Many, many years ago, about fifteen years ago, I began playing with tarot cards, runes and several other forms of divination.  At the time I was at a cross roads in my life, I had graduated from college and moved into my parents basement.  I needed some direction, a sign to show me - this is it, this is where you are and what you're going through and tarot cards provided a visual representation with symbols of patterns in my life.

And I believe firmly that divining answers using tools, whether it be runes, tarot, tea reading, palm reading provide a physical way to show what is going on in your life that you may be ignoring, neglecting or need to address.  Generally most of us know intuitively where we need to go but as humans, we don't want to acknowledge the painful or difficult or even obvious. 

With tarot you are able to call upon a symbolic image to provide you with a path to investigate and grow.  I also believe the simple act of taking time out of your day to reflect on your current situation is often what we need most.  In our day and age of oversharing and giving so much of our lives to technology we neglect our inner teacher and voice.  

What is most important is to give yourself space to reflect and listen.  And specifically with tarot you want to sit with the cards, look at patterns and see how they connect.  Here is a small list of some of my favorite tarot decks and methods of divining. 

1.  The Rider Waite Tarot deck:  It's the all classic, tried and true tarot deck that many of us begin our practice.  It's direct and fairly straight forward. 

2.  Runes - not only are the runes a form of divination but also as language, the Germanic people created runes as a way to communicate enchantments and messages to each other on stone, wood and religious objects.   I don't often use my runes however that they are fantastic way to study larger life meanings and themes.  

3.  A simple yes or no will do:  I have a special stone that I use  to give me an a yes or no answer, using a map either with paper or cloth the left is no the right is.  I hold my pendulum, quiet the mind and ask my question. 

What you gain from reading cards or simply sitting and reflecting is a sense of awareness and perhaps resolve to change and grow.  One of my goals for this year and the future is to dedicate quiet time, be aware and in the moment and to also use specific tools such as the new jewelry I've been making for ritual objects.  Necklaces specifically offer a fantastic way to carry with you intention.  Think about it as a rosary, just as Catholics and Buddhists use beads to count prayers so too can you use a necklace to call upon intention.  

I believe humanity is going back to the old ways, reaching back to ground us in the now.  Divination is showing a big resurgence and it's no coincidence.   Even if you don't necessarily believe or have confidence that what you're doing is the correct way, it really doesn't matter as long as your intentions are true. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and you give tarot a try, it's fun and relaxing - plus the images on tarot decks are simply beautiful works of art.  You can shop for tarot cards at my favorite NC shop - Everyday Magic. 

Don't forget that Eilisain Jewelry makes the perfect accompaniment to your tarot divining and also for the stone magic it brings!