#tarot journal template

[the-corset-witch]

Up and getting ready for my day with a fuck ton of nerves.  Drew a 5Swords, which isn’t super reassuring, but maybe it help me handle what’s to come.  This first shift is a straight 8 hours and I am hoping I am not too beat when I get home because I definitely want to spend some time for myself and just have a free hour or two to rebuild myself up after this day.  

The good news is in my desperation for this job, the location is less than 5 minutes from my house, so I really do not need to leave until the last minute.

*This page has been edited & watermarked, the original pageset is on sale at my Etsy shop for 25% off until the end of January.

[smileydork]

Super proud of how this Tarot Journal Notion Template turned out 🥰🥹 I worked really hard on it

[diana-thyme]

The Ultimate Grimoire Guide

So! I have been seeing a ton of grimoire ideas and thought I’d stuff them all together. A lot of ideas are from @manifestationsofasort, @banebite, and @pigeonflavouredcake. Check them out! They have a ton of cool stuff there.

What Do I Use For My Grimoire?

You can use anything for a grimoire! For a physical one, journals, binders, and notebooks are good. For digital ones, Notion, Tumblr, Docs, and even just your file folder are great.

Introduction

A Book Blessing

Table of Contents

About Me

Your Current Path

Your Personal Beliefs

Your Spiritual Journey

Superstitions

Past lives

Favorite Herbs/Crystals/Animals/Etc.

Natal Chart

Craft Name

How You Entered The Craft

Astrology Signs

Birthday Correspondences (birth tarot card, birth stone, etc.)

Goals

Safety

Fire Safety

What Not to Burn

Toxic Plants & Oils (to humans, plants, animals)

Crystals That Shouldn’t Be Put… (in sun, in water, etc.)

Things That Shouldn’t Be In Nature (glass, salt, etc.)

Potion Safety

How to Incorporate Blood in Spells

Smoke Safety

Wound Care

Biohazards

Core Concepts

Intention & How It Works

Directing Energy

Protection

Banishing

Cleansing

Binding

Charging

Shielding

Grounding

Centering

Visualization

Consecration/Blessing

Warding

Enchanting

Manifestation

Meditation

What Makes A Spell Work

Basic Spell Structure

What Not To Do In Spells

Disposing Spell Ingredients

Revitalizing Long Term Spells

How To Cast Spells

What To Put In Spells

Spell Mediums (jars, spoken, candle, sigils)

Spell Timing

Potion Bases

Differentiating Between Magick and Mundane

Common Terms

Common Symbols

Intuition

Elements

Basic Alchemy and Symbols

Ways To Break Spells

Laws and Philosophies

Correspondences

Herbs & Spices

Crystals & Rocks

Colors

Liquids & Drinks

Metals

Numbers

Tarot Cards

Elements

Trees & Woods

Flowers

Days

Months

Seasons

Moon Phases

Zodiacs

Planets

Incense

Teas

Essential Oils

Directions

Animals

Symbology

Bone Correspondences

Different Types of Water

Common Plants

Entities

Deities You Worship

Pantheons

Pantheons & Deities Closed to You

Common Offerings

Epithets

Mythos

Family

Worship vs Work

Prayers & Prayer Template

Altars

Deity Comms

Devotional Acts

Angels

Demons

Ancestors

Spirit Guides

Fae

Familiars

House, Animal, Plant, Etc. Spirits

Folklore Entities

Spirit Etiquette

Graveyard Etiquette

Boundaries

Communication Guide & Etiquette

Spirit Work Safety Guide

How Entities Appear To You

Circle Casting

Common Offerings

Altars

Servitors

Mythological Creatures (dragons, gorgons, etc.)

Utility Pages

Gazing Pages

Sigil Charging Station

Altar Pages

Intent Pages

Getaway Pages

Vision Boards

Dream Pages

Binding Page

Pendulum Board

Crystal Grid

Throwing Bones Page

Divination Pages

Mirror Gazing Page

Invocation Pages

Affirmation/Manifestation Pages

Spirit Board Page

Other Practices

Practices That Are Closed to You (Voodoo, Hoodoo, Santeria, Brujeria, Shamanism, Native Practices)

Wicca and Wiccan Paths

Satanism, Both Theistic and Non-Theistic

Deity Work

Religious Paths (Hellenism, Christianity, Kemeticism, etc.)

Animism

Types of Magic/Spells

Pop Culture Paganism/Magic

Tech Magic

Chaos Magic

Green Magic

Lunar Magic

Solar Magic

Sea Magic

Kitchen Magic

Ceremonial Magic

Hedge Magic

Death Magic

Gray Magic

Eclectic Magic

Elemental Magic

Fae Magic

Spirit Magic

Candle Magic

Crystal Magic

Herbalism

Glamours

Hexes

Jinxes

Curses

Weather Magic

Astral Magic

Shadow Work

Energy Work

Sigils

Art Magic

Knot Magic

Music Magic

Blood Magic

Bath Magic

Affirmations

Divination

Tarot Cards

Oracle Cards

Playing Cards

Card Spreads

Pendulum

Numerology

Scrying

Palmistry

Tasseography

Runes

Shufflemancy

Dice

Bibliomancy

Carromancy

Pyromancy

Psychic Abilities

Astrology

Auras

Lenormand

Sacred Geometry

Angel Numbers

Ornithomancy

Aeromancy

Aleuromancy

Axinomancy

Belomancy

Hydromancy

Lecanomancy

Necromancy

Oneiromancy

Onomancy

Oomancy

Phyllomancy

Psephomancy

Rhabdomancy

Xylomancy

Tools

Crystal grid

Candle grid

Charms

Talismans

Amulets

Taglocks

Wand

Broom

Athame

Boline

Cingulum

Stang

Bells

Drums

Staffs

Chalices

Cauldrons

Witches Ladder

Poppets

Holidays

Yule

Imbolc

Ostara

Beltane

Litha

Lammas

Mabon

Samhain

Esbats

Deity Specific Holidays

Religious Holidays (Christmas, Easter, Dionysia, etc.)

Celestial Events

Altars

Basics of Altars

Travel Altars

Deity Altars

Spirit Altars

Familiar Altars

Ancestor Altars

Self Altars

Working Altars

Self-Care

Burnout Prevention

Aromatherapy

Stress Management

Coping Mechanisms

Theories & History

Witchcraft history

Paganism

New Age Spirituality

Cultural Appropriation

Thelema

Conspiracy Theories

Cults

Satanic Panic

KJV

Witches in History

Cats in History

Transphobia in Witchcraft Circles

Queerness in Witchcraft Circles

Other

Recipes

How to Get Herbs

Foraging

Drying Herbs and Flowers

Chakras

Reiki

Witches Alphabet

Runic Alphabet

Guide to Gardening

Your Witch Tips

Resources

Other Tips

List of Spells

Cryptids and Their Lore

What is a Liminal Space?

[raevenlywrites]

Prism of Queer Reflection Tarot Read-a-long

I wrote a book! A tarot workbook, to be specific. Designed to serve as a guide of queer self-exploration, the Prism of Queer Reflection can be done solo or as a group. Through the month of September, I'd like to run it with a wave of beta participants, to help me develop the language and spark discussion for journaling templates to be included in the final book.

Like tarot? Like self discovery? Queer as fuck? Come hang out with us in my discord as we pull tarot cards and have aha moments about our queer identities.

Participants will receive a link to an advanced copy of the book and access to my excellent reading advice. No deck? No problem! There are tons of tarot generators online, including a few of varying usefulness I've made

[wilted-violets]

I have @infamous-if brainrot SO. meet Lottie Morgan, lead singer and ((occasional)) guitarist of Violet Hours. She's definitely, absolutely, completely, over her ex-boyfriend, and keeping her tattoo doesn't mean anything. at all. i can't draw even a little, so i figured i'd make her social media as some kind of introduction.

more facts under the cut !! insta template • twitter template

moved to the states at age 11, her parents were assholes, distant, and moved around a lot. she was born in england, and still has the accent most of the time

total emo loser

seven was the only one to see her songwriting, now she hides it from everyone and her journal is hidden well from rowan's prying hands

covered her 'SD' tattoo with concealer for the first 4 months after the breakup, now doesn't bother

she and seven were known for sneaking out of parties early to hang out by themselves or just go home

loves video games, spends a lot of time on the tour bus playing them and reading when she can

is a taurus

her favourite superhero is spiderman

has a full journal of songs about seven that no one will ever see

made every member of the band watch the extended editions of lord of the rings

any alternative music is her thing, but her guilty pleasure is boybands.

voice wise i kinda imagine like ?? disney era demi lovato ?? but that is subject to change

~ looks ~

5'9

plus-sized, hourglass shaped.

very pale,, translucent even

big blue eyes, slightly upturned nose, round face

strawberry blonde/ginger hair with a pink streak where her ear is ((hc is that seven had the same pink in his hair,,,,))

a few scars from the Trauma

light freckles in summer

tattoos: - SD on her wrist - a butterfly on each shin - 'the fool' tarot card on the back of her upper right arm - skull holding flowers on her inner left arm - lil taurus symbol behind her ear

septum, nose + ear piercings

~personality~

very sarcastic, but still very nice

anxiety central

reserved, very quiet and shy. loves being on stage but also hates it?

hates the outdoors

hates confrontation, her favourite thing about her and seven was that they never argued when they dated

feels all of her emotions to a heightened degree, cries at everything she feels

very insecure, plays it off with jokes

~playlist~

the one from scott pilgrim is sort of a joke but it was funny

[sleeping-academic]

august 13th, 2024

the past few days have been kind of all over the place, but i’m looking forward to the start of the new semester next monday! i have a couple little lunch routines planned with people already, and i’m excited about the classes i’m registered for :)

today, i:

🫧 hung out with my roommates! all of us have moved in by now, and last night we watched the first few episodes of she-ra and the princesses of power together <3 it’s genuinely so nice living with people who i can be comfortable around, and i’m really excited for this year with them!

🫧 finished a book! still making my way through the unabridged journals of sylvia plath, but i had a mystery book on my kindle that i was about halfway through, so i finished that at work and started a new one. it was called i have some questions for you, and was pretty enjoyable… 4/5 stars

🫧 accepted some more high school credits, which makes me eligible to order my college ring! my university makes a big deal out of that particular tradition (among others), so i’m really excited :)

🫧 i provided moral support for @maniacalgenius as she unpacked… she repaid me with tea 🍵

goals for the week:

🫧 figure out a tag system for this blog. i’ve been kind of holding off on reblogging stuff at the moment because i don’t want to have to go back and reorganize it later, so figuring out that system now would be helpful

🫧 decide on my organization system for this semester. i’ve got a couple templates for weekly/monthly planners that i might use, but i haven’t fully decided on which yet, so i want to get those set up

🫧 finish the pages for the 7, 8, 9, and 10 of Wands in my tarot journal. that might be slightly ambitious, but i think i should have the time to get that done (although whether or not i have the focus is the real question)

🫧 plan out my morning routine for this semester! i have either work or a class at 8am every day of the week, which is… not ideal. but i’m hoping that if i get into a consistent routine and actually stick to it, it’ll be manageable… here’s hoping!

photo dump:

hozier <3 he played “nobody’s soldier” live and i about near lost my mind. such a good concert

pretty rainy landscape while driving from this weekend

media:

🎧: “shrike” - hozier

📖: everyone on this train is a suspect - benjamin stevenson

📺: criminal minds season 6 episode 19 - “with friends like these…”

[valorums]

ASSORTED CHARACTER ASSOCIATIONS

respond to the prompts below with the answer that suits your muse best. a template for this activity will be placed under the read more.

ANIMAL: Dove

COLOR: Blush Pink

SONG: I’m A Marionette — ABBA

NUMBER: 3

HOUR: 3:00 am — the witching hour

PLANT: Venus Flytrap

SMELL: Floral Perfume

CRYSTAL: Rose Quartz

SEASON: Springtime

PLACE: The Opera House

FEAR: Loneliness

SPORT: Martial Arts

WORD: Puppet

EMOTION: Hope

MAGICAL ABILITY: Siren song that lures unwitting sailors to their demise, the foresight of an oracle who is unable to change the futures that she foretells

UNIVERSITY SUBJECT: Journalism, Music, History

MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE: Mermaid

MAJOR ARCANA TAROT: Strength, The Moon

MINOR ARCANA TAROT: Eight of Swords

LITERARY GENRE: Romantic Fantasy, Biography

STAR SIGN: Pisces Sun, Libra Moon, Cancer Rising

ELEMENT: Fire

WEAPON: Throwing Knives, Bare Hands, Katana Sword

THREE EMOJIS: 🩰 [ballet], 📰 [news], 🥋 [dobok]

TAGGED BY no one.

TAGGING @nieithryn (Calista), @mayxthexforce (Rajeev), @vaderari (Anakin), @alootus (Padmè), @misfittcd (Qui-Gon), @adversitybloomed (Mulan), @mvndrvke (Seril), @debelltio (Orson), @unwaivering (Seth), @shattcredmind (Depa), & YOU

TEMPLATE LOCATED UNDER THE CUT:

ANIMAL: Text

COLOR: Text

SONG: Text

NUMBER: Text

HOUR: Text

PLANT: Text

SMELL: Text

CRYSTAL: Text

SEASON: Text

PLACE: Text

FEAR: Text

SPORT: Text

WORD: Text

EMOTION: Text

MAGICAL ABILITY: Text

UNIVERSITY SUBJECT: Text

MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE: Text

MAJOR ARCANA TAROT: Text

MINOR ARCANA TAROT: Text

LITERARY GENRE: Text

STAR SIGN: Text

ELEMENT: Text

WEAPON: Text

THREE EMOJIS: Text

[neithliveshere]

hello interweb

redoing my intro post for the 100th time.

hi! hello! it’s nice to meet you. im neith. @athenas-secret-daughter is my main blog and this is my sideblog.

here are some "fun" facts abt me:

22 years old (yuck)

she/her/hers pronouns

recent grad finishing up a few classes for my degree

taurus sun, virgo moon, libra rising

intj, 5w6

asexual

currently reading: the poppy war, the fellowship of the ring, silver under nightfall, the well of ascension

classes im taking:

japanese (in person)

korean literature and media (in person)

korean (online here)

american sign language (online here)

french (online here)

spanish (duolingo)

mandarin (this textbook)

things i enjoy:

dragons (duh)

studio ghibli movies (kiki's delivery service is my favorite, but so is ponyo and totoro and...)

legos, buying books and forgetting to read them, self-studying, and japanese stationery

the sims and cities skylines

traveling (next trip: scotland)

hobbies:

reading (here's my goodreads and storygraph)

knitting, journaling, and crafting in general

i write poetry ?

recently bought a vintage camera so hopefully i'll be a proper photographer soon

yoga, walking aimlessly for hours, and making spotify playlists

tarot, crystal collecting, and thrifting

why am i here?

im not entirely sure. i think i've decided to stop lurking and actually create something? (but this is my 100th attempt so... praying for consistency y'all) i need this blog for motivation and to prove that 365 days from now, i'll be a different person. i would like to post daily. anything from to do lists to random musings and scraps of poetry. Maybe things I've learned and find interesting. Printables I'm using, Notion templates I've made or found, spreadsheets, and my overall organization system? Idk yet. But we'll see.

much love,

Neith

[magickkate]

about me: FAQ my practice

I have been holding off on answering many of my Asks as they relate to this post. Hopefully, this answers many of the questions sent my way! this is a really long post, but it's good info about me!

Introduction

What name do you go by in your practice? Kate

How long have you been practicing? about 8 years, since 2015-2016

Path and Tradition

What type(s) of witchcraft do you practice (e.g., Green Witch, Eclectic Witch, etc.)? I primarily stick with kitchen, green, and solitary witch, however, I am really drawn to the practice and idea of speaking and working with the dead and kind entities.

Do you follow a specific tradition or path? If so, which one? I am religious in addition to my practice as I follow a Christian faith. I utilize this in my practice having a deity to talk to as well as ask for blessings from, etc etc. I give offerings of time and energy more often than physical gift offerings.

Beliefs and Ethics

What are your core beliefs or principles in your practice? Simply do no harm, since I have an underlying religious belief that what needs to be taken care of will be taken care of. (such as if someone wrongs me, I don't need to do anything, my deity, the Christian God will or the universe will get everything all sorted). And I just don't like retaliating my energy in that way when I have way better uses.

Do you follow any ethical guidelines or rules (e.g., Wiccan Rede, Threefold Law, personal code of ethics)? I guess the Christian code of ethics + my own adjustments to them bc some takes are wonky.

Deities and Spirits

Do you work with any deities, spirits, or other entities? If so, who are they? The Christian God, but I would love to work with the dead or other kind entities since I believe in spirits. I don't work with my ancestors though.

How do you honor or communicate with them? through praise and time, prayer, and reading the Bible.

Tools and Materials

What tools are essential to your practice (e.g., athame, wand, crystals)? cup of water, a candle, and a bowl of salt!!! I now live in an apartment where candles aren't allowed so it's just been the water, salt, and a spicy oil (to simulate fire).

What materials do you commonly use (e.g., herbs, candles, oils)? oils, herbs/spices, (no more candles...:(( ), salt, water, teas (not counted as herbs bc most herbs I use otherwise are for throwing into the air or something witchy I don't know it's complicated, tea is specifically for brewing and consuming.

Rituals and Ceremonies

What regular rituals or ceremonies do you perform (e.g., Sabbats, Esbats, daily rituals)? BATH RITUALS omg my favorite, I think I made a post about this somewhere on my page, if I can find the ritual template I'll link it here. otherwise, I am a wh*** for Sabbat rituals, specifically Litha, Beltane, Samhain, and Yule, but I love them all tbh esp when Ostara lines up on the Christian holidays and I don't have to explain why I'm extra giddy.

Describe a typical ritual or ceremony you perform: a lot of it is cooking, like I just look insane like I'm dramatically cooking dinner or something. otherwise, there are usually hella candles that I can't have in this apartment and so much salt and herbs, and my journal (grimoire/BoS)

Spellwork

What types of spells do you commonly cast? usually something like a personal or home protection spell (short and long-term ones, and for the long ones, the renewals of them), wards, and refreshers of them, but also spells for "anti-" migraines and other headaches since I struggle with multiple types of chronic headaches.

Describe your process for creating and casting a spell. I usually use candles (not indoors anymore) spell jars or a food dish of some sort that has corresponding elements to the task/intention at hand

Divination

What forms of divination do you use (e.g., tarot, runes, scrying)? I only tarot right now, scrying can be really draining for me and trigger my migraines.

How do you integrate divination into your practice? I use tarot once daily whenever I have free time or if have a specific question to ask or when I want to try out a new spread (usually the case)

Nature and Elements

How do you incorporate nature and the elements into your practice? I use herbs and spices primarily, if I can find them fresh in the wild (I live in the city, so that's rare), then I will use those (not to eat) in my spells. I usually get stuff store-bought. But I have been looking for good trails and parks in the area since we moved an hour from where we lived during college. I want to get a local field guide and find some cool plants, mushrooms, animals, and things while out on the trails. My husband says he is eager to go on walks, and I am too ADHD to walk without something to do so looking for plants and animals/birds would be so fun.

Do you have a special connection to certain natural places or elements? I feel like I belong somewhere rainy with no bugs... (no fresh cut grass since I'm allergic), I unfortunately have a strong fear of bugs (thanks dad).

Astrology and Cosmic Influences

How do you use astrology or cosmic events in your practice? I don't use a ton of true astrology, but I pay attention to the moon, the sun, and the planets as they are currently, but not as they relate to me or others in my daily life and practice. This next question explains it a bit further.

Do you follow moon phases, planetary transits, or other celestial influences? I usually do a moon phase bath on the high points of each turn (new, first, full, third) to reset for the new week. For planetary transits, of course, we all know mercury retrograde, however, I like to journal at every point, whether highs or lows to see which point I'm being affected the most, see if it is mundane or mystical. I have a calendar specific for these days, and I like to map out what my "tasks" are for the week or month.

Sacred Space

Describe your sacred space or altar. I have a physical altar on my dresser in front of my dresser mirror, but also a cute tech altar on my computer, and most of my resources and books and stuff for information are digital so having a digital/tech altar allows me to have quick access to any info I may need.

How do you create and maintain this space? My dresser can sometimes get cluttered but usually, it's easy to clean up. My computer altar just needs a bit of organization occasionally when files get to be too much. I normally do y workings all over the place however I use many of the same elements in all workings which allows for the continuity of my altars.

Personal Development

How do you continue learning and growing in your practice? I love to learn. If I hear something new, I will spend so much time trying to learn as much about it as I can. Sometimes, I don't resonate with it for my practice, but I enjoy knowing about it. I am by no means an advanced practitioner, so I still have so much to learn.

Do you keep a Book of Shadows or a journal? If so, what do you document? I do, I journal my daily events, thoughts, etc. I also take note of most of my research and all of my workings to look back on. If I have odd dreams, I will write down those as much as I can remember. If I have a weird experience, I will explain that in my journal for future reference, sometimes, I think I get shown omens of sorts, but who knows!

Community and Coven

Are you part of a coven or magical community? No, not at this time. I work alone. I am involved in a couple Discord servers that are like groupchats for a lot of practitioners around the globe. Sometimes, I get so busy with school, work, and home life that I don't interact there often.

How do you interact with or contribute to this community? I interact with mutuals on Tumblr and Discord and occasionally run into people who will comment on my accessories/jewelry that spark further conversation opening up about our practices.

Challenges and Goals

What challenges have you faced in your practice? Since I practice alone primarily, I have noticed that I have a lack of close-by practitioners to lean on for suggestions, information, meetings, etc. Like when I say I practice alone, I mean I don't conduct workings with the help of additional witches or practitioners in the form of a coven or group. I do find interest in friends or groups with other individuals who are practicing.

What goals do you have for your future practice? To feel more comfortable in my craft without aid rather than using ritual/spell aids as I sometimes forget the steps or wording I've written since I sometimes have gaps in my workings due to my schedule.

Let me know what other questions you guys have!

[herboire]

How I use the tarot journal in my Notion grimoire

I keep a physical grimoire, but at this point the majority of my grimoire is in Notion. One thing I enjoy most about Notion’s grimoire capabilities is that I can keep a thorough journal of my tarot pulls, conveniently tagged and color-coded.

I thought I’d share my tarot journal process for anyone who might be wondering where to start!

The table of contents:

My template:

Under “Interpreted” I have tags for yes, no, partially, and yes but poorly. I record my pulls even if I end up not having the time or energy to interpret them. With this system, I can go back later and learn from my own past mistakes or incorrect card meaning assumptions

Under “Type” I have tags for single card pull, two card pull, three card pull, large pull, and no card limit

Under “Created by” I have tags for myself and someone else. If someone else created the spread, I always include their identifying info (username and website, for example) somewhere on the journal page so I can find the creator later or credit them if I share the spread with a friend

Under “Deck” I have a tag for each of the decks I own so I can track how often I use each one, and under what circumstances, The picture at the top of this post only shows Somnia in that section because that is my most frequently-used deck, but I currently use four decks: The Somnia Tarot by Nicolas Bruno, The Wizard Deck by Wizard of Barge, the La Muci RWS deck, and The Essential Tarot by Chloé Zarka Grinsnir

Under “Reason” I have tags for daily pull, specific question(s), dream interpretation, holiday/seasonal/planetary changes, emotional, deck interview, and creative prompt. This has come in handy so I can look back and see what kinds of messages come up repeatedly in a specific context

Finally, under “Cards” I have an upright and a reversed color-coded tag for each of the 78 cards in the tarot deck. It was time-consuming to put this together, but being able to scroll through my table of contents and see which cards come up repeatedly has been really helpful

An example of a recent “week ahead” spread:

For each card I go through and write down an interpretation. I try to write down general meanings of the card, how the card ties into the greater context of the entire spread, any symbolism that stands out, and how I may be able to put the card’s message into practice in my life

If the spread was one I found online, I always include the graphic of the spread idea as well as a photo of my card pull so I can reference them both later (and so I can find the spread creator again later):

NOTE: I changed question 6 on the above spread because I do not follow spirit guides and I do not use that terminology

At the very end, I dissect the physical layout of the spread. For the example spread above:

Finally, I end with key words or phrases that I can write on a sticky note or my arm so I can look at them and quickly remind myself of the tarot’s message(s). This one is again from the example spread above:

And that completes a tarot journal entry! I allow myself the grace to not finish every interpretation (hence the “Interpreted? Yes, but poorly” tag) because this process does take around an hour on average– and although I wish I had an hour to spend each day on tarot and introspection, at this stage of my life I simply do not. However, recording my spreads anyways (and taking pictures of them to look back on later for comparison) keeps me in the habit.

Thank you for reading!

[windvexer]

lmao did that anom ask a pick-a-card question specifically for me?? i have been agonizing over the topic for months now, and have been discussing it today. let me take the chance to ask your opinion

first if all i know pacs work because ive seen them work, and some great readers do them! but on the other side of the coin i have also seen how toxic and unhealthy of an environment they can create. i feel like no method of divination breeds as much delusion and obession like pacs can. “take what resonates” ok people take what they like to hear “you might have messages in multiple piles” reader just want better yt statistics, people pick and choose in even worse of a way. how many times i have seen people pick and choose what they resonate with and come to the conclusion that their disgusting abusive ex is actually going through a spiritual awakening. like holy shit. not to mention the readings stop being accurate as quick as you start watching a lot of them.

all that said… i would love to do pick a card readings on youtube. im a talkative gemini tarot reader, it sounds do fun! i was thinking that a way to at least minimize these negative side of the craft would be to use an “empty” pile in each reading. „sorry, no message for you this time, not a punishment, not a bad thing, just no message. maybe the universe wants you to think about the previous reading you got? do you remember it or were you mindlessly binging (wouldnt put it like that lol) ? here! have a little journaling exercise, lets do it together.” ok basically idk how exactly it would look like but i hope you get it. does this sound solid for you? i would also like to provide people with a template for taking notes during a reading to discourage mindless binging and actually help people get something out of it. yeesh long message

If we were friends chatting over tea, I'd recommend that you explore creating PACs as a way to enjoy practicing your craft and gaining experience in developing your own reading frameworks - to do this project for yourself.

You've identified problems common to this activity, and you want to experiment with making your own channel that corrects those problems. I think that's a good thing.

But I think it's all got to come back to you, because you are never going to actually be able to control how people interact with your content. I think that as long as you are working on PAC content because it's fun, and you like doing it, then it's a good project for you. And I applaud your interest in seeking to limit negative side-effects.

But I think if you are going into this with a mindset of, "my PACs will be good because I will teach people to interact with them in the right way," you're going to end up having a bad time before all is said and done. I think your best bet is to do the readings in a way you feel comfortable with, in a way you feel is morally correct, and in a way that is fun for you. The rest is out of your hands.

For some years I have been providing "auxiliary" information alongside the main reading content that I hope encourages self-reflection, or provides suggestions for actionable steps, and so forth. I am not sure if that's the kind of thing you mean when you refer to journaling and note-taking, but if so I do think its a very useful thing to add to a reading. In my opinion it forces the reader to produce stronger readings that can actually support personal reflection.

[the-corset-witch]

I have a bit of a Monday planned, and here’s the Daily Tarot page.  Today I pulled Judgement from the Soul Cards tarot, and with the interview planned later it’s almost like the the trumpets are calling me up to be willing to enter this period of rebirth; that’s the real fear, change.  Adapting to change is never easy, that’s always the most tense part of job-hunting for me.  

*This page has been edited & watermarked, you can buy the pageset it is from here, or just use this post to inspire your own lil template!

[sarasa-cat]

Still feeling behind on EVERYTHING.

(Slightly grumbly that partner let me sleep for an hour after my alarm went off. Dude. No. Alarm went off for a reason. Ggghhhhhhhhh.)

Some interesting writing experiments behind the cut

Everything today has taken longer than planned BUT, for a change of pace while writing -- and actually make it to my breakfast or brunch (depending on the time) writing session -- I started one of those solo journaling RPGs. The way I have it set up, it will take me 13 sessions to complete. Today was session 1 which was actually a double session as I wrote and collaged two pages for two prompt sets. Or, actually, it was a triple session if counting the fact that I needed to read through the whole zine from beginning to end, think on it for a moment to decide how I would set up my "house rules" for this run, set up the template for a page layout in a digital file that includes space for text and images I will generate each day, and then select the randomizer tools I wanted to use -- the shadowscape tarot, no dice -- and get the cards sorted out and ready for use in this solo TTRPG.

I am using the "Yourself" solo journaling tarot-based TTRPG (which just went on 50% off sale and is cheaper than most cups of coffee!) -- https://k-ramstack.itch.io/yourself

The first session produced 1215 words as it was a little longer given how I have set up my house rules.

These words were fast and easy to write. Not exactly memoir fiction. Not exactly urban fantasy. Somewhere in between.

There is a solidness and a sense of ease to this that I like.

I suspect that when I am done after the 13 days of this, I will end up with 8000 to 9000 words. With the exception of the first day and last day, all of the days in the middle involve a single prompt generated from two tarot cards (and the TTRPG rules) and I've digitally created space in my template for approximately 580-600 words per day.

While this will give me enough words to expand a little bit into a novella, I suspect the 8 to 9k words I will produce in two weeks won't have the glue to totally stand alone but they will likely become something I can rework and reuse once I figure out which direction I want to take it. (Potential direction as of today: standalone urban fantasy story? Illustrated art-n-story book? Character development to fold into my sff universe? Bits and piece of text to scavenge and reuse in a variety of things?)

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Given that today was an eeexxxxxttttrrraaaa long session getting all of this set up and ready to go, plus a double writing session so I could make sure my digital template is working for me, all of the time I spent today kicking this off won't be reflective of my daily effort for the next 12 days. I suspect it will take me 30-45 minutes daily to put together a page of ~580 fresh new words plus images (clipped from various sources for personal use, yes, some are copyrighted by other ppl, which includes images of the tarot cards thus I cannot show the pages even if I felt compelled to).

And that will leave me time to get back to existing WIPs, to start other new writing experiments, or both.

...

Currently sticking this post here for sake of sticking it somewhere.

That said, I will soon start up an actual writing blog rather quietly tbh. If following my pro-self's writing blog is something of interest, let me know.

No clue when I will take the time to start up my public writing blog because I currently feel so behind on everything but-- just putting that out there as a future thing for sometime this summer.

[fettesans]

I wrote a text to accompany the announcement of Felix Deiters' exhibition The Questionnaire which opens Friday, 13 October 2023, 6–9 PM at SOX. If you are in Berlin, please join us.

--

🎶How does the disappearance of time influence your mood, mental health and bodily experience? Help us find out by signing up for, and sharing, our new pre-registered survey! These surveys will track your mood, your experience of the (time) crisis, and your interoceptive experiences on that day. You can stop at anytime, and should do so if you feel any distress whatsoever from completing the surveys. 🎶

The first time she had her tarot cards read, she was told to keep her question quiet, to herself. And in this crowded bar she took a breath of relief and with sedulous silence, she uttered nothing. Oh, how good this felt to be offered both the question and the answers, she had thought.

Considering how much biometric data she had shed into the world, it was astonishing how much more diffuse she was with information. She told herself this spoke of a desire to inhabit other identities, of voraciously collecting stories, of wanting to remain odd-angled, hazy-like, being based nowhere-in-particular but here, and of always preferring another scene altogether, like a second opinion to her own thoughts. Anything but a straight answer, and never settling on a favorite color. Not that she didn’t have one, she simply preferred to complicate impressions made of her.

But a questionnaire isn’t a manifesto, I told her.

In 1617, an interrogatory comprising eighty-four items guided the commissioners of Eichstätt in Bavaria in their investigation of suspects. Some of the questions were grouped under topics, such as “Diabolical lust” or “shapeshifting.” Under the latter, one of the questions asked was “Whether she did not change into other forms; why, how, when, and by what means did it happen (no. 75).”

In a world where death came often and unannounced, I imagined how such questions required precise answers when the only guides were shaped by dictated prayers and confession-by-fire.

A questionnaire would have to be cast like a spell, she said. And the answers would bear the contours of a knife found in the crease of a striped couch. Words thrown like insults to exercise one’s conjured slang—the bastard tongue lovingly excoriating the mother. Or Panacea fucking Epione, I said over her laugh.

She wanted to know if there was this one lie I kept, and would always reach for when trying to give a satisfying answer to a stranger felt like watching my doppelgänger reach into my organs with a grin. I realized that I didn’t possess such a handy tune to sprinkle. I already killed the louche fucker, I probably answered instead.

I take that you have one to recite, I asked. Yes.

She had always loved taking and trying on things from her friends’ closets, or from a lover’s bedroom floor, a shirt worn the night before preferably, and when they would say you look good, she would always believe it. She thought how such gestures were templates to her own advice column, or towards an entire self-help book for casting foolish yet sensual responses when each question is a riddle. After all, advice—whether unsolicited, unwarranted, or desperately sought—appeared in ancient philosophical treatises, and medieval medical manuals, before it became the golden smear of Facebook’s actually infinite News Feed.

It was the hospital regime that produced the first sets of standardized protocols for the collection of information forms to be filled in by doctors. Volker Hess and Andrew Mendelsohn have written about “the technology of paper pre-scribing,” namely, blank sheets ruled in columns to obtain particular data. By the end of the 18th century, hospitals in Berlin and Vienna used these to record patient admission, diet, and discharge (or death). More detailed diagnoses and treatments for each patient came to be added, or recorded, on separately configured sheets or in journals. In long-practiced disciplines, such as medicine, the categories or topics written at the top of the columns – symptoms, diagnosis, prognosis, cure, etc. – functioned as implied questions.

I told her how much I loved to look at my multiple reflections formed by opposing mirrors in the entrance halls of the old Charlottenburg apartment buildings. Like a relentless acquisitor of circumstances, you seem to extend into the infinite when in reality you get progressively darker and fade into invisibility, long before you even get to the end. I remember how she looked at me as if I had just hurled an occult formula she could deviate into a questionnaire. It’s in the way mirrors reaffirm body consciousness by gesturing deceptively towards our inherent failure of communication—how my reflected body would be saying no when I wanted yes. Is that what being in the world means to you? she finally asked me. Maybe.

The push and shove of wanting, immersed in such an unstable, expansive present. How does one sequence self disagreements? I responded.

Eventually, I told her that the questions I’ve answered best were always the ones conferred like orders by a lover, questions without interrogation points, permissions really. As if possessing a strange talent like drawing blood simply with their fingers touching my skin. Conjuring veins for a laugh, or a fuck, and never expecting words. She would attempt a dispute, insisting that a questionnaire is always like an armor to the one who asks. The one who asks doesn’t have to endure any of the arrows yielded in return, she yelled at me. I remember how I stroked her hair, consoling her fantasy of opting out by saying that she needed to commit more dramatically to the source of the conflict by spending even more time on Quora. Finally, she kissed me with a smile. I remember having said something like how in his genius, Bob Flanagan had gotten rid of the power of decision-making by stealing all of the arrows. Turning his curse into something better than any audience when he had raised this army of Saint Sebastien longing for his embrace.

Perhaps questionnaires are the ultimate aporia between words and meaning, they suggest the most imperceptible forces, from moon tides to the incomprehension of decay. They force a collaboration like a hieratic plot, so deceptively arbitrary yet often bearing a scheming motive, that when a question eventually satisfies the curiosity, it induces the rattled wish to have had an entirely different one asked.

Did I only give you love when you were in pain? I don’t know. I was in pain so much of the time.

Excerpts from Daniel Midena & Richard Yeo (2022) Towards a history of the questionnaire, Intellectual History Review, 32:3, 503-529, DOI: 10.1080/17496977.2022.2097576

[digitalwitchblog]

5 Essential Apps for Modern Witches

In today's digital age, technology has made it easier than ever for witches to connect with their practice and deepen their spiritual journey. From moon phase trackers to tarot apps, there are a wide range of mobile applications that can help modern witches to stay organized, focused, and in tune with their craft. Here are five essential apps for modern witches:

The Moon App

One of the most important aspects of witchcraft is working with the cycles of the moon. The Moon App is a simple yet powerful tool that helps you keep track of the current lunar phase, as well as upcoming new moons, full moons, and other important lunar events. It also provides detailed information about the astrology of the current moon phase, as well as daily horoscopes and a journaling feature to help you connect more deeply with the moon's energy.

Tarot Reading App

Tarot is a powerful tool for divination and self-discovery. With a tarot reading app, you can have access to tarot readings right at your fingertips. These apps typically provide a range of different tarot spreads and interpretations, as well as the ability to save and revisit your readings. Some apps even offer virtual tarot decks that you can use to conduct your own readings.

Herbarium App

Herbs and plants have long been used in witchcraft for their healing and magical properties. With a herbarium app, you can access information about the properties and uses of different herbs and plants right from your phone. These apps typically provide detailed information about each herb, as well as recipes and formulas for creating your own herbal remedies and potions.

Meditation App

Meditation is an important aspect of many spiritual practices, including witchcraft. A meditation app can help you establish a regular meditation practice and stay focused and centered during your spiritual journey. These apps typically offer a range of guided meditations and mindfulness exercises, as well as the ability to track your progress and set reminders for daily meditation.

Grimoire App

A grimoire is a book of spells and magical knowledge that many witches use to record their practices and experiences. With a grimoire app, you can create and customize your own digital grimoire, complete with text, images, and audio recordings. These apps typically offer a range of templates and designs to choose from, as well as the ability to add your own personal touch and flair to your digital grimoire.

In conclusion, these are just a few of the many apps available to modern witches. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced practitioner, these apps can help you stay organized, focused, and in tune with your spiritual practice. Try them out and see which ones work best for you!

[mr-ambiguity]

Digital Witchcraft 101

When you’re researching witchcraft and Paganism, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that there’s One Right Way to do it. When I was a baby witch, I thought adhering to Wiccan traditions and principles was the “correct” way. My first few months of research were filled with fantasies of elaborate altars carefully arranged with God and Goddess symbols and elemental objects, high-energy rituals for the sabbats, and an emphasis on incorporating various herbs, oils, and incenses into my practice. I looked online trying to find a wand that was both beautiful and inexpensive. I wondered where in my tiny cluttered room I could set up an altar. I tried my hand at keeping a Book of Shadows and planned to fill it with all the spells and correspondences I could find.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with these practices, and if they work for you, that’s fantastic! But it’s also important to acknowledge that magick isn’t one-size-fits-all and some methods aren’t accessible or feasible for everyone, for a variety of reasons.

Magickal tools like wands, athames, crystals, and tarot decks can be expensive, making them out of reach for witches who are unemployed or living in poverty. Ritual work tends to require a lot of focused physical and mental energy that witches with chronic illnesses and fatigue simply don’t have, as well as being time-consuming to perform. And, like myself, many witches are living in homes where it might be unsafe to reveal their craft to family members, which means that magickal tools and fancy altars aren’t an option.

Fortunately, non-traditional witchcraft is just as powerful and effective as the “traditional” stuff. (Sometimes even more so, because it allows you so much freedom to customize and figure out what works for you!) One of the most accessible and versatile tools available is digital technology. If you’ve got a computer and/or phone, there are tons of ways you can use them for your practice. Here are just a few ideas that could be useful to witches at any level of experience.

~

1. Digital Book of Shadows

I think most of us enjoy the images we see online of super-detailed grimoires and journals. The fancy leather covers, scrawling handwriting, stunning artwork, and beautiful border designs. The tables of correspondences and hand-drawn moon phase calendars. Beauty and detail like that makes people excited about witchcraft! It’s basically the bullet journal inspiration of the witchy world.

But if you’re like me, looking at those gorgeous flip-throughs on Tumblr and Instagram can also feel overwhelming. Not all of us feel great about our art skills. Not all of us have the time it takes to handwrite pages and pages of spells and lists. (My arm starts hurting after a few paragraphs of handwriting anything, to be honest.) If you have nosy or controlling housemates, a physical book might not be safe to keep. And physical grimoires can also be tougher to organize. I always worry that I’ll have something to add after a designated section is entirely full. I may be a witch, but I can’t just magickally make another blank page appear where I need it.

A digital grimoire or Book of Shadows, though? Easy to maintain.

Using a word processing program like Microsoft Word or Google Docs can make organization a breeze. As an example, I use Google Docs for storing a lot of my witchy information, split into their own sections: Correspondences, Deities, Holidays, Ideas/reminders, Journal prompts, Spells/rituals, and Tarot/divination. If you do a lot of research online, you can copy and paste relevant information into a document within seconds instead of copying it down by hand. You don’t have to worry about running out of space, either.

You can still personalize a digital version by using colorful fonts, copying and pasting pictures, and taking advantage of the templates offered by your word processor.

~

2. Digital Spellwork

One advantage of using your device in your magick is that the electricity powering it adds an extra boost of energy to your spells. I like to visualize the cord keeping my laptop charged also charging up my magick. This can be helpful for us witches who have issues with energy regulation and fatigue.

There are also countless ways you can cast spells with a computer as your tool. Some witches use social media likes and sharing to charge and cast their spells. Others use emojis to symbolize their intent. I’ve personally used my desktop background as a symbol with the intention that the spell will charge whenever I look at it. If you’re into writing magick, you can type up a quick incantation and activate it either by saving or deleting the document. If you’ve got witchy friends, you can cast and charge by messaging each other.

There are even more ideas out there that I haven’t listed. Get creative. Take a look at the built-in abilities of your device and figure out how you can harness them to focus your magick.

~

3. Digital Divination

I am, above all else, a tarot witch. I was unintentionally doing digital witchcraft long before calling myself a witch when my teenage self started using a website that gave free computer-generated tarot and rune readings. It was how I first started learning the meanings of the cards and where I first connected to tarot as a divination system.

Years later, I still take advantage of free online readings from time to time. This is especially true for moon phase readings — I can never guarantee that I’ll have the focus and motivation needed to clear off my desk, get out a deck and tarot journal, and do a full spread. Using computer-generated readings and typing my interpretations is a lot easier sometimes, particularly on days where my depression is strong.

There are plenty of other ways to use technology as a divination tool. You can use random word or writing generators for insight. Your digital music library is all you need for shufflemancy (the practice of using shuffled songs for divination). Word processors are ideal for quick-paced automatic writing sessions. Get creative and see what you can come up with.

~

4. Digital Worship

For those witchcraft practitioners who work with deities, there are plenty of ways to honor and interact with them using technology. The number one method I’ve found is the use of e-shrines. If you don’t have the space or you’re unable to be open with your practice, e-shrines are a great alternative to physical altars. All you need is a digital space where you can leave prayers and offerings.

Any social media site can house an e-shrine, but my personal favorite is Pinterest. I have an entire board dedicated to the deities I work with where each deity is given their own section. You can put anything you want on your shrine — I personally save any quotes, photos, and artwork that remind me of them. Your deities will appreciate the time you put into collecting such posts. An e-shrine also serves as a space where you can go to connect with your deities by reading or viewing things that remind you of their energy.

I know that looking at others’ elaborate methods of practice can lead to frustration and self-comparison. Even though I’ve gotten better at embracing my own unique way of making magick, I still often feel a pang of envy or inadequacy when I see those gorgeous Instagram altars packed with massive crystals, expensive tarot decks, and bundles of herbs and flowers. I sometimes worry that my magick won’t be as effective without all the traditional tools.

~

But the most important lesson I’ve seen and learned since beginning my practice is this: there is only one absolute essential you will ever need in witchcraft and that is you. Your magick comes from within. Any tools that you use in the process are simply there to help you focus your intention. That means that there’s no shame in using whatever options are available to you. If you want that added focus and your computer or your phone is all that you can or want to use, go for it. I promise your magick will be just as powerful and beautiful.