King Of Pentacles.

Hi Diana! I am having a really hard time learning all the tarot meanings and interpretations. I don't trust online resources too much, since they give different meanings. How did you master your knowledge of the tarot and how are you able to receive a meaning from the cards so well? For example I asked the cards if perhaps I don't know how to listen to my intuition, and the 8 of wands jumped out - I don't know how to interpret that

How to Truly Master Tarot

Step 1: Read sources.

Step 2: Read the cards.

Step 3: Rinse and repeat.

That is really all there is to it.

Do not be afraid of coming across different meanings. They are likely to be all correct. What you can do is write down those that resonate most with you. And stick to them. Later on, when a hand-picked meaning is not applicable to a reading, your subconscious will bring up another interpretation you read somewhere on one occasion.

Your tarot deck itself is the best teacher you will have. Perform a weekly reading. Take a photo of the spread. By the end of the week, look at how the cards manifested. Was the Ten of Cups a dinner invitation from your parents? Or a wedding proposal from your beloved? That is tarot’s meanings being taught to you by the cards themselves.

Always interpret a card within the context of the reading. Symbolized by speeding arrows, the Eight of Wands means an abundance of communication. In the context of your question, it is saying that your intuition is just fine, but your mind is too chaotic, hence unable to hear it. Breathe and slow down, darling. Tarot should be empowering, not overwhelming.

hey i need u all to see this

All the main holidays for ya witchy soul~ each have different goals and activities. Celebrating these holidays can give you an extra kick in all sorts of different spellwork ✨ which is your favorite? (Mines Samhain cause it’s the one holiday where I feel most comfortable being myself)

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Tips for the Dark Half of the Year

Winter is coming quickly. A lot of people see this time of year as bleak, depressing, or just boring. Here are some tips to stay attuned to nature during these months.

❄️ Go outside. Even if it’s cold, the trees are bare, and the only colors are muted and dull. We often think that summer is the only time to enjoy the outdoors—the only time to hike, meditate outside, etc. In winter, there are no lush green trees or balmy days filled with sunshine and the smell of flowers. While summer is intoxicating, winter is a time to contemplate and reflect. Go outside. Feel the cold. Feel the mud and the dead grass and the chilly wind. Listen to how quiet it is. Understand that the dark half of the year is a time of silence, stillness, and death. It’s natural to have an aversion to these things, but take some time to sit down and just listen. Breathe. Feel the reality of silence and death around you. It’s a sobering experience, but also a very insightful one. If you have any fear of death or quiet, now is the time to go sit with those things as they appear in nature and just meditate with them.

❄️ Eat cozy foods. It’s cold outside—warm up with hearty soups, stews, homemade bread, and root veggies. Warm spices and hot drinks will keep you feeling grounded. This is a wonderful time of year to practice kitchen witchcraft—focus on coziness, family, protection, and rest.

❄️ Study magic! The Dark Half of the year is devoted to self-reflection, rest, and contemplation. Snuggle up indoors with a fluffy blanket and devote some time to studying magic and witchcraft with a hot cup of magically-brewed tea.

❄️ Think spirits are sleeping along with all the greenery? Think again! The Dark Half of the year, in many cultures and spiritual traditions, is considered extremely spiritually active. Deities like Odin, Berchta, Hekate, and spirits such as elves and ghosts are very active this time of year. You can choose to honor them if you want, or practice various spirit-working techniques. If you’re into necromancy or divination, this is a wonderful time of year for those things.

❄️ Be kind to local wildlife by installing things like bird feeders outside your home. We modern humans may have an easy time of it in winter, but animals struggle to survive during these months. Any bit of kindness will be much appreciated.

❄️ Nurture your fire energy. During winter, it’s easy to internalize the cold and take on its characteristics—sluggishness, sleepiness, a foggy-headed feeling. Some crystals that are great for winter include golden rutilated quartz (aka Venus hair), citrine, carnelian, obsidian, and garnet. All of these crystals contain a strong fire element as well as offer grounding qualities, mental clarity, and protection.

❄️ Go out and forage for magical ingredients! Melted snow is extremely purifying and can be incorporated into spells for purification and cleansing. Icicles can serve as temporary wands, especially in spells that require a strong water element. The ash from bonfires (or hearth fires) can be used to make black salt. Fallen branches can be crafted into wands. There may be nothing growing this time of year, but you can get creative and still find magical ingredients in unexpected places. Just be respectful and don’t collect from places where it’s illegal!

This is by no means a comprehensive list—these are just some ways I’ve celebrated the colder months. I hope they’re helpful in any way!

Signs You AREN’T Talking To Your Deity.

Hey everyone. I want to preface this with a few disclaimers. First, not everyone believes in this. Some people don’t find it necessary to take any protective measures, and I’m not saying they are right or wrong. Second, it is very rare for anything terrible to happen, but I have seen it before.

You’ve probably seen a post or two that warn you about protecting yourself against dark entities when you reach out to your deities. Personally, I would rather be safe than sorry. I find it generally easy to cast a circle, so I do that before I do any in-depth communication/divination with my deities.

So how do you KNOW when to question who you’re talking to?

1.) They are telling you to do something that is harmful. If they tell you to do something unhealthy, or harmful in any way, question who you are talking to.

2.) They are causing you to do something that is unhealthy. Are you finding that you are excessively distracted or obsessed with them? Are you having trouble focusing during important tasks? This is different than being happy or thinking about them often. I mean that if you are trying to do something important, can you feel them trying to pull you away from it? Are you feeling threatened by them?

3.) They are telling you something that is too good to be true. I have heard things such as: Being told you are a deity reincarnated, being told you are “the chosen one”, or that you are a demigod. Yes, there are people who are chosen to become priests/priestesses, but this comes with TIME and LEARNING. This will not happen until you build a strong relationship with your deity. It WILL NOT happen within the first couple days/weeks of practicing.

4.) They are outwardly sexual or seductive. (NOTE: I do not judge anyone’s relationships with their theoi. Including sex in your worship is A-ok (with the permission of your deities of course). ) If you find that they are being overly seductive, sexual, or pressuring in any way, question who you are talking to. If they seem to only be talking to you about sex, question who you are talking to.

5.) Mania. Do you feel unrealistically good with them? So good that everything feels out of control and you feel blinded by it? You might want to question it. Connecting with your theoi can create happiness in ways you may have never experienced before, but it should NEVER be so blinding that you are obsessed or unaware of everything else. If you find that your life is suffering due to this, question who you are talking to.

6.) They are being manipulative or possessive of you. If you try to focus on something else, do they try to pull you back to them? If you start to question who they are, do they try to convince you to stay? Pay attention to things like, “I can make you feel better.” “I can be everything you want.” “You will be nothing without me.” Manipulation is a big red flag.

7.) They are telling you everything you want to hear. Know what your insecurities are, and don’t be ready to run off into the sunset as soon as you hear someone validate you. Yes, your theoi are extremely loving, validating, and reassuring. This is not that. This is that sickeningly sweet, manipulative voice. It seems to know every word you want to hear, and is quick to say them.

8.) They are pushing you to give any part of yourself to them. Are they pressuring you to invite them in? Your theoi may say they want you to devote to them, but they will NEVER pressure you. They know these are big decisions, and you can take your time deciding upon them.

Again, this is EXTREMELY RARE. I don’t want this post to scare anyone, or make them question their relationships with their deities. I am only making you aware, so that you can keep an eye out for yourself and your loved ones.

The best way to assure that this doesn’t happen is to cast a circle. I have also made black salts, and drawn protective sigils. However, casting a circle can be done hundreds of ways with or without tools. Build up your skills at it, and trust that you are safe when you do so.

(IMPORTANT NOTE: I will not ignore the possibility that mental illness has a place in this. If you are experiencing dangerous or harmful voices, hallucinations, or urges, please speak to a licensed mental health professional. It is important that we do not blame everything on spirits, when there can be other very real, very dangerous illnesses involved.)

X

@thewitchjournal

This spread can help you understand your talent in your mundane life or your magical gift.

1. The source

Where does your power come from? What drives you to better yourself? Where can you find your fuel?

2. Get it going

How can you use this power source in your life to stay motivated? Where and when will this fuel come in handy?

3. The power

What is this power? What does your power mean? How does it affect you and others?

4. Making use of it

What can this power be useful for? What parts of your life can benefit from your power?

5. The reason

Why do you specifically have this gift? How can your and other’s life benefit from your ability?

6. Advice

What should you know about your gift? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your ability?

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HELLO OLD FRIEND - A DEITY SPREAD

For understanding new or existing deities that have presented themselves in your life. It invokes an understanding that the relationship flows both ways, hence the focus not only on them but you. This can equally be used for spirit communication/angel communication/etc. 

Crystals to use: 

Amethyst 

Clear Quartz

Black Tourmaline 

Lapis Lazuli 

**When contacting spirits/deities, please take the necessary precautions (cleanse the room, salt circles, ground yourself.) At ANY time where you feel like the reading is out of your control or that you are in danger, politely end the reading and cleanse your space once again. Be safe, know your limits, and don’t feel bad for politely declining a deity/spirit in which you feel like you can’t serve with where you are at this point in your life. 

Okay so little witch tip: do not read tarot cards while you are upset. Here's why.

I've been struggling with reproductive/fertility problems. I generally have a rule where I do not do readings on myself because it can sometimes cause anxiety and you aren't always the best person to do your own readings. Out of frustration and desperation, I decided to read my own cards.

I did my first spread and read them. Not only did it not involve the question at hand in any way, it pointed me to a bunch of other possible problems. This is when I broke my other rule that I have for myself: never ask the same question more than once in a sitting.

I pulled multiple spreads, each one giving me confusing, stressful, and paranoid answers. I kept pulling cards with similar, negative messages of relationship struggles, along with reoccurring suggestions like "concentrate", "rethink your priorities", "now is not the best time to make decisions", "try not to dwell on the past", "you may experience difficulties soon", "a period of hardship brings new opportunities"

I gave up at one point, stressed from the negative answers. Eventually I took an anxiety pill. It wasn't until I calmed down, that I realized that the deck was trying to communicate something that I wasn't hearing. The negative, frightening messages were a reflection of my own paranoid insecurities. The reoccurring suggestions were the deck screaming at me to put it down until I could concentrate, clear my mind, and calm down. My wack emotions were grossly interfering with my ability to work with the deck and properly read them. Tarot decks are funny like that. They tend to mirror the person wielding them. The deck is only as good as the reader, and if the reader is putting off crazy negative vibes, the cards will only have that to go off of.

When I was finally calm enough, I redid the spread. It gave me a normal, straightforward reading about the subject I had asked about. It was that easy.

Be aware of your mental state before using divination tools!