It’s important to be self-aware. It is good to set goals and work to meet them. It is good to strive to be the best version of ourselves we can be each day.

Yet, so often I find myself working with people at the tarot table who are sure that they just aren’t measuring up, aren’t doing enough, and aren’t good enough.

Why do I procrastinate so much?

Why am I so bad?

Why aren’t I doing what I am supposed to be doing?

When I hear questions like these or suspect that someone’s internal dialogue is peppered with these sorts of thoughts, my first step is not to try to read on those questions.

My first step, instead, is to try to ascertain whether my client’s beliefs about themselves and their behaviors is accurate. Sometimes it is. Most times, it’s not.

Very often, our perception of ourselves and our behaviors is much more negative than it should be. Many of us have harsh inner critics. The irony is that the inner criticism is often the exact thing that is keeping us from achieving our goals.

How can we defeat the inner critic?

Make an agreement with yourself that you will not speak to or about yourself in any way that you would not speak to or about a friend. Offer yourself the same grace you would offer any of your friends.

Be gentle with yourself.

My grandmother had a great trick that helped her in this department. Instead of making a to-do this in the morning, she would make a list in the evening of everything she had accomplished that day. That way she felt proud of what she did do, rather than regretful about what she didn’t do. The end result was that she got more done.

The energy we spend beating ourselves up about what we haven’t accomplished is often the primary reason we don’t have energy to accomplish what we set out to do.

Sometimes, too, we are held back by fear. That can be both fear of success and fear of failure.

Often that fear is increased by our own self-criticism.

Sometimes it helps just to give ourselves permission to indulge in the things we perceive as time-wasting activities. Perhaps we need some down time. Perhaps leaning into those mindless activities will lead us to the place where we can ultimately be truly creative and productive.

No one works best when they are shamed and ridiculed. We don’t like it when others do this to us. Let’s stop doing it to ourselves.

The StaarCorner

We are excited to announce that Fast Horse will be presenting at StaarCon. Some of you were lucky enough to have a reading with Fast Horse when he traveled from Pennsylvania to Palm City to volunteer to give readings at our Holiday Open House.

Fast Horse has read Tarot Cards for clients all over the world, at fairs, expos, and corporate affairs across the United States. At a very young age, Fast Horse was drawn to study and practice the Oglala Lakota culture and has spent time on the Pine Ridge Reservation where he received his spirit name of Fast Horse. He still honors and practices these traditions.

Fast Horse’s gifts of insight have been with him from an early age when we realized he could see auras and spirit guides. He uses tarot cards as a tool to help people find peace in their lives.

For more information about StaarCon, visit our website!

Let Tarot be a Loving Mirror

Here is a next-level tarot skill. Do not start a reading with questions that make negative assumptions.

For example, don’t begin a reading with a question such as, “Why does my boss hate me?”

This assumes that something negative is true. Instead, do a reading on your relationship with your boss and how you can make it better.

You can use this same technique in creating questions for tarot readings that help you to understand yourself in a gentle, loving, nurturing way. Don’t ask, “Why can’t I lose weight?” Instead ask about your relationship with food, and about things you can do to improve your well-being.

Don’t ask, “Why am I such a procrastinator?” Instead, ask what you can do to facilitate your own productivity.

If you are truly interested in finding out more about your flaws, you can use tarot to help you understand them. Again, don’t ask, “Why I am so sensitive?” Instead, ask, “What is true about my sensitivities?”

When we approach the cards with these kinds of questions, we allow tarot to give us messages that are healing and helpful.

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 the Tarot Meetup on YouTube live this week?
This upcoming Saturday is the Summer Solstice. You can celebrate with me by taking the free tarot class on YouTube Live at 10:30 am EDT.

Saturday evening at 5 pm I will be live in the Global Tarot Circle group on Facebook to celebrate the changing season.

I am usually live on my Facebook business page, Christiana Gaudet, at least four times a week. You can watch the videos in archive there, or on my YouTube channel.

You can ready this week’s blogpost about the tarot Aces on my website.

From Around the Web

Nancy Hendrickson of Sage and Shadow is now blogging on Medium.com! I especially loved this piece about the Queen of Cups. We are looking forward to Nancy’s presentation at StaarCon.

Inner Goddess Tarot has a tarot spread for the Summer Solstice!

Eva Yaa Asantewaa is a beloved member of the tarot community, and a lifelong professional dancer and dance instructor. Here is a recent interview with her, in honor of Pride Month.

Cards for Your Consideration

When we think about self-love, self-acceptance and positive self-talk, there are many cards that come to mind. Arguably the whole of tarot is a tool for positive personal growth.

This week I would like to consider the Star in this context.

Traditional keywords for the Star include ‘hope’ and ‘wishes granted’. Yet, there are deeper meanings to be had in this card.

In the Waite-Smith Star we see the Aquarian Water-Bearer. The Star is associated with the sign of Aquarius. Aquarius, and therefore the Star, are associated with the element of Air.

What the Water-Bearer is pouring is not water, it is the healing light of heaven.

The Star gives us permission to avail ourselves of that healing.

The Star encourages a certain sort of personal indulgence. Sometimes, of course, this can go too far, and the Star can become a diva.

Yet, in the context of offering yourself some grace, the Star serves to remind us to be kind and gentle with ourselves. The Star asks us to experience abundant and unlimited fulfillment.

Upcoming Events and Tours

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 3 Issue 25
June 17, 2020