Persevere, Don't Perseverate!
Concept illustration of a woman meditating with many things on her mind.
If you know me at all, you know that I love words. I love to learn new words, I love to say funny-sounding words, and I love to find connections between words.
This week, I was thinking about two words: persevere and perseverate. They sound similar and have similar meanings. Yet, one is a good thing to do, and the other is not so much.
Of course, I had to look up the etymology. I was correct in thinking these two words shared a Latin root, ‘perseverare,’ meaning to continue steadfastly. Both our English words can be defined in the same way. When we persevere, we are tenacious and willing to stick something out for a purpose, even when it is difficult. When we perseverate, however, we think, do, or say something repeatedly when there is no longer reason to do so.
Perseverance can have great rewards. Perseveration, at its worst, can be a symptom of brain injury or other medical concerns. Yet, even those in good health can sometimes perseverate on things. We might get stuck with a worry and be unable to stop thinking or talking about it.
When we persevere, we commit to hanging in there and moving toward our goals, even in difficult times. When we persevere, those difficulties become overwhelming to the point that we can think of nothing else.
If we can focus on our tenacity rather than overthinking the terrible things that could happen, we will more easily and with greater accomplishment get through a difficult time.
The StaarCon 5 Imagining of Pixie Arcana. Art and composition by Stacey Williams-Ng, backgrounds by Animix.
The StaarCorner
This week, we have two offerings in the Accelevents lounge open to all StaarCon 5 ticketholders.
Tonight, Wednesday, April 9, at 8 pm ET, it’s time for our monthly session, Tarot Vibes: A Full Moon Prep Journey with Asia Taylor. Get ready for a sound bath, some cards, and some fellowship.
Thursday, April 10, at 5:30 pm ET, join Serena Fox for her monthly offering, Mystic Lounging. During this time between the equinox and Beltane, join Serena in creating spreads and doing readings that reflect the seasonal themes of renewal and rebirth.
Remember that you can see upcoming lounge events on the StaarCon website.
Mercedes Vasquez and Lainie Love Dalby in the Marketplace, StaarCon 5.
Close-up of a tarot reading with many cards.
When is a Tarot Reading Concluded?
If you are reading for another person, either personally or professionally, how do you know when to end the reading?
Likewise, suppose you are reading for yourself to try to quell anxious perseveration. How can you keep that anxiety from leaking into the process and causing you to question the veracity of your reading?
When anxiety is present at the tarot table, the reading can sometimes continue long past usefulness. Yet, we often turn to the cards when we need reassurance.
When reading for others, there is often a time limit. Our job is to get our clients as much information as possible in that available time. Anxious clients may ask numerous questions and struggle to focus on hearing and comprehending the answers. We serve our clients well when we can calm their energy and help them hear the answers that support them.
When we read for ourselves, we have to do the same thing. We must be able to calm ourselves enough for the reading to be helpful.
When anxiety prods us to get a reading or read for ourselves, the anxiety very often screams questions about the thing that is bothering us. However, the answers we need likely will not come from those screaming anxious questions.
Sometimes, the first question we must ask is, “What can be done to feel better quickly?”
Very often, the anxious question is unanswerable, which is why it creates so much upset. We need to be able to address the issues where we have control rather than seek solace from a pretty picture prediction that has no basis in reality.
Yet, we want that comfort of hearing that everything will be okay. Sometimes, overthinking makes us believe something is indeed a problem when it is not. In these cases, the cards can quickly bring comfort and reassurance.
But what can we do when our worries are becoming reality? Sometimes, the cards confirm our worst fears. Then, we must be able to ask the questions and find the answers that bring comfort.
The reading is concluded when we are able to find that comfort. The comforting thought may be a shifted perspective or a new focus.
Tarot can sometimes make uncanny predictions, which gives it its reputation as a powerful fortunetelling device. But usually, the reading is not concluded the moment we know that everything will be okay, or the moment we have an unfortunate view of the future. The reading is concluded when we have an action plan that can help us move forward with more hope and less worry, no matter the circumstances or the predictions.
Reversed Tarot Cards Tarot Webinar Live on YouTube - April 10th @ 7 pm.
The Week in Review
Tomorrow evening, Thursday, at 7 pm ET, please join me on my YouTube channel or watch the multistream on Facebook, Twitch, or Instagram. I will be presenting a free tarot class on reversed cards. Wherever you are in your tarot journey, this class will help you discover more ways to understand tarot cards. The link will take you to the replay if you can’t make it live.
From Around the Web
Psychic fraud is a real thing, and many people use tarot cards to rip people off. A good professional tarot reading can help you greatly, and a fraudster can make your life difficult. Here is a story about a scam reader caught in Florida recently.
I was happy to see this article about the tarot history exhibit in Smithsonian Magazine.
Inner Goddess Tarot has a tarot spread to navigate anxious days. This can help when we cannot stop ourselves from overthinking.
Illustration of a community clean-up project.
Communities
Great friendships can come from difficult times. The people who are there for us when we need them most are valuable in good times and bad. This is true when we go through personal hardship and when communities face hardship.
We first moved to Florida just after Hurricane Wilma. The community we moved into showed no signs of the destruction they had endured, except one. They had a palpable closeness. They shared stories and laughter as they talked about how they survived for a few weeks without electricity and how the power returned just in time to hold their annual Halloween dance.
It is often said that one good thing about going through a hard time is finding out who your true friends are. When we can persevere together and help others in their struggle to persevere, we gain courage, perspective, and a special type of camaraderie with those who came through it with us.
Unseen hands leafing through a calendar.
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
Christiana Gaudet at StaarCon 2023 with Frank Kwiatkowski and Dame Darcy.
About Christiana Gaudet
Card and Craft, Inc.
Southeastern Tarot Artists and Readers, LLC.
Christiana Gaudet
770 SE Indian Street
Stuart, Florida 34997-5604
Locations in Port Saint Lucie, West Palm Beach, and Stuart, Florida!
Email cgaudet@cardandcraft.com
On the web www.christianagaudet.com
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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)
For business or agent inquiries, call 772-301-0232
For appointments, call or text 561-655-1160
Schedule Appointments, Mentoring Sessions, or Purchase Gift Certificates Online!
Schedule your private reading or mentorship session, or purchase gift certificates at https://christiana-gaudet.as.me.
Agent inquiries are welcome.
Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 8 Issue 15
April 9, 2025
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