Learn With Me: Oracle Dice 4

Psychic ability, intuition, “weird ass mystical shit” as the one Alleyman Tarot card calls it – whatever you name it, it’s a normal human thing. It’s a sense, like warmth or sight or hearing. In my experience, that psychic intuition exists as a mental echo of the five physical senses.

That is where we get the word clairvoyance. It means “clear vision.” There is a “clair” for each sense. The vast majority of the time my intuition works with mental images or sounds, songs and words (clairaudience.) I always explain in a new private reading that is what I mean when I say “see” for the mental images and “hear” when the intuition comes to mind as words or songs.

I love it when intuition works with popular songs, TV and music. It is a shared experience for a lot of people so it is an easy way to communicate a concept.

I’m a bit of a foodie, and I’ve studied a little aromatherapy, which has opened taste and smell as an intuitive prompts, but they much less common than the other two.

Today we went straight to the classic rock radio station. Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” was the very first thing that came to mind when I saw today’s dice image. That was quickly followed by a snippet of The Doors that says “break on through to the other side.”

I didn’t have old 60’s (or was it early 70s) classic rock on my bingo card for today, but there it is. If you don’t know the songs I’m not surprised. I only know the Doors from snippets in movies and TV and The Wall was Junior High at the latest.

Ugh…I just realized that I was not only alive but in second grade when friggen’ Dark Side of the Moon was released. Damn. I’ve earned the GenX Tarot Xpert title just by kicking around this long.

Back to the dice. Put the image and the intuitive “wall” and “break through” prompts, I would read this image as being about mental blocks, overcoming challenges. The Ten of Wands comes to mind as a Tarot analogy. Granted with over 90 dice images, there may not be a good Tarot analogy for each one, but with 78 Cards in the Tarot deck, there is bound to be overlap.

When you are very first learning any oracle at all, you may not dial into intuitive sense or impressions right away like this. It comes with practice and that is exactly what we are doing here. Let’s use a brick wall as an analogy. Walls don’t just spontaneously appear out of nothing. They are assembled, board by board, sheet of drywall by sheet of drywall, brick by brick. Not every brick is going to trigger a spontaneous impression. That’s when you go to the guide book. That’s why it is there. Two heads are better than one. Start with the guide book, then add your own impression to get your message for the day.

Day after day, brick after brick. Next thing you know you can tap right into your own psychic skills and read dice like a champ.

OK – that being said, let’s go see how far I am from Seven’s original intent for the dice.

And in case you are wondering, no I’m not looking ahead. I did this when my copy of the Alleyman Tarot first arrived. I’d read the card then go to the guidebook and I wound up even more head over heels for the deck than I thought I’d be.

What I’m trying to say here is don’t get your underwear in a bunch over which comes first. It doesn’t matter if you go right to the guide book then add the impressions the dice plus guidebook inspires OR start with your own impressions and go to the guidebook to expand them and maybe spark some more. What matters is engaging with your intuition. All the dice and cards and guidebooks are here to help that process. All of those things “Pump Up the Volume” on your intuition if you want to throw some late 80s in with the 60s and 70s music references.

To the guide book:

The whole cube is the die of obstacles. No surprise there. The name of this individual face is “Ruin.” But wouldn’t you know it? I have it exactly upside down in the video. I don’t get the feeling there is any significance to that, as there might be with a reversed Tarot card. That is just me not knowing the dice.

Turned upright, it is easy to see the classic Tower image from the Tarot with the bolt of lightning and falling bodies. But there is a little more to this. This is about “calamity” as much as the suddenness. Seven writes it as being an irreversible life changing event…so shades of the Death and Devil card to go with the Tower card.

Which means little if you aren’t a Tarot card reader…we are here to talk about the dice.

So sudden, life altering disaster.

It happens to the best of us.

It happens to all of us.

And life altering chaos and disaster is a wall of sorts. How do you get back to living when your old life is no longer an option? How do you move past the pain and chaos?

The thing that caught my attention was Mr. Asmund’s reminder that it is ok to feel the pain of the things in life that hurt us. Numb isn’t necessarily better.

Pain is important. Both physically and emotionally it alerts that something is wrong. It lets us know when attention is needed, possibly action too.

Pain and loss and irrevocable change is inevitable during the course of a lifetime. But that doesn’t mean that this dice or any of those Tarot cards are predicting imminent disaster for you any time soon. Don’t talk yourself into a self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead allow this to be a gentle reminder.

If disaster has happened, then you can continue, brick by brick, to recover. Things may never be the same, but they can be made better. You survived.

If disaster is happening now…why are you reading this? Go do what needs done. Take care of yourself and matters at hand.

If you are ok now, drink it in. Savor it for as long as it lasts. Right now, this present moment is precious.

Momento mori. Momento vivere.

Remember all things die. Then go, remember to live.

On that blissful note…

Thank you for reading.

Please subscribe to the Sage Sips blog (opt in with your email in the right hand column of this page or scroll WAAAYY down on mobile). Sage Sips is also free on ko-fi and substack. The blog free Tarot and other content (like this post) every week. The free content is fueled by paid memberships, private reading purchases and a cup of coffee. Any likes or shares are greatly appreciated, especially on the socials.

Ko-fi members get extra benefits including discounted private email Tarot readings, access to free one card Tarot readings in the shop, plus random exclusive content.

If you like what you read in the blog, please remember me if you ever want a private Tarot reading. Email Tarot is open for orders 24/7 with no appointment needed.

Delivery times vary. It takes longer to get your reading if you order during nights, weekends or holidays (US eastern time zone)

Feel better? Did a little shameless self promotion lighten the mood after all the talk of that chaos and calamity?

See you at the next sip!

*Publishing Goblin Oracle Dice used with permission of Seven Dane Asmund and Publishing Goblin LLC

Chaos Upside Down

What is chaos turned on its head? Order, organization, and focus maybe?

Life is unpredictable enough. There is enough change without adding impulse to the mix. The energy today isn’t supporting impulse.

More on the members blog…

From the sublime to the strange

Alrighty then.

Hello and welcome to Sage Words Tarot blog and the audio podcast version Sage’s Short Sip Tarot.

Merry Monday everyone!

This is what I call a Pathway layout for our reading that is intended to look ahead at the week coming up. I’m writing this on February 20 for the week from now until the 27th, but you can apply it anytime that you watch it if it feels right to you. The way I read Tarot isn’t tied to time any more than it is tied to physical space. That’s how and why that Tarot over distance by email, phone, zoom meeting, blogs and podcasts all work. That’s why they are as valid of an art form and as valid of a source of inspiration as any other Tarot reading.

A private reading with this layout will have a slightly different focus, intensity and level of detail compared to these general energy reading that we do here, but they function the same way at the core. The focus is the energy environment. This is a read of the zeitgeist to give you ideas how to best navigate the energies and situations at hand. Like have said for years – Tarot isn’t about predicting what will happen in life, it is about figuring out what to do when life happens.

The Pathway layout parallels the old style past, present, future layout that inspired it, but it is more about the flow of energy rather than the flow of time. It can help us navigate the near future, but the near future for the collective energy can mean hours, days or weeks for an individual. It really is up to you to consider, accept or reject, and then apply any given intuitive information no matter whether the reading is in person or at a distance, individual or collective.

In my version of the pathway layout, instead of past, present and future the cards symbolize energies that are fading, the strongest energy around right now and energies that are growing in strength or influence. It is very much like a weather report. There are no inevitable warnings in Tarot like there is with weather, but it can hint at what is possible, even probable. It’s the personal enrichment version of take your coat because a cold front is coming.

When I do a private reading, I start with a paragraph I call the “general pattern.” That part looks at the layout as a whole and considers things like repeating numbers, the ratio of major to minor arcana, and in the longer readings, the proportions of the various minor arcana suits. This is also a good time to talk about any purely intuitive impressions that pop up right off the bat.

If you have followed the blog or listened to the podcast for any amount of time you already know about the see, hear and feel thing.

When I say “see” it means the intuitive impression comes in the form of a mental image. “Hear” means it is an impression of words or music. “Feel” most often a vague hunch, one of those “I don’t know why but…” sort of things. It almost never means a physical sensation, so that gets special mention if it happens. Don’t hold your breath for that one.

In this case, three cards aren’t really enough to comment about minor arcana ratios. The flow reads from right to left. I’m an English speaker, so it helps the connection to intuition to disconnect it from the way language reading flows. Here we see two minor arcana cards flowing into a major arcana card which hints at building energies just ahead. Things are heading in a direction of more energy, more change, and a faster pace. I also intuitively hear the song “People Are Strange” by The Doors. I’m guessing this means there is a chance of things sliding off the rails, going a little pear shaped or just plain getting weird. Remember, it is easier to put out a small fire than a big one. Forewarned is forearmed as the old adage goes. This isn’t predicting that something bad is going to happen. This saying that there is potential for strange days – like the weather analogy. Bring a jacket because it might be chilly this evening – that sort of thing.

The diminishing energies are represented by the Ace of Wands. Wands cards are connected to the element of fire and our inner passions. This connects to some one card readings I’ve been doing the past several days. Not all of them were public, so no details, but the basic vibe of it all was plant your seeds now. The energy is right for new projects to have good outcomes.

The window for that is closing…so don’t wait. Plant those seeds, follow those passions so you can move on to the business ahead and also protect those delicate beginnings you just planted so to speak.

The Page of Cups is one of my personal favorite cards. For it I ‘hear’ “embrace the strange” which is another way of saying roll with it. The more adaptable and fluid you are, the better the week will go for you. It fits that this message comes through a cups card, since cups are associated with the element water. Here I am reminded of the famous Bruce Lee quote “Be water my friend.” It might be weird, but go with it. This is the vibe that is strongest right now and will be the greatest help in the transition from the diminishing Ace of Wands energy to the growing Tower energy.

The Tower is the surprise, big, sudden game changer of an event or energy shift. Some associate The Tower with chaos, and the opportunities that can lie within chaos. I like to think it can also be a world changing shift in perception. It can represent a sudden insight, the brain wave, the AH-HA moment that changes everything, especially if you are able to put it into action. Here I am also reminded of the “Lighting in a Bottle” card from Dane Asmund’s excellent Alleyman’s Tarot deck. Not all sudden change is bad. It can hold opportunity like the classic meaning for the card and the old proverb says.

Making the most of those kind of bolt-from-the-blue situations is seldom fun or easy, but worth the effort in the long run. Like we talked about in the “The Makings of Magic” post and podcast episode, if you are going to catch lighting in a bottle you have to stand in some thunderstorms.

At this point in private readings, I talk about any crystals, aromatherapy or other intuitive impressions that may come through. Those are far to individual to put in a general audience reading like this. The best advice I can give at this point is to use whatever supports your adaptability. Use whatever healthy coping you knows help you stand strong in a sudden storm. This is a chance draw from your experience…or maybe learn some new things for later…but now is the time for rolling with any lightning strikes so you can catch it in that proverbial bottle.

Thank you so much for reading and listening. Any likes, subs, follows, shares or virtual coffees you can spare are always gratefully appreciated. Podcast folks can, as always, find the related links in the episode description.

Tune in next Monday for our next look at the next week ahead. Daily Sip members, tune in every weekday for a Tarot contemplation in the time it takes to sip from your coffee every weekday.

See you at the next sip!

Craving for Sameness

TaoCraft Short Sip blog & podcast episodes are Tarot readings for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee

I get it.

I kind of feel the same way myself.

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

The Tower card is about chaos, suddenness and the unexpected. It sums up the past several years of politics and pandemics better than any other card I can think of at the moment. Today the Tower is reversed, which begs the question of what do you get when you turn chaos on its head?

Sameness.

Sudden change and chaos has its benefits, believe it or not. There are reasons for that proverb that there is opportunity in chaos. There has to be a bolt of lightning before you can catch it in a bottle. Chaos often forces us to the top of the tower to gain perspective and get above the fracas. Chaos can force us to be mentally and emotionally agile. Change forces adaptability which is in turn a path of evolution and survival.

No energy is – or should be – forever.

Change is part of the fabric of the universe. The universe is expanding. Stars go nova. Mountains weather. Tectonic plates shift.

But sometimes enough is freaking enough.

Too much change for too long can take a toll on the human psyche. Just as bodies need rest, mind and emotion needs respite before change turns into chaos turns into full on stress.

It is normal and natural to crave sameness after a time of stress and upheaval. That is a warrior, protective energy. “Protective” is the key word here. Craving sameness and a respite from stress is a matter of protecting the good parts of reality and right now. It is a matter of protecting peace and quiet but NOT a matter of regressing to an imaginary past dreamed through rose colored glasses.

And of course, the other extreme is not a good thing either. Too much sameness breeds stagnation and decay.

Here again we see the mind-bending, paradoxical but repeatedly repeatedly proven true interplay of opposites from the philosophy side of Taoism. Anything in its extreme fosters the seed of its opposite. Too much stress and change fosters a craving for sameness. Too much sameness fosters a craving to shake things up with a little chaos. Chaos which, in due time, gets turned on its head back into sameness.

Thank you for reading the blog and listening to the audio version aka podcast. I appreciate it. I also appreciate any likes, subs, follows, shares, questions or comments that you can spare.

See you at the next sip.

Private readings in person, online and by email are OPEN. Please visit the TaoCraft Tarot ko-fi page where your purchases, exclusive content memberships and virtual coffee gifts all support these free-for-everyone short sip Tarot readings.

Today’s Tarot: Big sudden picture

Towers are tall.

The Tower card is usually associated with sudden chaos, a surprise big event. It makes a sort of practical, real world sense. Tall buildings and trees are more prone to lightning strikes, so it stands to reason that a tower would be a good symbol for a bolt from the blue, literally and figuratively.

Tarot doesn’t predict the future any better than it can predict where, precisely, lightning will strike during the next thunderstorm. But, like life, Tarot can suggest what to do when it does.

Towers are tall. You can climb them to get big picture understanding of the landscape around you.

Maybe during the lightning strike, a tower isn’t a great place to be. But if you re-climb the tower and get the biggest picture possible, it can help you get your head around the chaos afterward.

Today’s Tarot: Chaos Around the Corner

At some point, even chaos turns a corner.

There is no way to predict what will come. I’ve been telling you for years…decades…that isn’t what intuition and Tarot does. Once again for the kids in the back row…Tarot doesn’t tell us what will happen in life. It helps us know what to do when life happens.

Chaos comes, but then it changes. That’s not just the nature of chaos itself, that is the nature of life itself. Chaos can come and go quickly, or it can put its feet up and camp on the sofa for a good long while. Even when chaos stays, our response to it can. Humans … you … are incredibly strong, resiliant, and adaptable.

The unpredictable and frightening parts of life will always be there. Unpredictable, dangerous and frightening times will always change for both the better and the worse. So can we.

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

12 Second Tarot: The Tower

Been waiting for a sign from above? Not sure of the timing? Been thinking, watching, contemplating? Your cosmic clue doesn’t always come in the form we want or expect. That bolt from the blue change (or that slow motion steamroller of a change) might just be the thing to clear your way. Adapt, and you can put your dream path into overdrive.