TaoCraft Short Sip is Tarot contemplation for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. Today is the 6 of cups and the monday gremlins
Hello and welcome to TaoCraft Short Sip: Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. I’m glad you are here.
Todays card is the six of cups.
I’m still getting to know this new Tarot deck. The Alleyman’s Tarot is full of surprises. I wasn’t expecting a Japanese influenced card, but enjoy this one. I’ve always liked anime. I’ve been watching it since around 1970 when my kindergarten self was fangirling Kimba the White Lion. There is something vaguely Inuyasha about the energy today.
It’s a good one for a Monday too. As the workweek starts and the weekend ends, our thoughts sometimes turn to the serious and the ponderous. Mondays aren’t usually a play day.
This energy is asking us to lighten up a little bit. It ain’t all that. The advice is not to build things up to be bigger than they really are. The classic RWS deck shows children playing in a field of flowers.
Mondays often are not a field of flowers. Life can be full of annoyances any day of the week. Mondays are just another day. Nuisances are just another part of being alive on plane Earth. It is what it is but not more than it is.
By the same token, just because something is pleasant and easy doesn’t mean it is somehow lesser than if you struggled or it was unpleasant. It is what it is but not less than it is.
The Six of Cups reminds us to, even in the face of Mondays, and annoyances and inconveniences, and things that happen astonishingly easy, to stay chill and roll with it. It’s not all that one way or the other.
The card was originally made by Buboplague for the Yokai Yochi Tarot deck. A fast and superficial google shows that yokai are mischievous spirits from japanese folklore. As playful as the card looks, broken umbrellas with legs are vaguely disturbing too. It makes me think of how “gremlins” from the movie have come to mean any unexplained glitches like “computer gremlins.” The Alleyman’s Notebook describes the card as innocent joy, just like the RWS interpretation. It too reminds us to have a fun like a child despite all the adulting we have to do.
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You choose your Tarot card and your message for today with this innovative blend of Tarot guidance video, blog and podcast.
You know, I really want to re-work how I do these interactive readings. I want to make them more audio friendly for the podcast and honestly, I just don’t enjoy the monologuing into a microphone thing. It has such a performance feel. I know I’m not a good extemporaneous speaker and that makes it hard to bring the level of communication and authenticity I can give you in a live one to one conversation or in a typed format. I think I’ve said this before. Conversation is one thing, but broadcasting to a general audience is another. One to one versus general audience readings aside, you can compare the You Tube video to the typed transcript here in the blog and the text to speech version in the podcast. Dang it Jim, I’m still a writer, not on camera talent. At the same time, I really do like the what the video brings to the blog, especially for the interactive, pick-your-own-card readings like this. I think it brings an important level of transparency and authenticity to the posts. You know it is a totally genuine, heartfelt, raw, unedited, real-world card reading. You get to see it happen as well as read or hear the words of it. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems fairly symbiotic – the two together are greater than the sum of the parts. Especially for people like me who think they are some kind of Shakespeare until the mic turns on and it all turns into babbling incoherance.
Here’s my thought and I really want to know what you all think. It would genuinely help me to have this feedback. Just being here and reading or listening to this is wonderful support – and I thank you for that – but I could really use an extra hand with this interactive idea. Please leave any thoughts or suggestions or questions in the blog comments, the youtube comments, answer the question on spotify or leave a voicemail on anchor fm. Are these interactive readings interesting or helpful at all? If I put a pithy card contemplation in the video description and a full card reading on the blog and podcast would it still be as helpful and interesting? Honestly, I’d kind of love the mystique and anonymity if everyone to thought that I actually sound like Siri’s second cousin and have my voice be as big of a mystery to Tarot YouTube as Corpse Husband’s appearance is a mystery to gamer YouTube. I may tinker with captioning the longer you choose videos and leaving the short ones as, you know, shorts.
Using “left, center or right” to indicate your card choices is hard to visualize. Or at least I think so. Sometimes you see these kinds of readings on social media using still photos and they create such pretty Instagram level picture. Often they will use crystals or charms or feathers or different small objects to help you feel your way to the right card. I love me some rocks and crystals, but again, that doesn’t translate well into an podcast. Using color was a thought, but not the best one. Color have emotional and psychological connections. Marketing experts use it all of the time. I was concerned that I can’t think of any good way to connect the cards to sounds without making it ridiculous and cumbersome for the blog readers and video watchers. The answer seems to be to use something that is easier to describe and visualize than objects or spacial relationships like left – center – right.
Have you ever seen the original Ghostbusters movie? There is a scene where Dr. Venkman is testing two volunteers ESP ability by drawing cards and having them guess the shapes on the cards. If you take out the comedy bits, the card test is an actual thing. There are random image generators online that let you guess at the cards and see if you can guess above random. It’s all based on controversial parapsychology research in the 1930s. And it has absolutely nothing to do with this other than taking some inspiration from the cards. The cards I’ll use for the visual part are different than the the actual Zenar cards, but like the Zenar cards they are simple shapes that are easy to visualize. As a nod to one of my favorite movies, though, I’m using a star and wavy lines. I made add some shapes just for interest and to increase the randomization. You’ll see and hear how it works as we do a few of theses you choose readings together.
But speaking of you choose readings, that’s enough behind the scenes. Let’s do this thing.
First I’ll draw three shape cards from this tiny handmade deck of note cards.
Today we have wavy lines, star and circle.
Now lets draw three Tarot cards from the shuffled and cut Tarot deck and put one by each of those shape cards.
Next – you choose.
You choose how you use the reading. It can be guidance for your day, guidance for your week or guidance for anything that is on your mind right now.
Imagine the three shapes, star, wavy lines and circle. Which one feels right? Does one light up in your mind’s eye more than the others? Does one catch your attention more than the others? If you need a minute, pause the video, stop reading for a second or pause the podcast to give yourself a little time. Then restart to get the reveal. Or just pick a shape on impulse and listen for your card as we go along.
Wavy lines is Temperance. The Waite Smith deck echoes the wavy lines in the water that is being poured from cup to cup. Temperance is the ultimate balance card. Today there is a strong energy of “slow your roll” and “bring down the temperature” a little bit. Here the Temperance card is very much like tempering in cooking where you change the temperature of sauces or custards gradually to prevent the eggs from curdling and getting lumpy. Tempered glass is another example. Tempered again refers to temperature. The temperature of the glass is controlled and manipulated to make the glass stronger. The advice from the card is about bringing emotional tempers and and emotional temperaments and group discussion temperatures down. It is about choosing your response to external circumstances just like you chose this card.
Star is The Hermit card. Interestingly, the star shape is also found on the card artwork as the shape of the light in the hermit’s lantern. The Hermit is about finding inner wisdom through changing the external environment. Carve out some me time for yourself. If you at all can manage it, get away from it all. Create a little quiet time and meditation because that will let you hear your own inner wisdom. Walking away for a minute to collect yourself is a way to respond to external circumstances as much as a spiritual retreat is.
The Circle isn’t directly represented on the card art, unless we really stretch things to include the chariot wheels. The chariot is what I call the supersonic test pilot card. It is a call to be fully in the present moment and mindful, but not impulsive. If a test pilot lets their mind wander or if they act too randomly bad stuff can happen. Being fully present and bringing all of your training to bear making good but fast decisions is one way to respond to external circumstances. If you chose this card that is a clue that you CAN bring that kind of mindfulness and clear-headed decision making to your situation.
Which format suits you? How do you like using shapes instead of spaces? How do you like the way the videos combine with text and audio. I kind of like this unpolished multi-media blend of things.
Thank you for watching, listening and reading. Any likes, subs, shares or follows you can spare are always greatly appreciated. None of this media mash up is monetized. Your blog website purchases and ko-fi memberships all contribute to creating this unique Tarot content just for you.
The short sip format returns Friday March 24. See you at the next sip!
TaoCraft Weekend Tarot Turnovers are an intuition building exercise. I sip the coffee and you practice the Tarot reading. This week compassionate insight with the Queen of Cups.
Welcome to the Weekend Tarot Turnover where we turn the weekday short sip Tarot readings upside down. I’ll sip the coffee and you interpret the card to practice and stretch your intuition.
I picked a card at random. The idea is that you choose the meaning from the list below that that you think is the best guidance or message for you just now. Instead of me looking outward to read the energy, it’s your turn to look inward to listen to what your bones, guts and intuition are telling you.
Today’s card is the Queen of Cups, which is a particularly good card for this exercise. The queen of cups is very much aligned with intuition.
Some meanings include:
Knowing without a clear logical reason
Inner wisdom
Understanding mysteries through study
Emotional intelligence
Understanding people’s emotions
Kindness and compassion is needed
Pay attention to your dreams, learn to remember them
Comments are open, so feel free to let us know what if any of this resonates with you. Questions are always welcome, and will be answered in the blog.
Thanks so much for reading the blog and listening to the podcast. Next up is the unboxing-ish review of the Alleyman’s Tarot deck. Then back to short sip posts for the week. Your likes, subs, shares, and follows are always appreciated.
The blogcast and youtube channel are not monetized and depend on audience support. Your private tarot reading purchases through the blog website and your Tarot Table memberships on Ko-fi contribute toward creating this unique Tarot content.
TaoCraft Short Sip is Tarot guidance for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. Today the Seven of Cups helps us to choose wisely and with a little less stress.
Welcome to TaoCraft Short Sip: Tarot guidance for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. I’m glad you are here.
Today’s Card is the Seven of Cups.
Right away the pop culture reference popped in with our idea for today.
I don’t know if it was a deliberate choice on the part of the director or the set designer, but there is real resemblance between this card and the scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where there is an array of cups and Indy has to choose the true holy grail from among them and the ancient knight guardian says that “He chose …. wisely.” So naturally I’ve been intoning the “chose wisely” line and movie reference since watching the movie 1990 -ish.
Indy’s father’s life was on the line. So was his given the giant side effect demise of the bad guy who “chose poorly.” It was a dire, emergent, irreversible choice to be made. Luckily most of us don’t face that magnitude of circumstances in the choices that we make.
Despite the visual similarities, there are circumstantial differences between the energy today and the drama of the movie. Most of the time we aren’t going to POOF and loved ones die because of the choices we make.
There might not be special effect poofing, but choosing poorly can lead to bad things happening. It’s the fear of those consequences that can turn decision making into an anxiety riddled, brain-locking experience. That emotion driven reaction is all the worse when logic leaves us in the lurch. When logically, factually all things are equal it is easy to fall into over-thinking things. That’s where perceived stress comes in, even if the danger isn’t particularly real. We may feel like we are going to be special effects poofed if we choose poorly even if there is no poofing involved. This is where a little stress management and stress reduction comes in handy. Tarot can help. Tarot can help tip those all-things-equal scales one direction or another and help you make a choice a little more confidently. Or, as is often the case with the seven of cups, Tarot can help you get past the logic and overthinking. Tarot can help when it comes time to use your intuition and follow your heart when making an intimidating choice.
Decisions are important. So is staying chill and remembering that if we screw up, chances are we will eventually get a whole new set of choices to make. We may not get to make the exact same choice over again, but we can make new choices that can nudge things in new direction.
We may not choose wisely this time but we can try to choose again all the wiser next time.
TaoCraft Short Sip is Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. Today: the King of Wands and the controlled burn.
Hello and welcome to TaoCraft Short Sip: Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee.
Today’s card is the King of Wands.
The connection between the whole suit of wands and the classic element of fire steps forward this morning. My attention was particularly drawn to the salamanders on the tapestry or throne behind the king in the classic Pamela Smith artwork we see here. There is no doubt in my mind that the artist used them and the little guy on the ground to signify the elemental connection with the cards.
The myth of salamanders as fireproof inhabitants of hearth and flame is a whole thing in itself. Books have been written about elementals and nature spirits and such. That’s not quite the point here. It’s interesting that the artist draws the salamanders on the throne as curled in a circle, nose touching tail, just like the classic Ouroboros symbol with a snake or dragon biting their own tail. The Ouroboros symbolizes wholeness and infinity and the cosmos among other things, akin to the simple enzo circle in Zen philosophy. Books have been written about that, too, and it’s not quite the message for today either.
When I first noticed the salamander motif, for just the smallest tic, just for a split second, I thought it was a yin yang symbol which in turn reminded me of the Tao Te Ching’s advice about leadership. Lao Tzu was not a fan of micromanagement. To paraphrase “when a good master governs, the people hardly know he is there.” That is closer to the energy today.
Another way to say it might be “Slow your roll, Karen.”
Don’t be a doormat, certainly, but a little diplomacy might be go a long way.
When gasoline explodes in small amounts inside an engine cylinder, we go far. When gasoline explodes in large amounts outside of an engine, we get disaster. When a campfire toasts marshmallows we get a treat. When a wildfire starts from a campfire, destruction follows.
I’m also reminded of the character Ang learning firebending in the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The scene particularly comes to mind were he is given the exercise of lighting the center of a small leaf and controlling the small ember so it only burns to, but not over, the edge of the leaf. Later, in a burst of enthusiasm and carelessness, he accidentally burns his friend Kitara’s hands. Ang then refuses to ever fire bend again which in turn leads to its own set of problems.
It serves no one to extinguish your passions. By the same token passions that burn out of control can lead to disaster. Passion with discretion, passions with a controlled burn can light the way to something better.
Thank you for reading and listening.
The blog, the podcast and the companion videos on YouTube are not monetized and rely on your support. Your likes, subs, shares, Tarot reading purchases through this website and Tarot Table memberships on ko-fi all help me to create this unique Tarot content. Thank you.
Knight of cups: flirt with life a little bit today. TaoCraft Short Sip is Tarot guidance for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. Full card of the day reading on the blog & podcast.
Welcome to TaoCraft Short Sip: Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. I’m glad you are here.
Today’s card is the knight of cups.
I don’t know about you, but the card is resonating with me on a very literal level this morning. It is the Monday after the time change to daylight savings and I’ll be chugging, not sipping coffee out of my cup like a caffeinated warrior. The first few days of daylight savings time messes with me under the best of times, but pile it on top of a late night for other practical reasons and things get REAL cranky around here.
If you’ll indulge my annual rant: daylight savings time is flat earth science denying nonsense in a 24/7 modern technological society like ours. It doesn’t save anyone anything. If you work for a living, it just changes when you have to turn the lights on, not how much you turn them on. No matter how much you clever monkeys mess around with the clocks, it doesn’t change the tilt of the Earths axis or it’s orbit around the sun. You get a fixed amount of sunlight for the day of the year. Period. If you want to get up early to take advantage of the longer days…fine. Knock yourself out. The rest of us were already up. In the dark. Making coffee.
But that’s just me.
The vibe from the card isn’t cranky, sleep deprived or overly caffeinated at all, really. The card is sweet, lighthearted and fun. Downright playful even.
Cups, as we know, has to do with emotions and closest inner circle relationships. Knights symbolize action and activity. So the advice today become to act on your sweetest loving impulses today.
Back in the future-predicting, fortune-telling days of Tarot the knight of cups was thought to portend romance and adventure. The knight of cups was all chivalry, dashing charm and a Lancelot knight in shining armor sort of character.
So what does that have to do with now? Isn’t that as outdated, flat earth and science denying as frickity-fracking daylight savings time?
No.
Daylight savings time manipulates inner clocks and natural rhythms. The knight of cups is reminding us, today of all days, to honor the lighter side those natural rhythms.
Spring is in the air. Relaxed good humor is the vibe of the day. If you aren’t feeling it, that’s ok. Just take it easy and be kind and gentle with yourself as we the sleep deprived ease into the new schedule. If you are feeling it, then by all means unleash it. The world needs a little relaxed fun loving flirty energy today.
It is a very expansive, large, love life, love the world, love humanity, love is love is love is love energy that is showing itself this morning. Whoever you love, it is a sweet peck on the lips kind of day. If you aren’t in a relationship that would allow that, then give that sweet peck on the lips in metaphoric way. Give some good vibes and bask in whatever warmth is reflected back to you. Smile. Laugh at silly commercials on TV. Hold the door open for someone. Be nice to your barista. Deliberately stay in a good mood even when you are cut off in traffic or a major “karen” crosses your path. Fix someone in the family’s favorite meal for no reason. Play music that makes you happy.
Dan Millman calls it the laughter of the enlightened man. Misha Collins calls it Random Acts* of Kindness. You get the idea.
Be good to yourself today, and bring as many others along with you as you can. Lower the bar, enjoy the ride, say yes to the whip on your latte and flirt with life a little bit.
Thank you so much for reading and listening to today’s blog cast. I appreciate your support.
None of the TaoCraft Tarot online content is monetized. Your likes, follows, subs, follows, Tarot reading purchases and Tarot Table memberships all contribute toward creating the blog, the podcast, and the YouTube companion videos that show the real-world card draw for each short sip post/episode.
TaoCraft weekend Tarot Turnovers is an intuition building exercise that turns our usual Tarot readings upside down. I sip the coffee while you interpret the card. Learn Tarot with TaoCraft!
Today we are turning our usual Tarot posts upside down. I sip the coffee and you interpret the card. It’s not that I’m lazy. Well, actually, I kinda am. But that’s not the point. Reading Tarot is like any skill, it takes practice. It takes some time and slowly working it through for yourself. That’s what these Tarot Turnovers are intended to do. It gives you a chance to flex your intuitive muscles in a no-big-deal, safe, low key way. It’s hard to learn to read cards when you are upset or in the middle of a problem or need guidance for whatever reason.
That’s where a daily one card meditation practice like we do here on weekday or as they are described in my e-book PeaceTarot. The ebook teaches you how to do daily practice card readings plus provides peacefulness themed interpretations for all 78 RWS style Tarot cards. If you practice on days when you are calm and everything is normal, it is easy and natural to reach for your cards on the days when things are far from calm and normal.
Speaking of far from normal, prompted by world events, all proceeds from TaoCraft Tarot ko-fi shop sales of my ebook PeaceTarotwill be donated to Doctors Without Borders, USA until the end of 2022. I’ve already donated myself, but with your help we can do more. Doctors Without Borders has a four star rating on charity navigator.
Back to the card. I drew a card from a random cut after shuffling three times. I’ll list a variety of possible interpretations for the card inspired by old blog posts and favorite references plus my card interpretation from PeaceTarot. Can you spot it in the list?
Take a deep breath. Read through the list of meanings below the card and see which one rings most true for you? Which one feels most right to you? Which one applies best to your individual context and situation? Does something else entirely spring to mind? If so – go with that. Your personal interpretation is the best one for you.
Fear and anger can come from frustrated desire. If you are afraid or angry, stop and think. What do you really want and is it really threatened?
Finding your true love in life – romantic or otherwise.
(if reversed) Your answer may lie in repressed desires.
Love lifts you up and heals many things, both in the receiving and the giving.
Love life and true love will find you.
Follow your heart.
Lust and sexuality.
“Even if you don’t want to desire, you still desire not to desire” – Alan Watts
So which one did you pick and why? Does the card raise any questions? Blog and and social media comments are open! Spotify and Anchor FM podcast listeners can submit questions and comments through the “ask a question” section. Podcast people – if it is hard to choose a meaning just by listening, drop by the print blog to see the bulleted list. That might make it easier to choose.
Thank you so much for reading and listening. The blogcast is not monetized and is entirely audience supported. Any likes, subs, shares, follows, tarot reading orders or Tarot Table Memberships you can spare are always appreciated!
Weekend Tarot Turnover intuition building exercises like this one typically post once per week, usually on Saturdays – hence the name. TaoCraft Short Sip Tarot nano episodes post most weekdays, usually mid morning eastern time. Short Sips are Tarot guidance for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. YouChoose Interactive Tarot posts are totally random but post a few times per month. Question and answer posts or other topical episodes give you a behind the scenes look at my side of the Tarot Table. They are even more random. If you follow the blog you’ll all the TaoCraft Tarot content from every platform right in your inbox.
Welcome to TaoCraft Short Sip: Tarot contemplation for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. I’m glad you are here.
Today’s card is the nine of cups.
When this card turns up around the Fall and Winter holidays, it often brings a celebratory energy, one of intimate family celebrations like Thanksgiving for example. It doesn’t have the community vibe or cultural celebration energy we see with the four of wands as we talked about recently in the post One Step Wins.
Cups are symbolic of emotions and very inner circle relationships. When the nine of cups turns up other than the holidays, it shifts energy to match the time and context. The emotional facet steps forward more than the close relationship aspect of the suit. It is still very positive, it is still somewhat celebratory. The nine of cups symbolizes something that comes into fullness, and fruition and to a good conclusion.
It is about wishes come true.
If you want to take that as a prediction of good fortune or a wish coming true, feel free. I don’t see Tarot as predicting anything. Tarot is a writing prompt – for life. It’s a life-prompt. Tarot gives us ideas for problem solving and direction setting.
Today the energy also asks “so now what are you going to do?” What would you do if your wishes do come true. What are you going to do if you suddenly become the dog that catches the car its been chasing?
Here is an interesting thought experiment for you. I think it is from one of Richard Bach’s books. I think it was Bridge Across Forever or somewhere thereabout in his writing. I forget the exact wording. But try this. Close your eyes. Imagine when you open you eyes the world will be exactly as it should be. Imagine that your wishes have already been fulfilled. Imagine there is a path forward to the things you need.
Then open your eyes and see how many ways that imagination is already true.
Thank you for reading and listening.
None of my online content is monetized, so it depends on your support through likes, subs, shares, follows, no appointment needed email reading orders and Tarot Table memberships.
Thank you for your support and thank you for finding a path that makes your wishes come true.
Hello and welcome to TaoCraft Short Sip: Tarot contemplation for your day in the time it takes to sip your coffee.
Today’s card is the Ace of Pentacles.
The energy here is hopeful and optimistic. It feels like the odds are definitely in your favor today.
It also reminds me of the often quoted, perhaps over quoted bit of wisdom from Wayne Gretsky that “you miss 100% of the shots that you don’t take.” Which in a way begs the question of why. Why would you not take the shots life presents to you? Why wouldn’t you go all Alexander Hamilton all over it and, to paraphrase Lin Manuel Miranda, go boat on fire into the room where it happens and refuse to waste your shot.
Fear is a good thing.
I’ve done this. Maybe you have too. An opportunity comes along and a bucket of ice water tips over in your gut and suddenly you don’t want to take that shot so much after all. It is a weird experience to want some for a long time and be on the verge of getting it, then instead getting a sudden burst of fear. Sometimes that’s ok. Fear keeps us out of stupid dangerous situations. I’ve bailed out of opportunities, regretted being a big chicken, and later was very glad that the sudden burst of unexplained intuitive fear saved me from my own stupid self.
Impulsive, mercurial actions are more closely aligned with the element of air, and so the suit of swords. The pentacles are associated the element earth. Pentacles remind us of being grounded, solid, balanced and practical. The Ace of Pentacles gives a feeling of reassurance – it encourages us to go all Hamilton over the opportunities that come along today or the near future as long as there is no real-world logical reason to give it a hard pass. The Ace of Pentacles gives us the green light to move forward with new opportunities but also reminds us not to abandon practical matters in the process. If ice buckets are there, if you are feeling uncertain or suddenly afraid of success, listen to that. Sometimes when things are moving fast your gut works faster than your brain. But all things being equal, all things being logically safe, all things being intuitively clear, when the Ace of Pentacles shows up then take your shot on goal with confidence.
Thank you for listening, reading and watching.
The blogcast and its companion YouTube channel are not monetized and depend on audience support through “by me a coffee donations, Tarot Table memberships, and email Tarot readings purchased through this website. Your likes, subs, shares and follows are always appreciated. Thank you for your support.
Just a reminder that social media will be more random and quite than usual through mid-March. In-person individual readings return in April, details on the website (links are in the description for podcast listeners) Also, in 2022, all proceeds from sale of my ebook PeaceTarot in the TaoCraft Tarot ki-fi shop will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.
The Hierophent (Pope, High Priest) card asks us to think about who we allow to influence us. TaoCraft Short Sip Tarot is guidance for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee
Hello and welcome to TaoCraft Short Sip: Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee.
Today’s card is the Hierophant. The Marseille and some decks call it the Pope. My personal favorite version of the card is the High Priest in the Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan and Mark Evans.
There is a lot of nuance and subtle shades of meaning around this card, most of which have to do with some iteration of authority. It might be the literal political power and authority that many people grant the actual Catholic papacy. Or it may be a more purely moral and spiritual authority many people grant to the wisest among us like the Dali Lama or the late Desmond Tutu, for example.
I’ll grant you, my view of the card is profoundly influenced by western liberalism in the sense of democracy and the notion that authority is granted by those who are governed by it.
Here my thoughts turn to an interview I watched last night with Russian dissident Nadya Tolokonnikova.
Even where there is autocratic government there is choice: compliance at lesser risk and protest at great risk.
War and dictatorships aside for a moment, here in the relative safety of the western world and in our own minds, consider for a moment where you grant authority.
On International Women’s Day I want to fall back to one of my favorite Eleanor Roosevelt quotes because it resonates with the self-guidance and personal, spiritual autonomy that is the point and purpose of Tarot work. She said that “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
The High Priest agrees today.
Who do you consent to impact your feelings? Who do you give authority over your self esteem? Who do you give permission to influence you?
Are they worth it?
Another cue to think about who you consent to have influence or authority over you is the word “should.” If you catch yourself thinking that you “should” do something, take a moment and challenge that thought with loud “Says who?”
Hopefully, the who is you.
Thank you so much for reading and listening. TaoCraft Tarot blog, podcast and youtube channel are all supported through your Tarot reading purchases, Tarot Table Memberships, “buy me a coffee” donations, plus all of your likes, subs, shares and follows. Thank you so much for your support.
Sage Sips / TaoCraft Tarot 
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