Tarot and my journey with them so far.

I have not been reading tarot cards that long as many have though I am coming to a new relationship with them. When I was making the decision to begin my journey as a Witch I knew I always found tarot cards fascinating though they seriously terrified me. Don't forget that I am Catholic and at that point my faith convinced me that tarot told the future and telling the future was against everything I had been taught until that point. I went and found this little joint that was a flee market in a bad part of Toledo, Ohio where I was living at the time. I walked into this building where on the outside it looked like it could be condemned and on the inside I was expecting to find homeless people and swindlers. What I found what not the cleanest place in the world although it was people simply trying to make a living how they could. I found this booth that sold pagan items (mostly for Witches). I met the gentleman there and it was obvious that this was a place that I seemed out of place in. You see I was a Catholic girl from a clean cut Irish/German Catholic family and to be at that booth  was not something one would ever imagine of me. I talked to the gentleman a bit and asked about the decks and about any books to start my path in Witchcraft with. He pointed out a few and I took them. What Ill never forget though is that feeling of anxiousness I had deciding to pick up my deck of cards from the bottom of the shelf and say to the gentleman that they were the ones I wanted. That day I also bought a pendulum, something I also deeply looked forward to learning. I remember going home and opening up the tarot deck of the Faery Wicca cards and their beautiful celtic artwork. I was sooo terrified that the moment I opened the deck I would literally condemn myself to hell and be banished from God. I took a chance anyways and opened the deck with a nervous heart. I skimmed through the deck to view the pictures and colors. I was filled with wonderful delight. I began to read the book page after page and feeling anxious to take everything in. I spent night after night laying down card after card with different thoughts and questions in my mind and finding the relationships with the cards to the questions. Its been a good 6 months now since I began my journey with the deck and I have not bought another. I am sitting here again laying card after card down and realizing that these cards are indeed showing me my own journey. They are revealing to me my journey of finding the wisdom within myself. What an amazing feeling as I lay the cards down how each picture speak a different though connecting truth to me. I am realizing that the fear is all gone of these cards. 
The truth about the tarot cards is this. They do not tell the future. They instead reveal what the possible future could be if one continues on the path they are on. The cards reveal your true self right there in front of you. They are the mirror you look at yourself with. They show you what you need to know about yourself. Their lay out or order is determined by the thoughts you have while shuffling them. They are indeed a beautiful revelation. 

Grimoir vs. Book of Shadows

Ive been doing a lot of reading and research lately as I begin my path in Witchcraft and with all this time off without a job its kinda hard not to do a lot of reading. : (  I cam upon a website some time back with a section dedication to the differences between a Grimoir and a Book of Shadows. I read that a Grimoir is not a Book of Shadows historically. For the most part the Grimoir is simply your collection of knowledge and notes and journals you have created over time from your studies. The Book of Shadows on the other hand is not simply your collection of gathered knowledge but rather it is a almost sacred tool which holds your spells, incantations, rituals, etc. The Book of Shadows is one that is secret from the eyes of the world and only you may see its pages. It is bound to your power with you being bound to it. The very use of it by the owner allows it to build up more and more energy and spirit from the owner exerting themselves through the book. When on outsider has even a glimpse of the book it becomes less of you and less of your power because another is partaking in your power. This is why they knowledge and facts and figures must be kept separate. You must only use the Book of Shadows for your magical workings and never for a quick glimpse or to get information on a moments notice. It detracts the power of the book you have put in. For all these reasons a Book of Shadows should never be a quickly made book of printed out pages from your computer because A) most of the knowledge, spells, what have you that the average practitioner today prints out is gathered and created by someone else so it would contain zip of your own energy and B) when a witch sits down after have earned knowledge from reading and studying and meditating and HAND WRITES the knowledge within them onto the pages, the energy of your very self is literally going onto the pages. THINK ABOUT IT. Your energy cant go through your keyboard onto a printed sheet from anthers library of knowledge..it is not you going onto the page! For these very reasons a with should alway way to create their Book of Shadows after a good amour of time practicing and learning. Only then can they truly share true power earned with their handwritten, powerful, and most important secret Book of Shadows.
A Grimoir on the other hand is the journey you take through the path of Witchcraft. It can either be a single individual book of your learning or it can be the title of your entire library. Many things can be a Grimoir. A dream diary is a Grimoir. A tarot journal is a Grimoir. The collection of correspondences with the sun signs or colors, numbers, etc. is a Grimoir. It is the pride of a Witch because it should contain the years and months of deep thought, searching, learning, empowering. This is where you can use up those old three ring binders and loose sheets of paper or see through page holders. Its the Witch's library. Take in knowledge, think, learn, contemplate, search.


Remember:


THE BOOK OF SHADOWS IS NOT THE SAME AS A GRIMOIR.


A GRIMOIR IS A LIBRARY OF GATHERED KNOWLEDGE.


THE BOOK OF SHADOWS IS THE HANDWRITTEN BOOK OF SPELLS, RITUALS, INCANTATIONS, ETC.  IT IS THE SECRET AND MOST POWERFUL TOOL OF THE WITCH APART FROM THEMSELVES!!!!!

Oh Frustrated Me

Im just going to say it...it can really suck to be a witch when you can't tell anyone you know like family or close friends. Reason being that I come from a very Irish Catholic family and I would be rejected completely if I were to ever say anything having to do with supernatural or anything witchy like. I wish I could just tell everyone I know how proud I am to feel the spirit of the Witch as I do. I would love the idea of people knowing my knowledge, though it would be secret to myself, and them once in a while asking to assist them in something. There was once a time when the shaman or wise person of a tribe or culture was respected and revered. That time is so far paste. Sometimes I do feel the Christian church is to blame but at the same I know what I feel within my Catholic faith is solid and pure. The thing you might not know about me yet is that although I do say I'm a Witch (privately) Im also strongly Catholic. Yeah...I know. Conflicting it seems. Not to me though. So why can't the church have respect for those that feel the spirit of the universe within them just as strongly if not stronger? I am somewhat young in my path as a Witch though I know its roots are deep and will be around for the rest of my life. Its so hard to live in a house with my husband who hates the idea of me being a Witch. It would be so nice to even enjoy the beauty of the Craft inside my own home. Ever been there?

Contacting Spirits

The spirit world has always been apart of who I am. I have never had the gift of visibly seeing them though I can feel them giving and receiving energy. I feel their emotions and intentions to be specific. Though I notice that this is only possible with the spirit world. Ever since I had learned this about myself I had always felt it important to understand the importance of our relationship to the spirits. It is crucial that we have respect for them as they do us. They are in a state where they see the power of our existence and its boundaries. Therefore, we should strive to do the same.


Methods of communication

Meditation
It is the act of disciplined contemplation and reflection. Disciplined meditation strives for a state of enlightenment. It is best to reach this state before attempting to communication with the other side of the vale though communication is still possible without being highly experienced. Once a person can reach the state of clearing their mind completely and being attuned to their own mind and spirit, they will be able to receive and hear messages from the spirit world more clearly. The more one practices the better the communication will become. 


Astral Projection
It is a much deeper form of meditation in which the spirit of a person will separate from the body and will travel to other places in time or planes outside of time. It would be best to become more experienced at meditation before attempting this. Taking small steps is the best way of learning. Becoming more and more adapt at traveling the multi-dimensional planes of existence, one becomes able to take on more knowledge and understanding as the experience of projecting to other planes becomes more natural. 


Automatic Writing/Drawing
This is the process of allowing the spirits to guide your hand in writing what they would like to say or convey. A blind fold is often recommended simply because one can completely separate themselves from the light of the world more fully. This process requires a state of peaceful relaxation in order for you to allow your body part in any way to have intervention. This experience is a mutual agreement between you and the spirits. 


Ouija Spirit Boards
This is the most well known of communicate in our day and age simply because of its accessibility. Anyone can go to the toy store and pick up the board without having any appreciation for its history or power and it can often times because the more dangerous tool of communication because of those very reasons. This is the use of a tool called a Planchett which the spirit uses to convey their answers to questions given by us. It is often used by two or more being at one time though one person can indeed work the board. Though this is usually not the case is the single operator is not dedicated to the task. It is widely noted that before ending this method that one should alway return the planchett to "good bye" or else the spirit will continue to be present on the board or planchett. This I can not agree or disagree with though. 


Seances
This method almost always uses the use of a knowledgable medium though it would be naive to say everyone is this careful. The group focuses their energy to the medium in order that the medium can in return open up the minds eye of all participants to the spirit world. Often times this attempt can draw in power hungry and vicious people that wish to leave the spirit world at unrest in order to get a buck out of the gullible costumer. This practice is now a days more of a private and unadvertised practice for the sake of staying away from the wrong reasons. 


Vision Quests
An ancient tradition common with old European, African, and Native American traditions. It is to exercise extreme physical action in order to allow the mind to enter a state of connection with spirit guides. This can include sweat lodges, physical exertion (running in the heat), and some cultures use hallucinogenics to enable the vision quest. Physical, spiritual, and mental disciplines are essential in order to have an effective vision quest. 


Invoking Spirits
This is a technique most utilized by Pagans. This method utilizes calling upon the elements of the spirit in which one is invoking. The natural elements can often times be used. 


Lucid Dreaming
This is dreaming that is controlled by the dreamer. It can take much practice and dedication to reach this method. One should alway begin with trying to master remembering their dreams first. Once this can be mastered, on should be able to control the details of each dream.