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”.
Once you have your sigil all charged up, and filled with your intent all there is left to do is to cast it into the universe to gain what you want, and desire. This casting into the universe can be done in two ways actively, or passively. Both of these ways have their own benefits, and setbacks, but it is important to determine which way you should activate certain types of sigils, because it changes the way the energy is released into the universe, and allowed to manifest. So we will be taking a look at both these activation styles, and when they would be most effective to use over the other one.
Active Sigil Activation:
In active sigil activation the energy is usually released all at once, or in a very immediate fashion. This is usually done through the means of destroying the sigil to allow all its energy to manifest at once. This type of activation is good for sigils that only have to be used once, or in a single situation. Sigils I would use in this activation method would be sigils for banishing, exorcising, purifying, cleansing, manifesting, summoning spirits, removing negative energy, removing spiritual blockages, removing emotional blockages, and one off curses, among many others.
Ways to activate active sigils:
Putting the sigil on a piece of paper, and burning it in fire
Putting the sigil on a piece of paper, and submerging it in water until it dissolves.
Putting the sigil on a piece of paper, and ripping the paper in half.
Drawing the sigil in to the sand at the beach, and letting the sea wash it away.
Drawing the sigil in the air with your energy, and pushing through it in order to destroy it.
Making the sigil out of dust, or powder, and then blowing it away to destroy it.
Making the sigil in your mind, and then imagining it being destroyed to activate it.
Putting the sigil on food then eating it.
Drawing the sigil on a firework, and then set it off.
Drawing the sigil on a balloon, and then pop it.
Drawing the sigil on your body, and then wash it away.
Singing the sigil out loud for all to hear.
playing a music, or an audio sigil out loud for all to hear.
and much more…
Passive Sigil Activation:
In passive sigil activation the energy is usually released overtime through a very moderate, and controlled fashion. This is done through the means of charging a sigil, and keeping the sigil around with you, or in the area where the energy is needed for it to continuously produce its energy. This type of activation is good for sigils that are needed to continuously affect the world around them. Sigils I would use in this activation method would be sigils for protection, luck, empowerment, healing, psychic abilities, transformation, attracting energy, retaining energy, changing, and continuous curses, among many others.
Ways to activate Passive Sigils:
Putting the sigil on a piece of paper.
Drawing the sigil on your body.
Carving sigils into a candle, and lighting the candle.
Carving sigils into soap, and washing your body with the soap.
Making a sigil amulet.
Writing the sigils upon stone.
Placing the sigil as your computer, or phone background.
Posting an image of the sigil online.
and much more…
Anything can be an altar — and you don’t necessarily need one to communicate with the Gods. If you choose to have one, it should come from love and affection for the deity, from a genuine desire to honor them.
You can use pictures, statues, or simply items that represent the deity. It’s usually placed in a quiet spot in your home, somewhere that makes you feel calm and safe.
my masterposts always blow up and i have fun making them, so lets go for round three boys. tried to mix this one up by adding in pdf books, videos and non-tumblr links.
GENERAL
Divination Intro
Common Types of Divination
‘Divination for Beginners’ by Scott Cunningham (PDF book)
‘The Complete Guide To Psychic Development’ by Cassandra Eason (PDF book)
TAROT
Tarot for Beginners
Tarot Myths
All About Tarot Cards (youtube video)
Rider Waite Tarot Cheat Sheets
Tips For Learning Tarot
Bonding With Tarot Decks
Interviewing Your Deck
How To Break in a New Tarot Deck
How To Shuffle and Draw Tarot Cards
Cleansing the Cards
How to Cleanse Your Cards After Someone Touches Them
How To Read Tarot Cards When You Don’t Know Shit
What To Ask Tarot
How I Turned Pro with Tarot Readings
Things To Consider in a Tarot Reading
Stop Learning Tarot Like Flash Cards
What Makes a Reading Good?
Tarot As Your Best Friend: a Simple Guide
When To Put the Cards Down
8 Tarot Card Layouts for Every Sabbat (youtube video)
PENDULUMS
Pendulums 101
Pendulums
MC’s Guidebook: Pendulums
How To Use a Pendulum
Pendulum Tips
Types of Pendulums and Uses
Pendulum Tip
‘The Art of the Pendulum’ by Cassandra Eason (PDF book)
RUNES
An Introduction to Runes
Using Runes
Rune Stones, The Basics (youtube video)
The ‘Elder Futhark’ Runic Alphabet
‘Elder Futhark’ Simplified for Beginners
Rune Resources
How To Use Rune Stones (not a tumblr link)
Runes in Modern Magic (not a tumblr link)
Introduction to Bind Runes (not a tumblr link)
DIY Cheap Runes
Sea Witch Runes
NUMEROLOGY
Numerology 101
Numerology: Calculating Your Life Lesson Number
Name Numerology
Numerology (not a tumblr link)
Angel Numbers
Angel Numbers Simplified
TASSEOGRAPHY (TASSEOMANCY; TEA LEAF READING)
How To Read Tea Leaves (youtube video)
Tasseography
Tasseomancy
Tasseomancy (Visual Notes)
A Beginner’s Guide To Tea Leaf Reading
Simple Shapes To Look for in Tea Leaf Reading
Tea Leaf Symbols and Their Meanings
SCRYING
Scrying 101
Scrying (Witchcraft 101)
Beginner’s Guide To Scrying
Interpreting Scrying and Visions
How To Use a Crystal Ball (youtube video)
Water Scrying
Water Scrying
Water Scrying Basics
Bubblebath Scrying
Sea Scrying
Full Moon Water Scrying
Ink Scrying
Candle Wax Scrying
Leaf Scrying
DIY Scrying Ball
PYROMANCY
A Basic Introduction to Pyromancy
Pyromancy
Reading Candles for Yes or No Questions
How To Read Candle Flames
Candle Flame Meanings
Smoke Meanings
Lychnomancy
Fire Divination Spell
UNCONVENTIONAL DIVINATION
Cartomancy Intro (Part 1, Part 2)
Divining with Scrabble Tiles
‘Magic Word’ Bibliomancy
Pokemon Divination (My Meanings)
How to do a Shufflemancy Reading
Bone Divination (Osteomancy)
Artist’s Divination
Aeromancy
EXTRA HELPFUL BITS N BOBS
Void Salts
Ouija Boards
Psychic Exercises
Poem for Divination
Divination Drinks: Teas To Aid In Divining
Divination and Working With Deities
“My Divining Skills Are Always Improving” Sigil
Recharge After Readings
Types of People - Divination
I am happy to present my own Wamily’s version of finding your signifier card using a Tarot deck. (Wamily, just in case you don’t know, is a witch family.)
Please keep in mind that this is a practice passed down and developed by a handful of witches related to me, and isn’t the process that every cartomancer uses. I hope this helps you on your witchcraft journey!
My own signifier card was found when I was a wee little witch. I chose the Chariot (which, if you know me personally, is Salt through and through.) My strengths and limitations are very much found in this card and I am drawn to its imagery indefinitely.
Comment with your signifier card once you find it! I am excited to see what you receive.
Easy Curses for Beginners
Here are some simple yet unusual curses for beginners. These curses are low-energy, easy to perform, and require minimal tools. They are subtle and perfect for those just starting their baneful practice, but still pack a punch. Always be mindful of your intentions—curses can carry karmic or energetic consequences. Always start the curse process by protecting yourself and end it by cleansing yourself. Remember to do your own research before using baneful magick.
Causes a person’s luck, relationships, or finances to decay over time.
Needed:
• A piece of fruit (apple, orange, etc.)
• A slip of paper
• A black pen
• A dark place (cupboard, drawer, or under the bed)
Instructions:
Write the target’s name on the paper. Place the paper inside or beneath the fruit. Hold the fruit and focus on your intent—imagine the person’s life slowly rotting just like the fruit will. Place the fruit in a hidden, dark place and leave it to decay. Once fully rotted, dispose of it far from your home.
Traps a person in misfortune, confusion, or stagnation. The target experiences obstacles, delays, and problems that keep them from progressing in life.
Needed:
• A piece of black thread or string (12 inches long)
• Your voice and breath
Instructions:
Hold the string in your hands and focus on the target. With each knot you tie, say a phrase like:
• "With this knot, I trap your fate."
• "With this tie, your plans fall apart."
Tie nine knots while envisioning the person becoming stuck, unable to move forward in life. Hide or bury the thread somewhere secret.
Makes a person’s words return to them, causing gossipers or liars to suffer their own consequences. Their own words work against them—exposing their lies, making people distrust them, or causing them to face social backlash.
Needed:
• A mirror (small handheld one works best)
• A marker or lipstick
• The person’s name (or just "liar," "gossip," etc.)
Instructions:
Write their name (or a word representing their offense) on the mirror. Hold the mirror and say:
"What you say returns to you, every lie and every word untrue."
Place the mirror facing a wall or inside a dark drawer, so their energy is reflected back to them.
Causes a person’s stability to fall apart—relationships, money, confidence, or mental clarity. The target experiences instability, whether emotional, financial, or personal.
Needed:
• A raw egg
• A marker
• A place to smash the egg (outside, near their path, or a trash bin)
Instructions:
Write the person’s name on the egg. Hold it and whisper your curse into it, such as:
"May your life crack like this shell."
Imagine their stability shattering like the egg will. Smash it on the ground or in a trash bin.
Causes a person to lose focus, forget things, or make mistakes. They struggle with their memory, lose track of things, and make more mistakes.
Needed:
• A black candle
• A piece of paper
• A pencil
Instructions:
Write the target’s name on the paper. Light the black candle and hold the paper over the flame (don’t burn it yet). Whisper:
"Like a shadow slipping through the cracks, your mind stumbles, your focus lacks."
Let a few drops of wax fall on the name, then crumple the paper. Blow out the candle and throw the paper in a busy place (so their energy is scattered).
Causes confusion, indecision, and emotional instability. The target struggles to understand what's happening and make the right choices.
Needed:
• Two twigs or sticks
• A piece of string
• A crossroads or a place where two paths split
Instructions:
Tie the two sticks together at one end, so they form a V shape (symbolizing a forked path). Hold them in your hands and say:
"Your choices split, your path unclear, may confusion follow near."
Leave the sticks at a crossroads or place where two paths meet.
Causes a person’s words (spoken or written) to be misunderstood, ignored, or turned against them. Everything they say becomes misinterpreted, loses power, or backfires.
Needed:
• A pen
• A piece of paper
• A cup of water or ink
Instructions:
Write the person’s name and a word representing their harmful speech (ie: “lies,” “gossip,” “manipulation”). Hold the paper and whisper:
"Your words twist, your message lost, what you say will bear the cost."
Drop the paper into the water or ink and let the words dissolve. Dispose of the soaked paper in running water (sink, river, or toilet).
The person experiences social isolation—people ignore them, avoid them, or lose interest in them. This will eventually lead to profound loneliness.
Needed:
• A small ice cube
• A photo of the person (or just their name written on paper)
• A freezer
Instructions:
Place the ice cube on top of their name or photo. Whisper:
"Like ice, you freeze in place. No warmth, no friends, no welcome space."
Wrap the paper/photo in a piece of cloth or plastic and place it in the freezer.
Causes a collapse in a person’s relationships, home life, or work environment. The target experiences instability in their personal life making it harder for them to maintain relationships or stability.
Needed:
• A small handful of graveyard dirt
• A piece of paper
• A black pen
Instructions:
Write the person’s name on the paper. Hold the dirt in your hand and whisper:
"Your foundation weakens, your roots unsteady. That which holds you crumbles already."
Sprinkle the dirt over the paper and then fold it, with the dirt inside, like a little packet. Throw into running water or the rubble of a collapsed building.
UPRIGHT: joyful beginnings, new possibilities, renewal and rebirth--even if it is uncomfortable
REVERSED: a blind path, wasted efforts, fixation on the past, longing for the impossible
UPRIGHT: clarity, attention to detail, purification, danger avoided or overcome, two paths are open to you
REVERSED: vulnerability, uncertainty, deception, delusion, something (possibly your own emotions) is misleading you
UPRIGHT: protection and guidance, emotional security, good advice, prophecy, unexpected solution(s), music, poetry
REVERSED: willful blindness, refusal to listen to advice, arrogance or not enough information
UPRIGHT: go with the flow, intuition, dreaming, unconscious, letting go of preconceptions, feminine energy/connection to the moon
REVERSED: inability to adapt, feeling defeated or lost, lack of movement, difficulty that will inevitably pass
UPRIGHT: connection and transformation, being a part of something bigger, fate, divine action/inspiration
REVERSED: isolation and boredom, being blind to (either good or bad) possibilities, take control and be assertive
UPRIGHT: patience, protection/purification, reserve, feeling suffocated, problems that will eventually change, self-sacrifice
REVERSED: you are acting too hasty, take a second to think OR you're at a standstill, you need to take action
UPRIGHT: sacred spaces, forward movement, power and energy, the power to endure, leadership, endurance
REVERSED: help from those in power, success despite means, borrowed strength, a gift, cowardliness
UPRIGHT: challenges or tests, recommends decisive action, balance, integrity, talent/skill/expertise, growth
REVERSED: attack, hardship, aggression, lack of direction or balance
UPRIGHT: knowledge and learning, transformation and flexibility, creativity, daydreaming, rituals/divination
REVERSED: intellectual/creative blockages (art/writer's block), lack of insight, fear of failure, ignorance
UPRIGHT: happiness, healing, beauty, love affairs, awakenings and new experiences, opportunity (or the choice) to live more fully
REVERSED: despair, ailments, unavoidable choice(s), mixed gain/loss, procrastination
UPRIGHT: inspiration, prophecy or psychic senses, community and celebration, freedom, rest, examine life's lessons
REVERSED: burdens, difficulties, a need to relax/unwind, you're strung out or trying too hard OR overindulging
UPRIGHT: slow/indirect progress, wildness, purpose, determination, transformation, follow life's path
REVERSED: entanglement, think twice about what you're doing, and arduous path
UPRIGHT: vitality, awareness of environment, creating order from chaos, prioritizing personal health, you aren't finished yet
REVERSED: inability to act, need for healing and patience, you aren't ready to act yet OR you have done all you can
UPRIGHT: necessity/inevitability, fate or omens, death, rebirth, some things cannot be changed, wheel of fortune
REVERSED: pain, difficulty, retribution, necessary suffering, no choice is a good one
UPRIGHT: resolution, completion, looking ahead, omen of success, difficulties permanently overcome
REVERSED: endings and departures, face the facts, shame, illness/disability
UPRIGHT: insight, grounded in the present, clear vision, start new project(s), new perspective, foresight
REVERSED: ignorance of the broader picture, unrealistic ideas, step back and reassess, fear and anxiety
UPRIGHT: energy, life, vigor, sexuality, attraction, gathering together, consider changing your life's direction
REVERSED: difficulties and delays, overconfidence, taking too many risks, unrealistic desires
UPRIGHT: spiritual/magical power, forces of nature, deep connections, fulfillment, death and memories of loved ones
REVERSED: deception, deceit, loss of contact with nature/spirits, need for recuperation/reconnection in a relationship
UPRIGHT: courage and tenacity, a struggle for victory, quest for inner strength, enlightenment
REVERSED: addiction, terror, declining health, compromise and negotiation, choosing a different path
UPRIGHT: ancestry, aging or dying, things unchanging, old age, memory
REVERSED: stagnation and immobility, death or mourning, the past is a burden, things lingering past their prime
UPRIGHT: spiritual wisdom, complexity, place of balance/harmony, presence of many factors, spiritual wisdom
REVERSED: confusion, bewilderment, too many factors at work to allow for a successful prediction/decision
UPRIGHT: radical transformation, abundance, sudden illumination or destruction that is set about by outside forces
REVERSED: patience, preparation, the path before you is a slow one, wait for outside forces to act
UPRIGHT: knowledge and lore, learning and study, wisdom of the past as a guide, private thoughts or secrets
REVERSED: ignorance, failure to learn from the past, future instead of past
UPRIGHT: secrets and revelations, subtle influences, releasing emotions of guilt/shame
REVERSED: the situation is not as it seems, the information that you need is not available to you
UPRIGHT: unexpected change, arrival of new influence, illness
REVERSED: sudden endings or disruptions
wizard advice 🔮
no more "sigil for anxiety" this or "love spell" that. give me your worst, most terrifying curse
the type of shit that'll tarnish their ancestral line for generations to come or ruin their chance of ever seeing the gates of elysium
Botanical illustrations taken from 'The Flowering Plants, Grasses, and Ferns of Great Britain' by Anne Pratt, Edward Stepp.
Published 1905 by F. Warne.
New York Botanical Garden, LuEsther T. Mertz Library.
archive.org
did u see them btw...