Sage Sips / TaoCraft Tarot

The best place to start is at the beginning. Or in this case, before the beginning.

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

Picking up where we left off in the Real Talk Rewind blog post and in honor of the Halloween anniversary of re-branding my old Tarot work into TaoCraft Tarot, I’m re-introducing the whole story start to finish. On one hand this is the part of online work that feels egotistical and weird. Self-promotion is very icky feeling and I can totally see why there are old school superstitions about money and spirituality. On the other hand, the cure for the ickiness is communication and the cure for superstition is rigorous professionalism and full transparency. That’s why I do all of this “a rose by any other name” writing around this time of year.

I am grateful for the opportunity to do Tarot work, and the TaoCraft name and content is the most authentic expression of what it’s all about. But I’ll get back to that later. In fact, I’ll get back to all of that in the ebook I’m still trying to put together, TaoCraft: Portfolio.

If the place to begin is the beginning, let’s begin the story of TaoCraft Tarot BEFORE the beginning. The real beginning of the beginning is when you decide that you want to get a reading.

That is exactly where Portfolio begins too.

Once you have decided that you want a reading, how do you find a psychic that you can trust to do the reading? This is about that step in the process. This is about finding the right person to work with you on that reading you just decided to get. That is where Portfolio comes in. It is written to give some context and background to Tarot in general and my readings in particular so that you can see in detail if TaoCraft Tarot is the right place for you.

This ebook excerpt has a permanent page on the website, and I’ve posted it in the blog before. Here it is again as a beginning before the beginning of any reading we do together, including the collective energy, broad audience Short Sip blog posts and podcast episodes. What follows is an excerpt chapter from the upcoming ebook TaoCraft: Portfolio.

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The Tao of Finding a Psychic

There aren’t many spiritual portfolios around. So how do you know who is the right psychic for you? How do you avoid scams and know who to trust? 

The first step, of course, is to follow your own instincts. 

Right away, that sounds like a bunch of double talk. If using your instincts was the answer, then you wouldn’t need to consult a psychic in the first place.  

I believe that we all possess good intuition, but sometimes it helps to have another point of view. Two heads really can be better than one. It takes two separate eyes for us to physically see depth and distance. Two points of view can give depth and distance to our ideas, too. Even professional readers consult with other psychics sometimes. Tarot cards and professional psychics are amplifiers for your intuition, not a substitute for it. It’s said that spirit speaks in whispers. We professionals serve to translate spirit’s whispers into louder language that you can actually use.

Most people wouldn’t hesitate to ask friends, family or neighbors for a recommendation if they need a plumber or a mechanic or a hair stylist. Why should this be any different? I wouldn’t suggest asking your super religious granny if she knows a good psychic, but asking like-minded people is a pretty reliable way to find a good reader. Word of mouth is often the only way to find some of the best psychics . If you already know a psychic that you like and trust, recommending them is a wonderful way to support their work. 

Without a personal recommendation, you might have to dig a little; read ads, visit websites, ask at small local bookstores or holistic health shops. Those of us on this side of the reading table are a little underground for all the same reasons that you need to be on guard. We still have to protect ourselves and our families from cultural and religious bigotry, even in 21st century America. We have to protect ourselves from the reputation scammers and con artists have brought to psychic services. We have to protect ourselves from people trying to scam us. We have to deal with all the same pitfalls that you do. Wariness on both sides can make it hard for sincere psychics and well meaning clients to connect with each other.

When you get a recommendation or find an ad that catches your attention, don’t be shy. Talk to the person. Text, email or call, but the trick here is to ask calm reasonable questions. Don’t suddenly pour out your heart to a stranger or interrogate them as if they had already done something criminal. Instead, ask them about practical things, like scheduling, location, hours, prices, accepted forms of payment and so on. 

It is often easier to get a feel for the person’s personality and ethics from this kind of bland conversation than any other way. Questions like these are safe, neutral ground for both of you. Working psychics want to protect everyone’s privacy and comfort level. If you are just a little bit friendly, you’ll find that a trustworthy psychic will meet you more than half way. If they treat mundane business questions with professionalism and kindness, chances are they will treat your reading the same way.  If they seem like they are hiding something, making a hard core sales pitch or it all just seems way too good to be true, then by all means pay attention to those feelings. It’s ok to talk to several people before you commit to an appointment. 

Once you’ve talked to people or browsed the ads, if it feels right and you can afford it – try a session. If it is a good match, you’ll know right away. A Tarot reading should never make you feel judged or uncomfortable.  If that first session isn’t a good experience, simply try again with someone else. Personality and style are important factors in finding the right psychic for you. Some people enjoy a little glam and drama.  Others prefer a relaxed, cookies-at-the-kitchen table vibe. A mismatch in style or personality doesn’t mean that the reader did anything wrong. Neither did you. You should never take it personally or be made to feel that a bad session was your fault for “not believing” or any such nonsense. 

Of course, always use plenty of common sense to steer clear of the many scams that do exist. So-called psychics who promise to fix your love life, cure anything, give 100% accurate predictions, or demand regular appointments should be approached with caution. Or better still, not approached at all. I’ve met a lot of excellent psychics and Tarot readers over the past 30 years. None of them, not a single one, ever offers a reading out of the blue to a stranger. Never. Advertising, special offers, or giveaways to the general public are normal business practices. Targeting an individual in the guise of “feeling a connection” or being “led by spirit” to do a reading for them is on par with spam bots and email phishing – or worse.

Thanks to the Internet, no matter where you live, you can get affordable, expert Tarot readings. The extrasensory, intuitive, psychic part of a reading comes from outside of ordinary space and time. Communicating the reading to you by phone or internet instead of in-person doesn’t change the content of the message itself. Distance readings are as exactly as valid as in-person sessions, possibly more so. With a distance reading, you know the message is truly intuitive. With email in particular, there is no way for you to give away body language cues or answer leading questions. Distance readings protect you from deceptive ‘cold readings’ and stage mentalism. 

Finding a trustworthy psychic online poses the same problems as finding one in-person, multiplied by the sheer number of people available. Trusting your feelings is all the more important when you work online despite the many cost, convenience, and privacy benefits of a distance reading. 

Distance readings are my specialty. I began my public Tarot work online. Over the years, I learned that websites can carry a vibe the same way that physical spaces do. A psychic may not have technical skill as a webmaster, but you can still get a feel for the person behind the web page. As time goes on, blogs and social media have become easier and easier to use. A psychic with few computer skills can present themselves well. An up to date website and social media presence is a good clue to the amount of care and attention that the psychic is putting into their professional practice. An outdated website can mean that the reader is no longer working professionally or that they are better suited to in-person sessions. Good distance psychics seem to be a fairly tech savvy crowd. 

In-person or at a distance, there are lots of sincere, trustworthy psychics available but they are sometimes hard to find. It’s worth the effort to find the right price, style, personality, and format for you. You’ll get a better reading and more value for your money in the long run. Following your instincts combined with a little common sense can help you find a trustworthy Tarot reader. 

After reading this booklet, I hope your instincts will be to work with me.

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Thank you for reading and listening! I appreciate it!

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There are more big drink background posts to come. Until then, I’ll see you at the next sip!