Tag: weekend Oracle

Weekend Oracle (21 Nov 25)

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“The Shockjock” card is drawn from the Alleyman’s Tarot Podcast which expands the backstory and lore behind the Tarot deck, which is yet another facet of why Alleyman’s Tarot is one of my favorite decks. And yes, admittedly, I have collected more decks than I care to admit over the years. The Alleyman’s Tarot and this deck, the Alleyway Oracle of Secrets, is built on the same premise which is set in the same conceptual universe as the original deck.

In the podcast, the ‘shock jock’ is a low filter podcaster prone to blurting out anything who has been following the Alleyman urban legend along with the other cast of characters. (The podcast has a certain Twilight Zone quality and is interesting beyond the Alleyway, if you are interested in giving it a listen)

In any case, this is one of those times where intuition and energy screams louder than the guidebook meaning. This is one of those days that teach us how important it is to listen to your own inner guidance, not necessarily what the deck’s ‘little white book’ might say.

Following your own inner wisdom over outside influences is a giant life skill in and of itself, and we can circle back to that some other day. For today, let’s listen to the shock jock – all puns intended.

In the podcast and Oracle deck guidebook, the shock jock isn’t a deliberate or cynical provocateur. Sure, he is in it for the follows, like all of us on public cyberspace platforms – but he isn’t cruel. The guidebook gives the impression that this card is an irreverent jokester, rooted in humor. The intent is silly, comedic and harmless.

The energy today, however, is opposite. This feels like a reversed card in the classic sense, where the card is read as its opposite.

This is the dark side.

This is a lesson in free speech, connected in a way to the seven of pentacles.

Today is a reminder that cause and effect is still a thing.

You are free to say anything you want. You are equally free to experience the effects that your words cause. Since the energy is a little on the shadow side, it’s tempting to say that you are free to suffer the consequences of what you say, but there is more to it than that.

The seven of pentacles often carries a ‘you reap what you sow’ vibe about it. For both the seven of pentacles and the shock jock, we have to consider both sides of reaping and sowing, of speaking and experiencing.

As we’ve talked about before, “you reap what you sow” often seems punitive, something told to children so they don’t do bad things so that bad things won’t happen to them.

The other side of the threat is the promise. If you reap what you sow, then there is a promise that there will indeed BE a harvest, that good things WILL come from your sincere efforts.

The same is true for our inner shock jock.

Words have meaning. Words have power. They can be used thoughtlessly. They can be used to calm, encourage and heal. Words can be used to wound and cut down. Silence can be golden. Silence is complicity.

Like the seeds that are sown, words have consequences. Say anything you want, or stay silent if you choose, but you will reap a harvest either way.

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See you at the next sip!

Oracle of Secrets deck by Seven Dane Asmund used with permission

Not So Lost After All

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THE LOST KING: This Normal Tarot card (deck by Seven Dane Asmund of  @publishinggoblin1072  used with permission) wraps together elements of the Hanged Man, Death (reversed) and 8 of cups tarot cards.

Not only do I love the gold foil on black with skeletons aesthetic of this deck, each card seems to masterfully weave together multiple Tarot ideas with a modern sensibility. It is like getting an entire “action eases anxiety” layout in a single card.

In this case, the King element reminds us we are in charge of our inner world. This reminds us we are our own leader, decision maker and high priest(ess) The upside down image, the Hanged Man element, hints at something blocked, turbulent of being resisted. The thing being resisted is change, which connects this card draw to the death-card-change energy that has been appearing in multiple readings lately. There is also an element of 8 of Cups energy that advises some sort of letting go or walking away, which also entails big, sometimes frightening, sometimes much resisted change.

If this reading resonates with you today, let’s put it into the “action eases anxiety” layout model. The energy here is one of taking charge of your own decisions and actions. Change is happening, soon to happen, or much needed but delayed. Any of those scenarios can cause fear or worry. The action that can help is to face the changes, make deliberate (albeit painful) choices. Make the changes you know are the right ones for you. Difficult emotions and consequences of your choices may come, but a better path may well come right along with it.

Thanks again for reading. The next couple of weeks are going to be more squirrel-rave-ish than usual, so I’m not sure when it will be, but I definitely will see you at the next sip!

Weekend Oracle: Stuff of Life

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GRAIN: They used to say “bread is the staff of life.” Grains reminds us of the stuff that the staff is made of. It speaks to the source of basics, the true essentials.

The grains card reminds us of the stuff that makes up day to day life, as simple and mundane as it gets. It speaks to food, clothing, shelter. This is a earth energy akin to the 3 of pentacles in tarot. It’s about doing essential tasks, and the hands on activities of daily living from the most mundane to the most sacred and creative. This is a weekend to take care of those things. Stay home. Sort your socks. Water those plants you’ve been forgetting. Put the laundry away and put your feet up with a glass of wine and a good book. Grain by grain, a wheat harvest leads to warm bread on a cold day. Do the little stuff that you’ve been putting off because little things, in the long run, can mean a lot.

This vibes with this harvest time of year, something reversed in every culture that I can think of.

This card and this weekend is a reminder that the mundane IS the sacred.

Zen does not confuse spirituality with thinking about God while one is peeling potatoes. Zen spirituality is just to peel the potatoes.”

Alan Watts

Deck: Oracle of Secrets by Seven Dane Asmund, used with permissions Publishing Goblin LLC

Weekend Oracle: At home in the dark

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Whenever you read ‘weekend oracle’ posts, it basically is a vibe check for the next 2-3 days that give you an idea how to make the most of the energy flows around you.

THE NIGHT’S PITY: Seven Dane Asmund, author of the deck, describes this card as “finding dark comfort in hard times.”

On one hand, I’m getting that this can be a literal thing. Honor you natural diurnal / nocturnal cycles. If you are a morning person, honor that and get some sleep as you need. If you are a natural night owl, indulge your dark loving inner nature. This is a time of resonance and power for the night owls. Embrace your inner goth if you have one. Day people, nap all you want, we got this.

On the other hand, this is also psychological. Very Jungian, really. This is a good time for everyone to explore their darker side. Not suggesting you do anything harmful to anyone. It’s a thought experiment. This is talking about a touch of cynicism and dark humor in the face of all of the real violence and tragedy that so many people are facing these days.

The idea for everyone is to sit with your dark side, deal with your demons by understanding them – even befriending them. It’s a radical form of self-love to find beauty in the flaws and downfalls, and accept yourself as-is, in whole, right here, right now. Allow yourself to feel at home in the literal or metaphoric night. The dark side might just bring you a warm blanket and cookie.

I totally judged this book by its cover

For September and October, I’ve decided to indulge in one of my favorite Tarot decks, The Alleyman’s Tarot and explore one of my newest ones, The Normal Tarot, both by Seven Dane Asmund of Publishing Goblin LLC who kindly gave permission to use his decks here in the blog.

My unboxing and earlier posts have all of the requisite fangirling about the Alleyman’s deck, which after a few years of using it is STILL a masterpiece. This deck (including the premise and lore built around it with the podcast and more is like a Stradivarius in the hands of master violinist. I know that sounds like a brag, and it is. I’m that good, and it is too.

When the chance came to 7DA’s first (I believe) deck, I didn’t hesitate, largely because the guidebook cover was love at first sight – a line drawing of a skeleton, cards and the title How To Normal Tarot: Staring into the Seething, Unknowable Chaos of the Universe for Fun and Profit.

That pretty much sums up Tarot work. Some folks really, REALLY don’t like the unknowable part. They want pat, canned platitudes and answers that they WANT to hear (not the guidance they NEED to hear.) Predictions are 1. impossible and 2. baby food for unready souls.

I’m not here for that. If you want “accurate predictions” you need to go find another psychic.

I’m here to give you a hearty soul-meal and some navigation tips for the seething unknowable chaos.

If you are ready for that ride, if you want to experience the wisdom that Tarot really offers, come along.

In September and October, I’ll be using the Alleyman’s Tarot deck for the Week Ahead choose your card readings and the Normal Tarot deck for our Weekend Oracle posts, simply because the deck isn’t a RWS clone. For the members only posts over on ko-fi I’ll post some longer-layout readings following (or inspired by) the layouts in the guidebook.

So fill up your metaphorical coffee (wine/tea/whatever) cup and come sip and stare into the chaos with me.

See you at the next sip

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Card: Death from L’oracle Des Dames as seen in the Alleyman’s Tarot deck

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!

Weekend Oracle: Focus

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Expectations can choke manifestations. Sometimes the answer is to look wider, focus broader. Visualize already having what you really want and need.


Work and physical actions in service of your vision is often just the magic you need, too.

Have a clear idea about what you want is half the battle in making it happen

Weekend Oracle: Keep Clearing

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This is a direct continuation of the energy we saw in the Action Eases Anxiety: Clear Away post from Wednesday

“Keep cutting away the unnecessary to find (and protect) the blessings beneath” Precision and minimalism are your allies. It is a time for scalpels, not sledgehammers.” Intuitively comes through here.

The key point of this card, as I understand it, is that personal growth is a double edged sword. The reversal of the card feels significant here, pointing toward shadow work in particular. It is painful to face the darker side of ourselves, but leads to peace and emotional health in the long run.

Shadow work is the emotional equivalent of a blade that cuts through our defenses causing painful feelings – but opening the way to calmer, more peaceful, more fulfilling emotions as well.

“We cannot be more sensitive to pleasure without being more sensitive to pain.”

Alan Watts

This is the same energy seen in the Heart and the Crane Lenormand cards from our previous reading. Cut away the excess. Clear away the unneeded. Love exists, whole and complete but obscured, just like the beauty within Michelangeo’s sculpture:

“The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.”

Michelangelo

In this orientation, the sword on the Blessings oracle card resembles the Ace of Swords, which is associated with clarity and truth among other things. The Lenormand reading, the Oracle reading and the hinted-at RWS tarot card all point toward the same basic idea: simplify, clarify, do the hard personal growth work to uncover the obscured now and it will reveal great benefit in the end.

You can be yourself with me. Happy pride month!

Deck: Alleyway Oracle of Secrets by Seven Dane Asmund used with permission from Publishing Goblin LLC

Weekend Oracle: Progress

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“Changes and progress very rarely are gifts from above. They come out of struggles from below.”

Noam Chomsky

Even though it is a long holiday weekend here in the US, it may feel like a continuation of the week with all of the travels and get-togethers and summer kick-offs and whatnot.

Maybe it is because of rumors of a new covid strain just as the vaccine program is being sabotaged. To be honest, this might be a projection on my part, but I think a little bit holds true for the collective energies as well.

It doesn’t feel peaceful. It feels like we are being thrown into dynamic, change-filled energy. Again.

One keyword for the Eight of Wands is “progress.” Progress is impossible with out change, without movement. Progress in any direction is still progress.

If you are moving toward failure, great! At least there is something to be learned.

If you are moving away from failure, great! At least you’ve learned from the situation and are making corrections.

If you are moving toward something better, great! Savor the moment.

If you are not moving much at all, great! At least you are getting a chance to rest and recharge. Enjoy it.

Change is a part of life and living. There is always the potential for progress.

The blog will be quiet over the holiday weekend and any reading orders will go out May 27, 2025 or after. Have a happy and safe weekend everyone! See you at the next sip!