Welcome to Idola Stellarum‘s guide to choosing your first astrological talisman.

Some of the most welcome questions we receive in our inbox are from folks looking for guidance toward adopting their first astrological talisman. This is a beautiful moment in life to find yourself at, and if you’re reading this, you are likely looking yourself or supporting someone in their own decision-making process. Thank you for being thoughtful about these potent and profound beings!

To celebrate our recent release of the Insight collection, a Hermes-inspired gateway into attunement with the mysteries, including the Hermetic heights of astrological magic, we’ve compiled some considerations, questions, and tips to offer a deep dive guide to folks looking to open their home, heart, and practice to their first astrological talisman.

While this guide could be helpful in helping you choose a talisman more generally (your second, fifth, tenth, etc), it is specifically written with those seeking their first relationship with a talisman in mind. Note that this is meant to be a guide, not a rulebook: our intention was to be comprehensive, not encyclopedic, and so we do not necessarily cover every single possible situation or detail. This resource is meant as an offering to reduce confusion and uncertainty, not as a step by step instruction manual that you must follow. Your own discernment, spirit relationships, and other educational resources may point you in different directions, and that’s fine. Ultimately, this sort of decision comes down to your agency and your relationship with the spheres.

In this article, we will offer thoughts, suggestions, and approaches in a few sections:

1. An Encouragement Toward Discernment
2. The Goals-Based Approach
3. The Affliction-Based Natal Approach
4. The Strengths-Based Natal Approach
5. Ficino’s Three Graces Approach
6. Your Divination Practice
7. Decision-making Tarot Spreads

Although divination is mostly covered in the final sections, our overall practice is that divination is king when it comes to talismanic matchmaking. Your spirits have your back and should reliably guide you away from talismans that would be too disruptive or challenging and guide you toward talismans who are life-affirming and supportive to you and your worlds. As capacities for disruption, challenge, affirmation, and support vary from person to person, divination is adaptable and reliable in a way that any standardized approach to decision-making won’t necessarily be.

We include the most standard approaches to talisman choice in the guide here, including common natal chart interaction considerations, but in our practice at Idola Stellarum we prioritize divination with our spirits as the final and most authoritative word on choices that are as soul-deep as one’s first talisman relationship.

In the final section, we offer questions to guide your own divinations, and a couple spreads to take to your cards and adapt to other methods.

(Note this post is not a guide to evaluating talismanic elections—there is a whole mini-course about that in our Inner Sanctum Membership. If you are interested, you can join our waitlist here.)

The State of the Question

For anyone seeking to relate with their first astrological talisman, it is important from a consumer empowerment position to understand that astrological magic currently exists in a strange time and place. Anyone deepening their engagement through adopting a talisman might want to consider some of these factors when approaching their choice.

The astrological magic industry continues to expand to a level of (still relatively niche but never-before-attained) popularization, especially thanks to Kaitlin and Austin Coppock’s spearbearing kingdom of astrological materia Sphere+Sundry, and the longtime educational contributions of Christopher Warnock of Renaissance Astrology, one of our main teachers at Idola Stellarum.

Any rise in popularity is a double-edged sword for a small, highly technical, and specialized discipline. More folks accessing the powerful—even miraculous—wonders of astrological magic is generally going to be a beautiful thing for the world and human species. But also astrological magic—particularly the crafting of talismans—is difficult to learn properly because well-studied teachers with both requisite lived experience and openness to long-term students are still rare, and important texts of the traditions are not even translated into English yet—or are translated outside of the cultural context in which they were written thus contributing to scholarly misunderstandings and potential mistakes in practice.

The resulting gap between supply of reliable knowledge of astrological magic (and the well-made products of such knowledge, i.e. astrological talismans) and contemporary demand for easily accessible and digestible information (and readily available products) creates a bit of a bubble of the industry’s value. This can lead people to assume that any astrological talisman is a worthwhile talisman, which is factually false (see our post series on the safety of astrological talismans). Combined with the mysterious glamor of the industry and contemporary social media marketing, procuring a talisman can turn into risky and uncertain terrain for many consumers who just don’t know where to turn. Some responsible otherwise astromagically-inclined folks will simply turn away from their dream of a talisman when faced with such inconsistencies and public infighting between magicians, and justifiably so.

So while the question of “which talisman should I choose” is often intended to help choose between, say, a Venus or a Sun talisman, which the considerations below will help with, the choice of talisman is also a way to exercise your consumer choice, and that demands cultivating your discernment. This is a major reason why in the absence of the complex technical education needed to assess the effectiveness of an astrological election itself or the experience in the industry to gauge how experienced or adept any self-proclaimed talisman-maker might be, the absolute best guide to discernment for talismans—and our most frequent suggestion—is your own divination practice.

That said, there are a number of approaches that are accepted as supportive of the more specific Venus-or-Sun-talisman discernment, as well. As presented here, they can also be considered as a framework of steps to evaluate your decision-making process.

The Goals-based Approach

The most commonly suggested way to consider a talisman, as encouraged by Christopher Warnock, Kaitlin Coppock, ourselves, and many other purveyors of astromagical goods is to first and foremost consider your goals and desires. Rather than getting immediately distracted by the possibilities and astrology of it all, consider:

• What area of your life is already actively within your conscious attention that could use extra support?
• What goal are you working toward that could use a boost?
• What desires are guiding you that would benefit in focus, energy, depth, and breadth, and be buoyed by some celestial help?

A goals-based approach recognizes that not all talismans are created with the same purpose. Even two Venus in Taurus talismans could be quite different and supportive of a variety of Venusian ends. A goals-based approach combats the overwhelm that can come from the sheer variety of astrological talismans possible, even just from a specific celestial sphere.

Astrological talismans are crafted in alignment with their celestial spheres and the specifics of the ritual recipe and astrological election, to the extent that some are named after those intentions, such as “Peace, Glory, & Virtue,” “Support, Empathy, & Affinity,” “Alertness & Grit,” to offer a few from our own shop. Most talisman-makers will also include longer descriptions that expand on these qualities and the most appropriate goals/desires to pair best with any specific talisman.

If you are someone who has a difficult time tuning into your goals or desires, this is one particular place where initial divination can provide an outside perspective and aid to discernment. In the final section below we’ll share some supports for that process.

If you are limited in time, energy, capacity, or technical know-how, choosing your first talisman based simply off your goals and the reputation of a trustworthy talisman-maker is a reasonable action. In case you aren’t aware though, it is widely agreed upon that even the best-made talisman can come with some initial bumps as this is powerful magic, which is why we will also briefly cover an approach to choosing a talisman that attempts to minimize the risk of magnitude of the adjustment period that can come with any talisman.

The Affliction-Based Natal Approach

To offset some of that bumpiness, the most commonly advised second step after you find a talisman or two you are interested in that align with your goals, is to consider some basics in your natal chart, primarily the dignity of the celestial sphere in question. The basic principle here would be to avoid talismans that might activate or exacerbate tough spots in your own natal chart.

If you are already familiar with the handful of common technical considerations when it comes to talismanic matchmaking, you can skip this section.

If you find the astrology of it all overwhelming and want a professional to help, let this wash over you until you get to the bottom of the next ‘Strengths-Based Natal Approach’ section and find a list of trusted resources.

For those of who digging in, let’s take an example, say your goals are to enhance your communication abilities, to support your writing and speaking, and you’ve found three talismans available that could help: Mercury (for skill and aptitude), Fixed Star Vega (for charm and inspiration), and a more general purpose 3rd Lunar Mansion (for “all good things”).

For talismans of the planets (Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon), you would consider the natal sign placement and any “combustion” of the planet (except the Sun, as combustion is the technical term for how close a planet is to the Sun).

In our example, for the Mercury talisman, you would consider your natal sign placement and any combustion of your natal Mercury. So if your Mercury is in Sagittarius or Pisces, or within about 9 degrees of conjunction with the Sun, many mages would advise against your first talisman being of the nature of Mercury, for this could come with too many challenges. If any of those considerations apply, the Mercury talisman would not be our recommendation for your first talisman. Some also suggest considering whether a natal planet is retrograde, but for us a retrograde natal planet is more a matter of gradient and experience than a strict hard line.

Note: In our experience, natally afflicted planets do not mean you can never relate with talismans of those spheres. We know of many folks, including ourselves, who after establishing our relationships with other talismanic spirits have gotten the green light for talismans of natally afflicted planets with only minor turbulence. We talk about this a bit in our talk Relational Astromagic: An Ecological Spirit Model (available in our Inner Sanctum membership), where we hypothesize that the increased diversity of a spirit ecosystem, especially grounded with one’s ancestors and the land, contributes to our resilience when potentially disruptive forces are introduced, including talismans which bump up against natal afflictions. But still, even if someone is spirit-adept, we follow Warnock’s elder lead and wouldn’t advise a first talisman to be one of a natally afflicted planet.

For Fixed Star talismans, typically no special natal chart considerations are given. More advanced and gradient-level considerations would be to look to see if you have any planets conjunct the fixed star or if you have any parans between your planets and that fixed star. If those planets are Mars, Saturn, or natally afflicted planets (see above), they are likely not the ideal most easeful first talisman for you.

So for the Fixed Star Vega talisman: since Vega is in Capricorn, if you have the Moon or Jupiter in Capricorn (which would be afflicted since the Moon is in exile and Jupiter in fall in Capricorn), if the Sun is within about 9 degrees of Vega (making Vega combust), or if you have Mars or Saturn in paran with Vega, a Vega talisman would probably not be your best choice for a first talisman. Note that at Idola Stellarum, we only elect for lunar conjunction fixed star talismans, so a Vega talisman will always contain a Moon in Capricorn in the election. This is an essential feature of the election and not an affliction, but could activate the sensitivity of a natal Moon in Capricorn. Remember these are not strict hard lines, and more minor and advanced factors than the planetary ones, as fixed stars in properly elected astrological talismans tend toward the benefic aspects of their nature by design. For your first talisman, though, these may be factors you’d want to consider when comparing talismans to each other.

For Lunar Mansion talismans, as well, typically no special natal chart considerations are given. Some mages will advise folks who have a natally afflicted Moon (in Scorpio, Capricorn, or combust) to take extra care with Lunar Mansion talismans. But in our experience, while the Moon is the activator of these special talismans, they are beyond the kinds of natal considerations that impact relating with planetary talismans, and in fact folks with natally afflicted Moons will likely have a better time with Lunar Mansion talismans than planetary Moon talismans. A more advanced consideration would be to look if you have Mars, Saturn, or a natally afflicted planet (including the Moon) within the boundaries of the specific Mansion itself. Again, we would consider this a more gradient factor, but perhaps one you’d want to consider for your first talisman.

Considerations for decan talismans would combine planetary and Lunar Mansion ones, and constellation talismans would echo Lunar Mansion ones. We won’t cover house-based talismans in this article, as they are not our specialty.

The Strengths-Based Natal Approach

A third step would be to check for any particularly strong planets or placements in your natal chart and if any of your chosen talismans match them. The basic principle here would be to support planets and placements in your chart that have the most capacity to help you and bring you good things.

So to continue with our same examples, if your natal Mercury is in Virgo or Gemini and not combust, that would be an indicator that the Mercury talisman would be an excellent match for your first talisman. If you have Venus in Capricorn near Vega, the Fixed Star talisman could be a beautiful match for a first talisman, as well. If you have a non-combust natal Moon in the early degrees of Taurus in the 3rd Lunar Mansion, the All Good Things talisman may be a perfect welcome to the world of talismanic spirits.

Christopher Warnock teaches that talismans of natally dignified planets are often the most preferable talismans for a person to relate with. Pallas of Idola Stellarum doesn’t have much dignity in their chart, but their Sun is in the first decan of Virgo, a Sun-ruled decan in the Chaldean scheme. Their first astrological talisman was a Renaissance Astrology Sun in Leo talisman (the sign of their natal Mercury), and it is no coincidence that although astrological magic had been a part of Pallas’ life for a Saturn square already, the importance of it to their public life skyrocketed after that.

When looking for a strengths-based first talisman decision, consider not only planets in domicile or exaltation but also decan/face, triplicity, and bounds/terms dignity to support maximizing your options. Planets that have no specific dignity but are angular, direct, and/or co-present with Venus or Jupiter, could be considered as well.

If you really want to consider the technical aspects with your natal chart but aren’t experienced enough to do so yourself, some professional astrologers offer this as a service. If you are serious about adopting a Renaissance Astrology talisman, Christopher Warnock himself will look at your chart and make suggestions. Sphere+Sundry has compiled an entire directory of competent astrologers—many who have studied directly with Austin Coppock—who specialize in their type of remediation based on Sphere+Sundry’s vast catalogue of astrological materia and beyond. We do not offer this type of service ourselves, but Inner Sanctum Members have a Priority Contact Form through which we interact with folks as they wind their way through their Idola Stellarum talisman decision-making. We also recommend Idola teacher and colleague Ursula Rising for spirit-guided and technically savvy one-on-one deep dives into your natal chart and talismanic compatibility.

Ficino’s Three Graces Approach

Similar to the strengths-based natal approach but more broadly applicable if you aren’t experienced enough for all the technical considerations above, an alternate and/or fourth step is one of our favorite approaches based on Ficino’s articulation of the ‘Three Graces,’ a term that he used to describe the Sun, Venus, and Jupiter: “three Graces, as it were, concordant and conjoined among themselves. From these three Graces of the heavens, and from stars of the same kind, astrologers hope for and diligently seek out favors” (Three Books on Life, Book 3, Ch. V).

Ficino’s general advice except in extreme cases was for people to use celestial magic to “increase the influence of the Sun, of Jupiter, or of Venus” (Book 3, Chapter XIII). In other words, when in doubt, it is best to choose from the Sun, Jupiter, and/or Venus.

If choosing between the three is still troublesome, sect is a fun way to simplify this approach. If you are born during the day (a “Day Chart”), prioritize Jupiter as they are your in-sect benefic. If you were born at night (a “Night Chart”), prioritize Venus as they are your in-sect benefic. If you don’t consider any of your natal factors like basic dignity, there could still be some bumps, but typically well-made Jupiter/Venus—and to a lesser extent Sun—talismans will offer smoother results.

Akin to the Ancestral Medicine approach to ancestral lineage healing in which best practice is to support and resource your already well-connected and wise lineages before approaching to help the more troubled ones, the strengths-based and Three Graces-based approaches to astrological talismans consider what is already promising in your chart (or in general), and increases the potency and beneficence of those aspects of life before tackling the harder stuff.

Many in our contemporary worlds—ourselves included in different eras of life—tend to fall into the trap of thinking that the more difficult something is to do, the more effective, virtuous, or worthwhile it must be, mostly an inherited ethic from self-effacing forms of Christianity combined with pull-yourself-up-by-your-boostraps individualist form of U.S.ian capitalist colonialism. Some in this mindset—for this or other reasons—will be tempted and even drawn towards talismans that activate the hardest placements and aspects in their chart as a way to face them head-on or as a misguided practice of “shadow” work. Astrological magic does not operate in these ethics.

In our and many of our colleagues’ and clients’ experiences, the spirits of astrological magic do not traffic in the traumatic baggage we carry from harmful cultural conditioning or early childhood trauma, for they see a much vaster picture of our interconnected lives as relations and incarnate humans on Earth and souls tethered to the heavens. Part of their gift in relating to us is showing us the beyond of our painful stories, not just making meaning of them though that could be part of anyone’s process, but actively recognizing each and every aspect of our experience and understanding them as foundational to the moment we are in right now, and where we can go from there—toward the utmost limits of our fate and fortune.

The Question of Choice

No matter how self-aware and erotically attuned we think we are (*Eros as the force which draws us into union), the spirits of astrological magic know better than us. Their impact comes from a profound structural vision and capacity that we as humans surely receive glimpses of, and moments of access to, but only through a glass, darkly. In the spirit-based model we practice within at Idola Stellarum, we believe talismanic relationships are co-creative and responsive to our participation and consent in the relationship—though some more than others. This conscious participation does not seem strictly necessary. Talismans seem to operate on their own time and scale, with or without our input—hence why curse talismans work without the recipient even knowing about them.

But intentional relationship with talismans fits within the broader religious practices of polytheistic animism co-existent with contemporary astrological magic. Recognizing talismans’ agency, consent, and well-being ensures we treat them like the beings they are.

Respecting talismans’ agency also raises a conundrum regarding the potential fallacy and hubris behind the idea that we even choose our first talisman all on our own. If you are concerned about making a “correct” decision, perhaps this share will offer some relief: at Idola Stellarum, we actively accept that the talismans we offer guide their own adoption process—from the timing of their release to the marketing we do for them, to what their ritual intentions are and how we write about them.

To say, if you are looking for your first talisman, they are probably looking for you too. If your connection to a first talisman seems to be taking too long for reasons unclear to you, we would suggest trusting that patience, as they know a lot more about proper timing than humans do—they are spirits of time (and more) after all.

Overview of Approaches

Putting the approaches above in a four-step framework is a bit of a linear falsehood and oversimplification in actual practice where time is bendy and the talismans themselves seem to have a lot of strange say in who adopts them. That said, since we can’t know much about their side of the process other than remaining open to divination, omens, and communications, any one approach listed here is enough to make a decision, and can go in any order depending on your experience and priorities.

For those who desire a trustworthy standardized approach to the souldeep decision of which first talisman to relate with, this process should suffice:

• Step 1. The Goals-based Approach: consider your goals and desires
• Step 2. The Affliction-Based Natal Approach: consider some basics in your natal chart, primarily the dignity of the celestial sphere in question
• Step 3. The Strengths-Based Natal Approach: check for any particularly strong planets or placements in your natal chart and if any of your chosen talismans match them
• Step 4. Ficino’s Three Graces Approach: when in doubt, choose from the Sun, Jupiter, and/or Venus.
• And in our world, Step 5 (which is also Step 0 if you need support in attuning to your goals/desires) is always always always divine on it:

Divination Is The Way

The best divination to cultivate for communication with guiding spirits is a direct sense of knowing. This helps in that ‘their end of the process’ business above, as it allows us to recognize when we are being summoned into connection. Unfortunately, many of us living in contemporary societies have understandable reasons for why our direct spirit senses are weakened or unreliable. To name a few big ones: trauma, systemic oppression, addiction, overstimulation, or simply lack of training can all contribute to our lack of trust and confidence in our own communication skills—with spirits or otherwise—on top of a common absence of worldview that supports positive spirit contact.

Especially in the United States where we and many of our potential talisman bearers are based, where settler colonizers from Europe brought with them the persecutory anti-daimon Christian worldview that wrought the genocides of Indigenous peoples and within-community witch hunts, any spirit contact or relationship with the more-than-human world is often considered bad spirit contact if not outright dealings with The Devil. Unlearning this sort of demonization of magical practice is key to many growing up in the US who desire to practice divination.

Even for humans who have a cultivated direct sense of spirit(s) despite the cultural challenges, uncertainty due to displacement, bad moods, stress, health challenges, and the surrounding environment can all interfere with the steadiness and consistency of that sense. Thus humans have relied on standard methods and physical tools of divination for millennia to communicate with our spirits, deities, forces of nature, and fate.

The best divination tool for helping you make choices like your first talisman is the one with which you are most comfortable. For folks leading or desiring to lead an astromagical life, divination skills should be a top priority to cultivate. (Fun fact: astrological talismans intended for ‘esoteric and occult knowledges’ are common in the tradition and solid companions in divination journeys, like this sold out 24th Lunar Mansion Talisman. We gave our Inner Sanctum Members an even deeper discount than they normally receive on this talisman when we released it because we know how good they are for folks invested in an astromagical living.)

The most common and accessible divination method practiced in our communities—other than astrology—is tarot. Despite a long history of discrimination, intellectual theft, and cultural appropriation, decks of cards in various divinatory lineages are ubiquitously available online and in-person at bookstores, metaphysical shops, and even big box stores.

As animistically inclined practitioners, the ancient relationship between humans and “games” of “chance,” from the throwing of lots to the pulling of cards, is a fascinating area of relationship. The process of finding one’s own preferred methods and tools, as well as how those preferences change over the course of a life is equally intriguing. While tarot cards are often the most accessible divination in our contemporary worlds, don’t limit yourself as a variety of practices like playing cards, pendulum dowsing, I Ching, geomancy, horary astrology, runes, numerology and dice, throwing the bones, flipping coins, and others may be even more ancestrally compelling and effective for you.

Whatever your preferred methods, as we repeat ad nauseum, divination is the most effective way to make decisions on who should be your first talisman.

Of course, this is assuming you have a divination method that you trust yourself to relate with at this time. This isn’t always the case, especially if you are only recently (re)opening to magic, but also we find that people often underestimate their divination capacities. The world is always already in conversation with us; we just have to pick up the phone—or rather a tarot deck or other divination method. If you don’t have a deck yourself, you can either buy one (yes, it is perfectly okay to buy yourself a tarot deck—the idea that they must be gifted to you is a myth) or ask an enthusiastic bud with extra divination juice to pull some cards for you. If you are considering adopting an astrological talisman, it is likely your feet are wet enough in this world that you know someone or have access to a community who can give your interpretation of whatever cards you pull a second opinion. If you don’t, there are many communities for learning card-reading, like Camelia Elias’ live courses and membership, and Meg Jones Wall’s Tarot Conservatory.

Before we get to supportive questions to ask during your divinations about your first talisman, we want to share a final note on divination. Cultivating a bespoke omen-tracking practice, especially in relationship with your ancestors, will result in a more enlivened conversation with the world and more frequent “syncs” or synchronicities between happenings, dreams, overheard discussions, etc. This is a lifelong process, and a gratifying one.

Astrological talismans often (though not always) seem to show up in their eventual bearers’ lives before they may even know they exist. We’ve had many reports that exact phrases and images from our talisman descriptions, the write-ups of rituals, and Inner Sanctum collection meet & greet event anecdotes have come to bearers in the lead-up to a collection release. This doesn’t surprise us, as we shared we explicitly design collections based on guidance from the spirits themselves, but it is always a joy to see folks relating to their own omen-tracking and how the spirits guide them, as well.

Questions to Ask Your Divination Tools

Have you ever been shuffling your tarot deck, pondering the right way to phrase your question, and just as you light upon how to ask it, you realize you know the answer? In divination as in life, effective answers depend on effective questions, and once you have an effective question, you are more than halfway to an effective answer.

When pondering how to approach the question of your first talisman, we encourage you to consider that you are adding a new family member to your ecosystem of support. This network includes the living human and animal people in your life, as well as your wisest ancestors (even if you don’t consciously relate to them) and various other spirits you have inherited, were born connected to, live amongst, and/or with whom you have intentionally or unintentionally developed relationship with over the course of your life.

Thus, our most commonly advised questions to approach in your divination relate to not just the talisman itself but the relationship between you, the talisman, and your network of support. Consider:

• What will the impact of this relationship be on [my life, my family, my work, the community around me, etc]?
• What is the nature of the relationship between the talisman and myself? You can zone in on particular qualities you are seeking or actively not seeking. Will it be active? Disruptive? Quiet? Supportive? Soft? Demanding? Peaceful? Fun?
• What will the relationship bring into my life/world?
• What will the relationship take away from my life/world?
• What am I bringing to the relationship that will be a core aspect of the relationship?
• What is the highest/most [supportive, beautiful, healing, etc] potential expression of this relationship?

Secondarily, questions about the timing of the relationship are relevant. These questions become especially necessary because of the urgency that comes with specific talismans being, by their very nature, of limited supply. Mixed with modern marketing tactics, this scarcity and urgency can press people into making impulsive decisions they otherwise would not make. This is a large reason why we always encourage folks to divine on their talisman decisions. It is up to you whether you listen to those divinations or not, but we advise not taking your spirits’ advice for granted.

For timing, consider a question along the lines of: “Is now the right time for me to adopt this talisman?” If this is a maybe or wiggly no, follow up with an ask about whether you could adopt now but wait to attune to them. Sometimes this is the wiggle room.

If your alignment towards a talisman seems strong (for instance if you’ve had syncs before finding them or confirmatory dreams or some such) but your divination is a clear no, this is likely an issue of timing. If the timing comes back as a non-issue, it may be some of the natal considerations listed above, or there is something else about the talisman that is invisible that you are being protected from.

This can be especially troubling when you feel strongly toward a talisman, but your divination is a no or murky. There is the possibility that a different type of magic is playing on your emotions, such as glamor magic or a spirit who is decidedly not a talismanic angel. This will often show in a Gollum-esque ‘my precious’ feeling which we have come to recognize as a yellow-to-red flag when paired with a no or confusing divination. Being glamored isn’t a dealbreaker for everyone, to be clear, but especially for your relationship with your first talisman to go smoothly and live up to expectations, finding clarity is preferable for decision-making.

When you know who you are talking to in your divination (your ancestors, your daimon, your great grandma Francine, Spirit, whoever), it can be easier to parse their reasonings, but sometimes a No is just a No despite our desires and we have to fight our FOMO and just trust the process. Ultimately, cultivating this trust helps us deepen into our true desires and grows our discernment in service to our entire human and more-than-human ecosystem of support.

Helpful Tarot Spreads

One of our favourite tarot spreads in the Idola Stellarum household is Josephine McCarthy’s Yes/No six-card spread as shared in her excellent book, Tarot Skills for the 21st Century: Mundane and Magical Divination. We encourage you to support Josephine by buying her books, and if you are a Quareia student, she offers access to this book for free. Yes/No is a bit tricky at first, but once you have practiced and see how the cards and positions express for you, it will become a reliable friend.

Our other most commonly drawn spread is a simple Outcome/Impact pull. This is an easy one, and really develops over time as you work with it. For as many “options” as you like, pull one card for a generalized “outcome” which is basically a vibe check card, and another card for a more specific “impact [on topic/area of interest].” You can pull more cards for assessing multiple impacts on different topics, such as family, love, work, self-worth, specific creative projects or goals.