Tarot Journaling

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 11 Apr 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

emily2otters	11 Apr 2002
how many folks here keep a tarot journal? for a while, i was using a three ring binder to record readings and interpretations, also new ideas about spreads and how to interpret cards... i've been thinking about starting it up again. what do you keep in your journal?

Jenny-Li	11 Apr 2002
Hi! I think there was a thread about this not all that long ago, scroll down the threads and I think you'll find it! AAnyway, that thread was still before my time, so I don't think I ever posted my thoughts there, so I might as well get my 2 cents down here! Yes I journal my Tarot-journey, but I keep two journals, not one. The first one is for cards, I put down things I read and find interesting, and I write down my own thoughts and reflections of each card. I have couple of pages for each card. This I do for learning, and for not having to turn to a library full of other people's thoughts when I get stuck in a reading. I can go to my own resource book, written in my own words (besides most Tarot stuff is in English, and I write it all down in Swedish, so translating adds a little extra reflection work, figuring out what everything _really_ means) and with my own interpretation, my own examples and mixed with my own thoughts. The other "journal" is just an ordinary note book, the kind I used to have in school, only with blank pages (no lines). In that one, I write down all my readings, my interpretations and try to do a follow-up - what happened? (I don't do this part very regularly, have started to do it with my daily readings though, and it's very interesting!) So with the daily readings, I end up having a bit of a diary - I draw the cards, write them down - along with my "reading" (I usually do this before going to work, not much time for serious reading...). Then I go through the day, without another thought about the cards I've drawn, and before I go to bed I go through the day, relating to the cards and to my initial interpretation. It's interesting, because even if I can't remember what cards I drew during the day, they almost always make sense when I sit down with them again! A question to the rest of you: how do you "use" the knowledge you get from past readings? Do you recall the readings when finding a similar situation (IS there such a thing as similar readings??), and go back for inspiration at that time, or do you make a note of the interpretation you used? Or...? Light for all of you! Jenny :)

MystiqueMoonlight	11 Apr 2002
Goodness me I've been a lazy soul. I use to keep a journal of my daily readings in my Witches Diary. I think I best start that again. You are right Jenny Li it certainly does open your prospective to the cards. I don't know if I have ever had a similar reading, maybe a similar situation has occurred, but usually the reading for the "similar" situation differs somewhat by way of pinpointing how that situation came to be similar to the last. That is to say if a similar situation occurs it is usually for a reason and the new reading for the second occassion usually analyses (for want of a better word) why it is reoccurring. Does that make sense? Blessed be......

Emily	11 Apr 2002
I use a small A5 ringbinder and then keep different sections for my tarot and I Ching readings. Sometimes after an I Ching session I'll do a tarot reading to back it up - I like to keep all my tarot/I Ching thoughts in the same place so I only use the one binder :)

Original Destiny	12 Apr 2002
Hi, i keep a folder on my computer for readings. I log the type of reading, the question or problem...list the cards that came up and a rough description of the reading...this is for reference...clients sometimes ring me to ask about something from a reading...I don't keep a personal journal...but have a note book for thoughts and ideas...:TFOOL

The Tarot Journaling thread was originally posted on 11 Apr 2002 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.