divination Archives

Introduction to Tarot Reading: Suits and Cards

February 13, 2019Spells

From the many types of divination, tarot reading is one of the most intriguing in my humble opinion. It is practiced by many witches and other spiritual beings. Tarot reading is an art: although it’s not that hard to learn, it may take a lifetime to master to perfection.

This is the first article from a series devoted to tarot. Here we’ll cover some basic subjects like card types and suits. This is an excerpt from a longer (and somewhat disorganized?…) document from beyondweird.com. But the information included is very good, so I decided to organize it a bit and share it with you. You may find the original document here.

As most subjects in witchcraft, nothing is written in stone. This means that you should take this article as a basic guide, and not as the sole truth and interpretation for the subject. Feel free to share your insights in the comments section.

Tarot can be used in several ways; as a means of divination, as a tool for self discovery, as an aid to spiritual or esoteric study or even as a game. Tarot is such a diverse medium that an entire lifetime can be devoted to it’s study.

The standard Tarot deck which is commonly in use today consists of 78 cards. They are divided into the Major Arcana, The Minor Arcana and the Court Cards. There are 22 Major Arcana or Trumps. These cards are thought to represent the Higher parts of our consciousness and have been linked with the Archetypes proposed by Jung, the 22 Letters of the Hebrew Alphabet, The paths of the Tree of Life, The I-Ching and the Runes among other things.

The Court Cards represent other people in our lives or aspects of our own personality. The Minor Arcana are concerned with the everyday, mundane affairs of day to day living such as work, school, the home and relationships. The Minors consist of four suits: Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. In various decks these suits might be renamed, but they are usually recognizable.

The Suits

There are 4 suits commonly found in Tarot decks: Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles. While they sometimes have different names, the idea behind them is usually the same. If you understand the meanings of the suits and have some knowledge of numbers, you can read the Minor Arcana of any deck of Tarot cards, or even playing cards for that matter.

Some of the more common alternate names are:

Wands – Staves

Cups – Vessels, Bowls

Swords – Crystals

Pentacles – Disks, Coins

I have included some basic astrological descriptions as the two systems, Astrology and Tarot seem to complement each other. I have also noticed that many Tarot readers incorporate their knowledge of astrology into their interpretations and readings and that many people who are interested in one are also interested in the other. Since a great many people have some knowledge of Astrology, I thought the descriptions might be helpful in understanding the ideas behind the suits.

Wands

Wands can be described as the suit having to do with energy, creativity, communication, action, passion, self improvement/self development, spirituality and enterprise. If you look at the suit of Wands in most decks you notice that most of the cards show some type of action in progress, or someone who appears to be reviewing or enjoying the results obtained from a recently completed action. Action and energy are two key words to this suit. Wands are usually associated with the element of fire. If you know a little of astrology, think of the personality attributes of the fire signs, the forceful Aries, the flamboyant Leo and the honest and enthusiastic Sagittarius. Additional attributes include:

Direction – South

Season – Spring (Vernal Equinox)

Masculine/Feminine – Masculine

Cups

Cups are associated with the emotions, the subconscious, relationships and intuitive or psychic abilities. Most decks try to convey emotions in this suit; happiness, love, boredom, disappointment and dejection are usually represented and easily identified. This suit is associated with the element of water and like water can be calm and serene, or turbulent and rough. Astrologically, the nurturing Cancer personality, the depth of the Scorpio and the intuitive, dreamy Pisces could be applied. Additional attributes:

Direction – East

Season – Summer (Summer Solstice)

Masculine/Feminine – Feminine

Swords

Swords are the suit of mental activity, rational thinking, decisions, and intellectual pursuit. Because much of the turmoil in our lives can be attributed to our thoughts, this suit often depicts conflict and struggle as well. Looking at this suit in most decks, one finds some of the more negative cards depicting nightmares, craftiness, pain and restriction. Swords are usually associated with the element of air. Astrologically one can think of the Libran desire for balance, the contradictions inherent in the Aquarian personality, and the Gemini’s thirst for intellectual stimulation. Additional attributes:

Direction – West

Season – Autumn (Autumnal Equinox)

Masculine/Feminine – Masculine

Pentacles

Pentacles are the suit associated with work, money, crafts, the home, the physical body. Looking at this suit, one sees craftsman at work, business being conducted, the physical comfort and security of having material things and the physical discomfort and pain of not having them. Pentacles are associated with the element earth. Astrologically one can think of Taurean practicality and love of home, the Capricorn’s financial and business prowess and the Virgo’s industry, skill and productivity. Additional attributes:

Direction – South

Season – Winter (Winter Solstice)

Masculine/Feminine – Feminine

Swords and Wands are usually associated with Air and Fire respectively, however some writers have reversed these attributions assigning Fire to Swords and Air to Wands. Emily Peach does this in “The Tarot Workbook” and Ellen Cannon Reed does as well in her deck ,”The Witches Tarot” and her two books “The Goddess and the Tree” and “The Witches Tarot”. Arguments can be made for both points of view and you should chose whichever attributions seems to fit best to you. The same is true of the directions assigned. An alternative system for directions taken from Astrology is: Wands – East, Cups – North, Swords – West and Earth – South.

In our next article in the series, we’ll talk about major arcana cards and their meanings. So stay tuned!

An Introduction to Candle Magic

February 10, 2019Spells

Candle magic is one of the simplest forms of spell casting. Considered sympathetic magic, it’s a method which doesn’t require a lot of fancy ritual or expensive ceremonial artifacts. In other words, anyone with a candle can cast a spell. After all, remember when you were a child and you made a wish before you blew out the candles on your birthday cake?

In this article, Patti Wiginton, explains, as birthday candles, here is the same theory, only now instead of just hoping, you’re declaring your intent (and by now you’ve probably stopped hoping for a pony). If you think about it, the birthday-candle ritual is based on three key magical principles:

Decide on a goal
Visualize the end result
Focus your intent, or will, to manifest that result

What Sort of Candle Should I Use?

Most practitioners of magical systems will tell you that, much like a few other aspects of life, size really isn’t important. In fact, really big candles may be counterproductive. Look at it this way–a candle that takes three days to burn down can be highly distracting to someone working a spell that instructs you to wait until the candle burns out on its own. Typically, a short taper candle or a votive candle will work the best. In some cases, a spell might call for a specific type of candle, such as a seven-day candle or a figure candle, which may represent a particular person.

One of the most popular candles, believe it or not, is in fact the little menorah candles which are sold by the box in the kosher section of the grocery store. They’re about 4″ long, white, unscented, and thin. Because of this, they’re perfect for spell work.

You should always use a brand new candle for spell work–in other words, use virgin materials. Don’t use the candles that you burned at the dinner table or in the bathroom yesterday for spell work. In some magical traditions, once a candle is burned it picks up vibrations from things around it. If a used candle is already tainted by vibrations, some people believe it will lead to a negative or ineffective magical outcome.

When it comes to colors, you may wish to have a variety on hand for different magical purposes. Typically, Color correspondences for candle magic are as follows:

Red: Courage and health, sexual love, and lust.
Pink: Friendship and sweet love.
Orange: Attraction and encouragement.
Gold: Financial gain, business endeavors, and solar connections.
Yellow: Persuasion and protection.
Green: Financial gain, abundance, and fertility.
Light Blue: Health, patience, and understanding.
Dark Blue: Depression and vulnerability.
Purple: Ambition and power.
Brown: Earth-related or animal-related workings.
Black: Negativity and banishment.
White: Purity and truth*.
Silver: Reflection, intuition, and lunar connections.

* Note that in many Pagan traditions, it is acceptable to use a white candle in place of any other color.

Using Your Candle in Ritual

After you’ve selected a candle, you’ll want to oil it or dress it before burning. This is a method by which you’ll establish a psychic link between you and the candle itself. In other words, you’re charging the candle with your own energy and personal vibrations, and projecting your intent into the wax before you burn it. To dress a candle, you’ll need a natural oil; many practitioners like to use grapeseed because it has no smell. Another option is to use special candle magic oils from one of the metaphysical supply stores.

Begin at the top of the candle, and rub the oil downward to the middle. Then, begin at the base of the candle and rub the oil up towards the middle, ending where the first coating of oil left off. In some traditions, the anointing is done just the opposite way; start in the middle and work your way towards the two ends.

If your working calls for herbs to be used as well, roll the oiled candle in the powdered herbs until it is coated all the way around.

Brujo Negro of BrujoNegroBrujeria says,

“Is a candle magical in and of itself? No, it is the flame of the candle which is what we are making the magic; the candle and its wax are the fuel for the fire. In essence the candle is a vehicle for the creation of the magic contained in the flame, it is a tool if you will and yes it is a magical tool so you should treat your candles as magical tools. You should give your chosen candle a basic cleansing, before dedicating it to the use of a magical spell.”

The most basic form of candle magic uses a piece of colored paper that matches the intent of your candle. Decide what your goal is, and write it on the piece of paper. Just for an example, let’s say we’re going to do a money working. Write down your intent, something like I will become financially prosperous. In some traditions, you would write your intent in a magical alphabet, such as Theban or Enochian. Because this is a money-oriented working, we would select either a gold or green piece of paper, and a candle of the same color.

As you write down your goal, visualize yourself achieving that goal. Think about the different ways in which your goal might manifest. Could you be getting a raise at work? Perhaps someone who owed you money will arrive out of the blue to repay their debt. Maybe you’ll find out you overpaid that cable bill from last year, and you will get a surprise refund check!

Once you’ve written down your goal, fold the paper, concentrating on your intent the whole time. Some people like to say a small incantation as they do this. If you’re one of those people, this is a good place to do it. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. You can use something as simple as:

Extra money come my way,
I could use a little cash today.
Extra money come to me,
As I will, so it shall be.

Place one corned of the folded paper into the candle’s flame and allow it to catch fire. Hold the paper as long as possible (without burning your fingers) and then place it in a fire-safe bowl or cauldron to burn the rest of the way on its own. Allow the candle to burn out completely. When the candle has burned out completely, dispose of it, rather than saving it to use again for another working. Usually there’s not much left of a candle except a stub of wax, and you can either bury it outdoors or dispose of it in whatever manner you choose.

Candle Magic for Divination

In some magical traditions, candles are used for divinatory purposes. The two most commonly used methods of candle divination are by reading the wax, and reading the manner in which the candle actually burns. To read the wax, the typical practice is to drop the liquefied wax into a bowl of cold water. The wax will harden almost immediately, and form shapes. Use these shapes to get the answers to your questions, much as you would if you were reading tea leaves.

To divine by the way the candle burns is a bit more complex, and Cat Yronwoode of LuckyMojo has a great essay on ceromancy in Hoodoo candle magic.

How To Use Rune Stones

January 29, 2019Spells

We are blessed to receive many questions and comments on social media (thank you all for your support, btw!). Many of the questions we get are related to the different types of divination. So I decided to add more articles related to this subject.

In this article, Jen from wiccadaily.com describes in detail what are runes and their uses in witchcraft/magick.

Runes

Runes are what you call the ancient alphabet used by the Germanic countries that are used by Pagans in magick and divination. The best way to work with them is to ask a specific question, whatever it may be and however it may apply to your current situation. Although you don’t have to be of Norse ancestry to use and understand the rune scripts, you’ll have a far better sense of how to use them based on the meaning of their symbols. Having some knowledge of the mythology and history of the Germanic peoples goes a long way in incorporating rune stones into your magickal workings.

Magick Runes

Magick Runes are used in divination and charms. They have been used since the ancient times for these purposes. You might not know where to start when it comes to knowing how to use magick runes. It does take a little getting used to to seamlessly incorporate them in your magickal workings. Magick runes comes in two forms: magick rune cards and rune stones.

Rune Stones

Rune stones have been used for centuries as a tool for divination. Today, they are still used in magic and divination by many Pagans. They fall into the same category such as the tarot. Each rune stone is inscribed with a symbol, and each symbol holds a special meaning. Each and every runic alphabet possesses a special kind of power and can be used to invoke deities who can help you in dealing with your problems. You may use your own interpretations for the symbols, based on your studies and beliefs, or you may take the more traditional approach, which is going by the traditional meaning of each. Whichever way you may go about using the rune stones, it is still best to at least have some idea of their meanings.

Different Ways To Use Rune Stones

Rune stone divination should not be used to predict the future. That is not its function. Look at it as a tool for guidance. It allows you to work with the subconscious and focus on the questions that have been bothering you and those which you just need the answers to.

As with other tools of divination, always cleanse and charge your rune stones before and after each use.

Before doing any reading, it is best to ask a Spirit, or whichever Deity you feel most comfortable working with, to guide you in your reading. When you are done with the reading session, don’t forget to thank the Deity you asked guidance from.

Single Stone Reading-

This type of reading is the simpler version and requires just a single rune stone for a reading. You should place all rune stones in a bag. And here’s what you should do:

Clear your mind.
Focus on the questions you want answers to.
Hold the bag of rune stones in your receptive hand.
With the fingers of your receptive hand, mix up the stones in the bag.
Whichever way you wish to ask the question, go ahead and do it. It should go like this, ask your question and take a rune stone from the bag.
Read the symbol written on the stone. That answers your question.
If you need further clarification, take another stone from the bag and read the symbol on it.
If you find that you still need clarification, it might be time to place the stone back in the bag and reshuffle them as you rephrase your question.

Four Stone Reading-

This type of reading is the more complicated one and is better left to those who have advanced in their rune stone reading knowledge. This requires you to read a combination of four rune stones. Here’s what you should do:

Clear your mind.
Focus on the questions you want answers to.
Hold the bag of rune stones in your receptive hand.
With the fingers of your receptive hand, mix up the stones in the bag.
Whichever way you wish to ask the question, go ahead and do it.
This time, remove four stones from the bag, one at a time.
Read each stone’s inscription and place them in front of you.
The first stone represents the past influences.
The second stone represents the present influences.
The third stone represents the future influences.
The fourth stone represents the behaviors and energies that remain the same.

Once you have reached a certain level of comfort working with the runes stones, you can experiment with different types of layouts that will come to you naturally as you advance in your rune reading experience. This way, you will also discover what works best for you.

Many people believe that the selections made within the runes stones drawn are not random at all, they are actually the choices made by your subconscious. And some believe that the rune stones drawn hold the answers provided by the Divine to affirm what we have long known in our hearts.