SELF-REFLECTION SPREAD

Early Summer Morning by Mikhail Kornilov

25 Tarot Books You MUST Read If You Want To Grow Your Tarot Skills! By THERESA REED.

Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom: A Book of Tarot by Rachel Pollack – deep and rich with information, no list is complete without this book.  If I did have to pick a favorite, this may be it.

Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners by Joan Bunning – based on her online course, this book will get any tarot newbie reading the tarot proficiently in no time.

Mary K. Greer’s 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card by Mary Greer – novel ideas to expand your tarot skills.

The Complete Book of Tarot Reversals (Special Topics in Tarot Series) by Mary Greer – I’m a fan of reversals (they are not mandatory by the way) and this is THE book for those of us who choose to read upside down.  (Honorable mention:  Joan Bunning also has a good book on reversals, Learning Tarot Reversals )

The Complete Tarot Reader: Everything You Need to Know from Start to Finish by Teresa Michaelson – this book has a massive amount of information – it’s like a little encyclopedia

Tarot Masterclass by Paul Fenton-Smith – this book is rarely mentioned but I think it is pure genius.  Not just a tarot primer but also a great section on being a professional tarot reader.  (Honorable mention: Fenton-Smith also has a great beginner’s book, The Tarot Revealed: A Beginner’s Guide )

The Tarot Handbook: Practical Applications of Ancient Visual Symbols by Angeles Arrien – featuring the Thoth deck, this book will help you to understand tarot clearly – even if you do not read with the Thoth deck

The Way of Tarot: The Spiritual Teacher in the Cards by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Marianne Costa – This profound book gets super deep with the Marseille deck.  How I wish I would have had this book when I first started out!

Tarot Plain and Simple by Anthony Louis – loads of interpretations and a slant towards  beginners, this is the book I recommend to all my students

Understanding the Tarot Court (Special Topics in Tarot Series) by Mary Greer – face it, the Court cards are one of the hardest suits for any tarotist to master.  Greer spells it all out with clarity.  LOVE this one.

Tarot: A New Handbook for the Apprentice, Classic Ed (Connolly Tarot) by Eileen Connolly – this is the first tarot book I ever got my hands on.  It’s still a treasured favorite.  Some might be put off by her Christian undertones but I find the interpretations to be pure gold.  I love all of her works.

SuperTarot: New Techniques for Improving Your Tarot Reading by Sasha Fenton – although this is out of print, it is worth searching for a copy. The techniques contained within will help you expand your tarot skills.

The Secret Language of Tarot by Ruth Ann and Wald Amberstone – a fantastic book detailing the symbols in the tarot cards.

Tarot for Life: Reading the Cards for Everyday Guidance and Growth by Paul Quinn – A modern book with real life examples of tarot readings, this one will help you bring your readings to life.

Best Tarot Practices: Everything You Need to Know to Learn the Tarot by Marcia Masino – another great book that tends to be overlooked, this one has novel exercises and good advice on reading tarot professionally.

Tarot: Your Everyday Guide by Janina Renee – this book focuses on using tarot for dispensing advice.

Beyond the Celtic Cross: Secret Techniques for Taking Tarot to an Exciting New Level by Paul Hughes Barlow and Catherine Chapman – a very different approach to tarot – card counting and elemental dignities explained in a conversational format.

Rachel Pollack’s Tarot Wisdom: Spiritual Teachings and Deeper Meanings by Rachel Pollack – once again, Pollack delivers an impeccable and thought provoking book with new insights for the modern tarot reader.

Classic Tarot Spreads by Sandor Konraad – I’ve had this book for years and learned many a good spread from it.  (Honorable mentions:  Learning Tarot Spreads by Joan Bunning and Tarot Spreads and Layouts A User’s Manual For Beginning and Intermediate Readers by Jeanne Fiorini)

The Spoken Cabala: Tarot Explorations of the One Self by Jason Lotterhand – based on the Thursday night talks from Lotterhand, this book will give you some insight into the Kabbalah and how it relates to tarot.  (Honorable mentions:  Tarot and the Tree of Life: Finding Everyday Wisdom in the Minor Arcana by Isabel Radow Kliegman for a glimpse on how Kabbalah weaves through the Minor Arcana plus The Tarot Workbook: Understanding and Using Tarot Symbolism by Emily Peach which is a great Kabbalah/tarot primer for beginners)

Tarot Decoded: Understanding and Using Dignities and Correspondences by Elizabeth Hazel – every single dignity and correspondence you can imagine is featured here.

Who Are You in the Tarot?: Discover Your Birth and Year Cards and Uncover Your Destiny by Mary Greer – this is a fantastic book that gives deep insights on your personality, life and journey based on your “birth card”.

Tarot for Beginners: A Practical Guide to Reading the Cards by Barbara Moore – the easiest beginner book out there, this one will appeal to absolute newbies and those who are really sure they can’t “get it”.  Moore shows you that you CAN.

Tarot 101: Mastering the Art of Reading the Cards by Kim Huggens – excellent exercises, good reading list suggestions and a unique format make this book one you cannot miss.  Good for all levels.

Tarosophy : Tarot to Engage Life, Not Escape it by Marcus Katz – Hip and modern, full of useful information and exercises – plus it has stuff for all levels (beginner, intermediate and advanced).  It’s a very intellectual book – this is no “tarot for dummies”.

Tips For Working With Demons

Here are some tips and general advice for working with demons and spirits. I'll probably add more to this list as things come to mind.

• These are individuals, people like you and me. Many of them have had human incarnations here on Earth. They understand your struggle and have their own issues and emotions as well. They have favorite things, best friends, family, and feelings. They are powerful, yes, but should also be treated with love and respect.

• They can and will speak to you. If you possess psychic abilities you may be able to channel some or all demons. People often ask how to tell the difference between the voice of a spirit, or an internal voice or hallucination. Spirit will never speak over you, interupt your ability to think freely, or control your mind. They simply speak, if you're willing to listen. They may also manifest physically, move objects, visit your dreams, send you signs, they have many ways to get their point across.

• Do not stress over time. If you haven't spoken to or left an offering to your patron demon in a few weeks because you've been depressed or busy, this is fine. Spirits do not experience time as we do and your absence is little more than a blink of an eye to them.

• Get creative with your offerings. King Paimon loves chocolate, Bune loves fancy perfume, Lucifer fancies himself some whiskey. You may wonder how offerings help demons, since they lack a mortal body. All physical beings possess a spirit and as such, all physical objects possess an essence. This essence can be absorbed by a spirit to allow them to taste/experience the offering. This gives them energy as well. Fun fact: once the essence of a consumable offering is taken it will be dull and tasteless. Try it sometime.

• Remember to say "thank you". Show appreciation and gratitude to any demons that lend their time and power to enhance your life. This is a team effort and no one likes to be used. Friendship and growth should be your top priorities when working with spiritual entities.

• Go ahead and draw that sigil badly. It's ok to only give a tiny drop of blood. Demons are far from perfect and do not expect perfection from you. Your effort and intention is what matters most.

• Stay away from Solomonic or Abrahamic methods that aim to control or trap demons. This is not likely to end well for you and it is a huge betrayal to the trust of a powerful cosmic being. If you are afraid of the interaction, there are many other forms of personal protection you can employ.

• Chances are there is a demon or spirit that resonates with you. Don't get discouraged if your first several attempts don't spark a connection. Read up on different entities and mediatate to find where you should try next.

• Let go of your preconceived expectations. Demons are not going to just make you rich, successful, or smart. These things are the result of forming strong bonds of power and raising one's consciousness. Often times you won't get what you want, but what you need instead. Spirits can see the bigger picture of who we are, our capabilities, and our soul's path. Trust their vision.

You don't need a patron deity for your practice to be valid, nor for you to be worthy of a deity's time and attention.

Dreamy

Herbs I Wish Grew in My Backyard (and Why)

If I could plant a little garden of magic, these are the herbs I’d want growing wild and free — each one carrying a secret spell in its leaves.

• Lavender — for peace, sleep, and soft dreams woven into the air

• Rosemary — for memory, protection, and cooking with a little bit of magic

• Chamomile — for calming storms inside my chest

• Thyme — for courage when the world feels too loud

• Mint — for energy, healing, and sweetening every breath

• Mugwort — for vivid dreams and wandering through them safely

• Basil — for luck, prosperity, and the feeling of being cared for

• Lemon Balm — for joy, gentleness, and mending what is frayed

• Rue — for strong protection, old-world magic, and standing tall

• Yarrow — for healing wounds you can’t even see

• Vervain — for drawing love, inspiration, and secret strength

A backyard not just full of green things — but of whispered spells, stitched into the roots.

Masterlist | linktree | Patreon

Designed to help you investigate deep emotional struggles and learn why you feel the way that you do.  1. The Issue This card represents the topic of the reading. It can represent the individual the reading is for, or the specific problem you are trying to understand.  2. The Struggle This card represents the thing that is your most immediate obstacle. 

The center six cards examine the things within you that impact card one. We could say that we’re looking at your hopes and fears, the factors that determine how you feel about your situation. The row is chronological from left to right, with present day in the middle.

Top Row. External The upper row is representative of lighter aspects of the psyche. This is the face you show others, and what you are consciously, externally aware of.  Bottom Row. Internal The bottom row is the shadow aspect, your hidden fears, the feelings you wont acknowledge to yourself.

Bottom of Cut. Outcome I use the bottom card on the deck or the bottom card of the cut, depending how I deal, as the destination or outcome card. This tells us how you can expect things to “shake out”, if you continue the current course. You can see the spread in action here using the Klimt Tarot deck.

Tarot Tips

Care and Keeping of Your Cards

Bonding: Carry with you, spend time with each card, meditate with them, do an interview spread, understand your deck's strengths and weaknesses.

Cleansing: Use crystals, sun/moon light, sage/smudging, meditation, salt, and reset shuffles to cleanse and charge your deck.

Respect: Store cards in a cloth, box, or bag in a safe place. Respect and listen to your cards, learn their language, feel their soul.

Birth/Soul Cards

Your birth card represents who you are and what you entered this life to learn. It can be determined by adding together all the digits of your birth date (the same as calculating your life path number in numerology).

Example: June 17, 1994(06/17/1994)- 0+6+1+7+1+9+9+4=37, 3+7=10 making the birth card the Wheel of Fortune.

Yes or No Questions

Yes cards:

• Any card not listed below

No cards:

• The Moon

• The Tower

• The Devil

• Death

• 5 of Pentacles

• 5, 7, and 8 of Cups

• 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and Knight of Swords

Neutral/maybe cards:

• The Hanged Man

• The Hermit

• 4 of Cups

• 4 of Swords

Exceptions:

• 2 of Swords/10 of Wands- the answer is not yet known

• 5 and 7 of Wands- the answer is yes, but you must fight for your prize

*Always look at the card's meaning for more context.

Two Card Pulls

• Do/don't

• Life/death

• Problem/solution

• Now/later

• Logic/emotion

• Yes/no

• Internal/external

• Past/future

• Growth/stagnation

• Love/hate

• Found/lost

• Flaws/strengths

• Dark/light

• Conscious/subconscious

• Stay/leave

• Give/take

• Creation/destruction

Three Card Spreads

• Past/present/future

• Mind/body/spirit

• Stop/start/continue

• Problem/lesson/advice

• You/them/the relationship

• Opportunity/challenge/outcome

• You/path/potential

Divination Tricks

For a situation that is not going your way: Find the Wheel of Fortune in your deck, the two cards on either side of it may present a solution to your problem.

To bring money: Pull the 1st, 5th, 10th, 20th, and 50th cards in your deck. They will tell you how to increase your wealth.

To find the root of a romantic conflict: Find the Lovers, the cards on either side are issues affecting the relationship.

To heal from sadness: Find the Moon and the Sun, the cards in between are the steps you must take.

To look to the near future: Find your birth/soul card, the first card underneath it is what's coming soon.

To know what you must do to care for yourself: Look for the Empress and consider the card behind her.

To find the cause of stagnation: Look for the Hanged Man, the card under him is what's holding you back, the card in front of him shows how to overcome it.

To help stop a conflict: Find the 5 of Wands, the card behind it will reveal the solution.

As may is mental health awareness month, I just wanted to say:

Being mentally ill doesn’t make you a bad worshipper.

Breaks are ok. Taking a step back is ok. Having a hard time giving offerings is ok. Not being able to pray every day is ok. You are ok as you are, and the gods will understand <3

Automatic Writing

Automatic writing is a form of divination, taking words from the subconscious mind, and translating them onto paper. It is not just a form of divination, but a common method of receiving messages from spirits and other entities. From this it gets its other name: 'spirit writing'. When you do this you are effectively asking a spirit to possess your hand in order to communicate. In the practice of spiritualism spirits are said to take control of the hand to write messages, draw pictures and symbols, write letters, or even entire books.

Many will point out how similar automatic writing is to a talking (ouija) board. It is quite similar in the sense of using spelled-out messages as a means of communication. If you plan to contact entities have protections in place and do a cleansing, just as you would for a talking board session. Anything you call on, you must be prepared to banish.

Automatic writing is typically done on paper with pencil/pen/crayon/paint/etc. But, some people do actually use the notes application on their phone or a laptop keyboard as their medium. There are different ways to practice automatic writing, but they are all capable of achieving results.

Automatic Writing With Spirits

• It shouldn't matter what you're writing on, it could be a designated journal, notebook, or copy paper, or on the ground with chalk. Just make sure spirit has enough room.

• You should practice a fair amount of meditation before hand and be capable of entering a 'trance state' to allow spirit to clearly communicate.

• When you reach a trance state let the spirit know they are welcome to use your hand to write. Don't focus on what the spirit is writing or the letters your hand is shaping, concentrate instead on the meditation and your connection to spirit.

• When you are satisfied that they got their message through, open your eyes and scan the paper for letters, words, symbols, images, etc.

Automatic Writing Divination

• Meditate on what you want to know for a few minutes and then begin your writing. You may also keep your eyes open and jot down any words that come to mind immediately.

• You may cross out anything that doesn't make sense to decipher a clearer message.

It's important to remember that automatic writing gets clearer with practice. Your first several tries may yield little to no results. Patience will pay off and it can become a reliable form of divination and spirit communication and is a powerful addition to any craft.