how to find a psychic you can trust – Sage Sips / TaoCraft Tarot

It isn’t fine – and it isn’t fear.

It’s a meme.

We’ve probably all seen it by now. NPR cites K.C. Green as the creator of the famous “This is fine.” dog. We’ve all witnessed epic levels of denial, coated in metric tons of cognitive and emotional dissonance in the public space over the 10 years since this famous web comic was created.

It isn’t fine.

I’ll leave my void-screaming political views for Threads. For now, I want to stay in my lane and talk about my area of expertise, Tarot.

I think the trick to surviving social media is much like life: look for the big picture, and don’t take it all quite so personally. Curate your space. With that little bit of a step back, social media feels less like being a wide-eyed ingenue in the middle of a conflagration and more like an endless source of writing and art prompts.

Here is today’s thought-provoking juxtaposition.

One Tarot reader offered a breathy, pink chakra, love-and-light video about avoiding scams and finding breathy, heart-filled, pink chakra, love-and-light psychics.

Not my style – but a legit point. There really are bad people who have done bad things under the guise of psychics and Tarot and they have made this work a minefield of problems for the rest of us, whether we are annoyingly toxic positive or otherwise.

The problem here is the way they offered themselves up as the solution to the problem they were fussed up about.

Another reader has a dissenting view. Their thought that these kind of “how to find a good psychic” posts are little more than fear-mongering.

True, but incomplete.

When you caution people about real dangers you have to take great care to offer real solutions that work across the board – not just offer up yourself as the sole solution. If you put yourself out there as the only solution, then you are the scam you are warning about.

As a professional, a genuine high-level psychic reader has an obligation to take on difficult subjects for the sake of the clients we all wish to serve. That includes fear mongers. That includes scams. That includes taking on the subject of finding a trustworthy psychic in this crazy-pants world of “spiritual businesses.”

If we don’t talk about scams and impersonators and the very real pitfalls of finding a psychic we fail to serve the best interests of our clients – and ourselves. If we DO talk about scams and impersonators, to some extent we are engaging in the exact fear mongering that we are warning against.

This business is as fraught for an ethical psychic as it is for the person looking for them.

The best solution I can offer is a middle way where we take on the touch topics but hopefully avoid any problematic narcissism. As always, I take inspiration from Taoism and Chan (Zen) Buddhism. In this case, Dharma Drum Mountain says it best:

Face it : face the difficulty squarely
Accept it : accept the reality of the difficulty
Deal with it : deal with the difficulty with wisdom and compassion
Let it go : afterwards, let go of it

Let’s apply this to the issue at hand.

The difficulty is that crime exists. Psychic scams have been around as long as psychics and scammers. Those crimes has made life much worse for authentic psychics and their clients, both.

No amount of breathy woo woo or stalwart avoidance of fear mongering is going to help. Being a psychic and finding a trustworthy psychic is fraught with real, legitimate problems.

The best solutions I can think of are drawn from the non-psychic, non-spiritual realm: Transparent communication.

Get a recommendation from someone you trust, just like you would for a plumber or a hairdresser.
Be careful when reading third party reviews. Some reviews are scams in themselves containing websites and phone numbers unrelated to the psychic they are ‘reviewing.’ That is a reflection of the reviewer – not the business)
Follow your instincts. If you feel pressured, walk away. A psychic is not an emergency room. You have every right to take the time you need to find the right reading for you.
Don’t trust any psychic that targets you INDIVIDUALLY for a reading. Would you trust spam, email phishing or a stalker? Discounts, giveaways, or sales offered to the GENERAL PUBLIC are normal practices for any business. If you approach the psychic, that is one thing. If the psychic approaches you that is entirely and disturbingly different.
Look at websites, blogs, social media and advertising to get some sense of their personality. If you think they are a good match for you, talk or email with them BUT be sure to keep it neutral and professional yourself. Ask about normal business related things like hours, appointments, prices, refunds, and so on. Don’t pour your heart out to a stranger or interrogate them like a criminal. If they are open, patient and professional with your average business questions, chances are they will treat your reading with the same respect. High pressure sales, demanding a set number of sessions, promising a specific result, or blaming you for any outcome are all warning signs. If something feels off, trust those feelings.

The letting go step is the hardest part and perhaps the most dangerous point in all of this. YOU are the expert in how you feel. If you try a psychic and it doesn’t work out, by all means walk away and find someone else. With the internet, you have a world of psychics and Tarot readers to choose from. You should never feel pressured into getting more sessions or paying more money. You never have to see a psychic again if you don’t want to. You are the one who must decide if and when you get your next reading.

If you would like to read how I do things, you can download the ebooklet TaoCraft Portfolio HERE for free.

Follow your instincts. We professionals are spirit translators and intuition amplifiers – not ultimate answers.

Follow your instincts. If they lead you to a reading with me, great! Let’s get to work. If not, great! That means you are honoring your path even as I honor mine in writing this.

And that is a fearless, daring thing for us all.

Organized August?

How do you organize a rave?

I’m only writing this to get myself organized. Maybe. Everything here is subject to sudden, random, unannounced changes. Let the squirrel rave of life begin!

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All blog and social media content is intended for fun and personal enrichment only. These posts read general, zeitgeist, collective energies. If it resonates for you personally – great! If a post doesn’t resonate for you personally, please try a private reading or browse the archives with the search bar.
Monday: Three card energy path reading. This is the same format as a private “pathway” reading with me by email. EMAIL READINGS ARE MY SPECIALTY and I hope these readings 1. show you how useful email readings are and 2. gives you a good start to the new week.
Tuesday: day job day – private email readings only
Wednesday: “Learn With Me” – explore other oracles, or Tarot behind the scenes.
Thursday: Weekly newsletter on Medium, this blog and on the ko-fi blog
Friday: revisit the “growing energy” card from Monday’s reading to update for the weekend. Maybe. Might be other topics, might be a fresh one card draw or I may blow it off entirely depending on the day and intuition.
Saturday: posting on Sage’s Other Words about non-Tarot topics, if anything. Maybe nothing, depending on what’s going on.
Sunday: closed. (It’s not a religious thing…it just fits the schedule)

Squirrel phot0 is public domain as best as I can tell.

“I don’t have ducks. I don’t have rows. I have squirrels and they are hosting a pagan rave” – unknown

“The world around me has changed, and I have learned to adapt but not change. But I’m changing into the woman I am meant to be.” – Aurora

Groot With Jingle Bells

Hello and welcome to Sage’s Short Sip: Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee.

Today’s card is the Seven of Bells, from a woodcut print for a deck of sixteenth century playing cards by German artist Peter Flotner. This particular card is part of the Alleyman’s Tarot Deck, used with permission of Publishing Goblin LLC

On seeing the card, my impression was a clear, urgent single word.

Wait.

In all fairness, it is Wednesday morning as I write this and you could chalk this whole thing up to a rampaging case of the mid-week blahs. In fact that might be the whole point of it. A case of the midweek blahs might be a message to wait, to indulge in some stillness. If you ever feel hugely UNmotivated, listen to that feeling. Understand it and adjust accordingly.

This very much feels like a continuation of the energy from our week-ahead reading two days ago. It’s still an introvert’s energy paradise, but I’m getting a small sense of how an extrovert might be feeling a little restless today.

Still, I feel like the message is crisp, clear and succinct. It feels like a command to stop, be still, and wait. It feels almost like a being held still or caught in a science fiction tractor beam or force field. I hear the phrase “enforced stasis” Lots of science and science fiction words and images are coming through today.

Now I get the mental image of an old school mario video game. I don’t know if you have ever played a video game with those swinging or jumping obstacles. Running flat out at full speed will get you knocked down every time. The trick is to wait. You have to make your run in short bursts or to time the jumps just right.

Have you ever heard of psycho neuro immunology? Is that still a thing? It was in vogue back in the 80s during the early years of the AIDS epidemic. Basically it is modern scientific medicine finally taking a side eye look at the ancient mind body connection and who would have guessed – lo, and behold! Stress impacts your health and can legit affect immunity. Shocker, eh? By measuring T cells and cortisols and all sorts of technical stuff that I can’t remember , mainstream medicine figured out a thing that holistic wisdom has known all along: if you don’t get rest on your own when you need it, Mother Nature will step in and make you rest through a cold, or flu or something. Go down for a nap or be taken down for a week. Taking care of yourself mentally and physically isn’t going to 100% prevent or cure infectious diseases, especially not very serious illnesses like AIDS or Covid, but it can help your immune system do its thing when minor things come along.

So wait.

Stop.

Be still.

Listen.

I’m taking this one personally. It has been a busy couple of months here in the cyberspace as TaoCraft Tarot was renamed to Sage Words Tarot, I finished & uploaded TaoCraft Portfolio (the free behind the scenes ebook) and the Tarot Table subscription blog was changed, updated and changed again. It is seriously time to stop mucking around with all of this. I hope you’ll visit the links in the podcast episode description or browse the blog website or browse the ko-fi page. Comments are open on the blog and DMs are open to supporters on ko-fi. I really hope that you’ll take a look and tell me the features you like, don’t like and what you would like to see in the future. I’m listening.

I think that may be part of the “pause” or “wait” energy that is coming through this week. Listening is part of the stillness and quiet. You can’t listen to other people when you are chattering nonstop. I have things situated so that it suits my needs. It has come to the point of simply letting you know what I have to offer and if it resonates with you then great! Let’s get to work! But if it doesn’t, no worries. There are a lot of us sincere, trustworthy psychics out here – someone is bound to match your vibe. You keep looking for what you need. And as the seven of bells suggests, I’ll keep listening for what is needed.

The figure on the card seems to be made of wood, like Marvel’s Groot surrounded by jingle bells, or maybe Treebeard from Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings or the Tree people of Cheem from Doctor Who – only centuries before any of those characters were created. Actual trees that aren’t science fiction humanoids are living beings, after all.

Listen to the wind in the trees. They may be listening back.

Seven Dane Asmund, the Alleyman’s Tarot creator connected this card to change – both changing to meet the needs of others AND more importantly reminding us that we can change back to our true selves.

Here I am reminded of the Face Dancers from the original Dune book series by Frank Herbert. Face Dancers were shape shifting assassins who could take on any person’s appearance and never showed their true form while on assignment. Take out the assassin part and we all do a little bit of behavioral face dancing. To one extent or another we adapt our language and behavior to the situation. I think the connection to the card comes from the idea of a strong inner core. Like an oak tree or towering pine, our authentic self can remain still, quiet, and strong no matter how our branches sway in the wind. Still, quiet and strong, our true selves wait for us to return no matter how our outer social face dances.

Thank you so much for reading and listening. See you at the next sip!

If you enjoy this free Tarot content, please consider a private Tarot reading, subscribing to the members blog or gifting a virtual coffee on the Sage Words Tarot ko-fi page. Links are in the podcast episode description or click the white coffee mug on the blog page.

Free Ebooklet – TaoCraft Portfolio

Taocraft Portfolio free download

TaoCraft: Portfolio is a behind the scenes look at our Tarot readings including how to find a trustworthy psychic, layouts, Q&A and more.

If you want to get to know me before getting a reading with me, this booklet is a great way to do exactly that.

Click the button above to be taken to the instant download.

This is a free item, but any “pay what you want” or “buy me a coffee” tips support the creation of free Tarot content on this blog, the podcast, the YouTube channel and across the socials.

Thank you for reading and listening!

Real Talk Rewind: Before the Beginning

A good Tarot reading begins before anyone touches a card. How do you find a psychic that you can trust?

The best place to start is at the beginning. Or in this case, before the beginning.

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

Picking up where we left off in the Real Talk Rewind blog post and in honor of the Halloween anniversary of re-branding my old Tarot work into TaoCraft Tarot, I’m re-introducing the whole story start to finish. On one hand this is the part of online work that feels egotistical and weird. Self-promotion is very icky feeling and I can totally see why there are old school superstitions about money and spirituality. On the other hand, the cure for the ickiness is communication and the cure for superstition is rigorous professionalism and full transparency. That’s why I do all of this “a rose by any other name” writing around this time of year.

I am grateful for the opportunity to do Tarot work, and the TaoCraft name and content is the most authentic expression of what it’s all about. But I’ll get back to that later. In fact, I’ll get back to all of that in the ebook I’m still trying to put together, TaoCraft: Portfolio.

If the place to begin is the beginning, let’s begin the story of TaoCraft Tarot BEFORE the beginning. The real beginning of the beginning is when you decide that you want to get a reading.

That is exactly where Portfolio begins too.

Once you have decided that you want a reading, how do you find a psychic that you can trust to do the reading? This is about that step in the process. This is about finding the right person to work with you on that reading you just decided to get. That is where Portfolio comes in. It is written to give some context and background to Tarot in general and my readings in particular so that you can see in detail if TaoCraft Tarot is the right place for you.

This ebook excerpt has a permanent page on the website, and I’ve posted it in the blog before. Here it is again as a beginning before the beginning of any reading we do together, including the collective energy, broad audience Short Sip blog posts and podcast episodes. What follows is an excerpt chapter from the upcoming ebook TaoCraft: Portfolio.

The Tao of Finding a Psychic

There aren’t many spiritual portfolios around. So how do you know who is the right psychic for you? How do you avoid scams and know who to trust?

The first step, of course, is to follow your own instincts.

Right away, that sounds like a bunch of double talk. If using your instincts was the answer, then you wouldn’t need to consult a psychic in the first place.

I believe that we all possess good intuition, but sometimes it helps to have another point of view. Two heads really can be better than one. It takes two separate eyes for us to physically see depth and distance. Two points of view can give depth and distance to our ideas, too. Even professional readers consult with other psychics sometimes. Tarot cards and professional psychics are amplifiers for your intuition, not a substitute for it. It’s said that spirit speaks in whispers. We professionals serve to translate spirit’s whispers into louder language that you can actually use.

Most people wouldn’t hesitate to ask friends, family or neighbors for a recommendation if they need a plumber or a mechanic or a hair stylist. Why should this be any different? I wouldn’t suggest asking your super religious granny if she knows a good psychic, but asking like-minded people is a pretty reliable way to find a good reader. Word of mouth is often the only way to find some of the best psychics . If you already know a psychic that you like and trust, recommending them is a wonderful way to support their work.

Without a personal recommendation, you might have to dig a little; read ads, visit websites, ask at small local bookstores or holistic health shops. Those of us on this side of the reading table are a little underground for all the same reasons that you need to be on guard. We still have to protect ourselves and our families from cultural and religious bigotry, even in 21st century America. We have to protect ourselves from the reputation scammers and con artists have brought to psychic services. We have to protect ourselves from people trying to scam us. We have to deal with all the same pitfalls that you do. Wariness on both sides can make it hard for sincere psychics and well meaning clients to connect with each other.

When you get a recommendation or find an ad that catches your attention, don’t be shy. Talk to the person. Text, email or call, but the trick here is to ask calm reasonable questions. Don’t suddenly pour out your heart to a stranger or interrogate them as if they had already done something criminal. Instead, ask them about practical things, like scheduling, location, hours, prices, accepted forms of payment and so on.

It is often easier to get a feel for the person’s personality and ethics from this kind of bland conversation than any other way. Questions like these are safe, neutral ground for both of you. Working psychics want to protect everyone’s privacy and comfort level. If you are just a little bit friendly, you’ll find that a trustworthy psychic will meet you more than half way. If they treat mundane business questions with professionalism and kindness, chances are they will treat your reading the same way. If they seem like they are hiding something, making a hard core sales pitch or it all just seems way too good to be true, then by all means pay attention to those feelings. It’s ok to talk to several people before you commit to an appointment.

Once you’ve talked to people or browsed the ads, if it feels right and you can afford it – try a session. If it is a good match, you’ll know right away. A Tarot reading should never make you feel judged or uncomfortable. If that first session isn’t a good experience, simply try again with someone else. Personality and style are important factors in finding the right psychic for you. Some people enjoy a little glam and drama. Others prefer a relaxed, cookies-at-the-kitchen table vibe. A mismatch in style or personality doesn’t mean that the reader did anything wrong. Neither did you. You should never take it personally or be made to feel that a bad session was your fault for “not believing” or any such nonsense.

Of course, always use plenty of common sense to steer clear of the many scams that do exist. So-called psychics who promise to fix your love life, cure anything, give 100% accurate predictions, or demand regular appointments should be approached with caution. Or better still, not approached at all. I’ve met a lot of excellent psychics and Tarot readers over the past 30 years. None of them, not a single one, ever offers a reading out of the blue to a stranger. Never. Advertising, special offers, or giveaways to the general public are normal business practices. Targeting an individual in the guise of “feeling a connection” or being “led by spirit” to do a reading for them is on par with spam bots and email phishing – or worse.

Thanks to the Internet, no matter where you live, you can get affordable, expert Tarot readings. The extrasensory, intuitive, psychic part of a reading comes from outside of ordinary space and time. Communicating the reading to you by phone or internet instead of in-person doesn’t change the content of the message itself. Distance readings are as exactly as valid as in-person sessions, possibly more so. With a distance reading, you know the message is truly intuitive. With email in particular, there is no way for you to give away body language cues or answer leading questions. Distance readings protect you from deceptive ‘cold readings’ and stage mentalism.

Finding a trustworthy psychic online poses the same problems as finding one in-person, multiplied by the sheer number of people available. Trusting your feelings is all the more important when you work online despite the many cost, convenience, and privacy benefits of a distance reading.

Distance readings are my specialty. I began my public Tarot work online. Over the years, I learned that websites can carry a vibe the same way that physical spaces do. A psychic may not have technical skill as a webmaster, but you can still get a feel for the person behind the web page. As time goes on, blogs and social media have become easier and easier to use. A psychic with few computer skills can present themselves well. An up to date website and social media presence is a good clue to the amount of care and attention that the psychic is putting into their professional practice. An outdated website can mean that the reader is no longer working professionally or that they are better suited to in-person sessions. Good distance psychics seem to be a fairly tech savvy crowd.

In-person or at a distance, there are lots of sincere, trustworthy psychics available but they are sometimes hard to find. It’s worth the effort to find the right price, style, personality, and format for you. You’ll get a better reading and more value for your money in the long run. Following your instincts combined with a little common sense can help you find a trustworthy Tarot reader.

After reading this booklet, I hope your instincts will be to work with me.

Thank you for reading and listening! I appreciate it!

I also appreciate any likes, subs, shares, follows, questions and comments that you can give.

The blog and podcast are not monetized and depend on you. Please visit the TaoCraft Tarot Page on ko-fi.com where your purchases and memberships all support this free to access blog and podcast.

There are more big drink background posts to come. Until then, I’ll see you at the next sip!

Real Talk Rewind -part 1

Keeping it 100 with the Ace of Swords

Keeping it real never stops in this business, but sometimes it helps to turn up the volume.

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

Today’s card is the ace of swords.

Each of the minor arcana suits have a variety of associations. They are connected to a classic, alchemical element. Swords are air. Each suit has a handful of keyword connections that apply to the whole suit over and above the individual card meanings. For swords you have things like action, intellect, logic, and the realm of mind.

I deliberately chose the Ace of Swords for today. It wasn’t a random thing. It was the best card I could think of that would represent what I want to talk about. The topic is reverse engineering the card instead of the card inspiring the topic for a change. Reverse engineering your daily card is kind of fun to do every now and then, and a good way to help learn the deck if you are just starting out. Think of something abstract – a feeling, an idea, any intangible concept – and then browse the Tarot cards or an oracle deck or any visual image anywhere that resonates with that intangible idea.

The Ace of Swords is associated with keywords like “truth” and “communication.” That makes it a good card for what I’m aiming to do today. It’s an exercise in disclosure and transparency.

In the excerpt from my upcoming e-booklet TaoCraft: Portfolio on the blog page “How To Find a Psychic You Can Trust” open, consistent, mundane, ordinary business policies are one of the hallmarks of trustworthiness. If a psychic is open and honest and patient with you when you talk about run of the mill business things like hours and payment and scheduling and refunds and all of that stuff, then chances are they will treat your Tarot reading or psychic reading with the same respect. And this long post today is me walking that talk. Once a year or so, I try to re-introduce my policies and philosophies – restate my mission statement if you will.

None of this is new. If you are familiar I won’t be offended if you bail out now. I would too if I were you. All of this is always available on the “ABOUT” and “POLICY” pages on the blog website. I probably have too much information on the website but it is all there out in the open for you to read any time you want. The contact email for customer service is right on the home page, and you can ask any question you have there or in the blog comments. You are always more than welcome to browse the whole website including all of the old blog posts. The last time I tried it, the search box in the right hand column worked perfectly. If you want to know about a particular Tarot card, or anything about Tarot really, just type it in the search box and you’ll get a whole list full of old posts to read. If you can’t find what you want, just ask. If it’s not in the blog already, I’ll put it there. Consider this the world’s longest lasting and slowest ask me anything session. Seriously. Ask me anything. If it’s spam or offensive it will be annihilated in the blazing hellfire of my delete button. If I don’t have the answer I’ll either point to a better resource that might have an answer. Or I’ll recruit Zombie Cat to answer. The cat gets pretty snarky but will come up with some kind of Tarot answer for almost anything. The cat and I tend to answer in the form of blog posts but don’t worry, I always always always protect everyone’s identity.

Which is a good policy place to start: privacy. I don’t talk about clients and I don’t share your contact information with anyone. I don’t even keep records older than 30 days. Readings tend to be less useful as time goes on and things change. Updating your contact information each time and asking you for a question, topic, or permission for an open reading each time is how I form a connection to your energy and your specific message. Once I make the shift out of clairvoyant mode into normal mode, I don’t remember details about the reading very well. This kind of Tarot is like the pre-technology psychic equivalent of telegram or something like that.

That’s what ephemeral means when I say that I do Tarot exclusively as an ephemeral folk art service. It was never intended to last a long time. Yes, it is so called entertainment only, but it really is spiritual guidance and emotionally engaging and uplifting and inspirational and empowering and stress relieving and so much more. I’ve called art with heart for the past 30 years and in my experience that has proven true. There is a certain emotion and spark created in each unique individual reading, that can’t really be re-created. With each passing moment, one reading fades and a new connection with energy, spirit and universe sparks into being. Because of that constantly changing, ephemeral nature of this kind of work, exchanges are impossible. You know all of this going into a Tarot reading, so no refunds are available. That being said, I promise to work with you to make a reading as enjoyable and helpful as possible. Every email reading includes a follow up email at no extra charge for any questions or clarifications. To paraphrase the ebook “I want to show you the art of Tarot and this blog is my portfolio.”

There is more. Policy is pretty boring, so let’s stop there for now. I’ll bore you to tears with more of this on another day.

Thanks for listening so far! Next time it will be a little juicer when we talk about predicting the future.

The socials are going to be quiet this week but stay tuned here to the blog and podcast. It’s turning out to be a good week for bigger reads and behind the scenes.

If you are enjoying this peek into what life is like on the Clairvoyant’s side of the Tarot Table or if you enjoy the usual short sip posts, please be sure to follow the blog, follow the podcast, follow the socials (links are on the blog homepage) like, share, and support the blog and podcast on ko-fi.

See you at the next … post.

Sunday Tarot Turnover & a few announcements

Members only newsletter and learn to read Tarot “turnover” exercise is up for this week: HERE

I put the planned schedule for Fall on my personal blog, Sage & Stuff. Now we just need to see how long this one holds up before this squirrel rave that we call life blows everything up.

The content on the other blog is going to be different from this one moving forward, so you are all more than welcome to follow both. In fact, I kind of hope you will.

Memberships are available on ko-fi if you would like to access the Tarot Turnover intuition builder exercises. There are two levels of membership available:

Get your seat at the Tarot Table for $5 per month and get:

pathway 3 card Tarot reading every month on the members only ko-fi blog
newsletter – also on the ko-fi blog
weekly bts and Tarot card reading practice with the weekend “Tarot Turnover” posts
Special offers and giveaways – current offer is 60% off Zombie Cat yes/no readings when purchased through the ko-fi shop.

Be a Patron of the Tarot Arts for $10 per month and get

all Tarot Table benefits
PLUS individual, private, one card meditation readings to your email upon request up to 3 per calendar month.

Here is the Big announcement:

TaoCraft Tarot shop is now exclusively on ko-fi.

This will help me keep prices the same for the rest of this year, at least.

My readings are some of the most affordable going, anyway. I charge a flat rate per total reading, not per minute. Compare my roughly hour long 7 card readings at $40 to the $50 to $75 to $90 some other psychics charge for as little as 30 minutes. Granted, I’ll be holding the line on time a little more strictly than I have in the past, but this would be an out and out bargain at half of the time for a reading from someone with 30 years of Tarot reading experience.

There are a few new pages here. I’ll let you browse the new Reiki and How To Find a Trustworthy Psychic (excerpt from the upcoming TaoCraft: Portfolio) pages at your leisure.

Have a great week…see you Monday – Friday for Short Sip Tarot posts & podcasts!

Clairvoyant Confessional: Styles and Stereotypes

Transcript

I’m a clairvoyant and I have a confession. I’m not lame – I mean lamé. I won’t wear gold lamé.

Scratch / Oneip

Hi. I’m Ronda from TaoCraftTarot.com. I read Tarot, write stuff and make things. Welcome to season two of the Clairvoyant Confessional podcast.

What comes to mind when you think of a Clairvoyant?

Do you expect gold lam’e outfits, 1-800 numbers and exotic accents? Or do you just start checking for your wallet? If that’s your first thought, you are not alone.

No one likes stereotypes, but they do exist. Assumptions and stereotypes are a big problem for anyone interested in psychics, Tarot, clairvoyance or ANY sort of non-mainstream spirituality. That’s true on BOTH sides of the Tarot table.

There has been no end of psychic scams and fakes and grifters over the years…centuries really. It’s no wonder that people think psychics are all either a scam or some kind of supernatural evil.

That historical criminality casts suspicion on any legitimate advertising that a spirituality oriented business might use today. Personally I approach Tarot as a folk art as much as anything else.

Art has a business side – just think about all the money you’ve spent on tickets for movies or band concerts.

If a psychic is professional and business-like, then half the people think they are not genuinely spiritual. If a psychic focuses on entertainment or spirituality, then the other half of people think they are a scam. Doing professional psychic readings is not for the feint hearted.

BUT – neither is finding a good psychic. Readings are fun. They really are art & entertainment. Intuitive readings are also stress management because they can help you sort through difficult times and get your head around life a little bit. Art or self-care, either way, finding a psychic you can trust is important.

So how do you do it? How DO you find a psychic who is both authentic and trustworthy?

That’s why I call the ebook I’m writing “TaoCraft Portfolio”. When an artist interviews for a job, they take examples of their work in a portfolio so the potential employer can see their skills …AND their style… to decide if they are a good match for the job.

I created this podcast, the blog, the youtube channel, and the social media…all of it…to act as my portfolio. I’m hoping you’ll see all of this behind-the-scenes stuff and decide my style is a good match for your Tarot reading. Or not.

That’s all well and good for you and me, but it doesn’t solve the larger problem. There are a LOT of psychics out there but no spiritual better business bureau or billboard top twenty Tarot.

As I see it, if you want to find a good reader you have to do the very thing you are paying us to help you do. You have to use your instincts. BUT for the find a psychic part, common sense and due diligence are the doorway to your instincts instead of cards or runes or palm lines and such.

You wouldn’t hesitate to ask friends, family or neighbors for a referral if you need a plumber or a mechanic, right? Why should this be any different? I mean, I wouldn’t suggest asking your super religious mother in law if she knows a good psychic, but asking like-minded people you know is a pretty reliable way to find someone.

Barring that, you might have to dig a little. Read ads, visit websites, ask at indie bookstores. Those of us on this side of the reading table are a little underground for all the same reasons that you need to be on your guard. We have to protect ourselves from bigotry, other people’s bad reputations, and people trying to scam us. We have to deal with the age old psychic stereotypes just as much as you do.

Once you get a recommendation or find an ad or website that you have a good feeling about, talk to them.

I’m not suggesting that you pour out your heart to some rando stranger that you found online. Ask common sense questions that you would ask any business. Ask about hours, prices, locations – stuff like that. Normal business questions create a safe space for you to get a sense of things.

Whether it is by phone or by email, you can get a better feel for the psychic’s professionalism and trustworthiness from this kind of neutral conversation than any other way.

If they are patient and open with your questions that is a good sign. If they rush right in with promises of 100% accuracy or guarantees to fix your love life, you probably want to keep looking. If someone approaches you with a reading without you asking for it first, run the other way.

A trustworthy reader will never demand that you believe certain things or demand that you see them regularly in order for their reading to “work” Any situation that makes bigger and bigger demands on your time and money should absolutely be avoided.

But if it seems legit, and it feels right and if you can afford it, try a session. If you and the psychic are a good match, you’ll know right away. Real Tarot readings are about inspiration, empowerment and validation of what you already kinda knew.

If that first session doesn’t go well, that doesn’t mean anyone did anything wrong. Style and personality play a huge part in these things. If you are hoping for gold lam’e and a sense of drama, then sneakers and yoga pants might disappoint – and vice versa. Just because your personality doesn’t vibe with theirs doesn’t mean the psychic is a criminal or that you did anything wrong. If a trial session doesn’t feel right, it is perfectly OK to just move on and keep looking for someone else.

Fortune teller booths and party entertainment are just that…all fun and giggles, no harm done even if it is terrible. But when it comes to a one to one individual reading, if you have an uneasy feeling, you should absolutely listen to it. There are about a bazillion psychics out here in the world. Never settle for anything less than a feeling of confidence in the person who is going to do your reading.

With the Internet, you have a whole world wide web to choose from. It is chock full of ridiculous scams but it’s also chock full of incredibly talented and compassionate people.

We’ll talk more about online vs in person readings in another episode, but for now, just use your head and listen to your own instincts and you’ll find the right person with the right style for you.

If you want sizzle, drama, and gold lam’e, it’s out there.

If you want a calm, relaxing, coffee in the kitchen style – I GOT you. There’s not a scrap of gold lam’e anywhere around here.

Short dimension

Thank you so much for listening!

Do you have a question for the clairvoyant? Send it to the contact in the episode description and it might be answered with a tarot reading in a future podcast episode.

Thanks again, and I’ll see you next time in the Clairvoyants Confessional.

Want a private reading with the Clairvoyant? Email readings are OPEN – available to order 24/7 no appointment needed.

Phone/online readings require an appointment and schedule a minimum of 24 hours in advance.

Polices have been updated and are listed here. Contacting me indicates you agree with all policies and disclaimers.

In-person and Party Tarot in select South Hills areas of Pittsburgh PA: email for details. Service area and covid-19 policies apply.