Raggydoll Posted December 18, 2018 Posted December 18, 2018 I don't know how many of you have already heard about the concept of 'Depth Year'. It has become a really popular theme in the tarot community at YouTube lately and many people plan on making this next year their personal version of a Depth Year. (Just do a search for "Depth Year" at YouTube and you'll see ;) ) I want to start out with a short definition of what the Depth Year is, then I will provide some quotes and links at the bottom of this post. My hope is that we could all have a chat about our feelings around this. I also want to mention that for some people this is not the right way to go. Maybe you feel perfectly fine in the stage where you are at - or perhaps you feel that your practice and your interests are too narrow? That you would in fact like to branch out more and not less. In that case, there has also been mentions of taking a 'Width-year'. That is not going to be the focus on what I am talking about now, but if it interests you then please feel free to also discuss that here! If you feel that you have accumulated too much stuff (books, decks, tools or whatever) or that you have scattered your interests in so many directions that you have trouble focusing - or if you keep looking for new things instead of enjoying everything you've already got, then this concept might be for you. A depth year is a year where you decide to slow down and focus on what you already have - and go deeper with that. Perhaps it is time to stop buying more books and actually start reading some of the ones that are collecting dust on your shelves? Or start journaling with that deck that you've been wanting to connect more with. Or perhaps get more crafty and make do with what you have at home (or what you can find in nature) instead of buying new craft supplies (or witchy stuff). Perhaps you want to start saving money, or free up some time by not scrolling through social media or looking for shiny new things to purchase. This is whatever you want it to be. Maybe you don't want to do a whole year. Perhaps a day per week or a day per month is better for you. Perhaps you just want to slow down on your purchases a bit and not stop buying completely - it is all up to you. There are no official rules for this thing. I have watched several of the youtube videos that have been posted so far and everyone makes a point of doing this in a personally meaningful way to them. So that is very much what I'll be doing as well. This past year has been a tough one for me. I have gone through a lot, and as a result I have done some significant changes to my life and my lifestyle to cope with everything. Most of these changes have been done as a shared project for me and my family (I am so grateful to have a supportive husband that shares a lot of the same feelings and needs that I have at the moment). So I have simplified and decluttered my life, both internally and externally. I have downsized my possessions and shifted the focus to the things that I care about the most (so my tarot/oracle collection has remained quite substantial and I intend to keep it that way!). So it has really been about promoting the most important things and people in my life and cutting out the things that really only suck energy out of me. (Digital clutter was a big one I tell you! Plus a couple of 'friendships' that had stopped being nourishing many many years ago.) I have also become more grateful and aware of the blessings that I have, and I try to be more conscious with the things I do and say - the footprints and the legacy I leave behind. Obviously I am still a human though, so I aim for progress and not perfection. I still 'mess up' a lot and that's OK. So I'm being very realistic about this "Depth Year" thing. I will only pursue it for as long as it feels positive and rewarding. I will not have it as a punishment or a new-years resolution plan to 'be better'. I do it so that I can feel as good as I think I really deserve to. Perhaps not sabotaging myself so much and not hold myself back. Anyway, this is not about me. I wanted to share this in case it would resonate with any of you. Here is the article that got things started: https://www.raptitude.com/2017/12/go-deeper-not-wider/ And here is a quote from that article: "I keep imagining a tradition I’d like to invent. After you’re established in your career, and you have some neat stuff in your house, you take a whole year in which you don’t start anything new or acquire any new possessions you don’t need. No new hobbies, equipment, games, or books are allowed during this year. Instead, you have to find the value in what you already own or what you’ve already started. You improve skills rather than learning new ones. You consume media you’ve already stockpiled instead of acquiring more. You read your unread books, or even reread your favorites. You pick up the guitar again and get better at it, instead of taking up the harmonica. You finish the Gordon Ramsey Masterclass you started in April, despite your fascination with the new Annie Leibovitz one, even though it’s on sale. The guiding philosophy is “Go deeper, not wider.” Drill down for value and enrichment instead of fanning out. You turn to the wealth of options already in your house, literally and figuratively. We could call it a “Depth Year” or a “Year of Deepening” or something." Here is another article: https://zenhabits.net/depth/?fbclid=IwAR1Ltw07K1WF7AB16BX0vpVkHF7REaKn_cvpatzm2jDHNu0UNKPDZkXavE0 Some YouTube videos from the Tarot-Community: TheStoryWitch: Brian Cormack Carr: (He specifically talks about buying too much books on tarot) Raw Spirit: (On how to manage her tarot collection in the next year) Dani Mystic: Jennifer Ball: Geek Girl Does Tarot: Kelly Bear: (Depth year live chat) Indigo Moon Woman: MadWitch: Wildfeatha: Mystical Musings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB552Aq8Wts Mnomquah: Gitta Pearl: Portland tarot: (journal challenge) Tarot Alchemist: Layer Cake Arts: Rebelchild Tarot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YHtiHjEST8 Supportive tarot: Peekaboorose: (also talks about christmas and minimalism)
Starlight Posted December 18, 2018 Posted December 18, 2018 Yes, I'm doing Depth Year! I posted about it in the Chatter Room. :) I will be focusing on doing more regular mini daily spreads (both Tarot and oracle decks) and I've added an extra notebook to my BuJo/Traveller Notebook hybrid so I can keep all the readings in one place. I also came across the concept of Tarot shorthand for use in a bullet journal or other planner. So I'll be adding that key as a tip-out as well. I'm not solely focusing on Tarot, though. I have gathered a number of books and craft items that I haven't read or used yet, so I'm going to cut back on purchasing new books or getting interested in new types of crafts, and just focus on what I've already got. :) So for Depth Year 2019, I'm looking at Tarot, Kipper, Sidereal Astrology, Dowsing, Geomancy. There's a lot there, but perhaps focusing on one a month and cycling through them is a good way to go. We'll see! Thank you, Raggydoll[/member], for posting all the YT videos on Depth Year in once place! There's a few there I haven't watched. :thumbsup:
Raggydoll Posted December 18, 2018 Author Posted December 18, 2018 Thank you so much for linking to your post, and I am sorry that I completely missed it previously! I personally want to focus on reading through all the books I have (including a couple of guidebooks of decks that I've really been wanting to explore more in depth). And I want to work much more with the decks I already have in my collection. There are so many of them that I barely 'know' or use. I have purchased a lot of decks with the best intentions and thinking that they will make perfect additions to my collection and that they will really suit me. But the problem is that I don't have the time to explore them all, especially when new stuff keeps coming in. I am the type of person that can feel overwhelmed and scattered in my mind if there are too much things going on. I tend to accumulate lots of projects and hobbies and then I get disappointed if I don't finish it. This past year I have given myself permission to let go of old, half finished projects. And it felt really wrong and really good at the same time when I sorting through it and letting it go. At this point I don't want to add any more hobbies or craft supplies in my life, because it just becomes overwhelming clutter due to the guilty conscience I have about my previous purchases. And I need to carve out some quiet peaceful time where my body and my mind can relax. I don't need more stimulus, I definitely need less!
Flaxen Posted December 18, 2018 Posted December 18, 2018 This concept is so relevant to me right now. For the last few months, I’ve been feeling a strong desire to declutter and simplify my environment. I made a start on my bookcase and, once Christmas tree is down, I’ll go through my decks and think about the ones I really want to keep. I’m a not a ‘collector’ in the form of being completionist and there are just too many new decks for me to keep up with. The customs charges for packages from outside the EU are also adding significant cost. It’s all adding to a feeling of ‘too much’. A depth year sounds very useful - I might just make a commitment to the Tarot of the Crone (I can add more to the Study Group!) from Winter Solstice to the Spring Equinox.
Raggydoll Posted December 18, 2018 Author Posted December 18, 2018 This concept is so relevant to me right now. For the last few months, I’ve been feeling a strong desire to declutter and simplify my environment. I made a start on my bookcase and, once Christmas tree is down, I’ll go through my decks and think about the ones I really want to keep. I’m a not a ‘collector’ in the form of being completionist and there are just too many new decks for me to keep up with. The customs charges for packages from outside the EU are also adding significant cost. It’s all adding to a feeling of ‘too much’. A depth year sounds very useful - I might just make a commitment to the Tarot of the Crone (I can add more to the Study Group!) from Winter Solstice to the Spring Equinox. I am actually working with that deck too right now! I was thinking about journeying and contemplating on all the majors. We can perhaps discuss that more in the circle ;)
BlueDragonfly Posted December 18, 2018 Posted December 18, 2018 Yes please! I read the raptitude article last year, but never pursued the idea. It sounds like a perfect personal project for the coming year. And very in line with the changes I'm focusing on for the coming year, a complement to decluttering and simplifying my world. I too, suffer from scattered focus/attention when I'm tempted by too many "new" things to try, whether books, decks, or crafts. And I do spend too much time online playing games or "hanging out" on facebook, being distracted from the more "good for me" things I want to work on. I have decks I'll never read with or enjoy, books I'll never read, craft supplies that I'll never use all taking up space and energy in my life. Thanks for all the links, I'll go check them out and make some notes.
Cookie Posted December 18, 2018 Posted December 18, 2018 Good post Raggydoll[/member] !!!! I wanted to ask people about the all the decks they have, but i couldn't think of a polite way. Some people have so many, i was wondering how they enjoyed them, or appreciated them. But don't get me wrong... i understand totally why, some of the decks .. wow the artwork is amazing, beautiful; I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't buy anymore decks than i have until i'm totally ready! (i have two.... RWS & Golden Dawn which i use for magic & meditation work.) I know what i'm like: i'll buy loads of decks, but get close to none, and just be searching, searching until i get bored and give it up & go onto the next thing, and the same will happen again. I was gonna buy loads of books when my student loan came thru but just as i was about to buy loads, a voice in my head told me to buy one at a time ... as this will be the beginning of the end. So I did...and i'm so pleased !!! Now i'll get another book with the amazon voucher my mum will give me for Christmas. You know those stupid people you read about in the papers who go on holiday for a week and leave their dog with 7 bowls of food & expect the dog to eat one a day...well i'm like the dog, i'll just eat everything straight away....haha But seriously i'm really proud of my self control...because the decks i see are amazing & melt my heart every time i see photo's of them But anyway, i think a Depth Year is a great idea, it focuses people who may have let things get out of hand. And i know from previous experience that these sort of matters can really get you down For me i may have a Width Year as it's called. I may get the Marseilles deck and a book on Reiki !!! I know i'm mental...perhaps i'll call it my Wild Year haha.
DanielJUK Posted December 18, 2018 Posted December 18, 2018 I'm sorry you have had a tough year Raggydoll[/member] <3 thanks for posting about this concept! I like the idea but I really did this when I was learning tarot. I honestly think the way I have been going deeper with what I know is reading for others, it's practical not introspectively focused. But that is different for everyone, so if someone finds it helpful please try it out for you! :) But I know that practical usage has increased my skills and knowledge because I spent my first year of learning just studying, I didn't advance so much as real life experience. Although I realise recently that I have been reading for others too much, I adore reading for other people, different situations and helping people. But I realise I put all my time into it and I want to learn some new areas of tarot, I want to widen my knowledge after going deeper and so I need to find balance and bring back some personal study time into my tarot work. But this concept does shine a light on a problem many people that they try to learn so much at once and many decks at once. I learnt so many different divination paths and it is better to focus on one thing at once and this is great for that! A Focus is good but don't forget to practically use what you learn and as humans it's actually really hard to focus on one thing at once (you notice that if you are a beginner trying to meditate :) ). Don't be too hard on yourself if you find deeply focusing on one area hard :love:
Raggydoll Posted December 18, 2018 Author Posted December 18, 2018 Yes please! I read the raptitude article last year, but never pursued the idea. It sounds like a perfect personal project for the coming year. And very in line with the changes I'm focusing on for the coming year, a complement to decluttering and simplifying my world. I too, suffer from scattered focus/attention when I'm tempted by too many "new" things to try, whether books, decks, or crafts. And I do spend too much time online playing games or "hanging out" on facebook, being distracted from the more "good for me" things I want to work on. I have decks I'll never read with or enjoy, books I'll never read, craft supplies that I'll never use all taking up space and energy in my life. Thanks for all the links, I'll go check them out and make some notes. I’m glad this resonated with you! Sometimes a concept or an idea has to mature and marinate a bit before you are ready to digest it or act on it. This has been such a gradual thing for me over this last year, and I have learned A LOT about myself! (Good and ‘bad’ things; like where I am vulnerable and in which ways I can be self destructive or self delusional!)
Raggydoll Posted December 18, 2018 Author Posted December 18, 2018 Good post Raggydoll[/member] !!!! I wanted to ask people about the all the decks they have, but i couldn't think of a polite way. Some people have so many, i was wondering how they enjoyed them, or appreciated them. But don't get me wrong... i understand totally why, some of the decks .. wow the artwork is amazing, beautiful; I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't buy anymore decks than i have until i'm totally ready! (i have two.... RWS & Golden Dawn which i use for magic & meditation work.) I know what i'm like: i'll buy loads of decks, but get close to none, and just be searching, searching until i get bored and give it up & go onto the next thing, and the same will happen again. I was gonna buy loads of books when my student loan came thru but just as i was about to buy loads, a voice in my head told me to buy one at a time ... as this will be the beginning of the end. So I did...and i'm so pleased !!! Now i'll get another book with the amazon voucher my mum will give me for Christmas. You know those stupid people you read about in the papers who go on holiday for a week and leave their dog with 7 bowls of food & expect the dog to eat one a day...well i'm like the dog, i'll just eat everything straight away....haha But seriously i'm really proud of my self control...because the decks i see are amazing & melt my heart every time i see photo's of them But anyway, i think a Depth Year is a great idea, it focuses people who may have let things get out of hand. And i know from previous experience that these sort of matters can really get you down For me i may have a Width Year as it's called. I may get the Marseilles deck and a book on Reiki !!! I know i'm mental...perhaps i'll call it my Wild Year haha. Thank you! Some topics are really hard to bring up and seeing other people (particularly on YouTube) constantly unboxing new decks has highlighted a lot of my own issues and conflicting thoughts. I have had to check myself when I started judging others for the very same things that I also was doing, but perhaps on a slightly smaller scale. It just felt better to focus on those that seemed to be worse off than me, which wasn’t the least bit constructive or empathetic at all. And I’m not like that, not deep down. So it was really all about me and my own guilty conscience that I projected onto others.
Raggydoll Posted December 18, 2018 Author Posted December 18, 2018 I'm sorry you have had a tough year Raggydoll[/member] <3 thanks for posting about this concept! I like the idea but I really did this when I was learning tarot. I honestly think the way I have been going deeper with what I know is reading for others, it's practical not introspectively focused. But that is different for everyone, so if someone finds it helpful please try it out for you! :) But I know that practical usage has increased my skills and knowledge because I spent my first year of learning just studying, I didn't advance so much as real life experience. Although I realise recently that I have been reading for others too much, I adore reading for other people, different situations and helping people. But I realise I put all my time into it and I want to learn some new areas of tarot, I want to widen my knowledge after going deeper and so I need to find balance and bring back some personal study time into my tarot work. But this concept does shine a light on a problem many people that they try to learn so much at once and many decks at once. I learnt so many different divination paths and it is better to focus on one thing at once and this is great for that! A Focus is good but don't forget to practically use what you learn and as humans it's actually really hard to focus on one thing at once (you notice that if you are a beginner trying to meditate :) ). Don't be too hard on yourself if you find deeply focusing on one area hard :love: Thank you! And you are right - that is how I started out too. I had one deck and two books on tarot and I focused on those for a really long time. I guess it is about going back to basics in a way. But I am certainly not contemplating going back to having only a single deck any more though!! X-D
BlueDragonfly Posted December 18, 2018 Posted December 18, 2018 Thank you! And you are right - that is how I started out too. I had one deck and two books on tarot and I focused on those for a really long time. I guess it is about going back to basics in a way. But I am certainly not contemplating going back to having only a single deck any more though!! X-D NO, one deck is not enough! I started out the same way, back in(for me) pre-internet days. One deck and one "not so great for learning" book. Over the years, I've collected decks I love to read with, decks I love the artwork in and decks I had intended to learn but never did. Lately I've been looking at all I had intended to learn/do and come to realize that I will never be able to do it all. So my "refocus" is going to be on the "real love" decks. That means letting go of many, but I think I'll appreciate the dozen or so that I do keep even more. And it does fit very well with the Depth Year concept. This is the first time I've "said it out loud" so to speak and it feels even more right.
Flaxen Posted December 18, 2018 Posted December 18, 2018 I am actually working with that deck too right now! I was thinking about journeying and contemplating on all the majors. We can perhaps discuss that more in the circle ;) That is exciting! It’s so helpful to have someone else to discuss a deck with. :)
Jewel Posted December 18, 2018 Posted December 18, 2018 This reminds me of how I chose to return to Tarot after my multi-year sabbatical. That is how my "Deck of the Month" project was born and I have been doing that now Since July or August of 2017. I had this large (for me) collection, most decks just sitting on my shelf collecting dust. Prior to my sabbatical I was always on the hunt for the latest greatest deck. When I came back I decided to get to know my collection, see what I truly like and open myself up to part with decks I won't really use. I did get new decks that called to me that I had missed out on in the 5 year sabbatical, but frankly 8 decks to make up for 5 years of not getting any decks is not bad at all considering and now I have pretty much all the decks I really want with a my eye on 2 or 3 being published next year. The way I implemented my plan was: 1. Choose a new primary deck each month - I do not use it exclusively but primarily. And go with the mindset that the deck is NEW TO ME because I have not really used it. As part of this, I read the companion book for decks that have them. 2. Record readings in my journal - I have found the journals I like usually last me 3 to 4 months so I have accumulated and finished quite a few. 3. Join reading circles here on TT&M. 4. Grab old journals I had started using, and set aside as I moved onto something else, and complete those journals first (DONE! :)) with my readings. 5. Write a deck review for TT&M of the deck and my experience with the deck at the end of my month with the deck. When I read reviews I always wonder if the person writing it actually used and got to know the deck in question or if they are going off excitement of the deck being shiny and new. I wanted to offer up my experience in the reviews to help people get a feel for the deck. 6. Only get new decks as a gift for X-mas, b-day, purchased with a gift certificate, or in trade. 7. I read and use the Tarot (and Crystal) books I already own. 8. Join the Mentor Program here on TT&M to help others avoid the pit falls I made and help them be excited about Tarot and gain confidence in their own style. It has been so rewarding and I feel like I have really grown. It just feels right to and for me and has become a way of life for me. I have gained quite a few new decks to my reading decks and just gained an incredible appreciation for them. I am no longer on the hunt but enjoying what I already hunted down. Others are sitting in a "to sell or trade" pile, which I will start my thread to move these along next year and update it as necessary. It really helped focus me and declutter me. Like several of you I can easily get scattered. The latter part of this year I started working with my crystals in earnest. I am using the books I already had and though I have gotten a few new crystals again it has been minimal and as gifts or use of the gift certificates. Crystals will be an area I will be having a "Depth Year" with and I will continue my Tarot practices as I have for the last year+.
Raggydoll Posted December 18, 2018 Author Posted December 18, 2018 Such great advice Jewel[/member] !
Raggydoll Posted December 18, 2018 Author Posted December 18, 2018 I am actually working with that deck too right now! I was thinking about journeying and contemplating on all the majors. We can perhaps discuss that more in the circle ;) That is exciting! It’s so helpful to have someone else to discuss a deck with. :) Yes, it will be really valuable! :love:
Bookworm Posted December 18, 2018 Posted December 18, 2018 I am actually working with that deck too right now! I was thinking about journeying and contemplating on all the majors. We can perhaps discuss that more in the circle ;) That is exciting! It’s so helpful to have someone else to discuss a deck with. :) Yes, it will be really valuable! :love: Are you sure you don't want to study the Dark Goddess? >:D Mine is due to arrive tomorrow! Seriously, I look forward to your thoughts on Tarot of the Crone. It's such a great deck. I was a failure as a study group member, though. But if anyone DID want to talk about the Dark Goddess, I'd be interested. :) I have been doing a depth year sort of thing with books for a couple of years now. We had so many books on our shelves that I hadn't read and wasn't reading. I decided to go through the shelves, one by one, choosing a book, and then starting over with the shelves when I finished with all of them. I didn't stop buying books, but I cut way down, and it's been really great. There were a lot of good books there! I have also cut way down on buying Tarot decks, and sort of naturally have been working in depth with one at a time. I would like to become more organized about journaling, so maybe I'll make that a depth-year focus if I can figure out how to do it. Thanks for starting this thread, Raggydoll[/member]! <3
Flaxen Posted December 18, 2018 Posted December 18, 2018 @Bookworm, Dark Goddess is also a great deck and one I’d love to look at in more depth.
Raggydoll Posted December 18, 2018 Author Posted December 18, 2018 Bookworm[/member], Dark Goddess is also a great deck and one I’d love to look at in more depth. Me too! ^-^
Bookworm Posted December 18, 2018 Posted December 18, 2018 Bookworm[/member], Dark Goddess is also a great deck and one I’d love to look at in more depth. Me too! ^-^ Well, great! :D I'll try to add to the study group you started on it, Flaxen[/member] . Maybe I'll be a better studier this time. One can only keep trying.
Guest Night Shade Posted December 18, 2018 Posted December 18, 2018 I wish I had your strength, Raggydoll[/member] . Not two hours aver I read this thread, I went out and bought a new deck (Crystal Visions). But my aunt sent me some money for Christmas, so it's like free money, right? I do like the idea of a Depth Year, though - maybe I'll try it next year. Until then, I have my eye on the Sun and Moon tarot....
Raggydoll Posted December 18, 2018 Author Posted December 18, 2018 I wish I had your strength, Raggydoll[/member] . Not two hours aver I read this thread, I went out and bought a new deck (Crystal Visions). But my aunt sent me some money for Christmas, so it's like free money, right? I do like the idea of a Depth Year, though - maybe I'll try it next year. Until then, I have my eye on the Sun and Moon tarot.... Haha! I am not some superwoman and I do not aim for perfection! I just go with what feels right at the moment. I might change my mind later on and that’s ok. There is no prestige here! I have decks that I preordered that will arrive next year and I’m sure I’ll end up purchasing a couple if I feel really drawn to them. My goal is simply to have a much bigger focus on gratitude and working with what I’ve got, instead of always chasing new things.
Jewel Posted December 18, 2018 Posted December 18, 2018 I would like to become more organized about journaling, so maybe I'll make that a depth-year focus if I can figure out how to do it. I love journaling! I decided to focus my journals so I have one where I put my personal readings (tarot and oracle), and a separate journal where I keep the readings I do for others. I document the day, spread, and deck used. If I had a specific question or there is something I want to document I do so before the spread. I then find images (or take a picture of the spread) and reduce them in size then tape them in my journal in the spread configuration, write in the position number above or below each card, and list the position meanings. I then do my analysis of the spread itself (card composition, elemental info, anything that stands out to me). Then I move onto actually doing the reading being able to overlay any patterns I found during the analysis. I tape larger images of each card into my journal as I go by spread position so I have a copy of the image right by what I wrote. At the end I do a reading summary or conclusions or whatever is appropriate for the spread and note any additional observations. I love using highlighters and I use certain colors for Majors (purple), Cups (blue), Wands (orange), Pentacles (green), and Swords (yellow). That way when I just glance in I can see, makes it great when referencing back to a reading. By taping an image of the spread and the positions my journals also serve me as repository of spreads :). I love looking through my old journals. It is a great way to go back to decks I used in previous months, see what decks I used for certain spreads, etc. And people who see them think they are really neat with all the images and stuff.
BlueDragonfly Posted December 18, 2018 Posted December 18, 2018 I wish I had your strength, Raggydoll[/member] . Not two hours aver I read this thread, I went out and bought a new deck (Crystal Visions). But my aunt sent me some money for Christmas, so it's like free money, right? I do like the idea of a Depth Year, though - maybe I'll try it next year. Until then, I have my eye on the Sun and Moon tarot.... Haha! I am not some superwoman and I do not aim for perfection! I just go with what feels right at the moment. I might change my mind later on and that’s ok. There is no prestige here! I have decks that I preordered that will arrive next year and I’m sure I’ll end up purchasing a couple if I feel really drawn to them. My goal is simply to have a much bigger focus on gratitude and working with what I’ve got, instead of always chasing new things. I agree, it's not supposed to be about depriving yourself totally. You can make the rules, allow yourself a new deck or book or whatever as long as you are looking with open eyes at everything you already have. Maybe if some things go out, a few can come in. A Depth Year is about appreciating what you have already, spending time with it instead of always searching for that "something more".
BlueDragonfly Posted December 18, 2018 Posted December 18, 2018 I would like to become more organized about journaling, so maybe I'll make that a depth-year focus if I can figure out how to do it. I love journaling! I decided to focus my journals so I have one where I put my personal readings (tarot and oracle), and a separate journal where I keep the readings I do for others. I document the day, spread, and deck used. If I had a specific question or there is something I want to document I do so before the spread. I then find images (or take a picture of the spread) and reduce them in size then tape them in my journal in the spread configuration, write in the position number above or below each card, and list the position meanings. I then do my analysis of the spread itself (card composition, elemental info, anything that stands out to me). Then I move onto actually doing the reading being able to overlay any patterns I found during the analysis. I tape larger images of each card into my journal as I go by spread position so I have a copy of the image right by what I wrote. At the end I do a reading summary or conclusions or whatever is appropriate for the spread and note any additional observations. I love using highlighters and I use certain colors for Majors (purple), Cups (blue), Wands (orange), Pentacles (green), and Swords (yellow). That way when I just glance in I can see, makes it great when referencing back to a reading. By taping an image of the spread and the positions my journals also serve me as repository of spreads :). I love looking through my old journals. It is a great way to go back to decks I used in previous months, see what decks I used for certain spreads, etc. And people who see them think they are really neat with all the images and stuff. I'm going to work on improving my journaling in the coming year as well. These are all good ideas for organizing them. Mine are kind of all over the place, personal as well as for study.
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