Choose your card: sound and fury.

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

Order private email readings 24/7, no appointment needed, HERE Most readings get to you within 24 hours of confirmation.

Right or left, choose the card that feels like the right one for you here, today, now. Pause the video if you need to think about it. Restart to see the reveal.

Queen of Swords: Claim your space, and speak your truth. If you want to be heard, you have to say something first.

Five of swords: sound and fury can signify nothing. Are you really under attack, or is your ego bruised?

Hello, Good-bye and Hello again

Special welcome back to TaoCraft Tarot offer.

The tiny little sliver of my brain that tries to understand business and marketing and convince people to get their Tarot readings with me thinks that the name changes and re-branding and re-re-branding is…what’s that technical term? Bonkers. It’s bonkers.

Tarot is not a normal business and the best I can do is let you know I do affordable readings, email is my specialty, and I have very affordable prices. Especially for the no appointment needed email readings that are the best thing I do.

It’s true.

The more comfortable a psychic is as they work, the better psychic reading you get. When we are in a comfy happy place we can put all of our bandwidth on the reading and not have to worry about other details, like uncomfortable social silences while we listen to intuition / spirit, for example.

I don’t know what possessed me to make the switch to Sage Words Tarot except as a smoke screen to soften my political rhetoric (Christian nationalism is dangerous, vote for Harris/Walz on November 5) and maybe protect our privacy from said Christian evangelical white nationalists.

Vote as is your life and our democracy depends on it, because it does. That’s fact, not Tarot, not intuition.

Long story short – welcome back to TaoCraft.

One more change before we can settle in and get to some serious coffee sipping:

I’m retiring the old “Modern Oracle ” five card layout and replacing it with the five card “TaoCraft Path” It’s similar, at the same price, but as a welcome home to TaoCraft for you and hearty sendoff into retirement for this workhorse of a layout – the old layout is available for only $10 for the next 10 days

Halloween 2024, like Halloween 2018, is the grand re-opening of our cozy little reading room.

Follow the blog for an extra special 24 hour welcome home on the 31st.

See you at the next sip!


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

You Choose Tarot: your choice, your card, your reading is below

Interactive Tarot: use your intuition to make your card choice and get your Tarot message for today

High Priestess: Read between the lines. Look for the mysterious wrapped up in the obvious. Know the real story before snapping to judgement or jumping into action.

Seven of Wands: Life isn’t all smooth sailing. Conflicts happen, so this card is as much about HOW you handle them, not if they will happen. When the inevitable hiccup happens, handle it with compassion, humor, and style. Bring the logic, kindness and all the rizz you can muster.


The website might be a little redecorated, BUT email private Tarot readings are OPEN. Private Tarot readings by email are my specialty and I have 30 years of Tarot experience to bring to YOUR private reading.

Order HERE 24/7, no appointment needed. Most readings get to your inbox within 24 hours.

Sage Sip Members get FREE one card email readings at your request (up to 3 per calendar month – $15 value for $5 monthly membership) PLUS discounts on larger layouts and exclusive ko-fi blog content.

Weekend Oracle: The Ring

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

The Ring is actually from the Lenormand Tarot, in this case it is from the Magpie Lenormand by Grosjean Rozen via the Alleyway Oracle of Secrets, used here with permissions from the publisher, Publishing Goblin LLC.

Much like the Two of Cups in the RWS Tarot, the ring often has to do with romantic commitment, or long-term relationships between two people by any definition.

The energy is broader than that today. I ‘hear’ the word “posse” in the contemporary sense of a circle of close friends. (‘hear’ meaning the intuition comes as mental words, music or sounds rather than mental images)

It makes a lot of sense in the context of the long holiday weekend here in the U.S. It’s Labor day, which pretty much functions as summer’s closing night after-party. Holiday or not, the energy is right to connect with people. Touch base, check in, say hello in whatever capacity feels natural, whatever fits your groups particular flow. It’s about the heart to heart connection, not the outward form of communication.

Happy weekend everyone!


Private Tarot readings by email are OPEN all holiday weekend – order HERE 24/7 no appointment needed. Most orders arrive in your inbox within 24 hours.

Summer’s Zombie

I don’t like August weather with all of that sunshine and heat and humidity and whatnot.

Late August is summer’s zombie. School is back in session, trees are duller but few showing a tinge of yellow, goldenrod and ragweed are everywhere. My face itches just thinking about it. Summer is shambling and groaning along, well past its welcome. Those of us who prefer the Fall vibe are well and truly ready for it.

Speaking of summer shambles – Zombie Cat yes/no readings are still available by email until the Autumnal Equinox on September 20th. After that, it’s back to the usual three layouts on the Readings menu, with discounts for Sage Sip members.

My basic coping strategy this morning is to close the curtains, pour a cup of pumpkin spice coffee and think about a Fall schedule.

The operative word is THINK about it. We both know that in reality, it will all adapt and change and roll with the flow as the season goes on.

Tarot, intuition, spiritual guidance, personal growth…all that sort of thing …by definition follows the flow of energy. It follows the nature of things, not defines or controls the nature of things. Which is why the philosophy of Tarot and Taoism are so complimentary. And that is, once again, why I’m Taoist at heart.

But that is another story. For now, pull up a chair, pour yourself a cup of something cinnamon and I’ll show you what I’m aiming toward. It’s not so much making a plan as it is making the thing that will wiggle and dance when the squirrels of life start the rave.

Private Tarot readings:

Email readings are always open. Order HERE anytime, 24/7, no appointment needed. Most readings get to you within 24 hours. Live phone and in-person readings are by appointment only. Please contact me for details about those.

Sage Sips Blog:

Three ways to read!

  • on the main website
  • on Ko-fi
  • on Substack

Three days for regular (ish) posts

  • Monday – Choose Your Card (your individual intuition is part of the online reading!)
  • Wednesday – midweek musings / behind the scenes / Q&A
  • Friday – Weekend Oracle

Plans. Plans within plans.

Sage Sips membership on ko-fi is still $5 per month and INCLUDES free private one card Tarot readings by email on request, discounts on larger layouts, occasional special offers and exclusive content.

I have an idea for a new layout, inspired by David Skribbens’ mystery novel Eight of Swords. Look for a chance to get a free email private reading with this new layout. Instead of being a test-knitter for a new pattern, anyone interested in being a test-sitter for a new card layout?

It’s coming up on two years, and the whole cozy-comfy Sage words thing has not gotten the traction that TaoCraft Tarot had. Sure, “Sage Words” is easier to explain, pronounce and spell, but I miss the meaning that TaoCraft holds for me personally. The less I think about marketing, the better things seem to be. The more true to me I am, the BETTER the readings I can do for YOU.

I like “sage sips” for the blog, and I’m keeping the pen-name Sage, but am thinking about going back to TaoCraft for the website / private readings /social media name. What do you think? Constructive comments are welcome. You know my spam & troll policy, delete & block.

I’m as curious as you are

Private readings are OPEN. Order video or email HERE, no appointment needed

Deck citations: top row Alleyman’s Tarot by Seven Dane Asmund, used with permission. 2nd and 3rd rows Black Cats Tarot by Maria Kurara copyright 2013 all rights reserved, used with permissions granted on llwellynpublishing.com

Tarot readers are as bad as everyone else.

As deeply as we know that the future is fluid, subject to choice, controlled by simple cause and effect and not subject to exact Tarot predictions – we love a good game of magic 8 ball and will instinctively try to peek at the path ahead as much as anyone else.

Back when I used to work as a Tarot reader for parties and events, I would sit and do yes/no readings to amuse myself until the event opened or until guests wandered over to my table. Shuffling and turning the cards would also let people know exactly what was happening at a glance.

In any case, I’d do three card yes/no readings (exactly like the “zombie catyes/no readings available for the “summer shamble”) for silly, fun, trivial questions like “will it rain tomorrow” or more importantly (depending on who you talk to) “will the Penguins win the Stanley Cup next season?” or something like that.

The three card yes/no Tarot layout that I use deals three stacks of cards, stopping at thirteen cards or an ace card whichever comes first for that stack. no aces =no, but easily changed; one ace = flat no; two aces = flat yes; Three aces = yes, but easily changed.

For individual private readings, I’ll add any intuitive thoughts the individual card meanings prompt to fill out the total reading, including the usual psychic / intuitive summary paragraph.

The down side to this is that it doesn’t tell you squat for nothing about open ended questions like “who will win tonight’s presidential debate?” You have to break it down into multiple yes or no components to get any sort of insight at all.

In the photo above, the top row of three was the response to “will President Biden win tonight’s (27 June 2024) debate?

The second row is will (the fascist, racist, rapist, convicted felon whose name will never be mentioned) win tonight’s debate

Dealing and shuffling all of this was a little tedious to do much less video, so you are going to have to trust me that after shuffling 7 times each and dealing right to left to each stack these are the end results.

Will President Biden win? – flat yes

The ace of wands hints that the President will express his true self and true character. If he wins the election this would be his last term, he has nothing to lose by making an impassioned, authentic case. The knight of pentacles and ace of pentacles in the artwork used in this deck (a favorite for yes/no layouts) both hint at a journey in progress. Pentacles themselves hint at physical realm success and wealth – perhaps a bump in fundraising but both cards have an energy overall positive outcomes.

Will the fascist, racist, rapist, convicted felon win? – flat no

Interestingly, in spite of re-shuffling the cards seven times and re-dealing the stacks from scratch, both have the ace of wands in the same position. I think it holds the same meaning for both men, that they will show their true colors. How those colors are seen and received will, as always, depend on the lens through which the audience views them. But the Star card is interesting. I think it is directed more toward audience perceptions then evil orangefuhrers debate performance. The Star card is very much a ‘guiding light’ kind of star. Perhaps the debate will have a greater impact on voting decisions than originally thought. Maybe, must maybe, it will dawn on people who haven’t cared before or haven’t followed the news before what, exactly, is going on.

I have too much personal bias to fairly interpret the final card. In my eyes the Hierophant (Pope) card speaks to evangelical support for this candidate and their blind fanaticism for his candidacy, which mirrors their blind, dogmatic following of their religion so they will not be swayed. While not technically a ‘win’ overall or to 2/3 of the nation, his evangelical base will not be lost either.

But take all this with a giant grain of salt. I thought Bernie Sanders was going to win in 2016.

Let’s hope the timeline we land in tonight is a brighter one than we landed in back in November 2016.

Like with Tarot, your choice matters more than any thin attempt at “prediction” – political or personal.

James Carville’s famous quote applies just as much to Tarot and intuition as it does to politics: “…I’d rather not predict, I’d rather affect.”

Same.

I’d rather not predict. I’d rather give you the conceptual tools to make choices that will affect your future, to help you create the future you hope for.

See you at the next sip. Or rather large drink, depending on your political leanings.

Year ahead reading pop-down

Sage Sips Blog is Tarot in the time it takes to sip your coffee (or whatever you like to sip this time of day)

Too much information? Maybe. But transparency leads to trust.
Public domain image of the RWS six of cups tarot card

Season of the Year readings are are off the menu, but look for them to pop up again around the Fall equinox.

You can order “seasonal” readings by special request at any time. Just contact me to order. Special request layouts are email only, billed by secure PayPal invoice.

  • Seasons of the Year- five cards ($25 members / $30 non-members)
  • Find the Flow – four cards ($20 members / $25 non-members)
  • Zombie Cat (currently available through September 20)
  • Modern Oracle seven cards ($35 members / $40 non-members)

The big 3 layouts are always available to order 24/7 no appointment needed

  • Sage’s Sip one card meditation (free for members / $5 non-members)
  • Eclipse three card life path ($10 members / $15 non-members
  • TaoCraft five card full reading ($25 members / $30 non-members)

Membership: $5 per month includes FREE one card PRIVATE Tarot readings by email (max 3 per calendar month) discounts on larger layouts, special offers and exclusive blog content. Join HERE

Mystical Moon

Private Tarot by email is always open for orders, no appointment needed.

In Magical Tarot, Mystical Tao, Diane Morgan interprets the moon card as our “spiritual journey.” The moon means so much in so many parts of our humanity; art, literature, lore, mythology, science, environment. It seems to be one of the most revered and mystical cards among 78 revered and mystical Tarot cards.

Arguably, our spiritual journey is simply the journey of being alive. If we are spiritual beings having a human experience, whatever path we choose we are doing our spiritual journey right. Light incense, dance, pray, meditate, go on long runs or peel potatoes; everything is connected and it is all sacred. Feel it or not, it is all still our right spiritual journey because we not only learn, but we experience the pain and the pleasure of it all.

Thank you for reading.

See you at the next sip!

Ace of Cups: Have enough love

Have enough love to forgive yourself for who you used to be.

“You are under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago.”

Alan Watts

Click HERE for private Tarot by recorded video or email, order 24/7, no appointment needed. Proceeds in part support this blog and its free Tarot content.

Gifts to the tip mug always gratefully appreciated (goes toward web hosting costs)

CYC: The Fool

Choose Your Card: Collective energy readings with a personal touch

  • PAUSE the video
  • Take a breath
  • Decide how you want to use the card – guidance for the day, the week ahead, anything on your mind
  • Choose Your Card
  • Restart the video to see the reveal and hear a little bit about your card.
  • Collective energy card not resonating with you? Private one card readings are free on demand for Sage Sip monthly members and available for order 24/7 no appointment needed HERE for non-members

Judgement: Use your good judgement, reason. Head over heart for this decision. You must rationally decide when & how to begin.

Death: Something has to changed or released in order to make your start or to get a fresh start. Is this new thing worth what you must give up to get it?

10 of Pentacles: Yup. This is solid, practical, a good omen. Go for it.