nine of cups – Sage Words Tarot

The Week Ahead: More Please!

Contented? More please! Sage’s Short Sip is Tarot for your day in the time it take to sip from your coffee

In Tarot, we talk a lot about what to do when things get bad. What do you do when things get good?

Hello and welcome to the Sage Words Tarot blog and Short Sip podcast where it is all Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. I’m glad you are here.

This week’s energy has a lot of the Zen and Taoist philosophy influence that I wanted to honor in my previous blog name, TaoCraft Tarot. To be clear, I don’t mean any of this as any sort of cultural appropriation. When I was in my twenties, at a time when I was running for my life from a toxic subculture, I finally found a safe space and indulged in all of the Tarot, Taoism, Zen and magick reading I could get my hands on. Those ideas and philosophies helped me to grow into a much better person and made my life magnitudes better. Taoist principles like simplicity, honesty and authenticity are the foundation of my Tarot work to this day. The foundation of everything, really.

This week’s cards weave together around that core. The three cards together bring to mind the idea of suffering and satisfaction.

When you say it that way, it reminds me of the scene from Harry Potter where they are learning to read tea leaves and Ron reads Harry’s as something along the lines of “you are going to suffer, but you’ll be happy about it.”

The energy today brings to mind the opposite and begs the question:

Are you happy but suffering about it?

I follow a lot of artists on social media. Bruce Brackett is as fierce and fearless in his self-expression as you would expect a professional artist to be. The fan snaps, cups of love, and “negativity be gone” catchphrase is brilliant. I forget the main point of what he was saying the other day on TikTok. A side comment captured my attention so much I don’t remember the rest of it or even exactly when it posted.

It was about how he was able to take an accomplishment in stride, and wasn’t feeling overjoyed about it, “just” content. I’m paraphrasing heavily, but he said something along the lines of “I suppose I’m not supposed to be overjoyed at everything.”

No, no you’re not. None of us are as far as I can tell.

Where there is yin, there must be yang. Where there is light there must also be dark. Where there is overjoyed, there is also sorrow. Where there is lasting, there is also fleeting. Given the big picture and broad spectrum of all that life can be, content is a pretty darn good thing.

Buddhism talks about suffering. Set illness, aging, injury and physical suffering aside for a moment and let’s think about the mental and emotional side of things. No, not really set it aside – just make it the second domino in our cascading line of thought. Mind affects body and vice versa, so all of this can get around to the physical benefits of stress reduction and so on…but I’ll leave that to the holistic health folks to think about.

Suffering in the philosophical Buddhist sense can be thought of as dissatisfaction, or in other words a lack of that precious content feeling Mr. Beckett described. Suffering can be, and often is totally subjective and completely within our frame of mind.

It’s like that pastina recipe that has been popular lately. Being hungry is a physical suffering . Among those who are well fed, however, a bowl of humble pasta might leave one person comforted and content while a meal at the best restaurant in town might leave another person dissatisfied and secretly filling up later at the fast food joint down the street.

Things are good.

There is a pretty, floaty, quiet little snow happening outside my window right now. I have a private Tarot client this afternoon as tasty leftovers in the ‘fridge for lunch between now and then.

Right here, right now, in this precious moment life is good and I am content. I want to take this opportunity to tell the universe how deeply grateful I am. More of the same please. I wish contentment for us all.

For this week, the two of pentacles is the fading energy card. I don’t think that means things are becoming unbalanced. The two of pentacles hints at a dynamic kind of equilibrium. I think this means the need to pay active attention to our life balance may be fading a bit. It feels like things may be settling into a new normal.

Three years ago this week the world was tossed into the global pandemic. I’m not saying that’s over. That is outside of anything Tarot and way outside of my expertise. But wearing a mask on occasion and keeping up with new vaccine boosters is a new normal that is easy enough to live with. Things are striking a new balance that is solid enough to let us turn our emotions to other places.

Current energy is the nine of cups. The suit of cups symbolizes our emotions, which is why they are so closely tied to romance and relationship issues. This reflects the subjective nature of contentment. Nine symbolizes fulfillment, or a good outcome to something. When is enough ever enough? This hints at that feeling of contentment were just talking about.

Growing energy is back to the practical pentacles. The seven reminds us that you reap what you sow, so might as well sow good things.

That there will be a harvest at all is a magical, comforting thing.

All in all, these cards are reminding us of all the changes we’ve been through. It may have been a struggle to find balance, but we are at a place where we can find new balance points and find a new normal. This new balance (the energy, not the shoes) has brought new good things with it, but it is up to us to realize the good things about here and now. Dwelling on the changes robs us of a new sense of contentment. We may not be overjoyed at life, but neither do we have to despair. Like that old adage says, people are as happy as they make up their minds to be.

What are the good parts of our new normal that we can seed for the future and hopefully hang on to for a while?

Sage’s Short Sip blog posts and podcast episode are a Tarot contemplation for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. Thank you so much for reading and listening. I appreciate each of you.

Just a quick reminder about the links in the episode description. Nothing I do is advertising monetized, so I can put your Tarot message absolutely first. Private readings by email along with the paid subscription blog “The Daily Sip” supports the free Tarot readings here and across the socials. Please visit the links and support the blog and podcast if you can.

Thanks again. See you at the next sip!

Wish come true

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

Today’s card is the nine of cups.

When this card turns up around the Fall and Winter holidays, it often brings a celebratory energy, one of intimate family celebrations like Thanksgiving for example. It doesn’t have the community vibe or cultural celebration energy we see with the four of wands as we talked about recently in the post One Step Wins.

Cups are symbolic of emotions and very inner circle relationships. When the nine of cups turns up other than the holidays, it shifts energy to match the time and context. The emotional facet steps forward more than the close relationship aspect of the suit. It is still very positive, it is still somewhat celebratory. The nine of cups symbolizes something that comes into fullness, and fruition and to a good conclusion.

It is about wishes come true.

If you want to take that as a prediction of good fortune or a wish coming true, feel free. I don’t see Tarot as predicting anything. Tarot is a writing prompt – for life. It’s a life-prompt. Tarot gives us ideas for problem solving and direction setting.

Today the energy also asks “so now what are you going to do?” What would you do if your wishes do come true. What are you going to do if you suddenly become the dog that catches the car its been chasing?

Here is an interesting thought experiment for you. I think it is from one of Richard Bach’s books. I think it was Bridge Across Forever or somewhere thereabout in his writing. I forget the exact wording. But try this. Close your eyes. Imagine when you open you eyes the world will be exactly as it should be. Imagine that your wishes have already been fulfilled. Imagine there is a path forward to the things you need.

Then open your eyes and see how many ways that imagination is already true.

Thank you for reading and listening.

None of my online content is monetized, so it depends on your support through likes, subs, shares, follows, no appointment needed email reading orders and Tarot Table memberships.

Thank you for your support and thank you for finding a path that makes your wishes come true.

Old Is New Again

Every day can be new year’s day. These cards show the energy around to help your fresh start happen.

Today doesn’t feel like the day for the annual tongue in cheek New Year’s reading with a bunch of rubbish predictions.

While rummaging around for easy throwback content this week, I found this old post from August 2021. Weirdly, it feels like as good of a New Year’s reading for the new calendar year in January as it did for the new school year in August.

August cards aside, I think this year is going to be palpably different from the past half dozen or so. I get the feeling it is going to be a year of…OK.

It’s OK to be ok. There is a real risk of slipping into seeing ourselves as victims and falling into a lava-pit of blame or continuing the acid-bile anger and hatred that has been so stoked over years…no, decades. It is OK if you don’t feel euphoric or joyous about 2022 considering what the world has been through and still endures. OK is OK. We could all do with a little luke warm, middle of the road cozy goldilocks zone, I think.

In 2017 it felt like a zombie apocalypse with a feeling of impending doom considering who was about to be sworn in as president. Then, after a swirl of disaster and destruction on a political level came 2020 where every intuitive’s bell was ringing red alert for one reason or another. The reading for that year gave a mental image I still clearly remember. I can still see that U.S. map with tiny tornadoes all over it followed by the mental image a hurricane on the horizon. 2021’s reading brought the mental image of peeking our head out of a mental and emotional storm cellar to survey the damage.

This year continues the narrative…but with a whole different feel. In my mind’s eye it is the same disaster scene, but the sun is brighter this time and we are all fully climbing out of the shelter, not just taking a cautious peek to see if the coast is clear. The mourning and cleaning and binding of wounds is beginning. It all hasn’t ended, but we may well be at the beginning of end instead of the end of the beginning like we were a year ago.

Mourn. Heal. Sweep up. Abide with this precious moment we have now. This isn’t a time to be paralyzed in terror of an uncertain future. This isn’t the time to dwell in resenting the past. This isn’t the time for trying to recreate a past that will never be again. This is our time to lay the foundation for a future that is right for for us, right for the times that are the here and now, not for the forces that created the disaster that has so profoundly changed us over the past 5 or 50 years. When Ghandi said to BE the change you want to see in the world, I think he meant BE as a very active verb. It is time to protect the important things that were almost lost, and time to create the important things that were neglected before. It is time to live and do and be.

It doesn’t start on New Years Day. It starts every day. Every minute. Each new breath can be a fresh start. Inhale deeply.

My New Years wish for you is that the first thing you can be is at peace with the moment we are in, even just for the moment we are in it. One moment strings into the next. The colors and surroundings and circumstances of that moment constantly changes. Any tiny moment of inner peace we can capture within all of the changes need not transform along with everything else. If we are a little careful and a little mindful, a moment of peace is a moment we can keep and revisit.

This is the post from August 2021: “Every Year Has a New One In It”

A bunch of new ones, actually.

When something is a circle, it doesn’t particularly start or stop at any one place. That is true of a year. Not only is it a circle, it is kind of an arbitrary way to chunk up time into manageable pieces. People invented the year as a way to describe time. Naturally, one of the best ways to do that is, well, nature. Seasons turn in the great circle of a year (yes, I know seasons are caused by planetary tilt and orbit which is actually an elipse, but I’m in no mood for pedantics)

Either way, when and how you mark the new year is pretty arbitrary. Celebrate it any time you like…or multiple times. Perception and emotions change in a blink. Each new moment can be a fresh start. Any day can be New Year’s Day.

This is that new school year time of year. We parents, I suspect, are a bit sentimental at the passage of time. Students, I suspect, are a mix depending on how they feel about school. I’m not sure what anyone is feeling or doing with the pandemic sized wrenches that have been thrown in everyone’s schedules.

I’m a fan of Fall, so I always look to this part of the year with a fairly high degree of anticipation. Even now that I’m no longer connected to the school year per se, I still feel a sort of anticipation. It brings the hope of cooler weather, back to business and a more predictable work flow, and of course, pumpkin spice everything. Harvest and Halloween as the mark of a new year resonates with me as much as confetti and champagne in January, maybe more so.

It felt right to do a Year Ahead reading today.

I’m still trying to think of a better name for this layout. If you have a suggestion, please, feel free to drop it in the comments. By any name – any day is a good day for a new year. All you need to do is choose your moment and begin. Two “nine” cards is particularly draws my attention to September. Whether you are connected to the American school year or not, it feels like September might be an opportune energy environment for productivity. The song “Danger Zone” comes to mind, especially the part about “overdrive” In all fairness and full disclosure, that is when I’m planning to let some schemes out into the wild, so this bit might be projection on my part…take all of that with whatever size grain of salt you’d like.

Like the year ahead layout says, let’s begin with right now.

OK – back to New Year’ Eve, in December 2021. I’m going to follow an intuitive impulse right now and re-read and re-frame these cards for the actual New Year tonight. You are welcome to watch the original reading on YouTube, on the blog, or through the link in this podcast episode description

I would say the Nine of Cups still applies right now. We are finishing up the Fall holidays and that energy still resonates as much at the end of the season where we are now as it did at the beginning when I first pulled the card. Keep it up, in other words. This seemed to be a subdued year as far as the holidays were concerned. Warm, cozy, intimate small circle gatherings, connecting with your closest of close relationships is the thing for the winter too. That’s the part to keep up more than any indulgence or raucous celebration. Even though the Fall season has ended, its energy lingers a bit.

Cups is often the suit of romance. The winter card, the Two of Cups from the August reading is still a perfect fit, even as we begin the winter instead of looking ahead to it from the early days of Fall. (If you are wondering, I’m mentally doing the arms up for-the-win, stuck-the-landing gesture. I love a good intuitive hit.) This is a season where little things means even more than usual and this is a season to lavish warmth and TLC on those you love. The Two of Cups is the card of committed, intimate relationships. It often goes with weddings, and marriage. As every jewelry commercial on television will tell you, this is a good time of year for that sort of thing too. No matter what the relationship is, by any definition, give it as much warmth, appreciation, attention and tender care as you can muster this season

For Spring, The High Priest, I ‘hear’ “Teach them anew.”

I’m glad that for whatever reason I picked up this deck for the reading back in August. This deck is my favorite for the High Priest. Right now it definitely has that shamanistic, keeper of the mythology sort of feel to it much more than the social convention, pope-ish rules and regulations energy that so often comes with the Pamela Smith and Marseilles artwork for the card. It make me feel that it might just be a mild winter and will let us turn to spring quickly and easily. It has a heady, philosophical feel about it. It has a “teach the children” feel about it. Care for the little ones. It is a time of gentleness and appreciation for nature. and following the flow of things in the process.

Full disclosure, this might be a private issue popping in, so please forgive this break from my usual rules about this kind of topic…but I feel pushed that someone else out there might benefit. My recovering fundamentalist brothers and sisters….if Easter is toxic for you, don’t do it. Consider this a cosmic permission slip to reject, avoid or run away. This isn’t a rear for spiritual law and order. This is the year for spiritual diversity and inclusion. If a particular tradition speaks to you, then yes, by all means follow it fully. If not, by all means follow whatever spiritual path that allows you to live a life of compassion and contentment and be at peace with yourself. In my mind’s eye, I see the High Priest as the Dali Lama who said “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” The spring energy pulls us to kindness and teaching it by example if nothing else.

The Nine of Swords is another card where I love Ellen Dugans interpretation and Mark Evans’ representation. Calling it a “drama queen” sort of card is just the energy for summer. Here I’m reminded of the Disney TV show “Wizards of Waverly Place” where the mom is made into a local internet celebrity with a montage of her telling her kids to “knock it off!” This card is playing the “knock it off lady” for us. There are enough real world crap to deal with without adding psychological drama on top of it all. This is a call to “knock it off” and get over ourselves and get to whatever work is at hand. It will really be time for storm clean-up during the sunny days of summer, metaphorically speaking.

The Page of Wands still fits as the year card, too. Pages are symbolic of learning. Wands are symbolic of our inner world, our inner passions. Wands are related to the element of fire.

The word “crucible” just stepped forward.

The heat and pressure of the past several years may have changed us on a deeper, more molecular level than we realized. 2022 might be a year of getting re-acquainted with ourselves. May we all find more strength and peace and health and happiness and love and kindness than we expected.

Thank you again for watching, reading and listening. I hope you will join me in 2022 for more short sip daily readings, you choose interactive readings, the new membership tier on ko-fi plus a few exciting new things that will unfold probably over the winter season. Of course, private email readings are always available with no appointment needed. Your attention and support for all of this means so much. I appreciate each of you. Thank you and Happy New Year to all.

The card deck pictured is Witches Tarot with artwork by Mark Evans, used under the permissions granted on the Llwellyn publishing website.

Today’s Tarot: Job Well Done

For any job to be well done, it must be, in fact, done. What can you wrap up and let go today that is good and right and ready to be let loose into the world?

I have a feeling this is especially directed toward creators and makers who might be having a hard time feeling satisfied with a project. Don’t let the perfect become the enemy of the really good.

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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Every Year Has a New One In It

A bunch of new ones, actually.

It felt right to do a Year Ahead reading today.

(I’m still trying to think of a better name for the layout. If you have any suggestions, please drop it in the comments. I’ll do a ‘year ahead’ email reading for you if I pick your name for the layout.)

By any name – any day is a good day for a new year. All you need to do is choose your moment and begin. Two “nine” cards is particularly draws my attention to September. Whether you are connected to the American school year or not, it feels like September might be an opportune energy environment for productivity. The song “Danger Zone” comes to mind, especially the part about “overdrive” In all fairness and full disclosure, that is when I’m planning to let some schemes out into the wild, so this bit might be projection on my part…take all of that with whatever size grain of salt you’d like.

Like the year ahead layout says, let’s begin with right now.

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Speaking of seasons and the equinox – That’s when the $10 off special price (website only) for the 7 card email Tarot reading disappears. Until then, you can get a full 7 card reading (the same layout used for in-person sessions) by email for only $1 for each year I’ve been reading Tarot cards.

YouChoose Interactive Tarot: Booking

Sorry about that. When I said this would post “Monday morning” I didn’t realize it would be Monday morning in some other interdimensional cross rip parallel universe Monday morning. Today has been an interesting week.

As for the cards, I’ll let the video interpretation stand. Since books stepped forward a tiny bit as the closest thing to cards-working-together theme for the week, here are some books and links that might go along with this week’s cards.

Leave a comment or send an email if you are interested in more reading suggestions – always happy to spout an opinion!

The Moon (psychic development)

The Healer’s Manual by Ted Andrews
How to Meet and Work With Spirit Guides by Ted Andrews
Psychic Witch by Matt Auryn

Knight of Pentacles (Career Related activity)

Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar by James Marcus Bach
Kahn Acadamy

Nine of Cups (celebrations, traditions)

Twoseven – watch video together online
Allrecipes – has recipes from various traditional cuisines, American comfort food

Your local weather

Instead of trying to stop the rain, open an umbrella

How is everyone doing?

I live in Allegheny County Pennsylvania, which has been in the news a little bit during the past couple of days if you follow the U.S. presidential election. I’m one of those by mail votes for each and every democrat you’ve been hearing about.

The actual weather has been very pleasant the past few days. Even for someone who likes rainy days as much as I do.

The energy environment has been a whole other story.

I like to think I usually have a pretty clear idea what is my internal emotional state and what is vibes from the external energy environment. I absolutely believe that kind of boundary awareness and boundary setting is important if you are going to work as a professional psychic of any type. Yesterday, the energy even kicked my black belt level boundary setting backside. Between my own fury at the thought of the fascist, racist, theocrats winning, and being in the bulls-eye of the racist, fascist, theocrats’ energetic fury that we might be the ‘democratic stronghold’ that would ‘steal the election’ from them. I’m not exaggerating when I called it a radioactive brew yesterday. It felt exactly that toxic. I can’t imagine how it must have felt to extra sensitive empaths.

Today is remarkably different. I’m biased, I’ll admit. After a lifetime, my patience has worn thin with that crowd. Maybe it is my biased optimism that the right side might win after all. It might be pride that my one little vote is one of hundreds of thousands making a difference. Maybe it is pride in my state and city. Maybe it is because I’m team Sheetz (Pennsylvanians know) Maybe it is the extra cup of coffee, but I actually feel like we are turning an energy corner.

This explains the coming storm images from the past couple of months. The virus is going to be bad this winter, and it is going to be a weird holiday season, but those are the outer bands of a passing hurricane if we get back to sanity and science.

So true to style (and profession) I pulled a card to see where the energy may be turning a corner TO.

The Nine of Cups is simple straightforward: calm the fuck down and enjoy the holidays. While I get it that is a message aimed right at me, if it feels right for you, it’s for you too. Nine of Cups is the Thanksgiving, family celebration, food and festivities THAT kind of tradition sort of card. So we can all take a deep breath, grab our jar of cinnamon and have at it.

So that’s the energy weather here at vote counting PA west. How are things with you? If you are outside of the U.S. (lucky you) how is the energy feel where you are? If you are inside the U.S. what is your sense of things? Feel free to comment about your ENERGY weather, not a political rant. If you post anything hateful or angry I will block you before you can say maga.

You may noticed that I staked out my turf, and defined my philosophical boundaries over there in the right column (and in the philosophy page of the “about” menu item.) That is nothing more or less than protecting the energy of this cyberspace. If those things offend you, I won’t be offended if you unfollow me. If you don’t mind (or hopefully agree with) these things, I hope we can work together. Tao is in the name because this place is about being true to nature and authenticity. That includes you too. It is important for you to be your authentic self. Everyone has the right and responsibility to protect their own energy boundaries from the general energy environment. At the same time it is not acceptable for anyone to force the shared general energy environment to change to fit their individual boundaries. Think of it as opening an umbrella, not trying to stop the rain.

The Answers You Don’t Like

I’m just going to let this video stand too.

BUT I would still very much like to know your thoughts about yes or no readings in general, this particular format, anything. Comments are open. If for some reason it gives you grief, email me at TaoCraftTarot@gmail.com and I’ll get it to the blog.

OR ask Zombie Cat anything.

Zombie Cat shambles off this weekend, but he’s willing to barter. If you have a yes or no question, he’ll answer it at no charge in return for answering publically on the YouTube channel. Don’t worry…no identifying details are ever used. Nobody has any interest in doxing anybody. It’s entertainment only, all disclaimers apply, wear a mask, wash your hands, swim at your own risk, no lifeguard on duty.

YouChoose Interactive Tarot June 7-13: resonance, anomalies, and a find line between

Watch the video, and choose a card. Pause the video if you need a moment. Then restart for the reveal and read the card interpretation below.

This week the energy around the cards are remarkably different from the past several weeks. Last week, I didn’t do a a card draw at all. It just wasn’t the time or place for a chirpy little youtube video. Too much was going on. Democracy was dying, innocents were attacked, it was and is real. If you thought the pandemic was time to get pragmatic, this is the time to act. If nothing else, use whatever social media presence you have to support the protests, and also contact your members of congress and urge them to support the legislation being introduced this week to modify qualified police immunity and improve transparency and accountablility. Above all, please, vote in November. Black lives matter. Love is love. Women’s rights are human rights. Remember peaceful protestors being tear gassed and shot with rubber bullets to give insanity a photo op. Don’t let democracy die. It’s already on a ventelator.

That being said, there has been a shift in the connection of the cards to the general current event energies and the social zeitgeist. These cards are remarkably separate and distinct. I think that might be a reminder that, no matter how intuitive or empathic we may be, we can find, strengthen, protect and enforce the boundary between our own inner world and the energies around us. Even though this has been an issue and message for months now, it is more important than ever to know what is truely you, and what is you responding to outside stimuli. You are the bell, not the thing ringing it. Healthy boundaries are more important than ever. Think for yourself. Feel from a place of compassion more than a place of reactivity.

Another change is the interconnection between the cards themselves. The past several weeks, the cards seemed to work together, like individual words within a sentence. This week they are more like individual bubbles. They seem to be speaking to different people in very different mental places.

Left: Nine of Cups. Job well done! This card is associated with cycles, phases, or projects that have come to completion in a good way. Your boundaries are strong. Don’t feel guilty about what you have (or soon will) accomplished. Stay strong so you can inspire others. Your energy flows with the quote from Mahatma Ghandi to “be the change you want to see in the world”

Center: Five of Wands. Are you ready to rumble? Life is turbulent right now. Even if you are perfectly happy and content energies and challeges might take some annoying swipes at you. Stay chill, you’ll get through it. I get very martial arts, kung fu images here. Conflict can be rightous. This reminds me of the CK Chesterson quote “A soldier fights not because he hates what is before him, but because he loves what is behind him.”

Right: Temperance. You are still in a place where it isn’t a good time to be overly spiritual, or make any big decisions. It is extra important for you to be sure of your balance. Take whatever extra time you need before making big choices or moving big steps ahead. Work from your center, work and think and decide from the most centered, most level headed, lowest emotional temperature place that you can muster. Balance and clear headedness is critical, with the full force of a major arcana card.

It’s not much, but it’s what I have right now: 20% of all proceeds from the new “TimeFlow” Tarot readings by email will be donated to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) through August 30, 2020. Please visit the special offers page to order.

Thank you all for reading and watching the videos.