Nurturing Strength of Spirit

Those who know me are aware of my sincere appreciation for the prose poem Desiderata, written by Max Ehrmann in 1927.

My grandmother found so much strength and grace in Desiderata that she always kept printed copies to give to people whom she felt might benefit from it. This poem was a kind of sacred text for my family, and it remains so for me.

That’s the thing about sacred text. Sacred text can be a work that is universally heralded as a holy book, but it can also be any book, poem, song, or story that gives you strength, wisdom, and inspiration.

The passage I have been focused on this week is the first sentence of the eighth paragraph. The line is “Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.” Though only ten words, there is so much to unpack in this one sentence.

People often want their spiritually (no matter their tradition or belief system) to be transactional and reciprocal. They want to think that if they perform certain rituals, believe certain things, or say certain prayers, they will immunize themselves against misfortune.

Then, when misfortune inevitably strikes, they feel abandoned. They wonder what they have done wrong, or if their faith was misplaced.

The purpose of spiritual faith is not to shield us against misfortune. As I see it, Ehrmann said it perfectly when he said that our strength of spirit is to shield in the face of misfortune.

Spiritually doesn’t prevent bad things. Spiritually can give us comfort, meaning, solace, purpose, and understanding when bad things happen.

How, then, can we nurture strength of spirit?

This is a very personal thing. It is a question we can all meditate upon and ask in our divinations. Many of us nurture strength of spirit by reading sacred texts, by honoring spiritual traditions and practices, and by enjoying the natural world and creativity.

What does strength of spirit look like? I think strength of spirit can be the ability to hold space for sorrow and joy in the same moment. Strength of spirit can be resilience, and the ability to have hope even in difficult times. Strength of spirit can help us find beauty and gratitude even in the smallest things. Strength of spirit can urge us to find meaning in suffering. Strength of spirit allows us to have compassion for others even when we ourselves are in difficulty. Strength of spirit helps us to know that tomorrow can always be a better day.

The StaarCorner

The AfterGlow closes on February 21 at 7 pm ET. If you have a StaarCon 2023 ticket, make sure you enjoy as many replays and lounge events as you can before then.

After that, remember to join us all year on Facebook in our private community group.

Mark your calendar now for StaarCon 2024, January 19-21. Plan to join us in person in West Palm Beach or online!

Helpful Questions for Difficult Times

When we are going through difficulty, we often read for ourselves, or ask others to read for us. There is great comfort and wisdom to be found in divination. So often, though, we focus on the outcome, wanting to know how things will turn out. Sometimes divination can give us answers that give us hope. Sometimes, though, the outcome is not what we most need to know.

When we are doing a reading, either for self or for someone else, sometimes the best questions are about what is happening now, rather than what will happen. Sometimes the best questions are worded to allow our divination to help us find our strength of spirit.

What do I need to know about this situation?

What is the best thing for me to do right now?

What can help me during this difficult time?

What can I learn from this?

How can I recover from this?

How can I ask for help at this time?

How can I help others at this time?

What does spirit want me to know about this difficulty?

The Week in Review

This week I shared a blogpost that offers an insightful tarot reading technique. Read “Backing into a Delicate Reading”.

Tonight on my YouTube channel we have a members-only livestream at 7 pm ET. If you are a member, please plan to join us. If you are not a member, please consider joining!

From Around the Web

Read the original text of Desiderata. Read it several times. Think about it. See what wisdom it evokes within you.

Ethony has some advice on how to use tarot to get through hard times.

We are half-way through the month of February. Let’s see what Theresa Reed had to say about the astrology of this month, and see how things are evolving for you!

Creation and Divination

There are so many ways to combine creativity with divination. If you have a favorite way, or if you have created something you want to share, please email me. I would love to share your ideas and creations in this column!

When I think about nurturing strength of spirit, I think immediately of Major Arcana 8, Strength. One of the things I love about this card is that it clearly illustrates that physical force is not the greatest strength. The woman tames the lion with love, with gentleness, and with patience.

The Smith-Waite image shows the woman’s hand in the lion’s mouth. I think about this often. It seems a dangerous place to put your hand. To me this illustrates the basic nature of life; that there is nothing of value that doesn’t incur risk.

Here is a poem I wrote about the Strength card.

Strength

As water with patience carves into stone

So do hearts carve one on the other.

And when nature battles civility

New friends are drawn together.

Each has more reason to fear than to love

The dangers beckon, not understated.

This war is waged not with bullets but blooms

And fine compassion, communicated.

The gentle maiden must be of mind fierce.

She has enraptured a fierce jungle king.

The beast submits not by violence but choice

To a union of forces opposing.

Strength then is found not in warfare or blood

Nor in doctrine nor laws to rely on.

True strength is found in faith and control

With your hand in the mouth of a lion.

Upcoming Events

Card and Craft Academy

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

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

Catch up on your missed Zoom webinars and more!

cardandcraftacademy.com

About Christiana Gaudet

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

Christiana Gaudet

3559 SW Corporate Parkway
Palm City, Florida 34990-8152

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

YouTube @YourTarotFairyGodmother
Instagram @christianatarot @staarcon

Private telephone, Skype, FaceTime, Zoom and in person readings and instruction are available by appointment.

Tarot parties at your home or office are available throughout Florida.

Zoom parties and group instruction available almost everywhere!

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

Agent inquiries are welcome.

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 6 Issue 7
February 15, 2023

Six is the First Perfect Number

Welcome to Volume 6, Issue 6 of the Tarot Topics Weekly Newsletter. Given the sixes this week, I thought it would be fun to do a deep dive into the number Six, and its meaning in different traditions, as well as in tarot.

To be honest, whenever I think of the number Six, I think first of the poem, Now We Are Six, from the book of the same name by A.A. Milne, the creator of Winnie the Pooh. I still have that poem memorized. While I doubt the author had the divinatory study of numbers in mind when he wrote it, the poem does a good job giving some possible basic meanings for the six numerals, ending with, “But now I am six, I'm as clever as clever. So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.”

The Pythagoreans felt that Six symbolized high ideals.

They also pointed out that Six is the first perfect number. Mathematically, a perfect number is a positive integer that equals the sum of its proper divisors, excluding the number itself. Six is the lowest of these perfect numbers, and therefore the first.

Perhaps there are metaphysical ways in which Six is also the first perfect number. When I was first learning tarot, I learned Three as the number of first fruits, Four as the number of comfort and safety, Five as the number of expansion, and Six as the number of victory. From this perspective, Six would be the first number to express complete success.

In Kabbalah, Six is Tiphereth, or Beauty. The Chaldeans heralded the number Six as caring and giving.

When we dig into the meanings of the number Six in different traditions, we find some common themes emerge. Those themes include family, nurturance, connections, and reciprocity.

This, along with the concept of victory as I first learned, is helpful to consider when we look at the Six cards in tarot.

The Lovers, of course, is a card about relationships. The Six of Cups is about our childhood, and our relationship with the past. The Six of Pentacles is about sharing, the Six of Swords is about forward motion, and the Six of Wands is about victory after battle.

Within each of these cards we can find beauty, connections, family, victory, and, in each, a certain kind of perfection.

If Six is your birth number, or life path number, you are likely to be a nurturing and caring person, and one who works to build connections to friends, family, and community.

In all systems of divination, I am fascinated by the unlikely but perfect marriage of science and myth, logic and intuition, systems and random. We can see the relationships of diviner and tool, human and spirit, and reader and querent in the number Six as well, and in all the Six tarot cards.

The StaarCorner

This week there are lounge events on February 11, 12, 13, and 14. If you are a StaarCon 2023 ticketholder you have access to the lounge events. Don’t miss this chance to spend some time with your StaarCon friends, and learn from your StaarCon presenters!

If you have a ticket and have not yet logged into Accelevents, log in now, watch replays of classes, and enjoy the lounge events. If you have any trouble logging in, please reach out to me at 561-655-1160 and I will help you get started.

The AfterGlow ends February 21 at 7 pm. Please get as much as you can out of this time of learning, shopping, and interaction.

Tarot Exercise with the Tarot Sixes

Here is a way to get to know the tarot Sixes a bit better. There are six (no kidding) tarot cards associated with the number Six. Take them out of your deck. They are The Lovers, The Devil, the Six of Swords, the Six of Wands, the Six of Cups, and the Six of Pentacles.

In the lead article in this newsletter, we learned a few keywords associated with the divinatory meaning of the number Six. Look at each of these cards and determine the ways in which the following keywords describe each of these cards.

Relationships

Connections

Beauty

Victory

Can you find each of these keywords in each of these cards?

The Week in Review

This week I uploaded two new recorded videos to my YouTube channel, one for everyone and one for members only. The all-access video is a collective reading and tarot spread for the coming spring. The members-only video is about ways to use tarot for personal healing.

Tonight, Wednesday, February 8, join us at 7 pm ET for a live class on using tarot cards with oracle cards.

Did you get your February TarotScopes yet?

From Around the Web

StaarCon presenter Marion Kirk has shared a great new blogpost about saying ‘no’ as a tarot reader. If you read for others, either casually or professionally, you need to see this!

The first Tarot Blog Hop of 2023 is out! It’s wrangled by Kimberly Essex. You can check out the theme, and then follow the master list to see what five tarot bloggers had to say about the topic of beginning again.

Of course, it had to happen, and Teen Vogue has the story. There is a new tarot deck inspired by Taylor Swift called The Taylor Tarot!

Creation and Divination

Do you have a way of expressing your creativity that involves divination? Send me your poems, your art, your stories, and your crowdfunding links!

This week I will share poems that I wrote for two of the four Minor Arcana Six cards. Where or not one is a good poet, the act of writing about each card strengthens our understanding of the card, and our connection to the energy of the card.

Six of Cups

The journey back home before journey’s end

Memories shared, a reunion of friends.

Honored history and those who have passed

Looking with longing at what didn’t last.

When the sweetness of youth joins the great march of time

Some things will decay, but some things still shine.

Six of Swords

Silent on the waters slipping into the black night

An angel guides this journey toward the distant shore's true light.

Rising above turbulence with intent both calm and clear

Higher thought commands this boat, and the stars by which to steer.

Navigation born of science, and logic points the way

Leaving stormy seas behind as you sail toward the new day.

Upcoming Events

Card and Craft Academy

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

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

Catch up on your missed Zoom webinars and more!

cardandcraftacademy.com

About Christiana Gaudet

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

Christiana Gaudet

3559 SW Corporate Parkway
Palm City, Florida 34990-8152

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

YouTube @YourTarotFairyGodmother
Instagram @christianatarot @staarcon

Private telephone, Skype, FaceTime, Zoom and in person readings and instruction are available by appointment.

Tarot parties at your home or office are available throughout Florida.

Zoom parties and group instruction available almost everywhere!

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

Agent inquiries are welcome.

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 6 Issue 6
February 8, 2023

The Power of Creativity

I believe that creativity is innate to all humans, and as essential as air and water.

We so often relegate the concept of creativity to the visual arts, or to music, or design. Yet, creativity expresses itself in so many ways.

In metaphysics we associate creativity with the element of Fire. We also associate spirituality with Fire. This makes sense to me. I believe that our prayers, our ceremonies, our understanding of sacred text and mythologies, and our divinations, are all based in and enhanced by our creative energies. In a way, creativity and spirituality are similar. Each supports the other.

One of the reasons I love tarot is that it is, although structured, creative from beginning to end. Tarot decks are created by artists. What we do with them is a process of creativity as well.

When people tell me that they are not creative, I refuse to believe them. Basically, if you think you are not creative, the truth is this. You just have not discovered how your creativity expresses itself.

There is power and energy in creativity. Our creativity inspires others, often in ways we did not anticipate. We are inspired by creativity, even when we do not recognize it for what it is.

The StaarCorner

The StaarCon 2023 AfterGlow is in full swing, even as we begin planning StaarCon 2024. Here is a full list of the planned StaarCon lounge activities for February. If you are a StaarCon 2023 ticketholder, please join as many lounge activities as you can!

The AfterGlow lasts until February 21 at 7 pm ET.

The Hippie Game of Hope

Brenda Elizabeth and Michelle Barrie

February 6, 7:30 pm ET

Understanding Your Dreams

Gita Rash

February 7, 6 pm ET

Virtual Auras: Explained and Enjoyed

Hattie Parker

February 11, 12:00 pm ET

A Modern Celtic Cross

Christiana Gaudet

February 12, 7 pm ET

Picking Up Where We Left Off: Divining with Nature Using Ancient Divination Practices

Beverly Frable

February 13, 7pm ET

Lenormand Practice Session

Brenda Elizabeth

February 14, 7:30 pm ET

Creating Healing with Tarot Chat

Amie Emberharte

February 16, 7 pm ET

Tarot as Entertainment: Parties, Live Events, & Working with Agents

Amy Forman

February 18, 1 pm ET

Creating a Tarot Spread

One way that we use creativity in tarot reading is creating a tarot spread. We can create a spread for a specific situation. We can create a spread in honor of a particular theme, like a holiday or even a television series. We can create a spread to use during a specific moon or astrological cycle.

To create a spread, decision what sort of spread you want to create, or what your inspiration is.

Think about what question you want each position to address, and how you want to word each position. Think about how many positions you want to have in your tarot spread.

Think about how you want the cards to be laid out graphically.

You can use a free graphics program like Canva to help you make a pretty spread. Or you can draw it out with a pen and paper.

The inspired energy that you use to create a spread enhances, and is enhanced by, your intuition.

The reading that you do with the spread you create can be extra powerful and insightful.

The Week in Review

If you are a member of my YouTube channel, I hope you had the chance to join us for our members-only livestream, Healing with Tarot. The replay remains available to all members.

It is a new month, so make sure to check out my Tarotscopes on my YouTube channel.

From Around the Web

Maria Alviz Hernando wrote a review of StaarCon 2023. It was such a joy to meet her in person, and to spend some time with her at StaarCon.

From the First Person section of The Globe and Mail, I was happy to find “I’m a Tarot Reader, My Job is Definitely Weirder Than Your Job”.

Have you read The Cloisters, by Katy Hays? I am always on the lookout for novels that feature tarot. Here’s a review from The Nerd Daily.

Creation and Divination

This new weekly column will focus on creativity. Very often I will share the creative offerings of our community members. If you have a poem to share, or an indie publication you are kickstarting, or a tarot deck you are designing, please reach out to me. I would love to highlight as many creative people, and as much creativity, as I can!

To start us off, I am excited to share this lovely poem by P.C. Bain.

Hypnagogic – 12/5/22

In the dim-lit room creative forces engulf
Her like an embryo in the womb
Poised for inception into light
She hopes to birth the newly found information

As she lies between sleep and wake.
If she slumbers now would the euphonious

Whispers drown leaving only but a memory.

Compelled to stay awake
She grabs the microphone and speaks into its casing.

Tomorrow’s coming will enlighten her

Encouraging effervescent presence
When echoed words pierce the innermost
Part of her being

By P.C. Bain

Upcoming Events

Card and Craft Academy

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

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

Catch up on your missed Zoom webinars and more!

cardandcraftacademy.com

About Christiana Gaudet

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

Christiana Gaudet

3559 SW Corporate Parkway
Palm City, Florida 34990-8152

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

YouTube @YourTarotFairyGodmother
Instagram @christianatarot @staarcon

Private telephone, Skype, FaceTime, Zoom and in person readings and instruction are available by appointment.

Tarot parties at your home or office are available throughout Florida.

Zoom parties and group instruction available almost everywhere!

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

Agent inquiries are welcome.

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 6 Issue 5
February 1, 2023

Tarot by Christiana Weekly Newsletter 10/31/2012

Tarot by Christiana Weekly Newsletter Special Halloween Edition 10/31/2012 This is Halloween! How cool is it that my weekly newsletter comes out on Halloween! I have always loved Halloween. I love costumes, candy, trick-or-treating - everything except bobbing for apples. I always thought that was gross. The modern traditions around Halloween are all rooted deeply in the past. Halloween is exactly halfway between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice. Celebrated by ancient Celts and modern Pagans as Samhain (pronounced sow-en) this is also a somber holiday. Halloween/Samhain is thought to be the day when the veil that separates the world of the living from the world of the dead is at its thinnest, allowing those who have passed on to return to our world for one night. The scary costumes were originally meant to make the returning dead feel welcome, and to keep them for recognizing anyone upon whom they might seek revenge. Leaving sweets for the returning dead was an appeasement to keep them from playing a trick on those still alive. Jack-o-lanterns were originally carved into turnips, and served both as simply lighting, and a way to scare the returning deck and protect the households of the living. In these early rituals we see an interesting relationship between the living and the returning dead. The living welcomed the dead, but also feared them. Today, those that celebrate October 31 as a spiritual holiday will do so in meditation, remembering their ancestors and deceased loved ones, and hoping for some communication and guidance from them. Halloween/Samhain is also seen as the final celebration of harvest, and the Witches New Year - a time to give thanks and a time to start anew with a clean slate. However you celebrate this day, I wish you a great one!   Stormy Weather My family and I are sending love and light to all our friends and relatives along Sandy's path. We wish you safety, strength, shelter and quick recovery during this difficult time. But How Do You Do That Over the Phone (or Skype)? Over the years I have developed a huge clientele for telephone and Skype readings. In fact, that is the majority of the work I do. Still, sometimes people ask the question "How does that work? Don't you need to be near me to read my energy?" The answer clearly is no.  While it is always nice to be able to sit down with someone, it is not necessary for my process. Every reader has their own skills and gifts. Some readers absolutely do require to be in the presence of their client, or to touch an object belonging to the client. For me, geographic distance is of no concern. I can target in on your energy from anywhere in the world - it all feels the same to me. I can even read your hand over Skype if you like! I first discovered my ability to do readings at a distance when I became a radio psychic. I would take calls and give readings on the air, never seeing the callers or knowing where they were. From there I discovered I was able to do the same thing on television. When I read, I pay attention to what I sense, energetically. I pay attention to what I hear from your spirit guides. I pay attention to what I see in the cards. I pay attention to the visions I am given. Many times, when people go to see a reader, they are advised by friends to say nothing to the reader, so as not to give the reader some perceived advantage. This makes me laugh. While I am always happy to hear your questions and concerns, I am always less influenced by what you say than by what I see. That being said, the opportunity to discuss what I see and get your sense of how it feels for you is one I treasure. Part of the process of a reading is for you to see what resonates as truth for you, and decide how you are going to implement that truth in your life. Every reader has a unique way of getting the information you need. For me, physical proximity is simply not a factor. If you would like to try a phone or Skype session with me, give me a call at 561-655-1160. Still Nervous About Trying a Webinar? Denise was too. Finally, she decided to try a premium webinar. Here's what she had to say about it. "First time, better than I thought. I've gotten a better understanding of links between cards/positions/placement in life". Denise had attended many in-person classes. I encouraged her to try a webinar. Finally she did. I know it can be nerve-wracking to try something new on the computer. But WebEx is easy, and the webinars are quite interactive and fun. Many people are surprised by how easy it is, how much fun it is, and how much they learn. So do as Denise did, and try a free or premium webinar. You'll be glad you did!   WebEx webinars are listed on Christiana's Tarot education website TarotByChristiana.org, the Tarot Circle website TarotCircle.org, and on CelebrateSpiritualGrowth.com. Samhain – October 31 By Joanne Matthew © Do you see it? Do you feel it? Can you sense it in the air around you? The veil is thinning---ever thinning. Thinner on Halloween night than any other night of the year. On this night, ghosts and spirits will roam among us. A chance to connect with our loved ones of the past who have departed this living world. Spirits, also, of our pets that protected us, and offered us their unconditional love. We will see them in our dreams. We will hear them in the wind, calling our name. We will feel them brush against us, or touch our cheek. We will catch a glimpse of a shadow and know they are with us. Call it Halloween, call it Samhain, call it Day of the Dead, call it All Souls Day. The name does not matter. What matters is that they are with us always, and offer us this chance, This one time of the year, This best of times to connect their world to ours. The time of the year to celebrate life and love and cherished memories. This is the Pagan New Year celebration. A new beginning, a celebration of our ever-lasting bond with the past. Embrace your ghosts, your spirits, your loved ones, Never forget they loved you, as you loved them. Blessed Samhain, everyone!   Enjoy other poetry and prose by Joanne Matthew and others at Tarot Topics Community Blog. Feel free to submit your writings as well! The Week in Review This week, Christiana wrote about the American political process as she performed A Tarot Reading for America, using her well known "Tarot Dialogue" reading style.  Read about it in her personal blog at TarotTrends.com. Joanne Matthew was busy on her blog in Tarot Topics Community Blog. Her new poem, Samhain, is reprinted in this newsletter. Joanne is also a member of Tarot Translation Group. Read her response to the most recent question about the Death card in Tarot Translation - Week Four. Christiana continued on the political theme with her post on the Dark Forest blog, The Spiritual Imperative for Compromise. UPCOMING EVENTS Special Seasonal Event! Saturday, November 3, 2012 - 7 pm EDT Psychic Gallery with Christiana in Royal Palm Beach This Saturday please don't miss this great event. Those who have attended Christiana’s galleries are always impressed with her accuracy, insight, energy and humor. Each person will have the opportunity to ask questions and receive guidance from Spirit. You will find healing, inspiration and direction from the messages you receive. You may even receive communication from a departed loved one. Don’t miss this opportunity to work with Christiana and receive your message from Spirit! The beginning of November has long been believed to be a time when the veil between the world of the living and the other world is at its thinnest. Let's use this special time to hear the messages of Spirit! For more information and to reserve your seat, visit CelebrateSpiritualGrowth.com. Wednesday, November 7, 2012 - 7:30 pm EST Please join us for the premium webinar Sharing Wisdom - Reading for Others. In this online presentation, Christiana Gaudet will guide you through each step of performing a great reading. She will help you discover your personal style as a reader, and discuss some common pitfalls and ways to avoid them. She will give you insight in how to derive the most specific information possible from each reading. For more information and to register, visit TarotByChristiana.org. Monday, November 12, 2012 6:30 pm EST Join us for the premium webinar An In-Depth Journey into the Major Arcana - The Material World. In this on-line presentation, students will develop an understanding of The Fool, and the first seven cards of The Major Arcana. These cards hold the secrets of career, relationships and personal mastery. Students will learn the astrological, numerological and elemental associations for each card. Students will contemplate the Fool’s Journey through these seven cards, and discuss how the lessons of each card apply to common experiences in modern life. The first seven cards are a map for mastering the material world. Students will learn the invaluable philosophies inherent in these cards. Armed with a complete understanding of each card, students will have an easy time learning ways of interpreting the cards when reading for themselves and others. For more information and to register, visit TarotByChristiana.org. Monday, November 19, 2012 7:00 pm EST Join us for a free tarot webinar The Four Elements and the Major Arcana. This 75 minute webinar will help the tarot student more fully understand the four elements. It will provide a deeper way to comprehend each of the Major Arcana cards. The student will be able to more fully interpret the Major Arcana cards, whether reading for yourself or others. For more information and log-in, visit TarotByChristiana.org. Sunday, November 25, 2012 5:30 pm EST Join us for our monthly Global Tarot Circle. Anyone with an interest in tarot is welcome, from beginner to professional. Together we learn about tarot, practice readings and enjoy fellowship. This is a fun, informal free webinar! Please be a part of it. For log-in information and other details visit the event listing on TarotCircle.org.   Let's Go Blog Hopping! I am a member of two blog hops. What is a blog hop, you may ask? A blog hop is what happens when a group of people who blog on a similar topic agree to write about a specific question all at the same time, and link to each other so that it is easy to read what each person wrote. The Tarot Blog Hop is a rather large group of tarot bloggers. Eight times a year we do the blog hop. One person volunteers to act as a wrangler. The wrangler sets the theme and the exact time for the hop. Each blogger links to the next so a chain is formed. The Tarot Blog Hop is really amazing because of the talent bloggers who participate, and the creativity with which each writer handles the topic. Bog hop posts include personal stories, poetry, tarot spreads, musings on tarot cards and even recipes. Long after each event has passed readers find the hops and follow them through, so each hop remains a wonderful creative internet "book" for all to read. The Tarot Blog Hop this time around went live on October 30th at 5 pm Eastern. You can find my post Bringing Light to the Shadow on my personal blog, Tarot Trends. From there you can follow the links to see what each participant (there are about thirty of us this time) had to say about exploring the shadow self, our Halloween-inspired topic this time around. We will blog together again on the Winter Solstice. If you are a tarot blogger and would like to join us visit the Tarot Blog Hop on Facebook. The second blog hop in which I participate is quite new. It's called Tarot Translation Group and is the brainchild of my editor at Jupiter Gardens Press, the publisher of my first two tarot books. This is a much smaller group and blogs together much more frequently. Almost every week we all address a specific question, whether it is a tarot reading that we need to interpret, or a question about a specific tarot card. We all post our answers on our own blogs, and also on a website called The Jupiter Frequency. This week's question is about the Death card in the Major Arcana of Tarot. Read my response on my personal blog, and then follow the link to see the responses of others on the Jupiter Frequency page. If you are interested in joining Tarot Translation Group, visit our page on Facebook. Reading and writing tarot blogs is fast becoming one of the best ways to learn tarot. Blogging together is a great way of building community, stretching our writing skills and providing the public at large with a great deal of information about our favorite topic!   One Card Weekly Reading Your one-card weekly reading for this week is the Page of Pentacles, or, as it is known in the Halloween Tarot, the Page of Pumpkins. This card reminds you that no matter your age, you can always learn to do something new. It encourages you to master new tasks - even things that you thought you could never do. Especially important are tasks related to health and well-being, your home and your finances. Now is a good time to invest in your own future, and nurture your prosperity.   Tarot by Christiana TarotbyChristiana.com To schedule a reading or for more information call 561-655-1160 Toll free call 866-99TAROT (866-998-2768)