What’s in a name? Could be a free reading for you

Help me to re-name the layout-formerly-known-as-seasons-of-the-year and I’ll do one of those readings for you by email (typed version with photo) at no charge. Detials here: https://taocrafttarot.wordpress.com/2020/11/09/new-deck-new-year-new-giveaway/

It’s just too soon. After the infamous Four Seasons Total Landscaping press conference, I can’t see the word “seasons” without giggling. ‘Year Ahead’ reading works, after all that’s what it IS, but something more creative might be fun for the holidays don’t you think? I got nothin’ so I need your help coming up with a new, fun name.

Comment on the page linked above, and the winning layout name (as chosen by me) will be announced here and on social media December 1, 2020. If multiple people submit the same idea, the first one received gets it. No monetary value, entertainment only, all policies and restrictions apply, void where prohibited, swim at your own risk, no lifeguard on duty, wash your hands and wear a damn mask.

New Deck, New Year, New Giveaway

video of my brand new tarot deck and a new free tarot special

It is time for Zombie Cat readings to shamble off for a while.

I created this “seasons of the year” layout quite a few years ago just for the New Year holidays. It gives one card as a theme or guidance for each of the upcoming season in order, no matter what time of year the reading is done. Then it gives a card that serves as guidance for the year as a whole. Halloween / Samhain is celebrated by some as the new year and calendar 2021 will be here before we know it. I usually keep this layout front and center through Lunar New Year, whenever that falls. Because it can be used any time of year, It is always available by special request. If you can’t find it on the website, just email and we’ll arrange something.

BUT now I have a problem….

After the “Four Seasons Total Landscaping” press conference thing this weekend (it’s a long story related to the U.S. presidential election results – please, google it and have a good, long belly laugh) I can’t call this the “seasons of the year” anymore. It’s going to be a while before I can see the word “seasons” without laughing. I hope the poor landscaping company gets a lot of good new business form everyone talking about it. Support your local small businesses!

I need your help…

For now, I’m calling this the “year ahead” layout, but that is way to milqutoast boring for the holiday season. I can’t call it pathway anything to avoid confusion with the three card layout. Do you have any ideas for a name that describes what this is BUT does not use the word “seasons?” I’d also like to stay away from anything too snarky. “George” is already taken by my sourdough starter.

Here is the deal – I’ll give one of these readings by email in trade to the person who suggests the best layout name (as determined by me) for the layout formerly known as ‘seasons of the year.’ Leave your layout name suggestions in the comments by November 30, wining name to be announced here in the blog, and on social media on December 1 2020. If multiple people give the same chosen name, the first submission is the winner. All policies and disclaimers apply. No monetary value. Swim at your own risk. No lifeguard on duty. Wash your hands and wear a mask.

Have at it! I’m looking forward to seeing what you all come up with!

The Healing We REALLY Need

Healing doesn’t mean accepting, integrating, or normalizing hate, racism, bigotry, fascism, white nationalism, christian nationalism or any such deplorable thing.

Healing means filling in the wound where all of those things are excised with kindness, fairness, justice, rule of law and compassion for all.

Joy and celebration today is well deserved and certianly well earned. Tomorrow we begin the hard work that this deep healing requires.

Congratulations President Biden and Vice President Harris.

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.

card image from the public domain

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.

I dunno

the value of not knowing

public domain image please support sacred-texts.com

Life is a mystery.

Some would say a box of chocolates. Others of us might lean more toward a word that sounds like bitstorm. Chocolate or otherwise, sometimes you just don’t know where it is going to splatter.

Not knowing is part of life, and and it is unnerving as heck. Nobody likes it. Trying to cope with the unknown comes in different forms. We can prepare for it, and make contingency plans as best as you can. It is warm and comfy to wrap yourself in if-then logic. If X happens, then I’ll do Y, but if A happens then I’ll do B, if C happens then have mercy….

I don’t blame people who want predictions. Predictions are uncertain in and of themselves, so they only push life’s uncertainty back a step and hold it at arm’s length until facts and reality sets in. Advice and guidance are more effective. Rather than a prediction that still might or might not materialize, guidance adds a degree of information, a tiny bit of knowing that increases both our comfort levels and our ability to make contingency plans.

Imagine driving on a long road trip, and not quite knowing where you are. But ah-ha! A little sign on the side of the road lets you know that you are on highway I 79 going north. If I keep going straight, I’ll get to Erie, as long as I don’t drive into the lake…or get stuck in a surprise snow squall. So watch for where to turn, stop before you hit water, make sure your cell phone is charged and bring a coat. The sign (Tarot reading) doesn’t predict anything about our road trip, but it tells you the direction you are headed – good news if you are headed north, but if you wanted to go south, you have a choice to make about how to turn things around.

But that’s the practical side. What, other than facing our fear of it, is the value of the unknown? Is there one?

I think the mysterious and unknown is our portal to spirituality.

That is how I define spirituality, in fact. Spirituality is how we, as individuals deal with and engage with the inevitable, inexorable mysteries of existence. It is the diametrical opposite of religion. Religion is external, dogmatically seeking to make mysterious knowable even if it is at the cost of authoritarian, exclusionary, judgmental thinking. Spirituality makes the unknowable – not into the knowable – but into our friend.

It is ok not to know everything or have easy answers to everything. If the journey is more important than the destination, then the contemplation of the mysterious is more important than the comprehension of it.

I make meditation beads. I made one for myself recently. I have no idea how many beads are on it. I just strung however many beads were in that loose package. It’s not a size of bead I typically use, so there was no easy guess how many wound up on the strand. I could have counted them, but I chose not to. I could count them now, but I still choose not to. That mala reminds me of the mysterious parts of life. Because it is unknown, but could be, it symbolizes a connection between the known and unknown, the magick and the mundane, the material and the spiritual.

Not knowing is the bridge between the known and unknowable.

It’s OK to not know everything, even if it is a little frightening.

“I will not fear. Fear is the mind killer. Fear is the little death that leads to total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will allow it to flow around me and through me. When the fear has passed, I will turn my minds eye to the path where the fear has gone and only I will remain.”

Dune by Frank Herbert

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.

Let’s Predict the Election!

One thing hasn’t changed from the Modern Oracle Days.

Predictions.

In my experience, they still work the same way as they always have. That’s why I brought “Zombie Cat” and “100% accurate predictions and a big cube of jello” over here from the old archives.

I’m not a physics or statistics person. Or at least I’ve never been formally educated in the subjects. Still, it seems to me that Tarot is more akin to fluid dynamics, probabilities and the butterfly effect than a 100% accurate friendly phone psychic infomercial. Yoda was right. The future is fluid and changing and the product of cause and effect – with causes as complex and ephemeral as someone making a choice.

Besides, what would you DO with the information even if accurate predictions were possible? What are the ethical considerations? What are the quality of life considerations?

Take, for example, today’s U.S. elections. More and more with each passing minute, the deed is done, the cake is baked, our spam is in the can so just enjoy the ride and wait for the the whole electoral college nonsense to do its thing. If, accurately or not, we predict the election now, what good is it when it is too late to act on the information?

If we tried to predict it months ago, when there was still time to do different things and make different choices based on the prediction, then those very actions and choices would change the prediction itself. A prediction made in time to be actionable could be invalidated in a heartbeat.

Let me ask you this: how helpful is you favorite GPS app or device if you have one?

Predictions aren’t super useful, but navigation IS. Navigation is what good psychic and Tarot work actually DOES.

GPS doesn’t predict where you are going. You decided that when you entered your destination. GPS can tell you high traffic areas and alternate routes. GPS doesn’t predict the cars you pass or things by the roadside, but it certainly helps navigating to wherever you want to go. Intuition, psychics and Tarot can tell you which directions the energies and probabilities are headed. It can show the shortest way to where you want your life path to go. It can show where there are blockages and potential challenges, but is not so great at predicting other people who pass through or exact events along your way.

Psychic Tarot isn’t the right tool for every situation and this is one of them. This election is far too important to play around with “predictions.” Lives are literally at stake. Justice and civil rights and democracy is at stake. This isn’t a time for frivolous predictions. This is a time for reason, speaking out, peaceful protest if necessary, but above all this is a time to vote.

As with medical questions, trying to read this situation is about using the right tool for the right job. As I’ve said many times, you can’t hammer nails with your cell phone and you can’t make a phone call on a hammer. You can’t even send a text. The right tool for this situation is data, logic, stress management, and accepting the fact that we don’t know how this is going to end until it does.

Readings touch subtle energy. That is the nature of Tarot and intuition. I personally am not willing to engage with the radioactive toxic brew of political energy here in ‘Murica today. You can use the “Zombie Cat” yes or no layout to predict the election all you want for yourself, if you like. (I show you how it is done on the YouTube channel) Don’t get me wrong, predictions can have deep value. Predicting this election is very instructive in one way. If you get an answer you don’t like, it shows you where your attachments and expectations really lie.

PLUS (and this is no small thing) these ‘predictive’ yes/no readings are a straight up giggle. Back in the before time, when I was still doing business and party appearances, I’d sit at my table and do yes/no readings for myself until people would wonder what the heck I was doing and come over to the ‘fortune teller’ table. I’d ask trivial things about Stanley Cup wins, or what to make for dinner, or if mail order packages would arrive on time – stuff like that. Never underestimate the value of humor on a stressful day.

Because of that light, fun factor, I waive the rules about predictions …. I mean …. Zombie Cat doesn’t have any rules about predictions in his yes/no readings. So if you want a predictions you have to talk to Zombie Cat. Ask anything! He’ll read any question so long as you realize there is a 50% chance he will get your question dead wrong. Maybe more. After all, he’s a zombie. And a cat.

P.S. If you want to ask Zombie Cat a question about anything, now is your chance! Zombie Cat shambles off (at least until next summer) November 7. Order your reading at a final week reduced price HERE

Still here? GO VOTE!

Interact with Zombie Cat

ask a yes or no question, get a yes or no Tarot answer

Let’s do this a little differently. Instead of starting the video and choosing a card based guided by your intuition, think of a question BEFORE you start to watch. It has to be in a yes-or-no format (general topic or questions with “or” won’t work in this particular exercise) but it can be about any topic. Keep in mind this is like every Zombie Cat reading – it has 100% chance of containing words, but a solid 50% chance of being dead wrong. This is one of those once in a blue moon times where I can’t think of anything to add to the video card interpretations. So roll that beautiful card footage

My side of the Table? I’m not convinced this is anywhere close to working. The energy is just too dilute. This layout is brilliant and a load of fun when you add in the Zombie Cat persona AND when you have a specific question for specific person. YouTube is a weird energy environment on the intuitive level. That’s why I really, REALLY hope that you all will leave some feedback. I’m a good writer, a VERY good Tarot reader, but not exactly a video media maven. But if you are kind enough to tell me the topics and content that YOU want to see, I’ll learn how to create it. If worse comes to worst, I’ll write about it instead of film it, but I will get your requested content out there in one form or another.