My Tarot Journey @ginger-learning-tarot - Tumblr Blog

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!

starryandthetarot

Tweaked the shorthand system I use for recording tarot,

I will say I can't claim credit for all of the symbols here, some of these I did yoink from other examples people made

inthefallofasparrow

Knight of Swords

teathattast

tarot card reading except i just make "ooo" "ah" and "wow" sounds the whole time instead of telling you what the cards mean

claerels-grimoire

How to use Moon Water ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Put it in humidifier/diffuser to cleanse your room

Water your plants with it

Use it to clean

Drink it (only if your tap water is clean! Search up water purity in your city on google to check! If not, make some moon water with distilled water to drink it!)

Add it to a bath

Cleanse your crystals (not all are water safe, so if you want to cleanse a crystal with moon water without having to put it in, i find just putting it next to the jar is good too)

Write sigils with it (good for witches in the broom closet)

Put in a spray bottle and spritz yourself with it

Sprinkle, spray, or trace it along anything that needs extra protection or love.

Add it to baking

Add to watercolor

Use in spells!

escuerzoresucitado

kitchenwitchtingss-deactivated2

BEST WITCHY BOOKS FOR THE BEGINNER WITCH

Buckland’s Complete Book Of Witchcraft - This book is a most have in every Wiccan’s (If you are) collection because of how informative it is. I highly recommend this book to really every witch who hasn’t read it yet.

The Modern Guide to Witchcraft: Your Complete Guide to Witches, Covens, and Spells - This book is a nice add to a baby witches collection, for how simple of a read it is. Not to mention how aesthetically pleasing it is.

Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner - This book is also a very nice read, it has a perfect amount of information where you wont get information overload too quickly. Its unbiased and offers a great first start to starting the craft.

Wicca: by Harmony Nice - If you are a complete newbie to Wicca or the craft, then this is the book for you. This book is easy to swallow, and offers easy to understand information for newbies without being too difficult to process.

Of Witchcraft and whimsy - I think this is the book for newbies who want to seek the more modern practices of witchcraft. This is a book that focuses more on the craft than Wicca itself. It is also complete with plenty of unique and fun spells perfect for beginner level.

Pastel Spells - A perfect book for newbies looking to try out spells of all types at a beginner level.

The Green Witch - Perfect for a beginning green witch, this book is complete with all the basics of Green magick complete with the correspondences of herbs and food, recipes, and basic practices and morals of a green witch.

Spellcrafting: Strengthen the Power of Your Craft by Creating and Casting Your Own Unique Spells - Perfect for a new witch looking to formulate their own unique spells.

The Modern Herbal Dispensatory: A Medicine-Making Guide - Perfect for new witches looking to expand their knowledge on herbalism.

The Modern Witchcraft Guide to Magickal Herbs: Your Complete Guide to the Hidden Powers of Herbs - Beautifully illustrated guide to herbs and their magickal properties.

The Witch’s Herbal Apothecary:Rituals & Recipes for a Year of Earth Magick and Sacred Medicine Making - Perfect for the beginning witch interested in herbalism, ands its all around a pretty little book.

I love you all! My DMs, mail, and comments are always open!

xoxo, Angel

heatherwitch

Rejuvenating Witchcraft

Things to help you move on and recover from a long day, a rough night or a good cry.

Spells and magic:

Simple all purpose recovery spell

Rose quartz healing tears spell

Simple self love spell

Ease the pain spell

Here comes the sun spell

Bath magic / Self love bath / Shower ritual

Cleansing ritual body scrub

Quick pick me up glamour

Sunrise magic

Things to make:

Self care sachet

Self love and healing spell bottle

Inspired healing bottle

Self love jar

To move forward:

I move on sigil

A simple moving on spell

Clarity spell

Old habits begone spell

Spell for reassurance

Little things to do:

Surround yourself with crystals like rose quartz, carnelian, amethyst, rhodonite, citrine, pyrite and more!

Use rose water or honey to sweeten up your day.

Fairy like habits and self care

Witchy thing to do right now

Magical self care

Self care magic

Witch self care tips

What to do if witchcraft drains you

Drinks:

Cocoa comforting recipe

A warm heart tea recipe*

Healing heart tea*

Self love potion

Odds and ends:

The new you tarot spread (3 card)

Moving forward tarot spread (5 card)

Magics for heartbreak

Witchcraft for the grieving

Gentle witchcraft

*Please research herb safety before using!

dissociationdays

Grounding

WHAT IS GROUNDING?

Grounding is a set of simple strategies to detach from emotional pain for example (cravings, self harm urges, emotional eating behaviour etc.) Grounding can also be a way of returning your attention to the outside world and away from yourself. In the case of dissociation.

WHY PRACTICE GROUNDING TECHNIQUES?

When you are overwhelmed with emotional pain, you need a way to detach so that you can gain control over your feelings and stay safe. As long as you are grounding, you are more likely to be able to overcome urges. Grounding ‘anchors’ you to reality.

Many people with PTSD and dissociative disorders struggle with either feeling too much (overwhelming emotions and memories) or too little (numbing and dissociation). In grounding, you attain balance between the two—conscious of reality and ability to tolerate it.

GUIDELINES:

§ Grounding can be done any time, anywhere and no one has to know.

· § Use grounding when you are: faced with a trigger, having a flashback or dissociating.

· § Keep your eyes open, look around the room, and make sure the light is good to stay in touch with the present.

· § Rate your mood before and after to test whether it worked. Before grounding, rate your level of

· § emotional pain, or your level of dissociation. Then re-rate it afterwards. Has it gone down?

· Try not to make judgements or think negatively. The idea is to distract from the negatives.

· § Stay neutral—no judgments of good or bad.

· § Focus on the present, not the past or future.

· § Grounding is much more active than relaxation exercises and focuses your attention.

Grounding is deemed to be a better way of coping with PTSD and dissociative disorders than relaxation practice. As during relaxation the focus is too much within the body, which at the worst may bring on flashbacks.

WAYS TO GROUND

MENTAL GROUNDING

o ♣ Describe to yourself in detail your surroundings: For example “The walls are white, there are three pink chairs and a blue sofa. There is a picture of a brown border collie on the wall with a gold frame around it.” You can do this out loud if appropriate, or in your head if you are in public.

o ♣ Play a game like “Scattergories” in your head or with a friend or family member. Choose a letter of the alphabet and try and come up with as many examples of a category you choose as you can. For example C … Boys names: Christopher, Curtis, Carl, Charles etc.

o ♣ Do an age progression. IThis can be particularly useful if you have dissociated or regressed to a younger alter or state. For example in my experiences I have an alter who is three. So I might say… Now I am four, I am at home with Mummy and Daddy and I can do (an example of an age appropriate activity) alone. Work your way up until you are back to your current age. This may not always work for little alters, but can help.

o ♣ Describe an everyday activity in great detail. For example if you like gardening “I open the shed door and pull out the lawn mower, I connect it to a power supply and climb on. I turn the key and put it into drive….”

o ♣ Imagine. For example make up a nice little story in your head, or out loud. “I am putting some roller skates on, and I am slowly gliding away from all my emotional suffering down a beautiful smooth lane, having fun listening to my favourite music LOUD!”

o ♣ Say a safety statement. ‘My name is _________; I am safe right now. I am in the present, not the past. I am in _____________ the date is _____________.

· ♣ Read something, saying each word to yourself. Or read each letter backwards so that you focus or the letters and not on the meaning of words.

· ♣ Use humour: For example have a “Funny Memory Bank” where you store up your favourite witty moments for those detached, rainy days.

· ♣ Count to 100 or say the alphabet very slowly or very fast.

· ♣ Repeat something meaningful to yourself, such as a prayer or quote. For example you could use the Serenity Prayer.

PHYSICAL GROUNDING

û Run cool or warm water over your hands.

û Grab tightly onto your chair as hard as you can.

· û Touch various objects around you: a pen. keys, your clothing, the table, the walls. Pay close attention to colours, weights, textures etc.

· û Firmly stamp your feet on the floor, literally grounding yourself. Feel the tension of your feet against the pressure of the floor.

· û Carry a ground object in your pocket—a small object such as a rock, stone, crystal, bead, piece of string or cloth, or a stress ball that you can touch whenever you feel triggered.

· û Jump up and down.

· û Stretch reach upwards and pull yourself tall. Extend your arms, legs, fingers and toes.

· û Walk slowly, noticing each footstep.

· û Eat something yummy. Notice the flavours, textures and feelings that come up for you.

SOOTHING GROUNDING

· ♥ Use Cheerleading statements, as if you were talking to a small child. For example “You are having a difficult time adjusting to these chanes, but you are doing so well. You should be proud of yourself.”

· ♥ Think of favorites. Think of your favorite color, animal, season, food, time of day, TV show.

· ♥ Picture people you care about. Even get a photobook made of positive pictures or pictures of people you love! Such a simple nice way to ground, and you can get A4 photo books at the moment from GroupOn for under £7!! (I in no way endorse them I just thought it was a good offer!)

· ♥ Remember the words to an inspiring song, quotation or poem that you like or feel positively about. Maybe write out the words and decorate it for your wall.

· ♥ Remember a safe place. Describe a place that you find very soothing it could be when you went on holiday to the beach, or walking in the woods. Or just a time you felt safe and peaceful at home in your living room or in bed.

· ♥ Plan out a safe treat for yourself, such as a trip to a coffee shop with a friend, making a nice dinner or a bath with some nice toiletries or candles if you feel safe to use them

· ♥ Think of things you are looking forward to in the next week. Perhaps schedule your time so you build some structure for chores and pleasurable activities. It can help to know what you are doing and also not just sit at home with nothing to do. This can cause difficulties.

WHAT IF GROUNDING DOESN’T WORK?

♠ Practice as often as possible. Even when you don’t feel overwhelmed or dissociative. This way it will come more naturally to you when you are struggling.

♠ Practice faster. Speeding up the pace gets you focused on the outside world quickly. ♠ Try grounding for a Ioooong time 20 mins at least, and then repeat !! ♠ Try to notice whether you do better with physical or mental or soothing grounding.

♠ Create your own methods of grounding. Any method you make up may be worth much more than those you read here because it is yours.

♠ Start grounding early in a negative mood cycle. Start when you begin to feel the early warning signs of dissociation or when you have just started having a flashback.

sillypapermango

One of my favorites is using something frozen. Like if I drive longer then 10 minutes I have to have a frozen bottle of water to hold onto. It’ll keep me in the moment. If I’m shopping with mom (can’t go alone) I’ll use whatever frozen object she plans on buying if I need it.y therapist taught me this so I could drive more and it has helped so much

lokinewbiewitchy

Thank you for writing all this for us, OP! It’s very helpful.

theprojectpile

This is so important thank you!!! I struggle with cptsd and dissociation etc, but it’s also important to ground before doing anything magical!!

jacethewitch

What to Ask Tarot

I find that broad, open ended questions work best when consulting a tarot reader, or when you want more than just yes or no. (If you’re reading for yourself and you’re only looking for a simple yes/no answer, then you do you!) As a tarot reader, I find it easier to guide my clients when they ask open ended questions. For example…

Don’t ask “Is he/she/they interested in me?” Ask:

“How should I express my interest?”

“What can I do to attract people that would be romantically interested in me?”

“What is holding me back from finding someone?”

“What do I need to change to find The One?”

Don’t ask “Will I get the job/promotion/award?” Ask:

“How can I make myself stand out as deserving of the promotion?”

“What qualities should I work on to make myself a better job applicant?”

“Where can I improve?”

Don’t ask “Is life going to get better?” (Yes!) Ask:

“What do I need to change to make my life better?”

“Why am I unable to move forward?”

“How can I move past what’s holding me back?”

Don’t ask “Should I leave my partner?” Ask:

“How can I find the problem in my relationship?”

“What do I need to do to overcome this problem?”

“What issue am I refusing to face?”

“How do I achieve a healthy relationship?”

Don’t ask “Will I do well in school?” Ask:

“How can I achieve my goals?”

“What pitfalls might I run into?”

Don’t ask “Should I choose A or B?” Ask:

“What are the risks of each option?”

“What are the benefits of each option?”

“Are there unexpected side effects I should look out for?”

“How do I be confident in my decision?”

Don’t ask “Are my partner and I compatible?” Ask:

“What can I do to work through our differences?”

“Where am I willing to sacrifice and where am I not?”

“What, if any, tension can I expect due to our differences?”

These questions can be tweaked to fit your specific situation! When I’m asked yes/no questions, I try and answer them. But I also elaborate using the alternative questions to provide a more helpful answer so clients can ultimately make their own decisions.

If you don’t know the best questions to ask, you can always just describe your problem and let your tarot reader handle the rest. If you’re reading for yourself, explore different aspects of your problem and see if you can turn it into a what/how/why question.

I do Pay What You Can tarot readings!

enby-witchbitch

“No one who believes in God would do magic.”

Buddy, wait till you hear bout Jesus.

ohthewitchery-blog

Samhain Renewal Spell 🎃✨🔮

Samhain is often remembered for its association with the thinning veil, ancestor work, and the movement of the world into the darker half of the year. However, it’s also been known as the Witch’s New Year! For this Samhain, I wanted to craft a simple New Year’s type spell to banish what I don’t wish to carry with me anymore in this next year.

Needed ✨ Writing implement of choice ✨ Paper ✨ Candle ✨ Fire ✨ Fireproof/fire safe bowl or container (to hold the burning paper)

Write all the things you don’t want to carry into the next year (or things you wish to banish!) on a piece of paper.

Light the candle and say (or think, or sing, or whatever you like) as it burns:

“Samhain is here and cold is the earth, As we celebrate death, life, and rebirth. As the Wheel keeps turning on, Some things we keep, others- gone. To move forward in life, I look to the past, And what no longer serves me, out I cast.”

After you’ve meditated on these things and you feel ready to part with them, burn the paper. Meditate on the knowledge that you now have set the intention to move away from whatever you’ve banished and that you have the freedom to move forward with your life! The intention is set and in motion for you. Blow out the candle when you’re ready and have yourself a happy Samhain! ✨