An Instrument of Peace

The prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi begins by asking to be made an instrument of peace.

I heard these words so often as I was growing up. Yet, I never considered their power, or their true meaning. Now, more than ever, I feel that it would be a good thing to be a bringer of peace, or an agent of peace. As a tarot reader I try to bring peace to others. As I writer I try to inspire peace in others.

But what is an ‘instrument of peace’?

It turns out that the word ‘instrument’ has many definitions. I chose the first three from Dictionary.com.

An instrument is a mechanical tool or implement, especially one used for delicate or precision work.

An instrument is a contrivance or apparatus for producing musical sounds.

An instrument is a means by which something is done; agency.

The second definition, a musical instrument, translates easily for me. In this context, to be an instrument of peace means I need to communicate in a peaceful way. I need to share thoughts and information that inspire peace.

The first definition is harder. How can I be a tool for peace? That feels more spiritual, as if I need to allow myself to be used by spirit to help create peace in others, and in the world.

The third definition, to be the means that creates peace, is even harder to figure. How can a person be a means for peace?

This is a challenge that becomes a bit of an oxymoron. I believe that to be a means for peace we must sometimes point out injustice and speak about painful things. We need to be an agency for the change that brings peace. Yet, that necessary process can be anything but peaceful.

We all want inner peace.

We all want to be at peace with those we love.

We all want to live in a peaceful environment.

We all want peace on earth.

Can we achieve these things by, like Saint Francis, asking to become an instrument of peace?

I think so.

I think the more each of us focuses on being that instrument, the more peace we will bring to the world.

As we see from the exploration of what an instrument really is, we can become instruments of peace by channeling a peaceful spirit, by communicating in peaceful ways, and by working to create the changes that brings peace.

Before we can do this in the world, we must be able to do this within ourselves. We do this by speaking gently with ourselves. Yet, at the same time, we must be willing to call out our flaws and work to fix our mistakes.

And, we must allow a higher power to work through us.

At a time when the world feels anything but peaceful, may we all find peace within, and work to create peace in the world.

Peace is created by communication. Peace is created though spirit. Peace is created by working to inspire positive change.

The StaarCorner

An annual tarot conference in Florida is something many of us have wanted for a long time. We are excited to meet that need with StaarCon, the Southeastern Tarot Artists and Readers Conference.

The first of these annual events is scheduled to happen in January 2021, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

One of our goals is to include many aspects of divination and mysticism, as well as a rich program of tarot knowledge and inspiration. We also plan to include workshops appropriate for people of all levels of study and experience, from curious beginners to trained professionals.

For more information about StaarCon, visit our StaarCon website.

StaarCon Presenter Beverly Frable
Divination

Instrument of Peace Tarot Spread

Using the three definitions of the word ‘instrument’, I have created a three-card tarot spread to help each of us become an instrument of peace.

You can choose as your focus the idea of bringing peace to yourself or bringing peace to the world.

You might even do this spread twice; once for your own inner peace and then to see how you can help bring peace to the world.

Card One: How can I communicate in a more peaceful way?

Card Two: How can I let spirit work through me to create peace?

Card Three: How can I work to create the changes that will bring peace?

Psychic Tarot: Live Webinar on Zoom

Join us on Tuesday, June 30, 7 pm to 9 pm EDT for an exciting and unique tarot webinar live on Zoom.

We all know that a great tarot reading is more than a series of card interpretations. In this class you will learn ways to access wisdom and intuition to bring your tarot readings to life.

Students will experience a series of psychic development exercises, and learn some of the many ways to bring intuition into a tarot reading.

Tarot students of all levels of experience, from beginner to adept, will find this class helpful and informative.

Class fee is $37.50. Register now!

The Week in Review

Did you catch Global Tarot Circle last week? Did you have a chance to catch my new feature on Facebook Live, The Saturday Psychic Sampler?

You can find them both in archive on my Facebook business page and my YouTube channel.

My blogpost this week is The Major Arcana in Action. I tried an exercise of letting each Major Arcana card offer a call to action.

From Around the Web

This week I want to share the websites of some of my favorite tarot readers of color. As we work to build a more just society, it is important that we support one another, and lift one another up.

V., at RedLight Readings, was a fellow speaker at the World Divination Association Virtual Conference, and will be a speaker at StaarCon.

Denour Lacoste is a good friend, a talented reader, and a strong intuitive. She just beginning her career as a professional reader.

Ashley Oppon of Sankofa Healing Sanctuary is a well-known tarotist who offers readings and shamanic healing.

Cards for Your Consideration

I often see Major Arcana Two, the High Priestess, as a card of peace. Yet, there is another card, also a two, that has ‘peace’ as a keyword.

While we often see the Two of Swords as a card of decision-making, the Two of Swords is also the card of peace.

When we think of being an instrument of peace, the Two of Swords offers some insights.

To be an instrument of peace we must be patient, even as storms rage around us.

To be an instrument of peace we must look within, rather than being influenced by what we see around us.

To be an instrument of peace we must reign in our emotions, just as the figure in the Two of Swords crosses off her heart.

To be an instrument of peace we must balance different thoughts and views against one another, and hold space for those differences.

Events and Tours

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 24
June 10, 2020

Be The Light

It’s a new month, and, in many parts of the world, a time when the weather becomes its most lovely.

At this time of year, there is more daylight, and more opportunity to enjoy nature.

Yet, in many places around the globe, the world may be feeling a bit darker, for a variety of reasons.

This past Sunday Christians around the world celebrated Pentecost. Pentecost is the arrival of the Holy Spirit, which is that spark of divinity that resides within each of us.

Regardless of our religion, spiritual beliefs or traditions, most of us recognize that, within our very human selves, is a spark of divine light.

When we say ‘Namaste’ to one another, we are acknowledging that divine light within ourselves and others.

It can be hard to see that spark of divinity in people we find unlikable. It can be hard to find that divinity within ourselves. Yet, we must remember that spirit resides within each of us. That spirit is always accessible if we look for it.

Sometimes the best way to do this is to realize that we are each a light in the world. With something as simple as a smile, a kind word, a courageous action, a prayer, a shared bit of creativity, or an act of service, we make our light known to others.

When we see the light within ourselves, we understand our power to heal, our ability to grow, and our inherent value.

When we see the light within others, we are able to work for their well-being, as well as our own.

We see our own divine light most easily when we put that light into action, when we focus on being a light in the world, in small ways, or large ways. When we think and act in ways that allow us to be the light in the world, that light grows as we inspire others do the same.

The StaarCorner

We are happy to welcome John Hijatt to our list of StaarCon presenters.

John Hijatt is an inclusive practitioner of Northern Germanic paganism. He has been a part of the Druid and Heathen communities since 2006, currently serves on the board of The Troth (an international inclusive Heathen organization of which he has served as the acting president), and facilitates his local Heathen kindred.  

In 2016, he started the Gifts of the Wyrd podcast with topics and interviews about inclusive Heathenry. He has worked with runes since 2009 and teaches workshops about their meanings, divination, and magickal use.

He has had articles published in journals printed by Ar nDraiocht Fein and The Troth as well as The Cartomancer magazine. He is currently working on a writing project for using runes in magickal practice. 

As you know, it is our mission to offer a wide range of topics at our conference. John’s skills and experiences will be a wonderful addition to our roster.

Learn more about StaarCon on our StaarCon website.

StaarCon Presenter John Hijatt
Druid and Heathen Practitioner, Podcaster & Teacher

Two Cards to Shine

Here is a simple two-card spread to help you find your inner light and shine it for the world.

Focus on your inner divinity and pull two cards.

Let the first card give you information about how you can better see, understand, and connect with your own inner light.

Let the second card reveal how you can better show this light to the world right now.

Check Out My June Events

A new month brings a new list of fun and interesting ways for us to study together, connect, and share knowledge and energy with each other.

You can see the full list of my June events on my website’s Events Page.

I am excited that I will be doing a Zoom presentation about tarot for the Land O’ Lakes Public Library this month.

Of course, I hope you join us for our monthly Global Tarot Circle tonight.

You will also see that I am offering three free live workshops on my YouTube channel.

At the end of the month I will be teaching an exciting class about tarot and psychic development on Zoom.

Please sign up for the events that interest you. I will look forward to seeing you there. If you have any questions or suggestions, please call me at 561-655-1160.

The Week in Review

This week I shared a blogpost about when you shouldn’t trust your intuition.

Please join us on my Facebook business page tonight for Global Tarot Circle. Remember that I do at least three live broadcasts here every week, and they are all archived on my YouTube channel.

From Around the Web

Janet Meredith is hosting a virtual retreat this month, complete with yoga, meditation, recipes, gardening, ballet, and even a psychic gallery with me! There is a discount if you sign up before June 10!

Here is a great article from a tarot reader about doing readings during the pandemic.

Theresa Reed’s monthly horoscopes are fun and helpful. Here is what she sees for you for the month of June!

Cards for Your Consideration

When we talk about our internal divine light, and our ability to let that light shine, I very often consider the Sun, or the Ace of Wands.

However, in the Waite-Smith Ace of Cups we see the dove descending into the cup as a symbol of the Pentecost. In this image we see a symbol and depiction of the Holy Spirt entering our hearts.

We can see the Ace of Cups as a symbol of our heart chakra, our open heart and our healed heart. It is interesting to note that the Ace of Cups is also a symbol the Holy Grail, the womb of Mary Magdalene.

Very often in a reading we interpret the Ace of Cups as a new love interest, or a new love in our lives. I have seen this card announce a pregnancy, a kitten, and a new love relationship.

Yet, on a more spiritual level, this card can also speak to unconditional love, and spiritual love.

As we look at the symbolism of this particular depiction, we might infer that spiritual love is synonymous with the spark of divinity within us all.

Events and Tours

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 23
June 3, 2020

Gratitudes and Complaints

My daughter said a very wise thing to me the other day.

“It’s okay to complain about something you are grateful for.”

She’s right.

I think it is very important to express gratitude, and to hold gratitude in our hearts. I believe that the more grateful we are, the more blessings we will manifest.

Yet, sometimes things become irritating. Even the very things for which we are most grateful in our lives can cause us stress and give us reason to complain.

No one likes a chronic complainer. It’s never good to be the person who always sees the cup as half empty.

It seems, though, that we need to be emotionally balanced. It can be a good practice to acknowledge both our joys and our stresses, and to laugh at the number of times those joys and stresses are generated from the same source.

It can be a good metric as well, to keep track of the joys and stresses. A situation that regularly brings more stress than joy might be catalyst for change.

In our prayers and meditations, we are right to bring our gratitudes and our complaints to Spirit. The more we acknowledge the things for which we are grateful, the more we are able to build on those things and nurture those things. The more we can clearly state our complaints, the more we can focus energy on making positive changes.

When I was young, I used to believe that if someone complained about something, it automatically meant that the source of the complaint was disliked or unappreciated. Clearly, my daughter is wiser than I was. She knows that there is always a balance. Just because we express frustration doesn’t mean we aren’t truly grateful.

The StaarCorner

We are happy to welcome Nancy Hendrickson to our roster of speakers for StaarCon!

Nancy is a San Diego-based Tarot author and distance healing practitioner. Her book, Ancestral Tarot (Red Wheel/Weiser) will be released Spring 2021, drawing on her decades of working with those who have passed over.

You might have read Nancy’s articles in one of our favorite magazines, The Cartomancer.

Make plans now to join Nancy, and the rest of us, at StaarCon!

StaarCon Presenter Nancy Hendrickson
Tarot Author & Healer

Gratitudes and Complaints Tarot Spread

Here is a tarot spread to help you sort out your joys and stresses. You can arrange the cards in any shape you prefer.

Let the first card offer thoughts, support or ideas about something that is a complaint for you right now.

Let the second card help you see the reasons you have gratitude for this person, thing, or situation.

Let the third card show you ways to mitigate the problems that are caused here.

Let the fourth card offer ways to maximize the positive aspects of the situation.

World Divination Association Virtual Conference

I am very excited to announce that I will be presenting at the World Divination Association Virtual Conference to be held this weekend on Facebook Live.

This unique conference is being organized by Toni Puhle, who has also agreed to be a speaker at StaarCon.

The line-up of speakers over the two-day virtual conference is impressive, and includes other StaarCon speakers such as Mary K. Greer and Mitchell Osborn. We will be joined by luminaries around the world.

The cost to attend the virtual conference is under $40. All speaker videos will be available to watch for a week after the conference so you can catch up on those you weren’t able to watch live.

You can sign up, and learn more, on the World Divination Association website.

The Week in Review

This week I shared a post on my personal blog that relates, in part, to our newsletter topic. Read “It’s Okay to Feel What You Feel”.

Each week I do at least three live broadcasts on my Facebook Business Page. Visit me there and hit ‘Like’ so you can be notified when I go live there next. You can also see the archived videos of my past broadcasts there, and on my YouTube channel.

From Around the Web

Benebell Wen will be a headlining speaker at StaarCon. Watch her latest YouTube video, which is a spirited discussion on the ins and outs of intuitive tarot.

One of the greatest tarot voices of our day belongs to Theresa Reed, The Tarot Lady. Check out her “Hateful to Grateful Tarot Spread.”

Here is a tarot spread from Phoenix Lotus to help you deal with difficult people.

Cards for Your Consideration

The Five of Cups can suggest a mood or situation that is sad, grievous or disappointing. When we see this card in a reading, we know that something has not gone well. It may be time to hold space for grief, or to offer comfort.

The three cups that have spilled represent something that has been lost. Yet, we also need to focus on the two cups that remain standing.

Sometimes this card cajoles us to stop crying over spilled milk and make the best of our situation.

I think this card can be a very good illustration of a situation where we might have some complaints, but also something for which to be grateful.

Events and Tours

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 22
May 27, 2020

When the Hard Way is the Right Way

I have a friend who teaches yoga. One of her oft-used expressions is ‘the hard way is the right way’. Sometimes I agree with this, sometimes I don’t.

I think there are times when we make things harder than they need to be. We do this by overthinking. We tell ourselves narratives about our lives that cast us as the villain of our own life story.

Yet, she definitely has a point, especially when it comes to physical exercise, like yoga or strength training. The best form and the correct postures are usually much harder than the positions we resort to that end up cheating us out of the full benefit of the exercise. This is a good analogy for something that happens in life.

Sometimes the path to a worthy goal is treacherous and difficult.

When we are working to achieve a goal and discover that the path is hard, it is a comfort to know that the hard way is indeed the right way. Persevering through difficulty can lead to success.

This is counter a great deal of spiritual thinking which suggests that if your path is correct you will walk it with ease. Often, nothing is further from the truth.

Something I find myself saying to people who are working to live a life less ordinary and achieve tremendous goals is this. If it were easy, everyone would do it.

Sometimes there will be synchronicities and things that fall into place as we venture on a new path which we interpret as our angels being on our side, or the wind being at our back. We might rightly see this as proof that the Universe supports what we are doing, we are living our purpose, and on the right track.

Many times, though, the opposite does not hold true. Sometimes the Universe will put up stumbling blocks for us to solve along the way. This might be to strengthen us for the tasks we must face in order to be successful. Perhaps we have to work hard and navigate difficulties to prove to ourselves that we really want this success. Maybe pushing against obstacles will, in the end, help us to meet the lofty goals we have set for ourselves.

Often, even when we face these difficulties, we can still find those synchronicities and signs that help us know the Universe is with us along the difficult path.

When the goal you have set for yourself seems out of reach because of the twisty path you will have to traverse to get there, you might need to look at things a different way.

Perhaps the path is hard because the hard way is the right way.

The StaarCorner

Next week I will begin announcing some great new presenters and vendors for StaarCon. If you are interested in becoming a presenter or vendor, please send me an email.

StaarCon will focus on divination in all its forms. We will have presentations appropriate for people at all points on the journey, from beginner to adept.

To discover more about our plans for StaarCon, visit our website!

Jaymi Elford
Tarot Reader, Deck Creator, Author & Podcaster

Tarot for When the Path is Hard

When the path we have laid out for our success becomes difficult, we often wonder if we are indeed on the right path, or if there is something we can do to make the path easier.

Tarot is the perfect tool to help us answer these questions.

Often a conversation with the cards, or a tarot dialogue, is the right way to get a clear picture about the feasibility of your project, and the way forward.

Here are some examples of the questions you can ask about your path, your purpose and your plans.

What does my ultimate success on this path look like?

What can I do to more easily achieve my goals?

What is the meaning of the difficulties I am facing?

What is something I need to know about the goal I have chosen?

How can I know that this is the right path for me?

Join us Tomorrow for a Tarot Class on Zoom

Tomorrow, Thursday May 21, at 7 pm EDT, I am teaching Practical Tarot Techniques on Zoom.

If you would like to learn techniques for card interpretation, and techniques for performing a successful tarot reading, this is a great class for you.

Class fee is $37.50. You can register any time prior to the beginning of class. The class description and registration details are available on the event listing on my website.

The Week in Review

This week I was excited to present a number of events on Facebook Live and YouTube Live, including two free classes on YouTube, and two tarot meetups, one on Facebook and one on YouTube.

You can watch them all in archive on my YouTube channel.

A fun, funny, and informative thing happened during our Cards and Conversation Tarot Meetup on YouTube Live this week. I wrote about it on my Community Blog.

From Around the Web

I was impressed with the teacher who knitted dolls of her students. It seemed like the kind of thing my mother would have done!

This article in the New Yorker about the literary roots of tarot made my heart sing.

Lisa Boswell has a great method for creating and using a tarot spread to help you achieve your goals.

Cards for Your Consideration

We often see the Ten of Wands as burdens we are carrying unnecessarily.  Yet, sometimes this card can reveal the hard path to a great reward.

The suit of Wands relates to Fire. Fire can be about our motivation, our passions and our creativity. The suit of Wands can depict the story of the artist, the entrepreneur, or the activist. The suit of Wands can tell the story of those who take a difficult path to achieve their dreams.

When we see the character in the Smith-Waite Ten of Wands, we see he is carrying a heavy load all by himself. Yet, he is carrying it as if it were a bunch of balloons.

Off in the distance, we see a town. Perhaps he is carrying his bundle into the town to sell it and create his success.

When we agree to carry something heavy in order to achieve a noble goal, the Ten of Wands may tell us we are on the right path.

Upcoming Events and Tours

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 21
May 20, 2020