Let’s Talk About ●●●

Keeping this here for safe reminders

Your Life and the Suits in Tarot

Wands are your passions.            

The Ace of Wands could mean finding a new hobby, like painting or hiking. The Two of Wands could mean planning the renovation of your home, if interior design or woodworking is among your passions.

Passion is related to creativity. So the Six of Wands could mean your Instagram posts gaining a lot of attention, if you are into fashion or photography.

And we tend to be very passionate about our favorite celebrities and our crushes, so the Eight of Wands could mean receiving attention from someone famous or somebody you are interested in.

Cups are your emotions.

The Ace of Cups could mean the arrival of a new lover, while the Two of Cups could mean romance blooming between you and a friend.

Emotions are not always positive. Sometimes it is as if they do not even exist, like in the Four of Cups, where you are bored from feeling nothing. Other times they are negative, like in the Five of Cups, where you could be grieving a death or a breakup.

The Page of Cups could be an invitation to go out on a date. The Knight of Cups could be a marriage proposal. Both offers involve strong emotions.

Swords are your thoughts.

These thoughts could be mundane, like the Two of Swords asking you to decide between steak and salmon for dinner.

Other times, they could be of the higher kind, such as the Four of Swords conveying that your mind is at peace, because you have found your true spiritual path.

Most of the time, though, these thoughts are about day to day affairs, such as the Page of Swords confirming that you will get the job, or the Eight of Swords predicting how stressed you will be because of an exam.

Pentacles are your foundations.

Since we are living in a material world, most of our foundations are material. The Ace of Pentacles could mean starting at a new job, while the Six of Pentacles could mean receiving a bonus.

Foundations are related to stability. So the Five of Pentacles does not necessarily mean you will lose everything and become a beggar. It could simply be predicting that you will suffer a salary deduction because of the pandemic, causing you to feel less financially stable than usual.

For this reason, the King of Pentacles is the most stable figure in this arcana, closely followed by the Queen and the Knight.

They often overlap.

Because all of life overlaps.

If what you are most passionate about is money, then when the Suit of Wands talks to you, it would be speaking about finances, instead of hobbies. And if you are emotionally focused on spirituality, then instead of symbolizing a new lover, the Ace of Cups could mean a new religious journey.

The Three of Swords, for example, is about heartbreak. So why is it not under the Suit of Cups? Because when we are heartbroken, our heart is actually quiet. It is our mind that screams in pain, and that is the Suit of Swords’ domain.

Help! These D*** Cards Don’t make sense!

What To Do When a Tarot Reading Seems Like Nonsense

⭐️ First of all, we need to get a few things clear. Tarot won’t always make sense. You will make mistakes. Sometimes, you won’t get any messages at all no matter how hard you try. If this sounds similar to your experience with the cards, don’t feel bad. It doesn’t mean you’re a “bad” reader. As soon as you get more comfortable with the idea of being wrong, you’ll find that your confidence (and subsequently your readings) will improve a lot! Got that? Great! Let’s move on to the topic at hand.

Confused by your tarot cards? Don’t get discouraged.

⭐️ I’m just going to tell you plainly. There isn’t a single tarot reader in the world who hasn’t been completely baffled with their cards at some point. This is natural and a completely normal part of the learning process. What’s more, Tarot is one of those things that you never really stop learning more about. There is always room for growth, and for finding deeper meanings within the stories each card tells. So if you’re hoping to be a “Tarot Master” with omnipotent vision and 100% accurate readings about everything, then I’m afraid I must be the bearer of bad news: There’s no such thing. We’ll all be wrong or confused sometimes, and that’s ok.

Even so, there are a few things to consider if you find yourself bamboozled by your cards more often than not.

Reasons why your tarot cards don’t make sense, and what to do about it.

1. You’re cards haven’t been shuffled properly.

⭐️ This is a common culprit for readings that aren’t making much sense. If you don’t shuffle your cards enough, either straight out of the plastic wrapping or after too many readings, you won’t get any clear messages. This is especially true if you’ve been doing a lot of readings, and just quickly shuffling your pulled cards back into the deck afterwards. If you notice that you are getting a lot of cards from previous readings, and they aren’t making much sense, it might be time for a good shuffle.

What to do: If your deck is new, you’ll want to spend several days shuffling and getting to know the cards. This will mix up the cards enough for you to actually get messages, and help you become more familiar with the imagery of the deck (which will improve your intuitive readings).

⭐️ If you deck isn’t new, it’s likely that you just haven’t shuffled well enough in between readings. It happens. Just give them a good shuffle, and you’ll be set.

2. You don’t know the card meanings well enough.

⭐️ Wait! Don’t get upset yet! I’m not saying that you have to memorize the traditional meaning of every card, and use only that definition as the “be all, end all” of card interpretations. Far from it! That would be super boring. I’m also not saying that you can’t use the guidebook (you totally can). In fact, if you use your guidebooks, you’ll be able to learn the subtle nuances that each deck author attributes to the card meanings. It’s pretty neat stuff!

⭐️ However, a basic understanding of your cards and their key meanings will help you read accurately with consistency. A big part of intuitive reading is being able to recognize the symbolism within the cards. If you know a keyword for each card, you can use them as a starting point for your interpretations.

⭐️ For example: Let’s say you have the 4 of cups. Traditionally, it shows a moody figure, staring off into the distance, with spilled cups before them. Above the figure is often some sort of offering that they can’t see. If you know that a keyword for the 4 of cups is apathy, you could use the symbolism in the card to read it as “having lost interest in a situation”. The figure feels apathy for the situation he’s in, and is not interested in what is being offered. That’s an example of the traditional, symbolic meaning of the tarot in action. Ready to take this a step further? Once you know the traditional meaning, you can combine it with other cards, as well as the details of the situation, to “springboard” into other interpretations.

⭐️ Example 2: Maybe you know that “apathy”, the traditional meaning of the 4 of cups, doesn’t completely fit. In this imaginary reading, the client is asking you about an argument they had with their partner. They are hurt and upset, and have asked you if it’s worth it to stay in the relationship. Clearly, they are not feeling apathetic toward the situation! In this case, we would go beyond “apathy” or “loss of interest”. What is the energy of this card? Combining the imagery with the traditional meaning, we can generate other meanings. Stagnancy, miscommunication and an inability to see another perspective are all alternative, non-traditional interpretations. In this situation, I might tell this client that there is some confusion between them and their partner. Neither one has a clear understanding of how the other feels. Therefore, it might be a good idea to discuss the current situation with each other once they have both had time to calm down. The surrounding cards will usually help you fine tune your interpretation.

What do to: There’s no way around this one. Study the cards. In particular, the imagery of your deck will be very useful to become familiar with. Read your guidebook, read other tarot books and blogs, journal about your readings. If books are not your thing, there are countless YouTube videos and podcasts that cover tarot these days. My favorite tarot podcast is Tarot bytes by Theresa Reed. Pace yourself. You don’t have to learn everything in a week. Most importantly, read, read, read with your deck. The more you read, the more you will begin to understand how your deck communicates and how your intuition picks up on this subtle energy.

3. You are too emotionally invested in the outcome of the reading.

⭐️ This mostly happens if you are reading for yourself, but it can also happen when reading for close friends or family. Sometimes, if we are hyper focused on a particular outcome or in a state of reaction, it’s easy to project our own personal feelings onto the cards. This skews the interpretation. Its not a bad thing to read for yourself, your family or your friends. However, it’s a good idea to keep this point in mind.

What to do: If you are nervous, upset or in any way unable to remain objective about the outcome, it’s probably best to not do the reading. You can try again later when things are calmer.

4. You’ve ignored the focus question.

⭐️ This happens when a reader fails to take into account the “focus” or theme of the reading. For example, if a client asks you about work, and The Lovers card comes up, you should not tell them that they will meet their soulmate soon. This has nothing to do with what they were asking about. You’re more likely to encounter this problem when reading for others, but it can happen when reading for yourself.

What to do: An easy answer, stay on script. Keep the original question in the forefront of your mind during the entire reading. Like our example above, if you are reading about work, don’t start interpreting anything about romance. The cards are nuanced and varied enough to have multiple meanings. Instead, if The Lovers card appears in a work related reading, consider how the energy of the card might show up within the context of the reading. Instead of a “soulmate”, you might say that this client needs to find a harmony and balance between their home and work life. This is just one of many possible ways to interpret this card within the context of a work-related reading.

5. You’ve asked a question that is too specific OR that the tarot cannot answer.

⭐️ This can happen with both self-readings and readings for other people. Tarot is a powerful tool of self reflection and insightful divination, but it is not omnipotent. Further more, tarot readers themselves are not mind readers. We have to have context and understanding in order to see the connections clearly enough to interpret them with accuracy. With tarot, the more context we have about a situation, the better a reading will be. So for vague questions like “what will happen next Tuesday?”, a reader would need to supplement the reading with their intuitive abilities. It can be done, but the chance of misinterpretation is much higher if a reader is unsure how to weave the tarot and clair senses together.

⭐️ Some types of questions are ill-suited to tarot. Generally speaking, these would be questions that limit the ability of the seeker to act. “Will I pass my exam?” would not be a good question because it leaves no room for change or growth. A reader might struggle to interpret this correctly unless they are very experienced.

⭐️ Another type of question that you might see a lot are third party questions. For example: “Is person A having an affair with person B?” This type of question that doesn’t directly involve the seeker in any way is not useful with tarot. Most likely, you won’t get a clear answer or any useful information. Tarot is not a tool to be used to spy on others. In fact, it’s quite disrespectful to use the cards in this way.

What to do: A lot of this boils down to personal preference and reading style, but a good rule of thumb is to ask open ended questions. In this sense, questions that begin with “how” or “what” will be better than questions that start with “is”. Remember, tarot does not deal in absolutes. It reflects energy of situations and projected futures, and energy can change. Nothing is 100% certain with tarot.

Practical Magic Summer

What to do on a full moon as a witch in the broom closet

- affirmations (you can either say these out loud ou in your head)

- charge crystals (leave them outside for a while, doesn't even have to be the whole night)

- make moon water (just leave some water outside and say you forgot it there or stay outside with it for a while then store it somewhere safe)

- star gazing

- moon gazing!! She's so beautiful

- moon journal

- light candles with intention (if anyone asks, say they are aesthetically pleasing or you like the smell

- open the windows and curtains to let the moonlight in

- meditate and visualize

- practice tarot (you can do this with normal playing cards so no one is suspicious)

- take a full moon bath!

- bless and drink herbal tea

Most importantly: remain safe, be kind and stay witchy my friends

-----

Support your local witch on KoFi

Also this one-

Say Hello to the Tens in Tarot

Their Differences

The number 10 is the biggest in the Minor Arcana. Therefore:

The Ten of Wands is the biggest burden you can have.

The Ten of Cups is the biggest happiness you can feel.

The Ten of Swords is the biggest pain you can endure.

The Ten of Pentacles is the biggest abundance you can enjoy.

Ten of Wands

Main Meaning: Burden. Either in the sense of having too many tasks to accomplish for the day, or too many problems in life to deal with.

Positive Meaning: Being burdened by a harvest. First-world problems. Like having too much money that you do not know where to put it all.

Ten of Cups

Main Meaning: Happiness. The kind you get from knowing there is a special someone or an entire loving family you can share your joys and sorrows with.

Negative Meaning: Nothing. The Ten of Cups at its worst only means that your fairy tale ending is delayed. In divine timing, it will arrive.

Ten of Swords

Main Meaning: Pain. Physical or emotional. Feeling like you cannot take it anymore. As if death would be a sweet relief to your current ordeal.

Positive Meaning: The worst is over. You have experienced the peak of agony. From here on out, whatever follows will be tolerable.

Ten of Pentacles

Main Meaning: Abundance. Usually material. Not the kind that lasts for just a few minutes, but one that will stay for the rest of your life.

Negative Meaning: Nothing. Like the Ten of Cups, the Ten of Pentacles at its worst only means your stability is delayed but still promised.

GROUNDING ☀️

Howdy! I’m back with another installment in my protection series!! Today I’m gonna be talking about something a little bit less magickal and more mundane: Grounding!

What Is Grounding? 

A quick google search will bring you to a plethora of pages talking about the phenomenon known as…grounding. Be wary that some of these sources will talk about autoimmune diseases and other chronic illnesses as if they can be cured by grounding- that is NOT the case! 

Grounding is talked about in two capacities: as a practice that can help you pull away from flashbacks, unwanted memories, and negative or challenging emotions..or the other way grounding is mentioned in modern day witchy settings is as: a therapeutic technique that involves doing activities that “ground” or electrically reconnect you to the earth. 

I honestly think these are one in the same, but I think of grounding as “centering” myself to protect myself from any malicious energy that may intend to harm me, and as a way to dispel any unwanted energy. 

How To Ground Yourself

Put your hands in water: focus on the temperature, the feeling of the water, etc. 

Breathing exercises: By bringing focus to your breath, you can help calm and center yourself. I personally favor an app called “Breathwrk” that has guided breathing exercises. 

Take a short walk: You may not always be able to take a break to walk, but this is an amazing way to get in touch with the earth and your surroundings while also giving yourself a little “reset” to get back to a healthy mindset. 

Hold ice: Like with the water technique, holding an ice cube and letting it melt in your hand gives you a sensory focusing tool to bring your mind back to the present 

Light a candle: Or something to that effect. If you put on your favorite diffuser scent, or light your favorite candle, you can focus on the scent and draw your attention to the scent that fills the room

Play a “challenging” game: I think this one may just be me but I love to do the daily mini cross word, or a similar game like solitare, when I’m feeling overwhelmed. It brings me back to the moment and gives me a second to reset while stimulating my brain 

Think in categories: Choose one or two broad categories, such as “musical instruments,” “ice cream flavors,” “mammals,” or “baseball teams.” Take a minute or two to mentally list as many things from each category as you can.

List your favorites: Listing is something I thoroughly enjoy, and by listing your favorite ______ (insert category) you are bringing your mind into a thankful/uplifting headspace 

Close your eyes and focus on your energy. Get it under control so that it’s manageable—and then, using your hands, push it into the ground, a bucket of water, a tree, or some other object that can absorb it.

Why Do We Ground?

Grounding is useful in multiple mundane situations, like when you’re stressed, overwhelmed, etc. But we use grounding in magickal situations…especially surrounding energy work. For example: If you fail to center yourself properly before you preform a spell, ritual, or something that is highly demanding of your energy, you can feel kind of “amped up” or jittery afterwards. When you preform any sort of magick, you can get a rush of energy afterwards if you didn’t properly center yourself. Grounding is extremely useful because it can help get rid of that extra energy you’ve stored up. 

Sources/Citations/More Resources

Remember it’s always important to cross reference your information, for this post I used multiple sources I knew have been vetted by much more experienced witches than I am- but still! You need to make sure what you’re reading is credible

Grounding Techniques: Healthline

Magickal Grounding

Grounding 101

What Is Grounding: Healthline

Getting Grounded

🪶 Angel Numbers, Numerology & Augury

Angel Numbers

seeing these numbers repetitively with no outer influence has these messages

111: Manifestation Invitation 222: Life imbalance in some way 333: Life purpose 444: You’re on the right path 555: Change ahead 666: You are giving too much of yourself mentally, physically, and/or emotionally in a particular aspect of your life 777: Sacred number, spiritual evolution/growth 888: Future Abundance 999: A chapter in your life will end and a new one will begin

Numerology

use these numbers to manifest specific correlations

0: totality, realm of potential, primordial void 1: leadership, strength, confidence 2: duality, partnership, opposition 3: luck, success, intuition, the divine principle 4: stability, grounded, calmness 5: adventure, freedom, sensuality 6: balance between earth/spirit, intuition 7: synchronicity, spiritual awakening, introspection 8: abundance, prosperity, financial well-being 9: wisdom, enlightenment, higher consciousness 10: completion, wholeness, integration

Augury

if you have a feather appear in your path here’s a form of divination to try

Gray: Peace Ahead, Neutral Answer, Harmony Black: Protection During Spiritual Awakening Purple: Spirituality, communication Yellow: Reminder to stay positive, you’re on the right path Spotted: Let go of the past Brown: Judgement is clouded, grounding, wait for better time White: Keep Faith Pink: Love (whether it be self, friends, family or partners) Red: Life force, passion, spiritual gifts Blue: Listen, psychic abilities, intuition Green: Someone you love is healing, Wealth is coming your way

Tasseomancy symbols and meanings

Reblog to give your mutuals one of each