Tarot News blog has news and information of interest to the tarot community.
A Message of Love
It's Valentine's Day. That matters to some people and not to others. But love always matters.
A young woman smiles at her smartphone while hearts are surrounding her.
Today is Valentine’s Day. This holiday is fun for many, and not so much for others.
Modern Valentine’s Day has interesting roots. From Catholicism, we have St. Valentine, the patron saint of youth, love, and marriage. One legend says he was a priest who performed secret weddings against the edicts of the authorities. Another says that while imprisoned, he wrote notes of hope to his followers on heart-shaped leaves.
Lupercanalia, a Roman fertility festival celebrated in mid-February, was an early holiday that helped establish Valentine's Day.
However you do or do not celebrate today, there is always room to celebrate love. Love is so much more than romance. That we can love one another feels to me to be the surest proof of the existence of a higher power.
Love is an energy that we can pour into our tasks and our creativity. Love is all around us, even when we are all alone.
Today, speak a message of love to yourself or to someone you care about. Don’t do this because it’s Valentine’s Day, do this because love matters every day.
The StaarCon 2024 AfterGlow. Fairy for 2024 by Ciro Marchetti.
The StaarCorner
Here is the AfterGlow Lounge schedule through February 25.
On Sunday, February 18, at 5 p.m. ET, Join Benebell Wen in the Bell Chimes Lounge for an addendum to her headline presentation.
Join Brenda Elizabeth in the Charmed by Lady Lenormand Lounge for Yoga Nidra for Third Eye Development on Wednesday, February 21, at 8:30 p.m. ET.
On Saturday, February 24, at 6:30 pm ET, join Arwen Lynch-Poe in the Seek Joy with Arwen Lounge for a watch party for her session, Cocktails with Arwen.
Join Benebell Wen in the Bell Chimes Lounge for her office hours on Sunday, February 25, at 5 p.m. ET. Ask questions and chat about whatever you like!
If you don’t have a StaarCon ticket but want access to these sessions, you may still purchase tickets for virtual access.
More lounges are being built, and more events are being scheduled. Watch this newsletter, the Facebook community, and the Accelevents lobby for updates.
Ciro Marchetti, Callie French, Karen Winkel, Jen and Jay Sankey, Michelle and Roger Welch, at StaarCon 2024.
Tarot cards, chocolates, red candles for Valentine's Day.
How Tarot Talks About Love
Many people think that the suit of Cups in tarot, related to the element of Water, contains the cards that offer the most insight into romance. They may also believe that card Six of the Major Arcana, The Lovers, speaks solely of romantic love.
While it is true that those cards can speak of romantic love, they can speak of a myriad of other topics. Perhaps more importantly, every tarot card can offer insight into any aspect of life.
When we look to the cards to gain insight into relationships, we need to remember that each of the seventy-eight cards can offer information about a personality, an event, a thought, a possibility, or a bit of advice.
Very rarely have I seen the cards speak definitively about the happy future of a relationship. Love is a choice that we make every day.
Perhaps the best way to use the cards to guide us in relationships is to ask for better ways to process difficult things that happen, communicate with and support the people we care about, and better ways to identify the people we want to have around us.
Closeup of a hand holding tarot cards next to a candle and yellow roses.
The Week in Review
Join me tomorrow evening, Thursday, February 15, on my YouTube channel at 7 pm ET for a free tarot class. The Tarot Card Combinations Webinar will help you understand how tarot cards work together in a reading.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, here is a post from my blog from 2022 about how to give a helpful tarot love reading.
From Around the Web
Do you pay attention to your dreams? Mary Ellen Collins shared some great insights on the power of dreams and what they might mean.
Women’s Health has an interesting article about using tarot as an alternative to mental health therapy.
This Valentine’s Day self-love tarot spread from Interrobang Tarot hits as well as it did when it was published in 2016.
A crystal grid with rose quartz.
Making Magic
Love magic is a natural and potent force. Virtually every tradition of magic and witchcraft has practices for attracting a lover, making oneself more attractive and confident, and revitalizing stale relationships.
Most modern energy workers agree that love magic should never be manipulative. We should never do energy work to cause a person to do something they would not otherwise do.
One sort of love magic we can all do is self-love magic. That is, the magic that helps us give grace and have confidence. There are many traditional ways to do this, yet we are all doing it on some level.
When we take special care with our dressing and put on special jewelry or make-up, we do that magic. We do that magic when we care for our body, mind, and spirit.
Whenever and however we focus our attention kindly toward ourselves, we surround ourselves with the energy of self-care and self-love. The more conscious we are of this, the stronger that energy will be.
When we include certain natural tools in our routines, the energy becomes stronger still.
For example, rose quartz is widely thought to attract love and open the heart. Rose oil and lavender oil are both good to use and wear for the same purposes.
If you research a bit you will find many ways to encourage love in your life.
Tarot Card Combination Workshop February 15 7pm.
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 and her grandson, Elliot Rankine.
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.
New! Schedule Appointments Online at acuity:scheduling!
Schedule online at https://christiana-gaudet.as.me.
Agent inquiries are welcome.
Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 7 Issue 7
February 14, 2024
Christiana Gaudet Your Tarot Fairy Godmother banner.
Bad Press for No Good Reason
It happens to everyone at some point. Friends, family members, community members, and co-workers can sometimes behave in ways that hurt us. What they do reflects on them. What we do reflects on us.
Two girls laughing and whispering at another girl.
What do you do when people are unfriendly toward you without apparent cause?
This happens to everyone at some point, and it never feels good.
Social media has created new opportunities for friendship and collaboration, but it has also created new platforms for bullies. Perhaps constant online banter has desensitized us to all the ways we might inadvertently cause hurt to others.
People sometimes behave unkindly at work, in families, amongst friend groups, hobby groups, spiritual groups, and creative groups. Sometimes, the behavior is unconscious.
We may take offense when no actual negativity is intended. When that happens, we must be willing to forgive and check ourselves before jumping to conclusions.
Occasionally, we hear from others that someone is talking badly about us. We have proof that people are spreading bad press about us with absolutely no good reason.
I often see this at the tarot table, and I know how much it hurts when it happens. People feel bewildered when someone they like and admire treats them with unexplained disdain. People feel rejected when they make an overture of friendship and are summarily dismissed.
There are myriad reasons this can happen. If someone dislikes us, it may be that we remind them of someone unpleasant in their past, and they aren’t able to differentiate in their minds. It may be that they are jealous or feel intimidated by us.
When people speak badly about us, we worry our reputation will be damaged. Here is what is usually true about that. Suppose we exhibit the behavior for which we are criticized. In that case, the bad press will indeed hurt our reputation because it brings focus and attention to an unfortunate truth we need to correct. If we do not exhibit that behavior, our good reputation will remain intact, but the reputation of those spreading the lousy press might rightfully suffer.
Modern technology makes it possible to create convincing video and audio clips of people saying things they never said and doing things they never did. This increases the damage that unfair bad press can do to a new and dangerous level. This also reminds us to take everything we hear with several grains of salt.
If you know someone is saying untrue bad things about you, you can confront or ignore them. Different situations call for different reactions. The important part is how you process it internally. If the unkind behavior shines a light on something you need to fix, take the cue and fix it, but do not think that the spreaders of unkind gossip are appropriate in their treatment of you. Do not worry about your reputation if the bad press is entirely unwarranted.
Most importantly, do not let someone’s bad behavior make you feel bad about yourself.
The person who has acted meanly may be going through something hard and buckling under the pressure. Sometimes, hurt people hurt people. It is equally possible that the person or people in question are showing you what kind of people they are. That can be disappointing, but it reflects on them, not you.
The callousness of others cannot imperil our sense of self and identity. We must love ourselves enough not to let unfair bad press influence our self-esteem. That is true even when the bad press comes from someone we love or admire.
The StaarCon 2024 AfterGlow. Fairy for 2024 by Ciro Marchetti.
The StaarCorner
The AfterGlow is in full swing, and we are working hard on plans for StaarCon 5.
Here is what you need to know this week.
StaarCon 5 will be on January 24, 26, and 27, 2025. We will announce the hotel, headliners, and some important improvements shortly.
Recordings of StaarCon 2024 presentations are available on Accelevents to ticketholders. Some recordings are being edited for sound quality, so if some don't work well for you, check back in a few weeks.
Missing recordings are being re-recorded and replaced. So, again, if you are missing something, wait a few weeks and check again.
Please let me know if you cannot view a video that your ticket should allow. Usually, there is a quick fix.
If you are having trouble with the Accelevents app, use the URL with Chrome or Safari for better results. The engineers at Accelevents are working on some fixes for the app.
Presenters are announcing new lounges and new events every day.
Here are some upcoming events from Benebell Wen and Lady Lenormand, AKA Brenda Elizabeth.
In the Bell Chimes In Lounge, join our 2024 headliner, Benebell Wen, on Sunday, February 18, and Sunday, February 25, at 5 pm. On the 18th, Benebell will share more information on her headlining topic. On the 25th, Benebell is keeping office hours! Join her for questions and conversation.
In the Charmed by Lady Lenormand Lounge, join Brenda Elizabeth for the following sessions.
Date: February 21, 8:30 PM EST
Yoga Nidra for Third Eye Development
Date: March 13, 7:30 PM EST
Connecting to your Pets on the other side using Tarot, Lenormand, or Oracle cards
Date: March 19, 8:30 PM EST
Yoga Nidra for Deep Sleep and Dreams
It is a good idea to check the feed in each presenter’s lounge because there are often great handouts, links, and other information.
If you are not a member of the StaarCon Community Group on Facebook, please join us there. This private group allows us to get information to everyone quickly.
If you are not a StaarCon ticketholder but want to view recordings of sessions and/or want to attend the lounge sessions, you may still purchase a ticket.
Benebell Wen and T. Susan Chang at StaarCon 2024.
A woman sits by a window and contemplates tarot cards in her hand.
What the Cards Can Tell Us
Many tarot readers cringe (often rightfully) when clients want to know what another person thinks or feels about them. Readers often don’t like to use the cards to get into the heads of people who aren’t present at the tarot table.
Yet, when we are uncomfortable with the way someone is behaving, and they will not tell us what is going on, tarot is a way we can find understanding and comfort. Tarot can also give us advice on how to handle a delicate social situation or how to ensure our reputation remains untarnished.
Tarot can also help us understand the truth of a situation, absent of our own emotional turmoil.
What sort of questions can we ask the cards in situations like this? Questions such as the following can often be helpful.
Why is this person behaving this way?
Is their behavior conscious and intentional?
What other factors might be contributing to this behavior?
Have I done something to warrant or encourage this behavior?
Is there something I need to learn or change in my own behavior?
What should my relationship with this person be going forward?
How much damage can this person do to me?
Should I defend myself in this situation? If so, how?
What is important for me to know here?
How can this situation help me grow?
A woman does a tarot reading at her computer.
The Week in Review
Join us tonight, Wednesday, at 7 pm for Global Tarot Circle on YouTube live. We will share readings and tarot study.
Your February TarotScopes are ready for you on YouTube and TikTok. I’ve pulled three cards for each of the twelve signs.
Watch this new video if you are a member of my YouTube channel. It’s about my favorite ways to celebrate the coming spring.
From Around the Web
The new moon in Aquarius is February 9th. Here is what Yoga Journal says about this powerful time, what it means, and how you can use it.
Benebell Wen wrote a wonderful review, complete with pictures, of StaarCon 2024. I am so pleased to read this account of our fabulous weekend.
StaarCon presenter Teri Salomoni has started sharing videos on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Follow Strega Secrets to learn Teri’s Italian ancestral practices.
Watercolor illustration of a woman about to walk a path to the new moon.
Making Magic
I am excited to unveil the new column series theme for 2024. In this column, you will find magical stories, spells, lore, and observations each week. Whether you spell it ‘magick’ or ‘magic,’ this will be a space to learn and explore ways to work with energy for healing, growth, and positive change.
For our first installment, I want to share a way I like to work with tarot, the moon, and stars. I am not an astrologer, but I know that the new moon in Aquarius on February 9th holds power and opportunity for us.
There are many ways to harness this power. Let me show you something I like to do with tarot. You can add this to your magical practice or use it alone.
Because words, zodiac signs, and heavenly bodies all have tarot associations, it is easy to find the cards we can associate with an astrological occurrence.
For the word ‘new,’ I have chosen the Ace of Cups. You might choose a different card for this position; any of the Aces, the Fool, the Magician, and arguably the Pages can bring the energy of newness. I like the Ace of Cups for this because of its association with love, especially since we are close to Valentine’s Day.
Of course, the Major Arcana Moon card works perfectly for the moon. The Major Arcana card associated with Aquarius is the Star.
On February 9th, I will take the Ace of Cups, the Moon, and the Star and lay them out together. I will contemplate their messages for me individually and as a group. I will then ask each of these cards to share their energy with me.
In many cultures, the new moon is a time to manifest. The sign of Aquarius offers us a focus on friendship, community, altruism, confidence, and creativity. Aquarius is also the sign of technology and innovation.
When we combine these three cards, we see the opportunity to manifest love, growth, and new possibilities.
Can you think of specific things in your life you would like the new moon in Aquarius to bring you? Can you find symbols of those things in these three cards? When you do, ask them to manifest those things in your life.
Tarot Card Combination Workshop February 15 7pm.
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 at the StaarCon 2024 Opening Ceremony.
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.
New! Schedule Appointments Online at acuity:scheduling!
Schedule online at https://christiana-gaudet.as.me.
Agent inquiries are welcome.
Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 7 Issue 6
February 7, 2024
Christiana Gaudet Your Tarot Fairy Godmother banner.
Coming Up for Air
This week we are focused on the element of Air, and the logic, clarity, and perspective Air brings to us.
Beach landscape with dolphins jumping.
The days and weeks after a momentous event can feel surreal as you process all the amazing things that happened within a few short hours. I think a lot of us are feeling that way after StaarCon.
We go through a similar yet much less pleasant experience after a shocking or traumatic event. It can take a while for the pieces of reality to reassemble themselves.
I often think about the expression “coming up for air” to describe those moments of processing something unusual on the way back to normalcy. It turns out that I have been overthinking this idiom, which is generally used to describe a pause, just like the pause a swimmer must take to breathe.
In metaphysics, magic, tarot, and astrology, the element of Air has meaning beyond life-sustaining oxygen. We associate Air with the powers of the mind, such as intelligence, communication, curiosity, and integrity. Interestingly, the Minor Arcana of tarot typically contains brutal imagery to express its connection with the element of Air. That upsetting imagery is appropriate because unkind thoughts and words are painful. We often imprison ourselves with our limited thoughts and beliefs.
Sometimes, it is essential to take a conscious breath and remember what is true or welcome a change of perspective. That moment of conscious breathing may open us to a new belief or a recognition that we have been limiting ourselves.
In times of change, enlightenment, shock, or growth, the element of Air becomes our north star, guiding us toward what is real and appropriate and away from what is false and limited.
The StaarCon 2024 AfterGlow. Fairy for 2024 by Ciro Marchetti.
The StaarCorner
We have so much to share about wonderful things that happened at StaarCon 2024, and the plans we are making for next January. The most important thing right now is to thank everyone who worked to make StaarCon 2024 a success.
The AfterGlow is happening now. John is repairing and editing recordings that aren’t perfect, so check back often for the ones you missed. New lounges are opening daily, with schedules for gatherings, classes, and workshops.
María Alviz Hernando has published her schedule of AfterGlow events. Find her scheduled events in her lounge and below.
February 3rd, 5 PM EST - Introduction to the Oracle Belline
March 2nd, 5 PM EST - Interpretation of Classic Belline Spreads
April 6th, 5 PM EDT - Tableau Reading with the Oracle Belline
May 5th, 5 PM EDT - Court Cards for Dummies
June 1st, 5 PM EDT - Keys to Make Sense of Oracle Cards in Practical Ways
July 6th, 5 PM EDT - Bling with Intent - Enchant Your Jewelry
August 3rd, 5 PM EDT - The Master Method with Tarot - a 36-Card Reading
September 7th, 5 PM EDT - The Story of My Life: How I Became a Full-time Tarot Professional (In Case it Helps)
October 5th, 5 PM EDT - Reviewing Real Life Spreads
November 2nd, 5 PM EDT - Relationship Dynamics in Tarot
December 7th, 5 PM EST - Open Q&A Session
Tarot Fairy Godmother T-shirts at StaarCon 2024.
Tarot cards with a focus on the Six of Swords.
Focus on the Six of Swords
One of my favorite Air cards in the Suit of Swords is the Six of Swords. In the famous Waite depiction, we see a small boat being guided by a standing figure. A child and an adult are huddled together on the boat. We can see that the water ahead is smoother than behind. Six swords stand upright, point down, in the boat.
In the Crowley Harris Thoth tradition, the Six of Swords is the “Lord of Earned Success.” Both traditional depictions of this card indicate success after struggle.
Both traditions offer a clue to how we earn this success after struggle.
In the Crowley deck, Minor Arcana cards have a single keyword printed upon them. The keyword for the Six of Swords is ‘Science.’
In the Waite image, we see that the Swords, representing thought, are held above the water, representing emotion.
Science prizes rational thought above emotional attachment. The word "Science" in the Crowley Six of Swords and the image in the Waite deck work perfectly together. They tell us that we find success by focusing on the gift of Air energy, which allows us to see what is true, logical, and correct.
Opening Ceremony at StaarCon 2024.
The Week in Review
I am very grateful to everyone who helped make StaarCon a success. One of the things that was so much fun was meeting our YouTube channel members in person and being able to put faces to names.
Now that we are back in the Palm City office, we are creating a brand-new broadcast studio. You will find me on my YouTube channel for regular weekly tarot reading live streams, monthly classes, and some special new content.
This coming Sunday, February 4th, join us in person at 4 pm for our Cards and Conversation Tarot Meetup at Panera Bread in Palm City.
From Around the Web
StaarCon presenter Mary Ellen Collins has some thoughts on artificial intelligence to share.
This past October, the Smithsonian Center for Folklife shared this article about Slavic witches reclaiming their native culture and religion.
Those who follow the Waite tradition of tarot claim Major Arcana 8, Strength, as our card of the year. Here is an article from the LA Times about what this means.
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 and Benebell Wen at StaarCon 2024.
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.
New! Schedule Appointments Online at acuity:scheduling!
Schedule online at https://christiana-gaudet.as.me.
Agent inquiries are welcome.
Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 7 Issue 5
January 31, 2024
Christiana Gaudet Your Tarot Fairy Godmother banner.
Thank You for a Great Time!
Let the StaarCon 2024 AfterGlow begin!
The StaarCon Fairy for 2024 by Ciro Marchetti.
We are back from the Hilton Palm Beach Airport Hotel and working to get recordings of sessions fixed and the AfterGlow lounge sessions scheduled and posted.
StaarCon 2024 was a tremendous success. I am particularly grateful to our presenters, especially headliners Benebell Wen and Emilie Muñiz, and those presenters who traveled great distances to be with us, including Karen Winkel, Marion Kirk, Erika Robinson, Nancy Hendrickson, Mark Horn, T. Susan Chang, Jen Sankey, and Maria Alviz Hernando.
We had a fabulous group of attendees who had fun, made friends, and were always willing to help with anything. I am grateful to everyone who got on a plane, train, Uber, car, or the internet to join us.
StaarCon 2024 had a wonderful group of volunteers helping us make the magic happen. I am grateful to everyone who shared their time and talents.
Now, the AfterGlow begins. At the same time, I am making plans for StaarCon 5, our fifth annual conference, which will happen in January 2025. Watch for announcements about that coming soon!
I am back in the office and welcoming clients for readings, so do not hesitate to reach out.
I will return next week with a regular edition of the weekly newsletter. Thank you so much for all of your support.
I. T. John has again chosen a few fun articles I published in previous years in my Community Blog. These topics seemed appropriate for the community-building experience of StaarCon 2024. Enjoy “Five Reasons your Tarot Friends are your Best Friends” posted on February 10, 2014. Next find “Group Readings: The Performance Aspect of Tarot” first posted on February 17, 2019. Finally “Two-Card Tarot Spells” to show you a little tarot magick.
Fun and dancing at StaarCon 2024.
Christiana and friends explore tarot and snacks.
Five Reasons your Tarot Friends are your Best Friends
Originally posted February 10, 2014
Right before a Tarot Circle meeting in West Palm Beach, as we were enjoying snacks and conversation, an almost-late tarot student came running in, looking frazzled. “I love my tarot friends!” She exclaimed. “Because I can tell you I have had a Tower day and you know what I mean.”
It may have been at that moment that I started using the phrase “Your tarot friends are your best friends.” I really believe it to be true. Here are five reasons your tarot friends are your best friends.
1. We speak the same language.
Tarot is a language of archetypes, images and symbols. A few words can express deep concepts and subtle nuances.
2. We cut through crap.
Tarotists can smell BS a mile away. You have to be authentic with your tarot friends; they will know if you’re not.
3. We are creative.
Tarot, by its very nature, attracts artists, poets, musicians, writers and other crafty folk. The opportunities for fun and profit in collaboration are unlimited.
4. We laugh a lot.
Tarot people tend to be witty and clever. It takes a certain mindset to work with tarot. Humor is a big part of that.
5. We share goals.
The tarot community is diverse. We all have different views on religion, politics and art. As tarotists we discover common goals in our desire to develop spiritually and help others.
Sometimes tarot friends are online friends who never meet in person. Sometimes tarot friends gather at conferences and symposia. Sometimes your tarot friends were the friends who signed up for the beginner tarot class with you.
Making tarot friends is one if the many benefits of living a tarot-filled life!
The Magician, the High Priestess, the Sun and the Moon from the Weiser Tarot.
Group Readings: The Performance Aspect of Tarot
Originally posted February 17, 2019
Recently I found a blogpost from Ethony, headmistress of the Tarot Reader’s Academy, suggesting that tarot readers consider avoiding allowing anyone other than the querent in the room during a tarot reading.
She makes some good points in empowering readers to say no to an audience, and to say no to controlling, skeptical or overtalkative friends or family members who can make the reading more difficult, and therefore less valuable to the client.
Ethony also mentions the possibility of psychic leak. That is, moments when the reader can pick up energy from a person in the room who is not the client.
She also allows that there are times when it’s appropriate to welcome groups into the tarot room. As one who has over the years managed to master the psychic leak problem, I enjoy reading for groups.
I’d like to share some circumstances under which group readings have worked for me, and some advices on how to make them work for you.
Before I begin, though, please understand that every reader, and every reading, is unique. Let me echo Ethony here in saying that we all have the right, and responsibility, to say an emphatic no to anything that makes us less able to provide the best experience for our client.
But, if you want to try group readings, here are some of the circumstances in which they work well for me, along with some hints on how you might make them work for you.
First, you need to decide if you might be good at this sort of work. Folks who do performance-style tarot typically have a stage presence, are comfortable with public speaking, and understand and enjoy the performance aspect of tarot.
I was a theater major in college and have done a bit of community theater over the years. Here’s a picture of me playing Miep Geiss in a production of The Diary of Anne Frank way back at the beginning of my pro tarot career. The truth is, I’ve been too busy since then to take on any more roles, but the role of tarot reader is keeping me happy.
Christiana Gaudet appears as Miep Geiss in The Diary of Anne Frank.
Readings Around the Table
I’ve worked many parties of close friends or family groups who want to sit around a table together and hear each other’s readings. I even offer this sort of reading at the conference table in my office.
To make this successful, everyone needs to fit around the table, and pay attention. There can be no side conversations. Readings should be short, usually about fifteen to twenty minutes. Everyone has the opportunity to ask questions for each other, and can comment on the readings, but I keep very firm control on the conversation. I also tell people that this is not a spectator sport. If they are at the table, they are part of the experience, and need to stay present and focused.
Support Team
Much like the parties around the table, this is when a friend brings a friend, or two friends, to witness their reading. Sometimes the friends also plan to have readings, something not. However, after hearing their friends’ reading, they almost always make appointments for themselves.
I have very clear instructions for the supporting friend(s). They are to ask questions that the querent, their friend, may not think to ask. They are to listen, and if something isn’t resonating with their friend but makes sense to them, they should help the friend own their truth.
This invitation does sometimes cause a friend to try to highjack the reading. If you, as reader, keep control of the energy of your table, they won’t get very far when they do.
Couples Readings
Typically, a couples reading is for a romantically-involved couple. Yet, it can also be sisters grappling with a family issue, or bereaved family members getting closure to, and messages from, a deceased loved one.
If you are reading for more than one person having the same issue, it’s easy to read on the issue for both of them. If you are reading for a family group, the mediumship aspect is easier because more people offer more energy to assist in the focus and communication.
A reading for a romantic couple, however, can be tricky.
The times I have refused having someone sit in on a reading have been when I perceive a controlling romantic partner, and that my querent may need to hear some hard things about that partner.
The problem of the abusive or controlling spouse doesn’t crop up often in couples readings, though, because typically abusive partners won’t consider putting themselves in that situation.
Yet, relationship problems can show up in the readings of even the happiest couple. The skill here is to present those problems in a way that offers solutions, normalizes issues and treats those issues with good humor and compassion.
The goal of a couples reading is to foster understanding, not create bad feelings. If you see deeper issues in a couples reading, you are ethically bound to refer them to a good counselor.
Psychic Gallery at Soundings Lounge in Mystic, CT, 2004.
Gallery Readings
I have performed psychic galleries with tarot in nightclubs, churches and living rooms. The key here is to move quickly from reading to reading. Keep readings short and make them entertaining and accessible to everyone.
The energy of a gallery can be very conducive to amazing psychic work.
Very often, the biggest problem with readings that require a performance aspect is that the reader lacks confidence. It takes confidence to command a table, and it takes confidence to command a room.
Sometimes confidence comes with practice, and sometimes it comes with personality.
I do think that we need to sometimes stretch a bit to do our best work. There is a lot of focus on the idea that we readers shouldn’t have to do anything doesn’t make us comfortable. I scoff at this idea. If I didn’t do anything that made me uncomfortable, I would still be in my pajamas right now. Sometimes we must get out of our comfort zone in order to grow and learn to do our best work.
If the performance aspects of tarot don’t resonate for you, or really aren’t in your wheelhouse, just say no to the group readings and gallery sessions. If you are comfortable reading tarot with an audience, know that the practice is valid, helpful and very much appreciated by the clients you serve.
A two tarot card spread next to a crystal ball and tea in a cup.
Two-Card Tarot Spells
Originally posted February 28,2020
I love to think about, write about, teach, and practice tarot magick. Over the past many years, I have become more and more convinced that we can use the cards for manifestation as easily as we can for divination. Very often, we can do both at the same time.
I write about tarot magick on my 78 Magickal Tools blog.
Sometimes the exercise of thinking about which cards to use for a particular need also helps us understand specific cards and card combinations in new ways.
The magickal tarot exercise I want to share with you here is simple, yet profound.
Think of a particular need that you have, or that someone you know has. What two cards would serve that need, when combined together?
Here are three examples.
To break a repetitive pattern in life, the Wheel of Fortune and the Ace of Swords.
To be accepted to a school or education program, The Hierophant and the Page of Swords.
To have a fair outcome in a court of law, Justice and Judgement.
You can use a pair of cards to manifest something, create change, or influence an outcome in a number of ways. You can meditate with the cards. You can do a ceremony with the cards in a central place on your altar. You can make a jar candle with images of the cards on the jar. In all cases, you must visualize your desired outcome in the present tense as a certainty, rather than as a wish.
If you happen to see a pair of cards that you have already used for a magickal purpose appear in a reading, consider that the cards may be speaking of the same or similar situation.
What two-card tarot spells can you think of?
Share them in the comments if you like!
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!
Marion Kirk and Allison Gaudet pose with the twins at StaarCon 2024.
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.
New! Schedule Appointments Online at acuity:scheduling!
Schedule online at https://christiana-gaudet.as.me.
Agent inquiries are welcome.
Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 7 Issue 4
January 24, 2024
Christiana Gaudet Your Tarot Fairy Godmother banner.