Keeping a Tarot Journal

[Anam Cara]

Eyebright, I started keeping a tarot journal after reading
Corrine Kenner's "Tarot Journaling" 5 years ago.

My journals started out to be ONLY about my readings for myself,
but have morphed into also including everyday thoughts
and events.
But, I feel this is appropriate, for it shows me how my
readings correspond to what is occurring in my life.

I'm now on journal #26! I commented over the holidays
that my hubby is sworn to destroying the journals when
my time comes.

But my 23 yo daughter, upon hearing this, made me
promise to save them for her - I thought there'd be
no interest there!
So now, apparently, my collection of journals is kindv
a family heirloom.

Cara

 

[MrAndrewJ]

I'm the kind of person who insists on typing nearly everything due to sub-standard handwriting. (Then again, I'll never get better if I don't practice...)

Anyway, I do hand-journal my personal spreads. I don't go back to re-read them as often as I should, but it does help me to really examine the cards in a deeper context while they are still spread out. The act of cataloging them forces me to think about their relationships.

 

[Carla]

My first tarot journal was a book divided into 78 sections in which I jotted card meanings as I learned them, gathered from all sorts of sources. That helped me a lot and I refer to it occasionally. I tried for a time to do daily readings, and that was not productive for me, so I gave up on it. My current tarot journal is more random, where I explore whatever issue relating to tarot that I'm reading or studying at the time. Writing out the story of Ceridwen and Gwion in my journal and how it is played out in the '5' cards across the suits in Druidcraft really helped me remember that, and adds an entire fresh dimension to my reading of those cards. I also wrote out stories about the court cards in the Haindl and assigned my own key words to them, and now I know them much better than I ever did from reading Rachel Pollack's meandering commentary. That's just a few examples of how tarot journaling has expanded my learning. But then, I love filling up blank books. It doesn't matter so much if I ever go back and look at them, because they help me internalise the material I'm learning.

If you love writing and doodling in notebooks, try a tarot journal. If it seems like a chore or a daunting task, use some other technique.

 

[Cassandra022]

I'm considering trying to start a tarot journal combining computer and paper...as in, type everything up in word and whatnot like a few other people mentioned, but then print it out and put it in some kind of book/binder. I know this is kind of wasteful but...I write much better when I type (not to mention its actually legible lol) but its much easier for me to read/review things on paper (which is why i have avoided e-readers like woah)...

i generally tend to be very bad with keeping up with such things consistently though...lack of focus, life ADD, whatever...dunno if trying this time would be any different :0

 

[MareSaturni]

Heeeelp!

I apologize for "necroposting", but I didn't see the need to open yet another thread about a subject that has been discussed over and over again.

I just want some advice from those who use paper journals. Yep.

I am PDRing with the Grail Tarot and, while I truly like this deck, I am still too dependent on the companion book. The cards are very different from the standard Tarot deck, and I need to consult John Matthews all the time, which isn't very good for my study. I want to start a journal, but honestly... I don't know how. I have always been a lousy notebook keeper, even when I was in college 50% of notebooks were full of my drawings and doodles, lol!

I know I could keep a computer journal, but here's my issue: I already spend 8 hours working in front of the computer NON-STOP. I work in a publishing house, mind you. And I don't want to be forced to spend another hour at home updating my journal. I mean, I use the computer at home, but I wanted my tarot study to be something I can do without it.

And also, I am a bit anal about notebooks. I often give up when I can't keep them organized, which usually happens after one week of usage. I want them to be 'perfect', if that makes any sense.

Can anyone give me some tips on how to keep a paper journal and also cram some 'imperfection acceptance' ideas into this thick skull of mine?


Thank you!

 

[herself]

I also wrote out stories about the court cards in the Haindl and assigned my own key words to them, and now I know them much better than I ever did from reading Rachel Pollack's meandering commentary.

Wow, Carla! that's a great idea! I adore the court cards in the Haindl but I am always having to look them up if I've spent any period of time away from the deck.

I'm like you too - I love filling up blank books, and can only really think something through if I am writing it down.

 

[Eyebright]

I apologize for "necroposting", but I didn't see the need to open yet another thread about a subject that has been discussed over and over again.

I just want some advice from those who use paper journals. Yep.

I am PDRing with the Grail Tarot and, while I truly like this deck, I am still too dependent on the companion book. The cards are very different from the standard Tarot deck, and I need to consult John Matthews all the time, which isn't very good for my study. I want to start a journal, but honestly... I don't know how. I have always been a lousy notebook keeper, even when I was in college 50% of notebooks were full of my drawings and doodles, lol!

I know I could keep a computer journal, but here's my issue: I already spend 8 hours working in front of the computer NON-STOP. I work in a publishing house, mind you. And I don't want to be forced to spend another hour at home updating my journal. I mean, I use the computer at home, but I wanted my tarot study to be something I can do without it.

And also, I am a bit anal about notebooks. I often give up when I can't keep them organized, which usually happens after one week of usage. I want them to be 'perfect', if that makes any sense.

Can anyone give me some tips on how to keep a paper journal and also cram some 'imperfection acceptance' ideas into this thick skull of mine?


Thank you!

Hi Marina, thanks for resurrecting my thread! I'd like to update that I have indeed kept a Tarot journal, I mostly write up my personal readings for myself these days, and I have a seperate book for Tarot spreads I find that I like or that I occasionally create. It has definitely been invaluable to me!

As you know Marina I'm a fellow PDR'er, I'm thinking of creating a chapter in my notebook for the Druidcraft I'm currently working with.
I'm thinking of a page for each card and then a few subheadings for me to write about each of the cards. What I've come up with so far is:

Book/creator meaning
My reaction to the card/ my intuitive meanings
Symbolism I've picked up on to research in a bit more detail (for example in the DC plants, animals, celtic mythology
Colour/numerology/astrological associations etc (not sure how much I will go into this as its not something that I currently incorporate much of in my readings)
Description of the card
Create a short story based on image in the card

Maybe get a ring binder with the dividers etc so you can split it up into sections (major arcana, wands, pents, courts etc etc)
Then write your thoughts for each card on paper and put into the appropriate section of the binder. That way you can chop and change as you like and put it into whatever order you like, don't have to worry about running out of space in the alloted pages for allowed for each carder and having to continue out of order at the back (that irritates me lol )

That's just a few ideas based upon my trial and error working with a paper journal. Hope there is something useful in there for you Marina!

 

[Nerys]

I will echo Eyebright's (and possibly others') suggestion about a 3-ring binder. My tarot journal started out as a binder - for the perfectionistically-minded you can add, subtract, change the order, substitute better pages, etc. Nothing is quite set in stone. I had sections for readings, card meanings, quotes, and all that stuff too, but I imagine it would work fine even if you kept track of things chronologically rather than in a subject-based way. I'm just thinking of the easy replaceability of binder pages as opposed to a regular bound notebook.

Of course, my journal these days is in a regular old lined notebook which I think came free with a three-ring binder I bought back in college. It's pretty scribbly and messy, but I don't use it much beyond writing down interesting thoughts or ideas I come across or keeping track of my recent IDS, which included the exercises for 21 Ways. Sadly I haven't kept an index either... I probably should.

 

[1Eleven]

I use a written journal for quick notes here and there but all of the "meat" of my notes, spreads, readings, etc. are kept in Evernote. I have access to this from both my phone and my Mac. I can't imagine keeping track of everything without this application since you can organize, search and tag.

Jon

 

[RexMalaki]

I have a 3-ring binder with a section for the cards; a page for each, but 3-ring makes it possible to have more. Section for readings and a section for other information (symbolism, spreads, poems...). I have to transfer meanings from my reading section over to the card...cool..but it takes extra time...and writing the same thing twice...

But...

I wonder if it would have been better to have a card index at the front ( maybe 1/3 of a page or less for each card) Then just keep a daily journal and if a card is mentioned in the journal just put a note on the index for that card saying what day it was mentioned.

no copying twice...can see at a glance which cards keep coming up...but I have so much invested in the first journal I have to start it over...but I'm thinking about it!