energy – Page 7 – Sage Sips / TaoCraft Tarot

Eternal Balancing Act

Diane Morgan’s Magical Tarot, Mystical Tao is for all the obvious reasons, one of my all time favorite Tarot books.

I first read Magical Tarot, Mystical Tao early in the 2000s, at the beginning in my professional Tarot career, just as I began reading for online services like Advice Trader and Allexperts. I’d been reading Tarot and oracle cards (Medicine Cards by Carson and Samms mostly) for nearly 10 years by that point. I’d been interested in Taijiquan (Tai Chi) and Taoism even longer than that.

Of all the cards in the Tarot deck, the two of Pentacles / Coins is arguably the most emblematic of all that Tarot and Taoism share. We short hand the card as balance, but it is more of a juggling act than that. The balance here is large and moving and dynamic. Balance alone can be static, like a stack of zen stones, or a scales showing accurate weight.

That is balance, but there is also what science calls dynamic equilibrium. The classic example of dynamic equilibrium is a permeable membrane between two solutions. Think of fresh water and salt water divided by some sort of plastic wrap with tiny holes in it. The molecules on both sides are always vibrating and wiggling around (that is heat, so let’s imagine this is all happening at room temperature, not absolute zero. Even a polar vortex isn’t that cold.) Over time the water and salt molecules wiggle through the holes in the membrane until there is the same concentration of salt and water on both sides. Once that happens, the molecules don’t stop jiggling and juggling around. It is still room temperature, there is still heat and molecule movement going on. If you follow individual specks of salt, they may be moving the whole time, one side to the other. Same for specks of water. In spite of the little specks dancing around, the total amounts of each stay in balance on both sides. The little buggers move…it’s dynamic. The whole system, the whole tank of water, keeps its balance of salt and water concentrations…it is in equilibrium. That kind of balance is very much a part of the 2 of coins. The artwork in the card on most RWS decks hint at movement, the man walking and juggling , a woman bicycling (Steampunk Tarot) a tightrope walker (Robin Wood Tarot) even someone standing on their head (Quantum Tarot) The two of coins reminds us as much of dynamic equilibrium as a static balance. The sideways figure 8, the infinity symbol, is often used as part of the cards image to indicate that balance. It also shows us just how big the water tank is. The system that is in dynamic equilibrium is nothing less than the whole darn universe. Sure things are going to get very out of balance, if not downright wonky in our individual part of the cosmos, but infinity wide, things unfold as they should, according to their nature.

Which is all a very Taoist like way of looking at it. The Taoist point of view values that kind of big picture dynamic equilibrium. It values balance in general…static and moving…and is more than willing to consider the Tao, the everything and then some, in finding that natural moving balance. Harmony of opposites is another, easier way to put it. The well known yin yang symbol that is emblematic of the philosophy is actually intended to be in motion. The dots are the seeds that grow into their opposite. If you look just at the yin or yang, the black or white, each part is always growing, shrinking, turning. Yet, within the circle as a whole, even among all that movement, there ends up being balanced, equal amounts of black and white, yin and yang.

3daniyinyang

That is the energy flow the two of coins can help us to find. The two is always about balance. Is it static or dynamic? What kind of balance do we need? Are we looking at one little jiggly speck of salt in the water and feeling out of balance? Would it help to look for larger, moving systems when we look for balance in out lives or would it help to look for the little but very stable balance points like stacking Zen rocks? How do you know? The balance is of opposites, remember? The dots are the clue. In each lies the seed of its opposite. If you have been focusing on static stable balance, but it isn’t working, take a step back and look at the big picture, moving systemic balance. If the system seems chaos and everything is flying apart…look for anchors. Look for the solid, stable, static parts on which to build some balance.

Stones and yin yang images from the public domain. Jimmy Neutron property of Nickelodeon via youtube.com.

Spell Your Name

Last name-niggles post, at least for a while.

In “The Niggles: What’s In a Name?” we looked at how names communicate outward. Our “brand” as they say is a shorthand way to communicate who we are. It can be authentic. It can be a disguise. But it, our name, is something to consider.

“Shakespeare’s Roses” looks at how names…words…communicate inwardly. We respond differently to different words. They have an impact on our inner world. Would we feel the same about roses if they were actually named goobers or something? Maybe the thing would change the word, maybe the word would change our inner perception of the thing. Either way, we are back to the notion that words have power. Power to shape our perceptions of the world and the world’s perception of us.

Names are labels. How does that make you feel?

Those words alone carry connotations and implications that impact us. You are named. That gives you autonomy. If you can be named, that means you are seen, accepted & loved (as in a christening) or made to own your actions (as in naming a suspect). Both of these are empowering things, granting identity and autonomy.

Labels are, on the physical level, practical things. They communicate important things, so you don’t put salt in your coffee, or take the wrong amount of medicine. When applied to people, however, they have no use and may cause harm. Humans are multifaceted, complex, shifting, growing, feeling…so many things that are far beyond the grasp of any one word or label. Labels lessen. Labels condense and summarize. Labeling others is the essence of bigotry. Labeling ourselves makes us less than who we really are.

For people, names are better than labels. Pick a name, any name. Remember Rufus Xavier Sarsparilla from Schoolhouse Rock? That’s a fun name. Rufus was a lot of stuff. If you labeled him “old guy” that gives us a limited view of who he is. If he labels himself “old guy” then he constricts the energy and potential in his life compared to thinking of himself as adventurer, kangaroo fan, friend or brother.

The names and labels we give ourselves is the overlap between the outward way we communicate to others with names in the “branding” sense and the inner perceptions other names and labels elicit within us. The names and labels we choose for ourselves are like a magic spell of sorts for our inner psychology. Did you quit something or did you choose something new? Are you a religion or are you a compassionate person? Are you a disease or are you someone fabulous who has some extra things to deal with?

In some Native American traditions, names change as people move through life and change. (Waugman, E.P. 2011, Psychology Today https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/whats-in-name/201107/names-and-identity-the-native-american-naming-tradition) I’ve read in other sources that this new name is self-chosen to reflect accomplishments, and major life changes, and to embrace this new self – identity. I can’t remember or find those other sources at the moment. In Dune, Frank Herbert shows a bit of the same. The Fremen give Paul a tribal name (he is seen, accepted, official, even loved, like we see in christenings and other baby naming ceremonies) but Paul also chooses a public-facing, outside the tribe name for himself. He chooses one that reflects his spiritual purpose, his destiny in the story.

In a way, the Fremen names reflect reality. We have our given names, our tribal, legal, on-the-official-paperwork names, we have nicknames within our circle of friends and family, and we have the ever shifting internal labels we grab and claim.

Take care the names you give yourself. Your inner label, your mental identity, your name that you give yourself is the magic spell for who you aspire to be and who you allow yourself to become.

You Are Part of Something Big

I totally agree with Theresa here. There is no denying the unique beauty of our solar system and the dance it does. It is the essence of our point of view on the cosmos. But it is just that, a relative point of view but not absolute reality. How the sun and moon align with other stars from the singular perspective of planet Earth is breathtaking, beguiling, and our portal to larger understanding to be sure. But these alignments have little meaning to other parts of the universe. The Mars rovers gave a very different view of…and energy environment from…tonight’s “super blood wolf moon.” It’s going to be gorgeous for those able to view it, no doubt about that. Celebrate it, enjoy it, soak up its energy, yes. Still, don’t forget that there is a larger Cosmos than the sun, the Earth, and the Moon. You are as much a part of that larger Cosmos as you are part of Earthly beauty and the Earthly perspective. The dance nearby is magical, but you can make your own music any time you like. The dance hall of the Cosmos is big enough for any and all of us to dance free.

The Niggles: What’s in a Name?

A lot.

Sometimes, a whole lot.

“Re-branding” seems to be a thing lately. “Ghoulish Delights Bath Shop” is becoming “Balefire Apothocary” (fingers crossed she’ll still carry my very most favorite hand cream) and ” Hearts Peace Healing” is becoming “Hygge Lightwork”. One personal trainer is becoming a Tarot reader, while a musician is becoming a personal trainer and a martial artist is shifting to being a musician and life coach. Modern Oracle Tarot is now TaoCraft Tarot.

My sense is this is growth, evolution, and expansion is a very good thing for all of us. The new name isn’t just a marketing ploy. There is no ill will or negative feeling about our old names or identities at all. Shedding our old “brand” is like a snake shedding its skin: It’s necessary for growth. We are re-naming, re-imagining, and re-building in order to embrace more things and to become more fully ourselves. I can’t speak for the other folks, of course, but after brief chats on social media, I get the feeling we are all very much on on the same page.

Expansion and deeper authenticity is certainly my aim in abandoning Modern Oracle and building TaoCraft. As I write this, Modern Oracle feels like something that happened ages ago to someone else. Time passes. I’m not the same person who started Modern Oracle. TaoCraft is me, now.

That doesn’t mean I have to abandon EVERY single little thing. “The Niggles” are still here. Those posts are about ideas that camp out in my head, and niggle there until I write about them. Yeah, I know. That sounds more like a brain parasite than creative inspiration. Some ideas are like that.

Since the very beginning of this re-branding process, I’ve felt pushed to talk about TaoCraft as a name. I have no earthly idea why, or even what to say, so I’ll follow that spirit, inspiration, call of the muses, or brain idea-parasite such as the case may be.

Let’s start with the obvious. “TaoCraft” is a made up word, and I’ve stuck a capital in the middle. Why? I like it. As two words, it is a description. As one word it is a NAME. I threw the capital in because 1. it works as a humpback web address and 2. “Craft” is an integral part of the concept with a dollop of double meaning.

Tao, as many of you know, is from Chinese philosophy; Taoist, Taoism, Tao Te Ching. Just to be pedantic, Tao and Dao are the same thing. Tao is Pinyan westernization of the Mandarin word, while Dao is from the Wade-Giles system. The few minutes I studied Mandarin back in the 90s, I was taught using Pinyan, so there you are. Tao it is. Tao is usually translated as “way” as in a “way of life” or a “way of doing things.”

What does Taoism have to do with Tarot? A surprising lot, actually. “Magical Tarot, Mystical Tao” by Diane Morgan explains it best. It was an enormous influence in the early days of my Tarot career because it connected two great loves. Time and time and time again, Tao and Tarot were philosophies, a way of looking at the world, that I could rely on. I could lean on them in turbulent times without them crumbling to dust and nothing as religion and other philosophies always, always did. When your life puts your beliefs to the test, they shouldn’t fall apart. Taoism and Tarot never did. No matter what I would learn or explore, I always circled back to them and found them reliable, trustworthy. Tao and Tarot belong here in this new mental and spiritual living place. They are very much authentic me. This re-branding is, as is highly valued within Taoism, an exercise in deep authenticity.

Craft is also a bridge. As Tao and Tarot bridge east and west, craft bridges old and new. When I see the word, “arts and crafts” spring to mind. My grandmother taught me to embroidery when I was 6. Embroidery, cross stitch, knitting, beading have been a part of me since then. I like to create and make. That embraces the meditation mala and assorted stuff I make and put in the TaoCraft Tarot shop on Etsy. Craft connects to a fond memory of a cherished Grandmother – a wise woman whom I swear was magic. Which brings me to the new craft. THAT craft. THE craft. Not the movie, although it is one of my favorites. TaoCraft expands my Tarot cyber-world to include, mala, meditation, Reiki, and my own brand of magical craft. It took half a century to even flirt with the notion of associating with magic or witchcraft, but dammit, I’m claiming it now. And I’m defining it on my own terms. This is my own non-diestic, non-ritualistic, natural, energy reading WAY of engaging with a solitary sort of witchCRAFT. I’ve finally found words for what I’ve been doing all along in Laura Zakroff’s excellent book “Sigil Witchery”. A “modern traditional witch” is one who “does what needs doing when it needs done using whatever is at hand.” That. So that.

There you have it. That is what is in THIS name. Welcome to TaoCraft Tarot.

Introductions Are In Order: Reiki (part 2)

Introductions Are In Order: Reiki (part 1)

Reiki is beautiful in its simplicity.

The practitioner uses their hands, intentions and life energy (Reiki) itself as a tool to improve your connection to universal energy. The practitioner doesn’t change or control anything. The session is guided by your own inner physical and spiritual wisdom. The session is a booster shot of energy to clear and repair the connection that you already have in place just by virtue of being alive. The Reiki session simply helps your natural living connection to do what it does just a little bit better. Like upgrading your internet service, Reiki works to improve your connection to the source of life and healing…not magically change anything that is within you already.

Reiki, like Tarot, can happen in person or at a distance. Distance Tarot can happen because I’m not reading you, I’m reading energy flows or listening to spirit messages for you. The connection to your message comes through a bit of intent, through hearing or reading your question, or hearing / reading your permission to keep an open focus. Reiki is the same in that the connection is made through intent, and is not dependent on proximity or touch. Even during an in-person Reiki session, direct touch isn’t necessary. Hands can hover over the body without touching, and still be equally effective.

Sometimes in-person Reiki is called “Level 1” and distance “Level 2”. The levels reflect the order in which we learn the techniques, not anything to do with the quality or intensity of the session. The energy is the same no matter how it is sent and received. It takes a little more skill, practice and understanding to send at a distance than to send through direct touch, so we learn direct touch level 1 first. Neither level is better or worse. Like Tarot, the only real difference is the type of experience you want to have with your Tarot reading. The message is the same at distance as it is in person. In Reiki, the energy is the same either way as well.

With an in-person Reiki session we often add embellishments: Music, aromatherapy, incense or candles and the like. Of course, those things aren’t necessary for the Reiki to do it’s thing, but there is nothing wrong with it either. Those things have a benefit all on their own (especially in the case of aromatherapy) but they enhance the Reiki experience. These extras have their own benefits, they focus our attention, and they give us a tangible signal that something special is happening.

Crystals, minerals and stones have a long history of emotional, spiritual, and even physical healing lore. Crystals are believed to work on an energy resonance sort of model. As one might expect, there is no hard evidence for physical benefits. Even if we understand it as a mind-body stress reducing effect, there is no harm in giving ourselves the small comfort of carrying a pretty stone or wearing a favorite crystal.

In Sending Stones Reiki, crystal lore enhances the level 2 distance experience the same way that music and aromatherapy enhances a level 1 direct session. The crystals have beneficial properties all their own, they give a mental framework to understand how distance Reiki works, plus gives us the tangible signal that something special is happening.

I’ve used this technique that I call “Sending Stones Reiki” for a while now, and have gotten some really nice feedback about it.

“Very soothing”
“I could almost hear your voice”
“I felt like I was being touched by a calming light”
“It felt like the stone was being filled up, like a gas tank”

Because it is something new, and because I would really, really like to hear your feedback, the Reiki session is no charge. I am grateful for this chance to learn more about Reiki and maybe give a little to the way of Reiki by growing the Sending Stones technique. I hope that by removing payment concerns, it gives you the freedom to say whatever you like about the session…just please say SOMETHING.

It does take time to answer emails and sit with the stones, however. I would be grateful for any donations you could give to support this Reiki effort for you and for others. You can donate here.

If you would be interested in giving a Sending Stones Reiki session a try, please contact me through the Reiki tab at the top of the page or with the contact form here

Introductions are in order: Reiki

Take a tour of the new concept.

The foundation is built of the ho-hum but practical, pragmatic and necessary business practices and policies. Everything is spelled out in detail and utterly transparent. Everything is heads up and eyes open, so you know exactly what to expect from working with me.

I want you to have the best Tarot reading experience that I can provide. That can only happen if you understand what that is. If I can provide the kind of reading you want and need – awesome. Let’s get started. If not, then no hard feelings. I’d rather see you find a reader that matches your personality and expectations. Being very clear about my style of Tarot and my business policies helps you to narrow your search for perfect reading. It frees us both to move on to more satisfying things. Clear, up-front rules and policies are nothing but good. The short version small print is at the bottom right corner of every web page. There is a tab to the full policies page at the top right of every page.

This is a safe space.

Closing the comments keeps out the words (and negative energies) of trolls and spammers. My email is over there –> for anyone who wants to give legit comments or feedback, good, bad or indifferent.

Tarot you know, or will. That is going to be the vast majority of the blog from here on.

We will come back to meditation soon. Today, let me introduce you to the other new service I’m integrating with Tarot on the TaoCraft site.

REIKI

Reiki comes from Japan, and loosely translated it means “universal life energy.”

In the West, the early leaders of modern medicine like Galen and Paracelsus called this same thing “vital force.” Universal energy or vital force is that special something that makes us alive. It isn’t well defined by purely scientific terms as yet, but it is that something that makes a living creature different from an inanimate object. Western medicine has not studied subtle energy, life force or mind-body therapies until very recently. Often this type of natural, medication-free healing is still dismissed as pseudoscience or “faith healing.”

In recent decades, however, modern medicine has begun to accept the mind-body connection as proven fact. Psychoneuroimmunology has proven the effects of stress on the immune system, T cells in particular. The effect psychological stress has on a variety of chronic diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes is fairly well known. Reiki intersects with mainstream medicine through the way it quickly reduces stress. From a Western perspective, Reiki can improve health by removing stress and all the detrimental effects stress can create. Whether Reiki itself has a direct physical effect remains to be seen, but even if it only relieves stress, that alone is a proven health benefit, both physically and emotionally.

There is a long history of using universal, life or nerve energy for healing in Asian cultures. Energy, the ‘Ki’ in Reiki means energy. So does the Chinese word chi or qi (like Tai Chi) which is used in accupuncture and accupressure. Prana is a kind of energy from India, Yoga and Ayurvedic medicine. Energy medicine is ancient, common and accepted there. . Over time, energy healing has become a rich, and anecdotally proven tradition.

Reiki in particular was developed in the early 20th century by Mikao Usui. Reiki is now taught around the world. Different styles that have developed over the years with slightly different practices and differing histories of how Reiki developed. Despite these variations, the core concepts of Reiki are very much the same. For my part, I studied Traditional Usui style under Reiki Master Tom Beardshaw. As for the history of Reiki I recommend the books by Frank Arjeva Petter.

The common ground among Reiki practitioners is much larger than our differences. Here are some examples:

The life force is the source of all healing, the body heals itself. Nothing can heal FOR it, but we can help that inner process work better through healthy lifestyle, medication, herbs diet, and of course, Reiki.
Universal Life or Vital Force energy is everywhere, throughout all space and time. It is neither good, nor bad. Like sunshine or moonlight, it is a simple fact of nature.
Reiki practitioners do not add any of their own energy to the process. They do not change or manipulate the recipients energy or body in any way. A session simply adds a little more natural life energy to the recipient and makes their connection to life energy clearer and stronger.
In my tradition, energy is treated respectfully and only given with a recipients full knowledge and consent. I treat my Tarot work as an energy practice, and follow that same consent guideline.

Computers are a good analogy. Barring genetic disease or birth injury, most people are born with a clear, vibrant connection to life energy. We start off with a cat 5 hardwired broadband connection. Over time, aging, illness, lifestyle all can slow the connection down. Reiki can help clear the connection and get you back from 80s dial up modem speed back up to at least 4g broadband, even if you never get back to your original high speed. The better connection and extra energy makes it easier for you to patch your software, so to speak.

more to follow….