Tag: guidance

Free Yourself

Healing requires a change of heart and mind

They don’t call it a hook for nothing.

Hello and welcome to Sage’s Short Sips: Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. I’m Sage and I’m glad that you are here.

Sometimes, when things go a little wonky, you just pick up the pieces and go on without a second thought. It’s like the upside down or reversed cards we’ve talked about before. Sometimes it feels like nothing so I flip the card and keep going. Sometime the reversal feels significant so I read it as a caution that some aspect of the energy is blocked or turbulent.

The same process applies to making the youtube videos of the real world card draw that inspires all of the short sip posts and pods. Sometimes things get clumsy or stuck filming the card draw for the day. Most of the time I just scoop up the cards and re-do it so it fits into a 15 second tiktok or youtube short. Today I was the stuck one instead of the two cards that stuck together for this video. I thought about scooping up the cards and re-shooting, but I felt stuck on this and got a niggly little feeling that the other card…both cards together really… might be important.

Today we get the eight of swords PLUS the eight of cups.

The second card surprised me by being an eight card too. Getting two eight cards back to back feels significant. It might just be validation that the two cards are indeed connected and working in together for today’s message, but it feels bigger than that. Eight isn’t ringing any bells for me personally. What about you? Anybody with an August birthday? Anyone connecting to any August event: a birth, death, or any anything from any August in the past? Any connection with the eighth of any month? Any eight connection at all with the number 8 that lights up for you?

Is that vague and stage cold reading enough for you? Anybody and everybody can probably drum up some connection with either the number 8 or the month of August. All of these suggestions are the standard, banal, boilerplate interpretations of repeating numbers in a Tarot reading. I only mention it because it feels important to the collective energy part of this reading. Like everyone on the planet, I can think of a connection for me with August…so trust me. Your gut will undoubtedly know if your 8 or August connection is energetically significant or not. You’ll know if this is something meaningful that you should pay attention to, or if it is just coincidental B.S. that you can brush right off.

That, I suspect, is where all the scammy hype rip-off Tarot readers and psychics go off the rails by making some big, ego-inflating deal out of common coincidence rather than supporting your individual intuition.

Don’t listen to me, don’t listen to the cards. Listen to your own instincts. The cards, and my role as a reader is just to support your understanding with a few little nudges, creative prompts and lots of food for thought. In the end, your thinking matters more than any coincidences that might come along to fuel it.

Which brings us circling right back around to the the two-card message for today.

Swords have to do with mind, intellect and action. I’m reminded of a line from some 90s song “free your mind, and the rest will follow.” It was some pop song girl group, and I don’t remember a single thing else about it other than that one lyric, but that one line has always stuck. They don’t call it a hook for nothing. This is the message from the 8 of swords today. The card is talking about freeing your mind.

The figure on the card is surrounded by swords and blindfolded. One of the key ideas of this card is that freedom is still possible even when the odds seem stacked against you. The key is to use creative problem solving. In this Pamela Smith card image, the figure’s feet are bare but unbound, and there is a gap in the swords encircling the person. They’d have to be really, really REALLY careful but they could feel their way to freedom given enough time. There would be a price to pay in shallow cuts, but the freedom is possible with the right action.

The eight of cups is connected to emotions more than the cutting intellect and precise careful action suggested by the eight of swords. The eight of cups is about the bittersweet moving on from heartbreak into the future, from emotional devastation into emotional healing. Sure – there were good times. Sure – there were painful times. But sometimes the only way forward is through, and the only way through is to let the past go.

Now put both cards together – free your mind AND free your heart. For true freedom, both mind (attitude, understanding) and heart (feelings, intentions) have to change AND move on from the old ways. Both cards imply movement from a bad situation toward a better future.

Thank you all so much for reading and listening today. I hope everyone, including podcast listeners will follow the free blog, as I always have some blog only content in the works. You can opt in by putting your email in the box in the right hand column of the blog website (link is in the episode description for podcast folks). You can unsubscribe at any time, although obviously I hope you won’t. Instead of unsubscribing, send a blog comment. I use the feedback to improve things or get content ideas. So thanks in advance for any comments, questions, likes, subs, follows or shares that you can spare.

The blog, podcast and youtube channel are not monetized in any way and depend on audience support. Please visit the Ko-Fi page where your shop purchases, no appointment needed email tarot readings, memberships and virtual coffees all help me to bring you this free to access Tarot content.

Thanks again! See you at the next sip!

New Tarot Turnover for members

See that pumpkin in the corner? 78 cards, near infinite Tarot possibilities

the members only post is up

Ever wonder how only 78 cards can provide inspiration and guidance for uncountable people for hundreds of years?

We talk about that in today’s Tarot Turnover.

Please visit the TaoCraft Tarot ko-fi page to learn more. Memberships and purchases on that page all support the creation of the free Tarot readings in this blog and the audio blog (podcast)

Choose Wisely

TaoCraft Short Sip is Tarot guidance for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. Today the Seven of Cups helps us to choose wisely and with a little less stress.

Welcome to TaoCraft Short Sip: Tarot guidance for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. I’m glad you are here.

Today’s Card is the Seven of Cups.

Right away the pop culture reference popped in with our idea for today.

I don’t know if it was a deliberate choice on the part of the director or the set designer, but there is real resemblance between this card and the scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where there is an array of cups and Indy has to choose the true holy grail from among them and the ancient knight guardian says that “He chose …. wisely.” So naturally I’ve been intoning the “chose wisely” line and movie reference since watching the movie 1990 -ish.

Indy’s father’s life was on the line. So was his given the giant side effect demise of the bad guy who “chose poorly.” It was a dire, emergent, irreversible choice to be made. Luckily most of us don’t face that magnitude of circumstances in the choices that we make.

Despite the visual similarities, there are circumstantial differences between the energy today and the drama of the movie. Most of the time we aren’t going to POOF and loved ones die because of the choices we make.

There might not be special effect poofing, but choosing poorly can lead to bad things happening. It’s the fear of those consequences that can turn decision making into an anxiety riddled, brain-locking experience. That emotion driven reaction is all the worse when logic leaves us in the lurch. When logically, factually all things are equal it is easy to fall into over-thinking things. That’s where perceived stress comes in, even if the danger isn’t particularly real. We may feel like we are going to be special effects poofed if we choose poorly even if there is no poofing involved. This is where a little stress management and stress reduction comes in handy. Tarot can help. Tarot can help tip those all-things-equal scales one direction or another and help you make a choice a little more confidently. Or, as is often the case with the seven of cups, Tarot can help you get past the logic and overthinking. Tarot can help when it comes time to use your intuition and follow your heart when making an intimidating choice.

Decisions are important. So is staying chill and remembering that if we screw up, chances are we will eventually get a whole new set of choices to make. We may not get to make the exact same choice over again, but we can make new choices that can nudge things in new direction.

We may not choose wisely this time but we can try to choose again all the wiser next time.

Thank you so much for reading and listening!

Thank you for listening! They’re not monetized, so please support this blog and podcast through your likes, subs, shares, private email Tarot readings and Tarot Table memberships on ko-fi. 

See you at the next sip!

Says Who?

The Hierophent (Pope, High Priest) card asks us to think about who we allow to influence us. TaoCraft Short Sip Tarot is guidance for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee

Hello and welcome to TaoCraft Short Sip: Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee.

Today’s card is the Hierophant. The Marseille and some decks call it the Pope. My personal favorite version of the card is the High Priest in the Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan and Mark Evans.

There is a lot of nuance and subtle shades of meaning around this card, most of which have to do with some iteration of authority. It might be the literal political power and authority that many people grant the actual Catholic papacy. Or it may be a more purely moral and spiritual authority many people grant to the wisest among us like the Dali Lama or the late Desmond Tutu, for example.

I’ll grant you, my view of the card is profoundly influenced by western liberalism in the sense of democracy and the notion that authority is granted by those who are governed by it.

Here my thoughts turn to an interview I watched last night with Russian dissident Nadya Tolokonnikova.

Even where there is autocratic government there is choice: compliance at lesser risk and protest at great risk.

War and dictatorships aside for a moment, here in the relative safety of the western world and in our own minds, consider for a moment where you grant authority.

On International Women’s Day I want to fall back to one of my favorite Eleanor Roosevelt quotes because it resonates with the self-guidance and personal, spiritual autonomy that is the point and purpose of Tarot work. She said that “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”

The High Priest agrees today.

Who do you consent to impact your feelings? Who do you give authority over your self esteem? Who do you give permission to influence you?

Are they worth it?

Another cue to think about who you consent to have influence or authority over you is the word “should.” If you catch yourself thinking that you “should” do something, take a moment and challenge that thought with loud “Says who?”

Hopefully, the who is you.

Thank you so much for reading and listening. TaoCraft Tarot blog, podcast and youtube channel are all supported through your Tarot reading purchases, Tarot Table Memberships, “buy me a coffee” donations, plus all of your likes, subs, shares and follows. Thank you so much for your support.

See you at the next sip

YouChoose Interactive Tarot: Circles of Life and Fortune

You choose the Tarot card. Pause the video or blogcast if you need some time. Then restart to see or hear the reveal and get your Tarot reading

Today’s YouChoose works the same as always: pick a card. You choose the card, you choose how to apply it. Pause the video if you want a minute to think about which card you want, then restart to see the reveal and hear the card interpretation.

To keep the reveal a surprise (because I know you have good instincts and will pick the right card for you) the video will stand alone without a transcript so there is no peeking.

Stay tuned for more short sip Tarot reading posts and an update about Spring ’22 hours.

Thanks for watching!

Comments and questions are moderated but welcome below. Select replies post in the blog.

Let Kindness Decide

TaoCraft Short Sip is Tarot contemplation in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. Today: seven of cups

Hello. Welcome to TaoCraft Short Sip: Tarot contemplation in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. I’m glad you are here.

Today’s card is the seven of cups.

For the past several years, on the first fourteen days of February, I did a series of posts called “My Tarot Valentine” where the one card daily coffee fueled Tarot contemplation was focused on love, romance, and relationships. From one sentence affirmations to a few paragraphs of advice, whatever card that turned up was viewed through as much of a pink hued Valentines Day lens as I could muster.

There were fewer cups cards than you would expect over the years. Interestingly, here we are back in early February and we have a cup card with no romantic or relationship vibe around it whatsoever.

The essence of the message is vague and generally as it always is when you are reading for a wide audience online like this. It can apply to anything, really, including romance. The vibe is basically: don’t be arrogant in your decision making, let kindness lead the way.

Cups symbolize emotions, and the emotion often associated with the seven is feeling overwhelmed, or feeling a level of anxiety because of overthinking things. It can also be a sort of decision paralysis as it is called. That is the feeling you get when there are so many delicious sounding things on a menu that you can’t decide what to order. Instead of an embarrassment of riches, it is an embarrassment of choices.

Having too many good choices, like the delicious menu is a privilege. Feeling boxed in by nothing but equally bad options is a dilemma. Both are solved by letting logic rest and letting heart and kindness lead the way. Look, as many have said, for the highest good with harm to none, yourself included.

Thank you for watching, reading and listening. Neither this blog cast nor the YouTube channel are monetized, so these Tarot card readings depend on your support. Your likes, subs, shares, private reading orders, Tarot Table memberships and ‘buy me a coffee’ donations are always greatly appreciated.

Thanks again, and I’ll see you at the next sip!

Focus!

TaoCraft Short Sip is Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. Today the Seven of Cups and how to make a close decision.

TaoCraft Short Sip is Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. Why don’t you follow the blog or the podcast so we can sip our way to a whole coffee break?

Today’s card is the Seven of Cups.

Please don’t take offense when I yell focus. Believe me, that’s as much my message today as anyone’s. I’m definitely in coffee and nap mode this lovely chilly snowy winter morning.

But that is what weather like this is for. The card is a little more interesting and complex than that. This card is typically associated with many choices, over thinking and indecision.

In a way, indecision is a privilege. Deciding is easy if you have limited resources and few or no viable options. It’s easy to choose when you have no choice. Indecision because of many good options isn’t a bad problem to have.

Still, decision paralysis as it is called is a problem to be solved. Logic is always a good tool for that. Focus comes in handy because if you can focus and clarify your real need or your real goal, then the choices neccessary to move toward your goal often will become clear. It has a little bit of a “dominoes falling” feel here. Once you have a clear idea, the process to bring that idea to fruition will often fall into place. Or, at least, that kind of focus starts other processes like making a pro and con list to help sort through your choices.

If logic fails, and you find yourself with a “six of one, half dozen of the other” sort of decision to make, then pick up your intuition as your other decision making tool. It seems to me that is the more common advice when it comes to the seven of cups. Cups in general are associated with water, emotions and intuition. Cups cards advise us to follow our heart while swords cards often tell us to use our head.

Sometimes intuition can leave you in that six of one half dozen of the other lurch, too. That’s where Tarot or other intuition helpers come into play.

When things are logically equal, and there are only two top-tier options, and things are coming down to one of those follow your gut kind of decisions, I find the yes/no three card Tarot layout is helpful. It can validate your gut instinct as well as nudge you one direction or the other if you are feeling truly indecisive.

Stay tuned (did I mention that if you follow the blog you get all of my free Tarot content right here, and all the new posts are delivered fresh right to your inbox?) I’ve done this several times recently but MY instinct this morning is to post another yes/no example soon.

When the Seven of Cups crosses your path, it is a hint that you are going in circles and overthinking. It’s time to focus. First, use logic to sort and prioritize. If that doesn’t work, follow your gut and your heart or any other internal organs that might have something to say. If that doesn’t work, see if a divination tool or intuition helper like Tarot gives you a nudge or a validation.

If that doesn’t work, take a nap.

Just don’t forget to focus and try again when you wake up.

Thanks for reading, watching and listening to TaoCraft Short Sip Tarot. I always appreciate your support. See you at the next sip!

Today’s Tarot: Up in the Air

I think the bothersome thing about the 8 of wands is the way it reminds us of how little control we really have sometimes.

The card reminds us that something is up in the air. Something is pending that is beyond our reach.

A classic example is arrows in flight. You do what you can, you control what you are able to control – you aim, you choose how to pull the bow, when to let go – but once you shoot the arrow you can’t control it anymore. You can account for the wind when you aim, but if an unexpected gust comes, you can re-aim mid flight. All you can do is wait for the arrow to land and then react to that outcome, whatever it may be.

If you feel drawn to this card today, wait a little. Whatever is on your mind, cool your jets, let the process play itself out. Something is up in the air and out of your control (which is most things for most of us most days, I’ll grant you)

Today’s Tarot: Mind to Meatspace

Even though we are having a vegetarian supper, it’s Meatspace Monday.

Usually for me it works out to be Meatspace Sunday, but alliteration makes everything better. Even when that’s not the kind of meat I’m talking about. Any other William Gibson fans out there? I can’t remember how long ago I read Neuromancer or how many times I’ve re-read it since, but I’m pretty sure (considering how old my gen-x backside is getting) he’s the one who coined “meatpuppet.” It has a bit of an, ahem, adult meaning in the book, so let’s just say it means the physical body….meat instead of mind, physical reality vs virtual reality kind of reference. I’m not sure who came up with “meatspace” as the physical real-world counterpart to “cyberspace” (also a Gibson word, if memory serves) but I think it was Adam Savage who is another one of my favorite inspirations and creative influences. Neuromancer and Every Tool’s a Hammer are both excellent reads. Several thumbs up for both

But on to the Chariot card. Sure it has all of the chariot race Ben Hur kind of energies that Thom Pham depicts here in the Heart of Stars deck. To win a chariot race you have to pay attention to what the heck you are doing. I often explain it as the ‘test pilot’ card. Whether you are racing chariots or flying fighter jets, being preoccupied or letting your mind wander can land you in big trouble. But that’s not quite the energy of it for today.

It’s a little more meta than that. Pay attention to where you pay attention.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m very thankful to all of you who read the blog and watch the videos. Please keep it up! I love having you to talk with (and for goodness’ sake feel free to talk back. I have the comments moderated to keep the energy spam free and reasonable for all of us) But just for a minute, pull back. Be a person reading a screen instead of letting your mind rest IN the screen. Pull back to meatspace, be aware of your surroundings, your device as a whole, the words on the screen, yes, but also of the environment you are in. Be aware of you where you are right now as part of that meatspace whole.

It’s easy, especially for those of us who tend to “live in our head” anyway, to get caught up in an intellectual, conceptual virtual reality be it found in websites, or movies, or TV or books. For us, it is even more crucial to reconnect with physicality. Take a mental vacation into meatspace. Get a little exercise. Savor your favorite dessert.

Pay attention to paying attention. Put your mind into meatspace sometimes.

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THE COFFEE SHOP IS OPEN

NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED TAROT HERE

What You Keep

Things change.

That seems to be a big theme lately. It can be overwhelming when too much changes at one time. Some changes are forced on us by time or circumstance. Other are chosen and it is for our own good to walk away.

No matter why we choose the bittersweet journey away from the old and toward the new, there are always memories of the good things to ease the transition.

No matter why we choose the change, or what the change may be, a mix of emotions and a degree of wistfulness is way of it. It is a moment in-between.