advice – Page 3 – Sage Sips / TaoCraft Tarot

Q&A: Light Housekeeping

Q: Do you do house cleansing or clearing? I will be moving into a new house, and I was told a man had been murdered there. I want someone to come to the house and take a reading of it and to respectfully help him or anyone move on. To answer your question, no, nothing has happened to make me think he or any other spirits may be stuck there, but there is one area that has a strong feeling of sadness. I did burn some sage, but it didn’t seems to help. Is there anything you can do?

A: That isn’t my area of expertise. I deal with spiritual guidance for living folks, not so much the not living ones. The one person I knew who did do this sort of work has moved away from our area. Since you want someone to come to the location, unfortunately all I can do is suggest that you continue your google search.

In the meantime, I do know some basics that you can do for yourself that might help. I’ve used them in the past for different applications, not this particular kind of clearing, so I can’t make any promises. They worked so well for other energy clearing, since you don’t think you have a full on haunting, it might be all you need to settle in to a new space and make that new house a home.

That was a great idea to start with sage. It is, in my experience, very calming, soothing, grounding, centering, balancing, comforting and protective. Whether it did anything for the sad feeling energy or not, at the very least it would help you to feel calm and protected as you do your clearing work.

Sage, black salt, ground eggshells and all of that are helpful for protection, yes, but it seems you need something to clear first…then you can move back to the protective measures.

Think of it this way, putting a doormat outside of your door will help keep new mud from being tracked into the house, but it won’t do anything about the footprints already on the floor.

My intuition is that you need something brighter, expansive, clearing and dispelling. My hunch is salt, sound and lemon. In aromatherapy, citrus scents are believe to be clearing, cleansing, energizing and very high vibration. Any residual energy of the sad, tragic kind you describe is low vibration and would need that extra boost in order to clear, to move out. High vibration measures is like mopping the old footprints off the floor after you put the doormat out.

I suggest a three step treatment for the whole house if you can manage it…or the area where you sense the sadness at the very least.

First do normal, ordinary, mundane cleaning. Just like ordinary spring cleaning as anyone would before moving in. Second, mist all the rooms, especially around windows and all doorways, corners too if you feel they need it. Make a lemon salt water mist with filtered or spring water, a pinch of salt, and either some lemon essential oil or a little lemon juice. The scent doesn’t have to be strong and just a pinch of salt will do when you are doing energy-level work like this. After you clean and mist, ring a small bell or chime in each room or use one of those “singing bowls” if you prefer.

Once you have done the energy-raising cleansing, then you can protect with sage or a sprinkle of salt/black salt/ground eggshell powder at the entry doorways to help keep the energy clear.

After all of that, you could really put the frosting on the cake and have someone bless or dedicate the home. A good old fashioned housewarming party might help too…housewarming really is a good name for it. Friends and family having a pleasant time together truly can raise the energy of a space and make it feel like home. f

If you would like to go more in depth, I suggest reading Psychic Protection by Ted Andrews. It is an excellent resource.

Like I said, I’m no expert in this particular topic. If I learn anything new, I’ll post it here in the blog for you. Don’t forget to subscribe by email so you don’t miss new posts or the special offers coming later in the year.

Thanks for the great question! Sorry I couldn’t be more help. I’d be interested to know if you try this and how it works for you. I hope it works as well for you.

All Best Wishes

What to Expect From a Tarot Reading With Me

This is a new page on the website. Nothing puts folks at ease like knowing exactly what to expect. I expect to post this every now and then as new readers come along. If you have any questions about Tarot in general or my style of reading in particular, please don’t hesitate to contact me by email or use the Ask Zombie Cat contact form.

**********

Tarot readers are all different. This art and spirituality, not science or medicine. Just as there are different genres of music and movies, each Tarot reader has their own unique style and method of reading. Let me give you an overview of my creation, TaoCraft Tarot, in two parts: qualities and mechanics.

Qualities

Guidance: I use my intuition to look at energy flows and to listen to [spirit, energy, spirit guides, guardian angels, our higher selves…whatever name you like to use] and translate that intuitive information into usable language for you.
Inspiration: By focusing on creative problem solving rather than giving up to fate or destiny, these readings can inspire you to action or spark ideas of your own.
Options: I do NOT predict the future. I do NOT tell you what will happen. These readings do NOT tell you what other people think, feel, or will do. This style of reading does NOT lock you down or give in to fate or destiny. I DO think in terms of energy flows and pathways most energetically open to you at the time of the reading. These readings are all about your choices. Your choices and actions are what creates your future. No reading can predict that. These readings can help you figure out what your choices are and what you want to do.
Transparency: What you see is what you get. I give what I get from energy and spirit as I get it. It is up to you to decide what to do with that information. It is up to you to decide if it is “good news” or “bad news.” The same goes for the business end of things. All of my policies are clearly written on this website. By reading this and the disclaimers on EVERY page of the website, you’ll know EXACTLY what to expect from a session ahead of time. Nothing is hidden. Prices and policies are clearly written. Read on. Then any Tarot session with me can only meet or exceed your expectations because you will know exactly what to expect!
Authenticity: My Tarot style is no drama and zero stage tricks. I give what I get from pure intuition, period. Authentic Tarot is closer to Bob Ross or the cookie-baking Oracle from The Matrix than Psychic Friends or a Vegas stage show.

Mechanics

Introduction: We will talk about the questions or concerns that brought you to the reading. For distance readings this happens during the ordering process. You can use the comments to merchant or customize option to let me know your question, if you have one. Questions do not have to be detailed or specific. You can just give a general area of focus, like career, or relationships or what-have-you. It is perfectly fine to leave it open, with no specific question or topic at all. I just need to know that is what you want to do.
Card Shuffle and Layout: I will either shuffle until it intuitively feels right (distance) or ask you how many times you want the deck shuffled (live) In live sessions I’ll often cut the cards, then you pick which part of the deck we work with. The cards are placed on the table face up in the pattern you ordered. In private sessions we will use the 7 card layout. Parties vary from 1 card meditations up to the 5 card layout depending on the size and type of party you schedule. In live sessions you’ll obviously be able to see your cards. In a distance reading, I take a photo of your unique layout and include that in the electronic document.
General Pattern: We look at the cards as a whole picture. This can include things like number of major vs minor arcana cards, repeating numbers, where cards fall within the layout, or any purely intuitive impressions that may appear.
Card by card: We talk about each card individually: its meaning, the meaning of its position within the layout, and the type of message it is giving (advice, caution, validation, thanks, etc.)
Summary “psychic reading”: This puts all the cards back together as one summary. In this part we open up to any purely intuitive information that might come through whether it is directly related to your cards/concern/question or not. This is a chance to hear things that are needed, even if they are not requested or expected. Often this part includes colors, aromatherapy and crystal/gemstone suggestions.
Sigil Element / Intuitive Doodles: In a live session, I take handwritten notes as we go along for you to take with you. If any mental images come up, I’ll draw shapes to help show you what I’m seeing in my minds eye. If you like, you can use those shapes to create your own sigil…a symbol for the things you want to bring into your life. You can draw your symbol and carry it for luck or any number of things. To learn about Sigil making and other ways to create and use intuitive shapes & symbols, I suggest reading Sigil Witchery by Laura Zarkoff or The First Signs by Genevieve Von Petzinger. In a distance session, I’ll include one “sigil element” shape in the document you receive by e-mail. Sigil elements are not included in phone or video readings.
Affirmation: We again summarize and focus the reading’s message for you in the form of a positive affirmation. This part isn’t always obvious. We won’t force it. I don’t want to leave on a contrived, or fake note. We’ll summarize in the most authentic, positive, forward-looking way possible in any reading format.

Sound good? Order your distance reading anytime, 24/7, no appointment needed at www.TaoCraftTarot.com or contact me (TaoCraftTarot@gmail.com) to schedule a Party / Individual session in the South Hills area of Pittsburgh, PA

FAQ: A question of your own

Have a quesion? Ask HERE to have your question added to the new FAQ page

So far, I’ve kept these classics….

Q: Will my ex- and I get back together?

A: That depends on what you and your ex decide to do. Tarot can’t read your ex’s mind or how they feel about you, or predict what they will do. The only way to know for sure is to talk to them directly. If you aren’t talking to each other, then there is little or no chance you will get back together. If the two of you haven’t fixed whatever caused the breakup then no, getting back together is very unlikely. That is just common sense. You don’t need a Tarot reading for that. BUT if you want advice about how to heal from the breakup or how to have better relationships in the future, then Tarot can definitely help.

Q: Nothing you said came true. Why not?

A: I. Don’t. Make. Predictions.

I’ve said it a thousand times. Tarot doesn’t predict the future. That is the dark ages, flat earth way of using Tarot. It doesn’t matter if predictions are “true” or not. I could sit here and make perfect, on-target, 100% accurate predictions all day long, but then you could go out five minutes later and do something that changes everything. (See: Predicting the Future and a Big Cube of Jell-O) Remember Yoda from Star Wars? The future really is fluid and always changing. Life is cause and effect. If you drop an apple, it will fall down. If you strike a match, it will catch on fire. If you pour water on something it will get wet. Cause and effect is the way Nature works. It is science. Your future is created by what you choose and do. Tarot is a way to look at options, then choose the flow of energy that is more likely to take you where you want to go in the long run…not tell you every ripple of everything that will happen along the way.

Q: How can you do readings by e-mail? Don’t you have to be with the person for the reading to work?

A: I read universal energy, not the person themselves, so no, they don’t have to be with me for the reading to happen as it should. Energy and spirit is everywhere, all of the time. I read that universal energy and listen to spirit on that person’s behalf. It doesn’t matter if someone is across the table or across the world when I connect to that universal energy. It doesn’t matter if I say the words of a reading or type them. It doesn’t matter if you hear the words now or read them later. The same core message still gets through either way. I connect to your specific energy message when we talk about your question vs an open reading. That conversation & connection happens the same way when I read your words as it does when I hear them. The difference between a distance and an in-person is the way you experience getting the message, not in the message itself.

Q: How long have you been doing this?

A: It blows my mind to say it, but a little over 25 years. I started reading oracle cards around 1992 as I began my new spiritual life as an ex-christian (after an evangelical upbringing.) At the same time, I started Taijiquan training which introduced me to Taoist philosophy and meditation. In 1996, I began Reiki training, certifying as a Reiki Master-practitioner in 2000. In the early 2000s I started working part time as an online Tarot reader while I worked toward a Ph.D. in Natural Health and started a family. That was followed by working for myself locally under my old website Modern Oracle Tarot. In October 2018 I introduced meditation and Reiki to the Tarot website to become the new TaoCraft Tarot. I’ve been at this for a while, and now teach other people to read cards in local workshops.

Q: Do you read for the LGBTQIA community?

A: Of course! Anytime! Consider me an ally. Readings are naturally gender/orientation neutral. I intuitively “see” people as energy signatures, kind of like a silhouette made of light. Intuition doesn’t tell me anything about gender, orientation, identity, race, hair color, height, or any other specific attribute. I don’t mean to use wrong pronouns in your reading. They are all just completely interchangeable on an energetic level. If I get that sort of thing wrong, just clue me in and we’ll move on. It’s all good.

Q: Are there different kinds of Reiki sessions for different needs, like one for night to relax if you have trouble sleeping or one for morning if you need more energy?

A: Surprisingly no. It isn’t guided or prescriptive like that. The energy is like a raw material that the body uses where ever and however it is most needed. On of my teachers told the story of a gentleman with tennis elbow. He was very skeptical of Reiki, didn’t think it would help at all, but came to the session to placate his wife. He would’t let the Reiki master touch him anywhere except his left elbow. After a couple of sessions it didn’t do anything for his elbow….but it greatly improved his blood pressure. Nothing else in his life had changed to explain the improvement…no change in his medication or diet or activity or anything else that they could think of except the Reiki sessions. The body puts the energy where it needs it the most. Timing isn’t an issue, either. Reiki can be sent with the intent that it activate at a time when it is most needed as well. Like gravity, Ki is everywhere, all the time, and Reiki simply helps you draw from that energy in a time and a place and a way that is for your best health. For example, if problems sleeping is the main concern, a morning Reiki session might help the underlying reason for the insomnia, and in turn help the sleeping problem when bedtime comes around. Like the tennis elbow, the blood pressure was a more important issue. We trust the body (in its physical, mental and emotional aspects) to put the energy where it is most needed. Like the morning session that helps bedtime insomnia, the body guides when the effects of the energy are felt. Thanks for the question!

Ask Zombie Cat Anything

NEW!

That snoo-wearing website has nothing on us. You can ask Zombie Cat anything RIGHT HERE

Use the contact form on the Ask Zombie Cat page to – um – ask Zombie Cat. Ask any question you like – I won’t promise the answer will involve Tarot Cards or anything else for that matter.

Questions will be chosen at random to be answered (yeah, it probably WILL use Tarot come to think of it). Your answer will appear as a blog post or a YouTube video. Don’t worry, we’ll edit the daylights out of it so no one will know it is you.

Pro Tip: subscribe to the blog over there –>

and follow TaoCraftTarot on Instagram (TaoCraft.Tarot) Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and subscribe on YouTube so you don’t miss your answer.

Inappropriate comments and spam will be immediately set on fire and ignored.

Zombie Cat is a fairly snarky fictional character. Anything labeled Zombie Cat is purely for entertainment and should be used at your own risk. After all, he has ZOMBIE right in his name.

Send your question HERE

Not the Mercury retrograde thing AGAIN

mini rant about mercury retrograde

All the blame-y victim-y whine-y energy and posts about friggen’ Mercury damn retrograde on social media ( looking at you Instagram) has officially gotten on my last nerve.

Blaming poor choices or random gliches on “Mercury retrograde” is like saying you stubbed your toe because it is raining in Poughkeepsie. Magick, energy, intuition, creativity, life force, the random crap of living – it is all bigger than one zippy little planet in one out of the way solar system in a really really big universe. You are part of the big stuff. You are rightfullly as much a part of the Cosmos as is Mercury. Now, knock it off about the damn retrograde, OWN your life and go be amazing.

Today’s Tarot: Three of Coins

Two or three heads are better than one. Many hands make for light work. Just don’t let too many cooks spoil your soup. Get advice and guidance, but in the end you own your choices.

Follow for FREE TAROT

Follow the website with the button over there –>
enter your email (I won’t share it, promise)
I’ll send you a FREE unique one card meditation tarot reading to that email as my thanks.
If you have a specific topic or question for the reading please contact me at taocrafttarot@gmail.com. Otherwise, I’ll just send an open reading (probably in about 24 hours)

Tarot Without a Net: The Empress

This post was originally published on the transitional Modern Oracle -> TaoCraft Tarot site under the title “The Nature of Nurture” The series is just beginning and is an exercise in getting to know a new deck without reading the “little white book” first. We will pick up with the next new card next week, an keep going from there.

I’m a fan of Thom Pham’s art, especially this deck. Each card is inspired by a populare movie or TV character. Such a good match! I use pop culture references all the time. It is an easy, comefortable familiar way to communicate the ideas that come through in a reading. Sometimes impressions come through already in pop culture form. I’ll “get” a song, book or movie from intuition or spirit….however you want to call it.

This is one of the cards where The Heart of Stars is a tiny bit of a challenge. I’ve never seen Mama Mia. I’ve seen Meryl Streep in other movies, and she is an excellent actress, but Mama Mia isn’t to my taste. Abba made me run in the opposite direction even way back in the day when they were popular the first time. Not a fan

I hadn’t really contemplated what to do if the cards turned out to have a pop culture reference that escapes me. Not that I’m any paragon of cool, but I watch waaayyyyy too much TV and have seen an ad or a preview of a lot of things, even the dreaded chick flick. As a general principle, pop culture references have yet to let me down.

As I understand it, this movie was about a single mother / daughter relationship, a failed marriage, water, sailboats and urgh….ABBA. So you have in general a relationship, and the classic archetype of ‘mother’. I’m not hardwired for chick flicks so my favorite reference for this card is the way comedienne Judy Tunuta sometimes called herself the “Earth Mother Giver Goddess” Same thing I suppose, just more palatable. With those two references I get a dual track of meanings for this Empress card.

The strongest most dominant one is nurturing. The Empress is almost always depicted as pregnant. The life and fertility connotations are unmistakable. The Empress card affirms life…and it affirms nature. Our nature. Just as a mother loves her child no matter what, the nature of nurture is to accept and love as-is, no changes necessary, and to give what is needed, no matter what old expectations might have been. The Empress gives what is needed in accordance with the nature of the thing/person she is nurturing. Do you like girly movies and ABBA music…here you go. If you like comedy better…here you go. Stay up too late on a school night…..nope, but I know you are a night owl so we’ll cut you some slack on the weekends. Nature gives us what we need. We can grow by working with and abiding by our own deep nature.

The nature that is outside is a pretty good source of nurturing. No matter what you think of 1970s soft pop euro whatever music…hugging a tree or two, taking a walk outside, going out on the sidewalk and taking a breath…all of that is good too.

Nurture is giving what your own true nature needs to grow or heal or thrive.

Affirmation: My true nature is fine as it is, but if I choose, Nature will help me walk a better path.

3 Card (Pathway) Tarot Reading

Q: You drew a card for me on Halloween which was (and still is!) really meaningful, so lovely to connect with you again. I saw your Instagram post and would love to have you pull a few cards for me if the places haven’t been filled, but no worries if not! Happy to have a reading via the blog 🙂

Sara23Nov18

For ******

November 23, 2018

First of all, thank you so much for your kind words!

I’m always so happy to hear when a reading is helpful….after all, that’s why we do these things! But the same is true as the last reading: If you have any questions, complaints or need any clarification with the reading please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Since you didn’t specify a topic, I’ll just move ahead with an open-to-anything point of view.

Your Cards Today Are:

Background & Context: King of Coins (Pentacles)
Current Situation: Three of Swords
Moving Forward: King of Swords

General Pattern

All cards are minor arcana, which in a layout this small is no real statistical surprise. Intuitively it feels like a bit of reassurance, that nothing really major is stirring the energies for you right now. It is all pretty business as usual more than it’s not. It has a feeling that business as usual for you entails being really good at what you do. Business as usual is kicking butt and taking names from the feel of it. In that vein, it feels like a very plain-talking, no nonsense kind of reading. It also feels like most of the reading energy is pointing toward work and career thoughts, which would go right along with having a coins card right off the bat like that. The repetitions are asking for attention. You have two swords, which connote action, the element of air, intellect and logic, authority, or your connection with society and culture at large. Knit all of that together and my attention is pulled to using cold, calculating intellect when it comes to work, especially when dealing with the authority structure, or any vying for promotions or power within the structure of the workplace. “Power Play” comes to mind along with an old episode of M*A*S*H where the Colonel accuses someone (Frank? Hotlips? Klinger?) of “going over my head so many times I’m getting athletes scalp” I guess the shorthand for that would be watch out for power playing brown nosers at work. The other repetition is the two kings. Kings connote leadership. It feels like the situation may be asking you for leadership, confidence, self-starting, standing up for yourself….even if you are already good at that, it feels like the skills you have will be put through their paces, and you may even be pushed a tiny bit outside your comfort zone in that respect. I ‘hear’ (meaning the intuition comes as words instead of feelings or images) to “Hang on and be brave” There was a great meme about spirit guides (the lady) you (the boy) and a life lesson. Here is the photo part if you want to take a peek: https://goo.gl/images/gdXriU Your guides feel like they are reminding you they won’t lead you anywhere you are not ready to go, but since you are ready…buckle up baby!

Background & Context: King of Coins

This part is the reminder of competence you have, and that you are more than ready to meet leadership challenges at work, or any other part of life, really. The King of Coins as a card connotes wealth and success, so a note of reassurance there again. I hear “build on past skills and successes” I’m not clear whether that means use your skills and knowledge that you have in hand to fullest advantage, to build new skill and expand your knowledge and experience…or both. It doesn’t feel like a job change as much as an expansion of the current situation.

Current Situation: Three of Swords

Classically, this tends to be a bit darker, more dire card across all of the decks and references that I have. Often it will set me off on maternal lecture mode about be safe, keys out, park under lights, and all that usual lecture….but not so much for you today. This feels more petty than malicious. It isn’t the devil or dark side card for good reason. This feels petty, and small, and contained to one aspect of life, like office politics. “Watch out for petty backstabbers” comes to mind. Very office politics, but also heavy on the petty….like an annoying mosquito that can drive you mad if you let it, or just brush it away. The more calm, detached, intellectual and swords / mental-focus the better.

Moving Forward: King of Swords

You know how I read cards…the cards have suit, element, layout position, and general card meaning. But each card, based on all that other stuff, can have a different spin or ‘flavor’ of message; advice (something to consider doing) caution (something to consider avoiding) or validation (acknowledgement, encouragement, cosmic thank you) There has been a lot of validation energy so far. This has a little more of an advice spin. The card feels less like it pertains to you and more like it represents an ally…someone in the hierarchy at work who you can cultivate an working relationship with, who can be a mentor of sorts. “Have your back” comes to mind. Like someone who knows your skills, sees your potential. It feels like it might be literally a male figure of some sort. Does any of this ring a bell for you? I’m not sure how else to understand the card, because it has a not-you but someone who can help you sort of symbolism around it. Beyond that it is dark – meaning no signal, not evil or bad kind of dark. It feels like that is the card or energy telling me that is a singular message from this card….seek out a mentor or ally at work.

Summary

This part is like a psychic “cold reading” where I free form give you any impressions that come to mind. In readings that have a topic or question, this part might connect to that or the cards….or it might not. In an open reading like this one, it just stays in the open frame of mind.

Often it starts with colors, or crystals or both. In this case I see citrine. It associates with the solar plexus chakra, and therefor confidence. Wear or carry it for confidence at work. It also resonates with the King cards, and the coins suit because the golden color has to do with wealth, career, luck and to some extent leadership.

I taste butterscotch, with lemon scent in the background. That might be a continuation of the golden color associations. Butterscotch may symbolize comfort, while lemon in aromatherapy is very cleansing and energizing. Lemon may be important relevant to work, as diffusing some lemon fragrance, lighting a lemon scented candle, or using anything lemon after work might do two things…first it would be a clear transition signal. It could remind you work is done, clear any annoyances or negativity from your day, and let you know to shift into family/home/private life mode. It will also lift your energy…stress or pettiness at work can put an extra drain on your energies. Lemon could help neutralize that and lift your energy after a long day. Don’t use citrus oils on your skin if you will be in sunlight within the next 12 hours…it can cause sun sensitivity. Also don’t put it on your skin if you have autoimmune diseases as it enhances immunity (a good thing in cold/flu season for most people)

And there the energies step back. I hope this helps!

Best Wishes,

Ronda