Sacred Moments

Life is busy! There are multiple jobs, school, family obligations, and other commitments. It is difficult to find time for our personal needs.

People tell me they wish they had more time for religious ceremony, spiritual study, and sacred practices. When daily commitments demand our time, these sacred activities often get pushed aside. This leaves us feeling ungrounded and untethered. It can also cause us to feel guilt and shame for abandoning our spiritual and cultural practices.

When I became a mother, I no longer had time to meet my friends for rituals, drumming and chanting, or yoga. I felt this as a profound loss. Then I remembered something my mother had said to me when I was a about six years old. She was talking with me about the importance of regular personal spiritual devotion. To illustrate her point, my mother told me that she prayed when she took out the garbage at night.

My newly formed sense of religious propriety was offended by this. “You talk to God when you take out the garbage?”

My mother believed that God appreciated her busy schedule, and the time she created for her devotion. She explained that her walk to the garbage cans was quiet and solitary. She could see the stars in the night sky. That was enough to turn her thoughts from the mundane to the mystical.

Remembering this childhood lesson eased my transition to my own motherhood. I learned to approach every task as a spiritual ritual.

To this day, I practice spiritual observance in single moments, especially when single moments are all the free time my life offers me. I encourage my busy friends and clients to do the same. A single conscious breath, gratitude for nature around us, a sacred moment of connection is sometimes all our time and energy will allow. These moments are enough for us to recharge, to center, to ground, and to stay in our guidance.

The StaarCorner

Friday, January 19 is Intensive Day at StaarCon. Attendees will be able to choose between intensive sessions in the morning and afternoon. Of course, recordings of whichever sessions you do not attend will be available to you during the AfterGlow.

We are excited to announce that Mary Ellen Collins will teach an intensive Friday afternoon.

Mary Ellen is a West Palm Beach based tarot teacher and reader. She is also a gifted astrologer and practices many types of divination.

Mary Ellen’s intensive is Tarot Plus! Divination Combos. The three sessions of her intensive are Cards and Stars, Cards and Charms, and Cards and Crystals.

In this intensive, you will learn how to combine divination methods with tarot. Whether you are a professional reader, aspiring pro, or simply using divination on your personal journey, these skills will take you to the next level.

Make you plan to join us at StaarCon 2024.

Sacred Moments with Tarot

Some of you know that I am an advocate for longer tarot readings with lots of cards. Sometimes, though, a busy life does not allow us to linger over our cards, ask further questions, or deeply explore the possible meanings of every card combination.

Sometimes a single well-phrased question needs to be enough. Sometimes a single card needs to be enough to answer that question.

If you are not sure how to phrase the right question, you can simply ask “What do I need to know right now?”

What is the best way to interpret a single card in a quick reading?

Often, your first intuitive response to the card you pulled is the most accurate and organic quick reading you can give yourself. However, that first response should not be based on fear or upset.

Make sure you check in with yourself to make sure your interpretation is based on your reading of the card, rather than an emotional response to the image.

It is a good idea to keep a tarot journal and write the date and time and the name of the card you pulled. If you have time, jot down a few of your thoughts about the card. If you do not have time to do this, that is okay. Later, you can come back to your tarot journal and record your thoughts of how the card informed your day, even after the fact.

If you only have a single moment to spend with tarot, you can still make that moment sacred and helpful.

The Week in Review

Members of my YouTube channel enjoyed our members-only livestream last Thursday. Our topic was The Tarot Journey of Self Discovery. We discussed many ways that tarot can help us know ourselves, understand ourselves and heal ourselves.

If you are a member, please check out the replay!

Everyone is welcome to join us tomorrow, Thursday April 20 at 7 pm ET for a class on combining divination tools!

From Around the Web

Do not panic, but Mercury stations retrograde this week. Aliza Kelly at The Cut has some words of wisdom for us about Mercury Retrograde in Taurus.

It is gratifying to see the impact that Rachel Pollack had, not just on the tarot community, but on the world at large. The Washington Post  has published a wonderful story about her life. The New York Times has covered Rachel’s passing with an exciting and detailed narrative about her life and accomplishments.

Check out this article from Entertainment Monthly News about StaarCon presenter and exhibitor Marieke Lexmond. Marieke is the author of a tarot-inspired fiction series called The Madigan Chronicles.

Creation and Divination

How can we be creative in our divination when we have very little free time?

Here is a quick exercise for those who have learned tarot well enough to remember at least one image and title for each of the seventy-eight cards.

You can do this exercise at work, upon rising, at the gym, or anywhere else you might find yourself with only a minute to spare.

Take a moment and breathe. Ask your higher self, subconscious mind, or spirit guides to send you a tarot image for your immediate guidance. As you inhale, let a tarot image come to your mind.

Which card is it? What does it mean to you? Why do you think this image is the one that came to you mind at this moment?

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 16
April 19, 2023

The Body Mind Spirit Link

These days we hear about the connection between body, mind, and spirit everywhere. Our medical doctors, our yoga studios and fitness centers, our self-help gurus, and our spiritual leaders all stress this important philosophy.

The body, the mind, and the spirit do not function independently of one another. The more we can focus our self-care practices and lifestyle choices to integrate the needs of these three aspects of self, the happier and healthier we will be.

At least that is how the theory goes.

But how did this concept begin?

While we may believe this is a crunchy ideology borne of the 1980s New Age movement, this concept is far older.

There is evidence of understanding of the Body, Mind, Spirit link that dates back to early Greek philosophers, and that appears in the languages of many lands.

In Japanese, the word ‘kokoro’ describes the heart energy of a person who has their body, mind, and spirit working in harmony.

Is it true that there is benefit in understanding ourselves as being made up of three important parts, body, mind, and spirit? I think there absolutely is. I think wellbeing involves finding as much balance in life as possible. If we understand the parts that need balancing, finding that balance point becomes much easier.

I also think it is possible to take this sort of thinking to an unhealthy and impractical extreme. For example, we know that creative visualization is an important technique for manifestation and healing. We know that positive thoughts can attract positive things. Yet, we also know that it can be hard to have positive thoughts when we are not feeling well. It is easy to get into a loop of feeling shame for feeling sad for feeling unwell, and then believing that those feelings will block healing. The truth is that a lot of unwell people are sad, angry, depressed, and upset. Many of them heal, nonetheless.

When we consciously explore the link between the body, the mind, and the spirit, we discover power that can lead us to self-understanding, personal healing, and clarity on goals, abilities, and options. We can do this successfully without holding ourselves to greater-than-human impossible standards.

To acknowledge that our physical wellbeing is tied to our mental and spiritual wellbeing does not necessitate perfection of mind and spirit. Acknowledging the connection between the different parts of self allows us new ways to address our healing. At the same time, as imperfect beings on an imperfect planet, we need to remember that whatever we do to bring connection, healing, and understanding is a help. There are some things we cannot bring because grief, pain, and practicalities get in the way. This lack should never be our focus, nor our fear.

The StaarCorner

I am sad to report that this week, after a long illness, StaarCon 2022 headliner Rachel Pollack has left her earthly form. The entire StaarCon community extends their love, appreciation, and condolences to Rachel’s wife Zoe, and to all who will feel the absence of Rachel in their lives.

Rachel Pollack and Mary K. Greer have been the tarot mothers of several generations of modern tarotists. I first met Rachel and Mary at tarot conferences in the 1990s. I was honored to have the privilege of presenting with them at the Masters of Tarot Conference at the Omega Institute in 2021.

It is the opportunity to learn from each other, and to become friends with each other, that makes our conferences so special, and so necessary.

Rachel Pollack was one of a kind. Beyond her accomplishments in the tarot world, she was an award-winning science fiction author, as well as a creator for DC Comics. Her life story reminds us that we tarotists can be multi-talented. Her life story continues to inspire us to work toward inclusion and visibility for our diverse tarot community members.

That there are so many wonderful divination creators, authors, and teachers to share their wisdom at StaarCon 2024 is a testament to the decades-long legacy that Rachel leaves us.

Please make your plan to be a part of the sacred community and join us January 19-21, either in West Palm Beach or online on Accelevents.

Body Mind Spirit Card Spread

My favorite three-card spread is ‘Body Mind Spirit’. You can do this spread with tarot, or with any oracle deck.

The basic premise of this spread is easy. You have one card for Body, one card for Mind, and one card for Spirit.

The spread becomes complex when we consider the question we are asking as we lay out these cards. Is this a general check on wellbeing? Are we asking where we need to turn our attention? Are we asking what we need to know to be better at self-care?

When you perform the Body Mind Spirit spread, take a moment to focus on why you are doing this spread, and what you hope to learn. You might phrase a specific question around your overall wellbeing before you pull the cards.

There are many techniques for pulling the cards for this spread.. You can shuffle and pull the first three cards after your final cut. You can fan the cards out and pick the three that call to you. Or you can divide the deck into three piles and turn over the top card of each pile.

You can designate that the first card or pile is Body, the second is Mind, and the third is Spirit. Or you can hold your left hand over each card or pile to determine which card should be read in which position. The card or pile that has the densest energy is Body. The card or pile that has the most tingly energy is Spirit. The card or pile that has the airiest energy is Mind.

If you use the three-pile method you can also look at the second card of each pile, and the bottom card of each pile, to expand the reading.

Some tarot readers are vocal about eschewing readings that concern health. The Body Mind Spirit spread is very popular, though obviously a spread can touch on health issues. This is one of the reasons that it is important to be clear about your overarching question or intent before performing this reading.

I think there is a difference between dangerously reading about medical issues and helpfully reading about issues of wellbeing.

Divination can be so useful in navigating our journey of self-care and wellbeing. This three-card spread is a great tool for that journey.

The Week in Review

Did you catch our free livestream tarot class last night? Tarot Aces and Pages did a deep dive into eight tarot cards that are often confused with one another. You can watch the replay at any time.

From Around the Web

Here is an article about the life of Rachel Pollack from GamesRadar.com. Although I am sad to think of a world without Rachel’s physical presence in it, I am so gratified to see the number of communities who claim Rachel as one of their own, and who mark her passing with grief and respect.

I love it when local readers are featured in their hometown papers. Here is a recent article from Carmel, Indiana about a professional tarot reader who opened her business in 2021.

MindBodyGreen wants to take you step by step through a basic tarot reading for yourself or a friend. While I do not agree with everything in this article, it does cover a lot. If you are a nervous reader or a curious beginner, you may find this helpful.

Creation and Divination

Here is a creative way to connect mind, body, and spirit with a tarot card.

Find a tarot card which embodies an energy that you feel you need more of in your life, or that illustrates a problem in your life which you are now ready to solve.

Your goal in this exercise is to embrace the energy of the card by becoming the card character.

You can do this simply in meditation by breathing with the card and visualizing yourself within the image.

To get the full benefit of this exercise, you need to embody the tarot character, literally. You must move your body as you imaginee the character would move. If you are Temperance, you might balance on one foot and mix your solution from cup to cup, for example.

If you are the Eight of Swords and are working to become unstuck, you might wiggle your way out of the ties that bind you and remove your blindfold.

If you are the Fool, you might leap into the unknown.

You may choose music appropriate for your card and turn your moving meditation into a full-on dance. Get your tarot friends to dance with you!

The process of bringing your fully physical presence to tarot is profound. This practice will strengthen your understanding of the card. Most importantly, the energy of the card you embody will move within your life to create the change you need.

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 15
April 12, 2023

The Head, the Heart, and Something Else

We often talk about the internal conflict between the head and the heart, or between thinking and feeling.

There are many adages often spoken as advice. That is, things like, “Always follow your heart”. Or “Feel more, think less”.

Sometimes these adages are good advice. In some circumstances, they are the worst advice possible.

Sometimes logic, or what comes from the head, should be our guiding force. Sometimes, we need to follow where our heart leads.

There is a third internal voice, which, when engaged and understood, can help us know when we need act on our logic, and when we need to follow our desires of the heart. That third voice is our intuition.

Very often, people conflate the heart with intuition. That cannot be so, because intuition is not emotion. Intuition is a feeling, but not an emotion. The heart feels feelings, but that doesn’t make the heart the seat of our intuition, or our emotions the keeper of intuition.

Intuition is something different than either thinking or feeling.

Intuition comes from listening to the voice of the universe.

We can feel intuition resonate within our bodies, but it may or may not be in the heart center that we feel it.

One great trick to finding and hearing that third voice is to figure what the truth feels like in your body.

If you can separate out what your logic is telling you, and honestly determine what you are feeling, you are close to finding clarity. Sometimes, the head and the heart won’t be in conflict at all. That alignment feels good when it happens!

We find the guiding voice of our intuition when we breath consciously and listen deeply. We hear that voice when we tell both the heart and the head to be silent for a moment.

The StaarCorner

The countdown to StaarCon 2022 has begun.

StaarCon 2022 will be held January 21 through 23, 2022 as a hybrid conference. That means it will be in-person in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and online on Accelevents. All classes, both live and virtual, will be recorded and available for thirty days after the event.

We will roll out the new website and ticket sales in April. In the meantime, you can sign up for the StaarCon newsletter and keep an eye on our website countdown.

We are very happy to announce that Rachel Pollack has agreed to be a headlining presenter at StaarCon 2022 in Florida.

Rachel Pollack is the author of 46 books of non-fiction and fiction, including two award-winning novels, and a group of books about Tarot cards known around the world.  Her first book, Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom, has been in print continuously for over forty years.  She is also the creator of The Shining Tribe Tarot, and with artist Robert M. Place, The Burning Serpent Oracle and the Raziel Tarot.

We are honored and excited to welcome Rachel to StaarCon!

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

Clarity in Every Tarot Card Live on Zoom

Join us for our next premium Zoom tarot class on Thursday, March 25, 7 pm to 9 pm EST!

Whether you are a new tarot enthusiast, a professional reader, or somewhere in-between, you know the struggle. Sometimes the cards show up in clear and poignant ways. Other times they speak in mysteries and give clues rather than clear direction. Whether reading for yourself or others, this can be a discouraging and frustrating for even the most learned seekers.

In this class you will learn to use keywords, context, and intuition to find the truth presented by the cards. These techniques will help you give an amazing tarot reading each and every time you use your cards.

Class fee is $37.50. Register now.

A Three-card Spread to Sort It All Out

We generally know what the head and the heart are telling us. We don’t always know the value we should place on what they are each saying.

We often don’t as easily know what our intuition is saying.

Here is a three-card spread to help you sort out your internal conflict. You can use any tarot or oracle deck.

Let the first card tell you what you need to know about what your head is saying.

Let the second card tell you what you need to know about what your heart is saying.

Let the third card give you information that helps you hear your intuition in this moment.

The Week in Review

This week I shared a review of the new Electric Lenormand.

Over the next few weeks, I will be making some important changes to my YouTube and Facebook presence.

One the things you will notice first is that I will be moving my four weekly Facebook livestreams from my Facebook business page to my YouTube channel.

If you enjoy the Three-Card Weekly Reading, Tarot Topics Newsletter Recap, the Friday Weekly Wrap-up and the Saturday Psychic Sampler you will be able to find them live on my YouTube channel, instead of on Facebook, beginning next week.

To watch, comment, and ask questions, you will need to have a free YouTube account and be logged in.

Watch my Facebook business account for announcements of upcoming events, including these weekly features.

Make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel, Christiana Gaudet, so you don’t miss a thing.

From Around the Web

Did you see this photographic tarot deck inspired by sleep issues?

I love these tarot exercises from Big Beautiful Breakthrough!

Psychology Today offers insight on resolving inner conflict.

Cards for Your Consideration

I thought about a few tarot cards that relate to our topic. The Two of Swords can speak of the battle between the head and the heart. The High Priestess and the Moon can speak of finding the voice of our intuition.

The card I settled on is the Seven of Cups.

Very often we see this simply as a card of options, and the need to choose something.

Yet, this card goes much deeper than that.

The Seven of Cups can discuss confusion, imagination, anxiety, and fantasy. In this card we may not be clear on what is real, or what we are imagining.

The Seven of Cups asks us to find our center, and to find our truth. We can only do that well by making peace with the head and the heart.  The Seven of Cups can remind us that we need to listen to the inner wisdom of our intuition in order to figure out what is real, and what is best.

Upcoming Events and Tours

Connecticut and Tampa Tours Resume Fall 2021

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 4 Issue 10
March 10, 2021

Tarot by Christiana Newsletter January 11, 2012

New Year, New Newsletter

Happy New Year! 
In honor of 2012 I am beginning a weekly e-newsletter that will be delivered to your inbox and also available on my Tarot Topics Community News website at http://tarottopics.com.

Recent Events

Psychic Gallery at Pearl Rauberts

Although the year has just begun, already wonderful things have been happening.  This past Saturday I was a guest at Pearl Rauberts’ for a New Year Psychic Gallery.  I have performed galleries in venues that range from nightclubs to church sanctuaries, but the sacred space at Pearl’s is always one of my favorites. 

Some of the feedback I’ve received includes this from Kathy:

“This was a FABULOUS experience.  I will go again, and again and again.  Pearl (host) is warm, welcoming and makes sure everyone is comfortable.  Christiana is incredibly gifted, insightful, compassionate, professional and really humorous!  I enjoyed listening to everyone else’s reading as much as mine!”

And from Jo Ann, this:

“Christiana is amazing!  Her readings are insightful and delivered with a smidge of comedy. 2012 has a lot in store for all who attended!  Thank you.”

I feel honored to receive such great reviews from this group of wonderful people, and look forward to returning to Pearl’s soon.

Expanded On-Line Presence

You may know that in 2011 I expanded my on-line presence significantly.  This includes blog sites, and on-line webinars.

I am using Webex, which is an industry standard for webinars.  My webinars divide into three categories.  I have free webinars, which are free tarot classes, presented at least once a month.  I have premium webinars, which are tarot classes available at a small fee.  I also have Global Tarot Circle.  Much like Tarot Circle in Connecticut, Pennsylvania or Florida, Global Tarot Circle is a chance for like-minded people to gather and share readings, fellowship, information and, most importantly, our love of tarot.

I list all Webex classes on my Continuing Education website at http://tarotbychristiana.org, along with classes (both free and premium) that I teach in my West Palm Beach office.

I list Global Tarot Circle at http://tarotcircle.org.  Eventually in-person Tarot Circle events will be listed here as well.

In the meantime, if you are interested in tarot events either on-line or in West Palm Beach, please consider joining Tarot Circle Meetup of the Palm Beaches and Worldwide at http://meetup.tarotcircle.org/.

This Week’s Events

Wednesday, January 11 (today) at 7 pm, I will teach a free tarot class in the second floor conference room of the Harvey Building in West Palm Beach.  The class is the Four Elements and the Minor Arcana, and is appropriate for tarotists of all experience levels.  For more information, visit http://tarotbychristiana.org.

Monday, January 16, Tarot Circle will meet at Unity Church it Jupiter at 550 Bush Road at 7 pm.  For more information, visit http://meetup.tarotcircle.org/.

Next Wednesday, January 18, Global Tarot Circle will meet worldwide via Webex at 7 pm Eastern time.  For more information, and to log in, visit http://tarotcircle.org.

Do not hesitate to call me with questions about any of these events, at 561-655-1160 or 866-99TAROT.

This Week’s Special Read

I am excited to share my review of Rachel Pollack’s new tarot book, Tarot for Magical Times, from U.S. Games.  It will make its debut next month.  Check it out at http://tarottopics.com/content/tarot-book-review-rachel-pollacks-tarot-magickal-times.

Until Next Week

I am available for private readings in person, on the phone or using Skype.  Give me at call at 561-655-1160.

I’ll be back next week with more information.  Until then, have a great week!