sage sips – Page 5 – Sage Sips / TaoCraft Tarot

The Devil’s in More Than the Details

The Devil isn’t just in the details…it’s all over the darn place.

Life isn’t always pretty, so Tarot isn’t always pretty. Sometimes the best thing a reading can do for us is break through walls of denial, yank the rose colored glasses off of our faces and set some jade ones into their place.

The Devil card from the major arcana is the ultimate card for that aspect of Tarot. It’s up in your face with cold, harsh reality -usually just when you need it most. It isn’t a call to fear. It is a call to courage.

There are reasons why positivity can go toxic. If there is nothing but light you are just as blinded as you are in pitch dark. It takes both light and shadow to see.

The Devil card’s reminder of the dark side can vary anywhere from the common sense to the dire and dramatic. The purpose isn’t to scare you – the purpose is to put you on an appropriate level of guard. Have batteries in the flashlight when a storm is forecast. Park in well lit areas and have your keys ready as you go to your car. Have the hard conversation with your significant other. Admit people you care about have the capacity to make bad political choices – and sometimes do.

There are gnarly things out there in the world. The Devil card reminds us that there are people out there who really don’t have your best interest at heart and this might be a good moment to take stock, face facts, and be safe.

Week Ahead Tarot: Teams and Dreams

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Hello and happy almost September! I’m loving the cooler weather we’ve had this week! In honor of not feeling like we’re trudging through a flaming planetary death hellscape, back to roughly normal posting.

Today is a choose your own card Tarot for the week ahead. Pause the video if you want more time to think. Choose the card that feels right to you and tah-DA! You just got a free Tarot reading. It doesn’t matter if you choose before or after you see the cards and meanings. It is still intuitive discernment. It is your own good intuition deciding if one card, the other card, neither one or both are right for you.

ACE OF PENTACLES: Rest easy. Enjoy the simple pleasures that are already at hand. Contentment is a great treasure. Give yourself the freedom to dream a little while enjoying everything just exactly the way it is right now. If everything seems dark or dreadful, open your perspective. You might be missing something and focusing on one thing too much.

THREE OF PENTACLES: You got this. You are strong and capable, but you still don’t have to do everything alone. Enjoy being a strong, happy part of the team. It doesn’t mean you are weak. It might just mean you are the leader.

Fall Schedule

As always, there is none. Family first, always. When and what gets posted depends on the IRL day job. Here is the plan that fully expect to go off the rails:

Sage Sips Blog

Always free to read! No paywall!
Sunday/Monday: Week ahead interactive choose your own card readings
Wednesday: Action Eases Anxiety readings
Thursday/Friday: Weekend Oracle
Random behind the scenes and Q&A

Private Tarot Readings

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Memberships on Ko-fi

Sage Sips membership $5/month: One free Tarot reading by email each calendar month at your request – choose your layout (five card, year ahead, three card taijitu, three card yes-or-no, one card meditation)
Sage Answers $3/month: One free yes-or-no Tarot reading by email at your request.
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Both tiers get random special offers and exclusive content.
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Thanks for reading! See you at the next sip!

Vestigial but Valuable

I follow a fair few Tarot readers on social media. @MadamAdam is a favorite. He posted the other day about those who accuse online psychics of being unethical or a scams after he had spent five or so years building a brand and business with ethics and authenticity.

Preach.

Of course my first response was to go grumpy granny bat and think about the 30 years I’ve spent working with spirituality, intuition development and card readings including the past 20 + years of brand and business building. Being thought of as a scam after pouring every ounce of professionalism you got into a being of service while getting a little fair compensation, all above board and tax paid….it’s enough to put a twist in any professional reader’s knickers.

I may have lost a great deal in the fame and fortune department by doing things with ethics and authenticity, but I can go on with life knowing that I did it right. A life of authenticity is a treasure all its own. I worked every moment above board, with ethics and transparency. Now that TaoCraft Tarot and Sage Sips is a blog supported by my labors of love and readers like you instead of being a full-on Tarot reading business, it seems a little silly to have such a detailed policy page.

It may be vestigial, but it is still valuable.

Ethics and authenticity aren’t selling points. They are character traits. They are how you do business, perhaps, but also how you live your life – if your authenticity is, um, authentic.

So here is my policy page, almost exactly as it has always been. Authenticity and ethical behavior doesn’t stop just because you stop answering the phone for in-person gigs and shift your focus to email readings.

At least this way you know that the readings you get with me are STILL highest quality, ethical, and above all authentic.

P.S. – the readings are fun and helpful too. Order yours HERE.

Must be 18 or over to purchase private readings

WHAT I DO

My Tarot readings are customized, ephemeral folk art consisting of a photo of your unique, real world tarot card layout followed by a written discussion of the cards and a purely intuitive summary of the reading.
Readings are delivered as a .pdf or . docx electronic document in an email attachment
The Sage Sips blog, Ebooks by Sage Snow and all associated social media are intended for artistry, inspiration, personal enrichment and entertainment only. They do not predict the future.
The proceeds from readings, memberships, and virtual coffee gifts on ko-fi all go toward the cost to create and web host Sage Sips blog and the TaoCraftTarot.com website.

WHAT I DO NOT DO

I do not predict the future,
I do not accept medical, legal or pregnancy questions.
I do not read anyone without their knowledge and direct consent. This means I don’t read for you without your request first and I don’t read about anyone other than the person getting the reading.
I NEVER approach you individually to offer a reading. If that happens, please report the impostor.
The information and services on this website and in my writings do not diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any illness. They do NOT replace professional medical care, mental health care or qualified professional advice in any way.
No free or sample readings
I do not accept any liability of any kind. Use these artistic services or the information contained therein 100% at your own risk.
Beginning January 2025 the business portion of this website that offered phone, online, party and in person Tarot readings has closed.

DISCLAIMER, REFUNDS, EXCHANGES

Tarot is highly customized ephemeral art, so no refunds, exchanges or replacement are available.
Contacting me or making a a ko-fi purchase indicates your agreement with all policies and disclaimers.
Again, use at your own risk. No liability of any kind is implied or accepted.

PRIVACY

Your privacy is a top priority. In order to create and customize your reading, I collect basic contact information including but not limited to name, age, email, reading topic or question, etc. No information is shared except with your permission or in cooperation with legal authority.
Example readings or Q&A readings in the blog are used with the questioners knowledge and consent and with all names, dates or other identifying information removed.
For accuracy, the above basic contact information is re-collected with each new purchase or membership reading request.
Each reading is customized, ephemeral art. A reading’s relevance decreases as time passes. Readings and contact information are routinely deleted.

PAYMENT

PayPal via ko-fi checkout is accepted.

DELIVERY TIME

Each reading is unique and made to order. Please allow 3 to 5 business days for delivery.
Please expect longer delivery times when the order is placed nights, weekends or holidays US eastern time.

Copyright Notice

All written material copyright Sage Snow, all rights reserved.
eBook cover artwork as per front matter attributions, all rights reserved.
Free Blog posts may be shared or quoted under an attribution, share-alike, non-commercial, no derivatives Creative Commons 4.0 international license.
E-mail readings include photos by the author of the client’s individual card layout. The Tarot Waite Smith 1909 card images are public domain. Heart of Stars Tarot 3rd edition used with the direct permission of artist and author, Thom Pham. Animal Wise Tarot used with the permission of DragonHawk Publishing. Alleyman’s Tarot used with permission of Seven Dane Asmund and Publishing Goblin LLC. Other decks are used with publisher’s permission as indicated.
All readings are done by a human being with 30+ years of Tarot experience. No AI tools are used in these readings.

Social Media and Blog Policies

I reserve the right to block any commenter for any reason at my sole discretion
Your support on ko-fi for these free blog readings is greatly appreciated.
Blog comments are moderated, no spam or comments containing multiple links are permitted.

reviewed and updated August 2025

Blah induced glow up

I don’t know if I’ve done one of these tidy-up-the-website things since I’ve been on Bluesky or not. If not, Bluesky – let me introduce myself.

If you are not new to Sage Sips blog, then thank you for putting up with yet another one of these. I’ll admit – I’ve followed that “reintroduce yourself for new followers” advice a little too enthusiastically some years. Equally important, I’m grateful to everyone who has read Sage Sips for a while or follows on any of the socials. That goes double for those of you who get private readings with me. I truly appreciate you. If these posts and readings are any little help at all, it’s worth it to keep things fresh around here for you.

The differences aren’t big, nothing that major has happened since the big re-brand in 2018, but a little infusion of energy and attention still helps every now and again. If Halloween is ‘witch’s new year’ consider this the pre-new-year housecleaning in my little corner of cyberspace.

I’m in late August BLAH mode anyway, so it’s a good time to take a week off from the usual readings and recharge a little.

But back to the re-introduce yourself thing. I always feel weird and awkward about the background and bio part. I’d much rather talk about Tarot behind the scenes or do readings or teach Tarot how-to. But still, a refreshed bio is probably for the best so you can know what kind of internet rando you are reading.

Here is the same old bio, edited down a little bit:

Private email Tarot readings, memberships, virtual coffee and shop purchases all support this no-paywall blog

Hi! I’m Sage.

I’m the author of Sage Sips blog, PeaceTarot and free ebook TaoCraft Portfolio

I’ve been reading Tarot cards since around 1992 which adds up to 30 years of experience with intuitive work and intuition development (!)

I didn’t originally start out to be a professional Tarot reader (who does?) At first I did readings for friends (why PAY for it when you can DIY it?) A close friend suggested I go online with my readings (forever grateful!) I’ve given psychic Tarot readings through Keen, Advice Trader and AllExperts. After doing literally hundreds of online readings (I stopped counting at 500) I opened my own Tarot practice with ModernOracleTarot.com, the Tarotbytes blog and the now-defunct Quirk & Flotsam shop on Etsy. In 2018 I re-branded everything as TaoCraft Tarot featuring the Sage Sips blog. In 2025, life happened, and my Tarot work circled back to the beginning as a hobby with this blog (and the private email Tarot readings that help support the cost to create the blog and host a half decent website.)

The TaoCraft name is drawn from my love of Taoist philosophy. My work will always be guided by the principles of simplicity, authenticity, and kindness. The name is also a nod to both magickal craft and and regular crafting including one of my favorite hobbies, knitting.

My pen name, Sage, is inspired by both aromatherapy and the wisdom of Taoism and Tarot.

The herb sage has a comforting, familiar scent and flavor that most of us know from breakfast sausage and holiday turkeys. In aromatherapy, Sage incense and essential oil can support a calm, optimistic mood. Most of all, the word sage means something or someone who is wise. Tarot and Taoism both give us very sage advice.

Comfort, calmness, wisdom and a feeling that things are going to be alright are all qualities that I hope you’ll experience when you read the blog or read your personalized Tarot email.

I’m Sage Sips on Substack and Sage.Sips on all of the usual socials. I mostly interact with BlueSky and Threads, so drop by and say hello.

Email readings are always available 24/7, no appointment needed! Click HERE to order anytime. Email readings have always been my specialty, and my favorite to do. You can trust the process because they are pure intuition and spirit- there is no way for me to read body language cues or ask leading questions.

Thanks for reading. I always appreciate your time and attention along with any likes, follows, shares or kind comments that you can spare. I wish you all well. See you at the next sip!

The Dregs of Summer

It’s August

Late August

I don’t like summer, especially the ass-end of it when my patience with blazing sun, heat and humidity is long gone. There is always a little bit of an energy shift when dog days end, even more so around the 21st when we are closer to the end of the season. It is the glimpse of cool darkness at the end of a blazing white hot tunnel if you’ll pardon the color-flipped metaphor.

Maximum yang, like peak summer heat, demands a healthy dose of yin in response. All this summering asks for some resting. Rest doesn’t have to be a full on vacation or a power nap (although a power nap is ALWAYS a good thing when you can manage it.) Sometimes it is just a matter of cutting yourself a little bit of slack. Take your foot off the gas on the downhill, if that makes any sense of it.

That’s what I’m doing for a few weeks. I’m retreating to my cyberspace comfort zone instead of taking the usual full break from the Internet. My basic plan is to drag some stuff out of the archives to post and do a basic re-set here on the blogs and newsletter. It’s time to collect myself and get ready for fall, that most wonderful time of the year.

Happy Pumpkin Spice Everything to those who celebrate!

PS – Private readings by email are ALWAYS OPEN, sabbatical, real holiday, fake pumpkin spice holiday or otherwise! Order your private email Tarot reading 24/7, no appointment needed HERE

Week Ahead Tarot: Guard and Listen

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Pause the video if you need time to think, but there is no wrong choice. Even if you choose after the reveal, or after reading both interpretations, or choose both or reject both – it is still your own good intuition that leads the way.

Hierophant: You are connected to the universe in whole. Inspiration comes to you from this greater source. Listen for spirit guidance.

Four of Pentacles: Be on guard. Protect what you have and watch for opportunity. “A bird in hand in worth two in a bush” as the adage goes

Yoink, Yeet, Calm

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Sage Sips is Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip your coffee in the form of a free, no ads, no paywall Tarot blog supported by readers like you on ko-fi.com. Private reading orders are open 24/7, no appointment needed.

A friend gifted me with the Kawaii Tarot, so I’ve been getting to know it. It has a succinct, pithy quality as Zen, peaceful and minimalist as the illustration. The guidebook is clear and simple too – great for a beginning Tarot reader, but feels a little lightweight for more practiced clairvoyants. I’ve only started exploring it, so time will tell.

In any case it seems to be oddly in your face and to the point for something with such cutesy pictures. It shares a vibe with my Lenormand Tarot deck in that respect.

In any case, that Zen-ness inspired the idea to do a Taijitu layout with them. The taijitu layout was inspired by the yin/yang symbol (the taijitu) combined with a three card pathway Tarot spread. The right side card is “yin” – energies that are moving inward or being drawn toward you. It’s the things you are yoinking into your life path right now. The middle card is yang, the energies moving outward, the image you are projecting or things you are (or maybe should be) yeeting off your path. The left card is balance…advice to move forward while creating and keeping your calm.

This deck throws down one word per card. I’ll try to put it into some nuanced context – but whatever YOUR reflex response to the word might be – use that. That individual reflex will take this from the realm of a collective energy reading into something much more personalized.

Yin – Five of Swords – “battle” It doesn’t feel like current conflict, but rather a risk of setting yourself up for conflict. We are at the end of a gently closing time that was potent for manifestation. This card is a caution to take care of the seeds you sow, take care to lay a good foundation. Don’t be combative, but actively prepare for defense or any battle that is unavoidably brought to you.

Yang – page of cups – “introspection” Don’t let the peaceful demeanor you give off be mistaken for being a doormat. Dream, but also do.

Balance – Justice – “fairness” As you balance defense and dreaming, planning and actions, be sure to be fair. Get the whole story. Be fair to others, but fair to yourself as well.

Stay tuned for more getting to know you readings with the Kawaii deck. Next up: week ahead tarot tomorrow or Monday afternoon.

Weekend Oracle: Connected

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Witches Archetype Oracle deck by “The Pretty Cult” used with permission

I stumbled across this deck last October at the Oddities Expo in Pittsburgh. I immediately wanted to use it for Weekend Oracle posts It took a little while for the email conversation to get permission to use it, then life happened and here we are.

This isn’t so much an unboxing, or review or how to, or getting to know the deck like we’ve done in the past. In working with it for a little while now, I haven’t found it to be a particularly helpful deck. It doesn’t give the kind of guidance that most people expect from Tarot or Oracle reading. The intuitive prompting is a bit dilute and it gives no sense of current energies. If anything, it made me appreciate the Alleyman’s Tarot deck’s genius all over again.

It took me a while to figure out that this deck’s real strength.

It doesn’t have much to do with witches or oracles at all really. Metaphorically speaking it’s more like a guide about how to find a flashlight at night during a blackout. It feels like a guide to other sources of strength and inspiration rather than being a direct source of inspiration itself.

It isn’t about the energy environment. It isn’t about advice about what to do. It isn’t about cautions about what to avoid. It isn’t about guidance for making choices.

It is about the most accessible source or type of helping energy to DO what you want AFTER you’ve made your choice. This is about what fuel to put in the car, not about which way to steer.

To put it in GPS terms, this is the ‘find the nearest gas station’ function not the trip directions or traffic conditions.

Today’s card is the “Cosmic Witch.” I’m reminded of the idea of when we are alone we are most reminded we are connected to and a part or the cosmos – the absolute totality of everything in both time and space. Carl Sagan described the cosmos as “all that is or ever was or ever will be.” You exist in this moment so you are now and forever a part of of the cosmos. It is impossible to be lonely in that kind of company

On a simpler level, if astrology resonates with you, that is a excellent guide and a strong influence for you this weekend.

Thanks for reading! Next up: Week Ahead Tarot, coming up either Sunday or Monday afternoon. See you at the next sip!

Action Eases Anxiety: The More You Know

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The times are vibing with the Lenormand Deck, which inspired this two card layout in the first place. My experience with Lenomand resonated with a conversation I heard on “The Circle is Pod Cast” with Matt Auryn and Rachel True. Lenormand really is concise, direct, and often very sentence-like . That in turned this short subject/verb, what it is/what to do format.

What it is: CROSS. The liminal portal-like energy from last week continues. Think of this in religious terms if you must, but this energy is like crossROADS more than connected to any one religious viewpoint. This is a time of choices. Progress demands it. Linger here and become stuck, or choose well to manifest your next path for the highest good. This is a potent time. Use it well to set intentions, plant seeds, lay foundations.

What to do: Book Symbolic of both sacred mystery and deep learning, this is a reminder that learning isn’t always about logic and knowledge. Wisdom asks to be learned as well. Learn the way of your chosen spiritual path by reading, listening, finding a mentor. King of cups Tarot card comes to mind. Spirit guide energy is nearby to help, but you must still do the work and learn to find the best way for you as an individual to be a part of this energy and flow with this powerful time.

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

Week Ahead Tarot: Cleverness and Trust

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THE SNAKE: Stay quiet and camouflaged, use logic and observation to learn who you can trust – or not.

THE DOG: Someone trustworthy is near. Find them, and be as good of a friend to them as they are to you. The sum will be greater than the parts for all concerned.

If your individual intuition is the engine that drives a Tarot reading, symbolism is the steering wheel.

Like a car in Pennsylvania during pothole season, it’s very easy for that steering to get out of alignment. Symbolism is very influenced by culture and time and has to be kept in context. It has to be in alignment with the reader and the sitter and the intuitive vibe of the reading.

Take the color black, for example.

For some, black is seen as aligned with “evil.” In western traditions black has been associated with death, funerals and mourning, but also with evening elegance and fashion, men’s tuxedos for example.

In Japan, novice monks and many lay people wear black as a symbol of their dedication to practice and as a symbol of community.

The symbolism for snakes is just as varied. Sometimes they are seen as symbolizing lies or deception as in the Christian garden of Eden myth or someone being a “snake in the grass” in an old western movie.

In Chinese cultures, snakes are associated with wisdom, intelligence, charm and grace. In many places they are connected to personal growth and transformation through their ability to shed their old skin as they grow.

Dogs on the other hand, are all just good bois and gurls. How an individual person treat dogs and other small animal is the tell here more than any broad cultural reference. If a dog likes you, you must be OK. If you like dogs, there must be some kindness in your heart. Dogs symbolize great loyalty and deep friendship almost everywhere. Only after they have been through horrors do they devolve into aggression and threat.

If you chose the snake card, beware deception – use observation, cleverness and intellect to understand who to trust. Take inspiration for the snake to adapt and transform yourself.

If you chose the dog card, know others by their proven trustworthiness and kindness. Be a friend, find a friend, hold on to your friends.