Take a deep breath and relax. Think about a question for the cards or think about your week ahead. Follow your first impulse and choose a card.
Restart the video to see your card and get the reading below:
The World (reversed)
I don’t always read a lot into reversed cards. If you think about it, it is right side up for someone sitting across from you. It’s a perspective thing. Reversed cards always ask for a little extra thought about context and perspective. Sometimes it can be a cue that a particular energy or topic or part of life is turbulent or blocked. Sometimes the context is this deck is printed on very glossy cardstock and chucks out reversals all of the time that don’t necessarily carry meaning.
In this case, the reversal is, intuitively, screaming for attention. It means something. The world is a major arcana card so it is a cue to high energies, key messages, possibly life lessons close around you.
The World is the final card in the major arcana suit. It has connections to completion, success, wholeness. It is also connected to connection…everything touches everything, and every part in a way contains the whole, touches the whole, hologram style. The card is pointing to this gestalt, holistic thinking today.
I’m not usually a heavy metal music fan, but thanks to family members I’ve heard some and “The Future is a Foreign Land” by Ghost, especially the part with the lyrics “when it all burns down.”
What do you do when your world has been turned inside out and upside down? What do you do when the person you thought was the one person who would be there for you when it all burns down is the one lighting the match?
Time may seem desperate, but when you get to the end of the major arcana then you go back to the Fool card and begin again, heartbreak and all.
Four of Cups
The pouring cup gets all of the attention here.
This is why I love the Alleyman’s Tarot deck. Sometimes it is profound. Sometimes it makes you feel “wut?”
That disconnected, ‘it’s just not resonating’ feeling is an element of the message today. The baseball imagery just isn’t getting it for me today…but that’s the message. It’s not about me.
And your concern may not be about you.
To be psychological about it, this is about intention and control. Despite our best intentions, we can’t control other people. You could pour a tanker truck of love and energy out but you can’t make someone feel any certain way. As the old proverb says: You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make them drink.
Cups cards are about emotions. Regardless of the response, to love is the victory. To love is the means and the ends and all that matters. Pour your cup of love, hopefully it will water the roots of a tree rather than wet the feet of a statue.
Thank you so much for watching and reading.
I wish you all a deep drink of love and wholeness.
See you at the next sip!
Deck: Alleyman’s Tarot by Seven Dane Asmund, used with permission, Publishing Goblin LLC
My Tarot ebooks are available in the Sage Sips / TaoCraft Tarot shop. Private readings are open, no appointment needed
Click HERE to purchase and download My Tarot Valentine
Email Tarot readings are my specialty. With 30 years of Tarot experience to each layout, I give you the exact same information as in a face to face reading. As a writer, I can give these readings vivid depth and detail. Excellent for book lovers or anyone wanting privacy and no appointment needed convenience.
The day job has been a tiny bit extra the past couple of weeks while I’ve been covering for some vacationing folks, so I’m going to give myself a little bit of a vacation too – spring break in Tarot land if you will.
Thought I’d dig out some oldies but goodies out of the archives for this week, and then get back to new readings next week.
In fact, I have an idea for a weekly “Choose Your Card” series. Internet posts live forever, and focusing on a “card of the day” or a “card of the week” can get a little timey-wimey if you stumble on the posts a while after they were published. I believe the right message for you will find you when you most need regardless of when it was written, but some might argue that old readings lose value as time moves on. So my idea is this: draw a card for a theme or choose a theme for the reading that isn’t related to time. That’s how Tarot works best in my experience. Tarot tends to be abstract and conceptual and comes from outside of physical space and human-defined time anyway. That’s why distance Tarot readings work so well. (I have a page available that explains the whole distance Tarot thing HERE)
But back to the idea for that “choose your card” series.
I thought it might be fun to go through the major arcana and have the ‘choose your card’ post give you a more personalized insight into that major arcana card and how it might relate to you right now.
What do you think? I’ll start that project next week. That will give you plenty of time to drop any ideas or suggestions in the comments or use the “ask me anything” button on the home page. I’m always happy to hear what kind of Tarot content you would like to see in the blog.
Meanwhile, if you use the search bar on the right of the page (laptop or PC) or scroll way down to the search bar on the mobile version, then you can search & browse the archives to your hearts content. The old posts are mostly tagged by card, but moving forward I plan to tag each post by card AND topic(s) for easier browsing moving forward.
For example if you search “romance” here is one of the posts that come up. It is from 2011 on my old Tarotbytes blog.
“A Romance Tarot Reading with the Magician and the Lovers Cards”
Q: I met a man who seemed to be all anyone could want…a little older, financially stable, professional, interested in me. But he could be pushy, too, and he pushed me to go on a vacation together, his treat. Turns out he is a horrible gambler. The whole trip was a disaster…shocking. I keep attracting men like this, and after this experience I wonder if I will ever have a good relationship. I had a career reading with you last year, and liked the way you look at things. Can you give any insight to the romance side of things?
A: I think you are right…this experience was shocking, but it got your attention. It helped you see a pattern, and to realize you want something different. As traumatizing as it was in the short term…in the big picture this may actually be a valuable experience.
There are two tarot cards that are exquisitely applicable to your situation: The Lovers and The Magician.
They are both major arcana cards…which speaks to the power and importance of the things your are thinking about.
The Lovers symbolizes desire, and The Magician represents transformation and manifestation.
Your experience with this man, and the way it felt inevitable, shows it is an important and powerful lesson: it shows you that what is deep down matters more than the initial outward appearance…and that the deep down important stuff is what matters to you. Now you know. This will give you a wonderful contrast…the shadow to show you what you want to bring to light.
You know, now, what you DON’T want to repeat…the next step is to define in your mind, very clearly, what you DO want in a relationship…what you do want in your relationships an in your life. The feeling I got reading the first part of your story is that your connection with this man grew out of expectations…your hope for a relationship and what other people define as a good prospect…stable, professional etc etc. That doesn’t, as we see here, necessarily bring the intangible, subtle good things, like respect, caring, compassion, empathy….all those things that are REALLY important.
When I was younger, I saw a psychic, also wondering if I would ever be with anyone. She gave me an exercise…I may have mentioned this last time…that proved to be pure gold. Even if you’ve done this before…try again, start the exercise over, using your new insights and perspectives gained from the trip to vegas…
Make a list of all the things you want in a partner. What kind of relationship do you want? Marriage? Companionship? List every detail, literally, on paper. LIst physical things, interests, personality traits…anything, everything. Don’t put negatives…don’t say “not a gambler” put “enjoys ___________” That part is very important…the energy of the “not” might actually draw the undesirable trait to you rather than block it. Always list ONLY the things you WANT in a positive way.
Then release the list. Put it away, or, if you are inclined to such things, burn it in a respectful ritual of some sort. Whenever you feel the impulse, send a thought to the universe. Pray it…however it feels most powerful to you….not the whole list, just the feeling of desire for “the best of the list” or “husband for the highest and best”…something like that. Send the cry from your heart to the heart of outer space…then let go and trust the universe to guide you to the right path.
There are no time limits. There may be more things to learn along the way…but if you ask for the path to the best, you will find that highest and best journey, no matter how long it takes to get to the destination.
Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed a deep dive into the old Tarotbytes archive. More archives are available on “Sages Other Words” where I occasionally put off -Topic posts. Feel free to browse there too.
And that summer schedule? There isn’t any. I’m still going full Taoist and just following where intuition and the natural flow of things lead.
Distance readings are still available to order anytime 24/7 – no appointment needed. I usually get the reading to your inbox within 24 hours. If not I’ll be in touch with a delivery time if it is a holiday or some such thing. Distance readings in this case means email and recorded video formats.
The pen and paper readings take a while longer to wind their way through traditional snail mail, but honestly I think they are worth it. Sallie Christensen, one of the most gifted psychics I’ve ever met was right- thoughts are powerful, the spoken word is more so – but the written word is the most powerful of all.
Love and Romance Tarot Layout at a special introductory price for Valentine’s day
Over the years, I’ve done one card love & romance themed Tarot readings in the blog. I’ve collected all of those in an eBook in the shop. You can read them for free if you are willing to rummage around in the archives.
It’s pretty clear that the one card reading in the blog idea has run its course.
This year I wrote the “My Tarot Valentine” romance reading layout, inspired by the poetry collection Triquetra: The Dance of Worlds. The collection has three sections, the reading has three cards with similar themes. The three cards in this reading are:
The Inner World: personal growth, your relationship with yourself
The Outer World: the big picture, your relationship with life in general
The Dance of Worlds: Close interpersonal relationships – romance, marriage, family, children (whatever is top of mind for you when you seek the reading)
These readings are intensely personal and not at all well suited to a collective energy reading. I cant ever really bring myself to try. The overall structure is the same as with ALL of my email and video readings. It starts with a photo of your real world card layout plus general impressions, then it goes card by card and wraps up with a “psychic summary.” The summary is an opportunity to put any purely intuitive impressions that might connect to the cards – or not. Sometimes there are aromatherapy or crystal impressions that come through…
For example right now I’m getting the impression of rose scent (ugh…not my favorite) and clear quartz points. Why clear quartz and not the usual lovey-dovey rose quartz? I dunno. Maybe someone needs to think about making a connection to their higher selves to get through a hallmark holiday that jabs at their loneliness, or to better speak their love language to those already in their life. That’s for you to say if and how that random tidbit resonates with you
Since this kind of reading simply doesn’t translate well into blog content, these special My Tarot Valentine layouts are $5 OFF compared to all the other three card readings. Please try one today. You can purchase anytime, no appointment needed. Please allow 2-3 business days for delivery.
This special introductory price and the My Tarot Valentine layout both end 29 February 2024
When you listen to spirit or read the universal life energy or whatever words you like to hang on this psychic intuition thing, sometimes you have to take it at its word. Even when that word is nope.
Listening to spirit/energy is the same basic process regardless of whether you are reading for one specific person or for a general, collective audience. Either way, you are basically just translating spirit-speak into people-words that your client can actually ponder and use.
When you are reading for an individual, and something feels off the mark, you can just say that. When you are working with just one person, you can start a conversation that will eventually sort out the right message. Even working by email where the conversation unfolds over time, you can suss things out sooner or later.
Working with a collective audience is a little trickier. When you get the sense that something is wrong that figure-things-out conversation isn’t available to you. Sometimes it’s a wonder if anyone leaves a comment or feedback when you ASK for it.
When you are writing for a wide audience, it takes greater faith in your own instincts than when reading for a single person. No matter what you say, no matter what message you get/give, in a large audience there will always be a subset of people who need the opposite. There will always be some people where your message is batted away with a big old NOPE. No matter what message you give there will be someone who needs to hear the opposite.
And that’s ok.
Psychics and Tarot bloggers can’t be all things to everyone. The only thing we can be is true to our own intuition.
My Tarot Valentine is a good example. Relationship advice through a card by card reading of the Wands suit isn’t a bad idea. No doubt somebody somewhere is interested in that kind of relationship advice.
Luckily, if you need love and soulmate advice, there are LOTS of Tarot readers in the world and somebody is out there giving just the message you need to hear. I have 1000% confidence that the right message will find you.
I am also confident that this isn’t my year to give it.
A larger part of the collective spirit / energy is connecting me to a different message. There are people out there who need other things just now.
I need to bail out of the Valentine’s Day thing at the collective level.
My Tarot Valentine is a series of blog posts with one card Tarot readings from the collective energy with a focus on love, romance and relationships. I’ve collected the old posts from my previous blogs (TaoCraft Tarot and Modern Oracle Tarot) into an ebook. This year I’m continuing the series with a look at finding your soulmates (twin flame, life partner – whatever term you like to use) all through the lens of the Tarot suit of wands.
Wands are symbolic of fire, philosophy, spirit, and your relationship with yourself.
What does ‘self’ have to do with romantic relationships?
Everything.
Like attracts like. Be the soulmate you want to have in your life.
For example the Three of Wands is about active preparation, optimism, looking forward to a bright future.
If you have found your soulmate, actively cherish them. DO thoughtful things, emphasis on the the thoughtful. In this respect, all of the card suits are engaged, no just the wands. Even if you’ve been together for decades, it’s ok to show your emotion (cups) with thoughtfulness (swords) in any tangible (pentacles) way that hints at the depth (wands) of your feeling.
If you don’t have a relationship like that in your life, and if you want one, then the idea of preparation for something that may or may not ever happen seems odd.
But, on the other hand, how can that special someone step in where there is no room.
If loneliness and searching for your soulmate fills your psyche, there is little room for an actual soulmate to come in. If you are filled with certainty that they exist, the same thing can happen.
Only an empty cup can be filled. Hold space in your life for love to come in. The walls of that room, the sides of that cup are constructed of you – you being happy and healthy and living the best life that you can. That’s the thing that creates the space. That is the thing that prepares the place in your life for soulmate to walk in.
My Tarot Valentine is a series of one card romance themed Tarot readings from the collective energy. Private readings are available through the link below
It’s easy to say the number two cards of the minor arcana are about balance. Pentacles talk about moving balance, swords about the known vs the unknown and so on. Beyond the easy to say idea of balance, the two cards hint at something more philosophical: duality.
To say “balance” is to imply that there are two or more things that need to be balanced. Even if you have just one plate spinning on just one stick in the circus act of life, you are still balancing the plate vs gravity vs angular momentum vs why are you doing a circus act in the first place…
The Two of Wands is particularly dialed into this aspect of balance. Where there is duality there is choice.
When it comes to relationships, choice isn’t control.
You have total agency over what you do and say and give and take from a relationship, but you have no say in your love interest’s response.
It is heartbreaking when their response is rejection.
Which shows how precious it is when the response is love in return
But whatever happens, the choice always returns to you. When you are given the precious thing, it is up to you to make choices that protect and nurture it. If you are given the heartbreaking thing, it is up to you to make the choices that help you heal. That includes the choice to reach out to other people in other ways and get help when it is needed.
Either way, our response is our choice and our responsibility. Like the two upright wands on the card, our choice is our portal. It our doorway to relationship, to the great privilege of loving and nurturing others but also to loving and nurturing our own path through life, whatever shape that takes.
The Two of Wands’ Tarot Valentine for you is simply this: choose love.
That doesn’t mean other people will choose to give it back to you. It does mean that you always have the option of giving love be it to another person or to healing your own life path.
It takes two to tango and two to make a romance happen but it only takes one person to choose love even when it is out of our control where that love lands.
Tarot is immensely valuable as a source of advice. It gives us good ideas about what we maybe should DO.
Tarot is equally valuable as a source of caution. It can give us good ideas about things we should NOT do.
It isn’t a matter of good vs bad. I’m talking about the descriptive quality of things, not our internal judgement about those things. Hot or cold, light or dark, attract or repulse, yin or yang, do or do not; any of it can be good or bad for an individual situation or reading.
Sometimes a good, old fashioned, terse, to the point, flat-out “nope” is the best answer you can get from a reading.
Friday’s blog post is a perfect example of how a resounding NOPE can lead to better things.
Friday’s post? You’re right. There wasn’t one.
I came rolling into the new year with the big idea of blogging Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with this, your friendly neighborhood weekend newsletter. I also came rolling in full well knowing that part time, creative and intuition driven ventures never go to plan. (Ducks? Rows? Nope. Squirrel Rave? Wouldn’t have it any other way.
This is the week when our block was getting line replacements and upgrades. I’m very OK with that because I personally am a huge fan of safe, clean water and functional indoor plumbing.
I’m equally good with shelving the post for the day when the jackhammers and trench diggers were bringing concentration and focus to a halt. Writing that day was a big nope.
Thus we were back to my second favorite internet meme
Interestingly enough, the post was about a three card yes/no reading with a big old nope for the answer.
We can talk about how to do a yes/no reading and the Zombie Cat alter ego persona thing on another day. I do yes/no readings for kicks and giggles mostly, but they always have a useful thread of real insight buried int them, too. They can be helpful in nudging things one way or another when you really can’t make up your mind about something. Really big, important life decisions are better served by a more traditional layout style, but this layout is for small but not ignore-able decisions. These readings really are like Two-Face’s coin toss in Batman or that famous pool ball toy.
click cover to order
My question was about should I do a “My Tarot Valentine” series this year, like the readings from past years that I have collected into an eBook by the same name. On one hand, I really am not feeling it this year. On the other hand, romance readings are fairly popular and top of mind around Valentine’s Day. and the whole point of doing all of this is to help people sort things out. (“Tarot doesn’t tell you what is going to happen in life, Tarot helps you figure out what to do when life happens”)
Long story short, the answer is no.
I don’t stop there with my yes or no readings. I look at what message beyond yes or no that the cards used to determine the answer may have to offer. In this case, The Sun, the six of wands, and the ace of pentacles. I’ll spare you the behind the scenes thought process, but I distill the message down to “do what makes you feel the most at peace with the topic an happiness and income will follow in time.”
The really cool/weird thing is that these two NOPEs conspired to spark a brainwave. If it weren’t for the coincidental nope to writing on Friday, I would have posted as scheduled and set it aside as done rather than have another two days to ponder the whole thing. If the cards had been a yes instead of a no, I wouldn’t be writing about this whole process at all and instead would be trying to drum up a new “My Tarot Valentine Series.
As is often the case with this kind of work, synchronicity conspired to spark an idea, one I hope will allow Tarot to be helpful to somebody, somewhere.
I’m doing “My Tarot Valentine” – but not in the usual romance focused pink hearts and roses sort of way. Oh no. You aren’t getting off that easy if you you dare read this year.
This year you will be asked to throw some love at your mirror. This year the romance will rebound. This year we are going to do a study in the suit of wands – your relationship with yourself. If you can’t be happy in a relationship with yourself alone, how can you hope to be happy in a relationship with someone else?
Don’t get me wrong. Love, romance, marriage, partnerships are all vitally important. Especially if you’ve found that person that fits you like air fits your lungs. But for those who want that, but haven’t discovered it yet, the hallmark holiday can be, let’s just say, annoying.
Wands are our inner passions Wands are our inner fire. Maybe their light can show us all a good way to go this February.
Sage Sips / TaoCraft Tarot 
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