The Robin Wood deck is sadly not the first deck I've had problems with being broken. I've had decks given to me missing cards, I've bought decks used that are damaged, and I've had pets decide to do a little tarot reading of their own that has caused card damage. At first I was embarrassed to talk about the decks with other readers and I tucked them away in hopes of going back to them months later and they magickally develop that missing card or their tears and coffee stains be mended. 
I then realized that this was folly all its own and that the tarot can be used for so much more than just a traditional reading! This came to me when I was looking at a piece of furniture and wanting to do something to it to make it look spooky-magickal...like add tarot!

If it Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It
Make sure that the deck is broken. If it is missing a card, set the deck aside for a week or so and set your manifestation into gear to find the missing card. This has worked for me a number of times and usually the card shows up in the most random place. 
If the deck is damaged, do a thorough assessment and decide if its unusable in the traditional sense. Is it just one card? Would you still be comfortable reading for someone else with this deck, even if it isn't professionally? Are you still able to read for yourself? Maybe this deck just needs to be handled with care and set aside for personal use only. 
Don't dismantle or give up on your deck when it isn't too late. 

As I developed this concept of non-traditional card use, I looked online and realized there are many, many readers who have broken decks ( I am not alone! gasp!) and are looking for something to do with them! I began compiling ideas and here is the fruit of my labor:

Create a Major Arcana Deck
If the lost or damaged cards are part of the Minor Arcana only, the Major Arcana cards can still be used in readings. Some types of readings and spreads, especially ones focusing on the spiritual aspects of life, use only the trump cards. 

Oracle Deck
I know of some readers who continue to read their broken decks but as more of an oracle deck. They take out the damaged cards (or leave out the missing cards) and also take out any cards they don't resonate with or want in the deck. They then use the remaining cards as oracle cards, each representing a different intuitive message for them. 

Playing Cards
If you lose a Major Arcana card you can still use the pips and some of the court cards in a unique playing card deck. Playing decks have 52 cards consisting of 4 Aces, the pip cards 2-10 in each suit, and the Kings, Queens, and either the Knights or the Pages  as the playing card Jacks. 
Imagine playing poker with this deck!

Spell Cards
Use what cards are not missing or damaged for spells, manifestation, rituals, or meditations and pathworking. 

• If you still have the 4 aces and like to use them to call the Quarters in ritual work, consider framing them or putting them in your magickal tool chest for that purpose in the future. 
  
• Set aside the Emperor and the Empress or the Sun and the Moon to represent the Goddess and the God on the altar. 
  
• Add the 4 of swords or the Moon to a dream pillow or satchet for rest or psychic dreams. 
  
• Tape the Lovers card over the glass candle holder for the focus of a relationship aid spell. 
  

There are endless possibilities. 

Magickal Artwork & Decor
One of my favorite ways of using a broken deck is in art. 
The biggest piece of my tarot art is my tarot table. It started out as a cube steamer trunk to which I collaged the cards from my broken Jane Austen tarot deck. This is now an altar in my home and at events on which I do my tarot readings for clients and myself. There is a lot of tarot energy and my own personal mojo in this table and I love it. 

Use The Remainder in Business
If you're a professional tarot reader and one of your decks is broken, you can always re-purpose the cards to use in your business.

• Turn the remainders in to special business cards for top rate clients. 
  
• Paste them on your sign advertising your readings.
  
• Turn them into price tags for any other items you sell like tarot bags or boxes. 
  

So the next time you're going through your deck and find you only have 77 cards or your cat has gotten a hold of the High Priestess, again, don't despair right away! Those cards are still full of purpose and spiritual juice to be used in your magickal life!
Tarot Blessings,
December

I have a pet peeve, which has led to a rant that I have made offline more than once. It isn't a well-liked opinion by some and it outright causes rage in others, but its the simple statement of the truth and a warning I give to my friends. I consider you my friend, reader, and will share this same simple fact with you:
Your DoTerra and YoungLiving essential oils rep is NOT a Certified Aromatherapist... unless he or she is. 

Why does this fact bother me and so many others? 
Well it bothers me because I have met and talked with many sellers of essential oils in the last year or two. It seems the oils are the new Avon and Mary Kay and everyone wants in on the deal. No complaints, I'm a fan of essential oils for the most part and making them more available to the public outside the one natural foods store in town is great. The thing is, some of these sellers are giving some advice on the use of the essential oils, including medical use, without disclaimer and, in some cases, without common safety sense. 
I have seen sellers tell possible customers that they will soon be able to stop all of their medication and just use essential oils, tell customers that essential oils ("because they are natural") are safe to ingest and put directly on their skin, and pull out essential oils and start applying them to themselves and others without once asking the room about allergies or asthma. 
(As for making medical claims regarding essential oils, the FDA is taking great issue with this already and sending warning letters to both companies for their medical claims. Read more about this here.)

In my studies of essential oils I have learned quite a bit over the years - the most important is how to use the oils SAFELY. Essential oils are a Highly Concentrated form of a plant. To make just one small bottle of the oil hundreds if not thousands of plants are used. The end result is volitile (evaporates and reacts quickly) and can have a very strong effect on people that use it. Because of their highly concentrated properties, many, MANY oils are NOT safe to put directly on your skin. 

For example: 
Cinnamon essential oil can be very dangerous to put on your skin or even to try and dilute in water (essential oils are not water soluble but can be diluted in a base oil such as olive oil or jojoba oil) and if it does touch skin it is best to rinse and clean the area immediately as the oil can burn (it will usually have an immediate effect). Think of the burn in your mouth when you've eaten cinnamon candy and times that by 100, on you skin...not pleasant. 
Other oils can set off asthmatics just by opening a bottle of the substance around them and if you are allergic to a certain plant it is pretty safe to say that you should use any products made from that plant with caution, including the essential oil. 
Other health conditions can also be irritated or caused to worsen by the presence, application, or diffusing of essential oils including most lung problems (COPD) and diabetes. 
Don't get me started on the reps that were pushing oils on me without any knowledge of which ones were safe for pregnant women...

Sadly, when I've attended hosting parties and classes where essential oils are sold, most sales reps will not even touch on these matters. I usually leave the class worried for every other person in attendance that they will purchase a kit of a variety of oils and go home and essentially harm themselves. I have asked reps if they have taken classes on the safety, use, and medicinal properties of the oils and was told that they do have some pamphlets and usually they just Google the oils if a client has a specific question. 
When the discussion of diluting the oils came up in some of these little seminars the reason for the dilution was "a little goes a long way" and "by blending your essential oils in a base oil or a diffuser will extend the life and use of your oil" and was represented in a money-saving capacity alone. My head ached at this point as none of the safety measures of diluting the oils were discussed such as by diluting the essential oil in a base it is diffused throughout so no part of your body is exposed to the pure compound and irritated. 

Even those friends of mine and readers of the page who only use essential oils for their magickal properties and for the general aromatherapy diffusing in their home should have a basic understanding the safety precautions of using these essential oils. A general lesson in diluting, which oils are safe, how to handle a spill of a caustic oil on your skin or elsewhere, etc. Most books on aromatherapy will have some general knowledge of these matters. 
To help you in your studies of the uses and safety of essential oils, I have put together a small resource list that I use. I hope that you all continue to be safe. 

Resources:
The following three books are ones that I use regularly in my home. I enjoy having all three as the information provided is different in each. The first book is recommended by my herbalism and natural medicine instructor - Marjah McCain of Herbal Healer Academy - 

If you are a representative of an essential oils company, it is my hope that you practice and sell safely, keep all of your customer's needs in mind, and are prosperous. 

**Disclaimer - just as I am NOT a Certified Aromatherapist, I also want to say one other thing. This article is written based on my own experiences. I am sure that there are many, MANY sales representatives for DoTerra and YoungLiving and other brands of essential oil who are very conscientious and good at not only their job but also in the responsible care of their customers in regards to the advice that they give. This article is only in response to the experiences that I have had. 
*Affiliate ads were used in this blog post. 

I don't know who said it but I think it's beautiful and certainly one amazing way to view meditating no matter what your faith is. 
With these varying views of meditation in mind, it doesn't make sense to meditate in just one way to achieve a desired result. Instead, other forms of meditation should be used. Below are a four methods of meditating that can be performed. 

-Move
Walking, dancing, or yoga can be great ways to meditate. 
Walking meditations are used by many different cultures. Labyrinths are often used for this method and the act of walking them is said to be a sacred ritual to meditate upon for many different reasons bit mostly for the journey inward and, after, the journey back into the physical realm of the outside world. 
I particularly love dancing meditations. Belly dance, dancing in ritual circles, and spontaneous movement are expressions of body, mind, and spirit that help not only keep the focus of the meditation in the mind but also record it in the physical body through things like muscle memory. 

If you're focusing your meditation with mantras, singing them is a great way to memorize the words and make saying the mantra flow easily. 
Listening to recordings of binaural beats helps to put the brain into the right vibe for meditating. This is a great way to start a longer meditation or just to get those few minutes of calm into your day. 
I would like to also state that traditional music and sounds for meditation are not always best for everyone. I've met people that meditate very effectively with metal, industrial, or techno music. The theme I've noticed among this group is that a heavy bass beat is necessary and can hearken back to tribal drumming for ritual. 
This practice of music, of course, can go hand in hand with the moving meditations previously mentioned. 

-Create
Knit, crochet, beading, or any other creative activity that has repetitive movement and requires concentration is a great way to meditate. The repetitive movement can help put the mind into a trance-like state and is one of the reasons such crafts are therapeutic.
I have found that while I'm crocheting is a great time to say my mantras or prayers that require repetition such as the 108 Ganesh mantras for 108 days to achieve a large goal or a certain number of Hail Mary's and Our Fathers, or prayers to Saints. All the better if you're creating a prayer shawl or a piece of magickal crochet or knitting that will be used for spiritual purposes. 

- Resources
Here are some great resources to help you with your meditation or give you new ideas of how to meditate. 
The Four Queens on Starting and Sustaining Your Meditation Practice
and because a smile while meditating is important
F*ck That: a guided meditation 
And a Binaural Beats video. 

This week I've talked a lot about journaling. I've made a list of journaling prompts, explained why tarot journaling is so important to me, and even showed off my journals in a video all in hopes of helping you to get in the mood to pull out that journal and pen and get writing. However, sometimes even heaps of encouragement and prompting isn't enough to get some of us writing when we don't have time, space, or a quiet place to write. 
Creating a sacred space for writing is crucial to getting my creative juices flowing and to connecting with my higher self for deep, meaningful, juicy journaling.

Tips for Creating Sacred Space for Writing

- Pick a place that is comfortable. 
There is nothing like trying to write when you're chair is hurting your bum or your leg is falling asleep, or you're too cold or too hot. Pick a place that is comfortable to sit in and do not worry about if it's appropriate. If you're messy, unmade bed is more comfortable than your desk and office chair, journal there! Get cozy with a favorite blanket and pillow or get comfortable in your own skin literally and sprawl out nude. Do whatever feels right and write for you. 

- Make Your Journal a Sacred Tool. 
By making your journal into a sacred tool, you cultivate a feeling of respect and gratitude for it. Your journal is a part of your spirit. Within its binding you are pouring your heart and mind. To make it sacred, keep it safe and protected. Don't let others view your journal easily or at all. Make writing in it a sacred act with these tips and tools. Keep the binding and pages safe from spills, pets, etc. Perhaps create a space for it like in a locked chest, a special shelf, or an altar. You can also do this for your other journaling tools such as a pen you only use for this practice or your tarot deck that you only use for yourself and no one else. 

- Do Not Disturb. 
Here is a crucial piece to creating sacred space. Set aside a time for yourself and your journaling that will not be interrupted. For each of this will vary in difficulty but there are some ways that we can make it easier. Turn off your phone. Close the computer. Close the door, hang a do not disturb sign, or even lock it. If you live with family or roommates, make sure they know that you're taking some quiet time for yourself. If you can't get into a room alone, put on noise cancelling headphones and some favorite or low-key music. 

There you are darling souls. You have the tools and the space to create something magickal with your journals! 
If you have any other tips or practices that you would like to share, I would LOVE to read them or see pictures of your journaling sacred space! 
Blessings,
December

What is a Tarot Journal?
A Tarot Journal is a book used to record your growth as a tarot reader. In essence it is where you will keep your readings and information about the cards. 
This differs from a regular journal in that a tarot journal is designated for tarot only. This does not mean, however that you cannot incorporate your tarot journaling with your daily journal if you wish. 
It also differs from a Book of Shadows (a witch's journal of spells, information, and recipes) in that the tarot journal only has tarot information in it and not information about other parts of your magickal practice. This can also get muddied if/when your magickal practice involves Kabbalah, numerology, astrology, and other occult information that is used in the tarot. I still recommend keeping the tarot journal separate from your BOS or, at least, in a separate part of your larger BOS - in its own section with its own easily accessable information. I found that keeping my BOS and tarot journal in the same place made the book too big for easy access and ease of use. Keeping them separate also meant that I didn't have the distraction of other areas of my practice and life tapping me on the shoulder and reminding me of things like how I need to stock up on my silver and red candles and to record this new astrological chart I found (welcome to the daily workings of my mind, everyone). 

I would like to introduce you all to a very good friend of mine: my Tarot Journal. This is my newer journal in which I keep all sorts of notes, diary entries, and factoids about tarot. This journal, a beloved tarot deck, and some juicy pens and markers are all I need some days when things get stressful or I just want to dive into myself and the mystical world of tarot for a few hours. This is also where I come up with ideas for tarot blogs, classes, and articles about my favorite subject! 
Over the last few years I've been asked how I keep all the information I read about tarot or if I record my tarot readings. When I mention my journal, this raises a lot of questions and intrigue so I thought I would share a little about tarot journaling with you all. At the end there are some resources from other tarot and journaling experts. 

Keeping a Tarot Journal aids the reader in 

1. learning their own personal connection with the cards 
   
2. making it easy to look back on previous readings and seeing how you've grown 
   
3. keeping lessons and information on the cards in one place 
   
4. recording your emotions and meditations on the cards in a private diary. 
   

As you learn more and more about the cards, and trust me, 

Here is where things get personal and custom to you! 
How you keep your journal is entirely up to you! You can keep a tarot journal in which you only record your daily tarot draws or the readings you get from a professional once a month or so. You can also keep a larger notebook filled with information about each card, spread, history, and all other aspects of tarot - more like a scholastic notebook. 
My own journal goes back and forth between dry information that I've recorded from various resources (with note on where it came from so I can look back on it if need be) and juicy, heart-felt journaling on meditations, readings that I need to process, and my own spiritual growth. 
Just as what information that goes in your journal is deeply personal, so is how you keep your journal. 
I recommend that you write daily or weekly in your journal just as I recommend that you draw a card daily or get a reading at a regularly scheduled date so you can track your development. This will also keep you from forgetting to journal for months on end (yep, been there, done that. It's not a good feeling). 
That all being said, don't make this a daunting task for yourself. If having a huge tome with every scrap of information you've learned about tarot intimidates you or keeping a daily dairy of card draws sounds tedious - please feel free to do what feels right for you! 

you will develop new concepts regarding the cards, new techniques in reading, and new ideas about the tarot in general. Keeping a journal helps you to keep track of all this new-ness because if anything the one lie we always tell ourselves  is I Don't Need to Write Something Down to Remember It. 
I could kick myself for all the ideas I've had over the years like new spreads and meditations that I never wrote down and couldn't remember later. 

I want to also say that your journal does not have to be boring or pragraph after paragraph of handwriting that some of us dread. You can make your tarot journal a piece of personal art with sketches, collages, stickers and more. Anything that relates to your day, reading, or card(s) can go into your journals! 
For daily readings, I like to make a little 1 page collage or drawing about how I feel or what energies I get from the card(s) then I go on with the information to write in, any meditations, and later come back with any insights of synchronicities that occurred that day. 

Here is what some other Tarot Experts have to say about keeping a tarot journal: 
15 Exercises for Your Tarot Journal From Little Red Tarot
The Four Queens Tarot Journaling Advice and Prompts
as well as a video of  Tips for Journaling and Automatic Writing
OwlMoon's Tarot Journal Video
Tarot and Lunar Journal with Journeys of the Psyche
Poe Moonstone on her BOS/Tarot Journal I wanted to share this video because she is new-ish and I love her down-to-earth perspective on journaling and what not. 
Tarot Journaling by Blair Mirth

Feeling Artsy or need some ideas to get those creative juices flowing? Check out these videos on journaling and art journaling:
15 Minute Art Journaling Ideas from JennieBellie
12 Things You Gotta Have for Art Journaling by Barb Owen (this vid is over an hour long, just a heads up, but super descriptive)
Artventure Journaling Rhomny's Realm is a great Youtube channel for witchy things and journaling so check out her other videos. This one is about tools to take out and about to journal away from home. 

My sister-in-law asked me recently how to cleanse her crystals. She's just been on a plane ride and dealt with some drama so her stones and gems could use a bath and some TLC. 
I grabbed my chatty responses to her and put them together in this brief Crystal Cleansing Guide for you. I also included some resources at the bottom for further reading. 

Warning about Sunlight
Colorful crystals such as amethyst, citrine, or fluorite can suffer from sun-bleaching which will fade and drain their color. This does not hurt the crystal or make its vibration weak, I understand, but it might not be as pretty or vibrant after a few days in direct sunlight. 

This method would require you to do some research into your crystals and stones before hand and have a good book or internet resource handy that lists the metaphysical associations of the stones. However, some get stuck with stones that don't fall into the gender binary or, if they do, your particular stone might feel or vibrate differently...Like I said, complicated. 
I say go with whatever floats you're boat and feels right on this one. 
As for moon phases that are best for cleansing, I always following the idea that Waning (decreasing) and New Moon are best for cleanse and renewal and Waxing (growing) and Full Moon are best for empowering. 

Give Those Crystals a Bath!
Spring water, ocean water, holy water, moon water, even tap water has been used to cleanse stones. 
I personally don't like or recommend tap water as its energy is not as clean to me, but that is my opinion. The idea behind it is the water flows and takes the non-beneficial energy down the drain and, presumably, back to the earth. You can use this concept by cleansing your stones in a stream or by running water over them outside by pouring your chosen libation over the stones and letting the residual fall to the earth below. 
For cleansing stones I use moon water more than any other. Moon water is made by placing a glass jar or bottle of water in the moonlight to collect its energies and then storing it in a dark place until needed. I usually do this during eclipses, super moons, and other rarer occasions. When I want to cleanse or empower my crystals, I don't have to wait for a moon phase. I simply grab my moon water of choice and give them a bath (I do this with myself and other tools that can handle water as well). 
Water Warning
Some stones that are naturally soft can dissolve in water - example: Selenite. Others, like hematite, will rust when in contact with moisture. Check on your stone type and the effects of water on it before bathing...sort of like a Gremlin, though I've never tried feeding my stones after midnight. 
Of course also be wary of washing your crystals or leaving them in water if they are set in jewelry or tools such as pendulums as water will tarnish or rust some metal pieces. 

Bury Them
Burying your crystals in earth or in salt is done with the idea in mind that stone come from the earth and by connecting them back to their mother element they are rejuvenated and cleanses. 
You can do this outside in the ground (be sure to mark the spot and draw yourself a treasure map) or indoors in a garden pot or in a simple bowl. 
Salt Warning
Just like with water, some stones are soft and salt can cause them to become brittle and break. Be gentle. 

Clusters are a matrix of crystal points that all stick out in different directions and, in doing so, send out their energies in that way. This disperses the non-beneficial energies out while regenerating the beneficial ones. 

Smudge the Smudges Away
Wafting the perfumed air of a burning smudge stick or incense around a crystal or stone, bathing it in the smoke is a great way to cleanse. People do this to themselves and their space all the time, why not to crystals? 
Make sure to use a smudge bundle or incense that is appealing to you - it would do no good to your crystals if you're choking on a noxious scent the whole time you're trying to do a cleansing. That would be like trying to clean your home with cleaners and room sprays that give you headaches and make you sick, who wants to be in that home afterwards? 

Sound Therapy for Stones
Singing bowls, bells, mantras, even a CD of singing monks can cleanse stones. Done in a similar manner to smudging, the sound waves waft around the item or person being cleansed, shaking off the non-beneficial energies. This method is best for those who, of course, enjoy the sounds of bells and bowls and monks. For some, the bells and bowls especially, are a bit high pitched and there's no need to make yourself or your loved ones uncomfortable for the sake of cleansing your rocks. Try another method if that is the case. 

Or a Simple Snuggle Will Do
This might sound weird but holding your crystals, sending them love and peace, and doing a brief visualization of pure white light encompassing them can be just as effective as any of the aforementioned methods. These crystals are your allies and companions. They are there to help you in healing, in meditation, in your personal and spiritual evolution. Of course they would like your love and blessing in return!

Combination
You can also combine the above cleansing methods into a ritual of your design. Some decide to use a cleansing method of all 4 elements; Air, Fire, Water, Earth. Others simply do what feels right or experiment with new ways each time. 

There is no "right" way or "one true way" despite what the books might say. Just be gentle with your stones and yourself. Not all crystals need cleansing. If you don't feel the need to cleanse your stones, then don't just because there are blogs and articles and books saying how to. We are all on our own individual journeys and there's no need to do something just because someone says to. 

Crystal Blessings
December

Resources
Many books on the craft and energy healing will have a section in the index about crystals and their metaphysical properties. I suggest starting there if you already have a library started in this genre.
Hibiscus Moon Crystal Academy - Hibiscus Moon has some great e-books, blog posts, and articles, many of which are about cleansing and using her crystals (she apparently gets asked this a lot too). 
Katrina Raphaell's Crystal Enlightenment and other volumes on crystal use. These are my favorite crystal books and I highly recommend them for anyone wanting to delve into the magickal world of crystals, healing, and energy work.