, has posted some great information about candle magick.
Theresa Reed, The Tarot Lady, talks about some very real concerns for the tarot community in her September Hit List.
Creation and Divination
Something is interesting about the number nine in tarot. In numerology, nine is the highest and final digit and represents completion. In tarot, the cards do not end with nine but continue to ten. In tarot, the Tens can mean completion, although the story of each suit continues into the Court cards. In tarot, the Nines can speak to a fullness of being. The Nines may ask what you are full of right now. This is but one reason to learn the numerology of tarot, separate from any other tradition of numerology.
One of the most creative aspects of tarot, beyond the art of which it is made, is that it is all about storytelling. We use the numbers of tarot to show us the stories that exist within the deck itself. In readings, we use divination to tell us the stories of our lives. Writers use tarot for inspiration with character and plot development.
A creative tarot exercise I particularly enjoy is dividing the cards into suits and putting them into numerical order. Starting with the Ace, tell a story, using each card to progress the story until you conclude with the Ten. Use the four Court cards to add insight to the story in whatever way makes sense.
Then, organize your suits, counting down from King to Ace. Tell a story for each suit in this way. See the King and Queen as Mother and Father God, see the Knight and Page as we, their human children. Begin your story with the Ten representing the situation into which your character is born. Tell their story, card by card, and let the Ace give your story its conclusion.
Looking at the Minor Arcana of tarot in this way, we learn a great deal about the cards, the stories they can tell, and the numbers that influence those stories.
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!
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 36
September 6, 2023
Table For One
It is a skill to enjoy the pleasure of one's own company.
We spend a lot of time discussing the importance of our relationships with family, friends, coworkers, and, of course, romantic partners.
In tarot, many of our readings are about relationship dynamics.
Our relationships are a very important part of our lives. Our partners, families, and communities bring us joy, support, comfort, and security.
Yet, there is one relationship we probably do not talk about enough. That is the relationship with the self. Sure, we discuss the importance of self-love, self-worth, and self-acceptance. However, we do not spend enough time discussing the need to enjoy our own company.
Sometimes I think there are two distinct groups of people in the world. Those who will go out and do things on their own, and those who will not.
So often I hear people complain that they want to do a particular thing, but do not have anyone with whom to do that thing. Sometimes this is because the person is single, or has not made friends. Sometimes it is because their interests are different from the interests of their friends and family.
Why are some people so hesitant to eat in a restaurant alone, or go to a movie or a concert on their own? Some people worry what others will think of them. Other people simply are not comfortable in their own company.
Doing things alone may be out of your comfort zone, but it is a wonderful thing to embrace. To learn to enjoy the pleasure of your own company is a gift that keeps on giving. To be able to enjoy something without distraction is a gift as well.
Sometimes, when we venture out on our own, we are able to make a new friend, which is always a blessing.
We often seem to fear being alone. Yes, there is safety in numbers. And loneliness is a cause of anxiety and depression. Yet, there is a difference between being lonely and being alone. When we can have confidence in our own strength and ability, we can enjoy being on our own.
When we are comfortable in our own space, we are more easily able to find the right people to share that space.
Do not be afraid to buy a single ticket, or to ask for a table for one. Strive to find the right people to spend time with, and to be comfortable spending time with yourself.
The StaarCorner
Have you heard the new episode of StaarCast yet? Mary Ellen Collins joins me to discuss ways of adding crystals and gemstones to your tarot divination.
You can hear this episode wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the video presentation on YouTube.
Did you miss the Fearless Wisdom Tarot Workshop?
Take it now in archive at Card and Craft Academy on Teachable!
Includes the class materials and a recording of the live webcast.
See Me in the Tampa Bay Area in August
I will be back in the Tampa Bay Area August 26 through August 30.
On Sunday, August 29, from 3 pm to 5 pm we will have a free tarot meetup at Panera Bread in Lutz, FL.
During my time in the Tampa Bay Area, I am available for private readings at my AirBnB in Wesley Chapel. I am also able to make house calls for private readings. I am happy to come to your home or office for a psychic house party.
For more information, or to make your appointment, call or text 561-655-1160.
Reading Tarot for Yourself
There is a false belief that one cannot, or should not, read their own tarot cards. The truth is, if we cannot read for ourselves, we should not read for others.
When we learn how the cards show up for us, we learn how the cards speak to us.
However, there are some things to consider in self-reading.
We must be careful that our fears and desires do not influence our interpretation.
Often, it is helpful to go to the cards for matters of personal growth and contemplation, rather than for prediction.
Here are some good questions for self-reading.
What do I need to know about myself at this moment?
What is the best way for me to approach this situation?
How can I heal from this difficulty?
What skill should I focus on developing right now?
Join Me at Masters of the Tarot
I am honored to be a presenter at Masters of the Tarot at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York.
The conference in July 23 through 25, and features Mary K. Greer and Rachel Pollack.
Get ready for a transformative experience in a magical setting. Get your tickets now!
The Week in Review
Free tarot classes and meetups for July are now all scheduled. You can find the links, as well as the replays of those you have missed, on the Live Tarot Webinars playlist on my YouTube channel.
This week I shared a blogpost about how we interpret tarot cards. Are some cards always positive, or always negative? I do not think so!
From Around the Web
Sharan has some tarotscopes for July 2021 for you!
Theresa Reed offers advice on how to find a new tarot reader or astrologer.
Beth Owl’s Daughter shared some thoughts about Independence Day, 2021.
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
When we think about loneliness, we often think about the Hermit. The Hermit also speaks of wisdom and patience. One lesson of the Hermit is that the path to wisdom is often lonely.
When we think about being comfortably alone, we often think of the Nine of Pentacles, who is the woman alone in her garden.
Could we look at all the Nine cards and find some indication of being in one’s own company?
In the Nine of Swords, we see the pain of being alone with one’s own difficult thoughts.
In the Nine of Cups, we could see the satisfaction of one’s own happiness.
In the Nine of Wands, we see the need to do one’s duty, even when that is difficult.
We can learn a great deal about being in one’s own company from the Nines of tarot.
Upcoming Events and Tours
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 New!
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 27
July 7, 2021
How Pain Behaves
Pain can cause difficult behavior. Here are some ways to move through it.
Physical and emotional pain are part of our human experience. We all deal with pain. Some of us experience it chronically. Sometimes past trauma leaves pain that is present every day.
Some of us are able to find relief and healing over time. Some aren’t able to be healed. Some can’t even find a way to try, or to hope for relief.
Pain, whether physical, emotional, or both, often causes secondary trauma. People who are in pain often behave badly. They say things they don’t mean. They act out of character in ways that harm themselves, and others.
Very often, pain is the root cause of abuse. No matter how compassionately we might feel toward an abuser’s pain history, or how well we may understand this root cause, we need to set boundaries to protect ourselves from their behavior.
We need to remember there is a difference between an excuse and a reason. An excuse holds the abuser without responsibility. A reason helps us, and the abuser, understand their process and, perhaps, to find healing.
Very often pain causes people to behave in unfortunate ways that stop short of abuse but are still unpleasant. Sometimes those we love will show us their pain in clumsy ways when they really just need a hug, a shoulder or an ear. When this happens, we need to see their pain and respond to it, rather than to judge their behavior.
Sometimes we behave badly because of the pain we are feeling. It’s important to be able to acknowledge our behavior without trying to excuse it. We must ask for forgiveness and understanding and show gratitude to those who are able to bring us comfort.
The ability to seek the comfort of others, and to find comfort for ourselves, is a skill that not everyone has. Self-comforting is a skill that can be hard to develop. Very often, poor self-comforting skills lead to addictions and other difficulties. This is another way that pain manifests in harmful behaviors.
Pain can be a teacher. Pain can force us to heal and to grow. When we are able to find ways to control our pain, through meditation, medication, or other methods, we take away pain’s ability to control us. When we can find joy in spite of pain, we discover our strength.
Pain provides us with an opportunity to find, develop, and employ our compassion, for others and for ourselves.
The StaarCorner
Our conference will officially begin with an opening ceremony on Friday evening, January 22. During the day of Friday, January 22, I will offer a Pre-conference Tarot Intensive. It’s called Operational Tarot. Over the course of our day together we will explore the nuts and bolts of giving a professional-quality tarot reading. Our topics will include the psychic and energetic aspects of tarot reading, card interpretations, and the techniques we use to give amazing readings.
This intensive is designed for anyone with a basic or advanced knowledge of tarot who wants to hone their skills, dive deeper, and deliver a reading that is truly informative and inspirational.
You’ll have an opportunity to sign up for this intensive as soon as registration becomes available on the StaarCon website.
Unravelling Pain and Behavior with Tarot
Sometimes we need to figure out why someone is behaving in a certain way. Sometimes we need to question our own behavior. In either case, we can go to the cards to get some insight and direction.
Here are some questions you might ask of the cards, or use to create a spread, to help understand the root cause of behavior, and find the pain that may be at the bottom of it.
What is the root cause of this behavior?
What can be done to encourage different behavior?
What is the conscious goal of the behavior?
What is the negative risk of this behavior?
What is revealed by this behavior?
What can be done to bring healing?
Tarot Readings for Personalities and Relationships
Join me in my Palm City office on February 19, from 7 to 9 pm, for an exciting tarot class.
How do tarot cards speak of people, their personalities and their relationships? How can we use tarot to better understand ourselves and each other?
In this class you will learn how to give helpful relationship readings and couples readings, and how to determine the nature and needs of an individual simply by understanding the cards that appear for them.
This special Valentine’s Day inspired tarot class is appropriate for readers of all levels of experience. Bring your tarot deck or buy or borrow one in class.
Class size is limited. Class fee is $37.50. Get your tickets now on Eventbrite!
The Week in Review
What’s one of the most difficult questions to work with in a professional tarot reading? Here’s a blogpost I wrote this week called, “Are They Cheating? Handling the Tarot Reader’s Dilemma”.
Were you able to join us for Global Tarot Circle this past week? If you missed it, you can watch the archive on my Facebook Business Page and my YouTube Channel. You can also catch my other livestreams, like Your Three-Card Weekly Reading and the Friday Weekly Wrap-up.
From Around the Web
Here’s a tarot spread to help you heal the emotions that cause pain.
It’s great to help our friends when they are in pain. Yet, it is important to have good boundaries, too! Here is an article about that.
I always like it when mainstream magazines publish articles about spirituality. Here’s one from The Atlantic about using meditation to help with chronic pain.
Cards for Your Consideration
Let’s consider the Nine of Wands from the Smith-Waite Tarot to help us contemplate pain and its effects.
In this image, we see a warrior who has fought, been wounded, and stands ready to fight again. Very often this card shows up in a reading to describe a defensive attitude. That defensive attitude is very often caused by past injury.
Sometimes this card counsels us to defend ourselves. Sometimes this card acknowledges our pain, and orders us to take time to heal. Sometimes this card reminds us that we are able to bear our pain for as long as we need to.
There is an attitude of patience in the Nine of Wands. One of the things that pain can teach us, if we let it, is to be patient.
The next time this card appears in a reading, consider whether pain and defensiveness may be significant in the situation you are addressing.
Upcoming Events and Tours
Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 7
February 12, 2020