Category: Tarot

A Witch’s Guide to Welcoming A Magickal October: Simple New Month Rituals

Magickal Rituals to help bring in a new month. Its October 1st – the countdown to Halloween has begun!

Its October 1st – We are now officially in Spooky Season and the countdown to Halloween has begun! As the calendar turns from September to October, there’s a palpable shift in the air. The light slants differently, the wind carries a new crispness, and the world begins to hum with a spooky, magickal energy. For witches and magickal folk, this isn’t just a date change; it’s a potent threshold. Pass us the Halloween decorations, we’re going in.

A new month is a blank page in your grimoire, a chance to set powerful intentions and align your energy with the themes of the season. This October, don’t just let the month happen to you. Conjure it with purpose.

Here is your simple guide to welcoming October with witchcraft, from a beloved prosperity ritual to other ways to set your magickal tone.

“Cinnamon” by Kjokkenutstyr.net 

The Cinnamon Abundance Ritual: A Sweet Start to October

Perhaps the most popular and joyful new-month ritual sweeping through the witchy community is the act of blowing cinnamon into your home. This simple practice is a powerful piece of sympathetic magic, rooted in the intention of drawing abundance—in all its forms—across your threshold.

Why Cinnamon?
Cinnamon has been prized for centuries not just for its flavor, but for its potent magical properties. It’s associated with:

  • Prosperity & Abundance: Its warm, stimulating energy is believed to attract wealth and success.
  • Protection: The strong scent is said to create a protective barrier against negative influences.
  • Spiritual Power: It raises vibrational energy, making it perfect for amplifying your intentions and spiritual work.

How to Perform the Cinnamon Ritual:

Cinnamon on coffee with autumn table decorations
  1. Gather Your Supplies: All you need is about a tablespoon of ground cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon is ideal, but any cinnamon from your kitchen spice rack will work beautifully.
  2. Set Your Intention: Before you begin, hold the cinnamon in your hand. Close your eyes and focus on what “abundance” means for you this October. Is it financial prosperity? An abundance of joy, creativity, or peace? Be specific in your mind.
  3. Blow in the Blessings: Stand outside your open front door, facing inward. Place the cinnamon in the palm of your hand. Take a deep breath, focusing on your intention, and gently blow the cinnamon from your hand, across the threshold and into your home. As you do, you can say a simple affirmation aloud, such as:“With this cinnamon, I blow in prosperity and joy. Welcome, October. My home is a magnet for abundance.“
  4. Let it Settle: Do not sweep or vacuum the cinnamon for at least 24 hours. This allows the energy to settle and permeate your home, giving the magic time to work. After that, you can clean it normally, visualising any residual stagnant energy being swept away with it.
Woman walking through tress hol ding leaves basking in the autumn sunshine

“Autumn Sun” by be creator 

Beyond Cinnamon: Crafting Your October Energy

While the cinnamon ritual is a fantastic foundation, you can build a more personalised monthly practice around it. Here are a few other ways to welcome October’s unique magic.

Energetic Cleansing: Sweep Away the Old
Before you can fill a cup, it must be empty. Start your month by cleansing your physical and energetic space of any lingering September energy.

  • Open a Window: Even for just a minute. Let the stale air of the past month out and invite the crisp, new energy of October in. Shouting and commanding bad spirits out of the house is another fun way to get the house vibes up.
  • Smoke Cleansing: Pass a bundle of rosemary, cedar, or sage around your front door, windowsill, and yourself to clear stagnant energy. As you do, state, “I release all that no longer serves me. My space is clear and receptive.” or whatever intents feel right to you.
  • Sound Bath: Ring a bell, chime, or sing a note in each corner of your main rooms. Sound is a powerful vibratory tool for breaking up dense energy. Yes, banging a saucepan does actually count.
Smoke cleanse happening in a room with garden sage

2. Set the Tone: Candle Magic for Your Intentions
What do you want to manifest this October? A candle spell can set the tone.

  • Take a candle (a tea light or a small chime candle is perfect). Anoint it with a drop of olive or sunflower oil, moving from the wick outward to draw energy in, or from the base to the wick to release energy.
  • As you do, speak your intention for October. Is it protection for the spooky season? Introspection for your shadow work? Joy for the Halloween festivities? Press that intention into the wax.
  • Light the candle and let it burn safely while you meditate, write in your journal, or simply enjoy a moment of quiet. Visualize your month unfolding as you desire.
Candle magic with lavender and camomile

3. Divination for the Month Ahead: Consult the Cards
Ask your tarot or oracle deck for guidance. A simple three-card pull can offer profound insight:

  • Card 1: The Energy of September’s End. What are you carrying over?
  • Card 2: The Core Theme of October. What is the central lesson or focus?
  • Card 3: Advice for Navigating the Month. How can you best work with this energy?
    Journal the message and keep the cards on your altar or desk as a guide you can revisit all month long.
Scents of Salem candle with tarot cards and herbs

4. Create an October Grimoire Page
Dedicate a page in your Book of Shadows or journal to this powerful month.

  • Write the word “OCTOBER” in a beautiful script.
  • Note the astrological events (New Moon, Full Hunter’s Moon).
  • Circle Samhain on October 31st.
  • Jot down your cinnamon ritual intention, your tarot pull, and any goals or spells you want to work on.
    This act physically and magically dedicates space for the month’s magic, making you an active participant in its creation.
A witches grimore and tarot deck are open on a table

Weaving Your Monthly Tapestry

You don’t need to do all of these things. Even one small, focused act—like blowing cinnamon across your threshold—is enough to mark the transition with magic and purpose. By taking just 15-30 minutes for this practice, you move from passively watching the calendar turn to actively weaving the tapestry of your month.

How will you be welcoming October? Share your favorite new-month rituals in the comments below!

Want More Witchy Wonders?

Digital Coven Founder Emma Carney looking Witchy holding tarot cards and wearing a black witchy hat

 Book a tarot reading or workshop with Me, Emma, just email  emma@emfluence.co.uk and we can go from there (my actual Witchcraft Shop is launching over at Witchytype.com soon).


Follow the magic on social: @Bunnypudding (Tiktok) / @Witchytypebookclub (Tiktok) / @Bunnyscopes (Instagram) / Link Tree / Digital Coven Facebook 

Blessed Samhain, Coven, until next time, all the love  Ems x X

P.S. Loved this post? Share it with a fellow Witchy Type! Tag us or drop a comment—We adore hearing from you. 

Featured images: “Halloween decorations.” by MIKI Yoshihito. (#mikiyoshihito)

Witchy Ways to Welcome the Start of the Month

Let welcome in the start of the Month Witchy style darlings!

A new month is like a mini New Year—full of fresh energy, untapped potential, and a chance to reset your Magickal practice. Whether you’re a seasoned witch or just love a little mystical flair in your routine, there are countless enchanting ways to honour this monthly transition. Here are some of my favourite witchy ways to welcome the start of the month with style, intention, and a sprinkle of enchantment.

Image Credit: Консультация по картам таро – Tarot cards spread for reading” by Таролог Альбина 

Perform a Monthly Tarot or Oracle Card Reading

Tarot and oracle cards are powerful tools for guidance, reflection, and setting the tone for the weeks ahead. A simple monthly spread can help you focus your energy and prepare for what’s coming. It’s also a great way to practice tarot reading if you are a beginner:  

How to Do It:

  • Shuffle your deck while thinking: “What energy should I focus on this month?”
  • Pull three cards:
    • Card 1: Theme of the month
    • Card 2: A challenge to be aware of
    • Card 3: Advice for navigating the month
  • Journal your insights and revisit them weekly.

Why It Works:
Tarot helps you tap into your intuition and align with the cyclical nature of time. It’s like having a mystical roadmap!

🔗 Further Reading: Tarot Card reading articles

“Image” by Crystl 

Cleanse Your Space with Smoke or Sound

A new month calls for a fresh, clean energy in your home. Smoke cleansing (with herbs like sage, rosemary, or your preferred cleanser – I’m partial to cinnamon and use it everyday..see cinnamon section below) or sound cleansing (with bells, singing bowls, or even clapping) can clear out stagnant vibes.

How to Do It:

  • Light a cleansing bundle (or use an incense stick) and walk through each room, wafting smoke into corners and doorways.
  • Say aloud: “I release what no longer serves me and welcome in positive energy.”…I’ve also been known to just bash a frying pan, opening my windows and screaming at negative energy to leave my house – as always here at Digital Coven, do what feels right for you. 
  • Alternatively, ring a bell or chime in each room to vibrationally cleanse the space.

Why It Works:
Energetic cleansing helps reset your environment, making it easier to manifest new goals.

🔗 Further Reading: Check our cleansing rituals content 

“Cinnamon” by Kjokkenutstyr.net

Sprinkle Cinnamon at Your Door for Abundance

Cinnamon isn’t just for lattes (but for sure you can use them ritually in your coffee) —it’s a powerful prosperity herb! Sprinkling it at your doorstep at the start of the month invites wealth, success, and positive energy into your home.

How to Do It:

  • On the first day of the month, take a pinch of ground cinnamon.
  • Stand at your front door and say:
    “As this cinnamon lies here, abundance draws near.”
  • Sprinkle  it in a line across your threshold (or just inside the door). You can also put it on your palm and blow it out of the door for the same effect. 

Why It Works:
Cinnamon has long been used in money magic for its fiery, fast-acting energy. Placing it at your door symbolically welcomes prosperity into your life. You can also use a stick of it every morning to stir your coffee for a daily Abundance ritual, just make sure to stir the intention clockwise towards yourself. 

@bunnypudding

Join me civen as i start the working day! Today were going to be creating kitchen witch content✨what witchy thinhs do you do for your morning routines?✨as always likes, shares and comments are always appreciated in this social media world and leave any recommendations for content youd like me to create below, darlings! #witchtok #witch #witchcraft #kitchenwitch #realwitchtok #digitalcoven #witchesoftiktok #witchy

♬ Yacht Club – MusicBox

Above is an example of using cinnamon in a morning ritual.

Various types of salts that can be used for cleansing

“Salts” by larryjh1234

Cleanse Your Home with Herbs & Salt

A new month calls for a fresh, clean energy in your space. A herbal floor sweep or salt cleanse clears out stagnant vibes and resets the energy.

How to Do It:

  • Mix salt (black salt for protection and/or sea salt for cleansing) with dried rosemary, bay leaves, clove and/or sage.
  • Sprinkle it across your floors (especially near doorways), then sweep or vacuum it up while visualising negativity being removed.
  • Say: “Out with the old, in with the new. This space is cleansed and renewed.” or whatever phrase you feel has your required intent. 

Why It Works:
Salt is purifying, and herbs like rosemary boost clarity and protection. Together, they create a powerful reset for your home.

@bunnypudding

#witch #witchtok #witchcraft #spells #spell #protectionspell #kitchenwitch #witchcrafttiktok #magick #magickalcharms #spellcraft

♬ Elevator Music – Bohoman

Lay a Protective Salt Barrier at Your Doorstep

Want to keep negative energy out all month long? A protective salt line at your doorstep acts like magical security.

How to Do It:

  • Use black salt, red brick dust, or regular sea salt mixed with protective herbs (like rosemary or thyme).
  • Draw a thin line across your doorstep (outside or inside) while saying:
    “No harm may enter, only good may stay. This salt protects me night and day.”
  • Reapply monthly or after heavy rain.

Why It Works:
Salt has been used for centuries as a spiritual barrier. This simple trick keeps your home energetically safe.

🔗 Further Reading:  Psst – I share my protection salt recipe over on my tiktok and on Patreon as well. 

Above Tiktok is a protective salt that I made using eggs shells and other magickal herbs

“Custom Spell Jar” by The Enchanted Web 

Create a Monthly Witch Jar or Spell Bag

A witch jar (or charm bag) is a simple way to contain your intentions for the month. Fill it with herbs, crystals, and symbols that align with your goals.

How to Do It:

  • Choose a small jar or pouch.
  • Add ingredients like:
    • Rosemary (clarity)
    • Citrine (abundance)
    • Cinnamon (success)
    • A written intention on paper
  • Seal it and keep it on your altar or in your bag.

Why It Works:
Witch jars hold concentrated energy and act as a physical reminder of your monthly goals.

“new green candle sm” by SBT4NOW 

Host a Simple Abundance Ritual

The start of the month is a great time to invite prosperity—whether financial, emotional, or spiritual. A simple abundance ritual can set the tone.

How to Do It:

  • Light a green or gold candle (colors of wealth).
  • Hold a coin or dollar bill and say:
    “Money flows to me easily, and my blessings multiply.”
  • Place the money in your wallet as a prosperity charm for the month.

Why It Works:
Rituals program your subconscious to attract abundance by aligning your energy with gratitude and openness.

Refresh Your Altar for the New Month

If you have a witchy altar, the start of the month is the perfect time to rearrange, cleanse, and rededicate it. I am very guilty of having a messy altar so no shame here, darlings! 

How to Do It:

  • Dust off and cleanse crystals/statuettes.
  • Swap out seasonal decor (flowers, colors, symbols).
  • Add a new offering (a crystal, fresh herbs, or a written intention).

Why It Works:
An updated altar reflects your current energy and keeps your practice vibrant.

Herbs that are used in witchy magickal teas and rituals

“Tea leaves jasmin rose apple cranberry fruit” by Le living and co. 

Brew a Monthly Intentional Tea or Potion

Kitchen witchery is an easy way to blend magic into daily life. Brew a monthly intention tea to sip while setting goals.

How to Do It:

  • Choose herbs like:
    • Peppermint (fresh starts)
    • Lavender (calm)
    • Ginger (motivation)
  • Stir clockwise while whispering your desires into the cup.

Why It Works:
Drinking infused teas internalizes your intentions in a soothing, magical way.

🔗 Further Reading:  Pssst – More tea Magic over on my Social media and Patreon 

Here a lovely new moon tea recipe that I made: 

@bunnypudding

New moon rea ✨ what are you doing for the new moon? #witch #witchtok #witchcraft #witches #magick #newmoon #newmoonmagic #tea #teamagic #kitchenwitch

♬ Elevator Music – Bohoman

“Spa in DVN” by Dennis Wong 

Take a Ritual Bath for Renewal

A monthly cleansing bath washes off old energy and prepares you for new beginnings.

How to Do It:

  • Add Epsom salt, rosemary, or rose petals to your bath.
  • Light candles and say:
    “I release the past and welcome this new chapter.”

Why It Works:
Water is a purifying element, and ritual baths are a form of spiritual reset.

The start of a new month is ripe with magic—whether you prefer tarot, cleansing, spellwork, or simple mindful rituals. Pick one (or mix a few!) to set the tone for a month full of intention and enchantment. 

Which one will you try first? Let me know in the comments! ✨

(Note: Always practice fire safety, and remember—magic is as much about mindset as it is about ritual.)

🔮 Happy Witchy Month! 🔮

Click the link to book a Witchy Workshop or Tarot reading or get in touch: Emma@emfluence.co.uk

Why not show me some love on my social channels as well, it really makes  me feel warm and fuzzy when I hear from you! Also, if I inspire any of your work, please give me credit – sharing is caring now darlings! X x 

@Bunnypudding (Tiktok) / @Bunnyscopes (Instagram)

Until Next time my darlings, all the love! 

Ems x 

Psss – Youtube and Patreon content coming very very soon! ❤ 

Deck Review: Daily Magic Deck by Maia Toll [Gifted] 

Emma shares her morning rituals as well as reviews the Daily Magic Tarot Deck [Gifted]

It’s easy to get caught up in the chaos of everyday life and to feel guilty about not connecting spiritually as often as you like. There are only so many ways that you can add a bit of magick to a corporate meeting room, right? This is why getting into the habit of performing small daily rituals can really help with maintaining some regularity in your witchcraft practice and provides a center for your day.

I personally like to do my routines first thing in the morning when I’m able (and life often gets in the way so please don’t think I have my life together) These practices include:

  • Morning Coffee & Cinnamon – Stirring some cinnamon into my morning coffee whilst I set my days intentions is a great way to bring some abundance and focus into my groggy mornings
  • Sneaky lil’ Meditation – I try to sneak a quick meditation – which doesn’t have to be longer than a few minutes to help clear your mind. If it’s one of those days then I’ll lay in bed and just clear my mind and plan the day for 10 minutes before I get out of the pit. 
  •  Pulling my tarot cards -Either a 1 or 3 tarot card pull each day to help guide my day. Journaling my tarot readings and patterns  is never a problem, as well, it’s kinda my job so it’s ingrained in me to do it…. but I do find myself staring at an empathy journal page from time to time if I am not using my tarot cards. 
  • Journaling – I feel the need to write throughout the day as the inspiration (and ADHD) flows but for some reason my morning journaling is a weak point if I don’t have a tool. 

Journaling being my soft spot  is why I was delighted to be gifted the Magickal card deck, ‘Daily Magic’ so that I could do a wee honest review.. I am never one to turn down a change to shuffle and pull a few cards and share my opinions so I grabbed my journal and got shuffling. 

Daily Magic:A Deck of Mystical Inspiration for Your Everyday Life

[This Deck was gifted to us for an honest review. There are affiliate links in this post please see our Reviews, gifting and affiliate page for more information]

About the Daily Magic:

Author Maia Toll, also author of ‘Letting Magic In’. 

Illustrated by Susan Burghart

Book Page: Daily Magic: A Deck Of Mystical Inspiration for Your Everyday Life

Description: Tap into your intuition and discover the magic all around you in this mini deck of mystical inspiration, featuring inspiration, mini-rituals and more from award-winning author Maia Toll.

Daily Magic Mystical inspiration deck

Product Review: 

Entitled the Daily Magic: A Deck Of Mystical Inspiration for Your Everyday Life, it certainly looks the part with fabulous shades of green being featured on the deck’s encasing.  The cards also have a gold gilded edge which does please me I won’t lie and it’s currently held up after a few weeks use so this is a good sign. 

Please note if you prefer the larger sized card decks or just have big hands that the deck is on the smaller side  (approx. 2 1/2 X 3″) – perfect for keeping in your palm or pocket and for traveling – which if you are anything like me (A swamp witch who carries a witchy version of a Mary Poppins bag) is a preferred criteria. Everyone likes their cards a certain way and we don’t card shame here.

The booklet is a few pages long, so short but sweet and features Maia’s advice on how to connect to magic in the modern world but doesn’t go too indepth into much detail therefore I’d recommend these cards for people wanting to learn more about spirituality who don’t mind having to research some of the areas that are mentioned on the cards, as well as other Magickal deck lovers. 

The cards feature instructions for spells that you can action over the Lunar Calendar as well as other tips and insights that can help encourage more self insight into your practice. 

The main attraction for me is that they serve as daily prompts to help build a magic routine. I found myself using them for meditating over my morning coffee as well as journaling prompts, which I appreciated on my more groggier mornings. The tips were useful and I have used a few in my practices which do earn brownie points. I have found myself still pulling from the deck, daily and I’ve since given them a home in a tarot bag that my niece brought me for my birthday. Packaging wise, I’d recommend getting a bag to carry your cards in as the packaging that the cards arrive in isn’t great for long term use. 

Example of the witch tips on how to supercharge your magic: 

Good for gifting?

Yes! – This type of deck makes the perfect gifts for anyone who has expressed an interest in their spiritual side or is openly witchy. They do mention some subjects which a novice may have to find themselves having to research so I wouldn’t recommend it for a beginner who wants a tool where they have everything they need right there and then. Overall, a lovely little gift to give to a friend (or yourself) that has long term use.  

Pros: 

  • A lot of good information and encourages further learning and journal prompts 
  • Large number of cards in the deck 
  • Travel sized .  
  • Gold lined and green hued cards feed my mermaid/pisces dopamine receptors.
  • Friendly tone of voice 

Cons? 

  • The Booklet could be a bit longer but you do get a lot of cards for the price
  • If you are going to use the cards regularly or travel with them, I’d recommend getting a carry bag or case for the cards to keep them in good nick. For light use the packaging is fine and will look pretty on the shelf.
  • If you’re a grumpy cynical person you may find some of the wording fluffy or whimsical at times 

Rating:

8/10 

Please note that there are affiliate links on this page. Check our reviews page for more information

Have you used the Daily Magic cards? If so let us know your thoughts down below in the comments or via our social channels. 

Until Next Time, 

Love, Emma 

@Bunnypudding (Tiktok) / @Bunnyscopes (Instagram)


Ways to bond with your new Tarot Deck

UK Tarot Reader AJ teaches us how to bond with our shiney new tarot deck!

So you have got your first Tarot Deck, hooray! What a journey you are going to have.

One of the main questions we have received over the years is ‘how do I connect with my cards’ and, in all honesty, that’s entirely up to the reader. You can go as big or as small as you want and it really doesn’t HAVE to be complicated. 

Image Credit: @SoulfulStock via UnSplash

Cleanse your deck

You don’t HAVE to do this one straight away but I like to so i can set a vibe with my cards. I (AJ) pass my cards through rose incense smoke as I love my cards and I’m sure they’ll love me too. If you want to go ‘all out’, Emma has a whole New Tarot Ceremony too!

If you don’t use smoke to cleanse you can use crystals. I have a piece of clear quartz in my tarot box and I give them a shake in the morning / when I’m ready to read.

No crystals? That’s OK too. Just knock three times on the cards and say hello. 

Witchcraft and Tarot don’t need to be expensive, use the tools you already have.

Intro yourself

Introduce yourself to your cards. While you’re having an initial shuffle, tell them your name, how you want to work with them, what your favourite colour is, does pineapple really belong on pizza?

Tarot cards are more than just a tool, they can become a life-long friend and they need to know you as you, not just as a tarot reader.

Card of the day

If you’re new to the cards in general, a card of the day is a simple way to learn and become familiar with not only your deck, but all the little nuances of each card.

Draw one card of the day, and before you even look up the meaning in a book or online, really look at the scene presented to you, what do you see? Are there any plants, are they alive or dying? Any animals, are they standing alert or lying peacefully by the subject’s feet? 

This can help you work out what you see before you read, so make notes of all of these in your book of shadows / grimoire / random notebook with the nice pages and then write down the meaning descriptions from books / online. Highlight the areas that match between the two and learn those parts first. Then you can start looking into beginner tarot spreads and build your skill, knowledge and intuition from there.

Carry your cards with you

All of my friends, family and colleagues know I always have a Tarot deck on me. This isn’t just so they’re always available if someone needs a reading at the office Christmas Party but it’s also so my cards *know* what has happened throughout my day, they come with me on every journey so they know each feeling I have. 

This method is particularly useful if you want to do readings on self growth because the cards will have experienced everything you have. 

Sleep with your cards under your pillow

When we sleep and when we dream, we are our most intimate and vulnerable selves. Sharing this part of you really helps your connection with the cards, in my experience, and is also recommended by many other readers. If you’re unable to carry cards around with you everyday like I do, maybe this is a better solution, especially for a ‘still in the broom cupboard’ witch.

And there you go, a handful of ways I like to bond with a new deck, do you have any more recommendations? Let us know in the comments or on my social channels:

Tiktok

Instagram 

Witchcraft Apps for the Digital Witch

The best Witch craft apps for the modern Digital Witch

Hello Digital Coven!

So sorry for the lack of updates over the past few weeks, I am in the middle of some of the most creative professional work I have ever been able to do so I am sure you’ll understand! More on that in another post but top level – I am producing a documentary. In-between the production and on top of my day job (Digital marketing and PR) I wrote this, I’d love to hear your recommendations and feedback on on the apps: 

One of the greatest aspects of the digital age for me is the impact that it has had on the Witchcraft community. Social media has been a fantastic way for Witches and baby Witches to find like minded people and build communities *Ahem* Such as this blog and my social channels *Ahem* 

What it’s also created is the availability of information that is just a Google search away – though I would always recommend researching everything as deeply as possible.There is a lot of bullshit online, especially on Facebook groups and Tiktok – such as that Tarot is a closed practice  *Groans in tired and eyerolls in ‘a quick google search would show this to be false’* Spoiler alert – it isn’t. The best part of Witchcraft is the personal connection that you develop as you learn and manifest through trial and error. Below are some free apps that you can use to help you learn more about specific areas of the craft from the palm of your hand and which I have used myself. 

Apps For Moon Work 

If there is one thing that we can agree on as Witches it’s that we bloody adore that silvery ever changing orb that is the Moon. Sigh. She’s just so beautiful. Now, I am not going to lie to you, I do not have a photographic memory of every phase of the Moon so I like to have an app that helps me keep track of where we are at each phase so I can really super charge my spells and manifestations. Check out NorthLondon Witches article for more info on the phases of the moon and when is best to manifest.

Moonly App logo - Blonde woman

Moonly app 

The Moonly app is great at keeping track of the Moon via its calendar and it also has extra features which educates you on runes and has a fabulous knowledge base on various areas of the craft and spirituality for those starting out. The app is free and most of the features are free as well but you can upgrade for a paid version to block further features if you’d like. 

App Location: 

IOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/moonly-moon-calendar-runes/id1489889871

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.moonly.android

Website: https://moonly.app/

Apps For Tarot 

Tarot is a craft where you are always learning and gaining insight into how you relate to the cards. Having an app in your phone to help you log your feelings towards a card and allow you reference their meaning is always useful. I swear by the below two tarot apps below. Check out this article for a beginners guide to Tarot. 

Trusted Tarot Logo Banner

Trusted Tarot is a great app, and their free account allows for a daily tarot card to be pulled, a weekly spread and a celtic cross reading is available every 72 hours – which I think is fabulous. Their insights into the cards is really useful and they also have a library of the card meanings. Nice. My favourite Tarot app for sure!

App Location: 

IOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/trusted-tarot/id1441553118

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.trustedtarot.app&hl=en

Website: https://www.trustedtarot.com/app/

Golden Thread Tarot logo Banner

Gold Thread Tarot is fantastic for those just starting out and wanting to learn about reading Tarot and the card meanings. You can pull a card a day and they have a great feature where you can record your feeling towards a card when it appears in a reading so that you can go back and see how you have engaged with that card historically. Amazing if you find keeping a paper Tarot diary hard.  

App store location: 

IOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/golden-thread-tarot-learn-tarot-for-self-insight/id1063058990

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ionicframework.tarot371308&hl=en_GB&gl=US

Website: https://goldenthreadtarot.com/

Apps For Astrology 

The Pattern Astrology app logo

The Pattern was recommended to me by a Friend as ‘Astrology without the Astrology’ and to be honest, I am finding the insights on myself very useful indeed. It has a great compatibility feature and offers top-level overviews on upcoming ‘patterns’ that may be coming your way as well as allowing you to explore them more in depth. Certainly, an app to recommend to your friend who ‘aren’t into Astrology’ but curious about sites such as 16personalites etc (Which whilst we are here…is based on Astrology..but that is another post…) 

App store location: 

Ios:https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-pattern/id1071085727?ls=1

Android:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thepattern.app&hl=en

Website:https://thepattern.com/

Sanctuary app logo banner

Sanctuary World Is a new astrology app on my phone but my what a great addition it is. I love how interactive it is and it’s great for beginners to learn about astrology with their 101 guides on all areas of Astrology. It certainly doesn’t take itself too seriously in the chat either, which is always appreciated by myself and I am partial to a good gif. 

It also offers human to human readings for those who wish to delve a little deeper into your birth chart or have questions, but please note that these need to be paid for. 

App store location: 

Ios:https://apps.apple.com/app/id1417411962?mt=8

Android:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sanctuaryworld.sanctuaryandroid

Website:https://www.sanctuaryworld.co/

Of course, there are plenty more apps out there so make sure to let me know below or on my social channels about some of the best witch apps that you have been using as I always like to discover new ways to practice what I love. I can be found over at: 

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So make sure to come say hi and listen to my random videos and appreciate witchy memes with me. 

Until next time, darlings! 

Is Tarot a closed practice? A Concise History of Tarot and Cartomancy

Come on an adventure with us into the history of Tarot and Cartomancy

Well hello there, Coven!

Today we are going to discuss the actual history of Tarot. The reason I am doing this is because I am seeing a lot of arguments on social media about the origins of Tarot and if it is a closed practice or not. So worry not, I deep dived and am sharing the knowledge below…

Top Level Overview: 

  • Tarot reading is not a closed practice and open to everyone who has a calling to learn divination 
  • “Dukkering” or ‘Bocht’ which is the Romany style of ‘future telling’ Cartomancy is closed. As this is only taught Romany to Romany via word of mouth and actually living the Romany life. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that you will ever come across the knowledge or life experience to appropriate this. (See below quote)
Rider Waite Colmen Smith Tarot deck

The Origins of Tarot 

The Tarot actually started in Europe and was considered a parlor game for the first few hundred years. The 78 card deck that we now and love today originated in Renaissance Italy around the 1430’s when they added a 5th deck to the standard 4 deck playing cards. This new 5th deck was called ‘Triumphs’ but we know it as the ‘Higher Arcana’ in modern day. The 4 other decks are commonly known as the ‘Lower Arcana’. Translated into the modern standard playing card decks (also known as the French Deck) these are:  

TarotStandard Playing CardsElement
WandsClubsFire (or Air)
CupsHeartsWater
SwordsSpadesAir (Or Fire)
PentaclesDiamondEarth

These Italian “carte da trionfi” or “cards of triumph” were played like you would play bridge and wealthy families would commission artists to create their own decks so the illustrations differed widely. 

Oracle cards were also gaining in popularity over the 18th century onwards for divination and these were commonly known as Lenormand cards until recently due to celebrity card-reader Mademoiselle Marie Anne Lenormand, making them so popular in the 19th Century – although her 36 card deck wasn’t published in her name until after her death. 

I recently acquired some Lenormand cards and they are simply beautiful to look at and I will do a full post on them as well….but for now, let’s focus on the history of Tarot! 

Lenormand Oracle Deck

The move from Tarot as a game, to Tarot as Divination

As the game moved on from it’s Italian origins into the courts of France, Teacher and publisher Jean-Baptiste Alliette wrote his first book on the tarot in 1791, called “Etteilla, ou L’art de lire dans les cartes,” meaning “Etteilla, or the Art of Reading Cards.”. This book implied incorrectly that the art had come from ancient Egypt but he introduced to the masses the concept that the cards can be used for divination. 

The modern standard Tarot deck that we widely use today is called the Rider Waite Colman Smith deck – but is often abbreviated as just the ‘Rider Waite’. William Rider was the publisher, and popular mystic A.E. Waite, who commissioned Pamela Colman Smith to illustrate the deck wrote a book to accompany the cards. This was released in 1909 and hasn’t been out of print since. 

What Pamela Colman Smith did to revolutionise the deck was to create scenes for every card in the lower Arcana, so that a narrative could be easily picked up from each card. Now, rest assured I am working on her blog post as I type this. As a Female and person of Colour, she certainly deserves her name to be known widely within the Tarot Community as the history of most occult topics tends to be a bit of a pale sausage fest and doesn’t reflect the women who also helped develop the craft. 

Tarot really took off in the late 1970’s when Stuart Kaplan obtained the publishing rights and released his 1977 book, Tarot Cards for Fun and Fortune Telling. He has since written several more books on the subject of Tarot and that audience has grown and shared their love for Tarot with others…and I guess the rest is history? But there is one last thing that we need to clear up on the history of Tarot…

Art Oracle Cards

The Romany Traveller Tarot Connection  

The Romany are a beautiful community of travellers who have become deeply connected with Tarot. This is because in the 18th Century onwards the Roma people people took Tarot into their hearts and offered readings as they travelled around Europe and beyond. The Roma are fans of Cartomancy in general and in fact, often used the traditional French standard deck that we use for playing cards for their readings rather than the 78 card Tarot deck that is most commonly used today. 

The Roma have two words when referring to their style of Cartomancy and they are: 

  • “Dukkering” – modification of a Wallaco-Sclavonian word meaning something spiritual, other worldly or ghostly
  •  ‘Bocht’ – a Persian word meaning or connected to the Sanskrit bhagya, which means fate

Regarding the closed practice question, the fabulous Lisa Boswell, a Romany Tarot reader explains this very well on her blog Divinerisim (Do check her out!) 

‘Only someone who was raised in a traditional manner will be able to read your fortune in ‘Gypsy’ style. Anyone advertising as a Gypsy and advertising chakra cleansing, aura sprays, yoga, or anything similar (I can confidently say) does not read in the traditional Gypsy manner. I know this because their reading style is clearly influenced by Gorger (Non Romany) culture and only a tiny percentage of Gypsies know what these things are….Like I said before, it is not sufficient to be 100% Romany; you have to be raised like us, to be one of us.

It is possible for Gorgers to, hypothetically, learn how to read like a Romany person through an understanding of our symbolism. However, our spirituality is tied mostly to the way which we live which, in turn, is tied to our upbringing. This worldview is not something you can learn from a book; we live this way from when we wake in the morning to when we go to sleep at night, and our laws and rules affect every area of our life.’

Lisa Boswell

Fabulous resources here for more on the history of Tarot, the Romany Tarot spread and Romany Cartomancy history: 

Ah, that was a lovely lesson wasn’t it? Just knowing the history of Tarot makes me love it even more. Hopefully, you enjoyed it too and maybe learned something you didn’t know before? I’d love to hear your thoughts below and on my social channels. 

Until next time, Darlings! 

Top Image: “Tarot” by kpishdadi is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

New Tarot Deck? Make it Ceremonial!

Grab you new Tarot deck, bitches, we’re gonna get all ceremonial…

Hello Coven, 

So you have your first deck of Tarot cards, yassss! So, ermm, what next? Well, if you are anything like me you will have ripped the packaging off and started trawling through every single card whilst gulping down whatever drink you’d purchased in the pub in celebration. Now, after I have done that, I like to put them away for later so I can get all excited about my new present to myself and so I can get my ceremony on as it were. 

Yip, you heard me correctly, I get all ceremonial on my deck’s ass, and to be honest, I get ceremonial about everything’s ass if I can. It doesn’t even need to have an ass. If I can add an outfit to the ceremony I’m having upon a metaphorical ass then you can bet, I am already wearing the outfit*.

Now, the below post is full of privilege. It reeks of someone being able to have time alone, in their own safe space. The money to get the extras I mention. It presumes you’re in a craft tolerant household. Many of you I know won’t have this, but this doesn’t mean that your cards are any less special – celebrating your cards any way you can is more than enough. The joy of practising any aspect of spiritual craft is that it is personal and unique to you. I certainly know what it is like to have to hide your celebration of the craft and what it brings to your life and I guess this is why I like to make a song and dance out of everything now I am older and living with a fellow witchy type. It does get better…Huzzah! 

So here are some of the ways I get myself in the ceremonial mood…

Get yourself a snazzy lil’notebook

It doesn’t even need to be snazzy, a random wad of paper will do, but if you haven’t figured it already, I’m all for the drama! If there is one piece of advice I would say to any newbie Tarot reader or Witch is to start taking notes, immediately. Recording the random learnings you’ve made that day or things you have felt or dreamt of after a reading/spell casting will prove really useful.  As you delve further into your practice you will begin to spot patterns in the card meanings and it will allow you to highlight key areas of your intuition. Plus it’s always nice to be able to look back on how far you’ve come! 

A working note book of mine – I transfer all info over to the grimore (Book of Shadows) once full up and I’m ready to merge sections I’ve edited up.

If you’re just starting your Tarot journey and this is your first deck then it’s always good to write down how you feel about each card as you first see them. Noting down anything that calls out to you when you’ve first seen the card. The fish coming out of the cup? The bunny jumping out of the corner? Did a certain card make you immediately feel happy or sad?…

If you’re established but this you’ve decided to try a new Tarot deck, the same practice is always really useful as each deck has a different feeling and illustrations so again, responds to each reader differently. It’s like meeting a new friend, each deck has it’s quirks and I love them for that!

Shuffle, shuffle! 

Once you have gone through each card and taken your notes the next step is to suffle them and I mean shuffle them. I really go to town with my shuffles. I recommend when starting a new deck to make sure to do get a flat surface and place them all on the table and basically mix them all together for a minute or two. Then I make sure to keep splitting them into groups and them remixing them into different groups again, and again. Once together in a neat pile they are ready to be cleansed. 

Mix….

Tarot Deck: Tarot Mucha

And split… 

Then I bring them back together into one pile to then repeat this process several more times.

Candles and Incense 

Like most Witchy types I am partial to a bit of incense and love me a fine candle. I use them a lot to cleanse my surroundings. They are also great tools to create ‘The Magic Mood’…you know what I am talking about. That cosy lighting and warm snuggly feeling. There is just something powerful about a candle isn’t there? If you’re able to, you can smoke cleanse your new Tarot deck over a burning candle. I like to do this regularly with all my decks as I find my cards tend to get a bit niggly after a few readings. 

Some people even like to leave their cards in the moonlight overnight but I can never wait that long and want to play. 

I have no idea why my hand looks so big here..also thats Catrick Swayze in the background 🙂

Music

Now, when it comes to any form of magic I am a huge fan of making it to music. This may be my Pisces placements screaming out as I have musical manifestation lists of all varieties on my Spotify. Eg. If I want to manifest money, I‘ve been known stick some Cardi B on. New Moon Ceremony? A bit of Bowie and Kate Bush if you please.  There are no rules if something makes you feel empowered in a particular energy that you want to tap into, go for it, my friend. Remember,  you are the magic, any tools we Witches use is just help us connect with that magic.

Tarot Card Storage: 

This varies from person to person – for me, I like to keep mine in their original boxes and my main deck is a playing card sized deck in a tin, so easy to transport around. Some people really love to store there in special boxes and drawers and I am here for this, in fact, my first alter was hidden in a drawer. You can make your own tarot bags and there great tarot box and bag makers over on Etsy and ebay which you can check out as well. 

Hopefully, I’ve inspired you have a little magic moment between and your Tarot deck. If so make sure to let me know below or on my social channels and I love to hear from you! 

Love, Love 

Ems x

*I sincerely didn’t expect to be saying the word ass so much in this post. Huh. 

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So you want to learn Tarot? Start here!

Want to learn Tarot? Start here for the best beginners tips.

Well, hello Coven, 

We all love Tarot (well, unless you think it’s the work of the devil, in which case, hell yeah!) but I am often asked by those curious to learn – where should I start? My answer is very simple my darlings, like with all magic, the true power is in the action. So shorthand, the best way to learn tarot is to simply DO Tarot. By that I mean, get yourself a sweet deck of cards and begin to play…that’s how you begin to bond with your cards (more on that later) and get to learn each individual cards meaning.

Below are my top tips for helping you dip your toe into the World of Divination. 

Image Source here

What is the best Tarot Deck for beginners? 

The Tarot deck most non-witchy types will recognise is the Raider Waite Tarot deck. Now, this isn’t the oldest deck or even the original card designs…in fact, the actual illustrator Pamela Colman Smith doesn’t even feature in the title…but that’s a whole other blog post, my friends and her input into Tarot needs to be amplified to the max! If I was to recommend a starter deck, this would be it as it’s got the most resources related to it…plus, I think it looks cool. It’s also considered the Tarot standard deck.

My honest answer though? Whichever one you are drawn too. If you like the designs and feel connected to the deck, trust that gut instinct. The cards are representative of energies and life situations so whilst Raider Waite may be the most famous and widely used, any tarot deck can do the trick. Plus, as I have already alluded to, you will realise that each deck of cards has a personality. My favourite deck likes to troll me for example, even when reading for friends. 

Do Tarot Cards have to be gifted to you? 

This is a myth. 

Tarot started out as a game and then developed this air of mystery…as all witches do, it’s kinda our thing, you know? So whilst you may have heard this myth, most professional Tarot readers will agree with me that no, if you are drawn to the cards don’t wait around to be gifted. Heed that call and learn more about that calling! 

My first deck was brought by myself at 11 years old from the Mall. Ah, Madam Legna. I am to this day trying to find that deck again so we can be reunited. I’ve found it a few times but it’s super expensive so alas, I’ll patiently wait until the universe decides its the right time. Also, these were ‘fortune reading’ cards rather than official Tarot but, they led me to Tarot. We find our paths in different ways and that’s part of the fun! 

Madame Legna Fortune Cards

Image Source here

What is the quickest way to learn Tarot? 

Simple, learn about the tarot cards first! The easiest way to do this is when you get your first deck, put some time aside…. I’m talking candles, incense, music whatever makes you feel all cosy and connected so you can go through and look at each card and really get a feel for them. I’d also recommend that you keep a notebook and take notes from this very first engagement. Then do your smoke cleanse and various shuffles before you begin the next step which is to ‘pull’ a card a day. 

Basically, every morning ask the deck to provide you with a card with a message for that day. This is a great way to learn the card meanings and also build an understanding of what those cards mean to you personally – as well as learn your own style of shuffling. Once you have been doing this for a few weeks or even sooner depending on how you feel, the fun can really start and you can attempt your first readings. 

What is the best Tarot spread for beginners? 

I, personally always recommend a four-card spread. So simple, so to the point and great for helping you hone your skills in seeing the patterns and how the cards can feed into each other. 

My personal fave spread is:  

Our design Team is second to none

The reason I like it is that it can answer most questions, if you want to delve a little deeper you can add other cards to the mix etc which I very rarely have to do. It’s certainly a very nice foundation to start practising readings. 

Hopefully, I’ve managed to give you the confidence to get started and inspired you to start reading. Make sure to get in touch and let me know as I love hearing from you and you’re learnings. 

Until Next Time, 

Ems 

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