Tag: knight of cups

Week Ahead: Modern Art!

Three card Pathway reading for the week ahead. Sage Sips is Tarot contemplation in the time it takes to sip from your coffee

Modern art!

Matt Smith was so excellent as the Doctor, when he left and Peter Capaldi came into the role, I wasn’t sure what to think, as is the case for most Doctor Who fans when regeneration time comes around. Then they showed the old “Fires of Pompeii” episode where Capaldi had previously played the role of Caecilius the marble merchant during David Tennant’s time as the Doctor. When toga-clad Capaldi raised his arms in a BEHOLD gesture and declared the Tardis to be “MODERN ART!” I’m like ok, ok…he can be the Doctor now.

If Tom Baker was the Doctor you wanted to be your dad, and Tennant and Smith were the Doctors you wanted to be your very best friend, then Capaldi was the Doctor I wanted to BE.

Why is my Whovian fan-girl side bringing up this obscure Doctor Who reference? Because Caecilius’ enthusiasm is exactly the vibe for this week’s reading, except maybe turned up to volume 11.

This is the week for passionate artists and creatives. It’s giving me itchy knitting fingers.

The fading energy card feels like early week energy more than anything that is fading, really. There is a ‘ get while the getting is good’ vibe about it. If you are feeling inspired, act sooner rather than later. This is the knight of cups after all. Knight cards are all about action. Cups are emotions. Grab the chance to express yourself and how you feel as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Don’t wait to appreciate your modern art!

The current energy card, which we will revisit later this week with paid subscribers, is the Ace of Swords. Sword cards are more precise and intellectual than cups, but they too can hint at action. Swords are connected to the classic element air, and the single upright sword on the ace card has a sweeping, lifting, rising energy. The word INSPIRATION comes strongly to mind here. If you have been in a creative slump, or feeling uninspired in any context, keep your eyes open and be ready, that may turn around soon. Inspiration is on the way, it seems.

For those of us who have had to focus on practical, mundane day-job energies this past weekend, the ace feels more like getting a second wind, a revitalization rather than some sort of beginning inspiration. Which energy carries the week for you depends on where you are starting out today (Merry Monday everyone!) If you are coming into the week fresh after the weekend, then fresh starts ahead. If, like me, you have been in practical, time-to-make-the-donuts mode, hang in there. A fresh gust of wind beneath your wings is on the way.

The Chariot from the major arcana is the growing energy. This also gives the impression of growing energy and movement through the week as a whole. I get the mental image of that Japanese painting The Great Wave. That’s the nature of the Chariot card, but we are also moving from minor arcana into major arcana energy. Heads up, pay attention, stay on target. The energy this week is on the upswing, a growing wave that hasn’t crested yet. Growing energy and faster movement also needs more focus and attention. Early week may be the time for daydreams and wandering minds that make the initial creative connections, but later in the week comes the time to execute. Later on, as the energy grows, we will need focus and attention to make those misty drifting creative ideas into a more tangible reality.

There is absolutely no logical reason why, but clear quartz points and herkimer diamonds come to mind too. Lore around clear quartz is that it is an energy amplifier. Quartz points, especially tourmalated quartz (clear with small spiky inclusions of black tourmaline) are thought to support guidance (the spikes and points symbolize something ‘pointing the way’ for us.)

The keys for the week are self expression, creativity, art, increasing energy, increasing need for focus and attention.

So go, make life into your own work of modern art.

And if you like what you see in these general audience collective energy readings, I hope you’ll consider a private reading. I’ve really been vibing with email readings lately. No ‘bots here. Just me, my deck, and my laptop creating something unique and special, attuned to you individually plus a photo of your real world cards. We both can have a high level of confidence in email readings because let’s face it, there is no room for shenanigans in email Tarot. I can’t read your body language or ask leading questions – suspect cold readings or stage mentalism just isn’t possible this way. On my side, not only do I get to stay in my comfy work from home clothes and sip all the coffee I want, it’s easier mental work. I don’t have to be on guard for some sort of ego trip from unconsciously slipping into a body language leading question kind of cold reading. Doing email readings keeps you honest. It’s just us and intuition / energy / spirit, no buffer or go between or shady stuff for either of us.

I hope you enjoyed the free for all posts last week. Please consider joining the Tarot Table on Ko-fi or subscribing to Sage Sips on Substack to get the deeper dive Tarot long reads and Q&A posts that are on the way.

Thanks again for reading. I appreciate you.

See you at the next sip!

The Week Ahead: Churning a Corner

Churning the corner: a Tarot look at the week ahead

It’s Monday. Let’s talk motivation. Mostly because I don’t have any at the moment.

Hello and welcome to Sage Words Tarot blog and Sage’s Short Sip Tarot podcast. I’m glad you are here.

It’s week two of the new schedule where a three card pathway reading for the week ahead posts for everyone on Monday. I appreciate any day that you read or listen. Thank you.

The cards are chatty this week. The intuitive impressions are words as much as mental images. Typically I get more images than words. I don’t thing that shift is particularly significant, I’m fairly clairaudient anyway so let’s just roll with it.

The first card is the knight of cups with the words “emotional churning.” come through here. Knights are generally very active, confident, forward moving cards. In this case, it is in the “diminishing energies” position within the layout. Put those together, and it hints at a time of high emotions, but when that time happens for you as an individual is impossible to say. It may be happening, or it may be close at hand. Either way, I’d guess this time of emotional upheaval and wonkiness shouldn’t last long.

I’ll grant you I’ve had a morning of app and website technical gremlins, so I feel fairly annoyed with that, but those are resolved now and I still feel a sense of malcontent. I get a sense of short tempers, irritability, or of the world getting on every last nerve. Again I get that idea of emotional churning. It might be a residual feeling from the earlier inconveniences, but it it crossing that boundary line we’ve talked about before. If I focus on that boundary between my own mood and the general zeitgeist energy, this feels like more than a stupic app crashing would warrant. Yeah, I was annoyed, but now it feels like so are a lot of other people and over bigger things than that.

Mind that your mood is your own. This card reminds us of two things. First mind your emotional boundaries. What is the objective reality around you right now? Is the stress or emotion you might be feeling objectively warranted, or is it a by-product of worry about the future or dwelling on the past? If that is the case deliberately focusing on right here, right now can help. That’s the mindfulness that people are always talking about.

Let’s try it. Just for a quick moment. Then you can get right back to your regularly scheduled agitation.

First take a deep breath and think about what you feel and how you feel. Good, bad or indifferent, don’t judge it, just name it. How the heck do you feel right now? Is a just a little or is the volume turned up to 11?

Take another deep breath. Now pay attention to right here. Where are you? What is your environment? Pull your attention back from the words on the screen and notice other things like the device itself, the sounds around you, the temperature, how comfortably you are seated or standing.

All of those details.

Pay attention to right now. Forget the past, forget the future, just for a minute. Put all of your thoughts on

This.

One.

Moment.

Is this moment quiet? Does it suddenly feel like “HEY! It’s kinda happy in here!” If that’s the case, you might be resonating with outside energies. If you still feel gnarly and churning, then it’s time to face those emotions. Own them. Even if they are uncomfortable, it’s ok. They are legit. As best as you can, give them…and you…whatever T.L.C is needed. It’s not a personal failure to experience uncomfortable emotions. At worst it’s a signal there is something up that needs some attention, comprehension and problem-solving. At best it’s just you being human.

The good news is that as a diminishing energy, the emotional churn that is our Monday Motivation toward mindfulness (ooooh I do love me some alliteration) probably won’t last long. The high emotional state will churn the corner soon.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

The second thing is mind your own emotions. More than just being aware of the boundary, shore it up and don’t leak out. Feel what you feel. Embrace it, accept it, abide with it. Just please don’t spew it on other people. You never know what is brewing inside their emotional boundary bubble so be nice. We are are annoyed in this together – or so it seems.

The surrounding energy for this week is the Ace of Wands.

I hear “carry a torch for yourself.” which is a phrase that I’ve heard before with this card. Wands are associated with fire, our inner world, and our inner passions. Once we get on the other side of annoyance day, then carrying a torch for ourselves…self love, self improvement, self care….whatever name you want to use for it…give yourself a little of that.

If the emotional churn initially motivates, this self care is one thing that the emotions are pushing us toward.

“Spark an idea” comes through too. I also hear “lightbulb” and see that cartoon trope of a light bulb over someone’s head to show they have had a sudden good idea.

When you get the right idea, your instinct and emotion will light up too. When you know, you know, and when you know where you want to go it lights up the path to get there lights up too.

Churning emotions are a hint that something needs to change, that you need to turn a corner. A spark of an idea will let you know when the change is at hand and just what corner to turn.,

The growing energy is the two of pentacles. That’s where we are headed, and that’s a releaf. I ‘hear’ it will all wash out in the end.

I see pancakes.

Here is why.

Have you ever made pancakes from scratch? Most recipes tell you not to mix too much at the end, and that lumps are OK because they will cook out in the end, and mixing them out now will make the pancake chewy and tough.

That’s sort of the flow of energy here. It’s lumpy and weird at the start, but if we hang in and roll with it, it will all cook out in the end. We’ll churn the corner to a more balanced energy fairly soon.

Hang in there my friends.

Thank you for reading and listening. Please visit the main blog and podcast website. The link is in the episode description for podcast folks. Your support on ko-fi helps me to bring this weekly look ahead reading to everyone. Please click the white coffee mug on the website or the link in the description to learn more.

Many thanks. See you at the next sip!

Ride and Abide

TaoCraft Short Sip is Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. Today, ride and abide with the Knight of Cups.

Welcome to TaoCraft Tarot blog and podcast. I’m glad you are here.

Today’s card is the knight of cups. I’m using the Alleyman’s Tarot deck, with the knight of cups card by Lacy Martin & Christine Scanlon.

The knight of cups has a little bit of surface contradiction to it. Knights are action oriented, while cups are water and emotions. At first glance, the obvious interpretation would be put your feelings into action.

That might be the case for you, that is the right thing for some days, but I don’t get a sense that is the message we need today. That isn’t the overall vibe I’m getting this morning.

Card reversals pop to mind a little here too. It’s a fair question. If this is about NOT acting on something, why wouldn’t the knight card be reversed?

We’ve talked about this in previous episodes where the card was reversed. Reversals aren’t all that. Like I said then, I take all aspects of the card into consideration during a reading be it positive, be it negative, be it neutral be it what have you. Today’s card is an example of that multifaceted consideration of an upright card.

There is nothing blocked, turbulent, complicated or cautioning about this energy message, so the card is not reversed. It sounds a little like a double negative when we talk about it this way. It’s sort of like the cartoon where a student tries to trick the teacher into letting him out of class by asking to please not never be dis-excused to the restroom or something like that.

“Sit down Carl!”

It also reminds me of a TikTok that I watched earlier today from Senator Cory Booker. If you have access, I encourage you to look for it and watch it too. It posted on Tuesday April 26, 2022 and was captioned “How I learned a lesson in nonviolence.” In it he talks about how emotions inform us less about the people and situations that provoke them and more about the places where we need to heal and grow. He wanted to act, but instead found a way to nonviolently abide with the situation and his emotions about it. Again, I urge you to find it and watch it and hear Senator Booker’s wisdom in his own words in this short but powerful video.

Here is another less elegant, less kind, less wise but perhaps more relatable example. It imagery is closer to older decks like Marseille and Waite Smith decks. On these you have your standard issue knight in shining armor on horseback, so you can read in all the usual tropes about chivalry and defensive honorable combat and so on. He is holding a chalice, which presumably holds water or wine or some drink.

Now, bring in a fairly well known anime. In the early seasons of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, our hero Jonathan had to fight an enemy while holding a goblet of wine without spilling any in order to graduate to the next level of his Sendo (Hamon) training. Good-guy hero in action with a glass of wine: See the similarities?

You have to be fully accepting and comfortable with your cup of wine to fight without spilling anything. You have to be fully comfortable and accepting of your emotions to move with them without sloshing your stuff all over other people. In short,make friends with your emotions as you move through your day.

Today’s advice isn’t to act ON our emotions but rather act WITH them. Today is a day to ride AND abide.

Thank you so much for listening. I really appreciate your support including likes, subs, shares, follows, questions and comments.

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

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Flirt

Knight of cups: flirt with life a little bit today. TaoCraft Short Sip is Tarot guidance for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. Full card of the day reading on the blog & podcast.

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

Today’s card is the knight of cups.

I don’t know about you, but the card is resonating with me on a very literal level this morning. It is the Monday after the time change to daylight savings and I’ll be chugging, not sipping coffee out of my cup like a caffeinated warrior. The first few days of daylight savings time messes with me under the best of times, but pile it on top of a late night for other practical reasons and things get REAL cranky around here.

If you’ll indulge my annual rant: daylight savings time is flat earth science denying nonsense in a 24/7 modern technological society like ours. It doesn’t save anyone anything. If you work for a living, it just changes when you have to turn the lights on, not how much you turn them on. No matter how much you clever monkeys mess around with the clocks, it doesn’t change the tilt of the Earths axis or it’s orbit around the sun. You get a fixed amount of sunlight for the day of the year. Period. If you want to get up early to take advantage of the longer days…fine. Knock yourself out. The rest of us were already up. In the dark. Making coffee.

But that’s just me.

The vibe from the card isn’t cranky, sleep deprived or overly caffeinated at all, really. The card is sweet, lighthearted and fun. Downright playful even.

Cups, as we know, has to do with emotions and closest inner circle relationships. Knights symbolize action and activity. So the advice today become to act on your sweetest loving impulses today.

Back in the future-predicting, fortune-telling days of Tarot the knight of cups was thought to portend romance and adventure. The knight of cups was all chivalry, dashing charm and a Lancelot knight in shining armor sort of character.

So what does that have to do with now? Isn’t that as outdated, flat earth and science denying as frickity-fracking daylight savings time?

No.

Daylight savings time manipulates inner clocks and natural rhythms. The knight of cups is reminding us, today of all days, to honor the lighter side those natural rhythms.

Spring is in the air. Relaxed good humor is the vibe of the day. If you aren’t feeling it, that’s ok. Just take it easy and be kind and gentle with yourself as we the sleep deprived ease into the new schedule. If you are feeling it, then by all means unleash it. The world needs a little relaxed fun loving flirty energy today.

It is a very expansive, large, love life, love the world, love humanity, love is love is love is love energy that is showing itself this morning. Whoever you love, it is a sweet peck on the lips kind of day. If you aren’t in a relationship that would allow that, then give that sweet peck on the lips in metaphoric way. Give some good vibes and bask in whatever warmth is reflected back to you. Smile. Laugh at silly commercials on TV. Hold the door open for someone. Be nice to your barista. Deliberately stay in a good mood even when you are cut off in traffic or a major “karen” crosses your path. Fix someone in the family’s favorite meal for no reason. Play music that makes you happy.

Dan Millman calls it the laughter of the enlightened man. Misha Collins calls it Random Acts* of Kindness. You get the idea.

Be good to yourself today, and bring as many others along with you as you can. Lower the bar, enjoy the ride, say yes to the whip on your latte and flirt with life a little bit.

Thank you so much for reading and listening to today’s blog cast. I appreciate your support.

None of the TaoCraft Tarot online content is monetized. Your likes, follows, subs, follows, Tarot reading purchases and Tarot Table memberships all contribute toward creating the blog, the podcast, and the YouTube companion videos that show the real-world card draw for each short sip post/episode.

Thanks again. See you at the next sip!

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Next Steps on the Path

Q: What does the Universe most want me to know right now? What are my next steps on my life’s path?

A: I love this question!

This is the absolute best kind of question for Tarot. I’m so grateful for the anonymous donor that allowed me to share this question with the blog. It’s a perfect example of what Tarot is most meant to do: to guide us along our life path, not make specific predictions.

Whenever I’m doing a reading with someone for the first time, I try to explain about my layout and how it may differ from the classic layout that inspired it. All of the layouts I offer are either updated versions of classic layouts (like this one) or ones that I’ve written from scratch (like the 7 and 5 card “TaoCraft” layouts). I’ve put the layout explanation in the video. If you want that detail, feel free to watch. If you want to just get to the cards, then scroll on.

If you order any email reading with me this is what you would get: photo of your actual, real-world card layout, general pattern, card by card discussion, and psychic summary that can include things like crystal or aromatherapy suggestions. That part is super individualized and works entirely from intuition. Given that, there are no real promises or guidelines about what the summary will include or not include. The three card pathway reading that follows is an example, used here with permission.

Keep in mind that the energy and message of each person’s reading naturally adapts to that individual’s needs. Some people might need a spiritual frying pan to the face while other people need a gentler touch. As such, example readings ONLY show the general format and process. The actual detail and content varies from person to person. YOUR reading will be unique and tailored to YOUR individual needs, just like this reading was given to this person in this way at this time.

The cards today are:

  • Energy moving away from you: Nine of Cups
  • Energy around you: Knight of Swords
  • Energy moving toward you: Knight of Cups

General Pattern

There isn’t much to say about the pattern in a one or three card layout. That comes more into play for the larger layouts. But you do have two knight cards, which is attention getting in a layout this size. Knights are about action, doing. You are being asked, I think, to take an active responsible role in your well being. If you have a habit of thinking of yourself as a victim, the energies now may be helpful to you if you want to change that thought-habit. But that kind of change is work and requires much effort. There is no shame in talking to experts or professionals who know a lot about such things. I’m not an expert. But the action / knights energy of the reading suggest that you do what you know to do to make things better, seek knowledgeable advice when you don’t know what to do.

Two cups cards hint this has to do with emotions more than external or physical circumstances. That is the mind part of mind-body holistic wellness. It also touches the spiritual aspects of mind-body-spirit in balance. Improvement in any one of those areas is going to have benefits in the other areas. Managing stress / emotional health can support physical situations and vice versa. This is speaking of general principle, NOT about any specific impressions or situations.

Energy Moving Away: Nine of Cups

Cups as a suite represent closest relationships, not just romance as some think. It can include any kind of important relationship: friends, family, children. In this case, it doesn’t feel like the energy is moving away from you as much as it is a change. There is a little bit of advice and a little bit of cautioning here. There is a danger of psyching yourself out a little bit, reading things as more negative than they really are. The advice is to be steady and try to see things as they are and not reading things into it that really aren’t there. If you aren’t sure, ask. The nine of cups in particular has to do with close knit family celebrations and traditions. I see this card a LOT during the fall and winter holiday season. There is a much greater sense of comfort and hospitality with other decks than there is with this one. If you get a chance, google Ellen Dugan’s Witches Tarot for this card. Mark Evans’ artwork for the card captures the feel of your card better than this does.

Seasons change. Families change. Celebrations and holidays change, especially as young ones get older. It is easy to become sad or overly nostalgic. On the other hand, what greater joy than seeing children grow into caring, thriving adults? The nine of cups is a happy card. It showing itself in the ‘moving away’ position does not, in your case, mean that the happiness is moving away from you. That part hints at the risk of you isolating yourself from happiness. Instead of seeing change as a loss of old times, try to embrace change in the family as normal and happy and an accomplishment for everyone. This card is reminding you to celebrate the new times even as the old times move away.

Energy Now: Knight of Swords

The knight of swords is a card of action and daring and courage. The message here is DO something. I get the feeling it has to do with self-care. DO something to take care of yourself. DO something…any small thing that will feed your sense of accomplishment. Do something that is just inside your comfort zone. Find something that you enjoy to no end…DO something that you enjoy and that gives you joy. It’s a pop culture, back of a mug silly little platitude, but one I read that we should “do yourself into a new way of thinking, not think yourself into a new way of doing.” I see that as speaking to the mind-body connection and holistic wellness. I get the feeling that this is also nudging you toward some sort of activity for health and wellness. I don’t take health questions and never ever comment on medical or heath conditions…I’ll post more about that policy in the blog in coming days if you like….but what comes to mind here is something gentle like yoga, walking outside, mild stretching…something that encourages mind/body health and stress reduction. I suggest that you find a class, or consult a holistic wellness expert or at the very least look into some sort of meditation perhaps. Mind-body wellness seems to be a big part of this cards energy and advice.

Energy moving toward you: Knight of Cups

In the old days, this card was the dashing and handsome stranger. Another classic meaning is one of messenger. It is the messenger energy that I’m sensing for you. Hold tight. Wandering what is next and wondering what to do is top of mind for you right now, as we saw in your question. I’m sorry I can’t be more specific, but this card is letting you know that the answers are on the way. I don’t have any sense of the details right now. I know this is exactly the kind of vague, evasive, useless nonsense that skeptics use to criticize intuitive readings of any kind. They aren’t wrong. It’s hard to put this card into words, but I think what this is saying is “God helps those who help themselves” in a sense. Knights suggest discovering your own power and ability to act and do. The knight of cups specifically is letting you know that encouragement and emotional support … likely from spiritual sources … is on the horizon. Stand up for yourself now, and that will help the spirit of good news and a feeling of closeness with your spiritual supports come to you as you walk the path ahead.

Summary

This isn’t a matter of superficial self-confidence. The energy here is about refocusing on the energy of surviving and turning that into an energy of thriving.

Red colors and crystals support the root chakra that has to do with that sort of energy shift. Red jasper, red spinel, anything ruby red colored comes to mind for you. It is a powerful, fire energy.

I also see a red jar candle, something you can safely use. And I get the fragrance of cloves. Not just some pumpkin spice fall blend, but deep rich cloves, maybe a little cinnamon but not much else. If you like fragranced candles or room scents, maybe try something that is very SPICE scented.

Wearing red might be helpful too.

And there the energy steps back.

I hope you find this helpful…that goes both for the person who so generously allowed this AND for all of the blog followers. Please, lets all send thoughts of love and support to each other. An individual reading is very unique, BUT appreciating Tarot and all that is can do is a COMMUNITY. Anyone with an interest in Tarot can lend their energies to helping each other.

Intention is everything in energy work.

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Today’s Tarot: Wordless

Connect your heart

Some things are beyond words.

Mat Auryn superbly and poetically describes the idea of mystery tradition in magick (and in some ways, I might add, Tarot.) There are some things that can only be directly, wordlessly experienced. That is the essence and definition of spirituality to my mind. Spirituality is our individual experience of the wordless and intangible parts of our human experience. Religion, on the other hand, is exernal experience, not internal. Religion is social, and group focused. Spirituality is wordless, expressed from the inside out. Religion is codified, group behavior that influences from the outside in.

Expression, experience and wordless are the key words here.

The High Priest and High Priestess cards also deal with these great wordless mysteries. Although this and other contemporary Tarot decks don’t have the explicit Christian religious imagery for the High Priest/Pope/Hierophant card that you see on the Marsielle, RWS and other older decks have, the nature of the tradition keeper and even the mystery seeker priestess cards are outside-in, just a hairbreadth on the religious side regardless of their visual depiction.

So what does any of this have to do with the Knight of Cups?

The Knight of Cups has always had some degree of spiritual connotation. He carries a message. Cups are associated with water (deep water is often a symbol for deep spiritual and cosmic mysteries) and intuition (often a wordless experience.)

Knights are associated with action. We are three dimensional creatures. Even the purest, wordless, silent, direct experience if the spiritual and intangible still has some physical third dimensional corollary or action. To have direct spiritual experience requires some action or doing be that sitting in meditation, gazing at the sky, performing a ritual, or taking a shower. Whether you call it spontaneous enlightenment or simply a moment of insight, this direct, wordless experience of emotion and insight is a normal, natural, inherent part of being human.

If you have chosen to read and watch this, if you have chosen the knight of cups card today, there is a sense of urging. There is a strong push to do the spiritual things that put you in a mental and physical space where wordless experience of the profound and spiritual is an open possibility. Follow your heart to the doing of it. Do the thing that connects your heart to the wordless.

My Tarot Valentine 2021: Any Little Gesture

Chivalry is such a quaint word.

You don’t hear it much any more. It comes to mind today with the Knight of Cups today, in a sweet, kissy-kissy way. I can’t blame you if you just aren’t in the mood for it. As I write this it is first thing in the morning and I’m not in the mood form much other than a large latte. Like Gurney Halleck in the Dune movie tells us, “moods are a thing for loveplay and cattle” Loveplay it is then.

In another movie, The Crow, Eric tells us (in the scene where he visits Officer Albrecht at home) “Little things used to mean so much to Shelly- I used to think they were kind of trivial. Believe me, nothing is trivial.” Little things mean a lot. Little gestures mean a lot.

Things that may seem trivial to you at the time might just be a little treasure to those who care about you. Don’t be surprised if small gestures of affection – in any human connection, not just grand romance – give you a little heartbeat of happiness too.

Today’s Tarot: The Art of Art

The Knight of Cups is typically about chivalry, and romance, and that Arthurian kind of knight-in-shiney-armour kind of thing. It is sometimes related to art and artists.

As always these days, it is relatable to those of us staying at home. The art piece of this is getting my attention today. When we look back on the social media of these months, I hope everyone remembers the museum at home art challenge thing. I have no idea how it started. I think ultimately it came from museaums posting pictures of pieces from their collection (something MOMA, Musee D’Orsay and others do all the time anyway) on Instagram. When the shutdow happened, other museums became more visible, sharing famous works with the hash #museumfromhome. From there it evolved to people replicating famous artworks with whatever they have on hand during quarantine. It is nothing short of amazing. Please, please, please check it out. The ones that work in a roll of toilet paper or a few are my favorites because that was such a thing and a source of giggles early on in this.

Someone once said that art is something that exists only for its own sake. I don’t 100% agree. I’m fond of art that has usefulness. Tarot for example. It is ephemeral folk performance art of sorts, but has psychological, stress relieving, diversion and entertainment utility.

I define art as that which evokes emotion.

Other than that, no rules about aesthetics or utility. A hand knit sweater can be art because it evokes feeling of comfort, warmth, or associations with the person who created it if it was a gift and so on. The Dada movement appreciated art that was provokative, confronting unpleasant emotions. Even if your response is “eeeww” or “pfft – I could do that” it is still a response, it is still engaging with the artwork, and it is still art. True enough, not all emotion eliciting art has a practical use. If one of Bob Ross’ trees make you happy, then that is more than enough.

And there you have it folks…my college art minor put to good use.

Which brings us back to the Knight of Cups. It is a good reminder that not everything musst have a purpose, and that we can emotionally engage with anything.

Interestingly enough, this also reinforces the message from yesterday about simple pleasures. If you want to re-create a painting and post it online because it amuses you, then that is reason enough to do it. I you want to wear your rattiest old sweater because it makes you feel comfortable, that is reason enough. If you want to gaze out the window at a dandilion in the grass because it is so bright yellow in the sun and it takes your mind off other things for a split second…that is reason enough. That dandilion become art. Life is art and art is life, connected, engaged, and mindful.

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Speaking of Instagram….I’m @ Taocraft.Tarot and that is the social media I’m most often on lately. Stop by and say hi if you want. Comments are closed on the website to prevent spam, trolls and unhealthy energy out of our little Tarot studio, but comments are open for converstatio on IG and Twitter (@TaoCraftTarot) See you there!

You Choose: Free Interactive Tarot Reading

Left: Page of Coins. A day for learning practical skills. You don’t have to be perfect right away. It’s more about usefulness and progress than prettiness and perfection.

Middle: Knight of Cups. Emotions are more real, complete, and satisfying when they are constructivly expressed. Don’t just tantrum or gush – make something good come of whatever feeling motivates you today.

Right: Knight of Pentacles. It doesn’t matter if your journey takes you a thousand miles or across the room. Unless you take that first step, you go nowhere.