coffee – Page 9 – Sage Sips / TaoCraft Tarot

Hello from the omnibus

Just checking in – how are you all doing?

I feel like there are a thousand other things I should be doing, but if you can’t follow your instincts in a Tarot blog, where can you? There is no reason for this post other than to say hello and hopefully reconnect with the whole blog and newsletter thing. It’s been a weird winter for me and this newsletter hasn’t gotten the energy and attention it deserves. That whole “Sage Words Tarot” thing was a huge detour. TaoCraft is home and I’m back. I hope to hear from you moving forward. 2025 is still young and my website has an easy to use contact form for any questions or comments that you might have. That includes questions for a free Tarot reading of some sort in the public blog. It’s a fair trade, I think. You get a free sample-size reading and I get writing inspiration. Deal?

In the meantime…

There has been a weird, strange, surreal energy during the holidays right through until now that reminded me of 2020. Don’t get me wrong – I’m NOT predicting a pandemic an you should listen to science about all of the bird flu, flu-A, RSV and measles worries out there. Not to mention the slow moving juggernaut of an utter political catastrophe unfolding in America right now. Compound that with some epic personal stress, and the time since Thanksgiving has been, well – unproductive. High levels of BLAH mixed with high anxieties is the best way I can describe the feel of it.

Stepping out from the psychological fog leftover from this winter, I wanted to say hello and tell you how thankful I am to have you all as readers and Tarot clients. It is so very appreciated!

On the outside chance there is anyone new here, I’ll add a little to the hello so you can know who is behind this whole Sage Sips Substack.

Hello! My name is Sage, I read Tarot, write things and knit stuff.

Sage is a pen name to try to provide privacy for both of us. It is inspired the double meaning the word sage has in English. It can be a plant with remarkable aromatherapy properties; comforting, negativity clearing, uplifting and empowering. It also means wise advice or a person who is wise. I believe Tarot is all about exactly those things. Tarot can lead us to wise advice at the same time as it calms anxieties, inspires us, and empowers us. It’s always an honor to be part of that process for someone. But like I always say…

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

What I do –

Tarot readings by email (and phone by special arrangement – contact me for details and scheduling)

What I don’t do –

Predict the future.

How I do it –

Transparently, conveniently and privately. All of my policies are TaoCraftTarot.com for the world to see.

All of my prices are for the total reading – not per minute. Your reading gets all of my attention, however long it -no clock watching – which is one of the many advantages of working by email. There are no time constraints or appointment needed for email. No hidden fees. No spam.

If you want a reading, you have to let me know. I don’t have the time or energy to contact anyone individually and offer readings. If you get that, it ain’t me. Did I mention, no spam is tolerated here or on the website, incoming OR outgoing?

Email readings are super convenient –

You can purchase an email reading from my ko-fi page, no appointment needed. There are several different layouts to choose from, which let’s YOU choose the layout (and price) that fits your question (and budget) the best. I use ko-fi because the check out is PayPal secured and lets you send me your topic or question for the reading all in one easy transaction…no more delays while I ask for your question / permission for an open reading.

Email readings are perfect for busy schedules –

You don’t have to set aside travel time – the reading comes to you. You don’t use one drop of expensive gasoline.

In addition to being super convenient, email readings are extra private. No one sees you going to a psychic. You open and read your email in a time and place that is right for you.

Phone readings work by contacting me. We will set up an appointment time. Then I’ll send you a secure PayPal invoice and you call the phone number provided at your appointment time. All the details about appointments are on the policy page.

What a reading looks like:

All of my readings follow the same basic format. It starts with a photo of your real world layout. Then there is a “general pattern” section where we talk about the layout as a whole. That’s followed by a card-by-card discussion. Then it all wraps up in a “psychic summary” that includes any other impressions. It might relate to the cards, or it might be pure intuition. This part often includes aromatherapy and crystal recommendations but this final summary is very attuned to your personal message and there is no guarantee what it will or won’t include.

Relationship readings:

I do lots of those, but mine are probably different from what you’ve had before.

My readings focus totally on you. I follow the same professional ethics as holistic health providers. I don’t read other people’s energies without their permission. That means relationship readings won’t predict who you will marry or if you’ll get back together with your ex or if your crush loves you back. Relationship readings are for any kind of relationship and simply give advice to help you give your best in your part in the relationship.

Wealth and money readings:

Wealth and money readings tend to focus on your career and what you can DO to find your best path forward in your career or in any part of the physical realm. I’m not a career counselor, or a financial advisor – and did I mention that Tarot can’t predict the future?

Medical, pregnancy and legal questions:

Nope.

I won’t answer those. Tarot is terrible with those kinds of questions. I’m not wasting my time or your money on a question that is best left to other professionals. We should spend our time on the things Tarot that does very well: Easing troubled emotions, finding inspiration, creative problem solving, stress reduction, diversion and entertainment.

Sage Sips is the name of my blog and Substack. I love coffee. I love pithy Tarot advice. Sage Sips is Tarot in the time it takes to sip your coffee.

TaoCraft Tarot is the name of my website and the book I plan to write about how to read Tarot. It is a reflection of the philosophy behind my 30 years of Tarot and intuition development.

And that is pretty much it in one big omnibus nutshell.

Your turn!

Feel free to say hi in the comments or in the contact form.

I’m also on Bluesky if you want to say hi there. It’s the one social platform where I’ll actually talk to people instead of just like and repost.

Thank for reading! See you at the next sip!

Choose Your Tarot Card 27.2.25

Sage Sips is Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip your coffee.

Thank you for watching! Don’t forget to like and subscribe and all of that fun stuff! Private readings and Sage Sip membership all support this blog: Click HERE to order or to join.

Think of a question or concentrate on guidance for the next few days. Choose the right or left card. Pause the video if you need more time to think, then restart to see the card reveal.

THREE OF PENTACLES: No man is an island – you don’t have to do this alone, literally or figuratively. It’s OK to ask for a helping had or to give one where it is needed. It feels like this will make something that seems big actually easy. Many hands make light work as the saying goes. Do what needs done then everyone can go out for a beer after.

TWO OF PENTACLES: Keeping in balance often means constant small adjustments. Don’t let the constant part overwhelm you. It’s just how life goes. Only dead things don’t change at least a little bit. The body has to create new cells in order to grow or heal. The key here is the SMALL part. Small, easy simple adjustments now can save a lot of trouble later. There is an old adage for this card, too. As Benjamin Franklin told us, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

See you at the next sip!

Choose Your Tarot Card 21-2-25

Thanks for watching and reading! Sage Sips is Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip your coffee. Your virtual coffee donations and private Tarot reading purchases all support this always free to read blog.

Heirophant: The energy still lingers from this card’s message earlier this week. Live your own truth, listen to your higher self and your inner wisdom. Use critical thinking and a healthy dose of intuition before taking outside authority at face value.

Death (reversed) The change that is causing you pain may not be as bad or irreversible as you might think in this moment. But this is the death card just the same. The changes cut deep, and your feelings in this moment are valid regardless of the ultimate outcome. Give them – and the outcome their due each in their own time.

See you at the next sip!

Other Oracles

New exclusive content for members today: “Other Oracles”

Believe it or not, Tarot isn’t the only intuition amplifier in town.

No matter what kind of Oracle or divination technique you use, the real engine underneath it is your human connection to universal energies – your intuition.

We all have that natural intuitive connection, but sometimes spirit speaks in whispers. I’m here to help you turn up the volume and translate those whispers into actual English sentences that you can use.

Email Tarot is my specialty. As a writer by nature, I can give you a very convenient and enriched Tarot reading at a distance through email – the same or better than an in-person reading. We can talk about all of the advantages of that another time.

Today, on the members only blog we are starting a series about other oracles, other tools and techniques for accessing and amplifying intuition.

First up: I Ching. Join Sage Sips members on ko-fi to learn more about this ancient divination technique

Sage Sip Membership: $5 monthly

Free one card Tarot readings upon request up to 3/month
Automatic Discounts on larger reading layouts
exclusive content
special offers

Click HERE to join and read more about the I-Ching and other oracles over the coming months

Sage Sips is Tarot in the time it takes to sip your coffee. Private Tarot readings are OPEN and support this free public blog and the Sage Sips YouTube channel.

Choice and compassion (17 Feb 25)

Sage Sips is Tarot in the time it takes to sip your coffee

Pause the video if you need time to think of your question or time to decide which card feels right for you. Restart to see the reveal.

Ten of Swords: Persistence comes from doing something, not from doing the same thing over and over. Taking a minute – or a month – or several – to collect yourself and process the big things that have happened is not a defeat. Healing IS doing something. Healing IS moving forward. Changing directions IS persisting.

Hierophant (Pope in some decks) NOW is the time for spirituality, not religion. Now is the time to follow your own inner wisdom and your personal connection to the universe or the devine, not what outside influences dictate. Follow your conscience to a path of compassion toward others AND toward yourself.

Thanks so much for reading and watching! Private readings are available, no appointment needed. Members get free one card readings, exclusive content and automatic discounts in the commissions/readings menu. Both support this always-free blog.

Choose Your Tarot Card 11 Feb 24

Thanks for watching! If you enjoy these readings, please click HERE to support Sage Sips on Ko-fi.

THE FOOL: Sometimes a new beginning is a thousand mile journey that starts with a single step. Other times it’s a thousand foot drop that starts with being shoved off the edge of a cliff. Either way, adaptability is a survival skill.

SEVEN OF PENTACLES: Focus on what you have, not what you don’t.

Ask Me Anything: use the AMA contact form to ask a question to get a free Tarot reading in the public blog. (All policies, terms and conditions apply)

Please visit the ko-fi page for no appointment needed email private tarot readings – my specialty!

The Theme Continues

Sage Sips is Tarot in the time it takes to sip your coffee.

Private Readings, virtual coffees and memberships are OPEN and proceeds support this blog.

Think of a question, a topic, or just the next few days to get general guidance. Choose your card. Pause the video if you need time, then restart to see the reveal. Pick a card and get it’s message for you below.

The theme, the “meta-message” that came through repeating cards over the course of multiple readings during the holiday season seems to continue. The calendar may have turned to February, but the energy hasn’t turned in a new direction quite yet.

Dire things are still happening in the US. That is a dark, stressful energy that is like low lying dense dark smoke underneath all of the rest. There is still a sense of chaos continuing as the ‘new normal’ for a while, which explains why the Hanged Man major arcana card is still, ahem, hanging around. The Page, generally speaking, resonates with the bizzarre-feeling, surreal nature of it all.

But if you pull away, focus on a higher level above the blanketing clouds of fear, there are glimmers of a more hopeful individual message:

PAGE OF CUPS: There are deep lessons to be comprehended. From the weird to the sublime, life is trying to tell you something that is ordinarily hidden or very “out of the box” Be patient, be good to yourself. There is a hard lesson to learn here, but give yourself whatever measure of grace that you need to learn what life has to show you and to deal with the emotional fallout of whatever comes to light.

HANGED MAN: Buckle up and settle in. Things are going to hang this way for a while. Expectations and attachments can make things that are outside of your control feel worse.

In The Tao of Pooh Benjamin Hoff writes about busy-ness and constant striving. We are very conditioned to that in the modern world. Not everything has to be constant movement. It is important to be still and incorporate things we’ve already done, things we’ve already learned. It may seem like stagnation to the “Busy Backsons” as Hoffman call it, but life and the universe may still the journey until old lessons are fully set. You can’t walk on a new sidewalk until the cement is dry.

Choose Your Tarot : Card for the coming weekend

Right or Left: choose whichever card feels like the right one for you, then get the reading for your chosen card below.

I’m not interacting with Meta products during the #5dayBlackout protest January 20 -25, 2025. I encourage you to subscribe and read Sage Sips right here to get all of the new posts delivered to your inbox. The ko-fi blog gets all of the same uploads plus members-only content. “Choose your card” Tarot readings are also available on Tumblr and Substack. I scroll Bluesky daily, so feel free to stop by and say hello!

Sage Sips blog is supported by YOUR generosity through private readings, memberships, and virtual coffee on Ko-Fi. Your support lets me put the Tarot message first, not cater to advertisers or algorithms.

PAGE OF CUPS: Roll with it. Plans might go all to heck, but it doesn’t make the weekend wasted time. Go where life steers you and Monday will come soon enough.

HIGH PRIESTESS: Let sleeping mysteries lie. It’s a mystery for a reason. If you want to dig for details, be prepared to deal with whatever you might find.

Thanks for watching! Sage Sips is Tarot in the time it takes to sip your coffee. Stay tuned for more contemplations this weekend.

Sage Sips is Tarot in the time it takes to sip your coffee. Thanks for watching! See you at the next sip!

Welcome Back 2025 (part 2)

Sometimes you have to retreat a little bit in order to walk forward again on a better path.

Some years feel like more of the same. This is not one of those years.

2025 is still a welcome back of sorts – a welcome back to inevitable, unending change and a welcome back to TaoCraft. There is nothing wrong with retreating to familiar or comforting things in unprecedented times like these. It’s the right thing to do when mistakes have been made. Sometimes you have to retreat a little bit in order to change direction and walk forward again on a better path.

A pattern emerged from all of the readings I’ve been doing since mid November or so. The details were different and the message was unique to the individual but at the same time there was a similar thread of energy running through all of them. The series of readings taken as a whole was giving background context and clues to our shared energy environment.

Basically, the meta-message was 2025 was going to be a storm of turbulent energy followed by “a happy ending” with better times in 2026. Sure, that sounds like wishful thinking. Life has been ups and downs, good times and bad times since time immemorial. Even though it is only the first half of January, a better 2026 is a teeny-tiny glimmer of optimism so I’ll take it, wishful or not.

Change is key. Things can get worse if they change but by the same token things can only get better if they change. Imagine a bright colored dot on the side of a bicycle wheel. As the wheel turns, metaphorically moving forward through time, first the dot appears to move down toward the ground, but then it moves up again and the cycle repeats. It all goes back to Taoist philosophy which has always been a tremendous comfort and makes sense out of life for me. Hence the name TaoCraft. But we’ve already talked about that back in 2018 when I took up the name the first time.

There are a few other minor changes for 2025. This will be the first full year of reverting back to the TaoCraft Tarot name for the website, commissioned readings, and hopefully, for a Tarot how-to eBook. All things “Sage Words Tarot” have been allowed to expire. The best way to contact me is TaoCraftTarot@gmail.com or the contact form on the Ask Me Anything page. Members can add ko-fi DM to the list.

“A thought is powerful. The spoken word is more powerful, but the written word is the most powerful of all”
Sallie Christensen, author of “The Highest And Best”

The next change is putting live readings on hiatus. I’m a writer at heart. I want to focus on email readings, which are my specialty. Email lets me do my absolute best readings for you. #kofigoalchallenge

Recorded video readings are also available if you prefer to listen rather than read (random unrelated opinion: audio books count the same as reading physical paper books.) Speaking of books: email & recorded video Tarot readings are perfect for book lovers of every type. My Tarot is a reader’s reading.

The email / recorded format has a ton of advantages:

Convenient: no appointment needed, the reading comes to you instead of you going to it. Easy, secure PayPal checkout is just like ordering anything online.
Eco friendly: no travel, no gasoline used, we are using electricity that we would be using anyway for other email. This kind of reading has essential zero carbon footprint.
AFFORDABLE: my email Tarot prices haven’t changed in years. No physical location = cost savings that I pass along to you.
Private: You open the email in a place and time best for you. No one sees you travel to a psychic.

But to get back to the task at hand: here is a quick introduction to all things TaoCraft. After that, I’m dropping all the “marketing best practices” and crazy pants promotions, just as I’ve threatened to do in the past. I’m going to do what I do best – email readings and blog readings. If that doesn’t work – welp, I tried. We can leave these recommended “re-introduce yourself” posts for New Years.

On the other hand, if you like what you see and want a reading with me, great! Bring it! Let’s work together and make some magic!

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
Albert Einstein

Let’s start at the beginning and try to keep it all simple. My pen name is Sage. I read Tarot, write stuff and knit things. I’ve been working with Tarot, Oracle cards and intuition development since 1993. At first I read for myself & friends. In 2003 – ish a friend suggested that I read online, for which I am forever grateful. I did email Tarot readings for Keen, Advice Trader and AllExperts in the early 2000s. I’ve done literally hundreds of email readings. I stopped counting at 400 and that was around 2003. After that, I started professional Tarot readings with my own website Modern Oracle Tarot, with its Tarotbytes blog and the now defunct Quirk & Flotsam Etsy shop.

In 2018 I re-branded the whole thing to TaoCraft Tarot. In 2023 I wanted unleash the coffee lover in me and make full use of ko-fi’s “buy me a coffee” metaphor for support donations. So I switched again to Sage Words Tarot and the whole Sage Sips blog is Tarot in the time it takes to sip your coffee thing.

That, as it turns out, was a miscalculation.

So Welcome Back. 2025 is a year of change; a change back to TaoCraft Tarot for private readings and book titles while keeping Sage Sips for the blog and ko-fi page.

To that end, the blogs will post 2-3 times per week and you can order a private email or video Tarot reading with me anytime, 24/7 – no appointment required.

The email reading comes to your mailbox as a .pdf or .docx attachment, usually within 24 hours . There might be some delays if you order on a US holiday, nights (US eastern time) or weekends. Video files are still too big for email attachments. If you order a video reading, you’ll get an email with a private link to your recording.

All of my readings generally have the same basic structure:

Photo or video of your real world cards
general pattern (the card layout as a whole, any initial psychic / intuitive impressions
Card-by-card discussion
Summary that recaps the layout as a whole plus adds in any other purely intuitive impressions. That often includes things like crystals, colors, aromatherapy – any random helpful detail.

There is some variation. One card readings are purely intuitive. Yes/no readings tend to have a more unstructured, tongue in cheek, lighthearted style.

For 2025 I am offering 4 layouts all of the time, no specials or seasonal changes except for Sage Sip Members (more on that later)

“Seasons” 5 card year ahead Tarot reading: ($30 non-memebers, $25 members) Start at any point in the year – birthdays, anniversary, holiday, new year – get one card guidance for each of the upcoming seasons plus one theme card for the entire year.
“TaoCraft” 5 card Tarot reading: ($30 non-members, $25 members) This is the updated version of the old Modern Oracle layout that I wrote in 2003. Cards show influences from the past, current energy environment, advice and cautions, best path ahead, alternative path if you so choose.
“Zombie Cat” 3 card yes or no: ($15 non-members, $10 members) Get a concise yes or no answer plus advice and intuitive impressions based on the individual three cards.
“Sage’s Sip” 1 card meditation: general intuitive advice or a focused follow-up to a recent larger layout ($5 non-members, FREE for members)

Sage Sips membership on Ko-fi is $5 per month and includes FREE 1 card email Tarot up to three per calendar month, discounts on larger layouts, exclusive content on the ko-fi members-only blog and random special offers.

This blog, social media, the YouTube channel, the public portion of the ko-fi blog are all free and non-monetized. Your Tarot message comes first, not an advertisers. Any ads you see benefit the platform and makes it free for me to use (a savings I pass along to you) All of this is supported by readers / listeners through the memberships, private readings and shop purchases.

All of my readings are commissioned, ephemeral folk art that is intended to inspire, empower, facilitate understanding, help creative problem solving, and boost your connection to your own spirituality & inner wisdom.

All of my policies are listed HERE.

“Tarot isn’t about what will happen in life. Tarot helps you figure out what to do when life happens.”
Sage Snow

Please note that these readings are about predicting the future, reading other people, medical or legal questions. Tarot doesn’t do these things very well. I don’t want to waste my time or your money when we can focus on the more helpful, uplifting stuff that Tarot is great at doing. This artwork is a hobby for me, not a business. I am as open and transparent with you as humanly possible, which is why I wrote the policies page. I only ask for compensation for my time and to help defray web hosting costs.

Thank you for hanging in with the longest post in a long time. I appreciate you! See you at the next sip!

Choose Your Tarot Card: Lessons Learned

Sage Sips is Tarot in the time it takes to sip your coffee.

Choose your card, left or right. Pause if you want more time. Restart to see the reveal and get your reading below

Four of Cups: You can offer every drop of all you feel, but you can’t control if another person will receive it. There is emotional truths in the adage “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink.

Page of Wands: Sometimes life’s biggest lessons are a baptism by inner fire. Your passions will teach you. Wishing health, safety and peace for all in the Los Angeles area disaster

Please support me on ko-fi! Private readings, virtual coffees and shop purchases support this free Tarot blog and the non-monetized YouTube channel.