energy – Page 6 – Sage Sips / TaoCraft Tarot

Q&A: Doesn’t the person have to be with you for the reading to work?

(reprise)

Q: How can you do Tarot readings from a distance? Doesn’t the person have to be with you for the reading to work?

A: They call intuition a sixth sense or extrasensory perception for a reason. It really doesn’t have anything to do with normal seeing, hearing or feeling. It is from outside of normal time, space and distance.

I don’t need to be with you for a reading, because I’m not reading YOU at all.

I’m listening to spirit and reading universal energy on your behalf, like a translator. I can read energy and listen to spirit from anywhere because spirit and energy is everywhere. Think of it like an email for you in a language that you don’t speak fluently. Getting a reading is like getting an expert translation of that email. You might know some of the language yourself and could figure it out, but a pro could translate quicker, easier, and with more depth.

Out of the everywhere-energy, I connect to your specific message when you ask your question or give permission for it to be an open reading. That simple interaction is an exchange of information that can happen by speaking OR by reading your email message. After connecting general energy to your message through our little beginning conversations, I use the Tarot cards to help me “read” the mental images, words, feelings that spirit/energy gives for you. I translate those impressions into English sentences that you can use to help you. When it comes to energy connections and spirit messages, it doesn’t matter if we say things out loud, type on a keyboard, or write on paper. For example, if spirit gives me the impression of a flower, I give you the word “flower,” It doesn’t change the word or the message one bit if I type the word in an email or say it to you in person.

So no, you don’t have to be with me for the reading to “work” at all. The only difference is how you want to experience the reading and how you want to connect with your message from spirit. Both styles have some minor differences, advantages and disadvantages from your side of things. You can read more about that in the Q&A blog post “What’s the Difference?”

All of my readings are flat rate…you know your cost up front. If you live in the South Hills area of Pittsburgh, PA USA and would like an in-person session, contact me to schedule a reading. If you are anywhere, and have enough internet access to read this post, you can order a distance Tarot reading any time, 24/7 on the home page HERE.

Q&A: What’s the difference?

Q: Why get a distance reading? What is the difference between that and a live reading?

A: Inside my head the two are identical. From where I sit, the process and the message is identical. As a writer at heart, I express myself through a keyboard as easily as through my voice. Not all psychics likes to write, which is why I say that distance is my specialty. It’s easy for me and I enjoy the daylights out of it. Write, speak…same thing. It’s the same message coming in from energy and spirit no matter which way I give that message back out to you.

The only real difference is how you experience the message. Deciding between a distance or in-person session is entirely up to you. Which is more meaningful to you? Which do you enjoy more?

Both have advantages.

In-person readings are set apart, special and social. The process of making the appointment and traveling to the reading sets the time apart, gets you away from your schedule, and makes it clear to you and to everyone that this is your time. In-person sessions are private, but a little social too. You are welcome to jump right in with any questions you might have. We take care of any questions right there, no waiting. Also, a little bit of visit-y small talk at the beginning and end of an in-person session makes it more relaxed and fun for me. I get the feeling that clients feel the same way. A little social friendliness is pleasant, even between strangers, because we aren’t by the time its done.

Distance readings can be very powerful things. I love to read and I love to write, so I have a serious bias in favor of written distance readings. When you read, it is like spirit and energy are speaking directly to your heart and your intuition without the filter of my voice and your ears. In that way, distance readings are intensely private. They are externally the most private readings, too. No one sees you go to see a psychic. You choose the time and place to read the document. Even if you are reading your phone in a train station, it is still just you and your spirit message. In my opinion, there are a better value because you can go back to them, see how they have unfolded. You can take your time with the message and re-read it as many times as you need. And they are hella convenient. Like I say about the 12 Second Tarot readings in the blog and on social media “The Tao in TaoCraft is about being in harmony with the nature of things. If the nature of your life is busy and hectic, then 12 Second Tarot is for you.” Same here. If you are busy, then you can’t beat a distance reading for convenience. Order when you want. Read it when you want. No appointment, no travel, no need to change out of your yoga pants, you know? The only down side I see to distance work is that you can’t ask questions on the spot. Every distance session includes a follow up email if you have any questions about the reading. We still answer all of your questions. It just takes a little longer to go through the email process. I keep a pretty close eye on my inbox, so it won’t be a huge wait, but it won’t be immediate, real time interaction.

So to answer your question: Why get a distance reading? Because they are private, convenient. If you like to read, they can be more powerful, emotional and direct without the social filter that is a natural part of voice, hearing and conversation.

Do they have advantages? Yes. Both distance and in-person readings have things that are special about them. If you like social interaction and the chance to ask questions immediately, then in-person may be better. If you want convenience and extra privacy, then distance is the way to go. If you want fast, then distance is your only option with me. I can do distance readings much more quickly than my in-person schedule allows.

They both share one important advantage: price. I don’t keep an office or work in a storefront. Without that overhead, I can keep my prices low. Without an office, I have to set some common limits that also help me keep my costs down, your access up, and both of our stress at a minimum. That is why in-person sessions schedule at least 24 hours in advance and why I have a clear service area for parties and in-home individual readings. Tarot may be a spiritual thing, but being a professional reader has a business side. Transparent business policies and a high degree of professionalism are an advantage to BOTH my in-person and distance Tarot readings.

FAQ: How Do Distance Readings Work?

Q: How can you read someone who isn’t there? Doesn’t the person have to be with you for the reading to work?

A: When I do a reading, I don’t connect with the person at all. I connect to universal life energy and their spirit guides (if they step forward) on the person’s behalf. Spirit and energy exist outside of normal space an time anyway. Spirit and energy is everywhere, all the time, so where we sit is irrelevant. I connect to the person’s specific message within that universal energy when I hear OR read their question, topic, or request for an open reading.

In my head, to my intuition, the mental images, words, sounds and feelings are the same no matter where the client happens to be at the time. The intuitive side of things looks the same to me no matter if you are across the table or across the world. I’ve done both types of readings for a really long time. The words I speak in a live session come from the same intuitive place as the words I type in an email session. The readings I’ve done for clients in Australia and Papua New Guinea have already put that to the maximum test. They are literally on the opposite side of the Earth from me. According to the feedback those clients have kindly given, it really, truly is the same quality as the face to face readings.

It is a little like cloud computing. The information is “out on the cloud” just like your email is stored on a server somewhere out there on the internet. You (or anyone with your password) can access that information from anywhere else, anytime. You can check your email on your work computer, your phone, your table….what have you.

Intuition is like that. We all have it. We are all born with a spiritual connection. Some people operate at dial up speed, while others naturally operate at 5G broadband. Learning and practice ups your bandwidth. Anyone can learn to listen to their own intuition. Pro readers are just a little more skilled at connecting to the whole “cloud” and not just their own email account. Pro readers are more skilled at translating spirit-speak into actual, usable English sentences. That’s what lets them be able to connect & translate for other people. It is more as more language and communication than mystical spiritual ‘gifts’ really.

When we talk at the beginning of a reading…be it in spoken form or written form…you give me a limited sort of guess pass to listen to whatever message spirit energy sends. My job is just to listen, translate the message from intuition-speak into English sentences for you to use however you see fit.

So long story short….let me look at spirit’s energy email for you. No matter where you are, I’ll send the translation as an attachment in an email, or just read it out to you in person. The translation itself is exactly the same either way.

12 Second Tarot (27 September 19)

Happy energy. Allow the good energy and happy relationships in your life help you, lift you up. Celebrate the connections in your life.

Your connection with yourself and the Cosmos exists even when it feels as if all else has failed. This universal connection can help you and be celebrated even when you feel most alone.

“You are as connected to the universe as a wave is connected to the ocean.” – Alan Watts (paraphrased)

Taraffirmation #11

12 Second Tarot: 2 of Swords (17 September 19)

Difficult situations require that we look with our heart as much as our with our eyes.

The two of swords is often read as being “of two minds” about something….a choice between two things of such equality that it is almost impossible, or maybe pointless, to decide.

Often, though, there is a little more to it than that.

Diane Morgan gives a unique reading of the card in her book “Magical Tarot, Mystical Tao” which for all the obvious reasons is far and away one of my favorite Tarot book. She reads it as a ‘mystical unity’. Instead of indecision between two things, she saw it as profound, etheric, or sublte connection between two things. That is the energy that is stepping forward today.

Today, the two connected things are nothing less than you and the universe.

Which is just how you can decide between two things and make a difficult choice. See with your heart. Before you can make the compassionate choice, or take the higher road, you have to figure out what that is. The idealistic…or even the ideal choice isn’t always obvious. The two of swords is your permission to follow the energy, follow the spiritual choice even if it isn’t obvious to other people. You may the one seeing with more than your eyes.

no appointment needed = no need for summer hours

Order distance tarot HERE 24/7 no appointment needed to get a Tarot reading by email. Just pick the size of layout that fits your question or your budget, check out with PayPal security, and wait for your guidance to arrive in your inbox…usually within hours.

If your order comes at a busy time where family comes first, it might take a day or two to turn around your order, but that doesn’t happen often at all.

All in-person readings and parties are by appointment only, scheduling at least 24 hours in advance. I have only a set number of appointments per week, so availabilty varies, depending on how many other people are scheduling in a given week or month.

Distance (email, video, handwritten) Tarot is my specialty. You have my promise – the distance readings contain the all of the exact same information I would tell you face to face, maybe more. I use the cards to “read” spirit and energy’s message for you. I don’t read you. Since spirit is everywhere, you and I can be anywhere and the same message gets through.

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.

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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

Varieties of Reiki

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!