“Help people. Give back. Do good shit for humanity.”
Can there even be a better card for a new year? Spark fire in yourself to help others and do what you can do to help others. Sometimes that’s just reblogging a post and other times it’s donating time or money to help others.
This year is stepping outside of yourself and into your community. This can be difficult, especially after so many of us had such monumental changes over the last few years.
This doesn’t mean you need to fork over your cash. Things are expensive right now everywhere, so don’t be afraid to hoard your coins like Smaug and instead focus on acts of compassion and love.
Embrace helping and loving others. Teach a skill to someone. Hold the door for a stranger. Distract a crying baby so a stressed parent can breathe. Give your pet an extra cuddle. Give something homemade, such as cookies or even a card, to someone who needs a bit of cheer.
Make new friends. Join a club or just pick a new place to frequent, like the library, park, or a coffee shop. Find someone new to talk to.
This is also the year to find love. Being in love often softens people so they are willing to help others and give more. Giving love means you’re granted more love. It seems like nonsense at first, but it really does work.
Bettering yourself also helps your community. Spend time focusing and loving yourself and you’ll find that you’re able to recognize more easily who is struggling and how you can help. By setting yourself up in a good place means that you’re more willing to give to others. Your cup isn’t empty, so you can offer some of your water to others.
So try to do more for others this year. We’ve been isolated and self-contained these last few years. Spend 2023 reaching out. Discover who and what reaches back. Open your heart.
Happy new year!
Featured decks: Rebel Deck (I drew several others, but this is the one that actually said “yes, me!”)
Learning a divination technique is not always easy. For some people, it can be a real struggle and it can become a mental mountain to overcome.
Even long-term diviners may find themselves challenged at times. Divination burnout is definitely a thing and there are times where you just feel disconnected from your intuition.
Here’s a few things that can help.
1 – Work in a darkened room
I’m not saying to work in the complete dark, but work in a room where your surroundings are in the shadows. Being in the dark lessens distractions. You can see that distracting thing (the laundry that needs folding or your Nintendo switch, for example) in your peripheral vision, so it no longer becomes a mental task or temptation. It’s out of sight and therefore (mostly) out of mind.
2 – Change up your surroundings
If you normally work in your bedroom, head into the kitchen or hunker down at your public library. Rather than your couch, try the backyard (make sure to have something to weigh down your cards!). You can even just switch up the surface your work on. Instead of a table, try the floor. While leaving your normal space to do a reading may feel really weird, the newness can shake things up for a while. It breaks you out of the “I have to do this” sort of routine.Â
Be aware of your confidence in your new space. You may feel really self-aware when working in public. Most of the time, people don’t care. They might look at you for a few minutes, but 90% of the time – if not more – people do not give a shit about what other people are doing. This is true for casting spells in public and anything else.
Divination is a bit weird though. People tend to approach tarot card readers and assume they’re always for hire or worse, ask for a free reading. If you want to do their reading, that’s fine, but don’t be afraid of saying no. Tell them no, you’re not taking readings at this time, offer them a business card if you have one you’d like to give out, then politely and firmly go back to what you were doing. Headphones are great for this because you can just literally tune them out. If they keep pestering you, then leave that space.
3 – Set the scene.
Light a candle, burn some incense, get your diffusing going, put on a fancy outfit, lay out the good reading cloth, softly play some music, and so on. Set up your space for success. If you already do this, try skipping parts of it them to see if that changes things for you. Or you can switch up the incense you burn, the music you play, or the scents you add to the air.Â
4 – Meditate, center, and ground.
Now, I am the first to say that meditation doesn’t always help and isn’t necessary. If meditation is something you struggle with, then doing it before you try something else you’re struggling with is only setting you up for failure. But if you like meditation, or at least don’t mind it, then give it a try before the reading. It can help organize your thoughts and raise some energy.
Centering and grounding also are useful. Even more useful than meditation, even. While the three of them can be combined, centering is more about re-balancing yourself and bringing yourself back to neutral or centered within yourself – great when you’re all over the place. Grounding is about dispersing your excess energy. It can also be about rooting yourself down, building a foundation to stand on. Using which one when you need it can be helpful.Â
5 – Manage your phone and devices
Put your notifications on silent. There’s some phones and apps now that have a “focus” mode, allowing you to pick and choose what notifications can disturb you during your phone time. You can also get a focus timer app like Forest to use. I use focus mode when I do divinations plus Forest. This means I can’t access my social media, video games, or anything else like that while I work. Instead, what’s available to me are things like my camera, photo editing apps, related programs, and so on.
6 – Don’t take it so seriously
For some people, divination is a big deal for them and it’s very serious business. For others, it’s all fun and games. If you’re on the more serious or intense side and you find yourself struggling to do a reading, try loosening up. Put the reading you’re working on aside and do a fun one. Predict the outcome on what’s for dinner or ask what your cat’s thinking. Reduce the amount of pressure you’re putting on yourself by making it less serious.Â
7 – Mind your schedule
Schedule time to do readings. Pick a day or make time during the day the same way your would some other appointment and work on your divination. This doesn’t mean you need to solely do readings. You can read books on the subject instead, meditate with your cards, or plan spreads. Or you can just sit there and crank out readings. It’s up to you, but scheduling time makes it a priority for you and reminds your brain and this is something that you’re serious about. Practice is key to learning a skill, any skill.
You’ll also want to consider taking breaks while you’re doing readings. For example, I do all of my readings for the week on Sunday. It’s the one day of the week I devote entirely to divination. Why Sunday? Well, once upon a time it was the one day of the week I was guaranteed to be home alone except for the animals. It meant I knew I wouldn’t be disturbed and I could take up as much room and make as much noise as I want.
8 – Tell it to someone
If you’re having trouble getting your words out, try explaining the cards and reading to someone. This could be your pet, a crystal, a familiar, a guide, a friend, or so on. If you normally talk your readings out, then try writing them. Do something to express what the readings in a different way than you normally would do.Â
And those are some tips to give you a hand. Don’t be afraid to step outside your norm to shake up your divination routine. It can be really helpful and lead you down a new path of knowledge and divination.
This is a simple spread intended to reveal things like false idealizations, illusions, and so on. Sometimes we idealized people or put them on pedestals. This reveals what’s behind the curtain. This spread would also reveal what’s they’re fooling themselves with.
1 – What is the dream or (false) idealized version of the person or situation?
2 – What are the unintentional illusions of the situation or person? What falsehoods have been unintentionally perpetuated?
3 – What intentional illusions is this situation or person hiding behind?
January’s almost over and this is your final chance to grab a “year ahead” reading for 2022.
“Year ahead” readings are divinations that predict the year ahead of you by some means, usually cartomancy. Often these readings will be large and go month by month, but some will go by seasons or tackle specific questions.
I’ve two reading available this month, with limited spots. Each reading is delivered in PDF form via email.
These two readings will go away at the end of the month and will be adding new readings for February. If interested in a year ahead reading, don’t hesitate to grab one here.
Ever try water divination? It’s possibly one of the most accessible forms of divination, but one of the hardest to master.
Water Divination: How to scry with water | thiscrookedcrown.com
It’s a form of scrying. Scrying is a type of divination using some sort of usually reflective medium to derive hidden secrets or future events. Crystal ball reading is the most famous form of scrying, but scrying can be done in water, glass, oil, crystal, shiny metal, mirrors, or other reflective surfaces.
If you’re a good hand at scrying, then water divination is probably in reach. If you’re new to scrying, it’s a very intuitive based divination practice. It’s not for everyone (lots of people find it blurry or frustrating), but if you enjoy it, it can be fun.
There’s a lot of different ways to perform water divination. This one is mine.
Find an ideal vessel.
I prefer to use a flattish bowl or a plate with large edges. A tea cup saucer is usually pretty good for this, but a salad or spaghetti bowl are also good. Any bowl, plate, or cup can be used, but I find having a bowl that have a wide surface for the water is ideal.
I find it’s more important to have the bottom of the vessel to be clean. A bowl with writing on the bottom isn’t really ideal when you first get started. Vessels with scraps or scratches from silverware also aren’t ideal in the very beginning. They can be distracting.
Of course, once you get more adept, you may find that those scratches or writing may help.
You don’t need to have a dedicated vessel. I often use my morning cup of tea or the water in my water bottles. But I also have a dedicated black tea cup saucer and a copper bowl I use for more dedicated readings.
Choose your water source
I often use filtered water, either from a filtering pitcher or some other means. I often use tap water / well water as well, because that’s easiest. It’s totally fine to use tap.
I may also pour out some sort of enchanted water, like moon water. Or I might infuse herbs to make a tisane and use that.
Coffee, tea, juice, oil, blood, soda, and any other liquid you can think of can be used in the exact same manner as water. Or you can drip some of these liquids into a vessel filled with water and see what patterns form. (Oil scrying is often done in this manner.)
This means that yes, you can totally scry in your morning cup of coffee.
I do find there’s some variation on the results depending on the water source. Purified water tends to give me clearer results for most questions, but if I’m doing shadow work or some sort of soul-searching, I use ocean water or blood because that’s best for me. Juices and teas tend to edge the results in certain directions. The same results, but from a slightly different perspective.
Again, none of that is bad. Experimenting may give you different results, but I will tailor what I’m working with depending on the results I want. If I’m doing a reading regarding a business decision, I’ll use a cup of coffee for the divination, but if I want to know if I should date someone, then I might use a tea made with herbs related to love.
Bodies of water
You can also use bodies of water for divination. The water source should be calm or have a little movement in it. A river, lake, ocean, swimming pool, koi pond, or even a fish tank can be used in the above described manner.
You can use an active source of water, even a waterfall, but it’s the churning of the water or the sound that water source makes that will be used for the divination. It’s a somewhat different form of divination.
Divining in your water
Whatever mediums you’re using, the actual divination method is simple enough.
Look into the water, but do it in a way that doesn’t reflect your face or head. I find being able to stare into your own face can be very distracting.
Stare until your eyes become unfocused and your mind starts to drift. Pay attention to what you’re seeing in your mind’s eye and thinking. What thoughts appear? What mental images?
It can be completely random. Maybe a song pops into your head. Or you hear multiple conversation snippets. Or there’s a total Hollywood style vision playing out in the surface of the water.
While doing this, pay attention to what’s happening around you. Are there ripples in the water? Did something fall in it or move in it? Did the wind change direction or did a passerby’s conversation suddenly become clear? Did you cat change position or your dog suddenly start to whine.
All of those things need to be gathered together to form an entire reading. At first, it’s not going to make a lot of sense. With practice and time, you’ll start to see how the water scrying can give you results and information.
I find that have a voice recorder going helps me describe what I’m seeing as I’m seeing it. Later, I’ll transcribe the recorded session onto paper. Paper is also ideal as you can sketch out what you’re seeing or describe it.
And that’s it. It really is that easy. Divination with water may be easy to do, but since it’s a form of scrying, it can be difficult to master. Give it a try and see if you like it.
There aren’t many spots available, so grab one if you can.
I’m also still available for spell casting. I’m also starting a trial run on custom spell writing. You can check out what’s in my cauldron here.
Where have the updates been?
In a moving box. Along with 95% of my library and most of my magical tools and items. I know I’ve been living here for a few months now, but time had flown. My current living situation is temporary and there’s a LOT of stuff going on behind the scenes here that eats up a lot of time emotionally and physically. And then there’s this whole pandemic thing happening.
To indicate how weird my current set up is… Last week I found a stack of cauldrons under a pile of floor pillows and I had to scale over the couch and through a pothos plant just to get a jar of moon water.
Don’t even get me started about the faeries. The one during my evening walk last night tried to take me out via rabbit.
But hey, at least I’ve got a stack of pumpkins to carve. It’s the little things that keep us going right now, right?
A no muss, no fuss divination book. It covers the most common forms of divination (tarot, scrying crystal balls, tea leaf reading, and so on) and does it in a easy to understand and thorough way. I knocked it down from a 5 to a 4.5 because I question the inclusion of a chakra pendulum chart. Like, I can see it’s usage, but it’s literally the only inclusion of this sort of thing in the book.
This book is small but mighty.
Filled with images, it’s something akin to a quick starter guide you get when you buy some sort of new electronic. If you already know what you’re doing, then this info won’t be a revelation. If you’re new, it’ll give you all the information to get started and clue you in to what you might want to research next.
Each section covers a new form of divination with all the info you need to get started and includes basic spreads or charts for each divination form.
The book covers crystal tossing (as in tossing crystals on a mat and determing meaning depending on the stone, the nearby stones, and position on a mat). This book includes basic divination meanings for commonly used stones, which is very helpful if you’re just getting started. It doesn’t cover crystal grids, which I kind of expected it too, since it mentioned them in the opening pages, but I’m ok with that info not being present.
Pendulum’s are also covered. I’ve don’t remember seeing a pendulum chart using chakra before and I’m very meh about it. Like, I could see the usage for it, especially if you’re very into Western chakra work or maybe helpful even in Eastern chakra work, but… eh. I have feels about it that are a tangent for another time. Anyway, color coding or simply having the meanings written on the chart wouldn’t have changed much, but maybe I’m just being too picky.
Runes, specifically the Elder Futhark, are also covered. I have personal spiritual history with runes that kept me from using them for the last 20 or so years, so my knowledge is from the first five or so years where that connection wasn’t present. (Maybe one day I’ll tell that story, but not today.)
Anyway, the book covers the three aetts (sets) and then goes into the runes individual meanings (including inverted). I am not a fan of inversion with any kind of divination, traditional or not, unless under specific circumstances and conditions, but to each their own. The book does have a note about inversion and not using them if you choose, which is always nice to see.
The instructions for tea leaf reading are simple (a little elaborate compared to how I do it, but you do you). Honestly, reading tea leaves (or coffee grounds) doesn’t need to be complicated. The little dictionary of symbols is more elaborate than other divination books like this.
I know some things about a palmistry, but not enough to put together a reading, so I paid attention to this chapter. This gives you enough information to get started. It even discusses the difference between chirognomy (the shape of the hand) versus chiromancy (the lines on the palm). It’s a good beginner’s primer. It’s one of the larger chapters in the book.
Chapter six is about tarot cards. Like the rest of the book, it’s a great guide for those who want to try their hand at it. It includes a few basic spreads then the usual card descriptions with both the upright and the reversed. The card descriptions also include images of the card, which is handy for beginners, The cleansing methods for the deck are unusual ones that I’m actually a fan of. It’s another longer chapter, about thirty pages.
Numerology is not my thing – I’ve a learning disorder involving math. I’m aware of sacred numbers and how to calculate various personal numbers and so on. But since math isn’t my thing, it’s been decades since I really dug deep into numerology.
This numerology chapter is actually pretty good (from what I can tell) including auspicious numbers, compatibility, and a breakdown for each basic number and talks a bit about the master numbers.
Scrying with crystals was the first type of divination I taught myself. It’s my jam. This final chapter talks about recording and planning your scrying sessions. How to connect to the scrying crystal and how to choose a crystal. This chapter refers to a crystal ball, but I’ve used raw pieces of crystals and it works just fine. It’s unusual to run into crystals like amethyst in basic scrying divination instructions, but I’m totally cool with this. Of course it goes into how to scry and variations thereof. It also talks about the symbols and colors that might appear during a scrying session, which is always nice.
And that’s the end of the book. It’s a good little book for someone who wants to get into divination, but they’re not sure what kind and they want just one pretty book on the subject on their self.
Would I recommend it? Yes. It’s not going to be show anything new to people who’ve been divining for a long time, but beginners will enjoy the book. Would I buy it for my own library? Yes. I like having various divination books to compare and contrast. Plus, it’s a good little book.
If you’re looking to make some changes in your life, this spell can help. It’s ideal if you think you know about the changes you want to make, but you’re still not wholly certain. It’s especially good for when you have a few options that would be nice, but you’re not sure which path is best for you.
This is partially a divination spell, so pay attention to any additional signs, weirdness, or feelings you get along the way.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for spell variations!!!
What you’ll need:
Stones
A crossroad with low or no traffic
Marker or paint (optional)
Notebook and pen (optional)
First gather up some stones. Pick a stone for each path or change you want to make. This stone can be something you select because it reminds you or inspires you of the change you want to make. It could just feel “right”.
Optional: You can charge each stone with the change or choice you’d like to make. You can also name each stone instead or even write the change you want on the stone in marker or paint. This is optional, but it can make the spell feel more “set”. If you’re doing the spell on a whim or spur of the moment, don’t worry about the writing or energy charging bit.
Once you’ve gotten your stones, go somewhere where the crossroads aren’t used often. This might be a street corner late at night in a quiet neighborhood or it might be a path that splits in your local park. You don’t need long, but you don’t want someone to walk by when doing this.
Stand slightly on the path you’ve come from and face the different directions the crossroad takes.
Put the stones in both hands, hold them to your heart, and speak about the change or path that you now want to make. Depending on what the exact circumstances of the spell is, you may need to work out your phrasing. Speak from the heart. A good example is:
"Change is needed
And I am changing
But what direction should I turn in?
What should I focus on?
Where do I go?"
When done speak, throw the stones out away from you towards the paths before you. Path attention to your feelings here. Is there something that you thought of as you threw the stones? Some choice or decision that you hoped would happen? If so, that’s probably the change you really want and should you keep that in mind, no matter what this spell divination says.
Now take the time to go and look at what stone landed where. Your notebook and pen will be useful for this. Pay attention to where the stone landed. Is it directly on the path or off to the side? Did you lose it? Which ones drew your attention first. Did they land writing side up or down, if applicable. What plants are they surrounded in? Did it take damage or break? Where do those paths lead? Are there people in that direction or just trees and sky?
Generally speaking, if a stone is broken then assume that the change or choice isn’t a good one. If a stone lands directly on the path, then that’s probably a clearer, better, or easier change to make. Look to see what the plants around it might mean. If the rock lands writing side down, then you might need to go through some drama to achieve that change.
This is largely going to depend on your personal interpretation and symbolism. This is where skill in divination may be helpful, but trust your instincts.
That being said, if you’ve marked the stones, you don’t need to dig super deep if you don’t want to. Just pick whatever one landed on the path at all or the path you’d like to see and go.
Now that you have your answers, you can make those changes or choices.
Spell variations:
Variation 1 – Gemstones: This spell uses common garden stones or rocks in the spell. But you can use polished stones, gemstones, or crystals if you’d prefer. This gives you a wider option to pick something that’s more suitable magically, energetically, or in some other sort of meaningful way.
Variation 2 – Small Objects: You could instead pick small objects that represent the change or choice you’d like to make. This could be a small toy, a pen, or decorative object.
Variation 3 – Spell Objects: For each change or choice you’d like to make, you can create an object from herbs and other magical ingredients to represent this. You can simply put the ingredients in a coffee filter and tie that off or you could do something a bit more elaborate and use a homemade salt clay or similar and roll it in herbs.
The benefit of any of these variations is that you can tailor the energy and power of the spell even more. This will largely depend on your personal practice, but it’s something to think about.
The risk is that you may damage or lose the stone, crystal, or whatever in the process of casting this spell, so make your choices with that in mind.
Notes:
If you have many stones, write down how many stones you have and what they represent before you throw them. This way you can track which ones you’ve lost or need to find.
Hiking or walking trails are pretty much perfect for this spell. Not only will be outside with your thoughts, but you also can collect the rocks on your walk there.
Go as organic or nature-friendly as possible here. You may not be able to recover the object you’ve thrown and having something bio-degradable is important, if you’re using something other than a rock.
I hope 2020 has been treating you well! If not, I hope it gets better and better. And if it has been treating you well, then I hope it gets even better.
Oracular Readings available!
Oracular readings, as I’m defining them here, is when the diviner goes into a trance-like state and “speaks” to the entity in question. This can even involve mediumship or horsing-style possession. It’s very intense and can result in some powerful messages.
These readings are offered in an audio format with a PDF with notes and impressions as well.
I also am offering pendulum readings and crystal scrying readings right now. Spots are also limited.
All of these readings are available exclusively here on the website. They aren’t available on Etsy. To read more about the readings I offer, head on over here. To get your own reading, contact me.
Spells available!
I’ve always offered spell casting services here at This Crooked Crown. I’ve recently re-designed the Buy A Spell section to give folks a clearer picture of what to expect when they buy a spell or to simply buy a spell and know exactly what to expect from it.
I’m still doing custom spells too. I just wanted to give everyone a better range of choices!
I’m closing my Storenvy website. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while, as it can be very difficult to operate many different storefronts scattered across different websites.
Storenvy will be closing by the end of February, once I clear out the orders I have there. If you’ve ordered a reading, I’ll send it to you soon. More about that in a bit.
Etsy on vacation
My etsy shop is also on vacation. I need to reduce my cartomancy workload and handle the orders I currently have. Cartomancy readings are, frankly speaking, FAR more time demanding than anything else I offer and they are often MORE energy demanding than even casting spells.
I want to offer those with current cartomancy orders the best divination I can offer, so for now, Etsy’s on hold.
Why the changes?
I know a lot of change is scary but there’s a very good reason I’m making these moves now.
Frankly speaking, my health since mid-December has been in a decline and earlier this month I was diagnosed with a short-term vertigo disorder. It makes it fairly impossible to do anything. Working on the computer, doing complicated work, and even walking is a daily struggle right now.
Don’t worry though! The condition isn’t serious and with time and treatment, it will go away. I’m being taken care of by medical professionals, so no worries!
But since I still need to do things like pay bills and buy spell components, I have to work, but I’m switching things up to make sure I have lots and lots of time to rest. So I’m focusing on stuff that’s less time and energy demanding for me. For me, casting spells and working with spirits is exactly that. (Weird, I know.)
What’s not changing:
Patreon’s not changing. The updates have been slow this month, but they’ll all there and I’m already working on March’s.
The website isn’t changing either. Except for that hiccup earlier this month when I was trying to figure out how to live in my new normal, posts will continue as they have been.
If you have questions or concerns, email is the best way to reach me.
Thanks!
Thank you everyone for your support over the years and for your continued support now!
Ever see a spread on pinterest or tumblr and think “I wanna try that?” and yet it’s stupidly hard to get into? Like reading a book or a watching a movie that is dragging slowly. You want to finish it but it’s just not happening.
Let’s be honest: sometimes you’re distracted and that’s why nothing’s happening. Sometimes it’s the wrong time for that reading or that information for you. Or you’re using a deck that doesn’t like that spread or is feeling uncooperative.
But maybe it’s because some spreads don’t like you as much as others.
I believe that spreads, like any works of the mind and self can captured the energy of the creator. Not all people get along so why would you get along with their art?
For example, I create a lot of spreads. Not all of them reach the light of day. The easiest ones I’ve ever used are the ones that I created because they felt right. I created them because they didn’t need to fulfill a particular need, but because I wanted to make them.
When reading these spreads, I can complete the reading at least twice as fast and with less effort and energy than a smaller spread that doesn’t mesh as well with me.
Still, sometimes you need to work though a spread. Here’s my tips on how that.
Rephrase the spread
Sometimes the wording of a spread isn’t working for you. Rephrase the questions in the spread and see if that helps.
Try a different deck
This may mean you need to break out a different tarot card deck, an oracle deck rather than a tarot card deck, etc. If you don’t own another deck, try using an online app! Download your favorite tarot app (I use Galaxy Tarot) and draw a card for each position of the spread.
Tell a story with the spread
What is this spread suppose to do? Tell a story with it. “Once upon a time there was a girl who [first question in the spread or the purpose of the spread]. She wanted to know / change her life’s path, so she [next question/ position in the spread].” So on and so on.
Break time!
Get up and have a break. Take a walk, stretch your arms and legs. Have a snack, watch some TV, or play with your pet. Sometimes, you just need to stop banging your head against what you’re working on and do something different for a while.
Change the environment
Sometimes an environmental change can make all the difference. Try a different playlist, head to a local coffee shop, set up camp at a local park. It can make a world of difference to change your environment and your perspective along with it.
Lighten up
Sometimes we take ourselves WAY too seriously. Lighten up. Accept that the cards are snarking back or things are just being way too serious. You may not emotionally be on the same level as a playful spread at the time. You may be using a super serious deck for a silly reading. Sometimes, things just don’t mesh well. Try again later, in a different mood, or with a different tool.
Make your own spread
Maybe it’s the layout messing with you. Maybe the questions just don’t feel right. Summarize the spread’s questions and write up your own spread with that summary. I caution against using the newly created spread in professional readings, because it might qualify under plagiarism, but it’s a very useful tool in understanding a particular spread.
Mostly, it’s important to realize that sometimes, things just aren’t going to work the way you want them to, both in life and in card reading. Don’t worry about it overmuch. Try a different spread. Ask another question. Go back to it later. Its (probably) not the end of the world.
This Crooked Crown 