Tarot News blog has news and information of interest to the tarot community.
Giving Presence
Sometimes the best present is your presence.
A woman is meditating while wrapping gifts.
There can be a lot of pressure to buy and do this time of year. Shopping, gift-giving, fancy meals, and decorating give the season fun and meaning. Yet, sometimes, we don’t have the time, money, or energy to create impressive holiday experiences for the people around us.
The holidays arrive nonetheless, whether or not we feel ready and able.
A reminder that gives me tremendous comfort each year is a story from my own family. One holiday season, when our kids were in elementary and middle school, we were short on cash. We were unable to buy the usual treasure trove of trendy toys. Instead, we purchased a few highly desired items and filled out the package count with classic games, playing cards, and craft items. We spent the holiday break playing games, eating popcorn, and making crafts.
Unbidden, both kids told us this was their best Christmas ever.
They didn’t miss the fancy toys. They were thrilled that we spent time together as a family instead. Our presence mattered more than presents would have.
This is important to remember at this time of year and always.
We want to help when friends and family members are going through a hard time. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is hold space for their suffering. What does that mean? It means being present for them, seeing and hearing them. It means remembering that they are suffering and giving them grace when that suffering is unpleasant. We hold space by being present and being mindful of the moment.
It is important to remember that we are valued, and our presence makes a difference. Sometimes, we need to be present for ourselves, to cut ourselves slack and give ourselves a break.
This week, when thinking about the presents we will give, let’s also think about how we can be present for others and ourselves. Remember that time is a gift, and meaning can come from a moment as easily as from a lovely light display.
The StaarCon Fairy for 2024 by Ciro Marchetti.
The StaarCorner
We are super excited to welcome María Luisa Salazar back to StaarCon! María Luisa teaches and writes about tarot in both English and Spanish.
She is the author of the book Tarot el Puente Entre las Mentes, in English, Tarot, the Bridge Between Minds.
She offers tarot readings and instruction from her business, Los Misterios del Tarot, in Lima Perú, and produces videos for her YouTube channel.
María Luisa will be joining us in person in West Palm Beach.
At StaarCon 2024, María Luisa will teach a practical class on the tarot readings we do about love and romance.
StaarCon presenter María Luisa Salazar.
Seasonal decorations and tarot cards.
Finding Presents with Tarot
As much as it is important to be present for the people we care about, we will also likely be buying or making them some presents.
Finding the right gift for a special person can be a challenge. Why not let tarot help? This can be a fabulous exercise to help you stretch the way you understand the cards. And it might give you a great gift idea!
Think of the person you want to give a gift to and ask the cards for a gift idea. Pull one card and interpret it in this context. Have fun and be imaginative!
Here are some examples.
The Eight of Wands might suggest that your gift recipient is a speed demon – perhaps the right gift is a new bike, running shoes, or a ticket to NASCAR.
The Page of Swords might suggest your recipient is a writer. They may like a unique journal or a nice pen.
Temperance might suggest you buy a gift for someone who likes to cook.
The World might tell you that your friend would enjoy gardening supplies or a plant.
The possibilities are endless.
Close-up of a woman pulling a tarot card.
The Week in Review
Join me on my YouTube channel tonight for a free tarot class about reversed cards. The link will take you to the live class at 7 pm ET, or to the replay after.
TarotScopes for December will be available on my YouTube channel and TikTok this week.
If you are nearby, join us for our monthly tarot meetup this Sunday at 4 pm at Panera Bread in Palm City.
From Around the Web
Every month, The Tarot Lady, Theresa Reed, gives us her Hit List. Every December, that includes her holiday gift list for the tarot lover in your life.
Those who celebrate Christmas know that Advent is beginning. Here is a lovely tarot spread for Advent from Angelorum.
Did you know that some of our favorite StaarCon exhibitors are on Etsy? Find gifts for your loved ones, including unique holiday ornaments, from The Giant’s Forge.
Close-up of tarot cards with a focus on Two of Swords.
Creation and Divination
When I think about being present and holding space, I often consider the Swords cards in the Minor Arcana of tarot.
The Swords cards are associated with the element of Air. In Western metaphysics, we see the element of Air as related to the powers of the mind. This suit teaches us to cultivate inner qualities like equanimity, conscience, self-awareness, and inner peace.
The Two of Swords has the word ‘peace’ as a keyword. This often confuses tarot students, who think of the Two of Swords simply as a card of decision-making. One of the important things I see in this card is the tension between the voice of the head and the voice of the heart.
Here is a poem I wrote about the Two of Swords.
The Two of Swords
Peace is a balance kept
In balance and
Not without risk.
The heart knows, but wants anyway.
It should not make these decisions.
Sometimes, the heart speaks,
But should not be heard.
Once unheard, the heart may resort
to screaming, and then fall
silent.
In that silence,
There is peace.
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!
Krysten Barnes, Christiana Gaudet, Mercedes Vasquez, Melissa Grosso at StaarCon 2023.
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 48
November 29, 2023
Christiana Gaudet Your Tarot Fairy Godmother banner.
Personal Evolution
If we don't evolve, we don't grow. Yet, letting go of old ways and beliefs can be hard. This week, we talk about why and what to do.
Concept illustration of a woman's face in shades of blue and pink.
I’ve noticed the subtle effect of Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour on our collective thought process. The Eras Tour celebrates the many musical and stylistic phases that Taylor has had in her career. In other words, her eras of creation.
This has many of us thinking about our own eras.
Some of those marks on the personal timeline are obvious. We begin new eras when we graduate, marry, have kids, and achieve career goals. Yet, there are other less easily defined eras of life. We are constantly evolving, changing, healing, and growing.
At the tarot table, people sometimes express confusion that things they used to enjoy don’t hold their attention or that they are now inexplicably enjoying foods, music, or activities that never interested them.
A sudden lack of interest and enjoyment in life can be a symptom of medical issues and should be mentioned to your doctor. However, a change in preferences, a desire for something new, or even a difference in your worldview should not be cause for alarm.
We can always enjoy a new personal era and evolve from who we are into who we want to be next.
The key to this evolution and exploration is true self-knowledge, understanding, and a willingness to be flexible. Those born under the fixed signs of the Zodiac might struggle with this a bit!
We live in a world that offers a variety of experiences and opportunities. We have brains that allow us to shift our focus and perspective quickly. When we allow ourselves to evolve, we stretch beyond what we know and who we are toward something new.
There can be a lot of resistance to personal growth. I remember in high school, one of the things we would write in each other’s yearbooks was “Never change!” The many life changes we knew we faced ahead seemed scary.
When we disagree with an old friend, the words “You’ve changed!” are often shouted as an accusation. We receive a lot of messaging that suggests that changing is terrible. Yet, change happens regardless. Why not embrace and direct our life changes?
The people in our lives who genuinely don’t want us to change are likely people we have already outgrown. Our next step in evolution may come from choice or something fate hands us.
There is something about the concept of evolution that suggests not only change but change for the better. When we evolve, we refine and improve.
The StaarCon Fairy for 2024 by Ciro Marchetti.
The StaarCorner
StaarCon is January 19-21. We will meet at the Hilton Palm Beach Airport Hotel and online on Accelevents Events Management Platform.
After the three-day conference, the StaarCon AfterGlow begins on Accelevents. For the next year, each ticketholder will have access to recordings of the classes and presentations they enjoyed and the ones they missed since classes often run concurrently.
The online expo stays open throughout the year-long AfterGlow. During the AfterGlow, there will be special classes, presentations, and events in the Accelevents Lounges that all ticketholders can access.
Ticket prices range from $20 to $500, depending on the number of days you want to attend. A virtual General Admission ticket gives admission to a few presentations and to all the lounge events in the AfterGlow.
Whether you attend in person or online, StaarCon 2024 will jumpstart your new year and give you an opportunity for growth, friendship, and connection in 2024. We are looking forward to seeing you there!
Sheilaa Hite presenting at StaarCon 2023.
An older woman meditates in a sacred place.
Spiritual Evolution for Diviners
Are your spiritual beliefs the same as they used to be? Have your ideas about divination, magick, manifestation, and other spiritual practices changed? Mine sure have!
Some people have very dogmatic mindsets. Those sorts of people are uncomfortable examining and amending their beliefs. They suggest that our understanding of spirituality changes because we are weak in our faith. They teach that doctrine cannot be questioned.
If our relationship with spirit and spiritual practice does not change over time, we are doing it wrong. I think that doctrine that can’t be questioned isn’t worth learning.
We each have a special relationship with our divination tools and methods. Yet, sometimes, we change our tools and try new techniques. Occasionally, we will step away from our practices for a time. All of this is well and good.
I notice that many students and diviners feel guilt and shame when their passion for their practice changes or their time to devote to their studies dwindles. Such change is healthy. If our practices are valid for us, those practices will always be available to us.
Our understandings and beliefs will evolve, and our skills will grow. There is no need to feel distressed because we are ready to change our beliefs or practices.
Young women at a slumber party read tarot.
The Week in Review
We had so much fun at our Members-only Livestream on Sunday evening. If you are a member and missed it, you can watch the replay.
I added a new ‘Answers to Your Questions About Tarot’ video to my YouTube channel. I also shared an unboxing of Ciro Marchetti’s new Voice and Vision Tarot a few weeks ago. I am excited that I am one of the many contributing authors of this project.
From Around the Web
I was so pleased to see this article about the legacy of the late great Rachel Pollack on Extra.
Taylor Swift was an inspiration for this week’s newsletter topic. She was also an inspiration for the Taylor Tarot!
My Wandering Fool has a tarot spread that offers guidance for change. Give it a try when you are going through changes, either by choice or by fate.
A young woman holds a tarot card and a notebook.
Creation and Divination
What are the eras in your life? What eras would you hope to have in the future?
There are some periods of life that we remember fondly and others that leave us traumatized. There are times that we might wish we could return to. There are goals for the future that we fear we will not achieve. How can we use creation and divination to help us understand, process, and enjoy the evolution of life’s journey?
A fun exercise is to consider your life and list your different eras. You can do this in a few ways. There is, of course, the obvious timeline. But we also have eras of hobbies, friends, fashion, and creativity. How would you define and name the eras of your life so far?
When you have that figured out, ask yourself this? Which tarot card most closely matches the energy of each era?
Now, what sort of evolution are you hoping for next? What are your goals for personal growth, accomplishment, and experience? For this next part, you can do some tarot magic! Write down a few of your goals. Find the tarot cards that match those goals and sit with those images, visualizing your next evolution. Let those tarot images help make that new era a reality for you!
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!
Christiana Gaudet writing at her laptop.
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 46
November 15, 2023
Christiana Gaudet Your Tarot Fairy Godmother banner.
Doing Our Work
We are always healing. But do we always have to be working on ourselves?
Concept illustration of a woman meditating.
When I was a child, being told to do my work meant completing homework or household tasks.
As an adult, I learned that ‘doing our work’ can be an expression that describes deep spiritual work, personal growth, emotional healing, accountability, and self-reflection. Recent trends in popular psychology and spirituality have encouraged all of us to understand trauma, acknowledge our shadow, and learn about attachment theory.
While mental health resources remain in very short supply, we are removing the stigma associated with mental health issues and their treatment. Yet, we who are focused on personal healing must navigate a few interesting dichotomies.
When I first became a professional tarot reader, one of the most important ethical considerations I learned was that a good professional reader will refer clients to the appropriate professionals. I still teach and practice this. Yet, I notice a subtle shift in my practice and the practices of those around me.
These days, when I am working with someone whom I believe would benefit from psychotherapy or psychiatry, I make the referral as usual. However, some caveats have come from experience. Promising a client will have access to the right medical professional at the right time feels like gaslighting. Doctors are in demand, medicines can have devastating side effects, and finding the right therapist can be daunting. Beyond that, the financial cost can be prohibitive.
This means that my referrals include strategies for getting and managing help in a broken system.
At the same time, modern psychology and alternative spirituality have offered us a lot of tools that laypeople can use for self-care. These include journals for shadow work, books that teach us to have boundaries and self-reflection, and video content and classes that help us understand relationships with self and others. These tools will be unhelpful and perhaps harmful to those who have severe mental illness. For those of us who want to be happier, kinder, and better at conducting our lives, these tools can significantly help us as we do our work.
We can use tarot to help us with our work. As a professional reader, I notice that some people want a reading to tell them what might happen. This can undoubtedly be a helpful pursuit, albeit limited. Others want to work with me and the cards to find solutions, answers, and strategies. They want to use tarot reading to help them do their work.
The only downside I see to a social culture where we all do our work and want others to do their work is that it is hard to know when the work is done. We are always healing. The healing journey is like peeling an onion. It happens in layers, and it can make us cry. We always need to acknowledge the journey and the work. Yet, sometimes, we need to stop working and start playing. Sometimes, we need to celebrate how far we have come and how much better we are than we were.
So often, part of our work is learning that we are enough and that we are okay. Yet, another part of the work is being able to be self-reflective, accountable, and willing to grow. There can be moments when those two aspects rub up against each other in a way that makes us feel that we will never be healed enough. When that happens, it is time to find the balance between work and play. Our personal growth and well-being are improved when we do our work. We are also improved when we allow ourselves to relax, enjoy, and have fun, and celebrate the journey.
The StaarCon Fairy for 2024 by Ciro Marchetti.
The StaarCorner
I first met Mark Horn at Omega Institute when I was there to present at the Masters of Tarot Conference. I already owned his book, Tarot & The Gates of Light: A Kabbalistic Path to Liberation. I remain in awe of Mark for writing this fantastic book and for who he is.
As soon as I met him, I knew I wanted him to present at StaarCon. I was so happy that he joined us for StaarCon 2023.
I am thrilled to announce that, at StaarCon 2024, Mark will present “Kabbalistic Tarot: The Five Worlds Reading”.
In the Jewish mystical tradition of Kabbalah, it is taught that the universe was created in 5 stages, or worlds. And that because Creation is an ongoing event, not only do we always have access to these different worlds—it’s our responsibility to participate in this ongoing Creation. These different worlds correspond to the Kabbalistic Tree of Life and the teaching that everyone's soul has five levels—and of course, they also correspond to tarot’s four suits of the Minor Arcana plus the Major Arcana.
In this class, students will learn the Kabbalistic teachings on the five worlds and how these teachings can be used with this tarot spread for fast yet in-depth divination. This spread is designed to answer a question on multiple levels, from an action’s impact in the physical world to all the way up to how it affects your connection to the Divine.
I cannot wait to learn this simple-yet-deep tarot technique.
Get your tickets for StaarCon now!
Taken at Omega Institute, Shaheen Miro, Christiana Gaudet, Mark Horn, Mary K,. Greer.
A tarot spread on a table.
The Work and Play of Healing and Growth
So many tarot spreads designed for self-reflection and personal growth have positions describing something to release or something to stop doing. These spread positions, or tarot questions, can give us great insight.
Yet, I question the assumption that there must always be something we need to release or something we need to stop doing. At some moments, it is healthy to feel fine enough and pleased with how far we have come.
This is a tarot spread for healing and growth that I have designed to help us find our balance in the life-long journey that healing is.
Arrange the cards in any pattern that feels right.
Let Card One show you something about your healing journey so far.
Let Card Two show you something you are working on or need to work on soon.
Let Card Three discuss a personal, professional, or creative goal you feel ready to pursue.
Let Card Four discuss current self-care practices and needs.
Let Card Five discuss your current ability to cultivate fun and joy.
Let Card Six discuss your current availability for personal growth and healing work.
Tarot cards from the Major Arcana.
The Week in Review
Have you seen your TarotScopes for November yet? I used Ciro Marchetti’s brand-new Voice and Vision Tarot to read three cards for each of the twelve signs.
Tomorrow, Thursday, join us for a free class on YouTube about the mundane meanings of Major Arcana cards. The class goes live at 7 pm ET.
I hope that all members of my YouTube channel will join us on Sunday at 5 pm ET for a Members-only livestream.
From Around the Web
I was thrilled to find this article about the Hermit card on the Joseph Campbell Foundation website.
As we in the United States prepare for Thanksgiving, here is a tarot spread for aligning with gratitude from Emerald Lotus.
The Hermit’s Mirror has a wise article and tarot spread about shadow work.
A young woman in her kitchen with her tarot cards.
Creation and Divination
Creativity is an integral part of who we are as humans. We often think of creative people only as our artists and musicians because we forget that creativity expresses itself in many forms.
Discovering and exploring our creative nature is part of our work of personal growth and healing.
Tarot offers many opportunities for creativity, above and beyond the storytelling aspect of a good tarot reading. A tarot image can inspire a song, a dance, a poem, or a story. We can create tarot images with collage, digital art, or photography if we don’t have the skill to draw. We can cut up old tarot decks and place the tarot characters in new scenarios.
A great way to stretch our tarot divination skills and our creativity is to find stories within groups of tarot cards. This simple exercise can help you do that. Draw two or three cards and list all the meanings, stories, and possibilities you could find within this small set of cards. Then, consider how many of these things might be pertinent to you!
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!
Christiana Gaudet in her broadcast studio.
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 45
November 8, 2023
Christiana Gaudet Your Tarot Fairy Godmother banner.
The Thought Loop
We all experience nagging worries and repetitive thoughts that can be hurtful. This week we discuss ways to change that.
Concept illustration of a woman with swirling thoughts.
In psychology and psychiatry, looping thoughts can often be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). As one who has conducted countless tarot readings over decades, I believe that many of us, with and without actual diagnoses, struggle with thought loops.
A thought loop can be a fear or worry that nags at us. A thought loop can be a belief or set of ideas that keeps us stuck in an unhealthy behavior. Thought loops can cause us to make decisions not in our best interest.
Spiritual people are not immune to the discomfort that thought loops can bring. Spiritual people can often fall prey to repetitive fears and limiting thoughts that grow out of an interpretation or misinterpretation of doctrine or ideology.
This creates an interesting dichotomy for people like me. Tarot readers and spiritual advisors are often the first to recognize and help correct these thought loops. Yet, we are at risk of our own thinking errors.
The truth is, no matter how intelligent, healthy, spiritual, or well-adjusted a person might be, we all have the potential to hold fast to ideas that are not true and do not serve us. Sometimes, those thoughts take hold and create an entire personal belief structure based on unhelpful or untrue premises.
Sometimes, it takes a trained therapist, a specific modality like EMDR, or medication to help us recover from thought loops and thinking errors. Sometimes, self-awareness and reflection are enough to make the correction.
As spiritual people, we make room in our thinking for the power of that which we cannot see and do not understand. This expansive thinking can empower us when our thoughts bring us toward our healing, our goals, and our joy. As soon as our thoughts lock us into a tight loop from which there is no apparent escape, we must have the presence of mind to find a way to break free and open to new possibilities.
The StaarCon Fairy for 2024 by Ciro Marchetti.
The StaarCorner
We are very excited to welcome Stephanie Cecchini as a presenter at StaarCon 2024. If Stephanie looks familiar to you, that is because you likely know her as Grace Calas, her earlier nom du plume.
Stephanie has created some amazing things in the world of tarot, including the Lightworker’s Tarot Deck and CompetentSee, LCC, an online community for lightworkers.
At StaarCon 2024, Stephanie will share a helpful perspective on AI for tarot readers. She will teach us ways to use AI ethically to enhance our productivity.
Stephanie’s will be one of two presentations on tarot and AI at StaarCon 2024.
Make your plan to join Stephanie at StaarCon 2024!
A photograph of StaarCon presenter Stephanie Cecchini.
A young man performs a tarot spread.
Shifting Thoughts with Tarot
Can we use tarot to identify and shift out of a thought loop? I think we can if the root cause is not psychiatric or if appropriate psychological care is underway. Along with proper medical care, tarot can aid in the healing process. The problem we need to watch out for is that if we cannot think critically, we might use tarot to confirm our thinking errors rather than dispel them.
If you are dealing with intrusive thoughts, repetitive worries, or a personal narrative that is not serving you and you feel ready to use tarot to help, try this tarot process.
First, get a handle on your thoughts. Make a written list of the thing or things that you are telling yourself or that your brain is telling you.
Now, look at each statement on the list. What you will do is, one at a time, let tarot ring in on each of your thoughts. You can do this in several ways, depending on the nature of the thought and how you prefer to work with the cards.
You may ask tarot, what is true about this thought? You may ask where the thought came from and how it has served you. You may pull cards to find a new narrative to shift into. You may ask the cards how a particular thought hurts you.
The process will continue until you have worked through each of the thoughts. This is an excellent process to do with a journal so that you can go back later, read through your progress, ask more questions, and pull more cards as needed.
Illustration of women reading tarot at a kitchen table.
The Week in Review
We had the most students yet for my class at Mandel Library in West Palm Beach last Saturday. Thanks for coming out. I am excited to begin a second year teaching there quarterly.
Tonight, join us on YouTube for Global Tarot Circle. This Sunday, join us in person at Panera Bread for our monthly meetup if you happen to be nearby.
It’s a new month, so look for your November TarotScopes on my YouTube channel and on TikTok.
From Around the Web
Refinery 29 has your horoscopes for November 2023.
One of the best sources of good tarot historical information is Tarot Heritage, a website run by Sherryl E. Smith. Check out her most recent article on Tarot de Marseille.
As we enter November, we prepare for the eleventh day of the eleventh month. This day is considered sacred by many. Here is a special tarot spread to perform as we approach the day known as the 11/11 Stargate.
Tarot cards with a focus on the Tower.
Creation and Divination
One of the most challenging and devastating cards in tarot is Major Arcana 16, the Tower. Yet, the Tower is an important lesson and often a necessary occurrence.
We can associate the Tower with the process of breaking a thought loop and adopting a new narrative or a new way of understanding our situation.
You can meditate with the Tower to help you find the courage and inspiration to change your thoughts or your belief system.
Here is a poem I wrote about the Tower. If you have poetry or short prose that you would like to share in the column, please email me.
The Tower
Yielding only to flame and destiny, and rendered into dust
The Tower crumbles and begins to fall.
The fullness of its destruction is inevitable.
Torn, falling, brick by brick, and wall by wall.
Is this a metaphor for some internal shadow journey?
Or a dark harbinger of doom, or worse?
Dread curls around your spine and laughs as you relinquish hope
Abandoned, injured, the weight of flesh a curse.
Pray you learned well the Fool's lesson; to leap, with faith, in good time.
Flawed foundations rock; ominous, frightening
Welcome the collapse, raining droplets of Spirit and dirt.
No fear in the storm; raging, releasing, enlightening.
Solid stone stands no more, yet burned and broken flesh is strangely
crawling, quivering, shaking, quite alive.
Ashes swept away reveal new ground, new hope, something shining.
The victory is simply to survive.
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The Meaning and Magic of Tarot Reversals
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About Christiana Gaudet
Card and Craft, Inc.
Southeastern Tarot Artists and Readers, LLC.
Christiana Gaudet
3559 SW Corporate Parkway
Palm City, Florida 34990-8152
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Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 6 Issue 44
November 1, 2023
Christiana Gaudet Your Tarot Fairy Godmother banner.