Journaling methods

Eadwine

And that binder idea has just given me so many "ohh shinyyy" responses in my head :laugh:

I just love anything books/binders/organizers...

Me at myself: :rolleyes:
 

arcange

The binder is the best. I tend to write on loose pages. I buy packs of blank printer paper that are prepunched. They're great for printing spreads or anything else or writing and sketching.
If I don't have the prepunched pages and write on a napkin I can tape it to a page and add it to the best section in the binder.
 

electrocutions

Hello! What great questions--I've been trying to see how I can consolidate all of my stuff, seeing how I just started journaling about a month ago, but hopefully whatever I have to share will give some folks some ideas:

For fear of running out of room, I've divided my journal into two methods--an online blog, and an actual notebook. The notebook is more for writing correspondences that I find interesting (gems, herbs, astrological signs related to each card, etc.), meanings of the cards/keywords/my own impressions and for writing first impression spreads of decks, and then I've been using my online blog for reflections, daily readings (to and for others), and things that I want to save.

I wouldn't really call these parts of the journaling process because it's not writing, but they are supplementary: I have a Tumblr mood board where I post pictures that inspire me to write and create in the online blog and/or notebook. I also have a Pinterest that I use to save websites and tidbits that I hope to write later in my notebook for correspondences.

The notebook is more of an academic approach to everything, while the other 3/4 of my Tarot learning process has been online and more free form. Wondering if everyone does the same with mood boards and the like? :D
 

C_McQueen

Thank you so much for all the great responses! I am thinking it would be good to have a binder.

Do you find that it's easy to keep the pages in your binder in good shape? Maybe I need to try using better quality paper than I have in the past.
 

Trogon

After reading about the folks who are "journaling" on their computers, photo-journals and on-line, I'm starting to feel a little old ... or at least old-fashioned. I keep everything on paper - even when I find something on-line that I want to add, I write it in, or print it out if it's too long. :D

Then too ... the doomsdayer inside me keeps whispering (but what if there's a huge solar storm that wipes out the 'net ... or EMPs ... or ...). :eek:
 

Ix Chel

I have a Journal on my computer in a Word document. It is really large, more like a book. So you print it not often. It concerns more the card meanings. I also have a paper note book, what is the input for my computer Journal. I like it to write my cards associations and ideas.
 

Farzon

I kept a journal for my readings some years ago. I recorded date, spread, question and deck. I used to write down only keywords to keep things simple and would not record daily draws. Just important questions. I also liked to select one particular card and draw it beside my notes.

I don't think it made that much sense to keep a journal to be honest. I learnt more from participating in discussions here on the forum and from reading different books. So, today I would just record the really important questions that I want to track over a longer period of time.
 

Tanga

Almost everyone tells you to keep a tarot journal, but beyond that, I haven't heard much beyond "record your spreads and card meanings". I think this is great advice, and I DO have a notebook with card meanings in it, but I never get it out and write in it. I'm a daily-ish journal writer and most often, my personal spreads and new impressions and interpretations make it into my personal journal, not my designated tarot journal, which to me isn't ideal, because it makes it much harder to look up things I've learned and giving someone my private journal to share my notes is out of the question!

I guess what I want to know is - what methods do you like to use to keep a tarot journal?


I don't journal much.

I have 2 A6 notebooks where I scribble my favourite (including any new ones if I can jam them in) interpretations down... and I just use these mostly for reference. They're my LWBs.

I have a notebook where I occasionally write down a daily draw, self-contamplative or other spread I may try out - which may happen once every few weeks - or a few days in a row... no pattern.
Sometimes I look at this - sometimes not.
It's not the recording... but the actual process of writing things down whilst thinking about them which is helpful for me. Typing it up doesn't work the same way. *shrugs*

I have an A5 binder - with my favourite spreads and info from a plethora of Tarot Texts in it.

That's it...
 

Grizabella

Thank you so much for all the great responses! I am thinking it would be good to have a binder.

Do you find that it's easy to keep the pages in your binder in good shape? Maybe I need to try using better quality paper than I have in the past.

They make 3-ring binder paper now that's reinforced at the holes in the paper. It's a nice quality of paper, too. It's not at all expensive. My daughter got me some at Walmart, but surely other stores would carry it, too.