Encounter: Quadricorn. Its horns have similar properties to a Unicorn, but rather than being draw to virginal innocence like its subtler cousin, the Quadricorn is drawn to perversion and debauchery, and for this reason is prized alive by those that wish to pursue such a lifestyle as a way to find one another.
Dreams have always been a big part of my practice. I’ve always had very vivid dreams and enjoyed analysing them. Recently though, I’ve had some trouble with recurring nightmares.
I also used to be quite good at lucid dreaming, but I’ve struggled with it the past few years.
This is a simple little spell bag I put together to aid in lucid dreaming, ward against nightmares, and encourage psychic dreams.
Items:
Purple spell bag
Lavender - induce peaceful dreams
Mugwort - psychic and lucid dreams
Rosemary - protection
Marigold - dream divination
Mullein - protection against nightmares and spirits
Valerian root - induce sleep
Amethyst - dream enhancer
Set the task for each ingredient as you add it to the bag.
Charge the complete bag for your specific purpose, with whatever method you prefer. Place it under your pillow.
Keep a notebook near your bed and record your dreams as soon as you wake up. Pay attention to themes, feelings, recurring patterns, smells etc. This will help train your brain to better recall dreams
This past few years has been murder on my personal practice. But I’m now out of my shitty job, and after a rough few months I’ve began to work through some of my shit.
To try and get my mind back into the swing of things, I’m going to take up drawing a daily tarot card and blogging about it and my interpretation of how it fits my day.
I used to be quite handy with the tarot, but it’s been years since I properly used them so I’m very rusty.
Currently using the Lisa Parker Familiar deck.
The Magician
My card for today is the Magician. It’s illustrated with a black cat studying from a magical book, bathed in moonlight.
This card is telling me I need to get up, stop procrastinating, shut out distractions and focus on my writing.
The past week or so I’ve been struggling creatively, not able to focus or get much work done. I’ve got plans but I’ve been letting myself get side tracked. The Magician tells me I can do it. I have the ability, I just need to focus and my creativity will flow.
Y’all asked for it so y’all gonna get it! I’mma start off with the barebones essentials and work my way to basic definitions. Sit down on something comfy and get yourself your warm beverage of choice and maybe grab a notebook because here goes.
What are runes?
Runic alphabets have been around since about 150 AD and used as a writing system by a lot of Germanic languages. These systems were eventually phased out, slowly but surely, with the progressive Christianisation that started around 700-1100 AD. The three most commonly known (and used?) Are the Elder Futhark, the Younger Futhark and Futhorc.
Runes aren’t, themselves, broadly meant for divination, thought there are a few passages in the Eddas that mention Odin “finding” and using them.
Alright, so which alphabet should I use?
Whichever one you want! I prefer using the Elder Futhark, because it’s the first alphabet I learned and got familiar with, but that doesn’t at all stop you from using the Younger FutharkorFuthorc. I’d heavily suggest making sure you read up on the differences in each alphabet though; Ansuz, for example, won’t look the same, mean the same or even be called the same from one alphabet to another.
Familiarize yourself with each of them if you want/can, and choose based on your own preferences and criteria. Always work with what feels best for you!
But I’m not really familiar with Germanic traditions / I’m a baby witch, should or can I use runes for divination?
This is the concept that got my goat real good the first time. You do not, in any way, shape or form, need to be experienced to cast runes. This is a notion that is outdated and perpetuated by gatekeepers and exclusionists. No one gives a flying flip how long you’ve been practicing witchcraft, or if you even practice at all!
Divination should be seen as a tool to further yourself and/or your craft. It can be used by itself or in conjunction with other activities, practices or beliefs. I was 15 when I started learning about runes (dear god that was literally over ten years ago) and I had no idea what I was doing back then. I read up as much as I could about the system I was wanting to use and, once I was comfortable with it, I started doing small readings.
It shouldn’t matter how new or familiar you are to divination, rune casting or Germanic traditions. If rune casting feels right to you, you are more than free to use whatever divination method feels right to you.
What should I do before I start a reading?
As a Norse Pagan, I usually invoke my patron deities (BaldrandLoki, in this case), as well as OdinandFreyja, sometimes Gullveig/Heiðr because reasons. I have no idea whether or not this has any actual bearing on the reading itself, as mine were as accurate before I converted as they are now.
Making sure you’re in a quiet and/or comfortable space is also a good idea, even if that just means popping in some earphones and listening to something that makes you focus and feel calm.
This is also a good time to mention that cleansing your runes (stone, bone, wood or otherwise) is a very good idea. I typically do this with candles, incense, a bowl of water and a point of quartz for each element. I don’t do this nearly as often as I probably should, since most people suggest cleansing them after each reading… but, whatever, being lax with that hasn’t bitten me in the ass so far. So if you’re a spoonie, don’t worry: cleanse your runes when you feel they need to be cleansed, and that’s it.
Alright, I think I’m ready; how do I start reading?
Let me start by saying that the bullshit about never reading yourself? It’s just that. Bullshit. Do readings on yourself if you want to. Who the hell is going to stop you. Do whatever you want.
On that note, there are a few ways to cast runes, though these probably aren’t close to being the only ones:
Intuitively choosing the stones Lay the runes down on a flat surface and let your hand hover over them and pick out the ones that feel right. You can either pick them in order of the spread you’re using, or place the runes where you feel they belong on the spread.
Throwing the stones Make sure you have a large flat surface to work with (preferably the floor honestly) where you won’t drop, scatter or lose a rune. You can use a mat underneath, and read the stones that fall on the corresponding positions in the spread or circle. (You can find many of these with a quick google search, or make your own mat!) Otherwise, you can take the first stones you see facing up and lay those out according to your spread.
Picking them blindly Either you or the person you’re reading pull stones blinding out of a pouch, bag or other container, and lay them out according to the spread you’re using. Pretty straightforward.
If you can think of another method, literally nothing is stopping you from using that instead. The runes are acting as a universal translator for whatever it is you’re tapping into. They’re just a tool to receive a message. How you choose to receive that message is completely up to you!
So I’ve got my runes laid out, now what?
Now comes the fun part. I can only really give you a good run-down of the Elder Futhark, and though it’s a good starting point, I would highly advise you do your own research on whatever alphabet you want to use. Wikipedia is a great place to start, but don’t stop there: look at several different websites and lists and compare. Combine and condense the information for yourself, and get to learn the definitions and meanings for yourself!
ᚠ Fehu • catle wealth, money, hard work paying off, can represent spiritual wealth reversed:effort gone to waste, natural and/or financial loss, greed
ᚢ Uruz • ox physical strength and speed, great energy, courage, masculine reversed:physical weakness, illness, violence, misdirected aggression
ᚦ Thurisaz • thor reactive, destructive and/or defensive force, tendency towards change reversed: dangerous compulsions, betrayal and malice, lies, spite
ᚨ Ansuz • of the Æsir revelations, intuition, signs and signals, wisdom, power of words/names reversed: misunderstandings, delusions and vanity
ᚱ Raido • chariot physical/spiritual journeys, transition, seeing the bigger picture reversed: crisis, maybe due to stagnation, unwanted disruption
ᚲ Kaunan • torch creativity and inspiration, power of transformation, power of life reversed: instability, lack of creativity, false hope revealed, disillusionment
ᚷ Gebo • gift gifts in the form of sacrifice or generosity, contracts, partnerships reversed/opposed: greed, isolation and dependence, over-sacrifice
ᚹ Wunjo • joy comfort, pleasure, companionship, possibility of going over the top reversed: sorrow and alienation, growing distance, raging frenzy
ᚺ Hagalaz • hail wrath of nature, destruction for the sake of creation, natural order reversed: natural disasters, powerlessness, suffering
ᚾ Naudiz • need strength/growth from hardships, survival, determination reversed: deprivation and emotional starvation, constraints/restraints
ᛁ Isaz • ice challenges and frustration, psychological block, anticipation reversed/opposed: can oppose other runes with malice and treachery
ᛃ Jera • good year hard work is fruitful, peace, happiness and relief, breaking the cycle reversed: sudden setbacks and bad timing
ᛈ Pertho • vagina secrets, mysteries, undiscovered abilities, choosing your own path reversed: stagnation, isolation and loneliness
ᛇ E/ihwaz • yew tree strength, stability, endurance, trustworthiness, your goal is realistic reversed: confusion, dissatisfaction and weakness of the mind
ᛉ Algiz • elk shield, the instinct to protect yourself/others, connection to the gods reversed: hidden dangers, loss of link to the divine, turning away
ᛊ Suwilo • the sun success and goals achieved, you have the power you need to succeed reversed/opposed: deception, false goals, gullibility, divine wrath
ᛏ Tiwaz • tyr honour and leadership, authority, success in competitions reversed: artistic block, over-analysis and sacrifice, imbalance/conflict
ᛒ Berkana • birch tree fertility in a broad sense, personal/physical growth, new beginnings reversed: family/relationship issues, anxiety over loved ones, abandon
ᛖ Ehwaz • horse steady and gradual progress, teamwork/loyalty, relationships reversed: reckless haste and its consequences, restlessness
ᛗ Mannaz • mankind the self, the human race, your attitude toward others and vice-versa, social awareness, altruism reversed: mortality, self-deception, cunning and manipulation
ᛚ Laguz • water literal/metaphorical flow, imagination, the unknown, chance of loss reversed: confusion/uncertainty, may be making the wrong choice
ᛝ Ingwaz • probably freyr warmth and love in general, tying loose ends, relief, freedom to move reversed: moving without change, fruitless effort, helpelessness
ᛞ Dagaz • dawn breakthroughs and clarity, security, power to change and grow, the ideal reversed/opposed: endings and coming round full circle
ᛟ Othila • inheritance ancestral property, what is most important, spiritual heritage and safety reversed: slavery, homelessness, bad karma, what one is unwillingly bound to
Phew! What a list. These are just brief descriptions and meanings that I’ve been able to compile and condense over the years.
But, what does “opposed” mean?
I see where you’re coming from. As a baby diviner, I, also, was confused by this. But let me explain how I’ve come to understand it!
Sometimes, if you’re doing a set spread, you’ll have a spot for things like, “what will oppose you”, or “what you need to avoid”. Things like that. If, say, a rune like Suwilo was found in something like that, you’d want to try and keep a sharp mind to avoid deceptions or letting yourself be too gullible.
When runes don’t have a reversed form, their position in your spread will usually determine what they mean. (Though really this is true for literally any rune.)
Anything else I should know?
The best advice I can ever give anyone is to always do what you feel is right. If you find yourself wondering, “Should I do this? Is this right?” If you question yourself at all, you should probably not to the thing and go with something else.
It’s also important to mention that the names I have for the runes may not be the ones that you’ve learned to know them by; a lot of runes can go by different names depending on who you ask and where you look. Do your research, and know the runes by the names you feel are best! (And preferably historically accurate.)
As always, if you have any questions regarding runes and how to read them, please ask me! My ask box is literally always open and almost always empty.
~[~ Send in your Birth Chart + your initials and I will tell you about your past/present/future partner/s and possibly even your spouse/future spouse ~]~
__________≈{-Rules-}≈__________
No anons.
Be nice, don’t just send your birth chart with nothing else and expect me to give you an in depth reading for free lol
Don’t rush me to answer, and don’t demand that I answer.
Not a rule but you’re free to use any house system you’d like (as long as it’s in tropical/not vedic)
A quick lil rant because I am feeling mildly annoyed right now:
Some of you in this spiritual/tarot/divination community need to stop pressuring people into rushing their healing process. I’m talking about when y'all just assume someone hasn’t taken their time to deal with the aftermath of something that left them severely distressed if not traumatized just because they still have some toxic habits, have their bad days, have a negative mindset.. fuck even for feeling rightfully upset about something horrible that happened to them. The truth is that healing takes so much time, you can’t erase months/years worth of trauma by just being positive. No one is going to heal from a traumatic childhood just because they repeat a few affirmations every morning, practice mindfulness, meditate everyday, etc.
What you’re doing by invalidating people’s struggles, all of the terrible things they had to go through, and all of the effort they’ve put into healing is teaching them that they’re a failure because they have yet to be “fixed”. You’re teaching them that they shouldn’t feel their feelings, that they should bury them deep within. Which prolongs the process of healing, making it take longer to heal than if they were told that sometimes the only thing you cando is cry, be sad, feel everything. You need to feel and release these feelings in order to move on with your life and actually heal.
Spirituality is an amazing tool to helpone in their healing journey but it should -never- replace therapy or professional help.
Disclaimer: None of these images are mine!! If I am using your photo and you don’t like it please message me for credit or removal.
This is for entertainment purposes only, take everything said with a grain of salt.
Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, then let yourself observe each pile. Choose whichever one you feel drawn to the most, you can choose multiple if you’d like however I would not recommend picking more than 2. It is also possible none of these piles are for you!! Take what resonates; leave what doesn’t.
Pile 1
Tw: Mentions of Trauma, Drugs, Addiction, and Sex.
The feeling I got when getting into this reading is very.. scary? Very terrifying but in a comforting way, theres this comfort that comes with the fear. I feel like a lot of you have gone through some really traumatic situations, things out of this world, things so bad that people doubt you when you tell them this thing/s happened. Whatever happened really brought you down emotionally, and I feel this thing affected/affects you so intensely that you’ve become numb to the pain, because that’s the only way you could survive. Possibly you even find comfort in it as suggested by the first part of this reading. You give off a very low yet intense vibration. People can definitely pick up on your presence, they notice this darkness to you and how low you’ve felt. I wouldn’t say this is something people adore and love about you but also nobody really dislikes or hates you for it, most people are neutral on this and don’t really care.
Some of you may struggle with or have struggled with an addiction, specifically a drug addiction. I’m also getting something about a sex addiction or being hypersexual, some may just perceive you as hypersexual or people may sexualize and/or objectify you often. Some of you also have depression or an other mental illness.
Your aura definitely has black in it, most of you have red in it as well as white. Some of you may also have blue or white with blue undertones.
Specific combinations I got: Black, red and white. Black and white. Black and red.
Things of significance:
Mirrors, hiding in a bathroom during a party, speed/snow, Virgo, Gemini, 6th House, 3rd House, drugs/being high, 2nd Hand - Chin Up, Kid, Pain - Three Days Grace
Pile 2
Tw: Mentions of Drugs, Alcohol, and Addiction.
Ooo ooh so starting off I got a message that some of you blurt out random things, you may make random noises and at random times, or you say things that don’t really make sense. Some of you don’t put a lot of thought into what you say and just ramble on about things when you don’t even know what you’re talking about yourself.
Okay I have some very specific messages so this is only for a few of you but similar to pile 1 I’m getting that some of you struggle with a drug or even alcohol addiction and this can be the reason you say weird things and can be unaware of what you’re saying, even what other people are saying too. Another specific message I got is that you hear a lot of incoherent voices. You may work around a lot of people, live with a lot of people, or go out a lot so it’s hard to make out everything being said. Some of you may be on the schizophrenia spectrum or hallucinate which is why you hear these incoherent voices.
Overall I’m getting something about incoherent or unusual speech.
Pile 2’s aura generally consists of white and brown. Some of you have a combination of white and brown while others have a lean towards white or brown. Some of you have an aura that is very saturated and dark, intense, potent. The rest of you still have a dark aura but the darkness is muted leaving it sort of muddy looking, like a sketch that has yet to be shaded or outlined. If your aura has a white lean it’s likely the 2nd one, I’m also getting that the whiter auras in pile 2 have some greys but not much black.
Things of significance:
Near death experience, hospital, ER, Virgo, Leo, someone has a dog or a significant bond with a dog, The Departure - Falling in Reverse
Pile 3
Pile 3 is a pretty chill pile. You may be a bit detached or aloof, or at least you come across that way. Very nonchalant, calm, you’re not the type to make a big scene over something little. Maybe you can become reactive, a little dramatic, and emotional when something hits you hard, when something makes you feel deeply… but other than that you’re really chill. If you like to gossip you’re really good at keeping it lowkey because most people would assume you’re kept to yourself and prefer to focus on more important issues. You give off a very calm, logical, and serious vibe. You’re not overly serious but just serious enough to get what matters done, you can definitely joke around and have fun. I feel like even though you come across as serious and hardworking you may actually have a problem with procrastination and not sticking to your plans/ideas. You could be a bit indecisive or switch up a lot, a few of you are prone to boredom and absolutely despise it.
Some of you are into witchcraft and/or spirituality. If you’re a witch I feel like you’re a really good one, you’re good with using your energy and you know not to do things you’re not 100% sure of when it comes to your craft. I got a specific message that one or a few of you run a tiktok page dedicated to witchcraft or things of a spiritual nature. Also someone has a page where they talk a bit much about being a stoner No but seriously some of you are on tiktok too much please go outside even if it’s just for a few minutes, get some fresh air, look at the nature, enjoy yourself just existing in the moment.
For your aura color I immediately got purple, some of you have this black-purple ombre. Others of you have a pretty basic aura, many of you have one color but the shade shifts often. Specific colors I got were blue, green, and yellow. Some of you have multiple colors but they go together very well, for example opposite colors like red and green or purple and yellow. Or even colors next to each other like pink-purple-blue or red-orange-yellow. I feel like your aura changes a lot, there isn’t really one specific look and you guys are rather versatile.
Things of significance:
Scorpio, Aquarius, Aries, socks, bunnies, bunny socks, bunny hat, thigh highs, bunny themed social media, bunny themed aesthetic, ashes, leaving offerings for deities/ancestors
Pile 4
Pile 4 you’re very playful. I do see you joke around a lot and many things you say aren’t very serious. You’re like a walking meme. You definitely have your serious moments but overall you’re pretty funny and know how to joke around. Some of you are really loud or talkative, something about you is extreme, eccentric. This could be the way you dress, the way you talk, the music you listen to, maybe you have a specific feature that stands out on your face or body. You might have unusual interests or interests that are seen as weird. You could be a bit naive or childish, you come across as very positive and cheerful.
Some of you really like that soft, sweet, pastel aesthetic. You like to come across as cutesy and adorable, or you like your social media to. Someone in pile 4 really loves their dog omg also many of you like frogs. Cats, zebras, or giraffes may be significant.
Your aura color is a very vivid blue, even if it’s darker it has this otherworldly brightness and color to it. Some of you have yellow added to the blue too. Others of you have a pink aura, very vivid and the way the colors pop is almost impossible to explain in words. very ethereal.
Things of significance:
Autumn/fall, black square glasses, BTS, Taehyung from BTS, Kpop, Alicia, James, Esdia, asparagus??, pizza, pizza shop, All Dogs Go To Heaven - PRXJEK, No - BTS
Reading tarot cards has been an interest of mine for a while now, and since I’m feeling pretty low on inspiration for blog posts, I decided to share some basics of tarot with you guys, just because I can. Think of this as an introduction to tarot, Tarot 101 if you will. Reading this will not convert any skeptics, nor will it allow malevolent spirits through to haunt you. Rider-Waite Tarot Deck…
I like to bless and consecrate my tools before I use them, and I make a little bit of this water each time I want to do so. It protects and strengthens me when I use them, and keeps them nice and energized while they’re put away.
Hopefully it helps some of you, or gives you some inspiration to create your own :)
What you’ll need:
Amethyst Gem Elixir
Mugwort
Lavender
Moon Water
Cheesecloth/Breathable Sachet Bag
Bowl or Jar
Mix together your moon water and gem elixir into the bowl, infusing the moon’s cleansing and intuitive energy with the amethyst’s guiding and protective qualities. Stir clockwise to draw in more of this energy, and add your own clairvoyance to the mix.
Bundle together your lavender and mugwort, and place them in a square of cheesecloth. Tie the ends together, and secure it so that the herbs won’t fall out. You can dip it into the water or let it sit there for a few minutes to steep.
The mugwort is great for scrying and ‘clear seeing’ divination. Lavender can be useful in strengthening spiritual protection, so I always include some in my divination blessing water.
When you feel satisfied with your blessing water, take out the herbs, and use to bless any tool you may need to. You might incorporate a sigil by drawing it onto your tool with the water, or say a chant over it. Add some personal touches to make it special.
I pour the remaining water into the ground as an offering to spirits around my home, but you may keep it if you desire (cool and dry places are good for things like this, and always make sure there is no mildew or anything of that sort if you do keep it longer than a few weeks)
It’s super simple to make, works really well, and is overall a great water to use as a blessing ^_^ Good luck!
I will do a 1 card reading from my Starman Tarot deck for any celebrity you want to know something about. I read through Spirit, which might be different from other readers.
I will tell you not only what I see in the card, but any words or phrases I hear, whatever vision is conjured, what emotions are evoked and what they tell me about the situation and person(s) in it.
Send me an ask about the celebrity you want to know about! Anyone past or present!
From the Roman priest reading auguries to interpret the will of the gods to the modern fortune teller reading with a deck of playing cards, divination has been a part of human spirituality for thousands of years. Today, divination is an important part of many witches’ practices, and can be an important tool for self-reflection and analysis.
Merriam-Webster defines divination as, “the art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge usually by the interpretation of omens or by the aid of supernatural powers.” Divination can be used for many things, not just to predict the future. It can be used to understand the past, identify patterns at work in your present, or as a tool for working through trauma.
In the book You Are Magical, author Tess Whitehurst describes divination as, “a way of bypassing your linear, thinking mind and accessing the current of divine wisdom and your own inner knowing.” As I’ve discussed in a previous post, all of us are receiving psychic information all the time, though many of us don’t realize it. Divination tools like tarot cards or rune stones act as triggers to help kickstart our natural psychic gifts.
Divination relies on the use of our intuition. Intuition is defined my Merriam-Webster as, “the power or faculty of attaining to direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought and inference.” These are the things you know without needing to be told. Another way of thinking of it is this: your intuition is the way you interpret the information you receive through your psychic senses.
The most important thing to remember when doing divination is that the tool you are using isn’t giving you information — it’s simply helping you to access information you already know. The revelations come from you, not from the cards or whatever other tool you may be using.
When using divination to foresee the future, it’s important to remember that the future is never set in stone. These tools can only show you the most likely outcome based on your current direction.
Beginner-Friendly Divination Tools
These are the divination methods I would recommend for beginners. For one thing, most of these systems are fairly easy to learn and use. For another, these are some of the most popular divination methods among modern witches, so it’s easy to find information about them and/or talk to other practitioners about their experience.
As you’ll see, each divination method has its own strengths and weaknesses, so you may choose to learn several methods that you can combine to get stronger readings. Or you may find that you can get all the information you need from a single method, which is also okay.
Tarot. This is my personal favorite divination method, but it’s also the one with the most misconceptions surrounding it. Tarot cards do not open a portal to the spirit world, and they probably didn’t originate in Ancient Egypt. In fact, evidence suggests that the tarot comes from a medieval Italian card game called Tarocchi, although the modern tarot deck as we know it didn’t come around until the 20th century. Tarot cards are not any more or less supernatural than ordinary playing cards. (Which, incidentally, can also be used for divination.)
Tarot makes use of archetypes, and many readers interpret the cards as a map of an archetypal spiritual journey. For this reason, tarot cards are especially useful for identifying the underlying patterns and hidden influences in any given situation.
Most tarot decks follow the same set of basic symbolism. Unfortunately, this does mean that new readers will need to study the accepted meanings. This isn’t to say that your readings will always match up 100% with the standard meanings of the cards — you may receive intuitive messages that deviate from tradition. Still, it’s helpful to know a little of the history and traditional symbolism behind this powerful divination tool. The good news is that, since most decks use similar symbolism, once you learn the traditional meanings you can successfully read with almost any tarot deck.
I’m planning to post a more in-depth introduction to tarot very soon, but in the meantime, if you want to learn this divination method I recommend starting with the book Tarot For Beginners by Lisa Chamberlain and/or with the website Biddy Tarot.
Oracle Cards. Oracle cards have been rapidly gaining popularity in the witchcraft and New Age communities in the last few years, and it’s easy to see why. One major appeal of oracle cards is how diverse they are — there are countless different oracle decks out there, each with its own theme and symbolism. Another big plus is how beginner-friendly they are; Oracle cards are usually read intuitively, so most decks won’t require you to learn a complex system of symbolism. (Of course, the fact that every oracle deck uses different symbolism can be frustrating for some readers, because they have to learn a new set of symbols for every deck.)
Some readers (myself included) also find that oracle cards usually give more surface level information. Tess Whitehurst says that, “While oracle cards can help us answer the questions ‘What direction should I take?’ and ‘What is the lesson here?’ tarot cards are more suited to helping us answer the questions ‘What is going on?’ and ‘What is the underlying pattern at work here?‘” For this reason, many readers choose to use tarot and oracle cards together to get a more well-rounded look at the situation.
Another common complaint about oracle cards is that many decks are overwhelmingly positive and shy away from dark themes or imagery, which creates an imbalanced reading experience. I think this is best summed up by one Amazon review for the Work Your Light Oracle, which says: “Basically, this is very much a deck for Nice White Ladies™ who like crystals and candles but aren’t ‘super into all that witchy stuff.‘”
There ARE oracle decks out there that address darker themes, but many of the most popular decks on the market are overwhelmingly positive. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes a little positive encouragement is more helpful than brutal honesty. However, too much focus on the positive can lead you to ignore your problems, which only makes things worse in the long run. For this reason, finding balanced decks is important — if you’re going to use a very shiny happy deck, my advice would be to alternate it with more grounded decks, or with a deck specifically designed for shadow work.
That being said, oracle cards are a great divination tool if you can find a good deck, especially for beginners who are intimidated by more structured systems like tarot and the runes. If you’re interested in working with oracle cards, the best way to start is to find a deck that 1.) you feel a strong attraction to, and 2.) has a good guidebook. (My favorite oracle deck is the Halloween Oracle by Stacey Demarco, which I use for readings all year.)
Runes. The Elder Futhark alphabet is a runic alphabet that originated in ancient Scandinavia around 200 AD. While this was an actual writing system, it also had magical and mythological associations in the cultures that originally used it. While using the runes for divination is a modern practice, it is based on the historical sense of magic surrounding these symbols.
Like tarot, the runes have a traditional set of meanings. However, because there are only twenty-four runes, there aren’t as many meanings to learn as there are with tarot. Some rune sets also contain a blank stone, which has its own special meaning. I have personally found the runes to be a great source of wisdom and insight, although they do tend towards “big picture” messages rather than small details.
However, there is one major stain on the runes’ history; they were studied and used by Nazi occultists before and during World War II. Like many symbols associated with historical Germanic paganism, the runes were appropriated as part of Nazi propaganda — for example, the Sowilo rune was incorporated into the SS logo. This isn’t to say that you can’t reclaim the Elder Futhark alphabet, but I do think it’s important to know the history going in. Because of their association with Nazism, it’s best to avoid wearing or publicly displaying the runes.
There are other ancient alphabets that are used for divination, like the Anglo-Saxon runes or the Irish Ogham, but the Elder Futhark is the most popular.
If you’re interested in learning divination with runes, I recommend the book Pagan Portals: Runes by Kylie Holmes.
Pendulums. Pendulums are interesting because, unlike tarot, oracle cards, and runes, they can be used to answer yes or no questions. For this reason, many readers use pendulums to get clarification on readings they’ve done with other divination methods, but you can also use pendulums on their own.
A pendulum is any small, weighted object hanging from a chain or string. You can buy a pendulum made specifically for divination from a metaphysical shop or an Etsy seller, but you can just as easily use something you already have: a necklace, your housekey, or a small rock or crystal tied to a string.
Pendulums may be the easiest divination method to learn. The only thing you need to do to learn how to interpret a pendulum is ask it what its “yes” and “no” motions look like. To do this, simply hold your pendulum in your hands and focus on your connection to it. Then, let the pendulum hang from its chain or string so it can swing freely. Say or think, “Show me ‘yes’.” Allow the pendulum to swing, and pay attention to its movements. “Yes” is often a forwards-and-backwards swing or a clockwise circle, but your “yes” may look different. (Some witches even notice that different pendulums in their collection have different “yes” and “no” movements!) Once you’ve gotten the pendulum to show you its “yes,” ask it to show you its “no.” For many readers, “no” is a side-to-side swing or a counterclockwise circle, but again, yours may be different.
The biggest downside to pendulums is that because they typically only answer “yes” or “no,” you have to be very specific with your questions. Pendulums aren’t the best tool for general energy readings or open-ended advice. However, that specificity makes them great for validating your gut feelings, interpreting your dreams, identifying a deity or spirit that you think may be reaching out to you, or any other situation that requires a little clarification.
