i just use a good ol mini rider-waite mini deck. i always have it with me when i can bc i feel more connected to it that way.
i read similarly to you—i struggle with set spreads. i usually pull cards like “what is the thing i want to work on/what do i want?; how do i achieve it?; what skills should i focus on/foster to do so?” (the last two questions vary depending on the nature of the first.) i sometimes will pull an extra card or two for clarification but i’d like to believe my deck has a sense of humor so i try to let it do its own thing instead of coaxing an answer out.
i don’t use cards in a fortune telling sort of way as i feel like part of our fortune is how we use lessons learned and our acquired emotional skillsets to navigate life…i’d rather focus on the things within my control and i tell this to others before i read them. when reading for others i think it’s important for the other person to pick their cards and/or shuffle the deck themselves.
i also used to be in the habit of doing a reading for myself every new moon and taking notes about it, then revisiting the notes at the following full moon. i would like to get back into that, as my brain can turn to mush really fast and it’s really hard to stay focused on goals and aspirations or just make sense of my chaotic thoughts in general. reading gives me a sense of clarity and structure.
Oct 12, 2024
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my family has been practicing witchcraft for many generations, so dipping my toes into our practice was not hard at all. however, as i've grown older, i've diverted into my own personal practice and created a mix of both. divination is my specialty, and working with spirits and deities is my favorite thing to do. when i do a tarot reading, i usually just let it happen and allow my "spiritual team" to freely tell me what they want me to know. sometimes it's about me, other times it's about the people around me, and i just pass the messages along. i find this particular method works wonders for me when i do readings for other people because sometimes i'll just become a vessel, and the puzzle pieces will simply connect on their own.
as for my preferred deck, i don't really have one (i have probably around a dozen). i like to think that every deck has a life of its own and they all serve a different purpose. some are more maternal and soft, while others are very straightforward and sharp-edged. so, it varies depending on the situation.
Oct 12, 2024
I started a practice this year of pulling a tarot card every morning, using prompts I write for myself each month, considering what’s on my schedule, what phase the moon will be in, and so on. (A gift to future self) Then I’ll meditate on how I can implement the wisdom of that card into my day. It’s a good way to ground before stepping out into interacting with other humans.
Dec 24, 2024
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I’m about a month in and really enjoying this practice. I don’t know a ton about tarot so sort of learning as I go but typically I pull a card, take in the imagery and see what stands out the me, THEN look in a guidebook and see what resonates with me there, and try to check in a couple other times in the week just to see if anything else came out. At the end of the month, I look back on anything I wrote about this in my journal and note any patterns that came up.
Mar 18, 2024
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liking ur rec = saying hi when we go to get our morning papers from the end of our driveways (picture me doing so tony soprano style)
Aug 12, 2024
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she can’t see my bank account so it’s ok.
Mar 21, 2025
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started writing this a few hours ago when i first saw this ask, then decided against posting but i've since changed my mind. there really is no justification for it outside of entitlement. even from a selfish lens, there's no long term benefit to its usage. it harms the world and culture in more ways than one.
a.) the water and energy usage that isn't a secret at this point. "no ethical consumption under capitalism" yadda yadda and yeah corporations are extremely culpable in the state of the environment but there really is no need for chatgpt and the planet is already too delicate at the moment.
b.) the exploitation of workers in the global south. this program is not just a computer figuring it all out, there are in fact humans behind it. it reminds me of the acceptance of fast fashion and how people have the tendency to divorce the idea of the garment worker from the garment they wear when all clothing is handmade in some way, shape or form. you need hands to man a sewing machine, you need human eyes to moderate content. also, content moderation can be a thankless job with psychological repercussions.
c.) the erosion of social skills, humanity and media literacy...this one is very personal. like, you have a cushy email job but can't write an email? you need a computer and a worker in kenya to get paid a dollar an hour to figure out a daily routine for you? i've seen the program churn out blatantly incorrect information. fine tuning a prompt or chat or whatever to give you the exact (possibly incorrect) answer you need isn't really that much less work than sharpening your research skills by cracking open a dictionary or using boolean search keys in google. again, the main issue with this kind of stuff is the entitlement to convenience, with no thought towards the repercussions within and outside of us. we are losing major recipes (critical thinking and media literacy) here, people!
i probably did an iffy job are coherently articulating my thoughts here but i am in fact, human. and that’s the beauty of it all.
Oct 1, 2024