This Thursday is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year and the shortest night in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, Thursday is the winter solstice, the longest night and the shortest day.

Each year, we observe two equinoxes and two solstices. These days mark the beginning of a new season.

I have always found it ironic that the last day of increasing daylight marks the first day of summer, and the last day of increasing nighttime marks the first day of winter. Throughout the year, the sun, moon, and seasons engage in a constant dance that expresses the balance inherent in nature. Our observation of the changing seasons reminds us of the importance of balance in our daily lives.

We hear a lot about the importance of balance. We need internal balance to maintain our mental health and a balanced diet to maintain our overall wellness.

 We must maintain a balance between our professional and personal lives. We must find the balance between what we want and what is possible.

Balance is also a spiritual concept. Many ancient spiritual symbols have balance as their core meaning. But what does balance mean from a spiritual perspective?

When we consider our happiness, integrity, ability to achieve our goals, and ability to maintain our well-being, balance will somehow appear as the key.

We cultivate our internal balance when we take the time to consider another perspective to something unpleasant or even to a deeply held belief.

We practice balance when we allow ourselves the grace of rest, even when we have important deadlines to meet.

The expression “As above, so below” teaches us something about balance. This important spiritual concept appears in pre-Christian texts and the Bible. There are many ways to interpret this phrase, and each offers insight into the constant balancing act that all life is. For example, this phrase helps us explore the balance between the mundane and the magical. We may pray or set intentions for something we want, but our results will not be good if we don’t do the mundane work as well.

Practicing balance leads us to compassion but also keeps us from losing ourselves in the despair of those around us.

My favorite yoga postures teach balance. For example, when holding postures like standing bow pulling or standing head to knee, every part of the body is engaged and active, yet we appear motionless. From practicing these postures, I have gained an understanding of the spiritual nature of balance.  

When striving for balance, we are engaged in the practice of balance. The moment we believe we have achieved balance, we are in danger of losing it. That’s why I say that balance is a verb. We can never expect to fully balance our lives perfectly. But if we are working toward that balance, we are doing what we need to do.

The StaarCorner

StaarCon 2024 AfterGlow

Mark your calendars for a couple of lounge events in early July.

On Saturday, July 6, at 5 pm EDT, Join María Alviz Hernando in The Sybil’s Tarot Lounge for a fun magical class called Bling with Intent - Enchant Your Jewelry.

On Saturday, July 13, join Katrina Wynne in her lounge at 2 pm EDT for her quarterly catch-up.

StaarCon 5

We are grateful and happy to welcome Mitchell Osborn back to StaarCon 5. Mitchell has been a part of StaarCon since the beginning and is a beloved tarot and divination community member.

At StaarCon 5, Mitchell will teach us ways to create tarot spreads. This will be a great class for beginning and experienced readers alike.

We look forward to seeing you at StaarCon 5. Take advantage of the Early Bird special to get your tickets now!

Finding Balance in Tarot

We learn that balance is important in spirituality and mundane life because so many tarot cards have balance as a core concept.

Of course, all of the Twos can speak of balance. In the Waite Smith deck, the pillars in the High Priestess, Card Two of the Major Arcana, are referenced in many Major Arcana cards, carrying that concept of balance throughout the Major Arcana. Justice, Major Arcana 11, speaks of balance, as does Strength, Card Eight.

Here is an interesting exercise to help you learn what tarot teaches us about balance and learn more about the cards that reference balance in tarot.

Go through your deck, card by card. Find all the cards that you feel speak about balance. Now, go through those cards and decide what sort of balance is portrayed in each card and what you can learn from each card about practicing balance in your life.

The Week in Review

Join us on my YouTube channel tomorrow evening at 7 pm ET to celebrate the solstice.

I will teach my free quarterly tarot class at the Mandel Public Library in West Palm Beach on Saturday. The class begins at 12 pm. Please join us!

From Around the Web

In honor of Pride Month, from the Memphis Flyer, here are some recommendations for inclusive tarot decks.

Have you ever used tarot or astrology to help you with your investments? Fortune.com has an interesting article about young people doing this successfully.

From AP news, good news out of Virginia. It’s about time that archaic laws against divination be repealed!

Making Magic

The solstice offers an opportunity for us to do some seasonal magic.

The concept of seasonal magic is simple. Whatever the earth is doing, we want to do as well.

On the longest day of the year, we might do magic to shine a light on something. That could mean beginning an advertising campaign to grow your business. It might mean setting an intention that the truth will be made apparent. It might mean a special divination session to discover important information.

On the other hand, we might lean into the energy of the summer solstice by saying goodbye to the sun and focusing on the impending darkness. We would use this energy if there were something in our lives that we wanted to diminish or hide from public view.

The changing seasons always offer us energy that we can use to make changes in our lives.

Upcoming Events

Weekly YouTube Events

Monday 9:30 am: Your 3-Card Weekly Reading

Thursday Noon: Tarot Topics Newsletter Recap

Friday Noon: Your Friday Weekly Wrap-up

Saturday 12:30 pm: Saturday Psychic Sampler

Card and Craft Academy

Classes presented by Christiana are available right now at Card and Craft Academy!

Christiana’s Candle Magick
Christiana’s Eleven-Card Celtic Cross
Finding Meaning in the Minor Arcana
The Major Arcana, Magical and Mundane
Practical Tarot Techniques
Psychic Tarot
Personal Tarot: Reading for Yourself
Sharing Wisdom: Reading for Others
The Meaning and Magic of Tarot Reversals
Journey Through the Major Arcana
Your Journey Through the Minor Arcana: Numbers, Elements and Truth
Tarot Beyond the Veil
Your Journey Through the Tarot Court
Tarot Stories, Trends, and Blends
Tarot Readings for Personalities and Relationships
Clarity in Every Tarot Card
Tarot Flow Workshop
Making Magick with Tarot
Fearless Wisdom Tarot Workshop
Tarot Keywords and Interpretations Workshop
Tarot Spreads Tools and Techniques Workshop
Tarot for Magic and Mediumship
Tarot Communication for Clarity and Depth
Weaving the Tarot Reading Story
The Elemental Major Arcana
Minor Arcana Numbers, Elements, and Truth
Personal Healing with Tarot
Create and Interpret Custom Tarot Spreads
What the Court Cards Want You to Know
How Spirit Speaks Through Tarot

Catch up on your missed Zoom webinars and more!

cardandcraftacademy.com

About Christiana Gaudet

Card and Craft, Inc.
Southeastern Tarot Artists and Readers, LLC.

Christiana Gaudet

3559 SW Corporate Parkway
Palm City, Florida 34990-8152

Email cgaudet@cardandcraft.com
On the web www.christianagaudet.com
Online classes www.cardandcraftacademy.com
StaarCon information www.staarcon.com

YouTube @YourTarotFairyGodmother
Instagram @christianatarot @staarcon
TikTok @christianagaudettarot

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 are 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 Appointments Online

Schedule online at https://christiana-gaudet.as.me.

Agent inquiries are welcome.

Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 7 Issue 25
June 19, 2024