Analog Projects with Desiree: Journaling with Oracle Cards

Hello, Analog Friends! I contacted our Fairy Godmother, Desiree, to share her latest journaling project involving oracle cards! It looked like a fun project to do this weekend, so I asked Desiree to share with us how she did it!

When you have no idea what to write or journal about, using a question, a prompt, or a word can usually spark ideas and inspiration. The same principle applies to Oracle cards. It’s a fun tool you can use to get your pen going! To start, choose your Oracle Card. There are so many types of Oracle Card decks out there! Choose something you like, are instantly attracted to, or have special meaning/symbolism for you. Thus, the card feels truly yours!

Photo by Christa Litjens.

To start journaling with your Oracle Deck, create a personal space and carve a time for you. This is your time, your space. So do the things you love to be comfortable and have a good time yourself, whether it’s lighting your favorite candle or surrounding your desk with little trinkets that you love, like stones, crystals, or plants, making your favorite cup of warm drink, or reaching for your favorite journal and inked pen.

Then, pick up a card from your deck. Read the card’s title twice. Look at the words and let it sink in. What does it mean to you? What does it tell you? What do you feel? You can start writing or journaling about it, but if you are not inspired yet, look at the pictures on the card. Look at the colors, images, and objects appearing on the card. What do they symbolize in your life?

At this stage, the image and colors may also spark some ideas for selecting corresponding washi tapes, paper bits, or stamps that can carry the “feel” of the cards into your journal pages. I usually fill up two pages of an A5 notebook for my journal spread. I like to leave enough space to write. It’s even better for me to write first and decorate later.

To begin with, I wrote down the Oracle deck I used. In this case, Seasons of the Witch–the Imbolc oracle. I love this series because I appreciate its symbolism of changing seasons and the ebb and flow of life!

Then I write down the card name, number, and title; the keywords; the ‘quote’ or message on the card (if there is one); what YOU see in the symbols on the card; and the text from the booklet. You don’t have to copy the whole text; you can also write or summarize it in your own words.

I always put the book’s text in perspective as I consider what is currently happening in my personal life and what I’ve been experiencing lately. I also make notes about that (hidden if necessary).

Working on my journals like this allows me to reflect and think about life profoundly but in a light and exciting way! The randomness of the card I draw also helps me think and write about different topics in life I may not address otherwise. This practice has given me a space to slow down, breathe, and access my thoughts and wisdom while being creative at the same time.