Tag: free tarot

Warmest Welcome and Hello Friends

Welcome Followers old and new! I’m so glad you are here.

Thank you so much to everyone who has ordered private readings and subscribed to the free blog over the past couple of months! It really means a lot.

A lot.

Part of my brain thinks changing names is Internet suicide while another part of thinks it is genius because, let’s face it, Tao could just as easily be a Chinese boy band member as could be a philosophy reference and Craft brings glue guns and Martha Stewart to mind just as much as anything witchy.

So much for trying to be clever. Thank you from the bottom, top and middle of my Tarot heart for sticking with this through all of the renaming nonsense. At least now we are back to normal words that everyone can recognize and spell and whatnot.

Here is the rest of the 2023 overhaul:

  • Email, this site, the podcast, Ko-fi (shop, member’s blog, email readings) the YouTube channel, Facebook page, Instagram, Tumblr, and TikTok have been changed to the new name.
  • Closed the Twitter account because I wasn’t really interacting with it after the whole Musk/Trump’s back kerfuffle. If you want to say hi, and I hope you will, Instagram and TikTok have become the two accounts I actually scroll every day.
  • Party Tarot is CLOSED (let’s just say it didn’t survive covid)
  • In-person, live online, and small group Tarot are OPEN and available by appointment on a limited basis in select Pittsburgh (South Hills) neighborhoods.
  • EMAIL READINGS are open for purchase 24/7. Email is my specialty, my true Tarot love, and my priority. Reading orders are usually fulfilled within 12-18 hours but may take longer when you order nights, weekends or US holidays. Vacations and emergency closures are announced here on the main blog.
  • Social media content is not on any particular schedule. THIS BLOG is the one and only place to get ALL of the free Tarot content. If you follow the blog by email, it all shows up in your inbox – even if it isn’t on youtube, the podcast or the socials (like this post)

If you have followed for a while, you know I’ve sworn off sales, giveaways and all of those cutesy pants promotions. That will stay the same.

THIS on the other hand is a sincere thank you, from me to you, in appreciation of you being here at the end of the chaos and for joining up as everything moves forward. Welcome and THANK YOU.

As a way to say thanks, I’m doing this once, right here, right now, only on this blog and only until February 28, 2023. If you email me at the new address (SageWordsTarot@gmail.com) before with:

  1. Your name
  2. Your age
  3. Your question (or permission for an open reading)
  4. and the coupon code BLOGREADER

I’ll reply with a one card Tarot reading just for you …yes YOU…as an individual, not a general audience reading like we usually do for blog posts or the podcast.

That’s pretty much it.

I hope you like the new energy vibe. Names are symbolic mini-affirmations of who we are, what we have done and what we still hope to achieve.

The Lemonade

The hardest lemonade to make

And that’s how lemonade is done.

Hello and welcome to the TaoCraft Tarot blog and podcast. I’m glad you are here.

Before we get to the ten of swords, I want to give you a quick reminder about my winter Tarot reading schedule.

There is none.

It was a nice surprise to have a few minutes to write this. I’m expecting a jam packed schedule between now and January. I’m so, so, so thankful for the text to voice audio blogging that WordPress, Anchor FM and Spotify have available.

And I’m also grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you for reading and listening despite the erratic, random posting non-schedule. I’m cautiously optimistic that I can get back to trying to follow social media best practices after the new year. I’m in awe of all of the wonderfully talented people who create “content” on a regular schedule. I have yet to make that work for Tarot. Energy, intuition and the ebb and flow of life doesn’t give a flying rat’s patootie about posting schedules. Intuition and creativity has its own agenda and I owe it to all of you to go where my real strength lies which is Tarot readings and blog writing, not social media presentation.

Speaking of which, the new “crystal cast” posts that I had planned for Mondays will have to wait until after Thanksgiving, possibly until after New Year, too.

But stay tuned. Right or wrong, accurate or not, Zombie Cat is going to try his paw at a fast and loose Tarot reading for 2023. That cat is a little unhinged (as zombies often are) so whatever predictions he makes – don’t blame me. Look for that in December.

All in all, I still like to think of this utter lack of a schedule gives the blog a little bit of an underground, renegade, pirate radio sort of vibe. I hope you’ll come along for the ride, such as it is.

On top of it all, Elf-con 1 has officially been declared at my house. I got knitting to do and stuff to bake.

So before I have to hop out to shop for flour, sugar and that one last skein of yarn, let’s take a look at the Ten of Swords.

Just to show that spirit and energy operates on its own schedule, here is some context for today’s card.

I had an appointment in the afternoon, so when the morning obligation rescheduled, I had every intention of indulging in a second cup of coffee and a leisurely scroll through Instagram. That’s when I stumbled across one of those social media talents we were talking about earlier. Digital creator Barry Brandon (instagram.com/forallhumans.co aka @queerindigo) posted a video about personal authenticity, the Colorado Springs shootings and a variety of other things. I can’t begin to capture it here, and urge you to watch it for yourself.

When he said “…it shouldn’t be this challenging to exist in one’s skin. It shouldn’t be this challenging to be oneself…” it made a solid landing right in my wheelhouse.

I’m an atheist, Taoist, solitary eclectic witch, Tarot reader and the hardcore evangelical christianity in my family has diminished if not outright severed most of those relationships. But that is nothing … NOTHING … compared to the level of hate and bigotry that the LGBTQIA+ community has to face every single day. As someone who cares very deeply for multiple people in the community, it is absolutely terrifying to even think about everything they face … and meet with such grace, courage and love.

When that ton of emotional bricks hit, I punted the leisurely scroll and followed the intuitive impulse to pull a card and see where that would lead. It led to the 10 of Swords card draw that you can see in the video above (the link is in the episode description as always for podcast listeners) and that led me here.

To my mind, that context and this card are all of the same collective energy in the context of the Club Q shooting this past weekend.

In these times, it is natural and so easy to be furious and terrified and just … done.

We all know the line from Yoda and Star Wars about “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

Which, along with the ten of Swords, begs the question of how to deal with hate and anger and defeat and suffering.

There is no easy answer.

There may be no answer at all.

For me personally, the only answer I know is to be the best ally I know how to be, to advocate for gun control and equality legislation to the best of my ability and to urge those I love to be as careful and safe as it’s humanly possible to be while still living their happiest most authentic life.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said that “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

In lighter times and easier energy, the 10 of Swords is akin to that old adage of “fall down seven times, get up eight” or “when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”

To plan, to act, to be righteously angry, to rebound from defeat and to do so from a place of love is difficult, but it is the most potent lemonade we can make.

Thank you all for listening and reading.

TaoCraft Short Sip Tarot is a contemplation for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. If you enjoy them, please visit the TaoCraftTarot ko-fi page where shop purchases, readings, memberships and virtual coffees all support these free Tarot readings on this non-monetized blog and podcast.

Listen

Hello and welcome to TaoCraft Short Sip: Tarot contemplation in the time it takes to sip your coffee. I’m glad you are here.

Today’s card is the King of Cups

The energy of the card today isn’t quite typical for a King card. It fits a minor arcana court card, just not the usual boilerplate interpretation of the Kings per se. Often court cards, or the face cards as they are called in the modern game playing deck, are an in-between energy. They have more zing than the number cards in the minor arcana, but not quite the wattage of the major arcana cards. Kings represent the yang side of leadership. They are outward facing energy, very proactive and protective. This card is still connected to leadership, but in a quieter, more castle and keep sort of way. Cups are tied to closeness and emotion. The King of Cups is but in an intimate one to one sort of way. The King of Cups is an leader within the emotional and intuitive realm. The King of Cups is a mentor.

Here I am reminded of that old TV show Kung Fu. My Grandfather loved it because it was essentially a western and anything with cowboys and horses was high on his list of things to watch. We used to watch it together all the time, but my favorite parts were the flashbacks to the Shaolin Temple with “grasshopper.” I guess my affinity for Taoism and Chan Buddhism started at a pretty young age, come to think of it. That is so not a typical thing for 1970s evangelical appalachia, believe me. I think that memory comes to mind just now because of the mentoring relationship between Master Po and Kwai Chang. Yoda, Luke and Obiwan also come to mind if you prefer the Star Wars mythology.

Mentoring is an interesting relationship somewhere in between friendship and detached mass education. It is far more than just a one to one tutor. It is a friendship with a little airspace, allowing for correction and redirection.

Chingliang Al Huang, who collaborated with Alan Watts on Watts’ masterwork The Watercourse Way, wrote an excellent book on the topic The Tao of Mentoring. I’m guessing none of you will be surprised to learn I read both of those ages ago. But I highly recommend the Tao of Mentoring for anyone who is considering a career that involves one to one guidance like, for example, holistic health consulting or Tarot readings.

There aren’t many Yodas or Master Pos around these days, but guidance and mentoring is available to anyone willing to listen.

I don’t remember it exactly, but I once read a quote about how it is ok, even good to spend time alone. Sometimes we have to be alone to realize just how deeply connected everything really is. It has also been said by Robin Williams, Maya Angelo and others that it is far worse to be in the middle of people and life and things….but still feel alone.

Whether we are literally alone or feeling alone in the middle of other people, the King of Cups reminds us that we are never cut off from guidance and mentoring. The volume gets very very low sometimes, but never quite goes away. I’ve said it many times. Spirit speaks in whispers. Intuition is our ability listen to those whispers.

You would think I’d like the ASMR thing on social media. But honestly, I hate it. I must be wired differently from most people. Those whispery, breathy vocals especially make me want to yeet something at the TV or chuck my headphones across the room. But it comes to mind as an example for that process of listening to the whispers of guidance that comes from the collective unconscious, spirit guides, angels or however you name such things.

The King of Cups is quieter today than a typical king card reading. That indirectly reminds us to listen to real world mentors. The King of Cups, being a leader, reminds us that the best mentors listen too.

And thank you for listening to this blogcast now. See you at the next sip!

The blogcast and the companion videos are not monetized so they depend on your support. Tarot readings purchased through this website, Tarot Table memberships & “buy me a coffee” donations on ko-fi all contribute toward creating this unique, freely available Tarot content . Please support this project as you are able. Your likes, subs, shares and follows are always appreciated too.

A Wide Variety of Strengths

TaoCraft Short Sip is Tarot contemplations in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. Today: Strength from the major arcana

Hello and welcome to TaoCraft Short Sip: Tarot contemplation in the time it takes to sip from your coffee.

Today’s card is Strength from the major arcana.

This card is easy to sum up with the adage “He who conquers others has force. He who conquers himself has strength.” There are dozens of different iterations for the quote just as there are I have no idea how many different translations of the Tao Te Ching. The same basic concept exists in Zen, Buddhism, the Bhagavad Gita and probably every school of thought or organization that espouses personal growth and self development. As we’ve seen with the recent war in Europe, personal strength is far more rare and far more valuable than raw political or military power.

That kind of personal growth, self-development, and strength of character is exactly what this card is always about.

While we all agree that this is a valued thing, it all falls apart when we start trying to figure out how to do it.

The title “Tao Te Ching” has been as been translated a variety of ways including the way of Virtue. Virtue means lot of different things to lots of different people. That is the point where interpreting the Strength card gets dicey. It’s not the what that’s the problem, it’s the how.

So how do we become better people? What IS a good person?

Books, religions, entire philosophies have been dedicated to just exactly that, and we sure as heck aren’t going to solve anything here.

When the Strength card comes along it might just be validating the strengths you have. It might be validating the strength choices you’ve made or the importance of a decision that you are pondering. Regardless of the context, the Strength card always reminds us to do the right thing, the difficult thing, the strong thing, not the easy or cowardly thing. It’s no accident that lions are iconic and used in many many Tarot decks for this card. To put it in Disney terms, this is a card that asks you to be Mufasa, not Scar.

But on second thought, maybe the how of inner strength isn’t so hard after all. Look at the woman figure on the card that seems to be tending to the lion.

Maybe a little Zen Taoist Hakuna Matata is the key. As always, it is the present moment to the rescue. Harmonize with your nature as it is to find your path to strength.

Nurture the strengths you already have. Restrain the flaws you already have. This strengthens (aka conquers) the inner self.

Thank you so much for listening! I’ll see you at the next sip.

The blogcast and its companion shorts and reels are audience supported and are not monetized in any way. This unique content depends on your help. Tarot readings purchased through this website and Tarot Table memberships on ko-fi all contribute toward bringing these free Tarot contemplations to you.

Any likes, subs, shares and follows you can spare are always appreciated too. Thank you.

You Can’t Make Them Drink

TaoCraft Short Sip is Tarot contemplation in the time it takes to sip your coffee. Today: Four of Cups

Hello. Welcome to TaoCraft Short Sip – Tarot contemplation in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. I’m glad you are here.

Today’s card is the Four of Cups.

There is an old adage that says “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink.”

Maybe it is because the hallmark holiday is in four days. Today’s vibe is a lot like that old My Tarot Valentine vibe I was telling you about the other day. Or was it yesterday? Anyway, cups are back into romance mode.

You can lead a relationship to water but you can’t make it drink. And I’m not talking about adult beverages.

The heart knows.

The heart knows when words are empty or actions are made of inertia and habit.

Not everyone is present and focused on the two of you every. Single. Moment. People get tired, stressed and distracted. It’s easy to understand that and it’s easy to give a little extra TLC to someone you care about who is having a bad day. Bad days happen for everyone, and they are just that – a day. You do what you can to help and life goes on. This is also a good time to remind ourselves to leave stress at the door and love your loved ones. They know when something is up.

They know when a bad day turns into a bad month, or a bad year.

The heart knows when words are empty and actions are built out of inertia and habit.

The message the card gives today is scary for both people involved and oh so hard to give. I’ve seen it in relationship readings lately. It brings to mind one particular reading I did for a client a few months ago. The energy here feels exactly like it did then. Specific past readings almost never come up in a general blog reading like this. Maybe someone somewhere out there is in a similar situation as that client was. All light and best wishes to you, listener and client, wherever you are. Or it could be that this is just a matter of the universal energy giving me a specific cue to a specific message. Here goes.

Sometimes you pour everything you have into a relationship and for whatever reason, the other person just can’t give anything back. At some point you have to stop the bleeding, turn off the faucet that is flooding the bathtub, stop digging the hole you are trapped in. Love is a precious thing to pour away into an abyss. If it can’t be given to another, perhaps it is time to give it to yourself.

Sometimes absence is better than empty presence.

None of this blog, podcast or YouTube Tarot content is monetized and it all relies on your support. The private email readings you purchase and Tarot Table memberships on Ko-fi all contribute toward producing this free Tarot content. Likes, subs, shares and follows all help too.

Thank you so much for watching, reading and listening. I’ll see you at the next sip!

Oracle’s Toolkit: Pendulums

Learn to use a pendulum in this new TaoCraft Tarot series “Oracle’s Toolkit”

Thank you for reading the TaoCraft Tarot blog and listening to the podcast. I’m glad you are here.

This behind the scenes style post originally appeared in my old Tarotbytes blog on the Modern Oracle website in January of 2018. Caught up in re-branding everything from Modern Oracle to TaoCraft Tarot, the Oracle’s Toolkit series fell by the wayside. The series is returning with this edited reprise, but brand new posts will follow. I’m keeping the “Oracle’s Toolkit” title as a nod to the Modern Oracle days.

Working with oracle tools like Tarot cards or pendulums turns up the volume on your own intuition. Working with an oracle tool plus a professional who is an expert at using that tool turns the volume up to 11. Still, your energy, your message, and your knowing lies at the center of it all.

A client once asked “I’m thinking about X, should I do X or not?” This is the perfect kind of question for a psychic reading. Like I’ve said dozens of times, “Tarot doesn’t predict what will happen in life, it helps you to figure out what to do when life happens.” The same is true of any type of psychic reading or divination method.

As a professional reader, I always feel I’ve done my job well when a client sits back, their shoulders relax down a bit and they say “that’s what I thought.”

The tricky part of this particular reading was that their “X” involved something that really needed concrete logic, not intuition. It involved a subject that I don’t know at all and that a non-expert really shouldn’t spout off about. Fortunately, the client had already talked to someone and had qualified advice in hand. They were looking for inspiration and validation for a decision they had to make based on that advice.

Some decisions can’t be made for you, by expert advisors or spiritual advisors either one. My instinct at the time was to teach this person how to use a pendulum so they could apply their own intuition to a potentially life altering decision. This situation needed deep inner connection, not more outside input.

One of the arguments against pendulums is that they are actually controlled by small, subconscious “ideomotor” muscle movements. Skeptics object to pendulums because they aren’t any sort of outside guidance at all. Skeptics say that the person is simply projecting their subconscious desire onto the pendulum through the minute muscle movements.

EXACTLY! That’s the WHOLE POINT of it!


Using a pendulum cuts through self doubt and second guessing to get at an honest preference. The end result is functionally no different from someone who flat out makes the decision they want from the start. Using a pendulum may not change the end decision, but it can make a qualitative difference in the decision making process. Using an oracle tool can lead to a decision that is less impulsive and more thoughtful, made while engaging both logical and creative thinking. If using a pendulum adds an element of confidence to a difficult decision, then the pendulum has served a good purpose.

The same is true whatever kind of oracle tool a person might use. By oracle tool, I mean any physical object or method that helps us to access our innate wisdom with greater ease and clarity. These tools simply amplify our connection to the natural intuition that we all posses.

Think of actual sound amplifiers and microphones. Using an amplifier doesn’t have an outside influence or give any special outside information to the musician who is using it. Equally, pendulums don’t don’t have any influence or offer any special outside information. Both actual amplifiers and pendulums help bring something inside you out into the world in a more definitive way.

Using a pendulum is astonishingly simple.

First, get a pendulum.

I’ve noticed a lot of online how-to videos show people using beautiful crystal and gemstone pendulums. Crystals and gems enhance and beautify the experience. They are a welcome addition to any reading, but they are not by any means necessary. There is no reason to invest in a high end fancy pendulum until you work with the technique for a little while and see if it really is right for you or not. Any weight will do. I did my first pendulum work with a an old necklace. Now I use a purpose made metal pendulum but you could use a hex nut tied to a piece of twine for all that it matters.

The actual pendulum matters much less than your clarity of mind.

Probably the most important step in all of this is putting your concern into a single, concise, yes-or-no format. Pendulums are not chatty. They give you yes. They give you no. That’s it. That’s all there is. You can build more complex guidance with a series of questions, but each individual questions must be in a clear, specific yes-or-no form.

After you have your question clear in your mind, you have to be equally clear about how the yesses and nos are represented. Swing the pendulum on purpose and say firmly “this means yes”. Most people pick backward and forward (toward you and away from you) for this answer. Swing the pendulum on purpose and say firmly “this means no” Most people choose a left and right, side to side motion for this.

Once you’ve done the deliberate swings, dangle the pendulum in a way that lets the weight swing freely. Stop the pendulums movement with your free hand. Then just ask your question, wait watch to see what happens. If it starts to swing, there’s your answer. If the pendulum doesn’t move or goes in circles that means the answer is unknown, or hasn’t been decided. Try again later, as the pool ball toy says.

We will add details and expand on the whole process in the Oracle’s Toolkit ebook.

Thank you again for reading and listening. None of the TaoCraft Tarot online content is monetized, so your purchase of private email Tarot readings on the blog website combined with the “buy me a coffee” donations and Tarot Table memberships on ko-fi all support the creation of this free Tarot blog and podcast. Your support through likes, subs, shares and follows are greatly appreciated too.

See you next time on TaoCraft Tarot blog and podcast.

New Year, New Stuff

Happy Year of the Tiger & Happy new podcast!

Happy year of the tiger 2022!

The year is full of new ones, depending on which calendar you use. I like the lunar one because fish and noodles and sticky rice balls oh my!

As I understand it, one of the many marvelous traditions surrounding the lunar new year (in addition to the food) is that you clean the house before the new year to symbolically sweep out old negativity and misfortune After that, you don’t sweep or clean for the first days of the new year so you don’t accidentally brush away any new and good luck coming in. Any excuse to skip housework for a few days is good fortune in my book. It’s out with the old, in the new. I wonder if it works for podcasts.

I loved doing the Menage A Tarot podcast with David and Kate. After its seemingly permanent hiatus and my rebranding from Modern Oracle to TaoCraft Tarot was finally done, “Clairvoyant Confessional” dropped into my lap as an idea for a new podcast. I don’t have the skill or the software to do it myself, so when the WordPress & Anchor FM connection launched, I jumped at the chance to bring “Confessional” into reality.

But, as it turned out, making a good monologue driven podcast with a pirate radio, Delilah after dark sort of feel was harder than I thought it would be, even with these super easy to use tools. And, as it also turns out, monologuing like a super villain isn’t as much fun as you might think. It gets really old really fast.

In keeping with lunar new year, I’m sweeping out the old style podcast once and for all. Yesterday was one last confessional pirate radio monologue before going full cyberpunk and letting Siri’s second cousin Remy do the talking because dammit Jim, I’m a writer not a narrator and can make very long complex sentences like this one.

Rather than chasing a nifty idea with mediocre execution, I want to give you the best of me and my actual clairvoyance by changing – not ending – the podcast. The podcast will be the audio edition of the blog, which includes short sip (almost) daily Tarot, You Choose Interactive Tarot, and bigger reads like the upcoming Oracle’s Toolkit series. And, if any of you can work up the courage to submit a question through the blog comments or social media, I’ll answer your question in the blog and podcast. Instead of “I have a confession” this could be a “Real Tarot for Real People” kind of blog and podcast. Ask me anything. I’ll post some sort of answer, maybe even one with a Tarot card or two or a few.

You can listen to the final confession HERE

Thank you to everyone reading or listening. I appreciate you and I’m glad you are here.

I also appreciate any likes, subs, shares, follows, or Tarot Table memberships you can spare. Your support through the purchase of private Tarot readings and the “buy me a coffee link” goes toward the creation of this free-for-everyone Tarot content.

An essential teacher

Just started reading Be Water, My Friend by Shannon Lee about Bruce Lee. Martial arts philosophy, Taoism…SO in my wheelhouse. Just a few pages in, and already loving it.

Am thinking about reviving my personal blog “Stuff” on RondaJSnow.me to do writer-y type stuff and all of the not-tarot poopgoo and Kittenwhisker-ish type stuff. After starting this book, I might add book reviews into the mix.

I’m curious. Which would you guys like better? Surf over to the other site and follow that blog (right column on desktop, scroll down on mobile) and get 100% of everything or just read a few select posts cross pollenated onto this one even though it’s off topic? If you can spare a minute, drop a comment and let me which suits you better. While you are there, feel free to give any feedback you want. Luv it, hate it, whatever. Same goes for any Tarot questions you might have.  It can be personal, like the boyfriend question yesterday, or it can be about psychics, intuition, Tarot in general.

Full disclosure: any question that comes to me other than a paid private session will be answered in the blog (scrubbed of any identifying information to protect your privacy of course) It’s kinda like a Tarot swap meet – you get a free one card reading, I get blog/podcast content. Don’t forget two important things 1. The answer is more than likely going to be in full Zombie Cat mode so be prepared for a little light snark and 2. Any and all spam or inappropriate anything will be destroyed in a blinding flash of hellfire. TaoCraft Tarot is a safe space and I am the absolute ruler and gatekeeper and writer of the policies to which it all is subject.

On other words, ask Zombie Cat anything in the comments, but do so at your own peril.

What do you think?

If you aren’t feeling the blog / Zombie Cat thing, private readings by email are available to order anytime, no appointment needed HERE

Zombie Cat is still in a mood: free Tarot reading for the first person to follow these instructions correctly

  • Free Yes/no reading in the blog for the first question in the comments on this webpage.
  • Yes – it’s really free. It’s really for you. I’ll write it so redacted that only you will know for sure that its you.
  • No….social media replies, email, messages or any other damn thing. ONLY the comments ONLY on this page ONLY until midnight eastern time usa August 17, 2021
  • your reading will post in the blog, so keep it somewhat civil, k?
  • all policies and disclaimers apply
  • Get vaccinated, wear a mask when you go out and wash your damn hands.

YouChoose Interactive Tarot: Energy Equinox

Thank you to everyone for your saint-like patience the past week, including today. Made a trip out of state for family reasons, and have been playing a little catch up the laundry today. Sorry to YouTube folks for the delay posting the written part of this.

Not a lot going on as far as announcements go. The 2nd anniversary Tarot reading giveaway is still going on (use the contact form on the special offers page to get yours)

It’s going to be a big financial hit, but I won’t be doing parties or in-person readings this Halloween season because our local test positive rates are still around 5% and outside of stores, mask wearing is spotty at best. It just isn’t worth the risk. I hope you will get one of the free digital handwritten one card reading. It might be a nice way to cheer ourselves a bit as we head toward flu season and a possible covid resurgence.

That being said –

Left: Knight of Wands. Knight are usually the action heroes, all about doing something. In this case the action part of the knight card is taking a little bit of a back seat. This card was featured in the book / mini-series “Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel” as a sign of the second magician appearing who would bring magic back to England. Rather than physical action, this card is a symbol of action, a place holder for action when we look at all three of this week’s cards together (more on that later.) This knight for this week isn’t about physical doing…it is all about spiritual doing. Call it magic(k) if you like. In subtle energy work, intention is everything. Astrology isn’t my specialty, but the full moon coming soon seems significant. If you feel drawn to astrology, please do research and find out what a full moon in Pisces means for you. This is a good week to stop being caught up in the physical day to day activity, and focus on your intentions, pay attention to your energies. You get what you give. Deliberately and actively set your mental and spiritual intentions, think of it as activity and quiet thought in exquisite balance

Center: Four of Swords. When we exercise rest is a thing. Muscles need a little rest every now and then in order to repair and become stronger. Rest is a necessary opposite to action in order for things to work as they should. While swords cards, like knight cards, often denote action the four in particular denotes rest and repose. Proper sleep is necessary for healthy minds and bodies. To move forward in battle, warriors will stop and look and see what must be done, what is the most effective way to proceed. If you chose this card, it might be a more active and busy week than for other people, but don’t just charge ahead in order to get through it all at any cost. Look before you leap. Think of it as observation and analysis in exquisite balance with swift action.

Right: Two of Pentacles. This is the classic card about balance. Only Temperance gives a stronger message about keeping everything in check and not getting too extreme with anything just now. Moderation is your friend. This card is about dynamic balance, moving parts, constantly adjusting, a little like the constant adjustments a unicycle rider makes. Balance is a key idea this week. Watch for anything that is getting to be too much, try not to get ‘out over your skis” as they say about anything, but given this is coins card, you might want to pay particular attention to work-life balance. Think of it as exquisite balance in, well, everything.

Taken together, these three cards are all about an exquisite balance. We just had the autumnal equinox, day and night in perfect balance. Think of the old myth of balancing an egg on its end on the equinoxes. This is the most fleeting tiny pause, the breath holding, one-footed moment on a tightrope, that can only last the barest second before the tightrope walker must tilt to one side, or the other, or take a step forward or take a step backward. Nature abhors a vacuum and gives precious little time to any sort of static balance. This week feels to be the tiniest pause, a balance that can’t last, a held breath before the exhale must happen, an equinox of energies. Gather in the magic of this fleeting golden moment before that balance born of change and motion must begin again.