
Tag: tarot reader
Ask Zombie Cat: Love Life

Q: Love Life
A: Yes? No? Maybe? Either? Both? I don’t know?
The funny thing about free Tarot questions. One of the best ways to get a good answer is to follow instructions and ask, well, an actual question. But as I read the sentence fragment, this came to mind, so let’s approach this as partly a topic (love life) and partly an open reading. Which gives us:

The Chariot (Attention)
Attention is sexy. We all love getting it. To spice up an existing relationship, or to attract a significant other, give a little attention too.
When life is busy, it is really easy to get stuck in our heads, thinking and paying attention to all the stuff we have to do. That goes double for lonely times. Being wrapped up in loneliness and being consumed with wanting a relationship is no way to find one, fix one, or keep one going. If you are not in a love relationship yet, practice on friends. That will give you social support and get your energy rolling in a positive direction until “the one” comes along. If you are in a relationship, take a minute and give the love of your life a precious gift…you, and your undivided attention.
Pay attention to them, care about them, their words, their feelings as if no one else on Earth even exists. When you get out of your own head, out of your worry, and pay attention to others, soon you might be paying that attention to someone special who pays it right back to you.
What to Expect From a Tarot Reading With Me
This is a new page on the website. Nothing puts folks at ease like knowing exactly what to expect. I expect to post this every now and then as new readers come along. If you have any questions about Tarot in general or my style of reading in particular, please don’t hesitate to contact me by email or use the Ask Zombie Cat contact form.
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Tarot readers are all different. This art and spirituality, not science or medicine. Just as there are different genres of music and movies, each Tarot reader has their own unique style and method of reading. Let me give you an overview of my creation, TaoCraft Tarot, in two parts: qualities and mechanics.
Qualities
- Guidance: I use my intuition to look at energy flows and to listen to [spirit, energy, spirit guides, guardian angels, our higher selves…whatever name you like to use] and translate that intuitive information into usable language for you.
- Inspiration: By focusing on creative problem solving rather than giving up to fate or destiny, these readings can inspire you to action or spark ideas of your own.
- Options: I do NOT predict the future. I do NOT tell you what will happen. These readings do NOT tell you what other people think, feel, or will do. This style of reading does NOT lock you down or give in to fate or destiny. I DO think in terms of energy flows and pathways most energetically open to you at the time of the reading. These readings are all about your choices. Your choices and actions are what creates your future. No reading can predict that. These readings can help you figure out what your choices are and what you want to do.
- Transparency: What you see is what you get. I give what I get from energy and spirit as I get it. It is up to you to decide what to do with that information. It is up to you to decide if it is “good news” or “bad news.” The same goes for the business end of things. All of my policies are clearly written on this website. By reading this and the disclaimers on EVERY page of the website, you’ll know EXACTLY what to expect from a session ahead of time. Nothing is hidden. Prices and policies are clearly written. Read on. Then any Tarot session with me can only meet or exceed your expectations because you will know exactly what to expect!
- Authenticity: My Tarot style is no drama and zero stage tricks. I give what I get from pure intuition, period. Authentic Tarot is closer to Bob Ross or the cookie-baking Oracle from The Matrix than Psychic Friends or a Vegas stage show.
Mechanics
- Introduction: We will talk about the questions or concerns that brought you to the reading. For distance readings this happens during the ordering process. You can use the comments to merchant or customize option to let me know your question, if you have one. Questions do not have to be detailed or specific. You can just give a general area of focus, like career, or relationships or what-have-you. It is perfectly fine to leave it open, with no specific question or topic at all. I just need to know that is what you want to do.
- Card Shuffle and Layout: I will either shuffle until it intuitively feels right (distance) or ask you how many times you want the deck shuffled (live) In live sessions I’ll often cut the cards, then you pick which part of the deck we work with. The cards are placed on the table face up in the pattern you ordered. In private sessions we will use the 7 card layout. Parties vary from 1 card meditations up to the 5 card layout depending on the size and type of party you schedule. In live sessions you’ll obviously be able to see your cards. In a distance reading, I take a photo of your unique layout and include that in the electronic document.
- General Pattern: We look at the cards as a whole picture. This can include things like number of major vs minor arcana cards, repeating numbers, where cards fall within the layout, or any purely intuitive impressions that may appear.
- Card by card: We talk about each card individually: its meaning, the meaning of its position within the layout, and the type of message it is giving (advice, caution, validation, thanks, etc.)
- Summary “psychic reading”: This puts all the cards back together as one summary. In this part we open up to any purely intuitive information that might come through whether it is directly related to your cards/concern/question or not. This is a chance to hear things that are needed, even if they are not requested or expected. Often this part includes colors, aromatherapy and crystal/gemstone suggestions.
- Sigil Element / Intuitive Doodles: In a live session, I take handwritten notes as we go along for you to take with you. If any mental images come up, I’ll draw shapes to help show you what I’m seeing in my minds eye. If you like, you can use those shapes to create your own sigil…a symbol for the things you want to bring into your life. You can draw your symbol and carry it for luck or any number of things. To learn about Sigil making and other ways to create and use intuitive shapes & symbols, I suggest reading Sigil Witchery by Laura Zarkoff or The First Signs by Genevieve Von Petzinger. In a distance session, I’ll include one “sigil element” shape in the document you receive by e-mail. Sigil elements are not included in phone or video readings.
- Affirmation: We again summarize and focus the reading’s message for you in the form of a positive affirmation. This part isn’t always obvious. We won’t force it. I don’t want to leave on a contrived, or fake note. We’ll summarize in the most authentic, positive, forward-looking way possible in any reading format.
Sound good? Order your distance reading anytime, 24/7, no appointment needed at www.TaoCraftTarot.com or contact me (TaoCraftTarot@gmail.com) to schedule a Party / Individual session in the South Hills area of Pittsburgh, PA
Related: How do you know if a psychic is ethical? (from the Modern Oracle Tarobytes blog archives)
Five Card Tarot Reading
Q: Open reading, please!
A: Thank you for being so open about this. I’ve always gotten the best readings that way, and they feel like they have more energy behind them when giving them. It’s like letting a car roll a little instead of riding the brakes, if that makes any sense as an analogy. In answer to some of the “how does this work” questions I get every now and then, this is an example of how all my readings work, really. This is exactly what you get with an e-mail distance reading. Think of it as a written transcript of a video, phone or in-person session. It doesn’t matter to my intuition whether I give the information with my voice or with my fingers on a keyboard, it all comes out the same. But again, thank you. Let’s take a look at your cards. I shuffled 4 times, keeping my mind on “the highest and best for ****”. These are the cards that we got.

For *****
May 26, 2019
Your Cards Today Are:
- Lessons from the Past: Three of Pentacles (Coins)
- Current Situation: Death
- Moving Forward: Three of Cups (reversed)
- Advice / Choices: King of Wands (reversed)
- Alternative Path: The Emperor
General Pattern
Are you familiar with the Tarot deck? On part of the deck mirrors the modern game playing deck with aces, numbers, kings, queens etc. That is called the minor arcana and over time, as I read them, these card are more day to day guidance. There are 22 other cards, called Trump cards or the major arcana. These cards have more wattage behind them energy-wise, and they tend to have a bigger message, something that may ask you to take action or make a serious decision.
In your case you have two majors (Death and The Emperor) the rest are minor arcana. In a layout this small, that is enough of an edge that it gets my attention. This may be a cue that you are in a time of high energy (or stress). It doesn’t give a good sense whether this on the horizon or in progress (remember, Tarot never predicts the future….it helps navigate you to it and through it). If I were to take a guess, things have been busy and this may be a hint that you will have a lot of things on your plate for a little while longer. There is also a feeling that you might actually like it that way….as if you are much more stress tolerant than you give yourself credit for being. You might get bored or feel stagnant if there wasn’t some energy and change bubbling up every now and again.
Of your minor arcana cards, three of the possible four suits are showing. That balance among the suits also hints that if there is stress, in is on the second half and you are closer to return to normal than peak change. Or, if you aren’t feeling particularly stressed, this would underline tha notion that you are a person that is very tolerant of energy and change…a very good thing.
When three suits show, sometimes it helps to look at the one missing, too, in case it has a message and is being conspicuous in its abscence. You are missing swords… the element of air, with hints of action, society, relationship with authority. By not being here, I get a feeling that this isn’t a good energy time for action, certainly nothing rash or hurried. It feels more like “sit back and let things unfold. There is enough energy here, you won’t regret it”
Lessons from the Past
Three of Pentacles
Pentacles have to do with the element of earth, the physical realm, the practical nuts and bolts of living, oftern work or career. The three in particular has to do with projects and group efforts, even though in this deck the three shows only one person, seemingly putting in late hours. The phrase “extra effort award” comes to mind here. I can’t say it is definitely work or school related, but it sure feels like it. Something needing extra work is implicit, not explicit. There is a need for a self-starter, a need for you to take initiative somehow. The reason it comes through as lessons past, feels like this is a lesson you may have learned the hard way. There may of been times in the past (the ‘past’ in question here feels like high school, teen years, a time when everyone is learning these types of things) where there may have been times you did assignments only as asked, or done only the minumum (like every teenager ever) But now you are being asked to take your game up a level. Put in the extra effort…dig a few layers deeper into things before passing judgement, before coming to a conclusion or before turning a project in. Usually this position has a lot of validation flavor to it. This does vallidate past experiences …but as a comparison for now, a lesson in what THIS time doesn’t need. The past is a lesson what not to do this time…a strong sense of “look at here and now with fresh eyes, not old habits.”
Current Situation
Death
You KNOW the death card isn’t literal, right? It is about a big change, something that changes everything. I see it all the time at Bachlorette parties….that kind of life altering change. And it doesn’t have to be a negative change. It can be very much a change for the better. Off the cuff, I want to associate this with career change…as if the extra effort energy in the 3 of coins card can bring some change in responsibility at work, or some change in self-esteem or the amount that you enjoy your work. Not necessarily wads of cash, but some pleasant benefit or doorway of opportunity for the future. Outside of work, it feels like a subtle but building, important change. Here is where loads of validation comes in. Lots of little life lessons, lots of learning, paying attention, maturing, caring, paying forward…a zillion little things have accumulated to big change. I feel like this card is saying you are not the same person you used to be, and that you are to be commended for the changes you have made little by little over time. The change will last.
Moving Forward
Three of cups
When a card turns over upside down relative to the person doing the reading, it is called reveresed. Some readers will switch card meanings when that happens. I like to consider all the possible aspects of a card anyway. If it turns over reversed then I just think of it as hinting that idea, that area of life, has blocked or turbulent energy. It’s not different per se, just a little more difficult or challenging than it might otherwise be. Cups symbolize our closest relationships, often romances, but in this case it is about your close circle of friends. It has advice energy around it. The reversal makes me wonder if there has been some distance creeping in between you and your closest friends. It could be as simple as everyone being busy, but the feeling is such it makes me wonder about tensions or conflicts. The advice feels to heal…to patch up any little spats so you can all be there for each other. Not necessarily just like before, but there just the same. A more mature group as a whole, but still a group together. Very stage of life feeling, not dire or permanent feeling.
Advice/Choices
King of Wands
Wands are fire, Kings are leadership. It feels like your choice is ennui and ho-hum vs following your passions. I want to connect that feeling of following your passions to the extra work and extra effort idea from before. The inspiration and idea to take THAT initiative my come from your innate interest and passion for something. Follow your passions and take initiatives. I thing the reversal comes from a hesitation or lack of confidence more than being an indication of outdome. The more confident and self-starting, the more of a leader you are, the more you follow your passions the better. Don’t let your doubts hold you back. Think, yes. Make good rational decisions, yes. But don’t let unrealistic or unreasonalbe self-doubt hold you back either.
Alternative Path
The Emperor
Basically, this is give yourself credit. The feeling here is that the current path card moves toward the three of cups, with that card symbolizing private, not-work life. This path, or part of the path, feels work related. When the two cards line up side by side like that, or seem related somehow, I take that to mean that you are on a good path…this card isn’t so much offering a clear alternative as it is emphasizing the cards before, especially the leadership aspects of the 3 of pentacles and the king of wands. This card is less offering an alternative than it is highlighting the idea of taking initiative, digging deeper, and having the courage to follow your passions. The Emperor is often a protector. Protect your dreams. Protect your passions and goals.
Summary
This part always seems to start with a color or color and chakra reference. For you I get rainbow flourite, with lots of purple and green together. It may not be it’s best known property, but it feels like it will give you the mental focus and clarity to do the extra work, the deeper layers you may need to do at the same time helping you stay grounded and clear. Clarity, focus, that may clear the way for you to also find any courage you need later on.
I see pine trees.
Again the purple stone….could be amethyst too.
There the energy steps back. It feels like this part wants to be extra gentle for some reason, and is stepping back with little information given…but nothing is missing “What needs said has been given”
Here I add what I call the “sigil element” You can use it in making a sigil (power symbol) for yourself if you like, or you can write it down on paper and carry it for luck, or you can just think of it as a picture way to sum up your reading. In my mind’s eye, I see wavy lines for energy and movement. The emphasis on change, and the new way of doing things with more initiative reminds me of the greek letter delta which means change in math. Three triangle together show change and flow….change, change again, constant learning and growing

Affirmation: I have the courage and mental clarity to change when needed and to follow my passions.
And there you have it….a typical Five card reading. I hope it helps!
Today’s Tarot: Ten of Cups (17 may 19)

If you define happiness on your own terms, within yourself and not based on external circumstances, what is to stop you having happiness right here, right now, right this very second as you read this?
There are those with biological mood disorders where this kind of shift in perception, this kind of re-framing just doesn’t work. We must never stigmatize or minimize their experiences. At the same time, those of us more fortunate, how can we not look to genuine, internal, not-circumstance-dependent happiness when it is just a heartbeat away for us?
Today’s Tarot: Ace of Wands (16 May 2019)

Today’s Tarot: The Wheel

One Card Handwritten InkMagick Sigil Tarot Example
Welcome to the last one of these I’ll be doing in colored ink. From now on These will have a whiter background and black, more precise lines. I’ll post some of the shorter “Today’s Tarot” posts with the new app….but this will give you a better idea of how much more in depth a personalized one card reading is compared to a generic blog post.
It’s all magick now….except for Zombie Cat’s yes/no readings and seasonal / specials like the “Seasons of the Year” layout, all of my readings follow this basic format….your card, interpretation, intuitive symbol /doodle / sigil element and an affirmation that sums up the main advice of the reading. The structure is the same. The intuitive content is as good as ever, it is just a matter of polishing up how I get it to you. I’m still finding balance between the personal, personalized feel of handwriting and the professional look and legibility of an actual font. The best mix so far has been all handwriting for one-cards, type for the longer ones (now that I have a way to insert the hand drawn sigil part into a typewritten page. I’m sure there are technically easier ways to do this, but intuitive feel plays a part too. What do you think? Any thoughts about black vs color, handwriting vs print (I do like fun fonts. Architect’s Daughter is my favorite for readings – for no particular reason.



Happy Star Wars Day 2019

The Force, vital force, life energy, qi (chi), Tao, ki, prana, magick: so many words with such similar meanings. No wonder the Star Wars mythology us so beloved by so many.
“I am one with the Force. The Force is with me.”
– Chirrut Imwe (Donnie Yen) in Star Wars Rogue One
Today’s Tarot: Queen of Wands 2May2019

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