Speaking of Pages

This is the Tarot one. I’m doing a full one slow motion Ask Me Anything over there. Leave a question in any blog comment on TaoCraftTarot.com or send it to TaoCraftTarot@gmail.com and I’ll answer in the blogcast at no charge and redacted so there is no identifying information – so feel free to use a nickname or whatever, because it will all be anonymous anyway.

No one has asked me anything lately so I have a question for you….which would you be more likely to do….

Would you rather pay more for a Tarot reading that has a .com website and matching email, or would you rather have a less expensive reading that uses free tools like a wordpress.com url and a gmail address? I’ve always opted for the lower cost option, because I want to make Natural Health and the medication free stress reduction that Tarot clearly provides accessible to as many people as possible. And no, I’m not going to have sales or giveaways as a way to give that accessibility. It’s a weird energy that messes with the vibe of the website. I’m going for full authenticity here, so no more cutesy pants attempts at marketing. This is real, its effective – what more do we need?

But yeah, Tarot.

Always has been the most popular part of any freelance work I’ve tried so far. I can take a hint. I can also convince myself that I have a talent for it. But you can decide that part. I hope you will take a look at the other site now that the overlap is back. The biggest nod I’ve made to all of the marketing tips that have crossed my inbox over the years is creating a consistent look and name. This site, that site, the whole thing – everything I do is eithr TaoCraft Tarot or simply my name. That’s it. It’s all gold on black because it suits the Taoist/ Tarot aesthetic (black=yin, gold=yang) plus I live in Pittsburgh. Black and gold is kind of a thing around here.

By the way – good luck to the not-Steelers and the other not-Steelers in the Super Bowl tomorrow. May the best not-Steelers win. Please pass the wings. Imma watch hockey now.

“Tarot isn’t about predicting what will happen in life – it’s about figuring out what to do when life happens.”

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Redd up a few pages around here

My native language is southern, which made it easy to learn PIttsburghese. Redd up (I’m guessing it is short for ‘ready up’) is how Pittsburgh says straighten up, neaten up, or spruce up…that sort of thing.

Have been putting a little polish on this blog, although all of the real action remains over at TaoCraft Tarot

Meanwhile, here is today’s redd up page:

Reiki

Reiki is an energy-based wellness technique developed in Japan by Micheo Usui in the early 20th century. I trained in the Traditional Usui style, but there other offshoots of Reiki plus many other forms of energy wellness.

Reiki’s strength is in the emotional and spiritual parts of holistic wellness, but as western scientific studies have shown, reducing stress can have a positive effect on physical well being too. It is a small study, but my dissertation hints that Reiki can reduce stress in a matter of minutes, no medication or special circumstances required.

The ki part of Reiki, the chi part of Tai Chi and prana from yoga all have to do with the breath, which in turn means life and energy. Reiki is loosly translated as “universal life energy.” In historic western medicine, the same concept exists in the “vital force” concept dating back to Paracelsus, Galen and Hippocrates. All of it points to the mysterious whatever-it-is that makes a living being different from an inanimate object. If you are alive, then you have some sort of life energy. You are, like it or not, part of the universe as a whole. Reiki isn’t a miracle, it isn’t a therapy or a cure. Reiki improves your connection to universal life energy and supports the natural vital force that already exists within you.

There is much, much more to say about Reiki. If you would like to learn more or would like to experience a distance session, then please contact me through the Reiki page on TaoCraftTarot.com. In-person Reiki is currently closed.

Holistic Health Tutorial

Have you ever felt confused or overwhelmed by holistic health? I’d be surprise if you haven’t. There is a lot to it and it all works VERY differently from we are all accustomed to in modern western medicine – especially as it is practiced in the US today.

And NO. It will NOT cure, treat or prevent covid-19. Get fully vaccinated. Get boosted. And wash your damn hands. Anyone who really understands holistic wellness knows that vaccines are one place where modern medicine and holistic have the most common ground.

A natural heath tutorial will teach you how holistic health really works, and give you customized suggestions to help you avoid trial and error (an hopefully the scams out there too.)

To learn more or to schedule a one to one online tutorial please visit the natural health consults page on TaoCraftTarot.com. In-person tutorials are closed.

The How of Choosing: Three Hours Later

Read the short sip Tarot post “The How of Choosing”

*French accented Spongebob scuba diver voice* : Three Hours Later….

I swear …honest…I was right exactly now years old when I learned that today, Imbolc, is associated with seed planting.

So all the stuff in that reading earlier today about the six of pentacles and planting seeds is….

…pure coincidence.

But it’s still fun when those little coincidences happen. I don’t know if the day is validating the card’s message for any of the Tarot Table members (it was part of the ‘path through the month’ reading) Or if the card was validating my little discovery about Imbolc.

Growing up in the river valley with the evangelicals, February 1 was pretty much just two days before groundhog day.

My Grandmother from the other side of the family lived in the mountains and was the closest thing to witchy in our family until my black sheep-ness came along. She was Methodist, and February 1 = candlemas = candles. Nobody was seeding or planting anything where she lived yet. It’s colder, and the growing season is more like someplace farther north because of the elevation. (TRIVIA TIME! Did you know that one of the most southern places that you can find Canadian tundra species like teaberries is in Dolly Sods WV?) I don’t even remember her starting indoor seeds for transplanting into the garden until mid February. So yeah, I really didn’t know about seeds and Imbolc/Candlemas until *checks watch* ….right now.

Imma take a hint just the same. Maybe this is the year to start some seeds for those back yard flower planters I’ve been ignoring…or at least sprinkle some sesame seeds on those noodles I was thinking about having for supper.

Happy Candlemas, Imbolc, Lunar New Year or just plain two days before Groundhog Day!

May we all meet the year of the water tiger with the courage of an Irish Fisherman driving a PAT bus in Pittsburgh