Tarot News blog has news and information of interest to the tarot community.
Count Your Fears
Since some fears are real and helpful, and others are false and hurtful, how can we manage our anxieties so that we can be protected but not limited?
A child afraid of the dark.
I have always loved the expression, ‘count your blessings.” I use this as a spiritual directive to enumerate the things in life for which I am grateful. I think the exercise of making lists can be magical and healing as well as practical.
Gratitude is such an important practice. Yet, we must also acknowledge all our feelings, including fear.
In the spiritual community, fear is often met with shame. Someone once told me that fear is “False Evidence Appearing Real.” Certainly, we do sometimes have anxieties about things that don’t exist. Yet, fear is a survival mechanism that keeps us safe. It is important that we avoid real things that can hurt us, and fear helps us do that. We do not need to feel ashamed of our fears.
On the other hand, some people use their fears as a shield to protect them from the rigors of personal growth. I think it is these behaviors that cause well-intentioned spiritual people to suggest that fear is never real or appropriate.
Since some fears are real and helpful, and others are false and hurtful, how can we manage our anxieties so that we can be protected but not limited?
I think the solution is to count your fears. Make a list of all the things that you worry about. Then, go through the list, making decisions about each fear one by one. Is this fear real? What can I do about it?
Scratch off the fears that aren’t about anything real. Then, you are left with actual concerns. Make a plan for how you will deal with each one. If there is no practical solution, prayer and acceptance are reasonable options.
It is impossible and unsafe to live a life that is truly fearless. Yet, if we take the time and energy to understand and manage our fears, we can live life fearlessly and joyfully.
The StaarCon 5 Imagining of Pixie Arcana. Art and composition by Stacey Williams-Ng, backgrounds by Animix.
The StaarCorner
StaarCon 2024 AfterGlow
If you are a StaarCon 2024 ticketholder, mark your calendar for these upcoming lounge events.
On Friday, October 11, at 5 pm, Join María Alviz Hernando in The Sybil’s Tarot Lounge for a session reviewing real tarot reading case studies.
On Thursday, October 17, at 5 pm, join Serena Fox in her new lounge, Mystic Lounging, for a full-moon-inspired session.
On Sunday, October 20, at 5 pm, join me in the Tea with Your Tarot Fairy Godmother Lounge for a session on the best strategies for teaching and learning tarot.
StaarCon 5
Brenda Elizabeth is a member of our local divination community and has been an important member of our StaarCon community since the very beginning. She will present at StaarCon 5 and is also an exhibitor and a sponsor.
StaarCon is different from other divination conferences in many ways. One of those ways is that we have such a strong local community of talented diviners, artists, and creators who help make StaarCon happen.
Brenda has presented at the Witch City Tarot Gathering as well as StaarCon. At StaarCon 5, she will lead us in a Third Eye Yoga Nidra meditation designed to increase intuition and teach a class on using tarot to read your chakras.
We are grateful to Brenda and to all those who work to make StaarCon fabulous. Make your plan now to join us in January!
A photograph of StaarCon presenter Brenda Elizabeth.
A spooky image of a tarot reader.
Fear and Tarot
Tarot generates a lot of needless fear and some legitimate fears.
Some people fear tarot because they believe that tarot is inherently evil. Obviously, nothing could be further from the truth.
Some people fear getting a tarot reading because they don’t want to be scammed. Sadly, that is a legitimate fear because a lot of scam artists use tarot to rip people off. Nicely, it is easy to find and work with tarot readers who have legitimate reputations and community support.
Some people, even tarot readers, fear certain cards in the deck. It is important to know that every card in the deck gives important messages.
Some tarot students fear reading for others because they don’t trust their skills yet. The way around this is to be clear that you are still a student.
Some people fear getting a tarot reading because they think they will hear bad news about their future. Typically, a good tarot reading will be helpful and will offer suggestions to make your future what you want it to be. Yet, it is also true that we will sometimes hear things we don’t want to hear. Healing comes when we are able to discern unpleasant truths, face them, and find solutions.
October Mediumship and Magic Webinar - Livestream on YouTube - October 8th @ 7 pm.
The Week in Review
Join us tonight at 7 pm ET for Global Tarot Circle on YouTube Live.
On Sunday, join us in person at the Palm City Panera Bread at 4 pm for our monthly tarot meetup.
On Tuesday, October 8, join us on YouTube Live at 7 pm ET for a seasonal class, October Mediumship and Magic.
From Around the Web
Thank you, Forbes, for addressing the issue of scammers impersonating tarot readers on social media!
Here is Theresa Reed’s monthly forecast for October.
Incandescent Tarot just published a tarot spread for facing fear.
A woman sitting at a window writing in a notebook on a rough wooden sill.
Making Magic
Making lists and crossing items off them can be a magical act.
When we write something on paper, we make it real. When we write a solution to a problem, we have taken a magical step as well as a practical one.
This is why many magical rituals involve writing things and burning the paper as a way of releasing what we don’t need or attracting what we do.
Listing your fears won’t make them worse. However, making an effort to solve and release them can be a magical exercise with helpful results.
Cards and Conversation Tarot Meetup - Sunday, October 6th @ 4 pm at Panera Bread in Palm City, Florida.
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
Card and Craft Academy will close on October 15th and reopen soon at christianagaudet.com!
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 Teri Salomoni.
About Christiana Gaudet
Card and Craft, Inc.
Southeastern Tarot Artists and Readers, LLC.
Christiana Gaudet
3559 SW Corporate Parkway
Palm City, Florida 34990-8152
Coming soon! Locations in Port Saint Lucie, West Palm Beach, and Stuart, Florida!
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 40
October 2, 2024
Christiana Gaudet Your Tarot Fairy Godmother banner.
Before Us
To understand where we are, we need to understand how we got here.
Concept illustration of a family tree.
The word ‘before’ can mean at least two different things. When we speak of time, ‘before’ means in the past. When we speak of the present, ‘before’ means what is in front of us.
At this time of year, our thoughts often turn to those who came before us – our ancestors. We might wonder what past generations would think of what we have before us – the difficulties we face that can seem insurmountable.
Many people find comfort in the stories of their ancestors. The problem, of course, is that not all of our ancestors were admirable people. In mediumship, I have learned to believe that, after leaving this life, people find healing and become better than they were. Regardless of their actions in life, our ancestors are available to us now in spirit for wisdom, support, and guidance. In recent years, primarily due to the ground-breaking work of Nancy Hendrickson, we tarotists have been using tarot to learn about our ancestors and work with them in deeply spiritual ways.
We have all heard the admonition that if we do not remember our history, we are doomed to repeat it. Yet, history is a tricky subject. Whether political, cultural, or familial, history is often misrepresented, misreported, and misremembered. Primary source material can be helpful as we try to make sense of the past.
As children, we are often told things about ourselves and our families that we need to unpack and revisit as adults. If we fail to reprocess these beliefs, we often struggle to have healthy relationships. That’s because many of us were taught to respect people who truly were not worthy of that respect.
In tarot spreads, there is very often a position for the past. I have wondered if it is necessary to consider the past in every tarot reading. Yet, as the expression goes, we didn’t just fall out of a coconut tree. Wherever we are and whatever we are doing is happening in the context of all that came before us.
To understand what we are facing now, we must understand what has come before us and how we got here. Divination, research, and asking the hard questions help us do that.
Understanding our history, personally and collectively, is a spiritual matter as well as a fact-finding mission. Yet, we also must deal with shameful aspects of the past. Sometimes, we minimize and deny. Other times, we hyperfocus and catastrophize.
We must find a way to understand and speak of the past clearly and honestly without fear of shame. Only then are we able to create our best possible future.
The StaarCon 5 Imagining of Pixie Arcana. Art and composition by Stacey Williams-Ng, backgrounds by Animix.
The StaarCorner
StaarCon 2024 AfterGlow
We will open some new lounges this fall in advance of StaarCon 5. Watch this space for announcements!
Mark your calendars for Sunday, October 20, at 5 pm, when I will present a special workshop in my lounge about best practices for teaching and learning tarot.
I know that people are still enjoying the recordings of presentations. The year-long AfterGlow gives us a real opportunity to immerse ourselves in our presenter’s offerings.
StaarCon 5
We are excited to offer a digital divination art show at StaarCon 5. We are collecting images from artists and publishers. These images will be displayed on a large screen in the StaarCon Marketplace, which is open to the public.
As card readers, we find art inextricable from our work. Celebrating our artists has always been a primary goal of StaarCon. Make sure you visit the digital art show at StaarCon 5. If you are an artist of divination tools and want to have your work displayed, please send your images!
Mary Ellen Collins telling a story inspired by Ciro Marchetti's tarot art at StaarCon 2024.
Close-up of hands holding a tarot deck.
Ancestral Healing in the Cards
Many tarot cards can discuss the need for ancestral healing and assist us in ancestral magic.
Of course, the Empress and Emperor can be parents, and the Court cards can all be family members.
The Ten of Pentacles is a card that speaks of generations, legacy, ancestors, and progeny.
The Six of Cups speaks of the past.
Any time you perform a tarot reading, regardless of the question or topic, it is possible that generational and ancestral concerns may appear in the cards. It may be loved ones in spirit who want to say hello or traumas of the past that are the root cause of current problems.
In tarot, as in life, to understand where we are, we need to understand how we got here.
Tarot for New Seasons Members-only Livestream on YouTube - September 30 @ 7 pm.
The Week in Review
Voting in the World Divination Association Awards ends September 29. Please vote for me for Best Tarot Reader and Best Divination Teacher.
I had a fun time teaching tarot at Mandel Library in West Palm Beach on Saturday. I am usually there once a quarter, but because of the way the calendar worked this year, I will be back to teach another free tarot class at the library on Saturday, October 26!
Did you catch last night’s class on YouTube Live, Problem People and Tarot? Watch the replay!
If you are a member of my YouTube channel, join us on Monday, September 30, at 7 pm for a members-only livestream.
From Around the Web
Check out these tools for ancestral divination and magic from La Panthère Studio.
Facinghistory.org offers help in teaching history, but it is also a great website for anyone who wants to consider their personal or cultural history more deeply.
Christina Ricci has created the Cat Full of Spiders Tarot Deck!
Hands pointing to a picture in a photo album.
Making Magic
Much of the magic we do is healing magic. Much of what we must heal is generational trauma. Can the very ancestors who are the architects of our pain help us heal?
I believe so because of the power they receive and cultivate after leaving this life. I think we can even call on the spirits of the very people who hurt us in life for help in healing if we feel moved to do so.
In our society, we often discuss breaking generational patterns. When we heal from generational trauma, we create something better for those who will come next.
I also believe that when we do our work to heal our generational wounding, that healing energy travels to our ancestors as well as to our progeny.
Global Tarot Circle on YouTube Live - October 2nd @ 7 pm.
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
Card and Craft Academy will close on October 15th and reopen soon at christianagaudet.com!
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!
Opening Ceremony with Christiana Gaudet 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
Coming soon! Locations in Port Saint Lucie, West Palm Beach, and Stuart, Florida!
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 39
September 25, 2024
Christiana Gaudet Your Tarot Fairy Godmother banner.
In the Presence of Ancestors
No matter your current family experience, there are generations of ancestors who are with you. They share their strength with you, and their traumas.
This Sunday, May 8th, is celebrated as Mother’s Day in the United States. For some, this is a day to show appreciation to the people in our family who gave us life, who nurtured us, and who sacrificed for us. For others this day can be a sad reminder of family loss.
Whatever the current state of your own family, there is something important to remember on Mother’s Day, and every day.
We are each the product of the countless generations that came before us. This is true genetically, and culturally. From our ancestors we inherit our talents and our features.
It is also true that trauma is passed from generation to generation. Generational trauma is carried within our DNA, as well as by example.
Many cultures have special rituals for ancestral healing and ancestral veneration. Many people find comfort in the belief that our ancestors remain with us spiritually. Sometimes it seems that generations of family members are nurturing us and supporting us from the other side.
To feel close to our ancestors, and our family members in spirit, all we need to do is look in the mirror. Within us we can see the features of those who came before us. We can remember the stories and the wisdom that they shared with us. In this recognition we can feel the strength of their legacy, and the reality of their spiritual support.
It is the responsibility of each generation to do what they can to heal the trauma of the past, rather than allowing that to carry forward into the next generation. Our ancestors are present with us and able to assist us as we face that challenge.
There are many tools and methods available to us as we work to heal generational trauma. Perhaps the first and most important tool is simply awareness. When we understand our family history, we can understand some of the difficulties we face in our own lives. With that understanding comes the opportunity to heal.
The StaarCorner
We are very excited to announce that Silver Raven will be a presenter at StaarCon 2023. Silver has been a professional reader and teacher for over forty years. She works with tarot, Lenormand, runes, pendulums, and crystals. You have probably seen her Instagram program, “Sundays with Silver”.
StaarCon 2023 will be January 20 through 22. Mark your calendars now. Tickets will be available soon!
Family Tarot
Tarot is a great tool for family communication. Yes, we can communicate with our loved ones in spirit with tarot. We can also communicate with our living loved ones.
Over my many years of teaching tarot I have had the pleasure of countless mother/daughter teams in my classes. I have also had sisters, spouses, and other family groups. Even young children can benefit from and enjoy using tarot with their family members.
Simple exercises such as choosing cards to express feelings, or drawing cards at random and discussing them, can bring family members closer together.
Some things are hard to say, or hard to understand. Tarot makes those things easier to talk about.
See Me in the Northeast This Month
I will begin readings, house calls, and psychic house parties in Connecticut on May 26. I will be in the area through June 5. I can travel to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York.
I will be offering private readings at True Bikram Yoga in Madison, CT, by appointment.
Now is the time to reach out and schedule your party, house call or appointment with me! Please call or text me at 561-655-1160.
On Sunday, June 5, at 6:30 pm I will teach a tarot class at True Bikram Yoga in Madison. The class is called “Techniques for Tarot Healing”. If you have an interest in tarot, please plan to join us. Tickets are available directly through True Bikram Yoga, at (203) 350-0343.
The Week in Review
Your May tarotscopes are available on my YouTube channel. This month I used Grateful Dead Tarot, and my new CardCam!
You will also notice that all free tarot classes, tarot meetups and members-only livestreams are scheduled for May and June. Mark your calendars now and hit the bell for each event so you do not miss one!
From Around the Web
Benebell Wen shared an excellent article and video about ancestor work in 2019.
Nancy Hendrickson, author of the fabulous book Ancestral Tarot, has a regular offering called Ancestor Café on Patreon.
Incandescent Tarot has an Ancestral Connection Tarot Spread.
Create and Interpret Custom Tarot Spreads Class
On Sunday, May 22, 7 pm to 9 pm, please join me for a hybrid tarot class. If you are local, you can join in person in Palm City. Or you can join online on Zoom from anywhere in the world.
If you have every asked “Is there a spread for that?” this class is for you. If you have ever wondered about the best way to get answers from a tarot reading, this class is for you.
Whether you read for yourself or others, whether you are a beginner or experienced reader, this class will give you a set of tools that will help you use tarot effectively and efficiently.
In this class you will learn what makes a great tarot spread. You will learn when a custom spread is the best technique. You will learn to quickly create small spreads to answer immediate questions. You will learn to create and interpret elaborate spreads to handle multiple issues in a comprehensive tarot session. You will learn to create and interpret spreads for specific purposes such as healing, relationship-building, mediumship, and dream interpretation.
Get your tickets now on EventBrite!
You can join us in person or online. Every student will receive access to a recording of the class.
You can purchase the recorded class with access to the class literature after May 30th.
Visit christianagaudet.com for more information!
Images from Spiral Tarot, Copyright 1987 U.S. Games Systems, Inc. Used with permission.
Guidance on the Journey
We often feel the presence of the ancestors in tarot readings. Sometimes this happens in mediumship as those loved ones in spirit share knowledge and wisdom with us. Sometimes we gain understanding of our own identity as we become more able to understand those who came before us. Sometimes we can heal from family dysfunction when we understand the ancient roots of those problems.
All these opportunities are available to us when we understand how tarot can speak of our ancestors, and how our ancestors can speak through tarot.
Two cards that often connect me to ancestors are the Empress and the Ten of Pentacles, shown here from Spiral Tarot.
The Empress can be a card of motherhood and can tell us that generations of mothers and grandmothers are present with us.
The Ten of Pentacles can speak of our family legacy. That is, what we have inherited from our forebears, and what we will leave to our children. This card can be more than evocative. It can indicate the presence of our ancestors working in our lives.
Upcoming Events and Tours
Card and Craft Academy
Classes presented by Christiana are available right now at Card and Craft Academy!
Christiana’s Eleven-Card Celtic Cross
Finding Meaning in the Minor Arcana
The Major Arcana, Magical and Mundane
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
Your Journey Through the Tarot Court
Tarot Stories, Trends, and Blends
Tarot Readings for Personalities and Relationships
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
Minor Arcana Numbers, Elements, and Truth New!
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
On the web www.christianagaudet.com
Online classeswww.cardandcraftacademy.com
StaarCon information www.staarcon.com
Private telephone, Skype, FaceTime and in person readings and instruction are available by appointment.
Tarot parties at your home or office are available throughout Florida.
Call or text toll free 866-99TAROT (866-998-2768)
Palm City 772-301-0232
or call or text 561-655-1160
for more information or to schedule your event.
Agent inquiries are welcome.
Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 5 Issue 18
May 4, 2022