Tarot News blog has news and information of interest to the tarot community.
Unfolding
Time does not move it a straight line, it unfolds. We are always unfolding, too.
We think of our life experiences in a linear way. Time is a line, and our feelings and experiences are categorized along that timeline.
What happens when we think of time as something that unfolds, revealing new possibilities with each step?
When we look at everything that has happened to lead us to where we are today, we can clearly see that we were never walking a straight line. One thing leads to another in curves, and layers, and mysteries.
When we think of our own personal growth, the same is true. We are each unfolding as we move toward healing and enlightenment. When something unfolds, we can see its true size, and its true nature.
When I was a child, my mother taught me some simple origami. I loved folding the smooth, brightly colored paper to make unlikely animals and objects. Many years later, I taught my own daughter.
What strikes me is that in origami, sometimes you must make a fold, and then unfold it, to make a crease that will create a shape later in the process. That seems like a metaphor for the things that happen in life that leave a mark upon us. Sometimes what seems like an unnecessary step that marks us today will be exactly what we need to help us create what we wanted all along.
The StaarCorner
Brenda Elizabeth, also known as Lady Lenormand, will present an intensive on Friday morning at StaarCon called Introduction to Lenormand. In four 45-minute sessions, Brenda will take you through the entire process of learning to work with the Petit Lenormand cards.
Like tarot, Lenormand cards are a specific system of card divination. While tarot works in metaphors, Lenormand speaks in more literal terms.
With only thirty-six cards in the deck, Lenormand is read in pairs or groupings of cards. A full Lenormand reading, called a grand tableau, uses all the cards in the deck.
If you would like to learn to use Lenormand cards, or if you would like to increase your skill, consider attending StaarCon’s Friday sessions, either in person in West Palm Beach, or online!
Tickets are available now for StaarCon 2023, January 20-22.
Unfolding a Tarot Card
Obviously, you should never actually literally fold a tarot card!
Yet, our relationship with each card unfolds over time. How we perceive and understand each card can change from reading to reading, and from year to year.
Likewise, when we perform a tarot reading, the information unfolds over the course of a reading. Each card can mean more than one thing within a single reading. Combinations of cards can add greater information. You can draw more cards throughout the course of the reading to provide more information and answer the questions that arise.
When we think about tarot knowledge and tarot reading as something that unfolds, we give ourselves the opportunity to dive deeply into tarot understanding over time, and to get the most information possible from a single tarot reading.
The Week in Review
If you are a member of my YouTube channel, did you catch our Members Only Livestream on Monday? If not, you can watch the replay.
You asked, so I am delivering! You will find even more livestreams scheduled on my YouTube channel. Subscribe for tarot fun, fellowship, study, and readings!
From Around the Web
There is now a Princess Diana tarot deck!
To this day, the game of tarot is played in France. Here is how to play!
Try the Unfolding Lotus Tarot Spread.
Guidance on the Journey
When we divine with tarot or other tools, we often want to know what will happen in the future. Sometimes we fear the answer. Sometimes unpracticed or unethical professionals will tell us firmly that something will or will not happen.
Predictions are a part of life, not only in divination, but in finance, weather, medicine, fashion, and fads.
Yet, if time is always unfolding, and life rarely moves in a straight line, we must remember that predictions are only possibilities. Some serve as warnings and allow us to make corrections to create a better outcome. Others serve as encouragement, giving us the inspiration to work toward our goals.
Sometimes the best divinations give us ideas and insights rather than clear predictions. Sometimes the best advice we can get from our divination is to trust that the universe, and our lives, will unfold in the best ways possible.
Upcoming Events
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
Create and Interpret Custom Tarot Spreads
What the Court Cards Want You to Know
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 classes www.cardandcraftacademy.com
StaarCon information www.staarcon.com
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.
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 33
August 17, 2022
Finding the Meaning
We can use spiritual tools to find meaning in the mundane.
We are always searching for meaning, in a lot of different ways. In the big picture, we search to find the meaning of life.
As spiritual people we seek an understanding of ourselves and our existence on a deeper level. Often, we do this through divination, study, prayer, and meditation. These are all good ways to explore our inner world, the outer world, and the world of spirit.
Yet, we can also find spiritual meaning and understanding in our mundane day-to-day interactions.
That is because, by nature, we are spiritual beings having a human experience.
That means that there is spiritual meaning, and an opportunity for spiritual growth, in each and every encounter and activity.
We also seek meaning in the communication we have with others. We wonder what someone meant when they said or did a certain thing. Sometimes we jump to an untrue or unfair conclusion because we don’t understand someone’s communication style.
When we study tarot, we first seek to find meaning in the cards. Then we use the cards to find meaning in life. We do this in a couple of different ways. In the study of tarot, we find that the lessons inherent in each of the cards help us find meaning in life. In divination, we are able to find answers to specific questions. This can bring us to new understanding, and new meaning.
The spiritual adage ‘as above, so below’ has many applications. One important understanding of this expression is that we can find spiritual meaning in the mundane world. We can also use spiritual tools and spiritual thought to help us find meaning even in the most mundane aspects of our lives.
The StaarCorner
In the first StaarCast since StaarCon, Amie Mouser and I share some stories, laughs, and thoughts about the first-ever StaarCon, and what will come next for the StaarCon community.
You can watch this episode on YouTube, or find it wherever you get your podcasts.
Join Us Tomorrow for a Tarot Class about Personalities and Relationships
There is still time to sign up for tomorrow evening’s tarot class! Tomorrow, Thursday, at 7 pm EST I will present ‘Tarot Reading for Personalities and Relationships’ live on Zoom.
How do tarot cards speak of people, their personalities and their relationships? How can we use tarot to better understand ourselves and each other?
In this class you will learn how to give helpful relationship readings and couples readings, and how to determine the nature and needs of an individual simply by understanding the cards that appear for them.
This class is appropriate for readers of all levels of experience.
Class fee is $37.50. Register now!
What Does This Card Mean?
So often tarot students, and even experienced readers, will struggle to find the meaning of a tarot card. Here are a few things to do when you are not sure what a card is trying to tell you.
First, look for how the card speaks to the context of your question, or the spread position. If you are working with more than one card, how do the other cards influence the card in question?
What do you see, and how do you feel, when you look at the card? What comes to your mind?
Say the name of the card aloud. Often this will bring the card into focus for you.
Think about everything you know about the card. Sometimes this will help you make the connection you need.
Look up the card online. There are so many references, blogs, and videos for tarot cards on the internet. You might find something there that makes sense.
Remember that, in a reading, a card can mean more than one thing at the same time.
If you need to, draw another card to clarify the card in question.
The Week in Review
This week I presented a free class on my YouTube channel, “Love in the Cards”. This class is about the way we use tarot in relationship readings. You can watch it in archive!
Each week I do at least four live broadcasts on my Facebook Business Page. Visit me there and hit ‘Like’ so you can be notified when I go live there next. You can also see the archived videos of my past broadcasts there, and on my YouTube channel.
From Around the Web
I love this article about self-discover and tarot from The Lily.
From the Llewellyn blog, a sweet Magic Broom Tarot Spread from Pamela Chen.
Here is a Daily Check-in Tarot Spread from Little Red Tarot.
Cards for Your Consideration
In the search for meaning, I consider each of the seventy-eight tarot cards essential. Beyond that, I consider the study of more than one tarot deck helpful. When we see different traditions of tarot, and the perspective of different artists, we have an opportunity to find greater meaning within each card.
There are other card decks of divination we can consider as well. While Lenormand and Kipper speak of mundane circumstances and situations, they can certainly help us understand our journey through life.
Oracle cards of all types are designed to help us as we seek meaning and understanding.
When it comes to our need to find meaning in life, the more tools we have, the better!
Events and Tours
Connecticut and Tampa Tours Resume Fall 2021. I will be providing online alternatives to our usual schedule of in-person meetings until social distancing is no longer prudent.
Tarot Topics Newsletter
Volume 4 Issue 7
February 17, 2021
When People Make You Nuts
Difficult people are everywhere. Here are some great ways to handle them! Don't miss your one-card weekly reading and some great upcoming events in the Tampa area!
Holidays, elections and world events can really turn up the heat when it comes to our relationships with others. Sometimes even our closest friends say or do things that trigger us.
Often, holiday celebrations require us to be on our best behavior with family members whom we try to avoid most of the year.
At work, ideological differences and holiday stress can turn even the most productive office into a battlefield.
Suddenly, a season that seeks to promote a sense of peace, fellowship and gratitude sets the stage for anger and hurt feelings.
There are also times, regardless of the season or world news, that we just don’t have the emotional capacity to deal with drama, even the drama of people we love.
What can we do when people irritate and trigger us?
The first thing we must do is remember to hold love in our hearts, even when we are angry.
The second thing is to acknowledge our own need to take space from the situation.
Finally, we must always remember to choose our battles wisely.
When people start to drive us crazy, chances are, the problem is with our own perspective. Once we get past our own anger and irritation, we can usually find a way to grow and heal. Even the most difficult people serve a purpose in our lives by giving us this opportunity to grow.
Eight Tips for Handling Difficult People
We are all children of the Universe, and we are all equally valuable. However, the truth is that we will perceive some people in our lives as difficult.
We might have a difficult family member, friend or coworker. It may be that everyone’s experience of our difficult person is the same. It may be that we are the only person to find a particular personality problematic.
Here are eight tips to help us handle the difficult people in our lives.
Figure out why you perceive the person as difficult. Take responsibility for your own triggers, and for your own perceptions.
Remember that we must accept people where they are, not where we wish they were.
Appreciate that difficult people challenge us to be our best.
Remember that sometimes our frustration with difficult people can cause us to make decisions that are not in our own best interest.
Remember that is it always a choice to take things personally.
Keep your own goals at the forefront. What is it that you most want from this encounter? Act accordingly.
Remember that not everything in life is fair. Do not let something that you perceive as an injustice keep you in a state of anxiety and irritation.
Approach with compassion. Hurt people hurt people. Sometimes the most difficult people are the ones who need love most.
Image from Gilded Royale, by Ciro Marchetti.
Your One-Card Weekly Reading
Your one-card reading this week is the Queen of Swords. This is a remarkable random draw for a newsletter about coping with difficult people.
You see, the classic interpretation for the Queen of Swords is a sharp-tongued woman who can’t be trusted! She, herself, can be interpreted as a difficult woman.
I think the reason the Queen of Swords gets such a bad reputation is that she is the queen of Air. Air is the element of communication and integrity. Therefore, the Queen of Swords is a woman who speaks the truth. Often, women who speak truth are considered ill-behaved or unpleasant.
This week spend time thinking about what is true for you. Nurture your own truth, and speak it when necessary. Do not fear your truth, but neither be angry with those who are not ready to hear what you have to say.
Whether or not your honesty is appreciated, do your best to stay in your own integrity.
The Week in Review
This week I shared a post about tarot reading on my Community Blog. What is the difference between Major Arcana and Minor Arcana cards in a reading? Not as much as you might think! Read my post and find out why!
From Around the Web
There’s a fun quiz on the U.S. Games, Inc. website. Take it to find out which tarot deck might be best for you! (When you do, use a browser other than Internet Explorer to make sure it will work for you!)
From The Unbounded Spirit, an interesting perspective about living in difficult times.
Here is a good article about “grounding the root chakra”. This can be very helpful in maintaining our health, wealth
and happiness!
Song of the Week
I’ve chosen an oldie but goodie for this week. Even if you know the song, make time to listen to it again! The song is “Everyday People” by Sly and the Family Stone.
Image from Under the Roses Lenormand, by Katrina Hill and Kendra Hurteau.
Learning Lenormand
Card 26: Book
Book, or Journal, is a neutral card. In a very literal sense, this card can refer to books, ledgers and studying.
The card can be an indication of knowledge, or education.
On a deeper level, Book can indicate secrets, even secrets that will soon be revealed.
When this card appears, it can indicate that a particular secret is being kept, or that there is more information for you to discover.
The playing card association for Book is the Ten of Diamonds, a card of motion and changes.
Next week we will enjoy a special holiday edition of this newsletter. We’ll be back the following week with card twenty-seven, Letter.
Use Tarot to Understand People
At work and at home, we end up dealing with people whose opinions are different than our own, and with people whose personalities don’t meld with our own.
Sometimes it’s hard to simply “agree to disagree”. Sometimes we feel insulted. Sometimes we have a legitimate need to stick up for ourselves, or to speak truth to power.
The next time you find yourself in a disagreement, spend some time with the cards to help you fully understand the situation.
Ask questions of the cards such as:
What am I to learn from this encounter?
Why did this person’s actions make me so upset?
What is my desired outcome in this situation?
What is this person’s experience of this situation?
Why is this person in my life?
What sort of relationship is possible between this person and me in the future?
Should I stand up for myself in this situation?
Upcoming Events
Sunday, November 22, 3:30 pm
Tampa Bay Area Tarot Meetup
Fortune’s Esoteric Lenormand Class
Panera Bread
23388 State Road 54, Lutz, FL 33549
Professional reader Bridget Fortune will be sharing her Lenormand techniques with us. Bring your Lenormand deck, or borrow one at the meeting.
Visit the event listing on my website, or RSVP on the Meetup site.
Sunday, December 6, 3:30 pm
Tampa Bay Area Tarot Meetup
Madam Lenormand’s Tarot Soup Recipe
Panera Bread
23388 State Road 54, Lutz, 33549
Professional reader Michael Newton-Brown will share his technique of using tarot and Lenormand to create a comprehensive professional-quality reading.
Join us at Panera for food, fellowship and a great learning opportunity. Visit the event listing on my website, or RSVP on the Meetup site.
Tuesday, December 8th, 11 am
The Fool’s Journey
Port Tampa City Library
4902 Commerce St, Tampa, Fl. 33616
Join us at the library for a presentation of the Major Arcana of the Tarot. Visit the event listing on my website for more information.
Save the Dates:
On December 20, from 1- 5 pm, the Tampa Bay Area Tarot Meetup will host a Holiday Open House in support of Feeding America Tampa Bay. Read about it on my calendar.
TarotCon (Florida) 2016 will be in Palm Beach Gardens October 8-9. More information will follow soon!
About Christiana
Christiana Gaudet
Origins Spa and Wellness Center
1537 N Dale Mabry Highway #102
Lutz, FL 33548
Private telephone, Skype and in person readings and instruction are available by appointment.
Tarot parties at your home or office are available throughout Florida.
Call 813-948-4488, toll free 866-99TAROT,
or text or call 561-655-1160
for more information or to schedule your event.
Agent inquiries are welcome.
Messages in the Fire
This week, learn about fire scrying, Lenormand and tarot!
As the weather cools, we often enjoy the warmth and energy of fire, be it in a fireplace, a bonfire or a candle.
When we stare into a flame, the mind naturally wanders. Which one of us has not felt the comfort and relaxation of spending time with fire?
What we may not realize is this. Staring in to fire to find answers, images, symbols and inspiration is an ancient form of divination called fire-scrying.
As you prepare yourself and your home for cooler weather, make time to enjoy the element of fire, and to let it share its messages with you.
How to Scry with Fire
You can use a small candle, or a huge bonfire. You may spend time dressing your candle with oil, or inscribing it with symbols. You may cast a circle around your bonfire. These sort of aesthetics can add to the power of your experience, but ceremonial activities are not required in order to have an effective experience.
You may start with a question, problem or concern. Or, you may start with an open mind, ready to receive whatever the Universe has to tell you.
Start with meditative breathing, Stare into the flame with a soft gaze, and empty your mind. Be open to whatever you experience. You may see an image in the flame, you may see the flame move in a particular way, or a pertinent thought or memory may pop into your head.
Take time to contemplate and interpret the message you receive.
Image from Gilded Royale, by Ciro Marchetti.
Your One-Card Weekly Reading
You one-card reading this week is the Ace of Cups. This is a clear message to be open to love of all kinds, at all times.
The Ace of Cups can predict a new love relationship, or a new baby. This card can remind you of a deeply shared, eternal love. You can even interpret this card as a message of love from the other side.
The Ace of Cups is also a reminder of the spiritual nature of love. That we can love each other is the surest proof of the existence and nature of a Higher Power.
This week, reflect on the nature of love, and open yourself to its power.
The Week in Review
This week I shared a helpful post on my Dark Forest Blog. Do you need psychic protection? Most probably, you do. Here is “A Quick Guide to Psychic Protection”.
From Around the Web
Here is a short video from the “Tarot Authors and Artists Panel” at TarotCon (Florida) 2015. Mary Ellen Collins is asking tarot artist Lisa Hunt a question. Check it out on YouTube!
See what Zuri has to say about the numbers of November, 2015. Read her “Numerology Forecast”.
This is an oldie but goodie. There is much talk, speculation and misinformation about tarot history and the origins of tarot. The TarotL Tarot History Fact Sheet remains one of the most respected authorities of tarot history.
Song of the Week
In honor of Veteran’s Day, and all the folks who have served, here’s a song from Arlo Guthrie, “When a Soldier Makes it Home”.
Image from Under the Roses Lenormand, by Katrina Hill and Kendra Hurteau.
Learning Lenormand
Card 25: Ring
Ring is a positive card indicating a contract, a union or a relationship. Very often, this card can indicate a marriage proposal or a happy romance.
Because Lenormand is very literal, the Ring can also indicate cycles, circles, and things that are round.
When the Ring appears next to a card indicating a particular person, the Ring indicates that the person in question is already in a committed relationship.
The Ring is associated with the Ace of Clubs, which proclaims success in all things.
Next week, we will explore Card 26, Book.
Scrying Tarot
While fire lends a certain energy to psychic work, it is possible, and traditional, to scry into any reflective surface, such as a mirror.
Divination techniques that involve finding shapes in random occurrences, such as tea-leaf reading, are also forms of scrying.
You can add scrying to your tarot tool box, and learn to scry into your tarot cards. You may find some decks lend themselves more easily to the technique than others.
Simply gaze at a tarot card you have drawn, and let your mind wander. What part of the picture do you focus on? What do you see in it?
Don’t worry about the classic interpretation or what is actually happening in the picture. Look into and beyond the picture, and see what comes to you.
Add that information to your tarot interpretation for some extra insight.
Upcoming Events
Monday, November 16, 6 pm
The Fool’s Journey
78th Street Community Library
7625 Palm River Road Tampa, FL, 33619
Join me at the library for a presentation on the art, history, culture and use of tarot as I share the twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana.
Visit the event listing on my website for more information.
Sunday, November 22, 3:30 pm
Tampa Bay Area Tarot Meetup
Fortune’s Esoteric Lenormand Class
Panera Bread
23388 State Road 54, Lutz, FL 33549
Professional reader Bridget Fortune will be sharing her Lenormand techniques with us. Bring your Lenormand deck, or borrow one at the meeting.
Visit the event listing on my website, or RSVP on the Meetup site.
Save the Dates:
On December 20, from 1- 5 pm, the Tampa Bay Area Tarot Meetup will host a Holiday Open House in support of Feeding America Tampa Bay. Read about it on my calendar.
TarotCon (Florida) 2016 will be in Palm Beach Gardens October 8-9. More information will follow soon!
About Christiana
Christiana Gaudet
Origins Spa and Wellness Center
1537 N Dale Mabry Highway #102
Lutz, FL 33548
Private telephone, Skype and in person readings and instruction are available by appointment.
Tarot parties at your home or office are available throughout Florida.
Call 813-948-4488, toll free 866-99TAROT,
or text or call 561-655-1160
for more information or to schedule your event.
Agent inquiries are welcome.