Tarot inspired haiku for National Poetry Writing Month continues through April 30, 2025
The shackles we choose
Even those called religion
Devils in disguise
Sage Snow
Private Tarot readings by email: $15 & $30. Includes photo of your real world card layout. No appointment needed. Most delivered within 12-24 hours of order. Affordable, private, identical information to a live session.
Membership: $5 monthly. One full five-card Tarot reading upon your request each month ($30 for non-members) plus exclusive content on ko-fi member’s blog
Sage Sips is Tarot in the time it takes to sip your coffee
Due to a situation beyond my control (don’t ask) Elf-con is cancelled this year. This is going to be the lowest energy, lowest expectation holiday season I’ve ever experienced. Like Chinese take-out on Christmas day levels of non-celebration.
SO…
I have oodles of time to do readings. I’ll be open for readings throughout the holiday season.
Are you at Elfcon 1? Ready to take a moment for yourself? Ready to take a deep breath, relax and spend a few minutes with something that was created 100% just for you?
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.
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.
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.
The music you hear is Dimension by Pittsburgh band Dinosoul, all rights reserved. It’s used here with their written permission.
Thanks again, and I’ll see you next time in the Clairvoyants Confessional.
Sage Sips / TaoCraft Tarot 
You must be logged in to post a comment.