smw
~deleted double posted again~
Tarot in rituals
Scarlet Woodland
For me - I would use a separate deck (or otherwise there's always trying it out - You could be another Amanda?). But it could be another RWS - though I would probably choose a different version (clone). e.g. Say I read with the centennial - I might do magic with the Golden RWS, or Illumintated Tarot - which are clones.
The "separate deck" means I can somehow shelve (in my mind) the associated use of it away from other kinds of practice. I bit like having ritual tools of wand and chalice, or a ritual necklace.
Yep this was just my thinking
To give a silly example, I bought a nice, witchy cat on a stack of spellbooks mug with the idea of using it as a practical chalice and for my magical brews. Trouble was, I liked it so much I started drinking my normal tea out of it and it quickly became "just a mug". Obviously we're all different so this won't apply to everyone but I need the layers of association on my tools to be firmly magical.Farzon
Finally I did a first ritual as instructed in Portable Magic. I decided to use my pocket sized Thoth... I rarely ever use it for reading and it worked out well. I have used Tarot cards as visualizations in meditation sometimes and in general, my imagination is very lively. So I didn't find it very difficult to do a ritual. And it worked out well!
The only problem I have is again the language. I did it in German and it felt a bit unnatural. Also I find it a bit limiting not being able to use Majors as the rituals purpose - however strong their power may be, they convey ideas which can be realized in one's live or at least aspired.
I really think I'm going to do some modification to the incantations so they sound well enough for my ear and I'm already thinking of my own layouts for rituals. I got pretty fast to the point nisaba suggested... [emoji1]
And I also think, for rituals with my own layouts, there will be no deck restrictions for me.
The only problem I have is again the language. I did it in German and it felt a bit unnatural. Also I find it a bit limiting not being able to use Majors as the rituals purpose - however strong their power may be, they convey ideas which can be realized in one's live or at least aspired.
I really think I'm going to do some modification to the incantations so they sound well enough for my ear and I'm already thinking of my own layouts for rituals. I got pretty fast to the point nisaba suggested... [emoji1]
And I also think, for rituals with my own layouts, there will be no deck restrictions for me.
nisaba
<grin> Germany has a rich alchemical and philosophical tradition, so it's probably not a bad place for this kind of thing.
Is German your native or second language? If you are fairly fluent in it, try chopping and changing the ritual itself around a bit. Also, if you are working alone, this works for me: complete silence. No music, no chanting, no words (spoken aloud). Sometimes having the words running loudly through your mind but not passing your lips feels less awkward than declaiming to an "empty" room, or in an area where there might be nosey neighbours. Less awkward is immediately more magical.
Is German your native or second language? If you are fairly fluent in it, try chopping and changing the ritual itself around a bit. Also, if you are working alone, this works for me: complete silence. No music, no chanting, no words (spoken aloud). Sometimes having the words running loudly through your mind but not passing your lips feels less awkward than declaiming to an "empty" room, or in an area where there might be nosey neighbours. Less awkward is immediately more magical.
Tanga
WAHEY!!
Why?
That's the one! It should ideally flow freely and comfortably from your lips - with you being in full understanding of what it all means if you are using an alien language (that's what I've always believed - so I've in some cases refused to recite things that I don't know the meaning of (in group settings) - because how can one possibly have all their intent or "WILL" behind it in such a case? Lol).
Ala nisaba, I often do mine in silence only speaking in my head - and this is due to many years of first being "in the closet" (I felt I had no option but to do everything in my head when I first began my practice. No props anywhere for anyone to find etc. - so this could be why I'm so good and comfortable with visualisation. I used to do whole rituals in my head whilst lying in the bathtub - the bathroom being the only room in the house that I could lock myself in in privacy, with an excuse
). - and secondly now, because the walls in my present house are thin, if I chant out-loud at unsociable hours EVERYONE will hear and wake up. Lol. (I even have tiny quiet bells for ringing at unsociable hours - and I use a bedside lamp with a multicoloured LED bulb - because my partner is paranoid about the use of candles).You will, as you go along - find your own most suitable layouts, as you state.
I'm delighted to read all this!
Please do post if you're up for sharing further experiences.
And infact - I'm motivated to get my Barbara G Walker deck out tonight now...
Tanga
*And since I've just found my LBRP ritual spread referred to in a previous post - I'll put it here for easy reference:
LBRP (Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram) USING TAROT IMAGERY:
Following on from previous discussions about using tarot for spirit guides/ancestors, and thinking further on my practice of using a tarot deck as a ritual tool (ala Donald Tyson "Portable Magic - tarot is the only tool you need"), I have been toying with using a deck along with my personally modified LBRP.
I'd just like to share this here - seeing as I presently haven't any other peeps with whom I can share it.
HOW I DO IT:
Basically, I have a tarot deck selected for the purpose (Barbara G. Walker's Tarot).
As I go through the LBRP (this can be saying it in my head, out aloud, or reading it from a printed sheet) I lay down a card that represents each section or sentence, and study it at the-same-time as I'm thinking of/visualising the words I'm saying.
The card I select from the deck is an image which visually "matches for me" - and is not necessarily related to the meaning/associations of that card. So it's really just using the imagery as it best fits me, in that moment.
THE CARD LAYOUT:
I sort of lay them out in a pattern before me - so for instance, the 4 cardinal points - East (E), South (S), West (W) and North (N), I'll line up in their correct places on the visualised circle around me.
The directions of personal space - Before me (B4), Behind me (Bh), to my Right (R), to my Left (L), - and in my case Above (A) and Below (B) - I'll then lay out inside the circle and infront of me.
I may or may not use a "Within me" card (I). (7 is a magic number for me and any protective circle that I draw for myself will have 7 directions - copied from a Shamanic pattern. I don't always name the 7th - the "Within" - sometimes is just ME standing in the centre of it all).
X is where I'm sitting - Just because it's the best place due to the
shape and organisation of my room (working with what I have I'm sitting on my bed.
And ofcourse - the scale of the diagram is a bit incorrect. The cards are not that far away from me (or I wouldn't be able to see them
I'm sure you can use your imaginations.).
S---------------------------W
--------------A---------------
--------------B4--------------
-------L------I-------R-------
--------------Bh--------------
--------------B---------------
-------X
E----------------------------N
My modified LBRP is an amalgamation of the Golden Dawn LBRP and the modified Dianic LBRP, with the addition of my own spirit guides (substituted for the 4 Archangels ).
N.B. - I'm well aware there may be some raised eyebrows to my modified LBRP.
In this case, please keep your horror to yourself.
I'm not a ceremonialist. I'm a simple HedgeWitch who has found a few ceremonial bits and pieces helpful to my personal practice.
Interestingly, and rather pleasingly - adding the cards to my practice in this way has so far made the process more "vivid and lasting" in my "minds eye" and awareness.
i.e. I really "feel" more that the whole creation process has stuck. Days later the effects are clear in my consciousness in a way that is different from previously.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
LBRP (Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram) USING TAROT IMAGERY:
Following on from previous discussions about using tarot for spirit guides/ancestors, and thinking further on my practice of using a tarot deck as a ritual tool (ala Donald Tyson "Portable Magic - tarot is the only tool you need"), I have been toying with using a deck along with my personally modified LBRP.
I'd just like to share this here - seeing as I presently haven't any other peeps with whom I can share it.
HOW I DO IT:
Basically, I have a tarot deck selected for the purpose (Barbara G. Walker's Tarot).
As I go through the LBRP (this can be saying it in my head, out aloud, or reading it from a printed sheet) I lay down a card that represents each section or sentence, and study it at the-same-time as I'm thinking of/visualising the words I'm saying.
The card I select from the deck is an image which visually "matches for me" - and is not necessarily related to the meaning/associations of that card. So it's really just using the imagery as it best fits me, in that moment.
THE CARD LAYOUT:
I sort of lay them out in a pattern before me - so for instance, the 4 cardinal points - East (E), South (S), West (W) and North (N), I'll line up in their correct places on the visualised circle around me.
The directions of personal space - Before me (B4), Behind me (Bh), to my Right (R), to my Left (L), - and in my case Above (A) and Below (B) - I'll then lay out inside the circle and infront of me.
I may or may not use a "Within me" card (I). (7 is a magic number for me and any protective circle that I draw for myself will have 7 directions - copied from a Shamanic pattern. I don't always name the 7th - the "Within" - sometimes is just ME standing in the centre of it all).
X is where I'm sitting - Just because it's the best place due to the
shape and organisation of my room (working with what I have
I'm sitting on my bed.And ofcourse - the scale of the diagram is a bit incorrect. The cards are not that far away from me (or I wouldn't be able to see them
I'm sure you can use your imaginations.).S---------------------------W
--------------A---------------
--------------B4--------------
-------L------I-------R-------
--------------Bh--------------
--------------B---------------
-------X
E----------------------------N
My modified LBRP is an amalgamation of the Golden Dawn LBRP and the modified Dianic LBRP, with the addition of my own spirit guides (substituted for the 4 Archangels
).N.B. - I'm well aware there may be some raised eyebrows to my modified LBRP.
In this case, please keep your horror to yourself. I'm not a ceremonialist. I'm a simple HedgeWitch who has found a few ceremonial bits and pieces helpful to my personal practice.
Interestingly, and rather pleasingly - adding the cards to my practice in this way has so far made the process more "vivid and lasting" in my "minds eye" and awareness.
i.e. I really "feel" more that the whole creation process has stuck. Days later the effects are clear in my consciousness in a way that is different from previously.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Farzon
That topic with language... I am Austrian but learnt Tarot mostly in English. It always feels strange when I talk about Tarot in German.WAHEY!! [emoji106]
Why?
That's the one! It should ideally flow freely and comfortably from your lips - with you being in full understanding of what it all means if you are using an alien language (that's what I've always believed - so I've in some cases refused to recite things that I don't know the meaning of (in group settings) - because how can one possibly have all their intent or "WILL" behind it in such a case? Lol).
Ala nisaba, I often do mine in silence only speaking in my head - and this is due to many years of first being "in the closet" (I felt I had no option but to do everything in my head when I first began my practice. No props anywhere for anyone to find etc. - so this could be why I'm so good and comfortable with visualisation. I used to do whole rituals in my head whilst lying in the bathtub - the bathroom being the only room in the house that I could lock myself in in privacy, with an excuse
You will, as you go along - find your own most suitable layouts, as you state.
I'm delighted to read all this!
Please do post if you're up for sharing further experiences.
And infact - I'm motivated to get my Barbara G Walker deck out tonight now...
A meditation of mine included visualizing cards to realize their potential. After reading Portable Magic, I think it already was a Tarot Ritual rather than just a meditation.
I conceived the spread entirely in my mind and it featured cards from different decks. The intention was to increase physical strength and stamina before a workout. (How profane)
The main card was Strength from the Renaissance Tarot, as Hercules against the lion is morefocused on the forceful aspect of the card than others. The other cards, RWS were: Nine and ten of wands, more closely defining strength as physical power and endurance. The last card was the Ace of Pentacles, as beginning of the physical realm. It seemed the right card for bringing a potential into the physical world and the body.
I had the cards in a Y-shaped spread, focusing on Strength and how the Minors modified it's meanings. Then I focused on the Ace and the feeling of strength in my body.
Tanga
How brilliantly practical. Magic and life are one afterall.
You are giving me ideas. Someone here mentioned that they used Kabalistic principles with a Tarot deck to workout... and I then bought Tarot Illuminati specifically as a "Workout deck" - (my workout is varied - includes trampette, bellydancing as I used to dance, kettle bells, assisted isolated stretching, sometimes yoga and practicing Wing Tsun Kung Fu moves. I have a punching bag on the wall too) but that's as far as I've gotten with it's use.
Seems you're my present Angel (Messenger) on this topic.
Many thanks.
