A journey of quiet wisdom, art, and inner reflection
There is a moment in life when something simple whispers to you. Not loud, not urgent - just a soft presence inviting you to pause. This is often how the Tao appears. Not as an idea to understand, but as a way to feel.
The Tao - “The Way” - is an ancient path described in the Tao Te Ching, written by Laozi. It reminds us that life flows best when we stop forcing, stop controlling, and return to our natural rhythm. It teaches us to trust softness over struggle, clarity over noise, awareness over effort. And although it was written more than 2,500 years ago, its truth feels more relevant today than ever.
The TAO Cards were born from that same softness.
A Seed of Stillness
The idea began quietly, almost like a leaf drifting into view. I felt a desire to bring Taoist wisdom into a simple, visual, approachable form - something that doesn’t demand effort, but opens a space. Something that invites reflection without instruction.
Words alone felt too direct. But an image - an image allows mystery.
It allows a person to breathe, to feel, to pause... and to discover their own meaning first.
This intuition became the foundation of the deck.
Letting the Image Echo Before Words
Each of the 81 cards mirrors one of the 81 verses of the Tao Te Ching, yet they do not explain it. Instead, the illustration is an invitation - a visual echo of the verse, a reflection rather than a translation. Before reading any text, the card encourages you to simply look.
To let the image settle.
To notice what rises in you.
To allow the inner landscape to speak before the mind begins to interpret.
Only after this moment of stillness do the words in the guidebook appear - offering a gentle insight, a direction, a reminder rooted in Laozi’s philosophy.
This approach is new. It blends ancient wisdom with modern mindfulness, asking us to reconnect with a deeper intelligence already inside us - intuition.
Creating the Deck - From Verse to Vision
The creative process unfolded much like the Tao itself:
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Begin with openness
Reading each verse without forcing a meaning, letting the essence reveal itself. -
Let the image emerge
Sketching shapes, symbols, and movements that felt aligned with the verse’s spirit. -
Hold without holding on
Not trying to “explain” the Tao, but allowing each card to be a doorway into it. -
Trust the flow
Some cards appeared instantly. Others took time, silence, or walking in nature before they found their form.
The illustrations were crafted by hand, intentionally minimalistic, allowing enough space for the viewer to complete the meaning on their own. They carry the breath of Tao - simplicity, naturalness, and balance.
Why the Tao Cards Exist
In a world filled with noise, the TAO Cards offer a small sanctuary. A moment to reconnect. A quiet tool for reflection, creativity, and awareness.
They are not fortune-telling cards, nor predictions.
They are companions - reminders of a deeper rhythm beneath the surface of life.
A way to listen inwardly.
A way to meet yourself with honesty and softness.
A way to align with something ancient, natural, and essential.
An Invitation
Take one card.
Look at it before you read it.
Feel it before you think it.
Let the image echo inside you, and allow the verse to meet you where you are.
This is the Tao.
This is the beginning of your path with TAO My Way.
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