A Couple General Questions for People More Experienced than I...

[HallowedNight]

Hi there~ I have a couple questions about some general tarot stuff. (Mostly about tarot journals and what others put in them.)

Anyway, I recently started a tarot journal to help me bond with my Fantastical Creatures deck and to just get to know the meanings of the cards better. So far I have a few pages about my favorite spreads, but I'm mainly focusing on the cards themselves.
Basically, I start with the name of the card and I sketch a quick picture of it, then jot down some of the notes about the subject of the card (because the creatures and why they are which card is so fascinating to me) and the general meaning of the specific card from the little book that came with the deck. Then I look at symbols and whatnot that I see personally and what my intuition says and write that down too. I also write a little story about me personally interacting with the subject of the card, because it helps me remember all the different meanings (and I adore writing).

I guess I'm just wondering what others have put in their own journals, and what helps other than what I have. I'm mainly just wanting to bond with the cards (though being able to do a reading without consulting a book of some kind would be great as well. )

Also, I'm going to Scotland over the summer for a meditative relax-before-going-to-college trip, and I was wondering if taking my deck and meditating with it or calibrating it there would be a good idea. I've read some stuff about calibrating cards using nature, but I'm still not exactly sure what that entails, really. Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing?

Thank you so much for any advice or anything really! (I'm still kind of new to tarot, and I kind of feel like a wobbly baby deer or something. )

 

[ana luisa]

First of all, welcome to AT !!! What a wonderful deck you picked! I do not consider myself experienced as such but I've been on this road for quite a while. My advice is that whatever speaks to you, whatever feeling the card provokes in you, jot it down. It does not matter AT ALL if your feelings are opposite to the ones in the book. They are YOUR feelings coming from YOUR deck. It's almost like love-making. A couple has its private moves and language and so will you with your deck. Give it and yourself time, though. Bonding is a process that sometimes can take a while but once it happens, you'll know! It will feel awesome. Me, I jotted down a lot of impressions and messages throughout the years with various decks. Some, I never bonded with. Some accepted me very quickly. It really is hard to tell. You can draw images that come to you, names of songs, loose words or phrases and even attach collages that relate to that card somehow. Do whatever FEELS right. And you're off to a good start.
I have NO idea what you mean by calibrating a deck with nature is but with the Fantastical, it seems to be a great idea. It is after all a very nature-oriented deck.

 

[Grizabella]

I've never heard of calibrating a deck, either. It's a pile of card stock with pictures on it. But if the term appeals to you and you want to try it, let us all know how it works for you.

I haven' t kept a journal since I started with Tarot. I've jotted down what cards came up for readings with varios decks but haven't recorded anthing else about readings or the cards. Most rrcently, since I'm doing lots of readings in the reading exchange foum, I'm now recording what cards are drawn for each reading, who it eas for, and sometimes notes on the readings to refer back to when typing the readings in for the sitters here on AT.

 

[jolie_amethyst]

I'm also unsure about calibrating a deck--I'm with Grizabella in the "just paper and ink" category. But that said, if you're a very visual person, I would definitely consider spending time with your cards in various places where you feel very "in tune" with your surroundings. Those energies may not transfer to the deck--I'm sure some here may disagree!--but when you see a given image from your cards later, the feelings you had in that place will come back to you. I had it happen for me with a number of books I read outside while touring western Ireland; just thinking about those books or seeing their titles/covers brings back the amazing energies of that area to my mind & tends to calm my soul when I'm feeling a bit out of sorts.

As far as journaling goes, I do mine digitally, and it's a hodgepodge of spreads I want to refer back to, notes on things like elements and numbers, random bits on card meanings that I've found here that I want to preserve, and copies of readings I've done that I've taken time to write out & screenshot or photograph (which I only do when it's on something longer term or I've really had to work at understanding what the cards are saying.)

Having it all on the iPad means everything is keyword searchable very quickly, and that works well for a Queen or Swords type like me. But a lot of people prefer paper, and find that writing by hand improves their memory of what they learned.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[HallowedNight]

First of all, welcome to AT !!! What a wonderful deck you picked! I do not consider myself experienced as such but I've been on this road for quite a while. My advice is that whatever speaks to you, whatever feeling the card provokes in you, jot it down. It does not matter AT ALL if your feelings are opposite to the ones in the book. They are YOUR feelings coming from YOUR deck. It's almost like love-making. A couple has its private moves and language and so will you with your deck. Give it and yourself time, though. Bonding is a process that sometimes can take a while but once it happens, you'll know! It will feel awesome. Me, I jotted down a lot of impressions and messages throughout the years with various decks. Some, I never bonded with. Some accepted me very quickly. It really is hard to tell. You can draw images that come to you, names of songs, loose words or phrases and even attach collages that relate to that card somehow. Do whatever FEELS right. And you're off to a good start.

Yay, I love the Fantastical deck; I've heard some people say it was too much symbolism or whatever, especially for a first deck, but I'm having a great time with it.
I think I definitely should focus more on what I feel as opposed to what's in the book or whatever. I'm pretty good with symbolism, being a writer, so maybe I'll focus more on that. Thanks so much for the encouragement!

I've never heard of calibrating a deck, either. It's a pile of card stock with pictures on it. But if the term appeals to you and you want to try it, let us all know how it works for you.

From what I've seen, it's kind of just another way of getting to know your deck. I'm pretty sure it's basically meditation of some sort. I think I will try it in Scotland, hopefully I won't feel silly.

 

[HallowedNight]

I'm also unsure about calibrating a deck--I'm with Grizabella in the "just paper and ink" category. But that said, if you're a very visual person, I would definitely consider spending time with your cards in various places where you feel very "in tune" with your surroundings. Those energies may not transfer to the deck--I'm sure some here may disagree!--but when you see a given image from your cards later, the feelings you had in that place will come back to you. I had it happen for me with a number of books I read outside while touring western Ireland; just thinking about those books or seeing their titles/covers brings back the amazing energies of that area to my mind & tends to calm my soul when I'm feeling a bit out of sorts.

As far as journaling goes, I do mine digitally, and it's a hodgepodge of spreads I want to refer back to, notes on things like elements and numbers, random bits on card meanings that I've found here that I want to preserve, and copies of readings I've done that I've taken time to write out & screenshot or photograph (which I only do when it's on something longer term or I've really had to work at understanding what the cards are saying.)

Having it all on the iPad means everything is keyword searchable very quickly, and that works well for a Queen or Swords type like me. But a lot of people prefer paper, and find that writing by hand improves their memory of what they learned.

Enjoy your trip!

Thank you! I think the trip will be really fun, tarot or no.

I think I might look into digital journaling, but my laptop is so heavy... Maybe this is a sign that I should invest in a tablet, or at least a smaller computer. It would be a lot easier to get all my ideas down if I didn't have to worry about running out of space on a page.

I like the idea of using good energies for remembering things. I tend to do that when I'm studying for something; if I'm with someone special or I'm at a place I really love, I remember things better because I'm relaxed and engaged.

 

[Citrin]

I've TRIED the journaling thing before, like writing down eeeeverything including meaning and symbols and bla bla... Doesn't work for me haha. I just skip it ´cause I feel like it's such a hassle, and then I feel bad for not doing it, and then I don't even feel like reading the cards.

Nowadays I only write down readings I do for myself, just short notes with the cards names and keywords, so that I can return to the reading a week later and see how accurate it was. That works well for me.

Never heard of calibrating a deck... But meditating on a card can be a very nice experience and inspiring, so I can recommend that!

 

[HudsonGray]

I couldn't journal either. What worked best for me was to sit down and read the card meaning for a card in the Little White Booklet, then check the meaning in the book 78 Degrees of Wisdom, look really hard at all the details in the card then do a meditation where I walk INTO the card and look around.

For instance, with the Fool I checked his pockets (nothing in them) then walked his backtrail around the hill and came to the village that he left, and stood there just taking it all in. It helped set the meaning for the Fool card for me.

The Death card was a real hoot! I was using the Robin Wood deck, had to walk through the woods to find him (he was smoking a short cigarette) and when the little dwarves ran past yelling FREEDOM like in the Braveheart movie, I cracked up. One even did the mooning at me.

My mind is a little weird sometimes but you don't forget the meanings when they imprint in ways like this.

 

[velvetina]

I write all kinds of things in my journal, from shopping lists to complaints to lyrics and lines of poetry. I write down some readings, some path-workings but not others and there is no rhyme nor reason to why - or why not- this is. So, because I've kept a journal longer than I have had Tarot cards I have quite a chronicle of my encounters & opinions of my Tarot life.

I have hardly ever looked back at it though! I have dozens of thse notebooks that get filled then hidden away. It might entertain me to re-read them when I am elderly

However in 2011 (?) I bought a notebook to write specifically about the Paulina Tarot. It's a mixture of real-life & thoughts about the deck & quite pointless to any one who'd read it ....here's one random entry " candy floss, sugar mice, sugared almonds.......the sound of a cello....mascara (buy new mascara. Lilac?)....in 'The Dawn Shops' , cakes made from icing to look like snails - re-read -.........

and so it goes on! I haven't a clue what I'm on about half the time, but the intention was to note parallels in my life & the cards.

I suppose my point is to feel free to do as you please!

And yes, take your cards to Scotland! take them everywhere! I love knowing my decks have had adventures too, even though I know they are inanimate pieces of card I like knowing my cards have been read on beaches, in forests, in old cities upon numerous tables, even at sea!

 

[HallowedNight]

Never heard of calibrating a deck... But meditating on a card can be a very nice experience and inspiring, so I can recommend that!

I like meditating with cards, though I don't do it very often... It's really relaxing, I find. And I like being relaxed~ c:

The Death card was a real hoot! I was using the Robin Wood deck, had to walk through the woods to find him (he was smoking a short cigarette) and when the little dwarves ran past yelling FREEDOM like in the Braveheart movie, I cracked up. One even did the mooning at me.

I literally laughed out loud at this. xD In my Fantastical Creatures deck, there's a card (I think it's the Ten of Pentacles) that has dwarves on it, and I thought of them doing the save thing as your dwarves and it made me snort into my lunch.
But that aside, little stories and visualizations really help me as well! Especially when you can make them funny like that. x)

I have hardly ever looked back at it though! I have dozens of thse notebooks that get filled then hidden away. It might entertain me to re-read them when I am elderly

However in 2011 (?) I bought a notebook to write specifically about the Paulina Tarot. It's a mixture of real-life & thoughts about the deck & quite pointless to any one who'd read it ....here's one random entry " candy floss, sugar mice, sugared almonds.......the sound of a cello....mascara (buy new mascara. Lilac?)....in 'The Dawn Shops' , cakes made from icing to look like snails - re-read -.........

and so it goes on! I haven't a clue what I'm on about half the time, but the intention was to note parallels in my life & the cards.

I suppose my point is to feel free to do as you please!

And yes, take your cards to Scotland! take them everywhere! I love knowing my decks have had adventures too, even though I know they are inanimate pieces of card I like knowing my cards have been read on beaches, in forests, in old cities upon numerous tables, even at sea!

I don't keep regular journals...maybe I should do that to organize my spastic, non-tarot related thoughts. xD Though I have a feeling no one would be able to understand mine either, I tend to think about some pretty random and confusing stuff.

I also really like the thought of my deck having adventures with me, it makes it seem like they're a friend. Maybe not like a real person per se, but I do feel like they have their own aura or whatever, and, for me, I think I'd like the thought that they were going along on a trip with me almost as a separate entity.

Maybe I'm just weird that way.