Our keyboards and devices are pens, electrified and empowered to send the magic of words farther and fastee ghan ever before. Almost a full circle, actual handwriting and drawings can be sent electronically without taking a picture, without converting to type.
I’m hoping these “digital handwriting” format Tarot readings will be as popular as I believe them to be powerful. REALLY old school pen and for-real paper by snail mail readings are avaiable too.
We’ll give Zombie Cat his formal introduction to TaoCraft Tarot a little later. Short version: Zombie Cat was inspired by Shrodinger’s famous thought experiment, an episode of “Menage A Tarot” podcast and the simple question “Why not both?”
You can order Zombie Cat’s yes-or-no readings anytime in the shop, but every now and again Zombie Cat shambles out of the shadows and gives yes-or-no readings for free in the form of anonymous blog posts. Ask Zombie Cat anything. Who knows what kind of answer you will get, but you will get an answer that is 100% absolutely guaranteed to contain words and maybe even whole sentences. Anything else, there is at least a 50% chance of it being dead wrong.
To get a FREE yes-or-no Tarot Reading for NEW YEAR 2019:
2018 was weird.
There have been bouts of odd, uncomfortable energy plus lots of weird politics and empaths all around were having their resonant bells rung on a regular basis. Even the usual holiday zeitgeist seemed surprisingly laissez fair this year. The annual Elfcon frenzy could barely flog itself up to a level 4, but I’ll blame that on our newly emptied nest. With no little ones around, all-adult Christmas by comparison really is reduced to alcohol consumption and defending raw cookie dough on social media.
On an energy level, 2018 was filled with groanings of fatigue from the past and early rumblings of transformations yet to come. It would be nice if I could give you some easy Tarot, numerology, astrology, or other mystical explanation for it all, but I got nothing. Even here in woo woo land, stuff just happens, no matter how much we use our magic and intuition to navigate our way through said stuff.
This is a prime example. I pulled a card on Christmas Eve in the hope of finding inspiration for a happy little holiday greeting to post here. Out pops the 7 of cups. The seven of….what the actual wuuut?
Clearly, the energy of the card is about the new New Year and didn’t want anything to do with happy little Christmas greetings. OK. Cool. I can let it sit, abide with it until today. Like any good case of the niggles, this card wasn’t going anywhere.
The first and strongest mental image to come through was all shades of blue and white and gray, like blue skies and snow. But instead of snowflakes, the blue background was strewn with shards of clear plate glass, all with pointy edges, all irregular shapes, all different sizes. The message that came through loud and clear was CHOOSE YOUR SHARD. I think that means this:
2018 was shattering for many people. If it was a good year for you, bless and enjoy. This card and this message is for those who walked a rockier path this past year, if not literally, then emotionally.
Paradigms, self images, expectations, hopes, dreams, self doubts, fears; all sorts of things have been shattered this year for good or for ill. 2019 is not going to let us go back. Pick a piece. Choose your shard. What piece of the old you, the old way, is good enough to bring forward. What piece is your souvenir, your lesson, your cornerstone for the new? All the pieces can’t be put back together. We have to choose what, if anything, is worthy of time and attention. Like any piece of broken glass, that trough-put asks to be handled with card.
The phrase “through put” especially grabs my attention here. It comes from an episode of my favorite show “Mythbusters” when Adam wanted to put the mangled burned face of the old crash test dummy onto the new one as storytelling “through put” or continuity. A thread of the past that puts new things into perspective, and makes the whole story make sense. As shattered at things may have gotten in 2018, the new year 2019 demands it’s through put. It is about transformation, not obliteration. It asks for re-working, not abject discarding. And that is a lovely thing.
If through-put is demanded, that means the original, albeit changed thing had value. Whatever is being transformed has worth, and importance in its original form, or it wouldn’t be so needed now. It feels as if a time of transformation is coming, but one that must be rooted, real, connected to the past and built to last.
The seven of cups is often associated with choosing, and having many options. There is a caution here to not fall prey to “decision paralysis.” Yes, you have options, but take care not to dither or over-think. This is also a lesson in deep knowing. And deep experiencing. Plan, but live. Do, but be.
“Do be do be do” – Sinatra
Never forget to have a little fun along the way too. Part of disruptive energies like this past year is to remind us of what we have forgotten or neglected. Too often that something is laughter and kindness and fun. I hope that a lighter heart is part of the shard we all choose to bring forward into the new year.
Things may seem broken or in need of breaking, but choose a shard, big or small to bring with you as you build something new, something better. The advice is to not try to put it all back the way it was, that would be an impossible waste. Don’t dither or over think your shard choosing. If you mind doesn’t know, your bones will. Deep knowing is there if you take a quiet moment to listen for it. After all this IS a cups card, associated with water, intuition, and deep knowing.
2018 was weird.
That doesn’t mean 2019 can’t be transformed into something better.
Wishing you wonderful transformations and a happy new year!
“Home is but within my skin
Heart and mind a vast domain”
from Triquetra: The Dance of Worlds
(copyright Ronda Snow, all rights reserved)
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.
Have been working on a new item for the shop. Anyone have any interest in pink “pussyhats” for women’s march 2019 (I’ve heard rumors it’s on, but no details yet. If any of you are interested, I’ll put a made to order item in the shop…if I can find any pink yarn that is. If you are interested, send an email, and I’ll get back to you with details.
This is one of the cards where The Heart of Stars is a tiny bit of a challenge. I’ve never seen Mama Mia. I’ve seen Meryl Streep in other movies, and she is an excellent actress, but Mama Mia isn’t to my taste. Abba made me run in the opposite direction even way back in the day when they were popular the first time. Not a fan
I hadn’t really contemplated what to do if the cards turned out to have a pop culture reference that escapes me. Not that I’m any paragon of cool, but I watch waaayyyyy too much TV and have seen an ad or a preview of a lot of things, even the dreaded chick flick. As a general principle, pop culture references have yet to let me down.
As I understand it, this movie was about a single mother / daughter relationship, a failed marriage, water, sailboats and urgh….ABBA. So you have in general a relationship, and the classic archetype of ‘mother’. I’m not hardwired for chick flicks so my favorite reference for this card is the way comedienne Judy Tunuta sometimes called herself the “Earth Mother Giver Goddess” Same thing I suppose, just more palatable. With those two references I get a dual track of meanings for this Empress card.
The strongest most dominant one is nurturing. The Empress is almost always depicted as pregnant. The life and fertility connotations are unmistakable. The Empress card affirms life…and it affirms nature. Our nature. Just as a mother loves her child no matter what, the nature of nurture is to accept and love as-is, no changes necessary, and to give what is needed, no matter what old expectations might have been. The Empress gives what is needed in accordance with the nature of the thing/person she is nurturing. Do you like girly movies and ABBA music…here you go. If you like comedy better…here you go. Stay up too late on a school night…..nope, but I know you are a night owl so we’ll cut you some slack on the weekends. Nature gives us what we need. We can grow by working with and abiding by our own deep nature.
The nature that is outside is a pretty good source of nurturing. No matter what you think of 1970s soft pop euro whatever music…hugging a tree or two, taking a walk outside, going out on the sidewalk and taking a breath…all of that is good too.
Nurture is giving what your own true nature needs to grow or heal or thrive.
Affirmation: My true nature is fine as it is, but if I choose, Nature will help me walk a better path.
I have to admit, I had to cheat a little for this one. I wasn’t exactly sure what reference the artist had in mind for the card. At first I thought it might be Sansa Stark, but that’s just me. Not that Game of Thrones isn’t a big thing at our house of anything. I admit it! I took a sneak peek at the e-book just to see who the character is.
It is Anne Hathaway as Fantine in Les Miserables. Which explains why I didn’t recognize it. I really liked the live version of Les Miserable that we saw quite a while ago, and never bothered to watch the movie. Although now, every time anyone mentions Les Miserable my first and only thought is the movie review from facebook or somewhere, where a guy describes the plot of in terms of the actors other roles. Something along the line of “Catwoman had a baby at Borat’s house and Wolverine sang his ass off”. Not instantly something I’d associate with the High Priestess, but that in itself is the nature of the High Priestess…the hidden sacred. Or in this case, the hidden sacred in the everyday, even when you put in numerous terms.
So what DOES the character Fantine tell us about the High Priestess and what does the High Priestess symbolize in general? Carl Jung’s anima (the feminine side of the collective unconscious) and the phrase “everywoman” comes to mind. The High Priestess is, after all, associated with the HIDDEN sacred truths….cosmic mysteries would BE mysteries if they were obvious. This feels a little more like the sacredness of everyone, everything, and everywhere. On the surface, within the culture of the time, Fantine was nothing lofty or cosmic. She was looked down upon by everyone but still touched the devine through love, motherhood, self-sacrifice and more.. She was the ‘everywoman’ sort of character, but she is still part of the cosmos. The cosmos is part of each of us because we are in and of the cosmos. That is the Priestess’ sacred secret.
Catwoman had a baby. That is miracle and mudane together.
Keywords: sacred, mystery, feminine, seeing what is hidden, seeing the sacred beneath the surface of the mundane
Advice: Look deeper. Look for the sacred. Look for the hidden and mysterious
Caution: Don’t treat your life like a pauper. You are sacred and your life deserves that respect no matter the circumstances
Validation: You have overcome the obvious and heard the truth behind the noise.
Affirmation: I see the sacred in all things, and through love can see the truth behind my circumstances.
I love that Mr. Pham chose Neo from the Matrix for the Magician. It’s a perfect choice, if you ask me. I’m looking forward to reading the ebook from the cards to see if my impressions are anywhere close to the artist’s thinking. (Thom Pham reads Tarot too. Based on his other writing, we have a lot of views in common on that front)
If you have read this blog (Tarotbytes) for a while, you know how much I like the Matrix. The name for this website (the old Modern Oracle site) and my [early] tarot work was in part inspired by The Oracle character. Especially the “there is no spoon” scene in the first Matrix movie. It its an elegant analogy for Tarot.
The Oracle sees options and possibilities, not predictions. That is the way it works out here in the real world too
That’s the connection to Tarot in general; shifts, options, the if-then cause-effect logic acknowledged by computer programmers and Buddhist philosophy alike. The movie connects to magic and manifestation through Neo and the spoon scene. Magic manifestation, steering life toward our desired path isn’t one big POOF (although that would be nice) it is really about nudging, working with energy flows to ride the currents to later results. It’s surfing, not motor boating. It isn’t a command, it is a conversation. You bend the rules you can, but work with the rules you can’t. Magic isn’t bending spoons….it is realizing there is no spoon and bending our expectations and actions instead.
Action is a part of it. Even in POOF fantasy magic, some action is taken. A spell must be cast, a potion brewed, or a wand waved. Subtle action is action just the same. There is a reason why they call it WORKING magic or CASTING a spell. The very fabric of language reflects the give-and-take, cause-and-effect nature of true magic.
Keywords: Magic, manifestation, shifts in perception,
Advice: Subtle changes now can lead to larger results later. Change your perceptions, change your world
Caution: Expectations kill magic. Magic is a process. Don’t get caught up in immediate results. Be willing to do your part.
Validation: You surf the currents of energy and insight well, and bend them to your will, your will to them.
Affirmation: The universe provides. I can call what I need into my life and do the work
Getting to know a new deck BEFORE you read the little white book is a real intuition building exercise. Trust what comes to you from your imagination and intuition. The “Heart of Stars” deck makes it easy. Combine what you know of the Tarot card, what you know of the TV or movie character, then add the pure intuitive mental images, sounds words and feelings that come directly to mind.*
THE FOOL
Key ideas: Dispelling anxiety with humor. Speaking truth through humor. Profound self confidence expressed as playfulness. “If you aren’t having fun, you aren’t doing it right”
*Want to learn more about connecting with your intuition and how to do daily meditation readings for yourself….even if you don’t have a Tarot deck at all? Order a copy of my how-to e-book “PeaceTarot” from TaoCraftTarot.shop
Sage Sips / TaoCraft Tarot 
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