Author: TaoCraft Tarot / Sage Sips blog

I read Tarot, write stuff and make things. Secular Humanist, coffee loving, knitting, lgbtquia2+ ally.

Learn With Me: Lenormand, promises kept

Lenormand Tarot and putting a ring on it

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Hello and welcome to Sage Sips blog: Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip your coffee (or whatever you like to sip whenever you read this). I’m glad you are here.

Just a quick review: Every now and then I’ll post a series of blog posts where we learn a new Tarot deck, Oracle Deck, or other oracle device together. While I’ve been reading Tarot for (I can’t believe I’m saying this) 30 years now, I don’t know every deck in existence. Each deck of cards or divination method has its own character that is worth exploring. Of course there is always something to learn process wise. If a psychic isn’t still learning, how can clients learn from their readings? Learning is change, change is life.

As we go through these new decks and tools, I’ll show you the methods I’ve used to learn intuitive reading in general as well as learning the particulars of the new thing.

My hope is that this process will build your trust in me as a reader, so you can feel confident getting a professional reading but also (more importantly) I hope this process will build your confidence in your own intuition.

Just like decks that use the Marseille, Visconti, or RWS structure the artwork can vary wildly from deck to deck. I’m glad for artwork on the Healing Light deck for a couple of reasons.

First, color on black is one of my favorite aesthetics. Gold on black is a particular favorite – no surprise if you’ve ever seen sagewordstarot.com

Second, like many contemporary decks, it is a bit more abstracted and drops a lot of the religious imagery that was the norm in the Victorian Era but is anathema to a 21st century freethinker. Hurray for that.

Especially with the ring card.

The guide book connects the Ring with “religious vows” or “religious commitment when it is connected or adjacent to the Cross card. The two together gives an energy akin to the Hierophant or Pope card in RWS style decks.

It also can symbolize a mutual, loving commitment akin to the hand fasting or marriage connotations of the RWS two of cups.

Intuitively I want to synthesize both of those things.

Commitment is a two way street. You have to give to get, and you get what you give (cue the New Radicals song). A commitment born of blind faith and adherence where all you do is give cannot last. A commitment where you sit and expect to receive can not last either.

The idea of a “twin flame” that makes you happy or “completes you” comes to mind – and falls into that take-only second category.

The circle of the ring connotes wholeness.

Commitments are both people all in, both giving and receiving in moving dynamic symbiosis.

Cue all the symbolism of the Zen enso

Ahhhhh…I get it – cue a big cartoon light bulb hanging over our head.

The guide book for the Lenormand deck is minimal. The grand tableau layout is so broad as to be unfocused and unhelpful. Lenormand is direct and to the point because it forces us to read intuitively if we are going to read it at all. Its small deck and broad symbolism can meld to whatever the message of the moment may be. It’s strength lies in touching the emotions of the moment.

In the ring card alone we can branch out to the Pope, the Two of Cups, The Moon and more as needs be. Lenormand utterly relies on our intuition as much as it prompts or amplifies our intuition.

Interesting, to say the least.

Thank you so much for reading. If you like what you read here and on the socials, please consider supporting this free-to-access blog. Private readings, memberships and virtual coffee all help. Your social media shares are much appreciated too.

See you at the next sip!

More from the Three of Swords

More from the Three of Swords card

It takes a hot, bright afternoon to make you really appreciate the cool shade of a tree, or a freezing night to make you appreciate the glowing warmth of a space heater.

As much as Tarot and Tarot readings are associated with western witchcraft, Taoist philosophy pops up a great deal, especially for a Tarot reader who has an affinity for Taoism like I do.

Sure, you could argue that this is a process of subjective confirmation bias, but I’m not the only one to find overlap between Taoism and Tarot, Reiki and Magick, East and West.

Diane Morgan’s Magical Tarot, Mystical Tao was one of my earliest Tarot influences. Christopher Penczak’s Magick of Reiki landed right lives right beside it, both squarely in the middle of my wheelhouse. I live in the liminal venn diagram space where Taoism, Tarot, Reiki and Magick all meet.

That eclectic, and often solitary mental space can have it’s drama.

Everybody loses their keys, spills their milk, or has some such tiny dramas in their life. It’s normal. That is also where the Three of Swords is pointing today.

The Three of Swords doesn’t have the darkest or most dire looking artwork. Usually it shows three swords stabbing something…more often than not a heart shape…but the heart is red and the background is seldom as literally black and dark as a death, devil, or 10 of swords cards.

Most of the meanings and keywords associated with the Three of Swords are warnings and cautions. It always feels like drama or complications from outside of ourselves. But for all of the heartbreak and betrayal keywords that go with this card, the connection to Taoist philosophy steps forward strongly today. It has to do with everything defining – and being defined by – its opposite. We find this concept in chapter 2 of the Tao Te Ching, here in a public domain translation by J.H. McDonald.

“When people see things as beautiful,
ugliness is created.
When people see things as good,
evil is created.
Being and non-being produce each other.
Difficult and easy complement each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low oppose each other.
Fore and aft follow each other.”

Basically this is a message of encouragement, and a melange of hanging on and letting go all at once. Let go of that which has become toxic and harmful to make room for the good. Hang on through the dark times because that persistence will make the light all the more beautiful when it comes.

Darkness defines the edges of the light. Light defines the edges of the darkness. Without that contrast we can’t see anything at all.

Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment and let me which you like better: a card-for-today format or the three cards for the week and weekend revisit format. I’m leaning toward our old friend, the daily meditation Tarot readings. It’s like comfort food and personal growth all wrapped up in one thing.

What do you think?

Rise and Grind

Sage Sips is Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip you coffee. Members get free one card readings by email and discounts on larger layouts* Join HERE.

Rise and grind, sunshine.

There are times to get creative and experiment. Other times it pays to just go with what you know, roll up your sleeves and let it flow.

Do the thing, then get some rest because more innovative days are coming.

*One free reading per calendar month. You have to ask for it (that’s how I connect to your message, plus I never read without getting consent every time) All website policies and disclaimers apply to readings – you know the drill.

Change on Pause

Like these collective energy readings? Private readings focused just on you are available to order HERE 24/7, no appointment needed.

I have a change in my day job schedule starting in November. Here’s the plan, such as it is.

Email Private Tarot is STILL open for orders 24/7, no appointment needed. Order anytime at the link above the video. Delivery times will vary depending on when your order comes through – I’m one real person doing real world readings for you, so holidays, nights and weekends slow things down a little bit.

In-person, phone and online readings are still by appointment only and schedule a few days in advance.

There are STILL free “Zombie Cat” Tarot readings in the blog now through October 31, 2023 for anyone brave enough to leave a comment (or use the Ask Me Anything page) with a nickname and question for the cards. It’s all just for Halloween funsies, entertainment only. Zombie Cat’s readings are 100% guaranteed to contain words and have 50% chance of being dead wrong

I’m dropping the week ahead readings (for a while, anyway) and returning to the old daily meditation Tarot reading format from the “Tarotbytes” blog days on Modern Oracle. The Wednesday Learn With Me series and Thursday newsletter won’t change.

These daily readings aren’t about any kind of “forecast.” Daily meditation is about right here, right now. This is meditative mindfulness. This card applies to you in your moment whenever you read this. Even though I’m reading the collective energies for today, spirit or synchronicity will bring you to the card whenever YOU need its message, no matter when that is. Psychic, intuitive information comes from outside of space and time anyway. That’s why distance Tarot readings are perfectly valid and why you can get real guidance from books and blogs no matter when you read them.

Now for today’s card: Death in reverse. Death means big life changes. Reversals hint at energy that is blocked or turbulent. Change blocked doesn’t mean Hanged Man style stagnation. This feels like a simple “wait a minute.”/

It’s OK to be OK

There is a sense of solid, practical, advice life advice here all wrapped up in an avalanche of proverbs and old adages:

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Let sleeping dogs lie. Watched pots never boil.

There is nothing wrong with striving to be better. There is nothing wrong with experimentation. But you have to know your results before you make further changes. Sometimes too many changes spoil the soup just as much as too many cooks can.

“Remember kids, the only difference between science and screwing around is writing it down.” – Adam Savage

There is an urge to charge out there and take the week by storm, grab Monday by the beans and constantly strive, eyes on the prize and all of that.

Sometimes that a good thing.

Sometimes it’s good to give it a rest and enjoy the beans instead of grabbing them.

Merry Monday everyone! Cheers!

Sage Sips: Tarot contemplation for your day in the time it takes to sip your coffee.

Pictured- the author’s morning mug including home made caramel cream pumpkin pie spice.

It’s My Mind, I’ll Change It If I Want To

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I’m taking over the squirrel rave this time. Here’s the metaphorical playlist.

For the rest of October (longer if you guys tell me you like it) I’m reverting back to my old format from the Tarotbytes days on Modern Oracle: One card daily meditation Tarot readings for the collective energy.

That has a few advantages as I see it:

It will let me focus on some of the family / meatspace things I have coming up over the next few weeks without going on a full blog & social media hiatus.

It fits the new Reels/Shorts/TikTok social media environment better than the longer pathway readings.

It also fits the Sage Sips “brand” – Tarot contemplation for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee (or whatever you are sipping this time of day). I sip coffee every morning, so why not have a little Tarot to go with it?

The offer of free Zombie Cat Tarot readings for anyone brave enough to leave a comment asking for one (or use the ask me anything page to ask for one) still stands until midnight October 31, 2023. Just give me a nickname to use to protect your privacy, tell me your question for the feline and you get a free Zombie Cat reading in the blog. Entertainment only – you know the drill. Zombie Cat’s Tarot readings are 100% guaranteed to contain words and have a 50% chance of being dead wrong.

If you are interested in a not-metaphorical playlist, I made “Haunt 23” on my now-defunct podcast Spotify page for you, just for funsies. Happy Halloween!

Squirrel meme image via google search, believed public domain

Prickly Splatters Everywhere

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Social Media Update: With the advent of Threads, I spend most of my scroll time there these days. Threads and Instagram is the best place to actually interact. You are welcome to stop by and say hello. I post on FB, Tumblr, and TikTok, but don’t interact there very much. I will warn you that the Threads account has become a combination of Tarot posts and my ex-birdsite political and religious voidscreaming. But you probably know by now that secular humanism, Taoism, witchcraft, progressive/liberal politics and lgbtdq ally-ship is a big part of who I am and influences what I do here. If any of those things offend you then we wouldn’t be a good match for a Tarot reading anyway. But rest assured, no matter what you see on the Threads feed, I can set all of that aside and channel in the right energy message for you no matter what it says. That is what 30 years of experience will get for you. There are some advantages to being genX years old.

So what does that have to do with today’s card or Tarot at all? That gnarly online energy IS very much today’s energy and card. The growing energy from Monday has arrived. The Three of Swords has to do with sorrow, heartbreak, loss, pain and betrayal. The keyword betrayal steps forward with the most energy today.

This isn’t a good day to be expansive or ebullient unless the feeling is so strong that your happy emotion bubble can withstand a field of needles. The collective energy today feels prickly like trying to hug a porcupine. You may have all good intentions, the porcupine may be filled with love and kindness, but things are what they are. Being true to yourself and being true to your own nature can also mean facing up to hard realities. Your true self and other people’s true self isn’t always going to blend well. You don’t have to like everybody and not everybody has to like you. Oil is a part of nature. So is vinegar. That doesn’t mean that life has to be salad dressing. To borrow a phrase from Joseph Campbell, follow your bliss. But follow it knowing that not everyone has the same bliss.

Some people by their nature are counter to your nature. Deliberate and malicious or not, intended or not, it can feel like a betrayal when you hoped for some sort of relationship, but nature makes that difficult if not impossible.

There may be good intentions all around, but oil and water, bubbles and porcupines still happen. Some days just aren’t made for trying to make square pegs fit round holes and vice versa. This feels like one of those days.

To paraphrase another writer, John Le Carre, betrayal can only exist in the presence of love. You can only betray – or be betrayed by – those whose opinion you care about. You can’t be jabbed by the porcupines that you don’t try to hug.

Here my mind turns to some of those social media threads I’ve been reading lately. With the evangelical support for right wing politicians and the christian nationalist & “dominion theology” growing in our national awareness (and, arguably, growing as a threat to those of us with interests in Tarot or ANY spiritual path other than theirs)

There can be family betrayals, community betrayals, literal danger to vulnerable groups like our lgbtq loved ones. Like the meme says – you can’t say you love me then vote for someone who hurts me.

The Three of Swords reminds us that protecting oneself from real danger is an act of loving kindness too.

Which brings us back to yet another paraphrase of yet another author, G. Chesterson, who said “a [warrior] fights not because he hates what is in front of him but because he loves what is behind him.”

When religion tears apart families and communities the prickly energy splatters everywhere.

It’s hard to hug a heart that deliberately surrounds itself with swords. It’s ok not to impale yourself on the sharp edges.

Thank you for reading. Heavy energy, heavy ideas today. Thanks for contemplating it all along with me.

Next time: Energy path reading for October 9-15.

The Blog and social media will be on a short hiatus October 14-17, 2023. Email readings are OPEN but may experience delivery delays on those days.

See you at the next sip!

Learn With Me: Lenormand, The Dog

This blog is not monetized: If you enjoy these free posts please support Sage Sips with private reading orders, memberships or virtual coffee. Thank you!

It looks like we are off to a very good start.

The general plan is to learn about this Lenormand deck in the same way we recently explored the Publishing Goblin oracle dice and before that my new and much used Alleyman’s Tarot Deck.

There is no teacher quite like experience, especially when it comes to something as subjective and individual as intuition and oracles. The basic strategy over the coming weeks is that I’ll pull a random card (and post the draw on YouTube Shorts. I did that this week but the the technical glitch gremlins got to it)

After the random draw, we’ll read it purely intuitively based on the collective energy of the day – just like we read the collective energies for the week each Monday.

Then I’ll go to the guide book, which in this case is sparse, around a paragraph per card, and summarize what it says.

A word on guide books in general:

Use them as a tool, but not as an authority.

There is no dishonor in finding inspiration when you need it.

Guidebooks are great in situations like this to help you get comfortable with a new deck or technique. Guidebooks are essential when you are very first learning to read cards at all, like the DIY one card meditation readings you learn how to do in my book PeaceTarot.

Even after reading for 30 years, there are still times when I look at a card and get exactly nothing. Tarot readers are human and nobody is perfect. If you hit one of those I-got-nothin’ moments then it is perfectly fine to fall back on either a guidebook or a memorized “meaning” It will prime the pump so speak, and spark the intuition that you need for genuine reading that is of the energy of the moment.

Today’s card is The Dog.

The image on this particular deck is warm and sunny, and I associated it with all of the positive happy energies of the RWS major arcana card The Sun. Dogs are the essence of loyalty and friendship.

Clearly this is a good start for making friends with a new deck.

It has a sense of reciprocity today, too. “To make a friend, be a friend”

In the moment, it feels like making friends with this deck is going to be easy.

The guidebook doesn’t add much, just reiterates the “faithfulness and loyalty”

The guidebook isn’t much help in this little learning project we have going. I may just give the key words in the beginning and just give it an intuitive read from there.

Do you have any thoughts which would be more helpful to you? Comment if you like. Guidebook keywords at the beginning or end?

It’s interesting that the card is connected to the 10 of hearts. You can read the suit of hearts much as you would the suit of cups in the RWS decks. It is about emotion, happiness, closest inner circle relationships….like your closest friends.

PeaceTarot also teaches you how to use playing cards in place of Tarot cards to use the guidebook meanings in PeaceTarot if you prefer playing cards or if you don’t have access to a RWS style Tarot deck. 10 of hearts is equivalent to the 10 of cups, which has to do with happy family and happy (and loyal) relationships. It all fits.

If this card resonates for you today, it is a reminder to appreciate the friends and emotionally close people in your life. Tell them. Show them. Check in with them. Be a friend today.

If you are feeling friendless, befriend yourself. Just be patient and kind. It’s like playing fetch with your favorite doggo…throw some kindness out there and life will fetch it back sooner or later.

Thank you for reading. The short and sweet newsletter for this week will post on Thursday morning.

See you at the next sip!

Spooky Season Special:

Use the Ask Me Anything page to submit a yes/no question and get a Zombie Cat style Tarot reading answer in the blog!

All Zombie Cat readings are 100% guaranteed to contain words and have a 50% chance of being dead wrong.

entertainment only

Image: author photo of her purchased copy of Healing Light Lenormand by Christoher Butler copyright 2021 Lo Scarabeo srl, via Cigna 110, 10155 Torino, Italy. All rights reserved, used by permission.

In Potentia: Week Ahead Tarot

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Every week, every day is full of potential.

It might have immediate blowback, or it might be building foundations or planting seeds that pays off later.

Potential lies in the hands of action.

All of the cards this week are swords. Swords are associated with air and action, intellect, and our relationship with authority, culture or society at large.

The fading energy card is the Page of Swords. Pages are students and learners. With this being in the fading position, it is a clue to a change of phase. It is the end of the beginning. It’s time to put on the big kid underwear and get to work. At some point you have to leave school and do the thing. For many, now is that time. Now is the time to make old efforts pay off, true to the harvest season, lending this card a sense of rapid expansion. The page is supposed to represent a knight in training. Knights can become kings. With these two cards side by side, it gives a feeling of rapid expansion, a rise through ranks, rapid progress after a dely.

Current energy is the king of swords. King cards are protectors and leaders. Again intellect and action mixed. This is a time of head over heart. Kings protect the kingdoms boundaries. This is a hint to set and protect and enforce our boundaries. Insist on respect but give it in equal measure and with equal discipline.

Anything in its extreme contains the seed of its opposite

Rapid expansion can also translate to ‘in over your head’

The growing energy card, the three of swords is a caution against falling prey to your own naivete and inexperience. Know what you don’t know, and know enough to ask for help when its needed to avoid problems. The faster you move, the harder it is to see and avoid pitfalls in time. Heads up. Problems may come at you faster as the week rolls on.

Thank you for reading. Good luck and be careful out there!

Next up: Learn with Me: Lenormand on Wednesday. See you at the next sip!

FREE : Ask me anything and get a Zombie Cat style yes or no reading in the blog

(entertainment only)