coffee – Sage Sips / TaoCraft Tarot

New Deck N’at

Usually I agonize over every deck I’ve bought. I have to really really REALLY feel it before I’ll shell out the cash for one. I’m frugal, and I don’t spend on hobbies and entertainment unless it strongly moves me on some level. Or if it is yarn to make a holiday gift.

Maybe that comes from being born and raised in Appalachia – real, south of here, ruby red, mountain Appalachia – BUT I’ve lived in the Pittsburgh area long enough that I consider this is my hometown whether yinz like it or not. When I accidentally stumbled across the Pittsburgh deck on social media it was an immediate ‘shut UP. Take my money’ impulse. Luckily for me, it turned out to be a very affordable deck.

The guide book is being shipped separately, so I’m winging it with this reading.

Career questions have crossed my path lately. I pulled these cards with the generic question in mind of “am I on the right path with my career”

Any “right path” question lends itself to a classic “pathway” card spread, which in turn is a more modern, nuanced version of the old-school past/present/future spread. I don’t have to tell you for the millionth time that exact predictions are not only impossible but unhelpful. As always, I read a three card pathway as:

Influences of the past – how old experiences are either influencing your perceptions of the current situation or, often, this is a reminder of old skills or lessons that you can bring forward to help you now
Current energies: things about the current situation that are asking for your attention, or pointing out any blind spots.
Moving Forward: This is a possible strategy, a good next step or a suggestion about how to best adapt to this situation.

In a “TaoCraft Path” layout, I emphasize your choices, which is what builds the future rather than predict it. For those, I add a fourth card that suggests an idea to help support the direction you are headed if you choose to keep it, and a fifth card that suggests how to change directions if you want. Today, let’s keep it simple.

In a typical RWS deck, I often read wands as your relationship with yourself – the inner world . I don’t know, yet, if that is what the deck creators intended with the suit of “nature” but that’s how I’m reading it today. I look at it through a very Taoist lens of working with your own true nature, THAT kind of nature just as much as the rocks and trees kind of nature. No question the World and the Moon cards are vibing just like every other deck, at least in relation to this particular question and layout.

Of course, being a collective energy reading, it is by the nature of collective energy readings, vague and dilute. This things are always much more impactful when it is private, customized and focused just on one person.

Two out of the three cards being major arcana confirms big career energy right now. There might be a time of stress at hand, to go with these big energies, but it doesn’t feel like anything you can’t handle. It feels like growth, in a big but good way.

Knights are associated with action. Play to your strengths. Do you. Do what you know well and above all what you enjoy. This is a comfort zone move, yes, but one that has serious wattage behind it. Showcase every skill you have, both from formal trained and from raw life experience.

The World hints that you have lots of options right now, the world is your oyster. Now is a good time to decide which direction you want to go, because many paths are open. In the predictive use, the World card has always been considered a good omen. You are in a good spot to build something good if you have the courage to start and a clear vision of what you want (out of all those many possibilities)

The Moon reminds us of natural cycles. To know if your current career or career plans are right for you, look at the context of your life…where in your life cycle or the life cycle of this job are you? Are you starting? Is there room to grow? Do you need more? Do you need less? Is this a good fit for where you are in life right now? How does your career fit into the rest of your life and it’s cycles?

I’m curious what the deck authors intended. Look for more with this deck in the days ahead.

It’s a fun deck. Just having it means something. We’ll see what unfolds.

Have a good week!

The Pittsburgh Tarot deck is by Ed Simon and Steve Teare and is available (with the guide book) through Microcosm Publishing

Pour yourself a second cup

I’m feeling very Chariot at the moment.

It’s telling me to be in the moment, look forward.

There is a hefty dose of Moon and Wheel energy.

When old things end, new things begin.

Please feel free to come browse the TaoCraft Tarot website and the Sage Sips blog archives. I think I finally have it looking the way I want it. Keep taking sips, and eventually you empty the cup. Then you can either dwell on the coffee that was or you can pour yourself a whole new cup.

See you at the next sip!

*shuffles off to the kitchen toward the coffee pot*

Today’s Tarot: Clarity (Q&A)

Q: What do we most need to know right now in the United States following Lindsey Graham’s death and conjecture about Mitch McConnell’s.

I drew this card with this question in mind, right after seeing a social media post from someone who I typically has good points and real food for thought. This may well be the first time I’ve disagreed with him.

But no, this isn’t a time for tut-tutting about “speaking ill of the dead” from either side of the political divide. Graham was not a good person who, because of his political power, inflicted real harm on real people and contributed much to the rise of fascism and white christian nationalism in America today.

I’m sorry for the loss of any kind person who feels his – or their – passing. But at the same time it is fair to think they are lying in the bed they made during their lifetime.

The social media person clucked something on the order “saying these things says more about you as a person than it does about them.

Not this time.

If making fun of a powerful bad man says something about the person saying it….what does a powerful man’s silence about the death of school girls at the hands of unnecessary war, the death of women at the hands of politically and religiously motivated abortion bans, the death of schoolchildren at the hands of our lack of gun control….and on and on and on. What does silence about these dead say about THEM? I’d rather people make merciless fun of the politicians who caused harm than remain silent in the face of the harm they caused.

It’s more important to be kind to everyone living than to worry about what is said about the dead.

Laughter is good medicine. Public figures who caused real harm aren’t going to be any less dead if we only say nice things about them after they’ve been rendered harmless by the inevitable. Momento Mori.

In the noise of current events, the Ace of swords reminds us to cut to the chase, get to the point, simplify. Tune out the static and get right down to what really matters. In the end, kindness is the only measure of what that is.

Brew It Forward

In honor of pride month I made a VERY small donation to the ACLU because of the work they do in court to advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights.

I’m inspired by Molly Lee of Optimistic Soap to use my Tarot skills to contribute to causes I care about. She donates $1 from every bar of soap purchased to Democracy Forward and to other organizations.

I stand with that.

I’ve brought back the Sage Sips Ko-fi membership and renamed it ‘Brew it Forward” Proceeds from the memberships plus $1 from each virtual coffee donated from the readings menu will go to a designated organization at the end of the month (a few of my favorites are listed below)

In honor of Optimistic Soap’s inspiration, July 2026’s “Brew It Forward” will go to Democracy Forward, too.

Please consider joining – there are five spots left. For $5 / month, each member gets access to private one card Tarot readings by email on request. Just ask. Send a DM or email with your name, question and email (it’s never shared, I just need to know where to send your reading) and your meditation style reading will arrive in your inbox.

I’m not in the Tarot business anymore, so please allow a few days for the readings to get to you. Because we live in a nation with increasingly bold white Christian nationalists, I feel compelled to say that we are doing here is creating customized Tarot themed ephemeral folk art that does not tell fortunes or predict the future. But that impulse is another big reason why I chose the ACLU and Demoracy Forward for my first two donations.

Anything is better than nothing – so DO something, any little thing you can to protect democracy and our civil liberty to create art, to follow the spiritual path that is right for us and to not follow a religion that is wrong.

Thank you for allowing me to read Tarot for you, and thank you for helping me make some tiny contribution to other important things, too.

Pathway

This is an actual Tarot reading I did a couple of years ago. As you can see, the recipient kindly gave me permission to use it here in the blog. This is the kind reading you’ll get if you support Sage Sips on ko-fi now.

Reading from The archives: Use the search bar to find Tarot readings, Q&A, BTS and more.

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 🙂

For ******

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:

Influence from the Past: 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,

Photo: Witches Tarot by Ellen Dugan and Mark Evans, used with permissions published on LlewellynPublishing.com

What if…

Funny thing about intuition – it’s kind of misty and ethereal and mercurial.

Some images land in long term memory. I can still conjure up the mental image from a couple of weeks ago of the cliff top with the narrow mountain ridge and multiple paths from the summit and crossroads post.

Somewhere since then, Richard Bach’s book Illusions: Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah came through in such a way that it seemed like a BIG hint to re-read it. I can’t even remember if the Bach related thought made it into the final edit of whatever post.

So I whip out my ebook copy of Illusions. Sat down for a re-read and found exactly the idea that was trying to get my attention about two minutes into it:

“And what would you do,” the Master said unto the multitude, “if God spoke directly to your face and said, ‘I COMMAND THAT YOU BE HAPPY IN THE WORLD, AS LONG AS YOU LIVE.’ What would you do then?”
Richard Bach

Just to be clear – I am an atheist. The word ‘god’ is entirely irrelevant here.

But think about it…what would you DO? Imagine if whatever deity, entity or person whose opinion you respect straight up demanded that you be happy. Right now. No prerequisite beliefs, actions or conditions – just you, just happy.

The tricky part here is the DO. It implies that something needs to be DONE. It implies that happiness has some prerequisite action or condition in order for your happiness to exist.

This is where the happiness meaning of the Sun card comes into play.

The card doesn’t imply the DO. It is just plainly, unapologetically happy. Right here, right now, not because of circumstances but, perhaps, in spite of circumstances.

What if…

What do you think would happen if you just took a minute and allowed yourself to be happy? What if your God got in your face and commanded you to be happy for five minutes, could you? Would you?

What if this post, these words on this screen in this moment are your permission to simply be happy for the next five minutes? What if this is your permission to be happy from now on? Could you? Would you?

DO that. Be happy.

Thanks for reading! If you like these posts, please buy me a (virtual) coffee on ko-fi and I’ll send you a sip of tarot by email.

See you at the next sip!

Deck: Allyman’s Tarot by Seven Dane Asmund, used with permission

Look Ahead

Time is a tricky thing in Tarot

It doesn’t predict the future. I won’t use terms like ‘divination’ or ‘fortune telling’ here. Mostly because I see things as cause and effect driven – in spirituality as much as in physics. Magick happens when real world action harmonizes with subtle energies and the natural flow of things.

Tarot is spiritual GPS. It’s about navigating the current energies and making choices that both ease our current anxieties and helps us to do the things that cause the desired effects. Or, as I’ve said dozens of times:

Tarot isn’t about predicting what will happen in life, Tarot helps you figure out what to do when life happens.

Many times the Tarot message is about looking to the present moment. We need to be reminded to pay attention to the here and now. We naturally seem to look ahead and imagine. Often we imagine things that make us feel afraid but it is also why we, as humans, can see cause and effect and act accordingly.

Today’s card is a reminder we are able to look ahead and that is a perfectly good thing to do. The energy today supports a sort of quiet optimism and hopefulness. You need to decide what you want before you can lay the foundation to make it a reality. You have to decide where you want to go before you can take the first step in that direction.

It is ok to just stop and think about the what and where. It’s ok to look ahead.

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Action Eases Anxiety: Move with Charisma

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Snakes aren’t evil.

The Lenormand Tarot reads them as threatening energy and a strong caution not unlike the three of swords.

This isn’t a time for impulsive action – but neither is a time to be frozen by fear.

In China and other Buddhist cultures, Snake is part of their astrology and revered as one of the 12 zodiac animals to heed the Buddha’s call. People born in Snake years are thought to be intellectual, wise, enigmatic and charming. Snake people got the rizz.

What it is (current energy): The Snake. Be Cautious, not frozen. Impulse and emotion should take a back seat to intellect and wisdom this week. This is a good environment to put your best foot forward and show off the best parts of you that are already here. Shift the focus from self development to self-shining. Polish what you have, instead of seeking what you don’t.

What to do: The Stork. Yep….the exact same card we saw last week. Repeats like this warrant our attention. My mind is drawn back to the same mountain top image as last week. We’ve waited, watched, gathered information. I’m pulled straight ahead to the downhill path. An easier road ahead. The side paths along the narrow mountain ridge are less lit, more shadowy. They are flat, but downhill is easier than flat. And in this new image, safer too. I hear “razor’s edge” (in reference to the narrowness of the paths, not the book) Joy can not be maintained and changes the same as sorrows change in time. All emotions come and go like clouds in the sky or leaves floating in a stream. The peak, as beautiful as the view may be, is unsustainable. Move ahead. The elevation changes, but is ultimately a wide, safe, sustainable way forward.

We are at the point where cautious watching could easily become frozen in fear. Cold, frozen, decay. Standing where we are is fraught with new challenges, new dangers. Standing still is no longer a healthy option in this image. The golden sunset light from last week has faded into an icy, snowy night. Moving forward again is where the warmth and light leads us.

I hear “follow the stork” and remember the “follow the white rabbit” scene from the movie The Matrix. Intuition isn’t entirely without value. Trust your inner guidance, trust what you know.

Snake and crane together are a symbol of the practice and art of Tai Chi. We often think of the yang side (crane) of things as being powerful, but Tai Chi and Taoism teach us that yin is powerful too and both in balance is best.

Climbing and mountains are yang, and need yang-style power. Downhill paths and valleys are yin energy, a power all of their own. Think of a magnet. Instead of going out hunting and capturing what is needed, yin draws what is needed in, like a magnet.

Negotiating a downhill path requires balance now just as much as climbing the mountain did not that long ago.

Snakes have a magnetic personality, cranes and storks have big powerful breaks and wings. Both together are balance in motion. Here is where searching the two of pentacles in the archives might come in handy.

The ultimate point of the reading is to not let the anxiety you feel stop you. Don’t be frozen by fear. Remember your charm. Make literal charms and talismans if it helps. Move forward. Let the new cycle begin.

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. When it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path where the fear has gone and there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
Frank Herbert, Dune

Sage’s Second Cup: 3 June 2026

Echoed from Sage’s Second Cup blog:

I don’t feel like coming up with a clever title for this, so here’s the date. Happy Wednesday. Cheers.

Today started with my usual cup of coffee, and while scrolling I went on a tangent about Taoist vs Buddhist meditation styles.

A long time ago in a psychology class far away (back in the late twentieth century) we all took a mini version of the Myers-Briggs type indicator , not unlike the quizzes you can find online now. Turns out I’m an INTP.

The MBTI may not have any real use in clinical psychology. As someone said, it has become the new “what is your (astrology) sign.” I like my type. I think they kind of nailed it. In true INTP style, this morning I was thinking about thinking and it’s role in meditation. The part of me that is feeling a little tired this morning and is reaching for a second cup of coffee wound up thinking that just being a head in a jar Futurama style wouldn’t be a bad gig if you could get it.

But then I saw the shadow of the back yard trees in the morning sun on the curtains and remembered something Neil DeGrasse Tyson said about NOT wanting to be a head in a jar because he wanted to feel and experience, not just think.

He’s right. Without connecting to physical life … or at least connecting other heads in other jars as we do online … we’d run out of stuff to think about. Or at least the good stuff to think about.

Which kind of circles right back around to meditation. mindfulness, the present moment, and letting thoughts go.

Letting thoughts go means letting go of the thoughts about not thinking.

Right now I’m remembering a post on social media (I can’t for the life of me remember when or where I scrolled her feed) A lovely older lady was talking about a stressful time in life as a single mother. I kind of think she’s a modern day Buddha for coming up with “sit and stare time” as a way to cope.

She described the epiphany of just letting herself have a few minutes each morning to just sit, stare, and do nothing. Coffee was involved. Here’s to you oh kindred spirit whoever you are, wherever you are.

The problem isn’t necessarily the thinking part. Go ahead. Sit and stare. Think away if you want to.

Grinding away and getting emotionally caught up in OVER thinking any one thing that hasn’t happened yet or something that is over and done and not of this moment – that kind of thinking is a problem. THAT is some shit to let go.

Outside of that, though, so what if we sit and think a little or just sit and feel a little or just sit and do absofucking nothing? So what if we don’t think about letting go of our thoughts? What if we just sit and sip and abide with whatever bubbles up out of our brain and let it be what it naturally is? Thinking and feeling is not a bad thing for a brain and body to do.

Of the uncountable molecules in an infinite universe, each brainwave, each emotion, each experience, each moment is the cosmic privilege of a lifetime.

No wonder we hold on to thoughts so tight.

Weekend Oracle: Summer Knight

Seven Dane Asmund, creator of The Normal Tarot (used here with their permission) reads Summer Knight 1 as “beginners luck.”

I’m also getting a little bit of a Page of Wands vibe here.

This weekend, it might not be as much luck as destiny.

You made it! It doesn’t have to be pretty or stylish or winning by a large margin to count as hard-won experience that your later, not-beginner self can call on. Maybe squeeking through with “beginner’s luck” is a little boost, a little nudge in the direction you are meant to go.

Begin where you are.

Bloom where you are planted now.

Sage Sips is Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip your coffee (or whatever you like to sip this time of day). Like what you read here? Please support me on ko-fi to help keep the blog and Substack free without ads or paywalls