So you want to keep a Tarot journal, do you? Great! Join the many of us who also utilize this unique tool for opening up the world of Tarot for ourselves. I use mine as a learning aid as well as a meditation tool.
First you will need the basics. Something to write with and something to write on not to mention a Tarot deck will be your three basic necessities.
In fact, you don't need much else. And your journal doesn't have to be a fancy hand made book. You can use a .99 cent notebook from the local Whatever-Mart. It's your journal and no one else needs to see it.
Now you need something much harder. Find the courage to write on the first page. That is the hardest thing for many of us -- "ruining" that lovely white paper with ink. But it has to be done! So I offer you this exercise to begin.
On the very first page of your journal write your name. Now place an apostrophe and then the letter 's'. Now write Tarot Journal. You have just named your journal. Mine reads Arwen's Tarot Journal. It may seem silly, but you have to break that barrier first! Do use stamps and colored pens/pencils etc if you feel like decorating. Remember that no one will be looking at this journal unless you allow them.
On the next page, write Table of Contents. Now skip two to four more pages.
Do the following spread.
The Journal Spread
- What Will I Learn From This Journal?
- What Will Block Me From This Journal?
- Why Is This Journal Important?
The cards are laid out in order in a row. Write the spread name and the questions along with what cards show up in those positions. Now interpret them. Jot your interpretations down in the journal. Don't worry about making long in-depth entries here. Just slap down on the paper what you get from the cards. Draw pictures in your journal of what the cards look like or what leaps out at you from the cards. Again, there is no wrong way of doing this unless you are just not doing it.
The next thing you might like to do in your journal is 78 pages of cards. I took my old primary reading deck (The Frank Fradella Adventure Tarot) and glued one card per page. I am in the process of adding things to the pages as I think of it. I am planning on buying an old Rider-Waite deck as well to use in the same manner. My thought is to compare the cards on the same page. For me, more symbology leaps out.
On that note, you might want to consider adding a book on symbols to your Tarot collection. I find it to be an invaluable resource.
I include my first impression of the card. How did it make me feel when I first saw it? What leapt out at me? Then I want to write a story that includes the entire card. I have to take time to really study the card. One thing I like to do is the meditation technique called "Walking Into The Card". I believe this is either from Rachel Pollack or Mary K Greer. I can't remember which.
To do this, study the card for three to five minutes. Absorb it as if it were a painting you were going to have to a paper on for Art History. Then close your eyes and relax. Imagine you are seeing the card in front of you.
Let the card grow large until you can easily step over the border and into the landscape. Interact with the items or figures in the card. Ask questions. Stay aware of what you see, feel, do, smell, etc. When you feel ready, let the card shrink back to normal size and return to your own time and space.
Now write down everything you can remember. I find this a good time to draw.
I am not artistic by nature, but just after this type of meditation I can bring that latent side of myself forward enough to capture what I felt and saw.
You can also include correspondences such as astrological sign, numerology, gems, etc. There are many lists on the web as well as in various books. Some people journal on a daily basis by picking a card for the day and writing what they see in it in the morning. Then in the evening, discuss what happened during that day that this card was pointing towards. You will find that often your interpretation vs. the book interpretation work best in combination with actual life experience.
Keep in mind your goal for starting a journal. Consider this a college course that you are guiding yourself through. You can do this at your own pace. No one is waiting to grade you. Your TCA (Tarot Card Average) will be how well you know your cards.
Copyright October 1, 2005 Stephanie Arwen Beck