Believe it or not keeping a Tarot Journal will greatly improve your understanding of your tarot cards.
Recording your progress as you travel your journey with tarot is something I couldn’t recommend highly enough.
By keeping a tarot journal not only will you have proof of your progress, but you will be building your own personal self-discovery arsenal.
You will be able to relate card meanings to life events and easily see the connections between the choices you make and how you live your life.
Here are my top 5 sections you need to get the most out of your tarot journal.
READINGS
Recording your readings in your tarot journal is an absolute must! Not only can you track your goals and progress you can revisit old readings and see how they they played out in your life.
It will also provide you with fluid card meanings.
Your journal will soon become your own custom LWB!
You may want to include:
- Time
- Date
- Name of querent
- Deck used
- Spread used
- Position meanings for quick reference
- Question asked
- Cards pulled
- Individual interpretation of each card
- Overall impression
CARD OF THE DAY
Using a method such as the daily draw, also referred to as the card of the day, will help you become familiar with your tarot deck.
Simply draw a card to write about each day.
- Major Arcana. Starting with the Fool write about a Major Arcana card each day
- Minor Arcana. Starting with the Ace of each suite write about a Minor card each day
- Morning Draw. Shuffle and draw a card for advice for the day
- Evening Draw. Shuffle and draw a card to summarize your day
- Random Draw. Shuffle your deck and draw a random card to write about each day
- Choose your own card to wright about each day
DETAILED CARD DESCRIPTIONS
Dedicate one whole page to write about each card in as much detail as you can.
You may wish to note:
- Your feelings/reaction to each card
- Keywords and card meanings from your deck’s LWB
- Your own keywords and card meanings
- Patterns (numbers, colors, symbolism, etc..)
- Tell a story about what is happening in each card
- Imagine yourself inside each card living its actions
JUMPERS, SHADOW, AND CLARIFICATION CARDS
“Jumpers” refer to cards that fall out while you’re shuffling.
Their “special message” is so important they can’t wait to be put in a spread!
Read the rest of the cards per usual then combine the meanings of each card to the jumper to see why it is relevant.
Clarification cards are cards that are drawn to, you guessed it clarify a card meaning. Sometimes a card, let’s say the Devil, comes up in a “positive” card position.
Drawing a clarification card will provide additional information or show what isn’t so obvious about a cards message.
A shadow card is the card at the bottom of your tarot deck after the cards in the spread are laid out and read. This card will show you the “shadow” aspect of the reading.
In psychology Sigmund Freud defines the shadow as an unconscious aspect of the personality which the conscious ego does not identify in itself, or the entirety of the unconscious. In a reading this would refer to what is unseen or something that is perhaps lurking out of sight yet is still an influence in relation to the question.
ANYTHING THAT CHALLENGES YOU AND GROWS YOUR TAROT KNOWLEDGE
Tarot challenges are a fun way to grow your knowledge of tarot without it feeling like work.
These activities challenge a tarotist to ask questions that you normally wouldn’t think to ask the tarot providing a unique, fun approach to practice reading even if it is just for yourself.
Tarot challenges can also be a great way to explore themes such as enhancing intuition, the fool’s journey, and even inspire a quest of self-discovery.
Card meditations are a fantastic way to creatively enhance your understanding of the cards.
By doing a guided meditation for each card you can more fully delve into each nook and cranny the card has to offer and see your world in a new perceptive.
Meditations let your mind wander in a way that conscious studying can’t compete with.
Card affirmations are one of my favorite things to incorporate into my card a day practice.
For my card of the day I will create an affirmation to put a positive tarot inspired spin to my day.
MORE USEFUL INFORMATION TO INCLUDE IN YOUR TAROT JOURNAL ENTRIES:
- Astrological signs/information
- Abundance or lack of majors, suit, or court cards in readings
- Numerology, colors, symbols, theme, or any other aspect you are drawn to that appears to be a pattern of feels significant
So there you have it. My top five recommended categories and information to include in your tarot journal.
By including these points in your journal not only are you adding structure to your journey but you are also writing history.
Soon you will look back at all your struggles with a clearer perspective and see proof of all your hard work.
But, don’t feel limited with just these points.
There is so much you can do to personalize your journal and truly make it your own.
This will be your traveling companion so include anything you want to make it tailored to fit your needs.
Don’t be afraid it dress it up!
Doodle, use colored pens, calligraphy, washi tape. Anything that sparks your creativity.
So, go out there, write your history, and experience the magical world of tarot!
WHAT’S NEXT?
Create your own LWB! Keep track of and easily use your own tarot card keywords. Start your custom tarot learning experience today by downloading the SelfTarot FREE Tarot Keyword Cheat Sheet!
Also…
Why not try one of the dozens of FREE tarot spreads available in the SelfTarot Tarot Spread Archive?
READY TO TAKE YOUR SELF-DISCOVERY JOURNEY TO THE NEXT LEVEL?
Try the ultimate self-discovery workshop!
Let’s face it, its hard work doing all this soul searching and self-improvement on your own!
Let tarot be your guide.
Tarot will take your hand, hold nothing back, and lead you on one hell of a journey. Now is your opportunity to take the road less traveled: A journey to discover your truest self – the highest, best version of you that you can be!
Check out the The SelfTarot Self-Discovery Workshop today!
