Tarot journal

Do you have one?
How do you use it?
What does it look like?
Pics would be nice )
Thanks alot )

I use a fancy pants notebook I bought as a young teenager but never used for some reason.
I record my daily readings as well as any other readings I do for myself (but no readings I do for others). In addition to that, when I make observations about cards I note them down, and I'm also keeping track of the oracle I somehow found myself planning a while ago...

I used to have a word-processing sub-directory on my computer, back in the late 1980s. It looked like any other directory <grin>.

Now I have nothing - it seems vain, leaving your Tarot journey behind for others to read after you are gone. And who has time to review? We don't live backwards, the next thing is better to focus on than the last thing.

Journals seem to weigh you down. They don't allow you to really live through Tarot, they make it into a Dead Thing, at least in my experience. Yours may differ.

Mine is a jumble of spreads, interpretations, layouts, interviews and readings for others.Plain smal cokkege ruled doller tree notebook. School supplies on sale! Cheap notebooks, yay! My collection idms huge. All kinda writing!

I have random notebooks that I use as tarot journals. One is for my readings for myself, one is for a specific deck (with meanings of cards and also thoughts about the deck overall), then random journals that mix tarot with thoughts and feelings revolving around everyday life, spirituality or whatever.

I don't let my journal control me though, as in that I don't always write down all my readings and such. I don't want it to be a chore, but rather a way for me to sort my thoughts better when I need that. I've always loved writing so it comes naturally to me that what I write down I process better in my mind and soul. I've struggled before with the feeling that I "must" have a huge journal with ALL card meanings, readings, tarot thoughts, spreads, etc... It feels like a lot of tarot books and teachers insist on that. But I try to be relaxed about it nowadays. If someone feels a journal isn't right, well then it isn't. It should stay enjoyable and useful.

nisaba said:

it seems vain, leaving your Tarot journey behind for others to read after you are gone.

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I’m not sure that’s everyone’s intention though. I’d be terrified of anyone reading my tarot or regular journals, whether I’m alive or dead... A lot of it isn’t even comprehensible for people who don’t have access to my thoughts otherwise LOL.

For me it’s just a way to sort out thoughts. When I write something down I remember it, understand it better, can analyze it more deeply, and I can go back to it a bit later to see if new thoughts arise from reading what I thought an hour earlier. Since I was a child I’ve always been writing a lot, so it feels natural to me to process thoughts and feelings by having it written down so to speak. I've even had a psychologist tell me to write her e-mails every now and then before our meetings because she felt I was so much easier to understand and more honest in writing than when speaking.

I can admit that I have a little hobby project writing a tarot book in Swedish (oddly enough most of my tarot journals are in English. Don’t ask…) because there’s a huge lack of good Swedish tarot books. And believing (?) I can write a good one that is missing right now in this country, yes that IS vain! LOL. That is something that is intended to be read by others when I am dead I guess… My journals though, nah, they’re just… Messy thoughts and emotions that help me process and remember stuff.

Edit: I do like that you're questioning the tarot journal though, Nisaba! It seems a little overhyped in the tarot community a lot of time so there's need for some critique.

I have several Tarot journals.

One is a simple school-type notebook for my continuing readings.

Two others are more noble, bound notebooks. One of them has a double page for each card.

The other one is my collection of spreads and various ideas regarding Tarot.

I keep a notebook and a journal. My notebook is a three-ring binder that holds class handouts, articles, spread ideas, etc... My journal is a moleskine that I record daily draws, readings, exercises, and any other insights. For me, it makes tarot more real. I find when I write about something, the thoughts and ideas become alive, not dead.

I never was very good at the tarot journal thing. I tried a couple of times, but it didn't really work for me. The tarot speaks quickly, but of course it takes time to write down my thoughts and intuitive flashes as well as any additional sourced information, so I feel like I lose out on connecting directly with the cards, which kind of defeats the point. I learn much better by reading the cards as much as possible and learning to mindfully associate cards with my day-to-day experiences.

Moonpaw said:

I never was very good at the tarot journal thing. I tried a couple of times, but it didn't really work for me. The tarot speaks quickly, but of course it takes time to write down my thoughts and intuitive flashes as well as any additional sourced information, so I feel like I lose out on connecting directly with the cards, which kind of defeats the point. I learn much better by reading the cards as much as possible and learning to mindfully associate cards with my day-to-day experiences.

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I have lots of journals but only a few for tarot. Once a journal feels like a bigger obligation than it is i stop. So its in and out of my life. But currently im keeping my self in check with it to fully curve all my own bad tarot habits from the past.