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Tarot Magic

Less searchable M0rd4nt

14:17 / 07.07.05

I lurk over on a couple of hoodoo/rootwork mailing lists, and today people were talking about the use of Tarot cards in magic (specifically, to place curses on people).

I've worked with the Tarot on and off since I was 12, but to the best of my recollection I've only ever used it for divination or meditation. I'd be very interested in learning more about the use of the cards in magic. Any pointers?

14:40 / 07.07.05

Dang - I forgot you were on the list and I was about to mention that. :S miss cat is badass.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

14:49 / 07.07.05

Isn't she, though?

15:31 / 07.07.05

Well, wouldn't it be just like the runes? Bringing up, say, Chariot energy to help you win some competition or something?

15:40 / 07.07.05

One technique I've heard of is taking the cards associated with something you want to happen, and laying a spread as if for a divination. Reverse divination, like. Programming the future.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

16:51 / 07.07.05

I've come across that technique but I've never tried it. I could never think of a way to--I don't know how to put this--fix the spread magically into my future. Without some rite or componant to act as a kicker, it just looks like wishful thinking.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

16:55 / 07.07.05

Well, wouldn't it be just like the runes? Bringing up, say, Chariot energy to help you win some competition or something?

Somehow I feel that the runes are a bit different. Having worked with both systems I have to say that the runes feel imbued with latent power in a way that the Tarot doesn't, quite. I feel like a Tarot card represents a group of concepts in a detatched symbolic way, whereas a rune somehow seems to carry those concepts within it... I'm not sure how to explain it better than that.

This is purely my feeling on the matter, it's not backed up by any research or anything. I could be utterly off base again.

19:25 / 07.07.05

I've used it both ways. (Wait, that didn't sound right, but bear with me, English is my second language)

To force an specific future: I deal three possible futures, for example 7 cards for 7 days, and then choose one of each pack, the ones i like best.The problem is when the three futures are equally bad and there's not much to choose from.

Some time ago I used a ritual to... well, separate a couple for completly selfish reasons, and it worked. I used the Toth deck. One card for each of them (princess of swords for her, knight of disks for him) using the correspondences given by Regardie in "The Golden Dawn" Wand: fair skinned and blond, Cups:white and Brown or black hair , Swords: Light brown skin and dark hair, adn Disks: Dark Brown and black hair.

I paired them looking at each other, used some of the minor arcana like 7 of disks, 3 of swords and other I can't remember right now. At the middle of the ritual I brought up the Tower and place it between them and then crossed the card so the one on the left ended in the right and viceversa, back to back.

There ended the first part of the ritual. I tried to bind her to me but since I invoked the powers of true love and the card I used to represent me was basically the same for her ex-boyfriend with whom she had spent close to 4 years (the knight of cups) so she went back to him instead. Ces't la vie, I guess.

I made another one close to 5 years ago to, "light my fire", he he, using the emperor, the strength, temperance and Judgment from two different decks and the court cards from the suit of wands. Each of the court card on the N, S, E, and W. The major arcana for the signs forming a triangle inside the circle and the Judgment hanging from my chest. Two tape recorders with contrasting styles of music (Flamenco and Rock) one with Manuel de Fall's "Danza ritual del fuego" played by Paco de Lucia on the north, and Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the dark" (because of the "you can't start a fire without a spark" bit) on the south.

Maybe I should have used the Doors "Light my Fire" but I don't like them and wasn't searching for a lover, althought I found one who broke my heart, among other things that that particular ritual brought, like a 4 new jobs, a poetry book that I wrote in 4 months, etc.

19:34 / 07.07.05

I forgot something else from the second ritual. Afterwards I felt an urgency to do stuff, to move. To be more... fiery. Whatever the hell that means (to be warm and dry, perhaps?)

03:54 / 08.07.05

Unicornius- Cool, thanks for the detailed ritual description. I think I’m going to do something similar. The last few months, I’ve been in a very chill state. Everything seems languid and calm. (Probably due to a water working I did a while back.) And it’s not that I want to make my life more hectic or anything but I want to start moving forward. I don’t know if I should force the change with a ritual, though. I’m going to try the crystal elixir (from another thread) first and see how that works.

10:08 / 08.07.05

Obvious method for using cards in active sorcery would be to use them as a central focus for hoodoo candle burning. For instance, if you wanted to bring about a new relationship you might lay out The Lovers and burn red or pink candles around it dressed in "love drawing" oil. If you wanted too curse someone, layout The Devil, with black candles dressed in "black arts" oil, and so on. You could target things better by laying out more detailed spreads and burning more than one type of candle around it. Basically the cards function in much the same way as the more traditional "name paper" might in general hoodoo operations. They condense what it is you're trying to bring about with the fire witch routine.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

12:53 / 08.07.05

Yes, that's the sort of thing I was vaugely considering. I wondered if there were more formal traditions for such workings, though. I suppose the best thing to do would be to give it a try and see what happens.

Ultimately I'd like to tweak techniques using Tarot cards to use runes instead, see how that goes...

Less searchable M0rd4nt

14:06 / 14.07.05

Right, just had a go of this today. The intent was to attract wealth via either extra business or a full-time job.

I set up a pink and green Trabajo (work) candle and dressed it with suitable oils, ven dinero powder and polvo doro (sorry, I'm hazy on the correct English names for these but ven dinero means "come, money!" and polvo doro is "gold dust.")

Around it I laid out The Magus, the Two of Disks, the Ten of Disks and The Queen of Disks.

At the time of writing, a massive fissure has appeared down one side of the candle and it's spewing pink and green wax all over my second-best black altar cloth. The Ten of Disks almost fell victim to the flood--I rescued it just in time. I don't know if that's good or bad...

14:18 / 14.07.05

When doing something like this how once you light the candle and lay your cards down what are you supposed to do? Sit there and watch? Meditated? Walk away? How long to I leave this going?

14:28 / 14.07.05

When doing something like this how once you light the candle and lay your cards down what are you supposed to do?

Magic, Alex. You are supposed to do magic.

14:38 / 14.07.05

Watch the candle burning on the altar, visualising its flame "working" on the problem at hand. It's fire magic. It's like the concept of a "Need Fire" in Northern trad. As the candle burns down the work gets done. The whole candle has to burn out to nothing. You don't have to sit with it for the whole time, but you have to be around, tend it, sit with it for a bit, leave it, come back. You can do it over one day, three days, or seven. Depending on size of candle and severity of work. Takes a bit of effort being in the house for seven days in a row to get it done, and that's part of it.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

14:45 / 14.07.05

I was going to do it over today, tomorrow and Sunday, but matters would appear to be out of my hands!

Less searchable M0rd4nt

14:45 / 14.07.05

Saturday, I mean. Foolish Mordant.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

14:56 / 14.07.05

As to what you can do: Depends. Some candle spells use psalms. I used a rune chant derived from Thorsson's work. (Didn't do the Galdr-Stada though. I can't really relate to that; all due respect to the man, it just doesn't ring true. Bit of a "My Northern Trad is pastede on YAY!" vibe.)

rising and revolving

15:26 / 14.07.05

"The Ten of Disks almost fell victim to the flood--I rescued it just in time. I don't know if that's good or bad... "

I dunno. Personally, I would have given the ritual the sacrifice it craved - set the bugger on fire with a "You want it? You got it - now gimme the cash!"

But that's just me. And it does wipe that deck out for regular use.

However, I do like the idea of using a Tarot deck which you've used for a long time in a sacrificial fashion. Release all that stored up energy in one zap.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

15:38 / 14.07.05

Maybe. Next time I might get a cheap deck to sacrifice--don't want to lose this Crowley one, I've just got it the way I want it.

(Damn, that's a lot of wax. What the Hel am I going to do with all this wax? You're supposed to bury it in your yard, but I live in flat. I was going to break it in bits and sprinkle it outside the main entrance but... damn, that's a lot of wax. Oh well, s'pose I'll just have to make use of some nearby roadworks...

Less searchable M0rd4nt

15:41 / 14.07.05

Just seen this on Lucky Mojo: 'If you are burning a green money candle and the wax melts and runs down onto the monetary offering, then the spell is "eager to work" and the candle is "blessing the money."'

Ooops. Looks like I'm going to have to find something to subsitute for that Ten of Disks as a sacrifice... maybe a Ten of Diamonds from a regular deck. Bugger.

Unconditional Love

16:38 / 14.07.05

sprinkle a little of the wax in front of all the local banks and building societies, slyly thats my suggestion, cash points as well. jewellery shops if that fits.but also bury it in a spot you frequent, a spot that is yours

Unconditional Love

18:07 / 14.07.05

does your flat have floor boards?

Less searchable M0rd4nt

18:45 / 14.07.05

No, tiles. I think your first idea could work though.

19:59 / 14.07.05

Thanks, Gypsy and Mordant, I think I'm going to try that.... but now that I've finally managed to get un trabajo. I think I'm going to do a spell so that I can grow in my new job. (By the way, I'm going to be a Librarian so maybe I can also bring in some Giles enery to the working.)

08:22 / 15.07.05

If in doubt, leave the wax at the crossroads.

Wax going apeshit during candle magic is generally considered to be a sign that things are working and in motion.

If a tarot card gets "marked" in some way, that can generally be considered a blessing on that card. I don't think it's a "sacrifice" as such, since who are you sacrificing to? A deck of tarot cards that have been marked and inadvertantly customised in various ways and with various substances over the course of a lifetime's magical practice - is one powerful deck. It doesn't necessarily preclude it's ongoing use as a divinatory deck, the cards will still fall how they fall. I wouldnt bother getting an extra deck to sacrifice, cos the very fact that you've bought it for that purpose takes away any close connection with it or investment in it as property of personal significance.

Unconditional Love

11:54 / 15.07.05

with floorboards i was thinking of using runes or tarot, runes could be carved into the underside of floor boards, or tarot cards glued or just left in the space for various purposes, or perhaps tarot wallpapered into walls or if artexing a ceiling...... DIY MaGiCk

13:01 / 15.07.05

Just a bit more info you may not know, the ten of Pentacles is one of the gate cards (notice the ten coins are in the shape of the tree of life in the Waite deck) and especially suited for meditation and pathworking. (Pollack details this in the tarot bible 78 degrees of wisdom.)

Maybe use the card as a focus for a working and see if it takes you somewhere or tells you something?

Less searchable M0rd4nt

01:05 / 16.07.05

the ten of Pentacles is one of the gate cards (notice the ten coins are in the shape of the tree of life in the Waite deck) and especially suited for meditation and pathworking.

Yep, I got that, don't worry! I use the Thoth deck these days and of course Crowley kept to the Tree of Life layout. (My almost-twenty-year-old Aquarian Press tarot didn't seem to want to play, but my Thoth deck really seemed to like being used for magics. Definately going to do this again.)

10:09 / 16.07.05

I read a great book on Tarot Magick a few years ago, but I can't find the thing online to recommend to you...

Less searchable M0rd4nt

11:07 / 16.07.05

runes could be carved into the underside of floor boards, or tarot cards glued or just left in the space for various purposes

In some very old buildings in Europe, the wooden beams supporting the structure are arranged so as to form protective or benifical runes.

Unconditional Love

17:49 / 16.07.05

cool, so old anglo saxon churches and the like. none really that near to me, accept perhaps in maybe one of the local villages.