SageWordsTarot

Ogres, Onions and the Tarot Reader

Shrek: ….ogres are like onions

Donkey: They stink?

….

Shrek: No! Layers! Onions have layers. Ogres have layers. You get it? We both have layers
from “Shrek” copyright 2001 Dreamworks Pictures, quote via imdb.com

Layers mean complexity. Layers apply to all sorts of things that are actually more complex than they seem at first glance; ogres, onions, cakes and – you guessed it – Tarot.

Reading Tarot for yourself is actually quite simple. In a couple of hours I could teach you to do good DIY readings for yourself. (Related: PeaceTarot ebook)

Reading for other people is another story. High level professional readings are, like onions and ogres, more complex than it seems on the surface. That’s the whole point of them. A professional reading can gives you extra layers of insight and experience that you can’t get alone. Two heads are better than one. Two eyes give depth perception (related post: parallax) The two of us working together gives your reading another layer of understanding.

Sometimes layers talk about authenticity. Sometimes you have to peel back a few layers to get to the real heart of the matter. We’ve talked about authenticity and public Tarot practice before, after my Modern Oracle Tarot work was re-branded to TaoCraft Tarot and re-branded again to Sage Words Tarot.

That’s all well and good, but consider another aspect of layers: growing new ones. Interestingly, actual onions grow on the inside. New layers are added at the core while older outside layers get dry and thin and ultimately fall away. In this, onions give us another useful metaphor.

In the medical field, and no doubt many other professions, continuing education is required. You have to keep learning and keep current if you want to keep working. Whether it is required or not, whether it is career related or not, lifelong learning is a respected mark of excellence. Learning isn’t just formal education. Learning comes from experience and experimentation and the living of life. Artists’ work evolves over time. Any person’s point of view can evolve over time.

As I’ve learned and gained experience, the original “Modern Oracle” layout has evolved too. I’ve re-named it as it changed and changed it back to “Modern Oracle” as my website and blog evolved.

Back in the early 2000s I wrote the initial Modern Oracle layout meanings to create a bridge from old fashioned, predict-the-future, fortune telling layouts to a more modern advice, guidance and empowerment reading. I wrote the layout specifically to show the power that your choices have over your future. Cards that once were called “past, present and future” in older readings became “lessons from the past, current situation, and moving forward.” Predicting the future evolved into making an action plan.

Now it goes one step further. The reading is about dynamic energy flows, not a concrete road through time. Now, the layout is both about your choices and a read of the energy conditions ahead. Think of it as being like a GPS traffic update with a weather report. It is a guide to help you decide which way to travel and a general idea of the conditions you will most likely be travelling in.

Card 1, lessons from the past, became Fading Energies, symbolizing energies that are decreasing in influence and things that need less of your attention than before.

Card 2, the current situation, is now Current Energies. This reflects the energies that are strongest, and deal with things that need your attention most needed in this present moment.

Card 3, moving forward, is Growing Energies, reflects the energies that are growing, might need more attention soon or are gaining influence in the path you’ve currently chosen. It still isn’t predictive. It is information for decision making. Just like with gps driving condition updates, if you know about a traffic jam ahead then you can choose another road.

Card 4 will remain Choices. It is still placed under the current energies card and at the center of the layout because that is still the place of power. Empowering your choices is still the heart of the reading. In the GPS analogy, this suggests a better road if traffic is heavy ahead, or it can encourage you to stay the course you are on if conditions are good. Either way, you are still the driver. In the end you are the one who chooses where to drive and how to get there no matter what the GPS or the Tarot cards say.

Card 5 is still Alternative Path just like before, showing the most open alternative path you if you decide a change is needed.

Card 6 Helping Energies and card 7 Potential Challenges are just what the name says they are. Change the five card Modern Oracle layout into the 7 card TaoCraft layout that is only available seasonally.

Over the years. the five card layout has proven its value. It’s useful, insightful, practical,gets right to the point and is affordable. It has the best balance of quality, detail and affordability.

Ogers and onions are complex, but they are always evolving and growing new layers. Reading Tarot is the same way. There are complexities, but sometimes the best new thing is taking off those old outer layers to reveal the green and fresh life underneath.

This is the summer of simplification.

Starting in May 2024 my private readings will have 4 formats, 3 layouts and 2 levels of availability.

Four Formats:

Email: my specialty
Pre-recorded video: private – only you will get the link to the video.
Pen and Paper: old school snail mail, archaic but powerful
Live phone or zoom call

Three Layouts

Modern Oracle (Five Card) – $30
Eclipse (Three Card) – $15
Sage Sip (One Card – $5

Two availabilites

No appointment needed, order anytime (email, video, paper)
By appointment only (phone/zoom)

One Reader – me! Meet Sage HERE

Ace of Cups: Have enough love

Have enough love to forgive yourself for who you used to be.

“You are under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago.”
Alan Watts

Click HERE for private Tarot by recorded video or email, order 24/7, no appointment needed. Proceeds in part support this blog and its free Tarot content.

Gifts to the tip mug always gratefully appreciated (goes toward web hosting costs)

CYC: The Fool

Choose Your Card: Collective energy readings with a personal touch

PAUSE the video
Take a breath
Decide how you want to use the card – guidance for the day, the week ahead, anything on your mind
Choose Your Card
Restart the video to see the reveal and hear a little bit about your card.
Collective energy card not resonating with you? Private one card readings are free on demand for Sage Sip monthly members and available for order 24/7 no appointment needed HERE for non-members

Judgement: Use your good judgement, reason. Head over heart for this decision. You must rationally decide when & how to begin.

Death: Something has to changed or released in order to make your start or to get a fresh start. Is this new thing worth what you must give up to get it?

10 of Pentacles: Yup. This is solid, practical, a good omen. Go for it.

Cheerleaders from the Great Beyond

Tarot behind the scenes

“Mood’s a thing for cattle and loveplay, not fighting!”
Dune by Frank Herbert, David Lynch screen adaptation

And not for Tarot readings when you are working for other people

Moods and Tarot make an interesting Venn diagram, and it all hinges on whether you are reading professionally or privately.

Should you read Tarot if you aren’t in the mood for it? If you are reading privately for yourself (or for someone you know and aren’t charging them) then no, if it just isn’t vibing for you, by all means wait until you are up for it. Or find someone who is in the mood. Or find a professional.

If you do put yourself in the public eye as a Tarot reader and ask for compensation for your time, skills and artistic service then something else has to happen. Either you have to put your own mood aside and listen to spirit / energy objectively on behalf of your client or you have to have the self-awareness to reschedule the client until such time as you are mentally, emotionally, and physically capable of doing a good reading for them.

There is no hard and fast rule for when to read or reschedule. You have to use your own good judgement about that, just like using good judgement about any adult thing. Don’t drink and drive, don’t stick a fork into a light socket, don’t read Tarot for money if your head isn’t in the right place.

But then, having good judgement and a little wisdom is why you are a Tarot reader in the first place, isn’t it?

There are a lot – a LOT – of things to consider before going professional with your Tarot readings, and we’ll get back to that at some point, but for now – what do you do with a mis-match between mood and message?

My core approach is to be an objective translator.

I’m not some word-from-on-high gifted expert. I just speak spirit pretty well and can translate for you. I don’t have to be in a particular emotional mood to do a reading any more than I need to be in a particular mood in order to speak Esperanto or read knitting patterns abbreviations.

Lately the mood of a couple of readings have not matched my personal mood at all. It’s hard to visualize, but imagine being in a Wednesday Addams mood and getting intuitive information that sounds like the blond haired girl scout.

Sometimes people need a little cheer leading, sometimes they just need someone to hear them out, and most of the time it isn’t for a Tarot reader to judge which time is which.

All I know to do is to give the intuitive message as honestly and true-to-tone as I can, regardless of my personal mood. That in turn relies on trusting the intuitive Tarot reading process.

But that’s also why the best Tarot readings are a conversation, regardless if that conversation happens by email or face to face. All of my distance readings include a follow up email. If something just doesn’t resonate with you or feel right to you or just doesn’t make sense, for goodness’ sake just say so! Spirit and I will try to find a better word, a better image, a better something to get a more helpful message to you.

So speak up! You won’t hurt my feelings and we’ll try to get the chirpy cheerleader from the great beyond to try again. When we reach out, the energies reach back however it takes. I really believe your true message will find you, one way or another, one translator or another, one means of communication or another.

My promise to you is to give the most accurate version of the energy message, no matter what our moods may be.

Thank you so much for reading. Private readings are open and available HERE

There is a new members only special offer running until the summer solstice on June 20, 2024. For only $5 per month, Sage Sip members receive:

Free Sage’s Sip one card Tarot readings by email upon request up to 3 per calendar month.
Discounts on larger layouts
Exclusive content
Special offers

Join Sage Sips members HERE

See you at the next sip!

Tarot rhymes with mayo

Members only post: click HERE to join and read

Sage Sips membership – $5 per month

FREE one card Sage’s Sip Tarot readings by email at your request up to three readings per calendar month.
DM access on ko-fi: ask me anything!
Discounts on all larger video / email layouts in the commissions menu
Exclusive content and special offers.

Remember: the free email readings are at your request only, meaning you have to contact me by DM or email each time you want one – it’s not automatic. Seeing your email, name, question (or permission for an open reading) is how I connect to your unique energy message.

One – time “buy me a coffee” tips to the coffee mug are always appreciated and give you DM access for “Ask Me Anything” – ask anything and get a free Zombie Cat style Tarot answer in the blog

Zombie Cat readings are tongue in what’s left of his cheek, entertaining, 100% guaranteed to contain words and have a 50% chance of being dead wrong.

Tarot Sandwich

Experimenting with some non-video ways to do the choose your card just for kicks and chuckles. Let me know if you like this or the usual YouTube videos better. If you have any other ideas about what you would like to read in the blog or see on the channel please don’t hesitate to drop a comment!

Pick your card from this photo. The reading follows. Scroll all the way down to see your card / art.

LEFT: The best ideas happen in silence. Ponder before you begin. Be deliberate, not reactionary this week.

MIDDLE: Letting old things go and beginning again whenever it’s needed is your superpower.

Right: Plan. Having a plan in place and an ultimate goal is your guide along the way. Make a plan, then once you begin keep your eyes on the prize.

Left: The Hermit

Middle: Strength

Right: The Star

Everyone gets double major arcana cards today!

Want more personalized detail? Private readings by email or recorded video are always available to order, 24/7 , no appointment needed HERE

The Watcher

Sage Sips is Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip your coffee – or whatever you are sipping at the moment.

Updated today from a September 2020 post

Three of Wands. Yes – again.

Different deck, different day, same card. A cool thing happened; about an hour after I filmed the card draw above, I did a private one card reading with a different deck (Steampunk, their favorite) and wouldn’t you know it – Three of Wands. This card is really trying to get our attention.

It also gives us a little insight into how Tarot can be such an endlessly useful tool for something as complex as spiritual guidance or the human psychology. The math is pretty convincing. Let’s start with a one card daily meditation reading. You have one card position raised to the power of 78 possible cards, raised to the power of all the possible keywords and meanings that have been attached to each card over the years, raised to the power of our limitless imagination and intuition.

Even if you leave out the intuition bit, and just look at card numbers, the cards are pretty amazing. Here – let a real expert explain this:

Now, let’s consider that kind of calculation for a full Tarot reading. Never mind a classic 10 card Celtic Cross – let’s just consider my 5 card Modern Oracle layout.

For five layout positions, regardless of the meaning you assign to that position, the first card could be any card from the entire deck. The first card has 78 possible results. The second position has the whole deck minus the first card, which gives 77 possibilities. The third position has the whole deck minus the first two cards for 76 possibilities and so on

If I’m using the online calculator correctly, that means there are over 2 million different card combinations for any given five card layout.

Now add all of the possible card meanings into that mix.

Then raise it all to the infinite possibilities that pure intuition can lend to the reading.

Now you know why we charge the rates that we do. The more cards in a reading, the more complex it becomes, and the more insight, wisdom and raw Tarot experience it takes to make sense out of it all for a client. When you add in ethical, professional conduct – $35 for a five card email reading is insanely affordable.

That is beside the point. The point is that when you consider the mind-boggling number of possible card combinations, a repeating card in disparate circumstances sustained over time is a card definitely worthy of our attention.

The Three of Wands is often associated with things like watchfulness, active waiting, observation, proper timing, or vigilance.

Recently, the energy seemed to flow toward the idea of watching for the right timing, watching for events to happen that would in turn prompt you to action.

Today, the energy is more toward the vigilance end of things. This feeling of watchfulness isn’t timed to a particular action. It isn’t about timing your action just right. It has a more general sense.

This is also an energy connecting the card to the idea of healthy boundary setting. First discover where your best boundaries ARE, then the Three of Wands encourages you to watch over them, maintain them and defend them. Words like “periphery” and “vigilance” come to mind. Based on current events, turbulent times are likely on the horizon. The Three of Wands card is further reminding us to guard our energy and mental health. It is always better to over-prepare than to under-react to such things, be it literal storms or political ones.

Thank you for reading this updated post from the archives. I hope you will use the search bar on the right hand side of the page (or the bottom of the page on mobile) and browse the archives. There are six years of Tarot readings here, more over on “Sage’s Other Words” so chances are you can find something interesting.

The day job is back on a typical schedule so I’m hopeful to have a new “Choose Your Card” Tarot reading for you on Monday.

See you at the next sip!

Select cuts of meatspace sabbatical

Getting cozy here in the blog and blowing off social media for a few days, Not exactly meatspace, but a sabbatical just the same.

I like cyberpunk novels from the 80’s: William Gibson’s Sprawl trilogy, Snow Crash…you get the idea.

Gibson (in Neuromancer, I think) coined the term “meat puppet” which referred to the physical body as ‘meat’. So when people talk about “meat space” they mean the physical realm, in other words NOT cyberspace (another term coined by Gibson as I remember it)

I need to unplug from social media for a few days, yet I have some of that ridiculous anxiety that a few days away can provoke. I don’t want to show up here Monday and do a Choose your Card Tarot reading for an empty cyber-room.

That worry is proof in itself that a little time in meat space is needed. But only by half. I still want to do a little polishing on the website (not as done as I thought I was) and work on some other writing. So I’m basically visiting old familiar blog-only cyberspace. It feels like going home to be in this corner of cyberspace without pandering to social media. It feels like putting the toddlers to sleep and pouring myself a nice glass of wine and putting my feet up in front of a fireplace with a good book. Pull up a chair and glass of whatever you want to sip, and let’s do some old school blogging.

Speaking of homecoming, here’s a lightly edited Q&A from the archives:

Q: Nothing you said came true. Why not?

A: I. Don’t. Make. Predictions.

I’ve said it a thousand times. Tarot doesn’t predict the future. That is the dark ages, flat-earth way of using Tarot.

It doesn’t matter if predictions are “true” or not. I could sit here and make perfect, on-target, 100% accurate predictions all day long, but then you could go out five minutes later and do something that changes everything. (See: Predicting the Future and a Big Cube of Jell-O)

Remember Yoda from Star Wars? The future really is fluid and always changing. Life is cause and effect. If you drop an apple, it will fall down. If you strike a match, it will catch on fire. If you pour water on something it will get wet.

Cause and effect is the way Nature works. It is science. Your future is created by what you choose and do. Tarot is a way to look at options, then choose the flow of energy that is best for you. It is a chance to choose the things that will help cause the effect you want. Tarot helps you to choose the path most likely to take you where you want to go in the long run…not describe every inch of dirt along the way.

Tarot doesn’t tell you what will happen in life, Tarot helps you figure out what to do when life happens.

Spring Break and Summer Schedule

The day job has been a tiny bit extra the past couple of weeks while I’ve been covering for some vacationing folks, so I’m going to give myself a little bit of a vacation too – spring break in Tarot land if you will.

Thought I’d dig out some oldies but goodies out of the archives for this week, and then get back to new readings next week.

In fact, I have an idea for a weekly “Choose Your Card” series. Internet posts live forever, and focusing on a “card of the day” or a “card of the week” can get a little timey-wimey if you stumble on the posts a while after they were published. I believe the right message for you will find you when you most need regardless of when it was written, but some might argue that old readings lose value as time moves on. So my idea is this: draw a card for a theme or choose a theme for the reading that isn’t related to time. That’s how Tarot works best in my experience. Tarot tends to be abstract and conceptual and comes from outside of physical space and human-defined time anyway. That’s why distance Tarot readings work so well. (I have a page available that explains the whole distance Tarot thing HERE)

But back to the idea for that “choose your card” series.

I thought it might be fun to go through the major arcana and have the ‘choose your card’ post give you a more personalized insight into that major arcana card and how it might relate to you right now.

What do you think? I’ll start that project next week. That will give you plenty of time to drop any ideas or suggestions in the comments or use the “ask me anything” button on the home page. I’m always happy to hear what kind of Tarot content you would like to see in the blog.

Meanwhile, if you use the search bar on the right of the page (laptop or PC) or scroll way down to the search bar on the mobile version, then you can search & browse the archives to your hearts content. The old posts are mostly tagged by card, but moving forward I plan to tag each post by card AND topic(s) for easier browsing moving forward.

For example if you search “romance” here is one of the posts that come up. It is from 2011 on my old Tarotbytes blog.

“A Romance Tarot Reading with the Magician and the Lovers Cards”

Q: I met a man who seemed to be all anyone could want…a little older, financially stable, professional, interested in me. But he could be pushy, too, and he pushed me to go on a vacation together, his treat. Turns out he is a horrible gambler. The whole trip was a disaster…shocking. I keep attracting men like this, and after this experience I wonder if I will ever have a good relationship. I had a career reading with you last year, and liked the way you look at things. Can you give any insight to the romance side of things?

A: I think you are right…this experience was shocking, but it got your attention. It helped you see a pattern, and to realize you want something different. As traumatizing as it was in the short term…in the big picture this may actually be a valuable experience.

There are two tarot cards that are exquisitely applicable to your situation: The Lovers and The Magician.

They are both major arcana cards…which speaks to the power and importance of the things your are thinking about.

The Lovers symbolizes desire, and The Magician represents transformation and manifestation.

Your experience with this man, and the way it felt inevitable, shows it is an important and powerful lesson: it shows you that what is deep down matters more than the initial outward appearance…and that the deep down important stuff is what matters to you. Now you know. This will give you a wonderful contrast…the shadow to show you what you want to bring to light.

You know, now, what you DON’T want to repeat…the next step is to define in your mind, very clearly, what you DO want in a relationship…what you do want in your relationships an in your life. The feeling I got reading the first part of your story is that your connection with this man grew out of expectations…your hope for a relationship and what other people define as a good prospect…stable, professional etc etc. That doesn’t, as we see here, necessarily bring the intangible, subtle good things, like respect, caring, compassion, empathy….all those things that are REALLY important.

When I was younger, I saw a psychic, also wondering if I would ever be with anyone. She gave me an exercise…I may have mentioned this last time…that proved to be pure gold. Even if you’ve done this before…try again, start the exercise over, using your new insights and perspectives gained from the trip to vegas…

Make a list of all the things you want in a partner. What kind of relationship do you want? Marriage? Companionship? List every detail, literally, on paper. LIst physical things, interests, personality traits…anything, everything. Don’t put negatives…don’t say “not a gambler” put “enjoys ___________” That part is very important…the energy of the “not” might actually draw the undesirable trait to you rather than block it. Always list ONLY the things you WANT in a positive way.

Then release the list. Put it away, or, if you are inclined to such things, burn it in a respectful ritual of some sort. Whenever you feel the impulse, send a thought to the universe. Pray it…however it feels most powerful to you….not the whole list, just the feeling of desire for “the best of the list” or “husband for the highest and best”…something like that. Send the cry from your heart to the heart of outer space…then let go and trust the universe to guide you to the right path.

There are no time limits. There may be more things to learn along the way…but if you ask for the path to the best, you will find that highest and best journey, no matter how long it takes to get to the destination.

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed a deep dive into the old Tarotbytes archive. More archives are available on “Sages Other Words” where I occasionally put off -Topic posts. Feel free to browse there too.

And that summer schedule? There isn’t any. I’m still going full Taoist and just following where intuition and the natural flow of things lead.

Distance readings are still available to order anytime 24/7 – no appointment needed. I usually get the reading to your inbox within 24 hours. If not I’ll be in touch with a delivery time if it is a holiday or some such thing. Distance readings in this case means email and recorded video formats.

The pen and paper readings take a while longer to wind their way through traditional snail mail, but honestly I think they are worth it. Sallie Christensen, one of the most gifted psychics I’ve ever met was right- thoughts are powerful, the spoken word is more so – but the written word is the most powerful of all.

See you at the next sip!

Technical Pentacles

Sage Sips blog is Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip your coffee

This week’s choose your card video reading will post tomorrow or Wednesday

Members-only exclusive card reading is now available.

Hi everyone!

Merry Monday! The day job is day-jobbing and the squirrels are raving today. This is my 7th day of muggle-ing in the past 8 and I honestly don’t have the bandwidth to do a card of the week for you all today. I’d rather do a good job a day late than cram everything together this morning. Self care and self awareness is important in this line of work. Even if you are reading cards for yourself, it helps to be in the best frame of mind you can muster for the reading. Even if you aren’t particularly feeling it, a good night’s sleep, a healthy meal, a walk outside – anything like that – can go a long way toward a getting better Tarot message in the long run.

Instead of a “card for the week” today, we’ll try something else different and fun tomorrow or Wednesday because the new schedule is that there is no schedule. If there is anything in the world that benefits from going with the flow and following our instincts its Tarot and psychic work.

Meanwhile, there is a new one card reading up for members with this really cool techno-looking Ten of Pentacles from the Alleyman’s Tarot deck (used with permission, of course.)

See you all at the next sip!

Want to be a member? Join here!

Sage Sips Membership ($5 monthly) includes

Free private Sage Sip one-card Tarot readings by email at your request up to 3 per calendar month (non-member price $5)
Discounts on larger layouts
DM access on ko-fi (ask me anything!)
Occasional exclusive content & collective energy Tarot card readings

Zombie Cat Membership ($6 monthly) includes

Free private Zombie Cat three-card yes/no Tarot reading by email one per calendar month at your request (non-member price $15)
Discounts on larger layouts
DM access on ko-fi (Ask Me Anything!)
Occasional exclusive content & collective energy Tarot card readings

All private readings require that you ask for them each time for a few reasons:

Seeing your name, topic, question or permission for an open reading in the email is how I connect to your unique energy message
It confirms you consent every time, which is a way to respect you and your energy message
It gives a firm email connection to make sure your reading document arrives with as few glitches as possible.