Using Free Association in Tarot Journaling
Free association is a technique that was used by psychoanalysis founder Sigmund Freud, as a way for patients to allow their thoughts to flow and not be concerned with their potential intended meanings. The exercise is believed to tap into both conscious and unconscious. What first comes to mind is what counts. There are no rules.
Fellow Tarot reader Catherine Chapman of Tarot Elements suggested this technique as way to channel creative energy and discover meanings that are unique to each Tarot reader. She recommended a great introduction to free association and Tarot available on Douglas Gibb’s Tarot Eon blog.
Gibb’s suggests drawing a single card for the exercise. When you draw the card, write down your immediate thoughts. The choice of medium is up to you, so feel free to write in a journal, use a blog, or even make a video or audio recording.
There are no restrictions. Record the colors, what you see in the card. This can just be a list of terms. If you want to write more, go for it! Describe the imagery, the sounds you hear and the emotions you feel. Does it remind you of something in your past or the present? Does it make you think of a person or people?
The most important idea here is to come up with your own ideas, keywords and meanings for the card. It will help you be a confident Tarot reader who has experienced the cards.
I am going to use this method as a way of documenting one card readings for myself.
This is Tarot journaling!
Corrine Kenner’s Tarot Journaling: Using the Celtic Cross to Unveil Your Hidden Story looks like a great book on the subject, and is on my list of essential reads. I also plan on writing a review of my experience with the book. Check out her blog for more insightful information on the subject of Tarot journaling.
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Wow, Nicole!
Thanks for the spotlight
I’m glad you’ve embraced this exercise, it’s value is immense. I feel the thing we need to be careful of when we’re learning anything, but particularly Tarot, is, like Douglas says, to keep it simple. When you buy a Tarot book, you’re really only buying someone elses definitions and meanings. That has it’s uses, we need to keep a central theme going throughout the cards; but as readers (or as Tarotists), we really need to build our own vocabulary – and free association is an excellent way to do that.
It’s awesome in readings too. Imagine looking at the two cards where I first commented and free associating with them; you were honest and said you didn’t really know what they meant, but if you free associate with them, I bet you would be able to read them together, and do it accurately too using this technique.
Aside from building your own Tarot vocabulary, free association is also an excellent way to stimulate and build your intuition. I’ll stop short of saying clairvoyance & psychism, as that’s a whole other area for discussion.
You can also think of this technique as your ‘back up’. If a cards meaning is lost on you, relying on your intuition and ’saying what you see’ in the card(s) is an excellent method of keeping it together. It puts the fun back into learning, and as I said earlier, I’m really pleased you’ve embraced it
Looking forward to your next installment…
Warm wishes,
Catherine
Hi Nicole, thank you for taking the time to read the post.
I can only remember one or two key concepts per Tarot card and I frequently use free association while I’m giving readings as a way to make connections between cards.
It’s a great technique to use and something I imagine I’ll be using for years to come.
I’m really looking forward to reading how you get on with the free association technique.
Hi Douglas,
Thank you kindly for taking the time to comment. I think the technique will work well and I am so glad that it found me. (via Catherine of course).
I am sure you will see posts from me using it.
All the best, Nicole