Tag: warrior

Odin’s Day Oracle

Oracle Card for Wodensday

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This post is inspired by three of my many favorite things: Alliteration, the Alleyman’s Tarot Deck and the book American Gods by Neil Gaimon

In the book, “Mr. Wednesday” is, or at least is a reference to, Odin (also spelled Woden) for whom Wednesday is named. If I’m not posting some sort of “learn with me” post on Wednesdays, I thought it might be a good time to look at oracle cards (which you read the exact same way as you read RWS Tarot or any cards) or other oracle / guidance tool like pendulums or charm casting, or I Ching or bibliomancy or any of the other untold number of such techniques. In other words, Wednesdays and Fridays are pretty wide open. Mondays are earmarked for the energy week ahead readings. Thor…Thursdays get the newsletter. If weekends get any blogging at all, it will be over on Sage’s Other Words on who-knows-what topic.

Seriously, it could be anything. I hope you’ll follow both blogs, but I’m always grateful for anything you read here or there. I’m also grateful for any likes or shares you can spare. Nothing I do online is monetized and all of this free content depends on your private reading orders, memberships and virtual coffees over on Ko-fi.

Now, back to the card with the name I have no earthly idea how to pronounce. I’m going with the name in the guide book “King of Flint.”

When I saw the art by Chicome Itzcuintli Amatlapantli. My impression was immediately “The Power of Myth” … also a favorite book.

The primary influence for the image is clearly mesoamerican, but also feels like it has elements of a Medieval knight in armour and a classic Samurai. Warriors are warriors I suppose.

The energy I’m getting feels disconnected from the meanings described in the guidebook about winter, snow, justice, judgement, swift and emotionless execution. In addition to being an amalgam of cultures, the card feels like an amalgam of Judgement, Justice, plus the King and Queen of Swords from the classic Tarot deck.

The energy I sense is more like a Shaolin Monk. Combat-able, certainly but guided by something much more spiritual and abstract.

And I do mean spiritual, not…not…never…in no respect, religious. This is not about that faith without works trope because faith is the farthest thing in the world from this energy. This is in no way about “faith” in anything that originated externally.

This is about a deep and abiding trust in one’s internal spiritual and philosophical compass. This is about trusting your inner knowing and claiming your power in a big way without emotion getting too much in the way.

The myth, the outer cues are inspiration.

The power, however, is in your hands.

Myth has power because it can inspire action.

Warriors act, but they act wisely and with a great deal of self control.

“A [warrior] fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him” – G.K. Chesterson

Alleyman’s Tarot Deck by Seven Dane Asmund used with permission, Publishing Goblin LLC

Tools of the Inner Trade

TaoCraft Short Sip is Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip your coffee. Today: the page of wands and learning along the spiritual path.

Hello and welcome to TaoCraft Tarot blog and podcast. I’m glad you are here.

I’m a big fan of freethinking. I recommend it. Free your mind, question everything and all of that. Those of you who know my background know that I’m a downright expert at parachuting out of organized dogma.

On the other hand, repetition and tradition can be deeply comforting, especially in times where it feels like the world is on fire and evil is winning. For some reason this reminds me of a quote from G.K Chesterton that I found browsing brainyquote.com once. Paraphrasing quote “A warrior fights not because he hates what is before him, but because he loves what is behind him.” End quote.

Forgive me if this is all a little circular and confusing. The energy is like that some days. Sometimes it is blunt, short and to the point like a frying pan in the face. Other times it is like a connect-the-dots puzzle or a Rube Goldberg machine. Today, instead of getting to the point, the energy is circling around and nabbing it from behind.

Page cards are connected with learning. They are the first step in training to be a knight. Historically, they were young boys which brings to mind brightness, curiosity, high energy and unbridled enthusiasm. Wands are associated with fire, passions, the inner world. Today it is particularly pointing toward our inner spiritual path. Part of the circling around to the point is to think about our chosen spiritual rituals and traditions. What is it that we turn to in times of emotional crisis? What is our go-to rock and foundation….it’s almost like the page is waving hello to the Hope card and the “Anchor Rock” post as it circles around to today’s point, if there is one.

The Pew Foundation does scientific, unbiased, highly reliable surveys. Their work on the religious landscape in America is interesting to say the least. It turns out that agnostics and atheists know quite a lot about religion in general compared to most other American adults. You can read more for yourself on the Pew Foundation website HERE. This takes a step closer to today’s message.

The next step after that is the famous Socrates quote “know thyself.”

Here is where we jump the card’s message from behind and wrestle it to the ground.

The Page of Wands asks us to know the tools of our chosen spiritual path.

I’m not talking about religious indoctrination or dogma. I’m allergic to that stuff. You will never hear any of that here.

I’m talking about the rituals and symbols and acts of your personal chosen spiritual path whatever that may be. This is talking about the ideas and philosophies that feed your soul, soothes your heart, lifts you up and makes you happy. If your religion does that for you, cool. This energy is talking about spirituality, which is a very different thing. Sometimes spiritual paths are shored up by ritual and tradition, too. The page is asking us to know our motives and symbolism and rituals and habits along our spiritual path. We are being asked to know the difference between the outward social trappings of religion and the physical realm expressions of our personal inner world. The page of wands is asking us to intellectually know our spirituality in addition to deeply and mindfully experiencing it.

When you are finding your own way in or if you are eclectic and solitary by nature, it is easy to reject tradition as stifling or constricting. The page reminds us to know before we throw so to speak. Knowing something well makes it all the more fulfilling when it is right for you. By the same token, you have to know something to some degree before you can rightly reject it.

Thank you for reading and listening. As the squirrels are raving at the moment, this should be the last late night post for a while. We should be back to posting late morning U.S. eastern time most weekdays. For the moment, anyway.

This blog and podcast are not monetized. Please visit the TaoCraft Tarot page on ko-fi. The shop, memberships and virtual coffees all support the creation of this (almost) daily Tarot content. There is a link in the episode description for podcast listeners. Thank you all so so so much.

See you at the next sip!

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Have a plan

The Battle Card from the Alleyman’s Tarot reminds us to have a plan when it comes to stress. TaoCraft Short Sip is Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee.

Hi and welcome to Tao Craft Short Sip: Tarot for your day in the time it takes to sip from your coffee. I’m glad you are here.

I’m continuing to explore the Alleyman’s Tarot deck with thanks to its creator Seven Dane Asmund for giving permission to use the deck way back in the early days of the kickstarter. The Battle card is from the strange arcana and was originally created for the Strange and Eternal Tarot by Cosmic Butcher.

This deck is definitely resonating with the part of me that was an art minor in college lurking around the studio soaking up the artist vibes. These guys have it by the bucket.

This is also pushing my martial arts buttons, big time.

The distinction of warrior vs soldier comes to mind. With that comes the idea of not only discipline but preparation. It is said that you fight like you train. The implication is that you train 100% focus and effort, as if your life depends on it because someday it might.

I shouldn’t have to say this, but I am in no way talking about actual physical violence or conflict.

I’m talking about stress management.

Life gets contentious sometimes. Life gets stressful in both real and anticipated or imagined ways. What are you going to do when it does?

That’s why people talk about a daily meditation practice. If you practice staying chill on a regular basis, then when things heat up, the chill kicks in reflexively. You almost don’t have to give it a second thought, like muscle memory only for your emotions and for your brain.

Raw life experience gives you that practice the hard way. Daily practice -or at least some level of forethought and advance preparation – makes you more resilient and stronger when the stressful times come. And they always do.

Author Carlos Casteneda is credited with saying “We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”

If this card resonates with you today, take a minute. Think about what calms you. What makes you emotionally and mentally strong and resilient. Then do it. Practice it. Train it. Have it at the ready in your pocket. Have a plan. Such is the way of the warrior, both literal and spiritual, who is ready when the battle comes.

Thank you so much for listening! Your likes, subs, shares, follows, reading purchases and support through ko-fi memberships are always appreciated. There are clickable links for more information in the blog and in the podcast episode description.

To learn how to do daily DIY Tarot one card meditation readings as a way to introduce some low stress peaceful moments into your day, my how-to ebook Peace Tarot is available as an instant pdf download. All proceeds from Peace Tarot sales in the ko-fi shop during 2022 will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.

To learn more about Reiki as a relaxation technique, Reiki and Relaxation is also a downloadable pdf ebook on that same page or visit the Reiki page on the website for more information.

See you at the next sip!

12 Second Tarot: Seven of Wands (18 Dec 19)

Meaningful things are worth protecting. That includes you. Overcoming obstacles is worth the effort.

“The true [warrior] fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him” GK Chesterson